Jobs in the Staffing Industry

2010-08-06T10:11:00.000-07:00

Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer, On Friday August 6, 2010, 11:20 am EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Companies showed a lack of confidence about hiring for a third straight month in July, making it likely the economy will grow more slowly the rest of the year. The unemployment rate was unchanged at 9.5 percent.

Private employers added a net total of only 71,000 jobs in July, far below the 200,000 or more jobs needed each month to reduce the unemployment rate.

The modest gains were even weaker when considering a loss of government jobs at the local, state and federal levels in July that weren't temporary census positions. Factoring those in, the net gains were only 12,000 jobs, according to the Labor Department's July report Friday.

Investors reacted by selling stocks and shifting into more conservative Treasury bonds. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note, which helps set rates on mortgages and other consumer loans, fell to 2.85 percent from 2.91 percent late Thursday. Major stock indexes all fell and the Dow Jones industrial average dropped more than 130 points in morning trading.

The department also sharply revised down its jobs figures for June, saying businesses hired fewer workers than previously estimated. June's private-sector job gains were lowered to 31,000 from 83,000. May's were raised slightly to show 51,000 net new jobs, from 33,000.

"There is still a labor market recovery, but it's a very, very weak one," said Nigel Gault, chief U.S. economist at IHS Global Insight.

The slow pace of hiring will weigh on the recovery, he said, with economic growth in the current quarter likely to come in even lower than the April-to-June quarter's already weak 2.4 percent.

Overall, the economy lost a net total of 131,000 jobs last month, mostly because 143,000 temporary census jobs ended.

The "underemployment" rate was the same as in June, at 16.5 percent. That includes those working part time who would prefer full-time work and unemployed workers who've given up on their job hunts.

All told, there were 14.6 million people looking for work in July. That's roughly double the figure in December 2007, when the recession began.

Even if hiring picks up, it will take years to regain all the jobs lost during the recession. The economy lost 8.4 million jobs in 2008 and 2009. This year, private employers have added only 559,000 new hires.

Friday's report is being closely watched by the Federal Reserve as it considers ways to energize the recovery. The report could persuade the Fed to take new steps to boost the economy and keep interest rates at record lows when it meets next week.

Without more jobs, consumers won't see the gains in income needed to encourage them to spend more and support economic activity. Even those with jobs may not feel confident enough to ramp up their spending.

That's important because many of the trends driving economic growth earlier in the recovery are fading. Companies boosted production in the winter and spring to rebuild inventories that were depleted in the recession. But those efforts won't last much longer. And the impact of the federal government's stimulus package is also declining.

The economy grew at 5 percent in the fourth quarter last year and 3.7 percent in the first three months of 2010. But that slowed to 2.4 percent in the April-June period. That's not fast enough to generate many jobs and reduce the unemployment rate.

Many companies appear to be getting more out of their current employees rather than adding new staff. The average work week increased by one-tenth of an hour to 34.2 hours, the department said. That's up from about 33 hours in the depths of the recession.

Average hourly pay also rose 4 cents to $22.59, up 1.8 percent from a year earlier. That, along with the increase in hours worked, could provide some boost to spending.

The number of temporary jobs fell by 5,600, the first drop after nine months of gains.

Employers usually hire temp workers if they need more output but don't want to hire permanent employees. But "firms aren't even adding temporary workers right now," Gault said.

Manufacturers added 36,000 jobs in July, slightly above its monthly average this year. Those gains were aided by General Motor's decision to keep its plants running last month. Usually it closes them and temporarily lays off employees to retool for the new model year.

Construction firms cut jobs for the third straight month, losing 11,000, while financial firms shed 17,000 workers.

But retailers added 6,700 jobs. And the leisure and hospitality industry hired 6,000 additional staffers.

Corporate net income rose sharply in the second quarter, but businesses aren't yet using the proceeds to ramp up hiring. Companies in the S&P 500 index reported a 46 percent increase in net income for the April-to-June period, compared to a year earlier.

But many employers are uncertain about the direction of the economy. Some are concerned sales will slow once government stimulus and other temporary factors fade. Others fear what will happen if federal income taxes are allowed to rise next year as tax cuts enacted by President George W. Bush expire.

"People have a long worry list they're looking at," said Ethan Harris, chief economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

Some companies are adding permanent workers. The hospital chain HCA Inc. has 8,300 open positions, company spokesman Ed Fishbough said. That includes nurses, physicians and information technology professionals needed to build HCA's ability to handle electronic medical records. HCA employs about 190,000 people.

But layoffs are also continuing. FBR Capital Markets, an investment bank based in Arlington, Va., cut its work force by about 15 percent in early July to about 500 employees, saying it needed to reduce costs.

AP Business Writers Stephen Bernard and Tali Arbel in New York contributed to this report.

Post-Recession Bounce-Back Plan: Recover Your Earning Power

2010-06-10T12:23:00.000-07:00

by Sara Eckel, PayScale.com

During the recent economic downturn, many Americans vastly lowered their expectations about earnings. One survey of career-fair attendees, conducted by Next Steps Career Solutions, found that 65 percent of respondents were willing to accept compensation that was up to 30 percent lower than their pay at their previous job. In addition to salary cuts, workers have also reduced their hours or accepted lower-paying jobs than they've previously held.

But now that the economy is beginning to rebound, Laura Browne, a corporate trainer and the author of "Raise Rules for Women: How to Make More Money at Work," says there are new opportunities to bump up pay. "Companies are giving money back to people, but they're being selective about who gets it," she says. Here's how to get on that list:

1. Forget the past
Whether you've suffered a pay cut or a raise freeze, understand that complaining about the hardships you've endured will get you nowhere. Instead, show your managers what you are doing now--and what you'll continue to do in the future. "They want to know, 'Did you make money for the company?' And even more important, what you are doing right now that will continue to make money for the company over the next six months to a year," says Browne.

2. Start the conversation now
Even if the company is still struggling, Brown says it's important to start talking before the good times start rolling in. "By the time you hear that your company is making money, it's going to be too late," she says. Approach your boss at a time you're feeling upbeat--that is, not the day you got a big credit card bill, for instance. Explain that you know times are tough for everyone (not just you) and thank your boss for sticking by you and recognizing your hard work. Once the positive tone set, let him or her know that when things start to pick up again, it's important to you that you are recognized for what you've done--and for what you'll continue to do.

3. Arm your boss with data
Your boss may need to convince upper management that you should get a pay bump. So provide him or her with a results summary--not simply what you did, but the results you got--that can be taken to decision-makers. "You have to help your boss help you," says Browne.

4. Work crazy hours
If you've had to reduce your hours, let your manager know that you can work whenever he or she needs you--Saturdays, holidays, or late at night if you can. "If company revenue and income are on the rise, then they'll need more hours to meet increased demand," says Jeff Cohen, the author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Recession-Proof Careers."

5. Make new friends
If you can't get enough hours in your department, get to know the people in other departments and see if there are opportunities to pick up extra hours there. "Tell everyone you know that you're looking for more hours--in a pleasantly persistent way," says Browne.

How to Ruin Your Work Reputation Slowly

2010-05-01T20:46:00.000-07:00

by LIZ WOLGEMUTH

It isn't hard to ruin your reputation online these days—blogging about your boss, Twittering about your customers, posting Facebook pictures that involve copious amounts of alcohol and otherwise inappropriate props. But there's a danger in all of the conversations and lessons about online etiquette: Forgetting that most reputations are made or lost in the office.

While some workers make big, reputation-destroying mistakes (think plagiarism or sexual harassment), the vast majority make a series of choices that can quietly build or ruin their professional image in the workplace. "What I find is that most people undermine their credibility in little ways and they do it because they don't mind their '-ilities,'" says Emily Bennington, coauthor of Effective Immediately: How to Fit In, Stand Out, and Move Up at Your First Real Job. Think punctuality, dependability, humility, accountability. "It's not so much that they make these major mistakes ... What they do is that they slowly chip away at it."

Careful communications: E-mail is a sensitive area. These typed communiques can easily impress groups of colleagues with a worker's communication skills, or lack thereof. "Reputations get destroyed by this so frequently," says Sandy Allgeier, author of The Personal Credibility Factor: How to Get It, Keep It, and Get It Back (If You've Lost It). For one thing, E-mail reveals a worker's sensitivity to the office culture and others' time. If you're frequently cc'd on mail that has no bearing on your work, you may begin to doubt the sender's discernment.

Then there's the ominous "reply all." Everyone knows the accidental office-wide reply can be devastating, but there's plenty of harm in the intentional "reply all." An E-mail reply that's terse, caustic, or cryptic might make sense to a single recipient who knows the writer well, but it rarely translates to a broad audience. Replies that are driven by organizational tensions or are an emotional reaction can be particularly dangerous. E-mail generally seems like a quick way to communicate to a broad group, "but it can become the most inefficient thing in the world," Allgeier says. Large-audience E-mails are rarely wise for dealing with a controversial issue or for being humorous. A regular habit of insensitive, unwise digital communications can leave coworkers with a negative impression that's "almost irreversible," Allgeier says.

In the public eye: Meetings are another danger zone.New hires are often eager to look good among more experienced colleagues, so they're quick to raise a hand when there's an opportunity. Younger workers who are ambitious and want to be seen as contributors can have quick responses that are not helpful, Allgeier says. Better qualities to display: attentiveness and inquisitiveness. "You should really be feeling free to ask more questions," she adds. "This is especially true of people who are trying to make their mark." Young professionals sometimes feel that they will be judged if they've sat through a meeting without saying anything, Bennington notes. But a contribution needs to have a strong basis and foundation to be useful. "Sometimes you can be too eager," she says.

Similarly, employees who interrupt their boss or embarrass their boss in a meeting will quickly chip away at their reputations. "Make sure you understand the rules of behavior," says Roy Cohen, an executive coach in New York. "That's critical." It's crucial to have your boss's back when you're in a public setting. Even then, your loyalty should come across as thoughtful, not blind.

Relationships: It's easy for professionals to get caught up in their relationships with managers. For many, this is the most important factor in whether a job is worth sticking with. The downside of constantly nurturing your relationship with your boss is its effect on your relationships with coworkers. "I've noticed that new professionals coming into the workforce don't appreciate that their success is as dependent upon colleagues as it is upon their boss," Bennington says. When they have impressed their managers enough to get promoted, these workers often find that the colleagues they've jockeyed for position don't want to work under them. The promoted workers become lone rangers. "I think it's human nature that we want to be superstars and we want to be the best," Bennington says. "It's wonderful to have high expectations for yourself, but it can't come at the expense of the team."

Relationships are critical to actually establishing a reputation for yourself. Indeed, the only thing worse than a bad reputation is no reputation. Some professionals become generic. "They don't stand for anything in the workforce," Bennington says. "It's not so much that they've damaged their reputation, it's that they don't have one at all." Cohen, who's a master coach for the Five O'Clock Club and author of the upcoming book The Wall Street Professional's Survival Guide, says that workers can under-socialize. "There's a sense that if I work really hard, the work will speak for itself," Cohen says. Much of the time, it won't.

First and foremost, Cohen notes, people need to know what it takes to keep a reputation intact. "Then you know what could potentially damage it," he says.

50 Worst of the Worst (and Most Common) Job Interview Mistakes

2010-03-15T12:37:00.000-07:00

U.S. News and World Report
Karen Burns, Wednesday March 10, 2010

You may have heard the horror stories--job hunters who take phone calls or text during an interview, or bring out a sandwich and start chomping, or brush their hair, or worse. You wouldn't do any of those things, would you? Of course not.

But there are tons of other job interview no-no's you may not have thought of. Or that you've forgotten. The job hunting trail is long and arduous, and a little refresher course can't hurt. So for your edification and enjoyment, here are 50 (yes, 50!) of the worst and most common job interview mistakes:

1. Arriving late.
2. Arriving too early.
3. Lighting up a cigarette, or smelling like a cigarette.
4. Bad-mouthing your last boss.
5. Lying about your skills/experience/knowledge.
6. Wearing the wrong (for this workplace!) clothes.
7. Forgetting the name of the person you're interviewing with.
8. Wearing a ton of perfume or aftershave.
9. Wearing sunglasses.
10. Wearing a Bluetooth earpiece.
11. Failing to research the employer in advance.
12. Failing to demonstrate enthusiasm.
13. Inquiring about benefits too soon.
14. Talking about salary requirements too soon.
15. Being unable to explain how your strengths and abilities apply to the job in question.
16. Failing to make a strong case for why you are the best person for this job.
17. Forgetting to bring a copy of your resume and/or portfolio.
18. Failing to remember what you wrote on your own resume.
19. Asking too many questions.
20. Asking no questions at all.
21. Being unprepared to answer the standard questions.
22. Failing to listen carefully to what the interviewer is saying.
23. Talking more than half the time.
24. Interrupting your interviewer.
25. Neglecting to match the communication style of your interviewer.
26. Yawning.
27. Slouching.
28. Bringing along a friend, or your mother.
29. Chewing gum, tobacco, your pen, your hair.
30. Laughing, giggling, whistling, humming, lip-smacking.
31. Saying "you know," "like," "I guess," and "um."
32. Name-dropping or bragging or sounding like a know-it-all.
33. Asking to use the bathroom.
34. Being falsely or exaggeratedly modest.
35. Shaking hands too weakly, or too firmly.
36. Failing to make eye contact (or making continuous eye contact).
37. Taking a seat before your interviewer does.
38. Becoming angry or defensive.
39. Complaining that you were kept waiting.
40. Complaining about anything!
41. Speaking rudely to the receptionist.
42. Letting your nervousness show.
43. Overexplaining why you lost your last job.
44. Being too familiar and jokey.
45. Sounding desperate.
46. Checking the time.
47. Oversharing.
48. Sounding rehearsed.
49. Leaving your cell phone on.
50. Failing to ask for the job.

Four Lessons We Should Have Learned This Year

2010-01-05T11:32:00.000-08:00

by Kevin Wheeler - Dec 9, 2009, 5:07 pm ET

Adversity is a great teacher, and the past year will certainly be one of the most adverse and professionally difficult that we will ever experience.

It has been a year of paradoxes and contradictions: unemployment is soaring, but many organizations cannot find the qualified people they need. Rather than restructure work or rethink how work gets done in order to find people, we continue to seek people to work in traditional ways. More people are looking for part-time, temporary, or contract work, yet only a tiny percentage of companies are looking for these type of people. We know that being discourteous to people creates negative branding and is morally questionable especially when so many are unemployed, but we have perhaps never been as discourteous to applicants are we are now. Energy costs have fluctuated wildly and global warming is a topic on every agenda, yet most organizations and people prefer face-to-face relationships rather than asking people to save energy by working from home.

Here are four lessons we should have learned this year.

Lesson #1: Building and maintaining candidate relationships and generating referrals are keys to survival.

Job descriptions should be dead, but I have no doubt that they will live on for a long time. We should all agree that they are not the best, cheapest, or fastest way to attract good people.

In general, you are not going to find the people you need by posting on job boards. The most successful recruiters use social networks, ask employees (and others) for referrals and focus on building talent communities of potential candidates.

Learn from product and service marketing how to do a better job. Watch how IBM or Deloitte advertise and market their professional services. Go for targeted messaging and quality, not volume. Generate candidates from relationships you form using tools such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter and by asking for referrals. Make it a rule of thumb that if you are generating hundreds of responses to a job posting, you are doing something terribly wrong.

Lesson #2: Use targeted, bold marketing and branding to appeal to the types of candidates you want.

Don’t try to appeal to everyone. Focus your marketing messages and media on the type of candidate you are most in need of. KPMG and other organizations target college-age candidates with videos and other media designed to appeal to that age group and to the personalities of the type of candidates who usually want to work for them.

They don’t spend any time or money on marketing that is generic or that appeals to older potential candidates.

The best marketing is always targeted to a specific audience and discourages, although subtly, those who don’t fit the target. Partly this is done through words and pictures and partly by placing the information where the people you are targeting are most likely to see it.

For example, Mercedes advertises on television at the times and on programs where their research shows that highly successful and well off people watch. They place print advertisements in magazines that these types of people read. They do not advertise on Super Bowl nor do they advertise in Reader’s Digest. Targeted marketing requires research, focus, carefully thought-out graphics, and tested writing.

Wording is also key; what you say makes all the difference. If you say and imply that you are seeking only those with very specific backgrounds and qualifications, you will reduce the numbers who apply and improve quality. Even your recruiting web site needs to be worded in a way that is attractive to those you are most anxious to have apply. Cisco Systems has a web site that is appealing to technical professionals but less so to others.

Lesson #3: Do not just use, but embrace, emerging technology

Social networks, video, YouTube, candidate relationship management products, Web 3.0 websites, and SecondLife are all tools that can potentially enlarge your candidate pools, screen candidates, and build relationships.

Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are perhaps the most effective recruiting tools in your arsenal. Video has become king in attracting people, and YouTube is the second-most used search engine after Google itself. If your organization has a recruiting page and/or video, it’s a good start.

Once you start attracting potential candidates, there are many tools to help screen them and communicate with them. CRM tools (Avature is a good example) let you track and communicate with groups of candidates. The most current ATS vendors are also offering this capability and even allow you to link to online profiles in LinkedIn and Facebook. This means candidates do not need a resume.

There are countless email programs, newsletter distribution programs, and other free or inexpensive communication aids that recruiters can use to do a better job letting candidates know where they stand. Even automatic bounce-back responses can be more intelligently written and distributed. A follow-up email could follow the bounce-back and automatically provide the candidate with another touch point.

Lesson #4: Accept change as a way of life

We will not be heading back to the more traditional ways of recruiting, and the contradictions and paradoxes I outlined at the beginning of this article will be with us for a long time. Traditional recruiting skills will be liabilities and will generate little profit.

Everything from face-to-face interviews to onboarding new employees will be more automated and will be done using the Internet. Software applications and mobile technology will dominate the recruiting space. Video interviewing and simulations for selection will become normal within five years.

To be a thriving recruiter you need to focus on building a new mindset that is centered on the acceptance of change as a constant and on taking advantage of technology.

Perhaps the greatest lesson of this year is that we are now at the place where we can use this technology to target our marketing, focus on a smaller number of candidates, allow more direct communication between candidates and hiring managers, and spend more time on raising awareness and marketing key positions using the various technical platforms we have available.

The ability to do this will be seen as strength and will generate returning profit for years to come.

Fired is the New Retired - The idiocy of axing older employees.

2009-11-13T17:11:00.000-08:00

By Ellis Cose NEWSWEEK
Published Oct 29, 2009
From the magazine issue dated Nov 9, 2009

This may be the worst time in the last 60 years to be old and looking for work. Some 6.8 percent of workers over 55 are unemployed (not as bad as for younger workers, but still a historic high). You have to go back to 1949 to find employment stats nearly (but not quite) as bleak as they are now. The bad news does not stop there. On average, it takes employees over 55 roughly 33 weeks to find new jobs, nearly seven weeks longer than for younger workers, and nearly 13 weeks longer than it took just two years ago. Bad as things are, the Supreme Court has made them even tougher—at least for those who believe they are victims of age discrimination and are inclined to try to prove it.

The court's 5-4 ruling last June came in response to a suit filed by a demoted employee, Jack Gross, under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967. It was not sufficient, concluded the majority, to show that age was among the reasons for an employee's bad treatment; age had to be the reason. In his dissent, Justice John Paul Stevens called the decision "unnecessary lawmaking." The majority, he said, misread Congress's intentions. Last month, in introducing legislation to nullify that decision, Senate Judiciary Committee chair Patrick Leahy also accused the court of thwarting congressional intent.

At a Judiciary Committee hearing focused on recent Supreme Court workplace decisions, Jack Gross told his story. (The committee also heard from a former Halliburton employee who says she was raped by coworkers in Iraq but was denied the right to sue because she had unwittingly signed a binding arbitration agreement.) Born in 1948 in a small Iowa town, Gross grew up imbued with the value of hard work. As a schoolboy, he labored at numerous jobs despite the constant pain of ulcerative colitis. As an adult, he found work with Farm Bureau Life, an insurance company, and eventually became a vice president. But in his 50s, he was abruptly replaced by a younger woman. The company, he surmised, was systematically trying to weed out older workers. A jury found in his favor but an appeals court vacated the verdict. The case eventually made its way to the Supremes, whose decision "mortified" him.

The AARP was similarly disturbed—especially in light of statistics showing a 29 percent jump in age-discrimination complaints from 2007 to 2008. Dan Kohrman, senior attorney with AARP, concedes that the numbers don't necessarily prove a commensurate rise in age discrimination, but he insists they show something bad is going on. During hard times, he says, many employers resort to "crude practices" that drive older workers away. They may force supervisors to rank employees on subjective criteria—such as mental "flexibility"—that are essentially a license to discriminate. Or they generate paperwork alleging drops in performance that have no clear explanation.

Linda Barrington, an economist with the Conference Board, agrees that older workers are often stereotyped. Obesity," she observed, "is more of a health-care cost than age for those between 30 and 50." And older workers show every bit as much stamina as younger workers when called upon to put in long hours. Yet in all too many cases, employers see age as a much larger liability than it is.

Earlier this year, after another Supreme Court ruling made it harder for women to fight discrimination in pay, Congress passed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to restore rights many legislators assumed they had already protected. Congress ought to do the same for older workers, who should be given every legal weapon they need to fight discrimination. But even if that happens, age discrimination will not simply go away. Very few workers have the resources to bring a case to court. As Joanna Lahey, an economist with the Rand Corporation, has noted, "the majority of people who sue under the ADEA are white, male middle managers or professionals." And even if more people did have the financial resources to sue, many who are discriminated against don't have the smoking gun that will prove their case. They may just know the job or promotion they wanted went to someone else.

The larger problem, as Barrington points out, is how we tend to view people, the stereotypes we impose on workers of a certain age. It would be great if correcting that were as simple as changing a law. Instead, we face the more daunting task of changing ourselves.

Find this article at http://www.newsweek.com/id/220144 © 2009

US staffing market primed for recovery

2009-11-01T20:45:00.000-08:00

The US staffing market is set for recovery in 2010, according to Ron Mester, managing director of research and analysis firm Staffing Industry Analysts.

In a live satellite link up to California at APSCo’s member sales conference in London, Mester told delegates that the value of the world’s largest staffing market (on a country-by-country basis) has now fallen to $93bn (£58.5bn), from $126bn in 2008.

But total revenue is predicted to grow to $98bn next year and temporary staffing is forecast to grow in all sectors measured by the research firm, including industrial (15%), finance/accounting (8%), IT (8%), marketing/creative (5%), legal (5%), clinical/scientific (4%), engineering/design (4%), office/clerical (4%) and healthcare (1%).

According to Mester, US recruiters have been more agile in the recession, increasing their value-adds of recruitment process outsourcing, HR outsourcing, managed service provider services, vendor managed services and master supplier services, while there were 8% more staffing companies placing professionals over office staff and industrial staff last year than in 2004.

Mester said: “Over the next 10 years, employment services will be one of the biggest growth industries. Increasingly, there are more people that want to work in flexible arrangements. Management teams are looking for more flexible workforces and there are skill shortages in professional skill sets.”

But elsewhere, Palmer Forecast predicts that US temporary worker demand is set to fall by 13.7% in 2009.

The industry consulting firm’s findings indicated a 22.2% decline in temporary help for Q3 2009, which actually came in at a 24.5 % decline more than predicted due to higher than expected unemployment figures.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, seasonally adjusted temp jobs fell 23.3% year-over-year in September, up from the 24.5% year-over-year decline in August. Temp jobs, seasonally adjusted, fell slightly, 0.1% sequentially from August.

Palmer says this is an encouraging early sign of rebound and provided a 3.1% boost on a non-seasonally adjusted basis. The 2,000 temp job losses were the lowest rate of loss since October 2007.

The unemployment rate increased to 9.8% in September from 9.7% in August, the highest jobless rate since June 1983.

10 Ways to Be Liked in Your Job Interview

2009-08-20T11:18:00.000-07:00

by Jonathan Littman and Marc Hershon

No matter your resume and talents, if you mess up a job interview you won't get that position. In today's tough economy you need every possible edge. As authors of the new book, "I Hate People! Kick Loose from the Overbearing and Underhanded Jerks at Work and Get What you Want Out of Your Job," we see it as a simple equation: You want to be liked -- not hated.

Here are 10 simple things to do that will dramatically increase your chances: from wearing the right expression, to knowing what not to say, to never ever breaking a sweat.

1. Don't be a "smiley face."
Excessive smiling in a job interview is seen for what it is -- nervousness and a lack of confidence. A smiley-face person exudes phoniness, which will quickly be picked up by the interviewer. Instead be thoughtful and pleasant. Smile when there's something to smile about. Do a practice run in front of a mirror or friend.

2. Don't be a small-talker.
Your job is to be knowledgeable about the company for which you're interviewing. Random facts about last night's episode of "Dancing with the Stars" or your favorite blog will not get you the job. Never feel you have to fill an interview with small talk. Find ways to talk about serious subjects related to the industry or company. Pockets of silence are better than padding an interview with random babble.

3. Don't sweat.
You can lose a job by wearing an undershirt or simply a little too much clothing. Sweaty palms or beads on your forehead will not impress. You are not applying to be a personal trainer. Sweat will be seen as a sign of weakness and nervousness. Do a practice run with your job interview outfit in front of friends. The job interview is one place you definitely don't want to be hot.

4. Don't be a road block.
Interviewers are seeking candidates eager to take on challenging projects and jobs. Hesitance and a nay-saying mentality will be as visible as a red tie -- and seen as a negative. Practice saying "yes" to questions about your interest in tasks and work that might normally give you pause.

5. Don't be petty.
Asking the location of the lunchroom or meeting room will clue the interviewer into your lack of preparation and initiative. Prepare. Don't ask questions about routine elements or functions of a company: where stuff is, the size of your cube, and company policy on coffee breaks.

6. Don't be a liar.
Studies show that employees lie frequently in the workplace. Lying won't get you a job. In a job interview even a slight exaggeration is lying. Don't. Never stretch your resume or embellish accomplishments. There's a difference between speaking with a measured confidence and engaging in BS. One lie can ruin your entire interview, and the skilled interviewer will spot the lie and show you the door.

7. Don't be a bad comedian.
Humor tends to be very subjective, and while it may be tempting to lead your interview with a joke you've got to be careful about your material. You probably will know nothing about the sensibilities of your interviewer, let alone what makes them laugh. On the other hand, nothing disarms the tension of a job interview like a little laughter, so you can probably score at least a courtesy chuckle mentioning that it's "perfect weather for a job interview"!

8. Don't be high-maintenance.
If you start talking about the ideal office temperature, the perfect chair for your tricky back, and how the water cooler needs to be filled with imported mineral water, chances are you'll be shown a polite smile and the door, regardless of your qualifications. Nobody hiring today is going to be looking for someone who's going to be finicky about their workspace.

9. Don't be a time-waster.
At every job interview, the prospective hire is given the chance to ask questions. Make yours intelligent, to the point, and watch the person across the desk for visual cues whether you've asked enough. Ask too many questions about off-target matters and you'll be thought of as someone destined to waste the company's resources with insignificant and time-wasting matters.

10. Don't be a switchblade.
Normally the switchblade is thought of a backstabber, often taking credit for someone else's work. In an interview setting, the switchblade can't help but "trash talk" his former employer. If you make it seem like your former workplace was hell on Earth, the person interviewing you might be tempted to call them to find out who was the real devil.

Copyright 2009 Jonathan Littman and Marc Hershon, authors of "I Hate People!: Kick Loose from the Overbearing and Underhanded Jerks at Work and Get What You Want Out of Your Job"

Jonathan Littman is the author of "I Hate People!" and numerous works of nonfiction, including "The Fugitive Game," "The Watchman," and "The Beautiful Game." He is a columnist for Yahoo! Sports.

Marc Hershon is the coauthor of "I Hate People!" and a branding expert who helped to create the names for the BlackBerry, Swiffer, and many other influential products.

Celebrating 2-Years of Bringing People Together!

2009-07-09T11:10:00.000-07:00

In July 2007 we started Direct Search Alliance to set a new standard in the "Recruiting for Recruiters" segment, which is largely made up of fragmented independent executive recruiters who are former industry professionals working on their own.

Leveraging best-in-class database management and communications technology, as well as the rapid growth of premier business information search engines and businesses-oriented social networking websites, we have built the largest confidential network of Staffing and Human Capital Industry professionals in North America.

How we provide this new standard is centered on making new and sustaining valued relationships with working professionals day after day. We might leverage "information technology" to create a platform from which we work, but what makes our approach truly unique to the industry is in our collective efforts to reach out to top performers directly by phone or with personal correspondence to develop relationships over time with industry talent, both broadly coast-to-coast and deeply within local markets.

We bypass the typical employment sites and find people who aren't looking for a job, but are interested in hearing about new opportunities and welcome a career partner with connections inside the top employers to work for.

In the Staffing & Human Capital Services Industry, we have multidisciplinary depth and breadth across Commercial and Professional Staffing, Place & Search, Outplacement, Human Capital Management Services and Outsourcing segments.

Our organizational mission is to represent, serve and inspire talented individuals in connection with business performance as well as career progression. We believe that it is people who drive business success, and it is our job to bring people together.

Join us in celebrating our anniversary. Cheers to our team: Leslie, Kisa, Craig, Lisa, Carrie, Jen, and Amy! A heartfelt thank you to our clients who have supported our growth with exciting and challenging opportunities, and sincere appreciation to our candidates who have brought us diverse skills and talents, making us proud and more knowledgeable.

5 common interview questions and how to answer them

2009-06-30T17:46:00.000-07:00

by Marci Alboher, Working the New Economy, on Fri Jun 12, 2009

Several people wrote to me saying that whether an interview is on the phone or in person, there were several questions that they anticipate with dread. I’ve been collecting those questions and talking to some pros about how best to answer them. Here are the top five, with suggested answers. Of course, there are no right or wrong answers, only ways of thinking about answers that will get you to the next stage of the process:

What’s your greatest weakness?

It’s an interview cliche, but it still gets asked. The key is to come up with something that is truthful, yet doesn’t impact your ability to do the job, according to career coach and blogger, Miriam Salpeter. More important than what you identify as a weakness is the part about how you’ve overcome it. Salpeter offers this example: A computer programmer might say, “Speaking in front of very large crowds really scares me, but I’ve been working on becoming a better public speaker. I’ve joined Toastmasters, and I stand up in front of my mirrror, pretending there is a crowd.” It's a good one because public speaking is something most people are afraid of, and it is also not likely to be essential to a job as a programmer. One thing you should never say, says Salpeter, is that you are a perfectionist because no one wants to work with a perfectionist. If you want to know why, read this spot-on post by Penelope Trunk.

So tell me about yourself? (Also posed as “Why do you think you’re the person for this job?” “Why should we hire you?” “What distinguishes you from other candidates?”)

This is not an invitation to recite your biography. It is an opportunity to draw out the parts of your story that best sell you for the position. So if you were born and raised in Boston and are passionate about the city, that might a good topic for conversation in an interview for a marketing position with the Boston Red Sox. But it wouldn’t necessarily be worth mentioning if you were talking about a job in international banking. If you’re fluent in three languages, have worked overseas, and have parents who hail from outside the U.S., then those facts would be good ones to highlight in the interview for the international banking job.

Talk about a time you failed and how you recovered.

Since we all mess up from time to time, the important thing is that you choose something where you can demonstrate what you’ve learned from the experience. A classic example here would be a time that you took on too much responsibility or agreed to do something on an unreasonable timetable, according to career coach and resume writer, Chandlee Bryan. Your recovery could be as simple as the fact that you now feel comfortable raising concerns about what you can deliver on a given schedule.

What changes would you make to our company if you came on board?

This one can set you up to stumble in a variety of ways, according to Ford R. Myers, author of the new book, “Get the Job You Want Even When No One is Hiring.” "No matter how comfortable you feel in this situation, you are still an outsider, and don't know the inside story,” warns Myers. “Even if your suggestions are good, you might make them look like idiots, if they don’t see things your way. And if you say something that doesn’t align with the company’s culture, then you look like an idiot.” Myers recommends saying something like this: “I wouldn’t be a very good doctor if I gave my diagnosis before examining the patient. If I were hired, I’d take a very good look at what’s going on, speak to a lot of people. And after examining the entire situation, I would come to you with a proposal for your input, and collaboratively we would come up with a solution.”

Why are you returning to a field or a company you left?

The key with this one is to present your time away as a learning experience and focus on what you know now that you didn't understand before, says Chandlee Bryan. Say you were in banking, helping to evaluate companies for mergers and acquisitions and went for a stint to a startup. You’ll now be able to say that you understand the start-up mentality from more than just a balance street perspective. You might want to add that the time away helped you understand why you are more suited to working in a large organization than in a small one, or some other observation about the difference in cultures and why the one you left is a better fit for you.

For examples of more challenging interview questions along with sample answers, spend some time on Glassdoor.com’s interview section where people post real questions -- as well as other details about interview formats -- from real interviews. To gain full access to the interview section, you need to post information about an interview you went on. The site offers a range of questions -- from basic ones like the ones above, to some that will appeal to anyone who enjoyed studying for the SATs. This was apparently a question in an interview for an account manager Microsoft interview: “One train leaves Los Angeles at 15mph heading for New York. Another train leaves from New York at 20mph heading for Los Angeles on the same track. If a bird, flying at 25mph, leaves from Los Angeles at the same time as the train and flies back and forth between the two trains until they collide, how far will the bird have traveled?”

With Jobs Scarce, Age Becomes an Issue

2009-05-21T12:07:00.000-07:00

by Dana Mattioli
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
provided by The Wall Street Journal

Age discrimination in the workplace has long been a concern for the 55-and-older set. In this downturn, however, younger workers may have as much to fear as their more-mature colleagues.

Employees in their 20s and 30s are finding themselves more at risk of a layoff, according to labor lawyers, as employers look to avoid age-discrimination lawsuits by adopting a "last one in, first one out" policy and turn to tenure as a means of conducting layoffs. In some cases, young, childless professionals say they feel they're being targeted in layoffs, while employees who have families to support are given special consideration.

While no age group is exempt from layoffs, younger workers seem to be shouldering a larger percentage of the burden, according to recent Labor Department figures. The unemployment rate for those between the ages of 25 and 34 was 9.6% in April 2009, up from 4.9% a year earlier. For those ages 55 and older, the unemployment rate was 6.2% in April 2009, compared with 3.3% a year earlier.

Wary of Lawsuits

While younger workers tend to earn the lowest salaries, making them the least-expensive workers to retain, companies are becoming wary of laying off older, better-paid workers. In fact, Gerald Maatman, co-chairman of the class-action litigation practice at Seyfarth Shaw LLP, which represents employers, says he has been fielding more inquiries about laying off younger workers than in years past, especially from companies in states like New Jersey and Michigan that have laws to protect workers as young as 18. Age-discrimination lawsuits brought by older workers can cost more than the salary of the worker who was laid off and can hurt the company's reputation, according to Andria Ryan, partner at Atlanta law firm Fisher & Phillips LLP.

"Younger people, in general are a lot less of a risk [for lawsuits] when you do a reduction in force," says Ms. Ryan. While most states protect employees 40 and older from age discrimination, only a handful of jurisdictions extend this protection to employees as young as 18, she says.

"Companies don't like [layoffs by seniority], but [they're] also the easiest to defend," says Gerald Hathaway, co-chairman of the business-restructuring practice group with employment law firm Littler Mendelson. "If you have a bona fide seniority system it's a defense for any type of discrimination," according to the law, he adds.

Seniority in Education

This is particularly true in the education field, where many colleges and schools are taking measures to protect tenured teachers and professors. David Schauer, superintendent of Kyrene Elementary School District No. 28 in Tempe, Ariz., sent layoff notices to 68 teachers in anticipation of budget cuts. The cuts target only first-year continuing teachers, most of whom are in their 20s, says Mr. Schauer. "My worst fear is that really good people will leave teaching," he says.

Nicole Ryan, a 24-year-old sixth-grade math teacher for Fox Lane Middle School, in Bedford, N.Y., received such a layoff notice. The notice was sent out to teachers and staff based on their seniority. So, despite strong performance reviews, budget cuts mean she may not have a job to return to in the fall. "I knew it was coming because, based on seniority, I was lower on the totem pole," she says. "It didn't make it any easier."

The emotional impact of layoffs can affect a manager's decision when it comes to choosing who gets the ax -- and that can also disproportionately affect younger workers. "It takes a tremendous toll on managers," says Mitchell Marks, a professor of organizational change in the College of Business at San Francisco State University. Mr. Marks says when layoff decisions come to a tie breaker, personal and family situations often come into play.

"I've had plenty of managers sit me down and say 'Joe's spouse just got diagnosed with cancer but Jane's spouse is an M.D.,' " says Mr. Marks of the explanations of how a layoff has been decided. The same decision-making process can occur when choosing who gets laid off between a single 20-something employee or, say, a 50-year-old employee with two kids in college.

Svetlana Gelman, 24, worked in the marketing department of a law firm until December when she was laid off. She feels strongly that her age and the fact that she doesn't have a family to support put her at greater risk before the layoff. Ms. Gelman says she was competing head-to-head with another employee with a child, who was hired a few months after Ms. Gelman and often would use her sacrifices as a parent to tout her dedication to the firm.

"The person was very tactical, she would bring the child in, spoke about him all the time and would say things like 'My child is sick but I'm still here,' " says Ms. Gelman.

And as work became more scarce and layoffs loomed, Ms. Gelman says she was let go while her colleague remained, despite the fact that Ms. Gelman earned less and often worked longer hours because of her co-worker's child-care responsibilities.

Staying Safe

Still, there are ways younger workers can go about safeguarding their jobs. High-maintenance attitudes typical of younger workers also make them more prone to the chopping block in a down economy, says Bruce Tulgan, author of "Not Everyone Gets a Trophy." Twentysomething professionals tend to demand flexibility, responsibility and high pay, he says -- all things that aren't going to be well-received in this environment.

"This is a really great time to come in early, stay late, dot your i's and cross your t's," says Mr. Tulgan. He says young employees should volunteer to do grunt work, take advantage of free certifications their companies offer and be compliant, rather than demanding.

Staying Valuable

Ms. Ryan, the attorney, says now is the time to make yourself as invaluable to a company as possible. She recommends cross-training in another department, learning as much as possible about different areas of the company and expressing a willingness to relocate to less desirable locations (something those with families often can't do).

You might also try to align yourself with someone in senior management. This could be in a mentor relationship or as a volunteer on a big project a manager is working on. Although executives are busier these days, they often view being asked to mentor as a compliment, says Mr. Marks. And if it should come to layoff decisions, "It doesn't hurt to have someone in the executive conference room on your side," he says.

Physician, heal thyself

2009-04-18T19:09:00.000-07:00

This saying, that dates back to biblical times, means attend to one's own faults, in preference to pointing out the faults of others. The phrase alludes to the readiness and ability of physicians to heal sickness in others while sometimes not being able or willing to heal themselves. This suggests something of 'the cobbler always wears the worst shoes', i.e. cobblers are too poor and busy to attend to their own footwear. It also suggests that physicians, while often being able to help the sick, cannot always do so and, when sick themselves, are no better placed than anyone else.

A pithy saying, a bit dated for these modern times, but spot on with what ills the Staffing Industry.

What the industry sells to business clients is flexibility and access to talent; responsiveness and quality, as well as specialization and depth in any one industry or discipline. With economic times uncertain, the need for flexibility and talent is more acute, a message Staffing Industry companies are quick to point out to customers who have cut back on spending on staffing and talent searches.

Staffing Industry leaders; however, espouse the benefits of industry services staffing firms bring to the economy, while at the same time have cut back or eliminated the use of "in-house" temporary employees and put a freeze on using outside search firms to find them talent specific to their industry segment. Hmm...what is wrong with this picture?

Another proverb says it best...charity begins at home. You should take care of family and people close to you before you worry about helping others. For customers and the industry analysts to have confidence in the industry as a whole, we must set the example to validate what we sell is truly of value to businesses--even in difficult economic times.

As the premier source of top talent to the Staffing and Human Capital Services Industries, I have the pleasure of working with companies who value talent and trust us to be the specialist practice we are to provide talent for sales, recruiting, client services, management and executive positions. We do, however, come across companies that have shut down the use of the very services that they sell.

In my opinion, this is a factor germane to the success or failure of the industry to recover. Be a part of the solution to our fiscal challenges and use Staffing Industry services, benefit from the flexibility and the access to talent that are central to growth and prosperity.

With talent, we can help.

Win Friends and Expand Your Network

2009-03-23T09:38:00.000-07:00

by Caroline Levchuck

Do you freeze when someone invites you to a networking event? Do you groan at the mere mention of the word networking?

Networking isn't about artificial settings or immediately asking someone at a professional event for a job. Rather, in the truest sense of the word, networking is about friendship and communication.

Your family, friends, and neighbors, and current and former coworkers are all part of your natural network. So is everyone you stay in contact with and show an interest in.

Reach Out and Touch Everyone

To have a friend, you must be a friend.

And to have a robust natural network filled with friends, you've got to be a thoughtful friend. This means remembering people's birthdays and other important occasions. It means giving kudos for their accomplishments. It means sending thank-you notes for referrals or favors you receive.

It also means staying in regular contact through emails, phone calls, and get-togethers. Each week, set a goal to send one friendly unsolicited email to someone who's in your network (or someone you'd like to be in your network). Also, make at least one personal phone call a week to another individual. Finally, at least once a month, arrange to meet someone in your natural network for lunch, cocktails, or just coffee.

If none of this comes naturally to you, make it a priority by putting each obligation on your to-do list.

You Wanna Be Starting Something

A great way to connect with people and, yes, network, is at an event. But rather than attending yet another formal-but-worthless gathering, get people together informally, and for fun.

Start a weekly poker game. Start a book club with coworkers. Start a cooking club. Start a band.

Have a dinner party or a backyard BBQ. Invite your guests to each bring another friend who's not part of your immediate circle.

Arrange a potluck lunch at the office. Initiate a walking group with coworkers during the day. Spearhead a company outing or fundraiser.

Initiating group activities allows you to network organically while having fun.

Oh the Places You'll Go

Joining is as important as initiating. What are your natural interests? Follow them to expand your natural network.

Do you like to golf? Rather than playing with your usual partner, walk on to a course as a single and play with a threesome. You could make three new friends -- and add three new members to your network.

Have you always been interested in pottery? Or learning sign language? Take a course after work. You'll be with a group of like-minded folks from all walks of life. Odds are at least one or two will wind up members of your network.

Joining a gym, a special interest group, or getting involved with local politics are all great ways to meet new people and make new friends.

Become the Ultimate Connector

One of the best ways to be a good friend and great natural networker is to become a connector.

Rather than focusing on how people in your network and new friends can help you, focus on how you can help them. Keep your ears open when someone says they're looking to break into a certain industry or they're seeking someone with specialized knowledge. Who in your network can help? Who in your network would benefit from such an opportunity?

Becoming the ultimate connector may not bear immediate fruit for you and your professional ambitions. But when you need it, you will have a flourishing network to lend you a hand.

9 Recession-Proof Careers

2009-02-20T22:49:00.000-08:00

Despite the economic downturn, these careers are still growing.
By Cathie Gandel and Hilary SterneAdditional reporting by Neena Samuel and Kathryn M. Tyranski

These industries project promise—and jobs—for the future, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Occupational Information Network database.

1. Education
Math and science teachers will be in demand as the U.S. struggles to compete with other countries in engineering, technology, and medicine. A growing immigrant population means more English-as-a-second-language classes will be needed.

Postsecondary teachers - Median salary: $56,120 Education: bachelor's degree and often a master's or doctorate

Teacher assistants - Median salary: $21,580 Education: some post-secondary education or vocational training

Educational, vocational, and school counselors - Median salary: $49,450 Education: secondary education, associate's, bachelor's, or master's

2. Energy
Some of the jobs in this field are the result of projects started a year or more ago. But the real boost will come from the new administration's commitment to a more efficient national energy system. "Growth of energy consumption around the world will keep this sector strong," says Laurence Shatkin, coauthor of 150 Best Recession-Proof Jobs.

Power plant operators - Median salary: $56,640 Education: vocational training and several years of on-the-job training

Insulation workers - Median salary: $31,280 Education: secondary education and vocational training

Electrical power-line installers and repairers - Median salary: $52,570 Education: vocational training and several years of on-the-job training

3. Environment
Green is getting the green light in a nationwide push to make homes and office buildings more energy-efficient and to develop alternative energy sources (solar, wind, nuclear) as well as fuel cell technology. "Anything involved with wind power, either the design or related products, will be big," says Laurence Stybel.

Environmental scientists - Median salary: $58,380 Education: master's

Environmental engineers - Median salary: $72,350 Education: bachelor's

Hydrologists - Median salary: $68,140 Education: master's

4. Financial Services
Rising from the ashes of a very bad year, financial services have a bright future. Corporate America's wretched excesses mean more government regulation. Workers who are retiring will need advice on how to make their money last. Small businesses may outsource accounting services. As we get to the middle of the recession, there will be a wave of mergers and acquisitions, Stybel predicts. "People with experience in managing the process-corporate attorneys, investment bankers, and accountants-will be in demand."

Financial advisers - Median salary: $67,660 Education: bachelor's

Accountants and auditors - Median salary: $57,060 Education: bachelor's

Sales agents (securities and commodities) - Median salary: $68,430Education: bachelor's

5. Government
More than half a million federal employees will retire by 2016, leaving open positions at agencies from the CIA to AmeriCorps to NASA. There will also be opportunities at the state and local levels. "In addition to police work and homeland security, government inspects and regulates many industries," says Shatkin. "Workers can sometimes capitalize on their experience in an industry by moving into a regulatory job."

Government property inspectors - Median salary: $48,400 Education: vocational training, associate's or bachelor's

Immigration and customs inspectors - Median salary: $59,930 Education: bachelor's

Urban and regional planners - Median salary: $57,970Education: master's

6. Health Care
Health care pops up at the top of just about every list of hot careers. All of us are getting older and living longer, sometimes with chronic health conditions. What's more, health insurance practices may undergo a radical revision during the Obama administration, which has announced plans to address three central issues: coverage, cost, and quality of care. "Health care is a growing industry," says Bettina Seidman, "and not just for health care professionals. There will also be jobs for secretaries, accountants, and administrators."

Registered nurses - Median salary: $60,010Education: associate's or bachelor's

Dental assistants - Median salary: $31,550Education: secondary education, plus a few months to one year of on-the-job training

Medical records and health information technicians - Median salary: $29,290 Education: associate's

7. International Business
Corporations, consulting firms, nonprofits, and even governments are going after global markets. People with international expertise, foreign-language skills, or a willingness to move abroad will be in demand. "The global economy is only going to grow," says John Challenger. "U.S. involvement will expand, short and long term."

Interpreters and translators - Median salary: $37,490 Education: bachelor's

International management analysts - Median salary: $71,150 Education: bachelor's or master's

Market research analysts - Median salary: $60,300 Education: bachelor's or master's

8. Law Enforcment
International terrorism makes daily headlines, and fear of financial insecurity is matched only by concern for our physical safety. "Crime doesn't go down in a recession," says Shatkin. "It may even increase."

Probation officers - Median salary: $44,510 Education: bachelor's

Court reporters - Median salary: $45,330 Education: postsecondary vocational training

Paralegals - Median salary: $44,990Education: associate's degree in paralegal studies

9. Technology
New uses of technology in services and products like electronic health records mean that this sector will continue to be strong. "We have just begun to use the Internet as an entertainment medium in publishing, music, and film," says Peter Weddle.

Computer systems analysts - Median salary: $73,090 Education: bachelor's

Network systems and data communications analysts - Median salary: $64,600 Education: bachelor's

Computer, ATM, and office machine repairers - Median salary: $37,100 Education: high school or vocational training

And We'll Always Be Looking For..."Think of basic human needs, the things we can't do without," says Shatkin. They provide what he calls "little islands" of employment in this economy. For example, he says, we will always need sewage and water treatment. Challenger says the food industry is a core area: "People have to eat, and the global population is increasing."
In a down economy, people don't buy new cars—they repair their old ones. People turn to their clergy for comfort. Funeral directors will always have jobs. And since pets are very much a part of the family, veterinarians and veterinary technicians will continue to be in demand.

Despite Layoffs and Hiring Freezes, The War for Talent is Not Over

2008-12-30T01:17:00.001-08:00

According to a renowned study conducted by McKinsey Co., the most important corporate resource will be talent. It's also the resource in shortest supply, most of all in tough economic times. Are you ready to fight for your fair share?

An underlying fact in the American workplace is the shortage of qualified workers available to fill jobs. The principal business challenge of recruiting, retraining and inspiring talent continues, even in a slumping economy - just like in good times - as employees retire, quit, are terminated, find a new job, enroll in school or move away.

With layoffs the remedy for economic ills, it is often mistakenly thought that hiring is linked to economic growth. Statistically; however, economic growth makes up only about 5% of overall hiring actions in the U.S. Turnover is the overwhelming and primary reason for the majority of a company’s need to hire.

When headcount is monitored closely and managers must “made do” with less people, poorer performers are less tolerated and are “performance managed” out. As such, managers look for top performers from outside the company to ensure their teams are able to perform at high levels in challenging times.

At the same time, in a weak economy, top performers seek out opportunities they perceive as recession-proof causing employers to compete against rival employers.

Under a hiring freeze, overall headcount is targeted to remain at an established number. In these circumstances, when an employee leaves, managers still must make “backfill” hires to cover key positions.

After a period of reactionary cutting and freezing, hiring activity will return to a level of normalcy, business as usual. Then, employers will find that that they are lacking talent in a competitive job market—the market for “employed” top performers.

During times like this, employers will be flooded with candidates from which to choose. A nice change…or not? Hiring managers are well advised to proceed with caution as you contemplate hiring from the pool of available “active” candidates—recently available due to layoffs. Likely, these candidates are “first wavers” who in a robust economy “flew under the radar” and now find themselves “redundant” in an economy that requires top talent to produce results. This doesn’t mean all unemployed or job-seeking candidates are bad or mediocre, but for many, it is indeed the fact.

As the numbers of candidates on the market increases it becomes increasingly difficult to “separate the wheat from the chaffe” and choose the people that are of high quality from a group of mixed quality.

Does it make sense then to continue to employ the services of a search firm to find talent for your organization? Consider that a professional executive search firm is in constant contact with candidates and hiring managers across the segments in which they specialize. This “constant contact” is with “passive” candidates who, when facing economic instability, are more likely to entertain a new opportunity if presented by a known, trusted advisor.

The bottom line…great people are hard to find in even the best “employer's market” circumstances, and only great people are a good investment when resources are dear. An investment in a search fee pays dividends when a new employee not only joins your organization, but contributes with the high level of skill, talent and character commonly found with employed, “passive” candidates who “fly under your radar.”

Direct Search Alliance is exclusively a direct recruiting firm, targeting passive candidates (we do not use ads or postings of any kind; we source top talent directly by researching the market and reaching out to working processionals to develop relationships and share connections). We are the Staffing Industry’s best resource, with multidisciplinary depth and breadth across Commercial and Professional segments, to source a top performer for your organization in 2009.

Season's Greetings

2008-12-19T20:21:00.001-08:00

To our Client and Candidate Business Partners and Friends, all of us at Direct Search Alliance extend our sincerest best wishes for a happy Holiday Season.

May the New Year bring optimism, innovation, the coming together of talented people, support from colleagues and leadership, aspiration to overcome difficulties, and the power to make the best of trade and industry in the marketplaces we serve.

Teamwork brings everything together.

2009, a time to hope for peace and think green. A time to step it up in the face of adversity. A time to renew the spirit of service and go to work.

Employment Situation

2008-12-15T08:22:00.000-08:00

It's official: the U.S. economy is in a recession. The Business Cycle Dating Committee of the National Bureau of Economic Research announced last week that, after six consecutive years of healthy growth, the U.S. economy peaked in December 2007. "The peak marks the end of the expansion that began in November 2001 and the beginning of a recession," the committee stated.

Employment is one of the primary measures NBER uses in tracking the economy, and it noted that U.S. payrolls peaked last December and have declined every month since.

Historically, temporary and contract employment drops precipitously during recessions. In the last recession, for example, staffing employment began to fall several months before the recession actually began. Over the course of a year and a half, the industry lost 29% of its jobs, according to the quarterly ASA staffing employment and sales survey. In year-to-year comparisons of employment data during that period, there were four consecutive quarters of double-digit rates of decline.

So far in this recession, the pattern has been different. Unlike with previous recessions, staffing employment remained relatively unchanged for 10 months. For example, staffing employment declined only 2.5% from the first quarter through the third quarter of this year, according to the ASA employment and sales survey. And the ASA Staffing Index, which measures changes in temporary and contact employment, had been flat for most of the year, until it started showing sustained weekly declines in late September.

The November employment situation report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests that precipitous declines in employment may now be upon the staffing industry. How long those sharp declines persist will depend in part on how long the recession lasts.

This recession is already longer than the last one. The 2001 recession lasted eight months. The U.S. economy, according to NBER, is currently in the 12th month of contraction. Until now, there had been 10 recessions since World War II, and they lasted an average of 10 months each. The longest recession in that period, in 1981–82, lasted 16 months. Even if this recession becomes the longest since World War II, it is probably more than half over. Many economists predict that the economy will begin to pull out of this downturn by the middle of next year.

Steve Berchem
Staffing Week December 8, 2008
American Staffing Association

Market Conditions Change - Good Advice Doesn't

2008-11-28T18:18:00.000-08:00

SPECIAL REPORT

'Greatest economic challenge'
Obama sets sights on economy - vows to confront global financial crisis
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- President-elect Barack Obama said Friday that the United States is "facing the greatest economic challenge of our lifetime."

The economy ranked as the top concern among voters. The issue...Jobs.

Layoffs and hiring freezes announced by Companies in the broader economy can ripple throughout the Staffing Industry by causing management to cut back on their costs by "making do" with less staff, and this can make it harder for these companies to maintain market share, fueling the ongoing decline in revenues and profits.

Given the weak labor market, only the most skilled, talented and motivated employees will uncover and leverage opportunities to contribute. The economy may be weak, but it is not without prospects.

Staffing Industry employers might be well served by taking a hard look at the capabilities of their employees and how they are deployed. To preserve a place in the market and prosper for longer term benefit, only the best and brightest should be "on the team," so to speak, in revenue generating assignments.

Tolerating mediocrity is risky. Finding talent is difficult with the unemployment rate increasing. As the numbers of candidates on the market increases it becomes increasingly difficult to “separate the wheat from the chaff” and choose the people that are of high quality from a group of mixed quality.

Does it make sense then to continue to employ the services of a search firm to find talent for your organization? Consider that a professional executive search firm is in constant contact with candidates. This “constant contact” is with “passive” candidates who, when facing economic instability, are more likely to entertain a new opportunity if presented by a known, trusted advisor.

The bottom line, great people are hard to find in even the best “employer's market” circumstances, and only great people are a good investment when resources are dear. An investment in a search fee pays dividends when a new employee not only joins your organization, but contributes with the high level of skill, talent and character commonly found with employed “passive” candidates who “fly under your radar.”

We can help make an investment in finding and hiring talent produce sustaining, material results. Recognizing that in times like these, cost is a factor, we are offering cost-savings options to initiate the search for top talent.

1. Stretch Your Budget with Extended Payment Terms
Have the option to make that critical hire in the near-term and spread payment over time. This "layaway" plan allows you to manage the impact on your budget and begin to realize a return on the investment in talent before making the full investment. Pay in 3-equal payments after the start date: 10-days, 45-days and 90-days.
Extended payment terms do not apply with any other discounts.

2. Take advantage of our Search Sale
Make a hire and receive 25% off the search fee. Even in a challenging economic market, customer-facing, revenue-generating and leadership talent are essential. If you have to make that one great hire, make it at a deep discount.
25% off applies only with standard payment terms of net 10-days.

3. Choose the Best of Both Time & Money
Focus on your core business and let us find you a top performer. Take a 15% discount off the search fee, pay only half the fee 10-days after the start and hold on to the balance for 60-days. Manage your cash and benefit from revenue-producing productivity.

Direct Search Alliance is a Search and Talent Consultancy specializing in the Staffing, Professional Services and Outsourcing Industries. I invite you to visit our website and blog to learn more about our company. Click the links below to download online brochures.

The upside of recession

2008-11-16T18:10:00.000-08:00

Instead of cutting back and cowering, why not see it as an opportunity?

COMMENTARY
By G. Michael Maddock and Raphael Louis Vitón
BusinessWeek.com
Tues., March. 18, 2008

Pop quiz, hot shot: What do MTV, Trader Joe's, and the iPod have in common? Yes, of course, they're all now ubiquitous and make our lives much more agreeable.

But to us, the most interesting thing about all three is that these great brands were born during recessions. (Trader Joe's: 1958; MTV: 1981; iPod: 2001, if you are scoring at home.)

And therein lies a point everyone seems to be forgetting in the midst of the current economic slowdown. If handled correctly, a downturn can be a good thing for your company. It can give you the opportunity — and the funds — to innovate and get a substantial leg up on the competition. But only if handled correctly.

It is never going to happen if your company — or your department — goes into the recession saying, "We have to tighten our proverbial belts; let's cut spending 22.73% across the board." People are going to be demoralized. And even worse, that is what most firms are doing, and you are never going to gain a competitive edge doing the same thing as everyone else.

A catalyst for innovation
Cutting across the board is the coward's way of dealing with a downturn. It assures that no one is going to yell — how could anyone possibly object to sharing the pain equally — and it gives the timid a built-in excuse to fail. ("Gee, I know no one liked our new product, but they slashed our budget 22.73% right before launch, so, it wasn't my fault.")

But suppose you use the recession not as an excuse or a reason for hiding under your desk but rather as a catalyst for innovation? Instead of cutting everything by 22.73%, why not see the downturn as a chance to whack 90% (or the whole darn thing) out of stuff that isn't working well?

Cutting off funding to your laggards would free up a lot of money to back the one, or possibly two, big ideas you have been working on, ideas that have a chance to become breakthrough brands. If you want to be less aggressive, you could place more resources behind the existing ideas/programs/products that are already working well.

A two-pronged approach
Two key assumptions are necessary to make this possible: First, you should already have in a place a solid strategy, one that has identified your company's competitive advantage, so you know where to place your relatively big bets. If you don't have a sound strategy, you are at a huge disadvantage. And two, it assumes you have the intestinal fortitude to react to the recession in a way that is not like everyone else.

It is never going to happen if your company — or your department — goes into the recession saying, "We have to tighten our proverbial belts; let's cut spending 22.73% across the board." People are going to be demoralized. And even worse, that is what most firms are doing, and you are never going to gain a competitive edge doing the same thing as everyone else.

If you are the chief executive officer, you can make this gutsy call on your own — assuming, of course, you get the board to go along. The rest of us probably need to take a two-pronged approach.

First, when the word comes down from on high that you need to belt-tighten, go through the usual drill. Explain you probably can fly everyone in for a meeting three times a year instead of four, and why you can get by with 12 people in the department as opposed to 13.

Increase advertising while others cut back
But then go to your boss, and say, "Instead of dealing with the need to cut like everyone else, why don't we use these hard times as an opportunity," and then outline how you plan to create an MTV, a Trader Joe's, or an iPod of your own, complete with an aggressive launch timeline to ensure it is firmly established in the marketplace when the recession ends.

As Harvard Business School professor John A. Quelch noted recently, "It is well documented that brands that increase advertising during a recession, when competitors are cutting back, can improve market share and return on investment at lower cost than during good economic times."

Time to attack
You can also point out that what you are advocating will leave your company perfectly positioned once the recession ends. While your competition is withdrawing, you will be charging ahead, taking market share. Maybe neither argument will carry the day. But if it does nothing else, this kind of innovative thinking gives the boss another reason to keep you around, no small thing when the phrase "reducing headcount" is in the air.

Recessions by definition are temporary. Great companies and great executives don't abandon their growth strategies in light of temporary setbacks. They attack aggressively, while everyone else is pulling back.

G. Michael Maddock is founding partner, and Raphael Louis Vitón is president, of Maddock Douglas, a company that invents, brands, and markets products "for companies driven by innovation."

Copyright © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.

Barack Obama Becomes the 44th U.S. President

2008-11-04T20:29:00.000-08:00

The economy ranked as the top concern among voters who cast their ballot for Barack Obama, elected President Tuesday night.

The issue...Jobs.

A total of $100,032,604 was spent to broadcast 52 ads related to the presidential campaign on the issue of jobs from April 3 to Oct. 27, 2008, according to statistics compiled by Campaign Media Analysis Group, which tracks political advertising expenditures.

Layoffs and hiring freezes announced by Companies in the broader economy can ripple throughout the Staffing Industry by causing management to cut back on their costs by "making do" with less staff, and this can make it harder for these companies to maintain market share, fueling the ongoing decline in revenues and profits.

Given the weak labor market, only the most skilled, talented and motivated employees will uncover, discover and leverage opportunities to contribute. The economy may be weak, but it is not without prospects.

Staffing Industry employers might be well served by taking a hard look at the capabilities of their employees and how they are deployed. To preserve a place in the market and prosper for longer term benefit, only the best and brightest should be "on the team," so to speak, in revenue generating assignments. Tolerating mediocrity is risky. Finding talent is difficult with the unemployment rate increasing.

We can help make an investment in finding and hiring talent produce sustaining, material results.

Direct Search Alliance was established by Staffing Industry leaders to provide an alliance between America's best employers and executive, management and professional people already successful in their role and area of specialization.

Our organizational mission is to represent, serve and inspire talented individuals to nurture and propel business performance.

Selling in a Down Economy

2008-10-26T21:55:00.000-07:00

You may need hunters rather than farmers.

Here are a few thoughts for growing your sales organization in these challenging times.

First, stop accepting excuses for lack of performance… even if they have a basis in truth. It’s always easier for someone to blame the economy, the competition, the lousy sales leads, or even their own company than it is to accept responsibility. The fact is that successful people find a way to succeed regardless of the circumstances. Hardly anybody actually likes to prospect, but hungry successful salespeople who need to generate revenue will become prospecting animals. Are your salespeople making enough calls to generate the business you need? Are they doing everything possible to succeed?

In better times, many salespeople focused on telling prospects about the benefits and advantages of their company’s products or services. They sent lots of proposals and followed up consistently. Business was good. But as soon as the economy slowed, this approach stopped working. The reaction was often to cut price and to add extra value (often by throwing in extra functionality) in an attempt to close deals. Margins eroded and the sales pipeline slowed to a trickle. The very salespeople who seemed like Supermen in the good times now act like kryptonite is in their office.

There are two basic questions that need to be addressed in order to turn around a languishing sales organization.

First: do you have the right people?

Many successful “salespeople” really were more like account managers who farmed their existing client base very effectively. These “farmers” are patient and will say, “Wait until the economy turns around”, or “Nobody is buying right now”. Salespeople who are excellent account managers are not necessarily willing and able to prospect for new business (i.e. become hunters). Find those who have both a strong desire for success and a commitment to do whatever it takes, then get rid of the rest!

The second question is: do your people have the abilities and skills to compete in a tough selling environment?

Many sales organizations, especially those selling technology during the boom times, failed to develop the selling skills of their sales team. Some salespeople were functioning too much as order takers and simply didn’t need to prospect in order to meet their targets. Marketing generated an abundance of leads so the biggest challenge salespeople faced was simply following-up on what was handed to them. Everything was wonderful until the economy took a turn for the worse. Many formerly successful salespeople simply don’t have the skills to compete in this new economy, or they aren’t willing to do what it will take to be successful.

In order to answer the above two questions, consider evaluating your existing organization using some sort of objective assessment methodology. Like any good change process, establishing the current condition is essential in determining an action plan for future change. Knowing strengths and weaknesses of the sales team allows for an action plan to be developed. It is entirely possible that some on the team simply will not be effective in this new economy, so making personnel changes may be the first step. If training is needed, it should be targeted to address those issues that will have the greatest return on investment. For instance, if salespeople are too easily cutting price, then some intensive focus on a good budget step would be prudent. If they send out lots of proposals but don’t close enough, developing their questioning skills and closing strategies would be appropriate.

Additionally, a growing organization should look to systematize the selling process. Determine your best sales practices and then make sure the whole organization consistently follows those practices. What are the best ways to find new leads? How do they get qualified quickly? How are budgets determined? When and how will the decision be made? Answer all these questions BEFORE you spend a fortune on software. Contact management, sales automation, and customer relationship management (CRM) software is abundant and readily available for virtually any size sales organization. Unfortunately, software alone will not fix a weak sales process or a weak sales team.

Lastly, take the time and energy to hire salespeople who not only can sell, but WILL SELL for your company. When looking at those impressive resumes be sure to ask lots of questions about how much prospecting the salesperson did in the past. Many top salespeople inherited accounts and grew an existing base. If that’s what you’re offering them, then they may be a good fit, but don’t expect this former superstar to necessarily cold call and prospect consistently for new business. Again, use good evaluation tools to screen for those attributes that will insure success in your organization. Never hire based strictly upon your “gut”.

Put it all together and you’ll probably find that selling in a down economy really isn’t much different than selling in a good economy. Hire the right people, provide them with great training and tools, and don’t accept excuses. So when the economy picks up again don’t forget the fundamentals. Winners succeed because they are prepared more than others and are committed to be the best. Good Selling!

-- by Kevin Hallenbeck

Bringing it Back

2008-10-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

Intuitively, you know that something must be done to offset the steep decline in revenues as demand lessens for new or interim staff. You want to do something, but are confounded as to what to do - it seems insurmountable and that any one thing won't be enough to turn circumstances around. Thus far, staring at the computer screen hasn't worked. Talking about how bad is the economy hasn't either, although it makes for a good excuse and makes one feel nervously better.

Confidence comes with action and it is an amalgamation of doing basic "right things" that work together to make business come around.

INTERVIEWS
it seems silly to interview when you have more candidates than jobs, but continue to do so in numbers and dig in a little deeper--where has the candidate interviewed, with whom have they been out on assignment, what employers have contacted them, who do they report to and to whom does their boss report? These are names, names that might be hiring. In times like these when the instance of hiring or needing supplemental staffing is less common, you must increase the number of chances to sell by increasing the number of potential hiring authorities on your prospect list. When you use interviewing as a means to gather market intelligence, you can, at the same time, cross reference the name to the profile of the candidate which can be used to target your marketing efforts on a go forward basis.

Going back to the files and pulling old applications is a target-rich source for names that were passed over when business was too brisk to pay attention to the details.

REFERENCES
Everyone hates to check references - they seem like an annoying obstacle to placing a candidate. But in reality, every professional reference is not only another name, but a person you have a good reason to engage in conversation. Grab up a pile of unchecked references and get busy dialing. Your "connection" ratio will increase multi fold when you are calling about a professional reference. It is an easy transition to turn a call like this to the business of learning about the individual, their organization's needs and prospective opportunities. Go back through old checked references, and voila...more names.

MARKETING CANDIDATES
Once you have a long list of prospective hiring authority names, cross referenced with the kinds of skill classifications that they hire, you can market great candidates on a more macro, but targeted, basis and reach a large number of prospective clients. Do a thorough job writing a profile of the candidate to market and what they can offer an employer, along with a compelling and persuasive overview of your experience and your firm's area of specialization. You will find that if you "hit the bulls eye," you will generate a business opportunity and if you present yourself in the right light, you might generate interest in your services for an alternate opportunity.

The adage - "It is a numbers game" has never been more true. The survivors of this downturn are the individuals and companies who leverage high volumes of data with high levels of activity to touch prospects on a frequency that "makes your own luck" by increasing your chances of being "in the right place and the right time."

Talent Surplus – Not!

2008-09-23T21:24:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Department of Labor reported that year-to-date totals of layoff events (12,542) and related initial claims (1,274,765) in 2008 were the highest January-August totals since 2003. Over the year, jobless rates were up in 47 states and the District of Columbia and down in 3 states. The national unemployment rate rose to 6.1 percent in August, 1.4 percentage points higher than a year earlier.

Does this mean that the scarcity of talent has become less and talent is readily available for the few openings employers have come up in this uncertain economy? To answer this question, first answer these questions:

1. With declining revenues and fewer opportunities on the horizon, is every employee’s contribution even more important to the success of your business and to justifying the role in your organization?

2. If you have made reductions in staff, have you considered performance as one of the deciding factors respecting who to let go, and released the lesser producing employees first?

If you answered yes to either question, take pause as you contemplate hiring from the pool of available “active” candidates. Likely, these candidates are “first wavers” who in a robust economy “flew under the radar” and now find themselves “redundant” in an economy that requires top talent to produce results. This doesn’t mean all unemployed or job-seeking candidates are bad or mediocre, but for many it is indeed the fact.

The bottom line…great people are hard to find in even the best “employer's market” circumstances, and only great people are a good investment when resources are dear. An investment in a search fee pays dividends when a new employee not only joins your organization, but contributes with the high level of skill, talent and character commonly found with employed “passive” candidates who “fly under your radar.”

STAFFING INDUSTRY ANALYSTS BRIEFING

2008-09-07T20:30:00.000-07:00

Posted On: 9/5/2008 http://www.staffingindustry.com

BRIEFING - Economic indicators August 2008
ECRI weekly leading index contracts
Manufacturing and nonmanufacturing indices running flat
Four-week jobless claims up 11.5% from July
Craig Johnson

Event
August was a tough month for economic indicators. Several indicators fell and others posted little change.

Background and analysis
The Economic Cycle Research Institute's weekly leading index contracted in August. The index declined 11.7% in the week ended Aug. 29 versus the year earlier. This is 360 basis points worse than the comparable number of a month ago.

In the U.S. manufacturing sector, economic activity in August was about the same as in July, the Institute for Supply Management reported. The ISM's key purchasing managers' index for manufacturing registered 49.9 in August, nearly unchanged from 50.0 in July. Readings of more than 50 indicate expansion.

"This continues the 2008 trend toward negligible growth or contraction each month, but ultimately results in very little overall change in the sector," said Norbert Ore, chair of the ISM's manufacturing business survey committee.

Economic activity in the U.S. service sector edged up slightly in August after contracting in July, according to the ISM's nonmanufacturing index. The index rose to 50.6 in August from 49.5 in July with readings above 50 indicate expansion.

The employment portion of the nonmanufacturing index fell to a reading of 45.4 in August from 47.1 in the previous month.

In the week ended Aug. 30, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial unemployment claims was 444,000, the U.S. Department of Labor reported. The four-week moving average was 438,000, an increase of 45,000, or 11.5% from the previous month's average 393,000. A Department of Labor program to locate those who may be eligible for jobless benefits may have contributed to the recent rise in these numbers.

Meanwhile, The Conference Board's U.S. leading index of economic indicators fell 0.7% in July, its most recent reading. It now stands at 101.2. The organization said weaknesses among leading indicators continue to be widespread.

However, one bright spot in the economic picture was the upward revision of second-quarter growth in real gross domestic product by the U.S. Department of Commerce on Aug. 28. Real GDP grew at a rate of 3.3% in the second quarter, according to the revision, up from an earlier estimate of only 1.9%.

Staffing Industry Analysts' perspective
Overall, there appeared little good forward-looking news from the economic indicators in August.

Both the manufacturing and non-manufacturing indices are at about 50, meaning flat performance, neither growth nor contraction. Jobless claims rose 11.5% from the previous month, but it's unclear whether the increase is real or simply reflects a new program on the part of the Department of Labor to aggressively seek applications for unemployment claims by locating those unemployed. More troubling is the consistently negative character of two forward-looking indices, the ECRI and the leading index.

It is Not the Market, it is Your Competitors

2008-08-25T00:15:00.000-07:00

With demand for staffing, executive search and services/solutions in decline, growth cannot be achieved by growing "on pace with the market." To retain market share and grow, even in a difficult economy, taking business from competitors is essential. To sell effectively against competitors, you may find the following article interesting and helpful.

Profiling Your Competitors
by BNET Editorial

To pull ahead of your business competitors, you need to build a detailed profile of their strengths, weaknesses, and relationships with customers. With that information, you can compare the performance of your business with that of your main competitors, measuring factors that are important to quality of service, and use the comparison as the basis for performance improvement.

Competitor information can be obtained from many different sources, starting with what your competitors say on their own Web sites and in their brochures and annual reports about their capabilities, resources, and plans. You can find information about competitors in the press, trade publications, industry surveys, and on the Internet.

What You Need to Know
Who are my competitors?
Depending on the size of your company and the products or services you offer, you probably already know your competition—from advertising, trade shows, or even your customers. Never assume, however, that you know everything you should know about the competition. Who else is offering what you offer? Many products and services could be classed as non-essential and so customers may be choosing to spend their discretionary budget between two very different market sectors. Are you losing business that way? Is a larger company hurting your business by giving away a competing service as a promotion device? Always be alert to the different ways that others could be taking business away.

Why is competitor intelligence so important?
You need to understand what competitors are offering so you can offer at least as much to customers. Your marketing campaigns or product launches can be affected by what your competitors may be doing at the same time, so learning what you can about their plans is important. You also need to be aware if a competitor is threatening to take away your important accounts. Unless you monitor competitor activity and take appropriate action, your business faces an unknown risk.

Should we use an independent research company, or conduct the research internally?
You can conduct the research internally, provided you or your staff has the time. Much of the source material is in the public domain, so you should be able to obtain it yourself. Don’t overlook the wealth of information you already have in your company or can gain through your own contacts. If you wish to research customer attitudes toward your company versus your competition, you may need to use an independent research organization. Customers may not be completely honest with your own representatives.

How reliable is published competitor information?
Use your critical thinking skills to assess the accuracy and quality of any published information that is used for research. Make sure the information you find is current and that it comes from reliable sources.

What to Do
Identify Your Competitors
Competitor information helps you to identify how you can gain a larger share of the business from your competitors and how to protect the business you have.

Ask yourself:

How many competitors do you have?

Do they compete directly or indirectly?

Who are your major competitors—those that threaten to take away your most important customers?

How much of your business do these competitors threaten?

Quantifying the threat helps you to prioritize your own activities.

Where are your main competitors located?

How do they compare in size (to your company and to one another)?

Are they growing?

How do your products compare with your competitors’ offerings? Think about price, methods and quality of distribution, brand image and reputation, service quality etc.

What are customers’ attitudes toward your competitors and toward your own company?

Can you (or your customers) identify any weaknesses in your competitors?

Who are your competitors’ main customers?

Which of your customers might switch to your competitors, and why?

Which of your competitors’ customers do you want to win?

How strong are your competitors’ relationships with key customers or key decision makers?

How long have they been dealing with them?

Have your competitors invested in links with customers that would make it difficult for other suppliers to make inroads?

Does your company have the skills and resources to overcome the competitive threat?

Compare Your Key Competitive Factors
Listed below are a number of factors that are important to meeting customer needs. On a scale of 1 to 10 (where 10 is the best in the market), how does your company rate? Consider each factor carefully, then use your results as the basis for a program of performance improvement. Emphasize the things that matter to your customers rather than to your own opinions:

Evidence of an excellent service culture, for example, problems quickly resolved by frontline staff rather than referring customers to higher-level managers

High levels of after-sales service and support offered

Product adapted readily to meet customer specifications

Evidence of commitment to quality measurements, for example, measurements from your industry

Commitments made to customers—for example, offering money-back guarantees or precise delivery schedules

Evidence of feedback encouraged—for example, comment forms or toll-free telephone number made widely available

Flexible approach to pricing, such as the use of price incentives or financing plans to appeal to different types of customers

Willingness to negotiate prices for important customers

Staff knowledgeable about the product and willing to use knowledge to help customers

Good reputation with agents, distributors, and other intermediaries

Overall good reputation with employees as well as customers

Make Use of Your Sales Force
By talking to customers, your company’s sales representatives can find out about competitors’ direct sales calls, marketing campaigns, special offers, and new developments. They can obtain similar information from retailers or distributors. Crucially, they can get a feel for the customers’ awareness and attitude toward your competitors.

Monitor a Variety of Public Sources
You can learn a great deal about your competitors from their own public information: corporate brochures, annual reports, and exhibitions. Check your competitors’ Web sites frequently for updates on their products, plans, and capabilities as well as any customer case studies or news releases that may be posted on the site.

Monitor trade publications (many are available on the Internet) and the general press for useful information about your competitors. You may have the staff resources to maintain a file of press clippings on your competition, or you may wish to hire a clipping service to gather material for you.

Look for published results of industry surveys, which can provide useful insights into your entire market as well as your competitors.

Analyze Competitors’ Promotional Activities
By monitoring your competitors’ advertising, promotions, exhibition presence, press activities, and Internet information, you can assess their strategies. These are some of the possible scenarios:

Heavy advertising expenditure could indicate a competitor trying to win greater share or attempting to remedy losses in that market

Price promotions may indicate that your competitors want to be perceived as value-for-money suppliers, or they may be an emergency response to declining sales

Press announcements about new production facilities could indicate that your competitors are trying to increase their business significantly

They may become more cost-effective and able to offer lower prices, or may be taking on additional overhead that they must finance

Announcements about new branch or dealership openings could mean that competitors are expanding into new territories

Recruitment drives may signal a change in direction, a growth strategy, or a sudden loss of staff

To gain a better idea of your competitors’ financial health, you may be able to obtain information from credit reference agencies

Hire a Research Company
If you do not have the internal resources to monitor competitive activity, you can hire an independent research company to perform all the tasks outlined above. You can also ask the company to survey customers to reveal their attitudes toward your company versus your competitors. Customers may be more willing to discuss their attitudes with an independent researcher than they are with someone from your company.

Consider Benchmarking
Once you have assembled detailed information about your competitors, you can benchmark your performance against theirs. Competently done, benchmarking will give you a baseline assessment of your company’s effectiveness in the marketplace and some insight into where competitors may be gaining the advantage over you.

What to Avoid
You Overlook the Obvious Sources
Some competitor intelligence is freely available from the Internet, the press, and other public sources and—most important—from your staff, your customers, and your competitors themselves. Information from these sources can provide a valuable starting point for developing detailed competitor profiles.

You Fail to Make Use of Competitor Information
Competitor information is valuable only if you use it to refine your own strategies or take defensive action to protect your business. Simply gathering information without analysis or action is wasteful.

You Act on Incomplete or Out-of-date Information
Be cautious about acting on competitor intelligence until you have as much complete, accurate, up-to-date information as possible. Published sources can provide only a partial picture, and more strategic information is likely to be confidential. This means that you may make incorrect assumptions in planning your response to competitor action.

Starting a New Job

2008-08-08T12:00:00.000-07:00

While it's okay to hold onto some of things you learned in your previous jobs and use that knowledge in your new job, remember that every workplace has it's own way of doing things. Your first few weeks or even months on a job is not the time to change the way things get done. Do not utter these words: "That's not how we did it at my old company." Your colleagues will just be thinking this: "Well, you're not at your old company and if you liked it so much why didn't you stay there."

Here are a few more tips to consider when starting a new job:

Tone down the star quality

It's natural to want to impress your co-workers by sharing all of your terrific ideas right away. Resist that impulse.

Most colleagues will be threatened by your new ideas and will reflexively shoot them down.
Why? Because a) they're new ideas, and b) they're yours.

Remember, your co-workers thought they were doing pretty well before you showed up.

Instead, win over your new officemates by simply doing the job you've been assigned to do as well as you can. Then pick out some easy wins, small accomplishments that won't ruffle anyone's feathers but will further demonstrate your competence.

Maybe there's a nagging problem that everyone means to fix, but no one ever gets around to doing it.

There's your first job. Get a couple of minor accomplishments under your belt, and you'll earn your office's trust. After that, your ideas will be judged on their merits, not on who's proposing them.

Don't be Mr./Ms. Personality

Start slow when you're developing relationships. At the outset, respect is more important than friendship.

Be pleasant, be polite - but check your ebullience at the door. You don't get to make jokes for a while or spout off at meetings - gregariousness in a newcomer can be off-putting. It smacks of trying too hard.

Let your work speak for you. After a few weeks, you'll have built up enough good will to let your true self shine through. Get the inside scoop

Here's the challenge: You want to learn the culture of your new workplace - how things are supposed to work and how they really work because of the idiosyncrasies of co-workers - as quickly as possible, but you don't want to come across as prying.

Start by figuring out which people seem to be plugged in. Then approach them with simple questions about process ("How does Ms. Jones like to be kept informed about Project XYZ?"), steering clear of questions about personalities ("What's Ms. Jones really like?").

Chances are good that knowledgeable co-workers will pepper their responses with both types of info ("Send updates by e-mail, and keep them short - Jones is a real cut-to-the-chase type").

This way you get the information you need without looking like you were angling for it.

Know your boundaries at work

The border separating professional and personal relationships isn't easy to patrol, especially at smaller, informal offices. But conversational boundaries help to determine the reputation of an employee and staff. Simply put, boundaries preserve integrity.

Whether you're a principal, manager or rank-and-file employee, taking the following advice will help to ensure that conversations with co-workers never distract from a productive, positive workplace.

Beware of feeling informal. There's generally no clear rule about where to draw the line, so a good rule of thumb is to avoid issues that might make someone uncomfortable. Such topics of conversation may include romance, physical appearance, health, race, religion and personal finance.

Refrain from gossip. Remember: Those who talk to you about others will also talk about you to others.

Most gossip and other inappropriate conversations occur in places that feel informal, such as elevators, hallways and bathrooms or off-site like parking lots, restaurants. But co-workers should never get the false sense of security that they're off duty in these locations.

It's better to pretend your personal microphone is always on. Don't say something if you don't want it heard or repeated.

Forge office friendships with care. When you're at the office for around 2,000 hours a year, you're bound to develop friendships with co-workers. Some may become confidants with whom you share personal details.

Make sure you know and completely trust this kind of co-worker friend. It's a risk any time someone has knowledge about details you don't want to make public, particularly if co-worker friendships fizzle.

Expect boundary differences. The workplace not only combines people of different backgrounds, ages, talents and skills but also folks of different boundary types.

People with "overdeveloped" boundaries often are brash and don't notice they're sharing too much information, while people with "underdeveloped" boundaries often believe it's not OK to protest such communication.

Getting along at work is often a matter of being flexible and willing to compromise. It's also important to be tolerant of individual differences."

Employ tact. If you have a problem with a co-worker, address what you can do to solve it. Talk to the offending person directly and privately. If a co-worker says something that offends or upsets you, try to respond instead of react.

Talking behind someone's back makes the situation worse. Choose a neutral place away from your work area, such as over lunch or in a quiet area during a break.

Give 'em something to talk about

You don't have to be on your own for long. Determine who the influential people are (they are usually the ones whose opinions other people quote), and find a reason to work with them.

Get on their good side (by being competent, pleasant and professional), and you may find that a whole lot more people have started to warm to your presence.

Think of it as the workplace equivalent of a force multiplier. Get other people to toot your horn. Buzz created by others is far more valuable than buzz you drum up yourself. Ask for help, then take charge

Ask questions when you need information to complete an assignment. It's much preferred that employees admit not knowing something and show initiative in learning it rather than costing time and money by struggling with it on their own.

But asking repeatedly gets annoying. Most managers say they valued someone who can take orders and execute them well without having to be told repeatedly what to do.

What is welcome, however, is the employee who is proactive about figuring out what needs to be done and then doing it. One of the biggest mistakes new recruits can make is to assume that when they have nothing to do that there is nothing to do.

Know the boss

Whether you love or hate your managers matters less than whether you know what they value and what you can do to make them successful.

You need to take initiative to find out what's important to your boss and organization. Your value as an employee is measured by your showing results valued by your organization.

Few bosses are consistent about giving helpful feedback. And often they won't express their displeasure with your performance until it's too late. So, said Hollander, it's okay to say to your boss early on, "it would really help me if you could tell me when you're happy or unhappy with my work."

Cultivate good relationships

Good performance is just one part of your success at work. How you get along with managers, colleagues and subordinates is another.

Perception of performance is often colored by the quality of your relationships. Act like you're running for office. You'll need a vote from everyone. (But please ... don't act too much like you're running for office. There's nothing worse than glad-handing politicians with visions of poll numbers dancing in their heads.)

Humor is a big plus, but only if you have a good sense of when to use it and when not to.

Showing respect helps, too. A boss who acts friendly and casual does not mean to imply that “anything goes” and that you don't need to treat him or her with the proper respect.

And, don't skip the deodorant. Be well groomed, even if casual.

Don't watch the clock

This is not the time to work 9 to 5. Try 8 to 6. There's plenty of time to slack off later in life and the boss will take note.

If you have to stay a little late to meet a deadline or pull some hours on a weekend without being asked, it shows your commitment. It shouldn't be routine without compensation, but here or there it can get noticed.

It goes without saying, do not arrive late, be absent or ask for time off in the first 100-days of employment.

Listen…are you ringing the cash register?

It is easy to get distracted by a “to do” list filled with B, C and D priority items to “clear the way” to concentrating on the A priorities, like driving revenue. The fact is, all lesser pressing items somehow take care of themselves when revenues are rapidly increasing.

Even if pending A priorities seem insurmountable, tackle each top priority items during prime time work hours and chip away, move the ball downfield and press through every day. Save email, administrative and "catch-up" work for after hours.

Instead, reach for the sales opportunity first and make growing, contributing and developing promising new avenues to drive your new organization’s top-line, PRIORITY ONE.

5 Tips to Jump Start Your Career this Year

2008-08-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

In our search for top talent, LinkedIn is a resource to Direct Search Alliance, as it is for recruiters nationwide. More importantly, is it a career tool for candidates representing their skills and talents to the online community. As a reader of the LinkedIn Blog, I wanted to share this posting with prospective candidates -- simple but powerful advice.

by Kay Luo - LinkedIn Blog
Here are five resolutions that professionals can make and keep this year, to jump start their career.

1. Build your online brand
Your online image can affect the way other professionals see you, just as much as your offline image. Create your own online professional brand by developing a LinkedIn profile. Make sure to keep information on your professional experience and other relevant information up-to-date. You may be surprised to learn how many recruiting executives use online networks to locate potential candidates. Also, if you're keen on building an impressive professional brand, make sure personal information intended for close friends stays private on the web. You don't want coworkers and potential employers looking at personal photos of your vacations and party shots. If you're curious about who is checking out your online brand, you can use LinkedIn's "Who's Viewed My Profile" feature to find out.

2. Be at the forefront of people's minds
In order to get leads and recommendations through your network, it's important to keep in touch with former colleagues as well as your present circle. LinkedIn allows professionals to remain at the forefront of people's minds by easily and efficiently keeping in touch. Using LinkedIn, it's easy to see who's been promoted, switched jobs, moved, won an award, and more. LinkedIn's InMail messaging system is a perfect way to reach out and keep your connections fresh, without cutting into your personal time.

3. Make smarter decisions
Being a great leader is not always about becoming an expert at everything -- it's really about knowing where to find knowledge and expertise when you need it. The LinkedIn Answers feature allows professionals to quickly and easily solicit input and gain perspective from their own connections or from the broader LinkedIn community. Learn how others approach new markets, revamp processes, and resolve problems. Draw on the collective knowledge of your trusted connections -- and their connections -- and benefit from the experience of others.

4. Prioritize how you spend your time
Everyone understands the importance of time management in today's accelerated workplace environment. Successful people are often sought after with requests from unknown people for meetings, events, speaking engagements, and more. The LinkedIn network can be used to quickly and efficiently check out these contacts and requests before committing. A quick search reveals anyone you might know in common, gives you a capsule impression, and helps you allocate your valuable time wisely. And if you need to prepare for a meeting, the Advanced Search feature can also save time by allowing you to find specialists on almost every topic, industry, or company you want to research.

5. Stay on top of what's going on in your world
If you want to be truly great at what you do, it's essential to stay on top of industry news at all times. LinkedIn News makes it easy for every professional to read the articles they need to read, by leveraging the power of their business connections. It starts by delivering news about key daily topics: a user's company, industry, and competitors, drawn from more than 10,000 publishers and blogs. Then, LinkedIn News uses the wisdom of each user's "crowd" of colleagues to determine the handful of articles that are the most important to their business -- the articles they need to read that day.

"What Can I Do to Help You Now"?

2008-07-09T11:11:00.000-07:00

The Annual Economic Analysis released by the American Staffing Association June 2008 shows that, if indeed the U.S. economy is in a recession, the staffing industry is not experiencing the severe contraction characteristic of previous recessions. Despite the fact that demand is slowing, it is important to take into account that total staffing industry sales are $90 billion dollars. Staffing industry employment hit a new annual record high in 2007, and temporary and contract staffing daily employment also set new record highs in the second and third quarters of last year. Presently, the market is 10% ahead of 2000 – a banner year for Staffing – and nearly $30 billion ahead of the historic low of 2002.

There is market share for this period of “flatness," economic “correction” or “downturn,” but not for the cowardly. Those who take on the market’s sluggishness with energy and good judgment, leading actively and by example will prosper even in trying times.

Building a strong growth-sustaining team calls for the time and attention of the business unit manager to maintain a sense of urgency and establish solid work plans that will leverage each team member’s strength. Guidance, support and direction is essential to maximizing team members’ contributions and lift up the capacity of the team. A high level of engagement in training and development, as well as in guiding territory management and lead development is essential to bringing about results.

Business unit managers with the most success in developing strong teams and arranging talents of team members to the discipline in which they belong, direct and support the work flow collectively and individually, as well as contribute personally.

What then are the core best practices of a successful business unit manager?

1. Manage with twice daily meetings to communicate, set responsibilities and priorities. It is wrong to think that stopping “work” to meet as a team is a waste of time. A team with clear priorities and shared information is much more effective than a team “figuring it out on their own.” These are 30-minute meetings – everyone in attendance – with the following agenda items:

Recognition

Candidates for marketing to hiring mangers—who is highly placeable?

Call plans, target lists of hiring authorities—who are you going to call?

Candidate inventory and interview objectives.

Open job orders, next steps and who is responsible for it.

Specific objectives for the day (morning); assessment of outcomes (evening).

Upcoming ends—what business do we need to replace?

Specific, “stretch” objectives for the number of starts to happen within the week—what can we fill?, with whom?, who can we market who to?

Progress to objectives and refocusing all team members based upon current needs (e.g., do we need candidates, job orders, new leads?)

General communication…who may call, what is pending, hot candidates, prospective business—make sure the team knows what is happening.

Role play or planned lesson to foster skills development.

2. Manage the market, inventory and match. The leader must act as the first source of what is “hot” for follow-up to pick up the pace of all team members. The relationship and interplay between oversight of sales and service is leveraged when you can “see” a branch candidate and “match” the candidate to companies the sales team are engaging.

Weekly, review Business Journal, job boards, candidate applications, and expand knowledge of the marketplace with networking, marketing directories and other business resources to garner new leads for the sales team—who is hiring now?

Daily, review every interviewed candidate’s resume/file, meet as many candidates as possible personally—"Is so-and-so a fit for ABC Company”?

3. Manage business development purposefully. Who else but the manager should know the marketplace? Work with self and sales staff at the beginning and the end of the week to review target lists/lead lists/task lists for content, activity and next activity to do. Other sales driving best practices include:

Work together to make up an organizational chart for a minimum of three companies a week to expand the list of Company contacts, set out objectives to uncover missing information.

Ensure that each sales-responsible person has multiple search engines on multiple job boards to receive daily postings for each position the branch is prepared to fill—this will feed lead-following for immediate direct hire job orders. Ad book binders are fine for organizing ads for follow-up calls, but inputting leads to your front office system is better to build future calls plans—monitor use of front office systems so leads are not lost in a paper shuffle.

Set specific “blocked time” to make ad calls, skill marketing calls and qualifying calls to focus sales activity—sell during prime time, research and qualify during specific days/times set aside to develop future targets. Separating the two makes it easier to manage the effectiveness of sales efforts.

Set objectives for the appropriate number of sales calls/visits to support business and take the time to debrief together post-call/visit and plan next steps.

Make a work plan to set time aside for reference check calls—this supports the service team and offers better access to the Company contact who can be qualified as a temporary staffing or direct hire prospect.

Rotate assignment of making up and distributing a “Hot Candidates” communique—monitor and manage quality and growth of email lists.

4. Manage the business of the business. It is up to the leader to plan for maximizing the recruiting team at the beginning of the week to:

Set objectives for individuals’ focus…recruiting, skill marketing, order management—be specific regarding the objectives for the number of fee-eligible candidate and temp interviews in what positions.

Review T-H orders against temporary staffing opportunities to keep from over investing in job orders that, unlike temp, have less of an immediate chance to actually start—maintain a strict 50% of total orders, and…redirect team to actively skill marketing/selling for opportunities.

By the first of the month, ensure that each Recruiter has a minimum of five “viable” direct hire orders in the right skill set—mobilize sales and recruiting teams to generate marketing calls to address any gaps in the number of job orders.

Weekly, have a specific direct hire job order review and discuss what is pending and the next steps to close—communicate with neighboring offices to increase participation.

Step in to talk with candidates and/or Company contacts to assist in closing.

Set specific blocked times to make direct recruiting calls generated from applications/interviews/referrals—ensure a pipeline of leads from recruiting to sales—set up a method to communicate leads in a structured way.

Set objectives for net starts weekly, markup, and “level” of candidates to increase GM$ per hour. To achieve the net starts objective, a 30-day forecast of upcoming ends needs to be visible to the team to set the actual number of starts per week to stay ahead of the progression, including contingencies for unplanned ends. Make up for shortfalls by focusing on placing higher-level, higher-GM$ candidates.

5. Great managers look inward. They look inside the company, into each individual, into the differences in style, goals, needs and motivation of each person. These differences are small, subtle, but great managers need to pay attention to them. These subtle differences guide them toward the right way to release each person's unique talents into performance. Recruit for talent, manage to strengths, hire expeditiously. Manage learning and development at least weekly, if not daily.

Set aside a minimum of 1-hour per week with each employee and talk about: what is expected, what you can do to set him/her up for success, what he/she does best, recognize performance—be specific, genuine and interested; uncover how to make the work meaningful, gain feedback and talk about progress, learning opportunities and how each individual’s contribution fits in the overall company and his/her career progression.

Assign Company training resources to employees and organize opportunities for employees to share learning with the team

Prepare role plays to overcome common objectives—have all team members involved. Listen, and role play with individuals to improve recruiting, negotiation, customer service and closing skills.

Share financial reports to engage the team in the outcomes—demonstrate how increasing markups, direct hire placements/fees and marketing higher-level candidates improves results and personal financial rewards.

Get out of your office and sit side by side with the team and demonstrate best practices…show, not tell.

6. Do not delegate tasks that are not revenue-generating. Support the team with meaningful contributions so they can do their jobs more effectively—individual activity to generate personal production for the good of the branch is useful, but equally important is preparing and focusing each team member by taking responsibility for administrative and operational support to enable the team to expand the business. This is not “lending a hand,” this is “doing” a task completely so the collective bandwidth of the branch team is actively engaged in work that generates gross margin dollars.

Use administrative support to assist you as needed, but do the heavy lifting yourself administratively to ensure that each employee is focused on developing the business. Release the team to “ring the cash register” collectively by doing weekly tasks like payroll and compliance, invoicing and aging, updating and managing all job postings, job board searches—review, print and distribute resumes for blocked recruiting call times.

Drive sales by sourcing new leads that any branch team member can “run with.” Get the details so the next step is to “pick up the phone.” Get names of multiple Company contacts for each lead identified, get contact information (telephone, email address), input new leads to front office system and set them up on team members’ calendar or task list. Generate urgency to follow-up on specific contacts by personally contributing to the database in a meaningful way. Dedicate time to adding Companies/Company contacts in numbers and update Company records that are out of date. If you pass on a lead with good contact information and business intelligence, it is more likely to be followed and create outcomes.

Take up operational tasks (application process items, reference checking, etc.).

Revise/retype resumes for presenting candidates.

Make up handwritten notes to every candidate who comes in the office; prepare marketing mailings.

Run reports to assess business activity and inventory.

Roll out corporate initiatives and respond to corporate response/reporting requirements.

Ask, “What can I do to help you now”?

It’s About People

2008-06-10T22:10:00.000-07:00

Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that, if a person is one step away from each person he or she knows and two steps away from each person who is known by one of the people he or she knows, then everyone is an average of six "steps" away from each person on Earth. The modern world is shrinking due to this ever-increasing connectedness of human beings. In a “small world,” our actions resonate in wide social and professional circles, broadcasting our persona for all to see.

Mindful of this phenomena, consider the advice of Lillian Eichler Watson “Don't reserve your best behavior for special occasions. You can't have two sets of manners, two social codes - one for those you admire and want to impress, another for those whom you consider unimportant. You must be the same to all people.”

Good business etiquette is about being on your best behavior and treating people as you appreciate being treated.

Stay employed and protect your professional reputation with these best practices:

Be courteous and thoughtful to the people around you, in all professional environments—within your own organization, out in the marketplace, and even when encountering competitors
Consider other people’s feelings, stick to your convictions as diplomatically as possible
Talk and visit with people, regardless of their position or standing—remember what you can about people and to be thoughtful
If you show respect and courtesy to everyone, you avoid discomfort or damaging your chances in any unexpected turn of events like a merger, acquisition or consolidation that brings together people in unforeseen ways
Speak well of superiors within and outside the company, and give your leaders the benefit of the doubt—never surprise your boss or take her or her off guard
In foreign or unfamiliar surroundings, be considerate and express an interest in learning—if in doubt, err on the conservative, formal side
Don’t interrupt meetings or work sessions with telephone calls, use of electronic devices or ducking out—thank meeting attendants, and when attending meetings offer thanks to the organizer
Always return calls; with email, remember that you’re communicating with a person, not a computer
Look after new people and visiting workers—be sure that person has the resources and information that he or she needs to do the job
Pass along credit and compliments—speak well of your coworkers and always point out their accomplishments
Arrive on time and don’t overstay your welcome
Because people make so many assumptions about you based on your image, it's important to think about whom you want them to think you are and dress accordingly
Lying to and gossiping with people is never acceptable—inflammatory or disrespectful electronic communication can resurface and is best never written
Poor etiquette loses the sale—speak only kindly to, and with respect to, prospects and clients—comments spoken behind the backs of clientele have a way of coming back around

Work, Success and Charity

2008-06-08T22:08:00.000-07:00

Many successful working professionals in better-than-average circumstances believe in shared social responsibility to try to help people in need directly. Some have genuine passion to help because of a personal connection to a cause. Most, at the very least, feel good about helping others. My own social convictions correspond with these sentiments. Regrettably, time to be had to do so often stands in the way of getting personally involved.

The American Time Use Study released June 2007 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics measures the entire population to report the overall distribution of time allocation for society as a whole.

Americans reported that they spend, on average, .13 hours per day dedicated to volunteering (organizational and civic activities). Some of the many reasons for that small measure of time are as follows:

Employed persons worked 7.6 hours on average on the days that they worked—multiple jobholders were about twice as likely to work on an average weekend day as were single jobholders

On an average day, 84 percent of women and 64 percent of men spent 2.2 hours doing household activities, such as housework, cooking, lawn care, or financial and other household management

Adults living in households with children spent 0.8 – 2.0 hours providing primary childcare

People spent, on average, 9.21 hours with personal care activities including sleeping, bathing, dressing, health-related self-care, and personal or private activities

On an average day, nearly everyone age engaged in 5.5 hours of leisure activity, such as watching TV, socializing, or exercising

For those engaged in the labors of work to sustain and better personal and family circumstances, time is indeed precious. To alleviate a guilty conscience respecting community involvement, many elect to give money as an alternative to dedicating “free” time. As reported by the U.S. Census 2000, contributing households donated 2% of personal income to qualified organizations or for out of pocket expenses serving as a volunteer—far less than the 10% ideal standard set by tithing doctrines. Determining the right amount to give is an individual decision as charity by definition is a “gift.” Opinions differ as to how much to give, and whether it is better to give money or volunteer time.

If, however, you are an employees, employer or entrepreneur—take comfort, as it may be argued that work, in and of itself, reconciles disparity with respect to volunteering and contributing. Economic growth caused by capitalism has done considerably more to alleviate poverty and advance standards of living than all government, philanthropy and aid programs combined. It is likely markets will continue to do this for a long time. Increase in the production of goods and services over time is often used as a measure of increased material well-being of the citizenry generated through economic activity.

The beauty of capitalism is that it accomplishes aggregate good through what can be thought of as selfish motives. But it does not put an end to the debate as to the duty for those of us in better circumstances to try to help people and the community directly. Because capitalism and policies that promote them will not take care of everything, charity is neither a waste of time nor money.

Managing Middlescence

2008-05-26T20:59:00.000-07:00

Key ideas from the Harvard Business Review article by Robert Morison, Tamara Erickson, Ken Dychtwald

Burned out. Bottlenecked. Bored. That’s the current lot of many midcareer employees—those 35 to 54 years of age. Thirty percent of these middlescents work 50+ hours per week, while only 33% feel energized by their jobs. And many lament that their workplace offers few opportunities to try new things.

If your company’s like most, midcareer managers and employees make up half your workforce. Neglect their discontent, and you risk losing valued performers who seek exciting work elsewhere. This is a dangerous development—considering the brain drain that’ll soon hit when the vanguard of baby boomers retires. Disaffected middlescents who stay because they need the money take an even worse toll: Their lack of energy, innovation, and focus erodes your firm’s productivity.

How to avoid these losses? Tap into your middlescents’ hunger for renewal by helping them launch into new, more productive, more meaningful roles and careers. Fresh assignments enable middlescents to acquire new skills. Job changes help them develop new specialties. And training expands their business knowledge and stokes their desire to learn more.

You’re probably already using such simple and inexpensive career revitalization techniques on your stars. Extend them to all your midcareer employees: They’ll reward you with renewed commitment and productivity, as well as reduced replacement costs—immediately.

The Idea in Practice
Use these strategies to revitalize middlescents’ careers:

Fresh Assignments
Offer new assignments in different locations or parts of your organization to leverage middlescents’ existing skills and contacts while helping them acquire new ones. General Electric taps experienced managers to integrate new acquisitions—giving them a change of scene and bringing to bear their extensive organizational know-how.

Career Changes
Provide attractive internal career changes to help middlescents develop new specialties. Early in his 30+ years with Pitney Bowes, Dave Nassef served as a factory personnel manager and then marketer. When the company centralized HR, he was one of the few HR managers with manufacturing and marketing experience. At 40, he took on HR responsibility for half the company. Nassef’s additional careers within Pitney Bowes include corporate ombudsman and company representative in Washington.

Mentoring
Encourage middlescents to mentor less-seasoned employees. Your midcareer managers will relish giving back to their organization and making new social connections in the workplace. At Intel, a companywide employee database tracks skills attained and needed and matches employees with mentors—even if they’re in a different country. Both mentors and protégés take classes to learn ways to maximize the mutual benefit of their relationship.

Fresh Training
Don’t assume your middlescents don’t need training. Provide brief introductions to new business areas to expand their perspectives and trigger their interest in learning more. Use refresher courses and in-depth education to help them strengthen or develop their skills. The U.K.’s National Health Service is responding to a chronic nursing shortage by training seasoned aides to become nurses.

Sabbaticals
Provide paid sabbaticals: They cost less than replacing disaffected middlescents, and most people return from sabbaticals more committed than ever. At Wells Fargo, employees with five or more years of service and qualifying performance ratings can work in community service settings of their choosing for up to four months while receiving full pay and benefits. One employee traveled to Armenia to help women establish businesses. The company reaped good publicity, and the employee returned to work highly energized and recommitted.

Leadership Development
Just because midcareer workers are older doesn’t mean they don’t aspire to higher roles. Give them access to leadership development programs to rejuvenate them and stock your leadership pipeline. Health insurer Independence Blue Cross has put one-third of its top 600 people—most of them middlescents—through a leadership program. It includes a weeklong session at the Wharton School, individual coaching and career planning, and work on important business projects.

Copyright 2006 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.

Passive Job Seeker Recruitment

2008-05-19T09:24:00.001-07:00

Guess what? All the good candidates are working. Luckily though, you’re not limited to just the 4-5 percent of Americans who are currently unemployed. Which is good, since only 20 percent of the unemployed are actively seeking jobs. The rest of the unemployed are truly unemployable. So where do you turn? Passive candidates.

Passive candidates are those individuals gainfully employed by your competitors. They are likely loyal, happy experienced employees that are not necessarily looking to change companies and would need a solid reason to leave. And if you get their attention, you’ll have to work fast. They’re not willing to spend much time in the interview and hiring process (though they may take their sweet time making a decision).

Why specifically target passive candidates in the first place? Why not keep with your traditional recruiting through mediums such as classified listings and job postings, and assume it will reach the best candidates? First of all, 80 percent of any company’s recruiting budget is spent on traditional activities – meaning there are a lot of companies reaching out to candidates in the same fashion. Each minute of every day there are about 294,000 recruiters logged into online job boards grabbing active candidates and battling for the ever shrinking labor pool. Those who are in the market for a job may or may not notice those ads and apply with your company.

Those who aren’t in the market – passive candidates – aren’t looking and are thus completely unaware of your presence in these traditional outlets. It’s similar to being in the market for a new car. All of a sudden you start looking and noticing cars on the road. If you are not in the market for a new car, you’re not “aware” of advertising. The same goes with job hunting. If you’re in the market for a new job – you’re aware. Reaching passive candidates takes a different approach.

The first step is having a quality recruiter who will be able to make a positive and lasting impression. You need someone who not only understands your industry and what competitors are offering, but also has a keen understanding of what the passive candidate wants. A good recruiter for passive candidates needs to have the ability to sell the position, and outsell their current employer. Part of this is the ability to build strong relationships so the candidate not only remembers you and your company, but also trusts you and will refer others to you in the future.

Speaking of referrals, this is one of the best sources for passive candidates. Who do your internal associates know? What about your vendors and customers? Chances are someone you know has a business or personal relationship with the ideal candidate for your company. Establish an incentive program for referrals and see your candidate pool expand.

Another great recruiting method is encouraging your employees to attend networking events and association meetings. While picking up sales leads, have them keep their eyes open for potential associates for your open roles. This builds direct contacts in your industry or one very closely related, and breaks the ice of unfamiliarity. Remember that even event speakers and experts are not off limits for recruitment. While you’re at it, don’t be afraid to go after the employees of your competitors. Fact is, they’re doing the very same thing. Finally, utilize online networking sources such as LinkedIn or Pulse.

You know who to target and where to find them, but how do you reach them? Approach it with the knowledge that they’re not looking to move. Be sure to avoid asking why they’re interested in working for your company – they’re not. Do discovery first. What would potentially motivate them to move? What professional needs do they have that are not being met? What are their future goals? Then sell the opportunity based on how your position and the company culture fulfill those initiatives.

Next, be flexible. You want this person but he or she does not have to give you the time of day. Lose the tailored process, avoid assessments and applications, and bend over backwards to schedule convenient interview times. Now is not the time for reference checks either. Confidentiality is of utmost importance if you want a chance at securing this candidate.

Once you decide you want them, make an offer quickly. Encourage their potential manager and peers to make follow-up calls. The decision to change jobs when they’re not unhappy is a difficult one. Help make their decision to leave easier. Follow these practices, and the quality of your new hires will improve.

The source of this article is Pro Staff - Special Advertising Supplement to Workƒorce MANAGEMENT

Don't Be a "Hater" - Be a Celebrator!

2008-05-10T14:16:00.000-07:00

When the economy is robust, the Staffing Industry enjoys growth, piggybacking on the expansion of fast-growing and major industries. When demand is high, opportunity comes knocking, asking work teams only to react. Those that do so effectively enjoy the rewards of increasing revenues and the camaraderie winning teams encourage. The ability to overcome the difficulty factor in finding "good" candidates is the defining "high-level" challenge that separates the top-performers from the average players.

As the economy slows, a new challenge emerges. No knocking. This introduces a new business challenge, how to create "something' from "nothing" - making sales in an increasingly competitive environment. For most teams, this brings about collective confusion, procrastination and fear in the face of declining results. These stresses turn camaraderie to antagonism, resulting in a loser's pessimism. A work team's synchronicity is compromised, begging motivation and direction.

What to do?

Talk to each other. Really, that's what I suggest as a starting point. Ask about the following - What are your career goals? Why did you decide you wanted to work here? What would you like to accomplish while you are here? What are you truly good at? What "out of your comfort zone" work are you willing to do? Are there any suggestions you would make if you had the ability to improve the way you did your particular job? Are there any suggestions you would make if you had the ability to improve the way other staff did their particular job?

Out of this simple process comes volumes of information - most of it useful and relevant. This information enables teams to recommend a transformation in the way they, as individual contributors, and supporters of each other, work collectively in the new economic climate.

Get into Line With What Are the Objectives. Continue the conversation and set specific outcomes aligned with desired results. Generally, this will be centered around developing new business and the who, what, when, what and how to go about it.

Make a Plan. It is not a top-down plan, it is the plan developed from hours of conversations with co-workers. They developed it, put it together. And, with my each team member's strong assistance, encouragement, and support, it can be implemented.

Celebrate the Results. This is the part that brings back "winners" camaraderie. Recognize brave actions, continuing attempts in the face of failures, small achievements, ease with changing daily tasks, new skill with unfamiliar activities, and when a coworker "steps up" to "lift up" the team.

So there you have it - communicate and build alignment, fall in with the objectives and celebrate your achievements. In doing so, you just might find that this encourages good people and business behavior that sustains and uplifts top-performing teams, even in uncertain economic times.

Motivation Tips for Success

2008-04-29T18:04:00.000-07:00

So the economy is a bit down, orders are slowing down and the pressure is on to meet your revenue goals. Strategizing with your sales team is certainly a good idea. Coming up with creative ways to motivate your sales team is definitely the right way to go. The right amount of nudging might just be what a crestfallen sales person or recruiter might need reinvigorate and start their efforts anew.

Many people and companies think that the only method of motivating sales people is to give them an opportunity to make more money. Salespeople are certainly motivated by money, but other factors come into play. You need to take some of these factors into consideration when working to motivate your sales people.

When trying to motivate sales people it is important to insure that your salespeople understand the vision of the company. Whether you are an individual selling on your own, or you are motivating sales people in a large sales force, it is important that salespeople are able to move toward an empowering vision. The head of the company (or you, if you own the company) must have a strong vision and communicate it to the sales people in a clear and concise manner.

Another important factor in motivating sales people is the culture of the company or organization. Sales people are often motivated by being part of a very strong and a very well understood cultural environment. The vision for the culture of the company must be clearly communicated and demonstrated from the top of the company. If sales people are clearly involved in the company’s culture, it will motivate them more than big paychecks.

Sales people are also strongly motivated by recognition. Public recognition can be a very powerful motivator for sales people. In my company, we motivate our sales people by giving them recognition at events that the whole company attends. This type of recognition can be very powerful in motivating sales people and making them feel more connected to your company.

Regardless, at the end of the day, all motivation is essentially self-motivation. Here are seven very practical, easy-to-follow and helpful self motivation tips and techniques you can use and share to withstand even the most difficult times:

1. Identify and Set Short-term Goals That "Move the Ball” in the Right Direction
Figure out your most pressing and specific goals - reaching established budgets or recovering recent business milestones may seem too far reaching. Focus energies on immediate action and outcomes - once achieved, then celebrate progress and set new objectives. Set, achieve, celebrate and repeat.
2. Create Realistic Timelines
The next logical step is to create deadlines. Even if they are not exact, it gives you a rough timeframe and helps you keep your eye on the prize.
3. Make a Plan
Now that you have your goals clearly stated and timelines appointed, there must be a plan of action for how you will get it all done.
4. Overcome Procrastination
Many people have a hard time with self motivation simply because of their bad habit of procrastination. A major cause of procrastination is usually just feeling overwhelmed, which keeps you from beginning. A buddy-system or networking venue may help coworkers help each other stay motivated.
5. Accept Obstacles
On the road to completing your goals, you will undoubtedly come across obstacles. Though challenges can cause people to lose motivation and quit, if you learn to see them as your teacher, the obstacles will begin to work for you rather than against you.
6. Positive Attitude
Envision yourself reaching goals, even if they are only for the end of the day. As Henry Ford once said, “If you think you can or think you can not—you are probably right.” A positive attitude almost always breeds positive results, but a negative attitude will do just the opposite.
7. Enjoy yourself
Finally, enjoy yourself. While this tip may seem more common sense than other self motivation tips, it is essential.

Times are getting tougher, and you don't want to lose your A players for sure – especially during a slowing economy. There is always need for top talent in a weak economy. When times are hard and average performers are not doing so well, staffing firms seek good performers to weather the downturn.

Managers’ Survey: Interviewees Flunking Etiquette 101

2008-04-24T00:17:00.000-07:00

The Find: 59 percent of hiring managers say that job candidates’ manners have deteriorated in recent years.

The Source: A recent survey from Vault.

The Takeaway: With a plethora of sources of advice for interviewees, it seems like, by now, every job seeker should know the interview etiquette basics. But when Vault surveyed over 150 hiring managers, they uncovered a multitude of interview sins. Even that most covered principle of job hunting–dress the part– is often overlooked (or misinterpreted). A full 87 percent of hiring managers have had candidates show up dressed inappropriately. But hiring managers encounter more extreme behavior problems as well:

26 percent have had interviewees answer their cell phones during the interview
43 percent have had candidates use profanity
19 percent have had job seekers show up with a child in tow

It may seem sort of depressing that these etiquette basics need to be gone over again, but it is heartening for businesspeople who have their interview etiquette down cold to be reminded that all those carefully pressed cuffs and polite thank you emails may, in fact, make you stand out.

By Jessica Stillman

Are You Truly Ready to Sell?

2008-04-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

Selling is all about preparation. However, you can know your customer’s business (and your own business) up, down and sideways, but if you don’t know the points of leverage — the places where you can influence the customer to buy — you’re not really ready sell.

Scientific research (really!) suggests that if you’ve got six key questions answered in your own head, you’re far more likely to make a sale. They’re generic to all sales situations and provide some touch points to know whether you’ve got the leverage to develop the prospect and close the deal.

How can I help this customer? If you truly believe that you can help the prospect, the prospect will feel obligated to say “yes.” Example: if you’re only calling on truly qualified prospects, and you’ve got an offering that you’re sure can do the job, you know that you can help them.
What will it cost the customer to not buy? A prospect is more likely to say “yes” if there’s pain and loss connected with saying “no.” If the prospect stands to lose business or opportunity or career points by not buying, you’ve got leverage to make the sale.
What are the sources of my authority? A prospect is more likely to say “yes” if he or she believes you are knowledgeable and credible. So be certain that you’ve done everything you can to establish yourself as a credible source that can add value to the conversation.
What similar commitments have already been made? A prospect is more likely to say “yes” if they’ve already made public commitments consistent with purchasing. Example: a prospect that’s made a public commitment to increase revenue will buy offerings that help achieve that.
Who among the prospect’s peers is already your customer? Prospects believe that saying “yes” entails much less risk if the prospect knows of similar people who have already said “yes.” Make sure that you have reference accounts and sell through referrals whenever possible.
What is it about this customer that I can truly like and respect? A prospect is more likely to say “yes” to somebody who is likeable, and likeability is a reflection of your own attitude towards the prospect. So find out what’s special about the prospect, and decide to like and respect it.

By Geoffrey James

Facts Inform, But Passion Moves

2008-04-06T22:45:00.000-07:00

Passion is at the top of the list of the skills you need to excel whether you're in sales or any other profession. A salesperson without passion is just an order taker.

If you're in sales, you can have a great product, a tremendous territory and a fabulous marketing campaign, but if you don't have passion, it's hard to make a sale. When you have passion, you speak with conviction, act with authority and present with zeal. When you are excited and passionate about a product-or anything for that matter-people notice. They want in on the action. They want to know what can be so good.

There is no substitute for passion. If you don't have an intense, burning desire for what you are doing, there's no way you'll be able to work the long, hard hours it takes to become successful.

"Make sure that the career you choose is one you enjoy," said Kathy Whitworth, who won 88 LPGA tournaments, more than anyone on the men's or women's professional circuit. I was lucky enough to be in attendance when she won four of them. "If you don't enjoy what you are doing, it will be difficult to give the extra time, effort and devotion it takes to be a success. If it is a career that you find fun and enjoyable, then you will do whatever it takes. You will give freely of your time and effort, and you will not feel that you are making sacrifices in order to be a success."

President Harry Truman once said: "Good work is never done in cold blood; heat is needed to forge anything. Every great achievement is the story of a flaming heart."

Mark Twain was once asked the reason for his success. He said, "I was born excited."

J. Paul Getty, the wealthy oil tycoon, actually ranked passion ahead of imagination, business acumen and ambition as necessary ingredients of business success.

Surround yourself with people who are passionate about their jobs. You'll catch their passion. And remember that you can't be passionate when you feel like it. You have to be passionate about your job, product or cause all the time.

Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-mart, had 10 "Rules for Success." Rule number one was "Commit to your business. Believe in it more than anything else. If you love your work, you'll be out there every day trying to do the best you can, and pretty soon everybody around will catch the passion from you-like a fever."

Set an example for your co-workers or teammates to be passionate. There's nothing more powerful and more contagious than passion.

By Harvey Mackay

Do the Math - Why Recruiters Are Worth What They Charge

2008-03-28T15:15:00.000-07:00

Why are hiring managers so tightfisted when dealing with what is so commonly thought of as the “heartbeat” of their companies ... top-talent?

Companies think very little about paying the often excessive fees charged by their outside accounting and legal firms ... or even to the gaggle of consultants who promise cost-cutting and streamlining miracles in other areas of operations.

Yet, when faced with brain drains, talent deficiencies or the need to replace one employee with a better one, their thoughts too often turn to frugality. This belies and contradicts their stated objectives to "hire the best." Of course recruiting fees can vary from firm to firm but, when they do, you will almost always find that those on the low side are sure to exclude some very key ingredients of the process all of which are vital to providing the indispensable services necessary to satisfy the needs of the employer.

So why are recruiters worth what they charge? Just a few of the often unspoken reasons are:

Expertise
Nobody knows the employment marketplace better than a professional recruiter. . . nobody! In house human resources, no matter how effective (or Internet-savvy), view the marketplace through an imperfect or misrepresentative prism and tunnel vision is a frequent occupational hazard.

Just as physicians are cautioned against treating members of their own families, so too is it folly for an in-house H/R professional to believe that they have an undistorted and unbiased picture of the employment landscape. They are vulnerable to the pressures of internal politics and cultural dimensions which do not hinder the outsider.

Street-smart recruiters already know the neighborhood, including the unlisted addresses so often overlooked by the insiders.

Cast a wider net
A professional fisherman will always have more to show than a weekend angler. Recruiters are in the marketplace day in and day out. They know the unfished coves, reefs and inlets that are unknown to others. The job-hunter bookshelves are filled with lore about the “hidden job market.” The same holds true for professional recruiters who have a detailed roadmap to the hidden talent sources which will never be accessed by newspaper ads, alumni associations, applicant databases, the Internet or any of the other more familiar sources of people.

There are occasional pearls through these sources (and someone inevitably wins the Publisher’s Clearinghouse Sweepstakes too) but you have to shuck an awful lot of smelly oysters to find them. Recruiters only give you oysters proven to contain pearls. Your only job is to determine which pearl is the best. Want to catch what you’re fishing for? Hire a guide!

Cost
There is a misconception among employers that the cost of a hire equals the cost of the ads run or postings on the Internet designed to attract the person hired. Nothing could be further from reality.

Try adding these to the true cost and you’ll see just how cost effective an outside recruiter can be:

Salaries and benefits of the employment/recruiting staffs plus those of the line managers involved in the hiring activity (who are not productive in their normal job pursuits when they’re out recruiting); travel, lodging and entertainment expenses of in-house recruiters; source development costs; overhead expenses including (but not limited to) telephone, office space, postage, PR literature, applicant database maintenance, website costs, reference checking, clerical costs to correspond with the hundreds of unqualified respondents and more.

Unbiased third party input
Contrary to what some believe, recruiters don’t try to put square pegs into round holes. A recruiter’s stock-in-trade is their integrity and their reputation for finding someone better than a company could have found for themselves.

For a mid to senior-level executive, the average recruiter may develop a long list” of a hundred or more possibilities. Each must be called and evaluated against the position specifications as well as the personality “fit” with the company and the people with whom they will ultimately work.

Once this is winnowed down to the “short list” an even more intensive interviewing process begins to narrow the search to a panel of finalists for review by the client...

It is highly unlikely that a professional recruiter will be plowing new ground with your opening.

They deal within spheres of influence far more familiar with your needs than any internal recruiter and, more often than not, view the finalists as people who are competent to solve client problems rather than just fill an open slot in the organizational chart.

Because they want to do business with you again and again, they are looking for (and challenging you to excellence by hiring) the “truly exceptional” rather than the “just satisfactory” so often settled for by in-house hirers.

Confidentiality
Advertising or otherwise publicly proclaiming an opening, aside from its cost and demonstrated ineffectiveness for sensitive senior level openings, often creates anxiety and apprehension among the advertiser’s current employees who wonder why they aren’t being considered or worry about newcomer transition problems. Just as often it alerts competitors to a current weakness or void within the company.

Speed
The recruiting process is always faster through a search professional who is continually tapped into the talent marketplace than one having to start the process from scratch,. For every day that a key opening remains unfilled, a company’s other employees must grudgingly do double duty. And this doesn’t factor in the profit opportunities or competitive advantages lost to a company because a position remains unfilled or is done on a part-time basis by others less qualified.

Post-Hire Downtime - Not only is speed an essential part of the professional recruiter’s process, the ability to locate a person who can immediately “hit the ground running” with a minimum of “ramp-up time” saves time after the hire. All too often, a hire selected through less effective sources offering a smaller talent pool requires several months of expensive training and orientation.

Reality
Professional recruiters often recognize and have a duty to inform clients that they may be mistaken as to the type of person sought, the salary required to attract them or the possibilities that the solution might just lie in areas outside the traditional target industries.., something an internal recruiter is politically disinclined to do. Too many hirers fail to understand that a professional recruiter’s primary function is not necessary to fill a slot but to provide the right candidate to solve a problem.

Negotiation
As a buffer and informed intermediary, the professional recruiter is better able to blend the needs and wants of both parties to arrive at a mutually beneficial arrangement without the polarizing roadblocks which too frequently materialize in face-to-face dealings, especially in this “show me the money” economy.

Prioritizing company resources
It is often amazing to see how much of a company’s revenues are squandered on non-productive perks while penny-pinching on what is every company’s lifeblood. . . talent acquisition. Enlightened executives learned long ago that the fee paid to a recruiter is a shrewd strategic investment, not an extraneous expense.

Do the Math
Here is a good example:If your company has A territory vacant for 2 months and this territory produces 1.2 Million dollars per year, your company has lost $200,000 during the time the position has been vacant

Ex. $1,200,000/12 months = $100,000 per month. If the territory is open for 2-months you have lost $200,000!

So, the investment that you would make to a recruiter for quickly finding top qualified individuals is far, far less compared to allowing the territory to remain open. It becomes even more apparent when you factor in the amount of time, energy and money spent on all the in house efforts.

Content thanks to Porter Group, Inc.

How to Build and Motivate a Sales Team

2008-03-22T13:55:00.000-07:00

Hiring good sales people is only half the battle. Motivating sales people is the other half of the battle.

To succeed in business, your company needs a quality sales team. Developing a capable and effective sales force might be one of your most difficult jobs.

Here are five tips to help you get started:

Hire Quality, Not Quantity
The number of salespeople on your staff isn't nearly as important as their ability to set up and close a sale. A few skilled and proven sales reps will not only outsell a fleet of novices, but also form a solid core for future staff expansion. If geographic coverage is a concern, consider leveraging technology to help a smaller, more competent sales team cover a wider area.

Communicate Expectations
Many sales teams fail to meet their leader's expectations simply because they never knew what was expected of them in the first place. Don't make the same mistake! Your sales team should have a clear understanding about what you expect from them. They should also feel free to voice their concerns and seek assistance should problems or unexpected setbacks arise. Team meetings, group e-mails, and status reports are essential, but it never hurts to meet with team members individually, too, particularly if a team member is falling short of the goals you have established.

Offer Sales Incentives
It is common for sales reps to be compensated on commission. But commissions can't be the only incentives you offer your sales team. There are lots of other ways to motivate your sales team that are just as important. Remember: Your goal is to build a first-rate sales team. In addition to individual incentives like commissions, consider offering team-based motivators like group bonuses, event tickets, or special merchandise when the team reaches its goals.

Sales Training
It's easy to overlook training as a resource for building and motivating a sales team. However, training provides your sales team with the tools they need to reach their goals as well as much-needed confidence for the sales process. Consider scheduling regular training sessions with your entire staff, covering not only sales technique, but also team-building strategies and exercises.

Motivate by Example
One of the best ways to motivate your team is to lead by example. A positive, can-do attitude is contagious, but so is a negative one. Since your team will follow your lead, it's important to maintain an upbeat presence with your staff. If sales is your forte, you might even want to lead the charge by assigning yourself sales calls and mentoring new sales staff.

Source: http://www.gaebler.com/How-to-Build-and-Motivate-a-Sales-Team.htm

Want Your Boss to See Your MySpace Page?

2008-03-11T19:41:00.000-07:00

by Melanie London, Vault.com

The era of the social networking website is clearly upon us. An entire generation of people doesn't seem to think twice about sharing personal information and photos with the plugged-in planet. When it comes to employment, though, your willingness to share may cost you.

According to Vault.com's Social Networking Websites Survey, 44% of employers use sites like MySpace and Facebook to check out job candidates, and 39% have looked up the profile of a current employee. Profiles that reveal questionable behavior or attitudes can be harmful to job seekers, as 82% of employers say that something they perceive as negative on a profile would affect their hiring decisions. Despite these revealing statistics, only 57% of people with profiles take security measures, such as using the website's privacy controls or editing their profiles while in the midst of a job search.

As long as it's more important to you to land that dream job than to provide the world with photographic evidence of your win in last year's beer pong championship, remember these words: "This profile is set to private." If you're actively searching for a job, or if your resume is posted on an employment web site, be sure to utilize the privacy controls of any social networking sites you use.

The First Impression
Do you really want your online profile to make an impression before you can? It's becoming more and more common for hiring managers to use social networking web sites as a tool to whittle down the resume pile. If an HR exec logs on only to find coarse language and salacious shots, well, there's a good bet your resume will end up in the reject pile. Yes, it's fun to share borderline-scandalous profile content with friends, but why a potential employer? If it's NSFW ("not safe for work"), then it's NSF your non-private profile.

Personal Preferences
Revealing your affiliations and likes/dislikes can leave you open to someone else's biases. From your political party to even seemingly harmless information like your favorite movies or the last book you've read, these stated preferences could mean the difference between you and someone else getting the job. Isn't it safer to just keep this information private? You may feel that you wouldn't want to work for a company where someone would judge you based on such things, but in a close race, it may be easier for a hiring manager to align with a fellow oboe enthusiast than a candidate with whom he or she has no common interests. Get the job first; then reveal your love of Celine Dion.

Postings from Friends
Social networking site profiles are all about "friends." How many do you have? Who knows who? And what is everyone doing at every possible moment? Ask yourself, "Is it safe to let potential employers see what my friends are posting to my profile?" In high school, people judged you by who you hung out with; sad as it is, the same goes for social networking web sites.

Picture and Screen Name
So you've taken this all to heart, and you're about to set your profile to private -- great job! But don't neglect your photo and screen name. Resist the urge to choose a too-cutesy name and/or an excessively silly or revealing picture to represent yourself to the world at large. No matter how tempting it may be to call yourself Divalicious08, it doesn't exactly give off an aura of professionalism.

Moving to a Small Company Can Lead to Big Rewards

2008-03-03T21:11:00.000-08:00

Leaving behind a brand-name firm is a growing alternative for professionals.
By SARAH E. NEEDLEMAN
The Wall Street Journal
March 3, 2008 9:14 p.m.

With the U.S. economy under duress, a growing number of experienced workers may find themselves moving away from large companies toward smaller professional firms. In recent weeks, several large employers announced plans to trim their work forces while small companies hungry for top-talent are happy to take in corporate exiles.

There is a significant upside for professionals moving from a big pond to a smaller one. Senior managers at small and midsize firms often find opportunities to take on more responsibility, earn greater recognition for successes, gain ample exposure to new practice areas and have a more direct impact on a company's bottom line.
To be sure, small firms seeking to attract big fish still have to prove they're a stable alternative that offers competitive pay, but for some, the tradeoff is worth it.

More Impact
Before joining Internet company LinkedIn Corp. in July, Patrick Crane was one of five marketing vice presidents at Yahoo!. He's now the sole vice president of marketing at LinkedIn, which has roughly 220 workers.

"At Yahoo I shook [CEO Jerry Yang's] hand twice and had maybe less than five conversations with him in four years," he says. "Now I meet with our CEO [at LinkedIn] several times a day."

That close proximity to upper management often leads to quicker action. Mr. Macdonald, the former Bristol-Myers worker, says he has the power to get things done more expeditiously at his new employer, Acorda Therapeutics Inc. in Hawthorne, N.Y. "There's less bureaucracy," he says. "Decisions are made without having to go through a number of layers of approval."

Being able to influence a company's bottom line is what led Scott Ruthfield to join WhitePages.com Inc. in April as vice president of engineering and technology. "Everybody plays a core role, so if you do a good job, you are directly contributing to way the business is going to succeed," says the former Amazon.com Inc. manager.

That can also mean more ready recognition. "Every success you have in a small business is magnified by a hundred," says Dean Medley, senior vice president of recruiting at Medical Methods Inc., a staffing firm in Jacksonville, Fla., with 50 employees. "When you land a new account, it's a huge deal."

Small-company converts also mention the room to gain experience in new practice areas—or to return to the heart of a business—as another plus. "You get divorced from the nuts and bolts of operating a business when you work for large companies," says Mike Barnes, a newly hired logistics executive at Halton Co., a provider of construction equipment in Portland, Ore. Mr.

Barnes says the depth of involvement he has at his new firm has another upside: A level of job satisfaction he says he hasn't felt in a long time. Mr. Barnes also says his peers at Halton are less competitive than his former colleagues at larger firms

"People aren't climbing over each other attempting to reach the next level," he says.

That doesn't mean there aren't drawbacks to going small. For one, blunders are magnified. "When you have a setback, it's extremely painful," says Mr. Medley, who joined Medical Methods in 2004 after being laid off from Bank of America Corp.

Small businesses often have fewer support systems than large firms. "You might not have a legal team looking at everything you do," notes Mr. Rich. "There may not be a [human-resources] department." Office perks like free coffee and catered meetings might also be absent, he adds.

Recruiting Challenges
Bringing in brand-name talent can be a challenge for small companies, though. Some senior-level job hunters eschew such firms because they're typically perceived to offer less stability.

Tighter budgets mean smaller companies sometimes can't afford to pay salaries equal to those of big firms. Case in point: This year, chief financial officers at companies with $500 million or more in sales are projected to earn between $257,500 and $370,500 in average annual base pay, CFOs at firms with up to $50 million in sales are expected to receive between $91,000 and $122,250.

Many small employers provide alluring trade-offs such as shorter workweeks, less travel and work-life balance incentives including telecommuting arrangements and flexible schedules.

Employees who trek long distances to get to work at Rising Medical Solutions Inc.'s offices in Chicago and Milwaukee, for example, are given laptop computers with wireless Internet access, says Jason Beans, chief executive officer of the 115-person management-consulting firm. "They can leave at 4 (p.m.) and do work on the train," he says, adding that he plans to recruit about a dozen senior professionals this year, along with 40 others.

To be sure, some small employers eager to take advantage of the wider big-company labor pool say they're willing to compensate new hires more competitively. "If we want super stars, we have to be able to pay appropriate salaries," says Robyn Marcotte, senior vice president of talent at ePrize LLC, an interactive-promotions company. The Detroit-based 35-person firm wants to add 30 senior-level employees and 20 others by the end of next month, she says.

And, niche firms that compete with brand-names are more likely to offer salaries that are similar to big companies—and, perhaps, other ownership incentives. Tom Ryan, founder and co-chief executive officer or ICR LLC, a small financial-communications consulting firm, says he offers consultants a base salary he calls "competitive, even by Wall Street standards." Consultants also earn a percentage of their billings, "so there's no income cap," he adds. A performance-based pay model is critical for enticing top talent, notes Mr. Ryan. "Historically it's been difficult to get the right people," he explains. "You've had an incredible bull market since the tail end of the Internet bubble and the commissions these people generated have been really good." The Westport, Conn.-based firm, which services more than 200 publicly traded businesses, employs roughly 100 people and plans to add 10 more consultants this year.

Mr. Ryan's plans to bulk up may be a sign of the times for small and midsize professional firms. A recent survey of 500 firms with annual revenue ranging from $100,000 to $25 million (with average revenue between $5 and $9 million) shows that 57% plan to add workers this year, reports The Alternative Board, a small-business advisory board based in Denver.

"This is definitely a great opportunity for us to recruit talent from big companies," says Kaity Benedicto, human-resources director at Travelzoo Inc., an online media company with roughly 150 employees. "We've noticed more individuals are willing to talk to us now than ever." The New York-based firm plans to grow its staff by 40% this year, mainly with senior-level technology hires

Four Secrets to Always Being Employable

2008-02-17T18:53:00.000-08:00

By J.T. O'DONNELL, NATIONALLY-SYNDICATED WORKPLACE COLUMNS

Never before have Americans been as responsible for keeping themselves skilled and employable as they are today. I tell people to expect to have as many as nine different careers in their lifetime, with an average of three jobs in every one. In short, for those who don't keep a focused eye on their abilities to adapt and grow with the changing workplace, a day could come when it becomes tough to find a "good job."

How do some people always manage to be employed and on track for continued success? They follow the four secrets to staying employable.

1. Keep your definition of a "good job" reasonable.
As we progress professionally, we acquire skills and experiences that often afford us greater opportunities in terms of salary and benefits. The problem lies in making the assumption that once we are offered a larger compensation package that it becomes the starting benchmark for any job we take in the future. The result is the "golden handcuff effect" - a sense that we are held hostage by our current job because there's no place else to go.
Smart workers know each job opportunity provides criteria that must be weighed differently against our wants and needs. Staying employable means simplifying our list and planning for the day when we won't have the same level or type of perks. This keeps job options more plentiful and movement to new positions easier.

2. Use the "3x3x3 rule" to create and implement your own professional development strategy.
Forget about waiting for your annual review; smart workers take the review process into their own hands. Assess your professional strengths and weaknesses. Then build a game plan to leverage the first and minimize the second, you can identify how you plan to stay employable. I encourage individuals to follow the "3x3x3 rule" for skill development:

A. Choose three skills you want to enhance.
B. Identify three ways in which you could learn and grow each skill.
C. Articulate three examples of how you can demonstrate your enhanced skills in this area to your employer.

By taking professional development into your own hands, you remain focused and in control of your employability.

3. Be the "go-to" person for something employers need.
Like depositing into a retirement fund, employees use the early part of their careers to develop skills to accumulate professional wealth. Sadly, after a decade or so, some employees believe they've earned the right to live off of the interest accrued from their efforts. Mid-life often brings about changes in how an employee wants to allocate his or her time (ie. want more time with a spouse, family, home, hobby, etc.). Smart employees know this doesn't have to diminish the quality of the time they put into their careers. To stay employable, focus on being the "go-to" person for a particular problem, task or technique. Building subject-matter expertise in a specific area that's in demand within the workplace will create a personal insurance policy that ensures you'll always be the "go-to" employee who's in demand.

4. Create a board of advisors for your company-of-one.
Smart individuals don't do surgery on themselves, pull their own teeth or represent themselves in legal matters. They defer to professionals who have the training and expertise that gets the best results. Smart employees do the same with their careers. In an age where employees are in essence a company-of-one -- responsible for keeping the services they deliver in demand -- doesn't it make sense to seek the counsel from those who can help you make the best career decisions? Smart employees solicit the advice of individuals they feel approach career success in a manner they admire. Whether it's a relative, co-worker, former manager or even a professional career coach, seeking advice from those who know more than you will give you the perspective needed to be proactive and successful at staying employable.

Career paths are full of twists and turns; they're rarely straightforward. To avoid roadblocks, use the four secrets outlined above and you'll be able to make course corrections that will help you stay employable.

J.T. O'Donnell, career development specialist and co-author of the nationally syndicated workplace column "J.T. & Dale Talk Jobs" distributed by King Features Syndicate.
Copyright 2008 J.T. O'Donnell

How to Quit Without Guilt

2008-02-12T16:58:00.000-08:00

If you are worrying about quitting, the conventional wisdom about the subject is:

Money talks. At the entry level it says: “Easily replaced.” If you are paid a low salary, the office is not going to be disabled if you leave. If you are so important and so difficult to replace, employers can pay to hire someone quickly.

If you have a good boss, your boss knew you were looking. Most people are job hunting - at least passively - all the time. It should not be news to your boss that you would quit if someone offered you a better opportunity. In a robust economy, the odds of you leaving at any moment are material, no matter how nice your boss is to you.

Your company has only a reasonable amount of loyalty to you. If your company laid you off, they’d give you no more than two weeks’ notice. That’s how the work world works. Play by the rules. Give two weeks notice. The two weeks’ rule is there because once people know about an upcoming separation, the workplace dynamic changes, and the less time you have to deal with this dynamic, the more productive everyone will be.

Good mentors care about you and want to see you grow. As your boss has been a good mentor to you, you owe it to him or her not to handle separation unprofessionally. If someone has been a good mentor and you have been a good “mentee,” then he or she should want the best for you.

But, it is not that simple. Leaving a job is as difficult as saying good-bye to your loved ones. Getting into a job is tough but quitting one is tougher.
Nearly everyone fears the thought of quitting a job. Not because we are not sure of getting a better opportunity, but because we just don't want to step out of the comfort zone and the uncertainty that causes. Most importantly, we do not want to hurt the feelings of managers and coworkers who invested in our success.

It is normal to contemplate missing the people you will leave behind by accepting a new job, and feel that you are letting them down somehow. Consider, however, that work is essentially an economic relationship, not a social one, so people have to do what's best for them. It works both ways, managers who lay off employees, feel the same way, even as they do what they know is right for the organization. In truth, your employer will survive without you. They survived before you were there and they will survive after. If making a move to a new position is the best thing for you, by all means tender your resignation in a compassionate and professional manner, giving appropriate notice.

The main reason people quit jobs is to better their career. Who could feel guilty about providing better for themselves and their family? You have to do for yourself, before you can do for others. Guilt is lessened when you realize that you would be inclined to do what is best for your loved ones before your employer, regardless of the quality of these work relationships.

When people leave jobs under normal career-progression circumstances (not when the threat of termination is present or because of extreme job dissatisfaction), most feel guilty and worry about “leaving in the lurch” managers and coworkers held in high regard. In contrast, after resigning is actually done and a little time has passed, the majority report that these feelings lessen as thoughts about the new position bring about excitement and positivity, characterized by certainty or acceptance.

When it comes to making tough decision about quitting, above all, you must know what you love and what you are good at. The ideal job is one that enables you to channel your best talents into what you best love doing. While that seems like a simple and obvious truth, it's not easy to implement. It requires effort. Perhaps that is why most of us prefer to compromise and settle for something that is “acceptable,” rather than take the less trodden path to seek out and accept the kind of job would most make us happy, where our passions and strengths are put to best and rewarding use.

Remember: Nothing worth doing is ever easy. If you want less than 100% job satisfaction, you don't need to take action. But if you want more, there's no shortcut. Self-awareness is the first step—realize that by receiving a viable job offer, your job-seeking activities is a statement of proof that your current job satisfaction is in serious question—consciously or unconsciously. The next step is to be courageous and quit, you have contributed to your employer commensurately with how you have been compensated—you can feel good about parting ways amicably, knowing that you are going forward in all fairness and good standing.

How Much Does it Really Cost to Hire - or not to Hire?

2008-01-28T19:38:00.000-08:00

In a recent article in 'The Interbiznet Bugler', it is stated that the Saratoga Institute, often seen as the ultimate source of HR thinking, typically describes "cost per hire" as the sum of administrative costs and expenses, and Infomart-USA, a hiring practices auditing company, estimates the national average at about $4,400. They consider the elements of cost per hire to be the following:

Advertising
Agency fees
Employment fairs
Employment office salary expense
Employment office facility expense
Estimate of time spent in training
Recruiter travel expense
Internal recruiter expense
Internal recruiter labor expense
Referral Bonus
Recruiting & Training expense
Uniforms

The means used to calculate the administrative cost per hire is deeply understated. So what is the real cost per hire - or more importantly, per not hiring?

Opportunity Costs

The cost of a hire is the money lost because the hire wasn't made. Well recognized in MBA programs and broadly understood throughout the rest of the organization, the simple concept is "opportunity costs."

At its most basic, the opportunity cost associated with a particular hire is the productive revenue lost because the hire wasn't made. Here's an easy way to get your arms around the real cost per hire in your organization.

Take the annual sales of your company (or division) and divide it by the number of employees. This is the annual revenue per employee.
Divide that number by 250 to get the daily revenue per employee.
Multiply daily revenue per employee by the number of days it takes to hire an employee.
If you want, add the dollars spent by the Recruiting Department (it's a minor fraction).

This is the real cost per hire. Generally it's 5 to 10 times the administrative costs.

Using an outside recruiter to fast-track hiring of sales talent is good business as it costs far less than not hiring and is an investment in your organization’s growth. When economic times are challenging, sales-focused employees are the resource best leveraged to protect market share—in a shrinking market, taking share away from your competitors is priority one, superseding cost containment measures. Fielding sales talent is an initial success that lays the groundwork for achieving growth objectives. Tapping into a network of industry sales professionals puts growth-minded managers on the offensive.

Should Sales Run the Company?

2008-01-22T23:36:00.000-08:00

This question keeps coming up, so I’m going to answer it. Let’s start with the basics:

The only reason a for-profit business exists is to make profitable sales.

Read that last sentence three times, because there’s an entire MBA’s worth of business wisdom in it. If you believe that statement is true, then the follow must also be true:

In a for-profit business, every job has a single purpose — to help profitable sales take place.

Therefore, the value of EVERY activity inside EVERY for-profit business can be assessed by two criteria:

Does it generate qualified leads, resulting in more sales, thereby increasing revenue?
Does it reduce the cost of sales or cost of goods, thereby making the average sale more profitable?

Considering all of the above, the four major “non-sales” functions can therefore be defined as follows:

Marketing — Every marketing activity should either attract new customers (generate qualified leads) or make it easier for sales to close business (reduce the cost of sales.) For example, a direct mail campaign is wasted money unless it attracts new customers, thereby potentially increasing revenue. Similarly, a “branding” exercise is stupid and pointless unless it creates credibility that makes it easier for sales to close business, thereby reducing the cost of sales.

Development — Every activity that’s funded should be to design new products and services that existing and future customers want, thereby making it easier to attract new customers, thereby increasing the revenue stream. New ideas that results in products and services that can’t be sold or that nobody wants to buy is wasted effort.

Operations — Every activity should be focused on delivering high quality products and services that attract new customers, while reducing costs. While those costs aren’t traditionally counted as a “cost of sales”, they are really the same thing, because both cost of sales and cost of goods are only meaningful concepts if a sale actually takes place.

Management — Despite all the blah-blah-blah about “leadership,” in the end a CEO’s only important jobs are to 1) sell the company to the public as a spokesperson, and 2) make sure that every other department in the company serves the needs of the Sales group. And don’t try to tell me that the CEO has an important job representing the company to investors. What investors want are more revenue and more profit.

Does this mean that the Sales group should be performing all these functions? The answer is no. Not because they couldn’t do it, but because it’s a waste of selling talent. People who can sell — really sell — have got no business pushing pencils in the back office.

Instead, the Sales group should be telling these other groups what they must do, at least in a general sense, in order to ensure that profitable sales continue to happen. More importantly, all activity in all those groups must be measured and compensated based upon whether those profitable sales eventually take place.

So let’s restate the question:
Q: Should the Sales function drive the entire company?
A: Absolutely.

Excerpted from an article by By Geoffrey James

Don't be Slow, be Strategic in Hiring Talent

2008-01-13T23:39:00.000-08:00

Why is it taking longer than ever to find, and land, revenue-generating professionals with the skills and talents to drive results? In a recent hiring survey, more than two-thirds of the respondents said they expect their companies to be bringing on new revenue-generating staff additions within the next 12 months, and 88% said their employers were experiencing a skills shortage.

The demand is there, but where are the candidates? Only 9% of revenue-generating workers polled said that they’re actively looking for a job, and 63% reported feeling secure or very secure in their current position.

Even when candidates are available, a lack of preparation by hiring managers or a disconnect between business drivers and internal processes can compromise company performance.

For any industry which is currently facing talent shortages in revenue-generating positions, the pertinent question remains: does the time-to-hire make a difference to the quality of talent being inducted into an organization?

Recruitment experts agree that the hiring time is critical for finding the right candidate. The reason is obvious. Often because of undue time lags between identification of candidates and making the selection, a good candidate may lose interest in that specific role and take up another opportunity.

SPEED (or the lack thereof) is a strategic factor in the competition for talent. When talent acquisition is an organizational strength, you start by overwhelming candidates with responsiveness.

Here are the spots in the recruiting process where the need to manage speed is critical:

1. Solicit candidates only when you have the time to and interest in screening them. For prospects that fit your general position requirements, set the initial step within 48-hours of submission.

2. Organize process steps to fast-track internal bottlenecks. Once the initial screen is completed and you decide to move the candidate to the next stage—momentum is on your side! Plot steps to the final interview and schedule these all at once, within 24-hours of the initial step.

Example: if the initial step is a telephone screen, and the final step is an interview with the senior manager; but in-between there is an interview with 1) the hiring manager, 2) a peer, and 3) a next-level manager—book set times for all of the 3 “middle steps” in this example, within 2-days of each other. You can always cancel if the candidate proves to be less than anticipated, but you cannot regain lost time between steps tying to schedule “on the fly” as the process unfolds.

3. Manage expectations as you move to the offer stage. Give timely and honest feedback to, or about, candidates following each step. Ideally, you want to do a blitz round of interviews and get to the final stage shortly thereafter. If there is any holdup in the process, you have to sell the candidate on the company and the fact that you still love them as the right fit for the job in question.

4. Anticipate administrative and/or organizational requirements to get to the offer stage. Don’t wait until after the final interview to initiate administrivia like reference checks, pre-employment screenings, approval forms, offer letter/new hire paperwork turnaround, etc. At the same time you schedule the final interview, start the organizational wheels turning to ensure a minimal lag time before you can make a firm offer.

Interested candidates are a perishable resource – start the process too soon or have a delay after a phone interview or a face-to-face meeting, and you have problems. Candidates start having confidence issues in you as an employer of choice, and even if you eventually hire them, the delays can cost you negotiation leverage as you go through the offer stage.

Learn how to juggle the timing needs of the company and the candidate in the hiring process, and you'll get better talent than you deserve.

It's January 2, 2008 - Where is Your Sales Talent?

2007-12-20T12:44:00.000-08:00

With reports of workers losing faith in the economy and employers forecasting flat or reduced hiring in the New Year, it is that time of year when we ask the question..."What is the economic forecast for the Staffing industry next year"?

Considering the Staffing industry market is near to $90B, I ask..."Isn't it really about how we approach the marketplace"? When an industry is growing it is easy to increase your business, just jump on the economic escalator and focus on delivery. When the market is retreating it is not so easy, but with a multi-billion market at hand, it should be with the right strategy and tactics.

Many staffing firms leveraged the "escalator effect" to boost profits by leaving revenue-generating field positions open for extended periods or not investing in sales talent in all territories to reduce the cost base against market-driven revenue increases. This works in the economy that is now in our rear view mirror; however, in 2008 the pleasant escalator ride will fast become more like an unpleasant battleground for the firms caught with gaping revenue-generating vacancies.

The battle will be over market "share" and the strategy for 2008 will center on influencing hiring managers, human resources and procurement to change providers - in other words, the growth leaders of 2008 will take away business from their competitors.

The tactics are simple, yet difficult for most companies to execute. To win, the participants must have on the field a well-trained, prepared, and talented sales force before their competitors. To do so, companies must step back from cost management at the expense of deploying a business development workforce. With demand declining, cost containment on the personnel expense line will neither offset the revenue downturns, nor spur increases that have vaporized in the changing economy.

Investment in revenue-generating people is risky in an organization where headcount management, productivity per headcount metrics, compliance and delivery solutions has dominated profit-making strategies. But, as I will explore further in the New Year, there are some leverage points to mitigating the risk of playing to win in 2008:

Reduce "time to hire" for open revenue-generating positions- If you measure the total number of days selling branch management and/or sales representative, executive recruiting, blended-desk positions remained unfilled in 2007, you will likely be quite shocked. Count the markets that you have poor, limited or no sales representation and you will likely become frightened at your prospects for the New Year.

Consider additional sales representation in hot segments/markets- Deployment does not have to be uniform, focusing resources in "hot spots" proves to be cost-effective. You can plan for hiring sales talent in waves to spread out costs against results, but don’t wait too long—the economy changes quickly for the leading-edge Staffing industry—you are already “behind the 8-Ball” so to speak.

Make people the metric- Start holding field managers accountable for filling revenue-generating positions with a sense of urgency by measuring days open, averaging-in open slots with current productivity measures to detect lost opportunities, and recognize the tactical leaders who field a team in play early on in 2008.

Reduce on-boarding time- Revamp your hiring process in terms of steps and priority to cut by half the time it takes to recruit, assess background/fit and make an offer. Use internal, corporate and external resources to grab up talent before your competitors acquire the best of a limited pool of top-performers.

Accelerate training time- Compress training for revenue-generating roles to a boot-camp, immersion-style of delivery to reduce by two-thirds the time it takes to make a new hire ready and competent to face customers persuasively.

Create networks for sales talent- Promote a sales culture with newsletters, chat rooms, blogs, meetings, conference calls, webinars, contests, rankings, and recognitions to bring together the sales team for motivation, further development and peer mentoring.

The greatest challenge to overcome in a retreating economy is not whether a company can grow against prior-year economic-driven benchmarks (which it can). The greater challenge is can industry leaders operationally turnaround their laissez-faire attitude regarding fielding sales talent and make the necessary shifts to strengthen their company’s sales culture, sales-support platform and scope of sales “coverage” across their market footprint before it is too late for cost reductions to protect earnings and shareholder value.

The Secrets of Recruiting and Motivating Talent

2007-12-14T07:57:00.000-08:00

Do employees want fun, work-life balance, a pleasant office environment, or a boss with an iron will? The exact formula for a truly motivated team remains elusive, but new research out yesterday from consulting firm Watson Wyatt suggests managers add another ingredient: clarity.

The survey of over 14,000 employees across Europe found that the most important factor for employee motivation was a clear sense of the company’s strategic direction. Andrew Cocks, a senior consultant at the firm, explains: “Business leaders who articulate the business strategy give employees a clear ‘line of sight’ to how they can best contribute to the performance of their company, but the benefit goes beyond this. It helps to build trust in the company and its management and creates a positive environment where all employees have well understood shared goals.”

If clarity is key for engaging and motivating employees, your company’s brand may be the biggest factor in recruiting them in the first place. Irish branding strategist, Krishna De, uses recent research from Jobs.as.uk as a jumping off point for a blog post on the topic. The research found that 86 percent of job seekers rate the strength of a potential employer’s brand as an important factor when considering whether to apply.

Krishna De comments: Think about it - can you remember a time when an executive search firm or recruitment consultant contacted you about what sounded like a great opportunity, but your heart sank when you heard what the company was?… You already had a mental and emotional picture of what that company stood for - both in terms of their reputation and their employer brand. It doesn’t matter how you came to your conclusion or if it was correct - you came to a conclusion.

She goes on to suggest that companies who are facing difficulties recruiting, start by doing a little research as to what potential candidates think of their employer brand. Listen carefully, even if you hear some less than positive things. What can we conclude if we put the two studies together? Employer brand is key for attracting talent. Clarity of vision is necessary to keep them engaged. By Jessica Stillman

How to Work With Contingency Recruiters

2007-12-09T12:03:00.000-08:00

Assuming you’ve spoken to a few recruiters or agencies you feel are best suited to meet your needs, the most important piece is keeping their interest in filling your open jobs. The top-tier of recruiters isn’t struggling to find job orders or clients with whom they’ll work. Instead, they tend to focus their recruiting efforts on clients they enjoy working with and where they have the highest likelihood of success. How can you make your positions a top priority? Here are some tips on how you can ensure that your openings are a priority to the contingency recruiters you'd most like to work with:

Sell it; don’t just tell it: When you are discussing your hiring needs with a good recruiter, don’t forget that you need to sell them on you, your company, and your hiring process. Be sure to stress your urgency level, the speed and efficiency of your hiring process, and the selling points as to why candidates they present will want to work at your company. Provide recruiters with electronic copies of internal job descriptions, incentive program documents and benefits summaries--these are selling tools for recruiters.

Choose recruiters based on ability and experience rather than solely on cost: Otherwise, you may end up working with a lower echelon recruiter. Recruiters who charge rock-bottom fees may be good for some job orders, but if you are highly selective or have difficult positions to fill, you might have to ‘sweeten the pot’ to make it more appealing. Top performing recruiters don’t work for bargain basement fees and they have little incentive to work on a job order when the payment terms are not advantageous or adhered to.

Responsiveness and feedback are essential: The ‘A’ list recruiters require feedback from you for candidates that are off the mark, and not just for the candidates that are the right fit. Failure to give feedback on submittals is the number one reason that top contingency recruiters stop working on behalf of any given client. These recruiters need to know how far off target they are in order to better hone their aim. Be sure your feedback is detailed and specific. If you’ve given this level of feedback repeatedly and you still aren’t getting candidates that are a fit, it’s time to evaluate whether you are truly working with an ‘A’ list recruiter, or if there is some other problem or issue in your expectations or hiring process.

Follow-up with your best recruiters on a regular basis: You need not wait until they send you a candidate for you to contact them. In fact, a proactive call from you to your top recruiters asking what you can do to help them is one of your strongest tools to keep outside recruiters motivated to work for you, even if they aren’t making placements yet. Your call to them shows that you have a sense of urgency and that you value their time and effort. In this call, you can give examples of candidates you’ve interviewed, or any other information that will help them hone-in on the ideal candidate.

The most important lesson is that there are great recruiters in the market. Your goal is to proactively locate them through any means necessary, sell them on why they should work for you, and continue to engage with them. And, throughout your candidate search, make sure to keep them in the loop on any changes and updates, as well as to subtly ‘sell’ them on working your job orders.

Hiring in all niche markets is getting tougher in this tightening candidate market. Make sure your company has the reputation of being good to work with in the outside recruiter community so you can attract and retain the best third-party, or contingency recruiters, to help you meet all your hiring needs with the best talent in the market.

Deal With The Stress of a New Job

2007-11-26T16:25:00.000-08:00

So you finally made it to your new workplace. Now take a deep breath and walk in with a smile on your face. Keep your head up and remember to make eye contact. Be polite and friendly to everyone you encounter, whether it's the receptionist or the mail room clerk, your colleagues or your new boss. Introduce yourself to those you meet and remember that it's okay to ask questions. People generally like to help others and it usually makes them feel good about themselves. A new co-worker who refuses all offers of help might cause some people to think you are a a person who feels superior and refuse to help in the future.

While it's okay to hold onto some of things you learned in your previous jobs and use that knowledge in your new job, remember that every workplace has its own way of doing things. Your first few weeks or even months on a job is not the time to change the way things get done. Do not utter these words: "That's not how we did it at my old company." Your colleagues will just be thinking this: "Well, you're not at your old company and if you liked it so much why didn't you stay there."

The length of time it takes you to adjust to a new job varies from person to person, and job to job. While you may fit in immediately at some jobs, it may take a little longer in others. And some people seem to fit in immediately wherever they go. All you can do is try your best, and do your job the best way you know how. The following tips may help:

Ask questions. You're new and it's better to do something right the first time around than have to do it over.

Smile a lot and be friendly. Get to know your co-workers and what their interests are.

Use your lunch hours to get together with your current co-workers, although it may be tempting to meet up with your former ones.

Figure out who has the authority to give you work to do and who is just trying to have you do theirs.

Pay attention to the grapevine, but don't contribute to it. You don't want to gain a reputation as a gossip.

Don't complain about what you immediately encounter in the workplace, or your previous job.

Arrive early and don't rush out the door at the end of the day.

Volunteer for projects that will help you get noticed, but don't neglect any assigned work.

Keep a positive attitude and an open mind. Your life has changed and it will take getting used to.

New jobs present many changes and challenges, and it's natural to feel stress over this. There are several things you can do to both relieve stress and combat its effects. Here are some suggestions in dealing with stress at a new job or in any other situation that requires change and adjustment:

Find Support: If you can, find support from people in your life. Talking about what's stressing you should help a lot.

Quick Stress Relievers: There are many ways to calm down quickly when you suddenly get blindsided by stress and feel overwhelmed. The following are a few quick and easy ways to regain your calm so you can deal with whatever situations are at hand:

Take a Walk: Exercise can be a great stress reliever in itself, as it helps you blow off steam and releases endorphins. Taking a walk when stressed provides the bonus of getting you out of the stressful situation and providing some perspective so you can return in a new frame of mind.

Take a Breath: If you're not in a position to leave, you can feel better right away by breathing deeply in a measured way for a few minutes--sit or stand in a relaxed position; slowly inhale through your nose, counting to five in your head; let the air out from your mouth, counting to eight in your head as it leaves your lungs; repeat several times.

Take a Mental Break: If you can steal away a few minutes of peace and envision, with great detail relating to all of the senses, a relaxing scene—visualization is a wonderful way to restore peace of mind.

Re rame Your Situation: Sometimes we intensify our experience of stressful situations by the way we look at them. If you can look at your situation differently, you may be able to put it into a different perspective--one that causes you less stress! Being “Type A”, Negative Self Talk, Poor Conflict Resolution Skills, Pessimism, Taking On Too Much are some of the most common ways that people create mental and emotional stress in their own lives. Carefully think about whether any of these self sabotage techniques apply to you, so you can make simple changes to reduce significant mental and emotional stress from your life.

Once you've been able to calm down, you should be in a better position to address whatever stressful situations you're experiencing. It's also a good idea to adopt a few regular stress relievers and healthy lifestyle habits so that you can reduce your overall stress level, experience less stress and are less bothered by the stressful situations you do encounter.

Have a Regular Stress Relief Hobby: Try to maintain some time in your life to do some stress-relieving in your life, so that you feel less stress overall--exercise, a hobby, or another regular practice that you enjoy.

Take Care of Yourself: If you're able to eat right, get enough sleep, and take vitamins, you'll be less worn down physically so you'll be less reactive to stress, and you'll be in better overall health.

People have deep attachments to their work groups, organizational structures, personal responsibilities, and ways of accomplishing work. When any of these are disturbed, a transition period occurs. During this transition, people can expect to experience a period of letting go of the old ways as they begin moving toward and integrating the new.

Source: About.com

Motivation: The Gurus Speak!

2007-11-20T11:36:00.000-08:00

I’ve been talking about motivation lately, with some really positive results in my own life and hopefully elsewhere too. To round out the discussion, I thought I’d add some “quick hits” — short suggestions about motivation lifted from the conversations I’ve had with various motivation gurus, including Jeff Keller, Omar Periu, and Tony Robbins:

Always act with a purpose — your purpose.

Take responsibility for your own results.

Stretch yourself past your limits on a daily basis.

Don’t wait for perfection, just do it now!

Be careful of what you eat; it takes energy to succeed.

Hang around people who are as motivated as yourself.

Don’t live a life of quiet desperation. Take action! Now!

When you learn from failure, it’s not really failure.

Don’t get complacent because you’re successful today.

Always say “I must” rather than “I’ll try” when seeing goals.

Don’t avoid a decision; that’s always a decision to fail.

Keep quiet if you can’t say something positive.

Respond to “How are you?” with “Terrific!” not “Hangin’ in there.”

Don’t spout negative talk; it programs you for negative results.

Stop complaining about that over which you have no control.

Stop griping about your personal problems and illnesses.

Expunge negative, de-motivating words in your speech.

Focus on purpose and goals, not obstacles and problems.

Start each day with at least 15 minutes of positive input.

Reduce your exposure to depressing news media.

By Geoffrey James
BNET November 20th, 2007 @ 5:30 am

Recruiting Tidbits from Recruiting Veterans

2007-11-10T19:33:00.000-08:00

Great recruiters have proven techniques and processes they consistently use because they work. These include where they source, how they begin every conversation, how they listen, gather information, close, etc. If you have special ways of taking candidates and clients through the recruiting process and they work, congratulations — use them. But it does help sometimes to compare notes, and maybe even more so in today's changing market and economic climate.

Read on, it might be interesting. Remember, I'm not telling you how to recruit — just sharing a few ideas that work.

It's in the Numbers
And whether you're an internal, external, or contract recruiter, knowing the activity metrics it takes to be successful and measuring daily is very important.

Number of daily candidate sourcing calls

Call results

Number of position interviews

Daily interview feedback by position

Number of client interface meetings, by phone or in person

Number of new requisitions to be filled

Time to fill

Daily measurement of quality performance metrics leads to knowledge and success. Whether recruiting for a company or agency, understanding your activity will help you understand your business in sophisticated and strategic ways. Agree on activity to be measured and then put a process in place to understand daily performance. It works.

I Need Your Help
If you have not asked a source, prospect, candidate or client for help recently, get back to it. If you're stuck, or you're not working at the pace you're accustomed to, try asking for help. A door to an incredible and successful adventure may be opened.

It's All About Relationships
Great relationships can be built inside companies or out. It depends on you and your desire to do it. Think about your market, your internal hiring customers. Do they like your results? Do they like you? Have you gone out of your way to help them recently? Don't forget--get results, but be a friend.

What About You?
There are more than just these few recruiting tidbits that ensure one's success. When you ask the best how they characterize their success, common themes emerge:

Passion

Confidence

Listening skills

Hands-on Recruiting

Recruiting technology skills

Business knowledge

All of these are important. I believe we all agree that if you measure your activity, ask questions, show no fear, and work to build relationships, you will create a foundation of recruitment success. It's important we understand, remember, and practice these recruitment skills, especially as we take the convergence of recruitment process and technology to the next level.

Thanks for selected excerpts from Some Recruiting Tidbits from Recruiting Veterans by Hank Stringer

Make Your Company a Talent Factory

2007-11-03T12:41:00.000-07:00

Key ideas from the Harvard Business Review article by Douglas A. Ready, Jay A. Conger

An astonishing number of companies are struggling to fill key positions. This talent shortage is putting an enormous strain on their potential to expand into new markets. One real estate development firm recently had to pass on a 500 million major reconstruction job after realizing it hadn't groomed anyone capable of leading the project.

Talent shortages have two causes: Companies' talent development strategies are out of sync with their strategic goals. And senior executives lack a deep-seated commitment to talent management.

To create a free-flowing pipeline of current and future leaders, Ready and Conger recommend marrying "functionality" (rigorous talent processes that support your company's strategic objectives) with "vitality" (a passion for talent cultivation among executives). At Procter & Gamble, for example, the CEO and senior team personally teach all the leadership development courses for the company's top 300 executives.

The Idea in Practice

Building Functionality
Ready and Conger recommend these processes to help you put the right people with the right skills in the right place at the right time:

Help people understand your strategic objectives. For example, financial services giant HSBC holds conferences to educate employees about the firm's strategy for increasing cross-unit collaboration and to highlight collaborative initiatives. At one conference, some general managers explained how they transferred a client from the commercial banking unit to the private banking unit. Previously, the first unit to "own" that client wouldn't have shared him with other units, because the original unit wanted to still be associated with that client's revenues. After each conference, participants are asked to commit to doing one or two things differently to strengthen the firm's collaborative capabilities.

Groom people for complex, challenging jobs. Consumer products company P&G's growth strategy hinges on winning in emerging markets. To help high-potential employees advance, the company moves them through a portfolio of senior-level jobs categorized according to strategic challenges, size of the business, and complexity of the market. First-time general managers might initially take a relatively small country-manager position and then be placed in charge of larger countries and, later, of regions.

Fostering Vitality

To foster vitality:
Build commitment to talent development. P&G hires 90% of its entry-level managers straight from universities and grows their careers over time. It also sponsors a college intern program that offers participants chances to assume real responsibility by working on important projects. The company takes on former interns as full-time employees at a percentage well above that of most competitors, modeling commitment to talent development.

Encourage engagement. HSBC requires each unit to have a talent implementation strategy. These plans explicitly link a unit's growth objectives to its people development activities. The corporate head of talent works closely with each unit to develop its proposed strategy and presents the aggregated plans to the group head office, highlighting any talent gaps that could threaten the firm's growth objectives. This process keeps talent management high on the agendas of line and corporate leaders, and prevents them from getting distracted by seemingly more pressing problems.

Ensure accountability. Hold all managers and executives accountable for doing their part to make talent processes work. P&G's CEO A.G. Lafley claims ownership of career planning for all the general managers, vice presidents, and talent pools involved in the company's top 16 markets, customers, and brands.

Copyright 2007 Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.

Negotiating a Better Package When You Start Work

2007-10-20T17:40:00.000-07:00

© A & C Black Publishers Ltd 2006

GETTING STARTED

When you start a new job, you have a unique opportunity to position yourself as a valuable asset in the organization and to set your level of compensation accordingly. To achieve this you need to establish an appropriate asking price. On one hand, you don’t want to oversell yourself and price yourself out of the market. On the other, you need to avoid selling yourself short, for it is likely that your compensation upon hiring won’t change significantly for a while, unless you are quite assertive and work your way upward with early promotions.

There are no hard and fast rules about how or when to conduct your negotiation. Every situation is different and each employer has a different set of thresholds. Understanding the context in which your negotiation is going to take place and being sensitive to the culture of the organization is therefore essential.

Having said that, there are some practical steps you can take to position yourself sensibly.

FAQS

I am in the process of applying for a new job. How should I prepare for the negotiation on the package?
You need to do your homework before entering the negotiation so you’re supported by accurate, current information. This means familiarizing yourself with the company itself, as well as the range of salary and benefit options that are being offered. You may be able to tinker with the combination of benefits, if not the salary itself. Don’t assume you’ll be offered more than your former salary, especially if you’re competing with someone who is equally qualified but willing to work for less. If the salary offered is less than you had hoped for, you can discuss the benefits package and request an early salary review.

I feel extremely uncomfortable talking about how much I’m worth. What can I do to make this easier?
Many people dislike the negotiation phase of finding a new job. Here are some simple steps to make this easier.
~Try and avoid discussing your package until you have been offered the position.
~Prepare in advance to advocate in a convincing way for the package you want; it’s important that you believe you are worth the price you’re asking and can demonstrate your assertions with facts.
~When you start negotiating, make sure you have in mind the minimum salary you are prepared to accept. (Don’t reveal this figure, though!)
~Try and elicit the salary information first. If you are offered a range, go high or even slightly above the top end. If you’re offered a specific figure, assume it falls in mid-range and try to push it up.
~If you are asked to name a figure, don’t lie, but offer a range within which you would be prepared to negotiate.
~If your negotiation is successful, ask for the agreed terms and conditions to be confirmed in writing—before you resign from your current position.

I’m applying for a job that is a dream come true, and I don’t want to put off my prospective employer by asking for too much. How can I safely position my worth?
You can put off a prospective employer by pitching too high or too low, so it’s important to get your level right. Study the want ads to get a feel for the market rate, and draw information from your professional network. Some listings on the Web will help you, too; some of these are indicated below.

MAKING IT HAPPEN

Position Yourself
In applying for a job, you’re effectively a salesperson promoting a product, and it’s up to you to demonstrate that the product is valuable, high-quality, and superior to anything a competitor can offer. Potential employers, or buyers, are looking for the best value for their money, so will be driving the deal in the opposite direction. If you’ve positioned yourself well, they won’t want to risk losing you, however, and might well be prepared to settle at the top of the market rather than the bottom.

Leave the Salary Discussions As Late As Possible
It is preferable to leave salary discussions until you are offered the job, but this is not always possible. Many recruiters ask for salary expectations and details of current salary early in the process. Some even screen people out on this basis. If this is the case, you may need to spend some time researching the question of salary at the application stage or before the first interview. Think carefully about your aspirations and be absolutely sure of the career step you envision for yourself, the experience you would like to gain, and the context in which you would like to work.

If you are forced to answer a question about your salary expectations at the beginning of your interaction, have a figure in mind at the higher end of the scale. You can always supplement this with a request for a particular package of benefits.

Consult the Right Sources
In deciding on an appropriate salary level here are a number of pointers that can help you settle on a figure.
~ Look at the range of packages offered for similar positions in ads.
~ Ask for advice from people in your professional and personal network.
~ Ask your mentor, if you have one, to advise you—or use his or her own network to access the information.
~ Professional and executive "headhunter" companies will have ideas and figures for you.
~ Go to some of the Web-based salary information services.

Consider the Package, Not Just the Salary
Some employers have fixed-scale salaries, in which case there is little room for negotiation. You may find, however, that the total package of pay and benefits raises the value of the salary to an acceptable level. For instance, you may be offered excellent medical coverage, an unusually good pension plan, a company car, and significant bonus potential. You may be able to negotiate a cash equivalent in place of a benefit, particularly in a smaller organization that has some flexibility. When bonuses are mentioned ask how the bonus is paid so you’re absolutely clear on the terms and conditions attached to it. Some companies spread the payments over several years as an incentive to stay with the business. Get the details of the way the company delivers on promised benefits, and decide on balance whether the package is attractive or not.

It is worth remembering that all benefits are subject to federal and, in some cases, state income tax, even a company car. See what the company may be able to offer as a way to reduce your exposure to taxation. For example, a company that has a "fleet" of cars may be able to offer you a car without it being considered a taxable benefit. Likewise, through careful planning, you can reduce your taxable income through bigger tax deferred contributions to your individual retirement plan (IRP) or through a "deferred compensation" plan. Doing so, however, means learning to live with less cash now in exchange for more being put into savings, where tax is deferred until you withdraw the money, presumably when you are in a much lower tax bracket.

Explore the Boundaries
Job ads commonly list salary ranges to give applicants an idea of the boundaries of the negotiation. You can be sure, however, that the negotiation will start at base level. If you find that the company isn’t responding to your sales pitch, consider negotiating an early pay review instead: for instance, if you meet or exceed certain performance, sales, or other criteria during your first six months of employment, you’ll get a specified raise. Make sure that the criteria are clearly established and are included in your contract of employment.

Some employers state that the salary is negotiable. The onus is then on you to move in with an offer. Again, try and defer discussion until the end of the recruitment process, and be sure that you’re up to date on the going rate for equivalent jobs in your industry.

Stay Calm
Project a calm and assertive demeanor during pay negotiations; your goal is to be professional and self-confident. You don’t want to appear to be arrogant, overeager, or, conversely, too timid. Giving any such impression can diminish your opportunities.

COMMON MISTAKES

Not Doing Your Research
Just asking for a lot of money will not be enough to convince your prospective employer of your premium value. You will have to supply the company with ample reasons to support your demands. If you don’t have a rational argument, you look ill-prepared and unprofessional. Time spent on research is always well spent. It allows you to argue your case logically and professionally.

Bluffing
Don’t bluff in your negotiation and try to play off fictitious job offers against the real one you’re hoping to get. Employers generally don’t respond to this kind of pressure, and instead of receiving a speedy offer you’re likely to be left with nothing.

Being Too Interested in the Package
Behaving as if you’re more interested in your package than in the job is a mistake. Every employer knows that you want a fair package, but you need to demonstrate that your financial concerns are balanced with a genuine desire for the job.

Top Ten Tips for Job Seekers to Ace Phone Interviews

2007-10-16T16:33:00.000-07:00

Many job seekers have a misconception that phone interviews are easy. There
isn’t the added anxiety of choosing the right shoes or tie, getting stuck in traffic, or
having enough copies of your resume handy. But just because there aren’t these
worries to deal with, phone interviews shouldn’t be taken lightly—they are often
challenging in their own way. In fact, bombing on the phone often means there
will be no chance to stress about pinstripes. Job candidates won’t get to the next
step unless they effectively prepare for and conquer the phone interview.

Because there are more jobs available—and many qualified candidates hoping to
take the spot—HR professionals and hiring managers are still inundated with
resumes. Phone interviews are becoming more and more prevalent because they
give employers the opportunity to screen prospects to see if candidates sound as
good as they look on paper—before committing to a face-to-face meeting.

What can job seekers do to help ensure that they succeed in making a great first
impression over the phone? The following are ten tips to acing your next phone
interview:

1. Be old fashioned and find a land line.
Unless it is absolutely unavoidable, do not conduct phone interviews from a cell
phone. Wireless service is too unreliable and can result in dropped calls, echoing,
interference, and background noise. Regardless of your choice of phone, you
should make sure the interviewer can hear you clearly. You don’t want a good
interview spoiled by a bad connection.
2. Think “free.”
You want to take the call in an area where you can speak freely, away from
distractions. If you call from work, make sure you are able to speak without
restraint. You don’t want to give shortened or code answers because you’re afraid
your boss or coworkers might overhear. If you’re at home, be sure to avoid
disruptions. Turn off the TV, send the kids to the neighbors and deactivate the
call-waiting feature on your phone.
3. Be prepared.
Have your resume and the job description at the ready. It’s easier to recall and
access information when it is in front of you.
4. Do your homework.
Research the company the same as if you were preparing for a face-to-face
interview. Search the web for information about the organization, its founders,
products and services. Read what the industry press is saying. Find out what the
company does, what stage of growth it’s in, and what kind of buzz it’s getting.
5. Stand up and smile!
By standing, you are literally and figuratively “on your feet.” Standing and smiling
mentally prepare you for interview mode. You will speak more clearly and be more
attentive. It puts you in the right frame of mind and increases your energy level.
6. Let the interviewer lead.
While it is important to remain an active participant in the conversation, don’t
dominate the dialogue. The hiring manager most likely has only 20 or 30 minutes
set aside to assess your competencies and compare you to other candidates. Don’t
be passive, but let the interviewer guide you through the process.
7. Ask thoughtful questions.
It makes sense to prepare some targeted questions ahead of time to ask during
the interview. The questions should be about the position, your assignments or
about the company’s culture or structure—information that can’t be found via a
web search.
8. Demonstrate your passion.
How do you feel about your career, your industry or this job? If you love it, let
them know! Convey your energy and enthusiasm. Don’t get stuck in a monotone
diatribe.
9. Don’t bore the gatekeeper.
Most phone interviews are conducted by a member of HR who doesn’t want to hear
the technical intricacies of the software you developed or the minor details of the
M&A you helped push through. The phone interviewer wants to know if you
communicate well and if you’ll fit within the company culture. These initial
interviews provide a chance to let your interpersonal skills—not your technical
skills—shine.
10. Nix the tics.
Speech tics and stallers, such as “um,” “er,” “like” and “ya know” are even more
glaring during phone interviews when there isn’t anything else on which the
interviewer can concentrate. Remind yourself to speak slowly, concisely and
carefully to avoid these conversation faux pas.

During a phone interview, you have a chance to make an impact quickly. People
don’t often realize the power of their voice. But on a phone interview, that is all
the interviewer has to go by. If you are unprepared you won’t get your foot in the
door for that next interview. Following these ten tips will help you ace your next
phone interview and be well on your way to securing your next position.

Compliments of Winter, Wyman

Five Ways to Say "I'm Unprofessional"

2007-10-03T15:57:00.000-07:00

When you're looking for a job or internship, particularly in a tough market like this one, there's nothing worse than leaving a prospective employer with some sort of bad impression. Unfortunately, though, there are many ways you can do just that, often without even knowing it.

In most job-filling situations, the employer has the luxury of choosing from several well-qualified applicants, all of whom could probably do the job. It is then that the little things, like the common but often unrecognized mistakes described here, almost always come into play. Make sure you avoid them, so they don't cost you a shot at the job.

1. Using a Cutesy Email Address for Correspondence

Example: cutiepie@domain.com, or -- far worse -- something like sexkitten@domain.com.

You Might Think: It's a clever, memorable email address everyone will get a kick out of.

The Employer Will Probably Think: I can't believe someone would actually list this email address on her resume, let alone use it to correspond with me. Will she do the same thing on the job if I hire her? Yikes!

2. Putting a Silly Message on Your Answering Machine

Example: A is for academics, B is for beer -- and one of those reasons is why we're not here. So leave a message, OK?

You Might Think: Mine is the funniest answering machine message this side of the Mississippi. My friends will love it.

The Employer Will Probably Think: Good lord, this person probably lives in Animal House. And I just can't risk interviewing, let alone hiring, someone like Bluto or Flounder. Sorry, Charlie. Click.

3. Sending Your Resume and Cover Letter Without Proofreading

You Might Think: Everybody makes mistakes, even employers. So if there's a mistake or two on my resume, no big deal. The employer probably won't even notice, much less care.

The Employer Will Probably Think: Everybody makes mistakes, even employers. But making more than one minor mistake on a resume or in a cover letter is unacceptable, and often, even one is too many. How do I know this person will proofread the letters he writes to shareholders? What if he someday leaves a zero or two off one of our financial statements? I better put this resume aside and look for someone who's more accurate and thorough.

4. Winging Your Interviews Instead of Preparing Thoroughly

You Might Think: I'm good at thinking on my feet, and if I get stuck, I'll just BS my way through, like I've done on many an essay exam. Besides, they can't expect me to know everything about the company.

The Employer Will Probably Think: This person clearly knows nothing about the company, nor has she made any effort to learn more about us and what we do. She must not really care whether or not she gets the job. I want someone who cares. Oh well, maybe the next person will be better.

5. Failing to Send Thank-You Notes After Interviews

You Might Think: A thank-you note? You're kidding, right? Do people even do that sort of thing anymore?

The Employer Will Probably Think: This person has no follow-up skills, not to mention common courtesy. He could have at least dropped me a quick email note, like this other person did. I think I'll invite this candidate for the second round of interviews instead. The other guy must not really want the position.

by Peter Vogt - MonsterTRAK Career Coach

Watch for Interview Warning Signs

2007-09-30T18:52:00.000-07:00

Hindsight may be better than 20/20, but if you pay attention during an interview, you might be able to head off a bad fit.
By LIZ RYAN

I got a call from my friend Candace, and she was in low spirits. She had just returned to Wisconsin after moving to Florida to take a job. She took the job, she hated it, she lasted six months, she quit, and she moved back. "I should have known, " she said. "I should have picked up on the signs during the interview. There are always signs, aren't there?"

"I'm torn, " I told her. "If I tell you 'Yes, there are always signs' then you'll feel bad. If I say 'No, sometimes things just get weird after you're hired,' then you'll think the universe is capricious and you won't feel like you have any better odds of finding the right situation the next time around."

"Forget about my feelings!" she cried. "What do you really think?"

"I think you should tell me what you saw or heard in the interview process that you now feel you should have taken more seriously," I told her. "Then we can talk about what that sign might have meant, and what you could do differently in your upcoming job search."

The Red Flag

"O.K.," said Candace. "Well, there was only one sign, really. I was applying for a marketing communications job. I've always done a lot of writing and editing, and as you know, I have a Master's degree and I consider myself a really good writer. So there was one point in the last interview where my manager indicated that he was very interested in me and he was considering making me an offer. At that point he said: ‘You're an adequate writer, and I could make you better.'"

"GAAACK!" I said."

"That was a big sign I missed, wasn't it?" Candace asked.

"Well, " I told her, "the thing is that hindsight is 20/20. Hindsight is better than 20/20—it's LASIK. Through rear-facing glasses, it seems obvious that your ex-boss had issues."

"Right, well, he turned out to be a total control-freak and a guy who's impossible to please," she said. "That's why I left. Am I a complete idiot for missing that red flag?"

A Sick Ticket

"It's so easy to overlook those bizarre statements in the frenzy of the interview process," I reassured her. "Look, Candace, I've missed every sign in the book. I hired a guy in a human resources role who said in the interview that every 10 minutes, he asks himself: 'Am I having fun in my work?' I should have asked him a few questions about that. You mean literally, every 10 minutes? Who does that? It turned out that the guy was using his company cell phone to call some offshore gambling line every 10 minutes."

O.K., back to your ex-boss. I'm an HR person and not a psychologist, but I'd call this guy a Sick Ticket. What kind of boss tells the person he's about to hire: 'You are adequate, but I could make you better?' That's totally passive-aggressive. It means that he wants to test you before hiring you, to make sure you're O.K. with being insulted. He wouldn't want to hire a person who would say something in his own defense."

So I should have said something," Candace said.

"Hindsight is LASIK," I repeated. "Now listen. Let's say that you or any other candidate had said: 'Excuse me? You think I'm an adequate writer, but you want to hire me? I'm terribly sorry. I want to work for a company that I think is outstanding and that thinks I'm outstanding, too." Then your boss would have known that that person wasn't going to put up with his leadership style, if you want to call it that."

"And when he said he could make me a better writer that a signal that he didn't just want to be my boss, but he saw himself as superior to me, too. I mean, he's not even a writer,” Candace said.

The Little Weird Thing

"Well, it's just such a hostile thing to say," I added. "Certainly if you hire someone right out of school, it's fine to say: 'We hope that I, as your manager, and lots of other people here will give you all sorts of professional training and mentoring.' That's great. But when you say to a seasoned professional, 'You're adequate and I can make you better,' it's like you're telling her that only with your expert guidance can she rise above her current state of mediocrity. That says a lot. The guy wanted someone under him who didn't have a lot of confidence. Too bad he hired you."

"Yeah, too bad for both of us," said Candace. "Well, now I know for next time."

"But next time the little weird thing in the interview, if there is one, will be different," I told her. "You don't have to react to it in the moment, and you don't even have to dope it out by yourself. After every interview, call a friend—me or someone else. Walk through the whole interview. A second pair of ears, a few hours after the fact, will help you figure out what means what and how to process all the information you've taken in. It can be a lot to digest on your own."

Deconstructing the Interview

"Especially when you've already talked yourself into the job," Candace added. "I'm going to have my red-flag radar on full alert on my next job hunt."

"The good news is that you'll never be sucked into that particular vortex again," I said. "Now that you've worked in the snake pit and survived, you have more confidence. You wouldn't sit still for a prospective manager telling you you're adequate, not in this lifetime anyway."

And this is true for all of you out there. Deconstruct the interview with someone, because if you don't see the signs, your friend might.

BusinessWeek Online, September 2007

Empowering Your Employees

2007-09-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

by BNET Editorial

The word “empowerment” has received a lot of bad press in the business world. Too often, it has been used as a gesture to appease discontented employees and as a means of abdicating responsibility on the part of managers: if you can get employees to adopt a sense of ownership and power, your own load is less onerous!

Empowerment, however, is a good thing. Research tells us that individuals experience increased initiative and motivation when they are empowered. This also affects their self-confidence and the level of tenacity they display when faced with setbacks. Empowered people take responsibility for making decisions and following them through to completion; they feel energized and excited by what they do; and are prepared to make a commitment to achieve mutually agreed goals. Genuinely empowered people often find themselves completely involved in their lives and work and have boundless energy for what they do.

Being able to imagine what an empowered organization would feel like and the heights of success it could achieve, may give you some sense of the amount of disempowerment that exists in modern organizational structures.

What You Need to Know
I have tried to empower members of my team, but they still seem to be dependent on being told what to do. How can I get them to re-engage with their work?
It sounds as if they are not motivated to contribute their brain- or brawn-power to your collective efforts. This means that you have to carry the load on your own and probably feel exhausted and somewhat demoralized. Try asking them what motivates and energizes them and see if you can entice them with something that interests and excites them.

I work in a technically specialized area where mistakes are just not an option. I’d like to empower my direct reports, but when I emphasize the limited margin for error that exists, they just seem to give up trying. What can I do?
You may be controlling your direct reports too much. Try giving them the resources they need to do their job and the discretion to use those in the way they feel is appropriate—within critical bounds of course. They may make a few mistakes but if they feel truly empowered, they will take responsibility for dealing with these.

I have managed to empower my team but I feel usurped and out of control. I need to call them back but I don’t know how. What can I do?
You may need to remind them that your role is to set the course and direction in the context of the organizational objectives. Praise them for their initiative; find some concrete examples of where this has made a real difference; encourage them to do more; AND ask that you be kept informed so that you can help to guide their activities. State the importance of needing to know what is happening in order to present their achievements to members of the senior executive team.

I’m not sure how to go about empowering my direct reports. What is the best way to start?
Have you ever thought of creating a coaching culture within your team? Effective delegation is a good way to lead up to empowerment. You could try using the GROW model as a framework for your coaching conversations: G-Goal (What is the SMART goal?) R-Reality (Where are you starting from?) O-Options (What ideas have you got to get you from R to G?) and W-Way (Which option will you select and what is your plan to get you there?)

What to Do

Take Responsibility
In our current business environment, much is unknown, untried, or unexpected. In an ideas-based economy, we no longer experience predictable problems, nor can we anticipate what our competitors will do based on a mutual understanding of the market or a shared technology. Ambiguity presents itself over and over again to employees who are beginning to suspect it is the “norm,” and they probably feel ill-equipped to deal with it. This is why it is so important to allow people to take responsibility for managing their way through uncertainty. By using their ingenuity, curiosity, and spontaneity, employees can meet the business challenges head-on, instead of waiting to be told what to do, how to do it, and when to do it.

Although threatening to some managers (because the gateway for good ideas is no longer governed by them) it is important to make use of every vestige of enterprise that exists in the business. To do this, managers must move from being a governor to being a channel; promoting the flow of energy and power so that people can add value and the business can benefit.

Empower People

~Create the vision. If you want to empower people, you need to harness their enthusiasm and their creativity. This means painting a meaningful picture for them of what the future could look like and how they could contribute to it. Even if it seems beyond credibility or beyond reach, try to create a sense of “we’re in this together” and invite people to add their efforts to the collective goal. If they accept your invitation, you can strengthen their commitment by allowing them to use their discretion and talent in the way that they feel is most fitting.
~Motivate. You will need to understand the values, goals, and motivations of the people who are critical to your success. By understanding their passions and motivations, you can align their energy with what you feel needs to be done in the business. If you do not know what these are, ask them to share their aspirations in the context of the business and what and how they wish to contribute in order to achieve this personal vision.
~Root out the blockages. Organizations, unwittingly, often ask for one set of behaviors while systematically encouraging another. For instance, if an organization wants to achieve its goals through team work, it is no good putting in an incentive scheme that rewards individual achievement. If an organization wants to be known for its responsiveness to customers, it is no good creating rules that prevent members of the customer service team from using their initiative. Have a look at the processes that exist in your business and see if there are any contradictory messages that are being sent out through the existing systems and processes.
~Ensure the resources are in place. If you are going to empower people, you need to make sure they are properly resourced and supported. Ask yourself what resources are needed in terms of information, knowledge and skills. You may think that members of your team or organization have sufficient internal capability to make the transition to empowerment, but perhaps they could do with some concrete encouragement to release this.
~Provide encouragement and support. Think about how you can support empowered behavior. Try to identify the existing channels of communication that allow the necessary information to be shared. Are these channels clear and free flowing or are they blocked by organizational politics or etiquette? You may need to be proactive in asking your team what provisions they would like you to make to ensure the change to empowered behavior is possible. You may also need to act as a sounding board so that concerns, frustrations, and disappointments can be fielded positively rather than leak into the social culture of the organization as negative stories.
~Eliminate fear. Most people find behavioral change threatening. They are being asked to do something that they have never done before and they are likely to feel exposed and vulnerable. They may be asking themselves what will happen if they “get it wrong.” When things fail to go according to plan, you will need to manage your response consciously. It is important not to deny the existence of problems, but do debrief them appropriately and create a sense of positive learning rather than of criticism.
~Monitor and celebrate success. When things go well and you see good examples of empowered behavior, make sure it is rewarded and celebrated. This sends a message of seriousness and encourages more of the same. Try circulating some successful stories so that they join the ongoing legend of the business. Theater and drama, effectively done, can emphasize a point well, so there is room for some imaginative celebrations and rewards.

Think about the Bigger Picture
Empowering people does not necessarily stop at the office door. Some companies empower their customers. Think of the “self-service” revolution, the helplines, and the choices that can be made on the Internet. Think of the products that have brought about the mobile technology revolution and have enabled less naturally resourced or privileged countries to compete in the world economy. Of course, some people think it has gone a step too far and that organizations are abdicating their responsibilities to customers, but if you identify with those on your market interface, you will soon root out the contradictions in your interactions.

What to Avoid

You Fear You Will Lose Control
Some managers fear losing control by empowering their teams and, therefore, keep them on a tight leash with very little discretion to make decisions when they meet new challenges. If this describes you, be careful that you are not creating a “job’s worth” environment in which team members rescind responsibility and say “It’s more than my job’s worth to use my initiative and break the rules.” Meet with your team to see if you can root out these susceptibilities by asking them to share the challenges they have encountered and the way they would have preferred to have dealt with them.

You Do Not Know When to Let Go
Knowing when to get involved and when to let go is a difficult call. Sometimes it is necessary to let people learn from their mistakes, even if you think you could have prevented them from happening. Perhaps you could intervene only in “business-critical” situations and be there to debrief and distill the learning when the time comes. Hersey and Blanchard’s situational leadership model may help you to determine what level of support and direction is needed at any time.

You Fail to Understand the Nature of Empowerment
Mistaking “empowerment” as a goal for the business or as a tool to manage behaviors is not helpful. The business goal remains the same. The tools and techniques required to reach it probably remain largely the same. “Empowerment” is a management philosophy that must imbue the organizational culture if it is to be successful. Make sure it is present from the employment contracts to the level of autonomy you give to each individual.

You See Empowerment As a Substitute for Engagement
Seeing empowerment as “an easy way out” is not what it is about. Empowerment still requires interest and involvement. Although empowerment gives people a sense of ownership and autonomy, it is not a substitute for engagement from the managerial level; rather it acts as a conduit for purposeful and fruitful conversations and actions.

Five Rules for Great Referrals

2007-09-10T10:13:00.000-07:00

Here are five rules for getting referrals that generate sales:

Rule #1: Earn trust first. Before asking for a referral, you must establish in the referrer’s mind, that you can be fully trusted. To earn that trust you should ideally have all three of the following attributes (although even one is sometimes enough):

~ Prior success with a customer. If you’ve already delivered successfully for the potential referrer (or somebody whom the referrer knows well), you’ve earned the right to ask for a referral.

~ Superlative sales skills and industry knowledge. If it’s obvious that a company would normal pay to have you as a consultant, the potential referrer will be more willing to refer.

~ Being referred by somebody else. The fact that a previous referrer has already “endorsed” you creates “social proof” that you can be trusted. Referrals have a snowball effect and thus get easier over time.

Rule #2: Ask when it’s natural to ask. When you’re asking for a referral, you’re performing a “social” function rather than a purely business one. Because you’re leveraging a social connection, you need to ask in the context of the inevitable social behavior that’s part of every sales call. The time to ask is when the “feeling” of the business meeting has the flavor of a meeting between friends (or potential friends) rather than a formal interaction between the sales rep and a customer. Needless to say, you’re not likely to get a referral if you ask during a “you have ten minutes why are you here?” type of meeting. But if you’re “clicking” with the potential referrer, you should be able to sense the right time to ask.

Rule #3: Be specific about what you want. Rather than asking the potential referrer to do your marketing, briefly define the type of person, and company, that’s most likely to need what you have to offer. If your most likely prospects are people with the same job title, and the same industry as the potential referrer, this is easy. But if the referrer is an atypical customer (or somebody who’s not a customer), you’ll need to explain what you’re looking for.

Step #4: Ask for an action, not a contact. A referral is only useful for developing new business when the referrer takes some action to bring you together with a prospect. Rather than asking for a contact name, ask the referrer to call or e-mail the prospect, and then get back to you to confirm that the action has been taken. Hint: without this confirmation, you won’t know whether the referral has actually taken place, or whether it will be useful if it has.

Step #5: Follow up three times. First, contact the potential referrer within one day of your request and express gratitude for the referral. This is not only polite, but gracefully reminds the potential referrer of the commitment. Second, after you have contacted the prospect, send a thank-you e-mail to the referrer and give a brief status report. (E.g. “You were right; Fred is a smart guy.”) Third, if the referral generates a sale, send another thank-you.

Note that the rules don’t assume that referrals only come from existing customers. While existing customers do make for good referrals, they’re not the only source, and sometimes not even the best source.

By Geoffrey James

How to Fire the Employee Who's Holding You Back

2007-09-06T15:19:00.000-07:00

Compliments of Jennifer Alsever

Donald Trump makes it look easy, but the words "you're fired" are always difficult to say. Letting an employee go is painful, and for many managers the process is fraught with sleepless nights and stomach-churning anxiety. But hanging onto the wrong people can ultimately make matters worse for you, your other employees, and your business. Here's how to break the news firmly but gently, so you can put the rest of your team back on track.

Treat Dismissal As an Option of Last Resort
Goal: Make sure the employee has been given ample opportunities to succeed.
Before you lower the axe, ask yourself whether you should really let this person go and whether you've given them sufficient opportunity to redeem themselves. Will more training or guidance help? Is the problem the worker, or the work environment? Along the way, communicate expectations clearly—in person and in writing—and provide sufficient feedback so the worker knows where he stands. Planning and documentation is key to letting someone go gracefully, and it's also the best way to avoid expensive litigation. It's tough to objectively document a worker's surly attitude, but you can address the issue in periodic employee review sessions. Keep copies of those reviews and document performance regularly, indicating how the worker was informed of your expectations, how he fell short, and whether or not he knew that continued failure would result in termination. Performance reviews are important, but no set number is needed. Just be sure to treat every worker equally and even-handedly: Don't scold the underperformer for lateness if you let another worker get away with the same transgression.

Danger! Danger! Danger!
Flattery Will Get You Nowhere.
"A lot of employers fall into the trap of trying to flatter workers [in reviews] with the hopes that problems will go away," says Lew Clark Jr., an attorney at Squire Sanders & Dempsey in Columbus, Ohio. "Workers think the boss is happy, and when they're fired that can create legal problems because they feel that the firing was discriminatory or unlawful." For more detail about the legal issues surrounding employee termination, see "Firing and the Law."

Endure Pain Now to Enjoy Benefits Later
Goal: Get over your guilt. Accept that you're doing the right thing and start preparing for the change.
Once you're sure an employee isn't working out, act on that conclusion. "The longer it takes to fire someone, the more you're in danger of losing respect from the rest of the organization," says Monique A. Dearth, a former HR manager at General Electric who's now president of Incite Strategies, a consulting firm in Atlanta, Georgia. "Firing someone is never something we want to do, but it's inevitable, and if you're a leader it's something you're going to have to get used to."

Nobody likes conflict, but while you dither, your company may lose customers, money, or productivity. Tolerating sub-par performance can also impact the morale of other employees. "Managing an underperformer drains resources," says HR consultant Donna Flagg, who spent 15 years as a human resources professional for Chanel, Barneys New York, Donna Karan, and Goldman Sachs. "Other employees will want to leave if they feel they're not being recognized while someone else is doing less and getting a break." It's better to spend your time filling an open position, she adds, than managing someone who shouldn't be in the job.

Don't forget continuity planning, and anticipate what you'll need to do to replace the employee or handle her work flow once she's gone. Will you need approval from anyone above you before firing the worker? Before asking other employees to fill in? Is there anyone you'll want to promote into the vacated position?

Hot Tip
Put the Ball in Their Court.
In many cases, when the skills, work ethic, or personality of a worker don't mesh with the rest of an organization, you may actually be doing them a favor by letting them go. In fact, they may know this as well. So before you fire someone, consider asking if they're really happy in their job, rating it on a scale of 1 to 10. Sometimes, employees will realize on their own that it's in their best interest to move on.

Set a Time, Date, and Place
Goal: Map out a strategy to make the event as painless as possible.
There's never a good time to tell people they're fired. But if you wait until 4 p.m. on Friday, the terminated employee might question why he wasted his whole week. "Monday gives them an opportunity to regroup and start networking," says Pamela Holland, COO of Brody Professional Development. Likewise, it's best to get it over early in the day, so you won't be distracted by the looming conversation. Cutting ties during lunch hour can be a good idea, because the office will be relatively empty and a fired worker can clean out his desk in private. Plan out the details carefully, considering whether company policy requires that the worker be escorted out of the office and whether he has access to critical company systems. (If so, you may want to back up files before you have the conversation.) Arrange to have the employee's final paycheck ready on the day of your termination meeting.

Give some thought to where you will hold the meeting. Don't go out to lunch or pull a worker into your office, because it can be difficult to end the conversation. Instead, pick a neutral place, such as a conference room, where you can easily walk out when you're done. Afterwards, bring in a human resources representative to handle the final details: collecting keycards, laptops, filling out paperwork, and answering questions about health insurance and accrued vacation. "They can complain if they want, but they'll be sitting there with someone who can't do anything about it," says James Wright, who handled numerous layoffs at tech firms during the dot-com bust.

Danger! Danger! Danger!
National "Daddy Got Canned" Day.
In addition to consulting your own calendar, check to see whether the planned termination will fall on a day that may have significance for others. One company didn't think through its firing plan and let a systems engineering manager go on Take Our Daughters to Work Day. Security escorted both the man and his 8-year-old daughter out the door.

Keep It Quick and Clear
Goal: Be direct and don't let ambiguity creep into the conversation.
Though you'll spend a lot of time planning and preparing, firing someone typically only takes a few minutes. Be clear and—harsh though it sounds—use the words "terminate," "let you go," or "fire."

"When people hear bad news, they go into selective listening mode," says Bob Kustka, who handled terminations at Gillette for 25 years. Kustka recalls one manager who told a worker he needed to "move him out," intending to terminate him. The worker walked away thinking he was being transferred to a different job.

You can show sympathy by starting out with "this isn't going to be easy to hear," but keep it simple and stick to the facts. Ideally you will have already had several conversations about the worker's performance, so the news shouldn't come as a surprise. Be clear—"You're being fired because you stole," or "You're being fired because you're not hitting your sales numbers"—but avoid a laundry list of the worker's personal faults. If necessary, write a script and have a checklist of items you need to cover. For example, be sure to tell them when their departure is effective.

The way you deliver the news can determine how the person reacts—and whether they'll pursue legal action. "When they feel disrespected, employees will believe the law has been violated," says Clark, the lawyer. "How the decision is communicated—doing it respectfully and preserving the employee's dignity—can make a difference." If the worker becomes angry or hostile, end the conversation and insist she promptly leave the premises. Avoid an argument by simply stating "I will not argue with you."

Close the conversation by giving the worker credit for the effort she's put forward. Tell her you're sorry this has happened, but that it's what you must do. Depending on the situation, you may also want to show support by offering to be a reference. Stand up, wish the person well, and shake hands. Then introduce the representative from the human resources department and leave the room.

What Not to Do
Common Mistakes When Firing.
Don't talk about yourself: If you say, "I know how you feel," or "I don't want to do this," you seem more worried about yourself than about them. Do not offer advice.

Don't sugarcoat: Don't offer false praise and tell them all the reasons why you think they're great. It clouds the issue and can be confusing. Pick one genuinely positive thing to say about the person, but do not go overboard.

Don't defend yourself: Even if you're told you're a lousy manager, resist the temptation to tell your side of the story. Stay calm and redirect the conversation back to the worker and your decision.

Let the Rest of Your Team Know
Goal: Lay the groundwork for a smooth transition among the workers who remain.
Tell other workers about the termination right away. Flagg says, "Any window [of time] is dangerous. Someone will hear that it happened, and the news will run like wildfire." Just as in your conversation with the fired employee, don't get into big discussions with fellow workers. Instead, explain that "John left the company on Monday" or "John no longer works here," recognizing his contribution to the company but avoiding details of why he was fired.

If you have a team, bring them together that week to talk about their concerns, discuss how to handle the departed employee's workflow, and map out your plan to fill the vacancy. If the firing was an isolated incident, you may want to assure workers that their jobs are not in danger. But if employee performance varies considerably, save your comments for private conversations tailored to each person.

Nitty Gritty
The Kindest Cut.
One way to bring compassion to the firing process is to let the person determine some aspect of how they will leave. Some managers offer the fired worker the opportunity to resign. This is usually done with high-level executives, but it may also apply in cases where there's a friendly relationship between the employee and employer.

In other situations, smaller gestures are appropriate. You might give the employee a choice about who will walk him out of the building: you or the HR rep. He should also be able to choose whether he wants to gather his personal belongings now or after hours, and whether he's ready to have the benefits conversation or wants to postpone it to another time, when he's feeling less rattled

A Most Heartfelt Thank-you

2007-09-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

After the trials and satisfactions of founding a new business…after the initial weeks of startup operations, I am still taken aback, in high spirits, and honored at being awarded with such high trust to place our first candidates in new jobs with a world-class company — for doing nothing more than what I am passionate about.

I've said it before; I'll say it again: I love bringing together job seekers and employers. We believe that it is people who drive business success, and it is our job to bring people together. Where else, but in the Staffing Industry, can you represent, serve and inspire talented individuals in connection with business performance as well as career progression and be showered with praise for doing something you have so much fun doing?

Many, many thanks to…

~ Adecco. the world leader in workforce solutions www.adeccousa.com.
~ Joyce Russell, President and Chief Operating Officer of Adecco USA who gave Direct Search Alliance its entrée to becoming the leader in talent acquisition for the Staffing Industry.
~ Kristy Willis, Senior Vice President, Southwest Division Adecco USA for choosing to be our first customer.
~ Peggy Hardebeck, Vice President of Operations, Southwest Division Adecco USA for her in-depth interviews and professional consideration our initial candidates.
~ MaryLou Hager, Regional Operations Manager, East Central Texas Adecco USA for making the front-line decisions to hire our initial candidates.
~ Lynda Comer, Branch Manager, Houston TX Adecco USA whose peer review allowed us to get to the next steps in the hiring process.
~ Rana Meyers, Southwest Division Administrator Adecco USA for trafficking the process end-to-end
~ Doug Arms, Chief Talent Officer Ajilon Finance, Office, Legal & Financial Solutions / Sr. Vice President - Talent Management Adecco USA for his leadership and support in our service to the Adecco family of companies.
~ Bernadette Kenny, Chief Career Officer Adecco North America for endorsing our service to Adecco.

Thanks and best wishes to…

~ Richard Embrick, our first candidate placed, who starts his career today with Adecco as Branch Manager of the Houston Galleria Staffing office – new to the Staffing Industry, his optimism about his career is inspiring.
~ Randy Burch, our second candidate placed, starting the same day, as the Branch Manager of the Houston Northwest Staffing office – his plan to develop this market for Adecco is exciting.

Thanks and welcome to…

~ Nancy (Huang) Soni, Managing Principal Direct Search Alliance for collaborating with me in this business endeavor – our shared principals, attitudes and beliefs make our company distinctive and our prospects favorable in the years ahead.
~ Kisa Brannen, Research Manager Direct Search Alliance who’s Ivy League background and quick study of the Staffing Industry showed us the way to top talent in the Houston marketplace.

Balancing business travel with your life: 5 tips

2007-08-29T19:03:00.000-07:00

An increasing number people who travel for a living are concluding that their lives are out of balance. More than half of all business travelers say the time they spent with family has been significantly reduced as a result of being on the road, compared with 39% in 2001. And more than one-third said social time spent with friends suffered through the demands of traveling for their company, compared with 28% in 2001.

If you feel you're on the road too much, here are five steps toward positive change.

1. Tap the brakes before you get into an accident. Years of heavy travel will take a toll on most people. If you can think of your career as a car ride, remember to hit the brakes every now and then. That means taking breaks from traveling.

2. Use the tools you have to set a reasonable pace. This is a struggle for any business traveler — even the ones who have achieved a better balance. Microsoft Outlook's Calendar function is a good tool. It allows you to identify the most important appointments and it prompts you when they're due. While that's far more efficient than writing everything down on a memo pad, it is possible to have too much of a good thing where every little "to-do" item starts popping up on your screen, frequently interrupting your concentration. Another option is Franklin Planner for Outlook (www.franklincover/fpo) which lets you further prioritize your appointments. It also integrates nicely with Outlook. A caution: Technology alone won't put your life back into balance. But it can help.

3. Ask yourself: Do I really need to be there in person? A lot of business meetings can be accomplished virtually, with the help of Web conferencing software. The use of "virtual meeting" technologies experienced an uptick after 9/11, as companies cut back on business travel. But even now, as corporate travel heats up again, there are still plenty of smart reasons to pick Web-based meeting applications over an in-person meeting. Not the least of these is the fact that you eliminate the stress of traveling.

4. Remember: Garbage in, ugh, garbage out. When you spend time on the road, you tend to eat food you normally wouldn't (and in quantities you wouldn't) drink things you wouldn't, put off exercising and get insufficient sleep. Whoa. That alone is enough to knock your life out of balance. Try to maintain as many elements of your “regular life” on the road to maintain your health. Pack essentials that support familiar routines and diet.

5. Don't forget your friends, family and loved ones. It's possible to burn the figurative candle at both ends to have a successful business. But, the whole exercise seems rather pointless if you alienate everyone around you in the process. Don't think of your colleagues and relatives as obstacles standing in the way of your success — tethering you to the office when you should be out on the road drumming up business. Think of them instead as your support group. They'll be there when you need them.

Is bringing your career into balance an all-or-nothing proposition? Not necessarily, small steps and best practices repeated over time help you have a life and a career.

By Christopher Elliott

How to Avoid the Counter-Offer Trap

2007-08-17T18:20:00.000-07:00

Counter-offers may be flattering, but what do they truly represent? A sincere renewed commitment to a resigning employee? Not exactly--they are no more than an employer’s attempt to minimize loss. Loss is significant when even the average employee resigns, so it is important that employees see through the manipulation and make an educated decision based on their own interests and professional development.

Labeling a counter-offer as a means of manipulation is arguably a strong accusation, but after years of seeing candidates reject great opportunities, only to succumb to false flattery, no other description seems adequate. The majority of employees are keen to receive the attention of their employer, despite there being times when their work and personal needs have gone unrecognized during their tenure. This makes a counter-offer an even more attractive option as it appears to be the acknowledgment that had previously been so conspicuously absent. The problem, of course, is that it is not the real recognition they seek and is not on a par with accolades and promised that are offered without the pressure of a resignation letter on the table.

Seeking new opportunities should never be used as a means of increasing salary. Despite any apparent improvement in working conditions and salary, the real battle is lost as ultimately, the employer’s hand has been forced and thus loyalties have been compromised. Employees desiring better professional prospects or higher pay should fight on the merits of their contributions to the business without resorting to threats of departure. If this is not possible and career development opportunities are not enough to offset an employee’s wants, needs and career objectives, then they need to work towards finding new employment with a determination not to look back. Making this decision closes the door to counter-offers and ensures that new opportunities are sought for the right reasons and without secondary motivations.

Regardless of their intentions, some find it too difficult, both emotionally and practically, to turn down the rewards a counter-offer may bring. For many this may be increased salary, better benefits, improved working conditions, or even stock holdings in the company. It is only by seeing these perks as a mitigator of loss and not as a recognition of achievement or gesture of understanding that they can be viewed in the correct light.

Expect a counter-offer: any good candidate is sure to attract the attention of their employer and therefore be offered more favorable employment than their current circumstance. By learning to expect this beforehand, surprises can be avoided later and candidates are able to recognize that these benefits would have been offered upfront if the employer truly wanted to recognize their contributions and them as a person.

Why can employers offer so much when faced with a resignation? The main reason is that the cost of hiring a new employee is so prohibitively high. To determine the cost, one needs to add: the loss of opportunity and output of the former employee; those of the staff needed to interview new candidates; and the price of a recruitment agency or advertising platform to solicit new applications. This equation often generates a cost in excess of $20,000, and this is only for lower level positions and under conditions when the position is filled quickly. In situations where the employee is senior or has a large influence on the organization, costs mount quickly with added factors such as the impact on morale, training costs and temporary coverage costs. If you were the manager, a couple of grand pay rise seems cheap – doesn’t it?

With such loaded motivation, employees should never consider a counter-offer as a sign of recognition. They should also consider carefully what life will be like for them in the company after their attempted resignation. Will they still be considered loyal? Will their manager feel forced to make concessions and be bitter as a result? How will this effect career development prospects? Has anything really changed?

Accepting a counter-offer does not only have an effect on professional development opportunities within the company, but may also cause ill feelings on the part of the company originating the offer, as well as with the recruiter. Recruiters lose face when candidates pull out of accepted engagements at the last minute. This can affect an employee’s reputation in the marketplace and future access to new opportunities.

By seeing a counter-offer as a tool of manipulation, employees see through the machinations of an employer that is desperate to keep their costs in line. Praise, development, accommodation, rewards and bonuses are given during an employee’s tenure with an organization and not because of resignation. Employees who interpret a counter-offer as praise are missing important career development opportunities, negatively affecting their future with their present employer and potentially compromising their job opportunities in the future.

To avoid this dilemma, be clear about your reasons for seeking alternative employment in the first place. Expect a counter-offer and be determined to turn it down, regardless of the salary. Be proud of yourself for making employment decisions in a calm and logical manner, looking out for your own personal development opportunities and career growth. No one else will, nor will they start to simply because of your decision to leave.

Advice on Re-recruiting Key Team Members

2007-08-12T13:24:00.000-07:00

Bosses should always assume that their best employees are getting calls and offers from their competitors. Bosses should think of retention as re-recruiting their work force. This means applying the strategies and tools of external recruiting to current employees. It means proactively reaching out to top talent on a regular and ongoing basis. Top talent must continually be challenged to keep them.

The answers to the following questions can often determine whether or not they will stay on their jobs:

1. If you could make any changes about your job, what would they be?
2. What things about your job do you want to stay as they are?
3. If you could go back to any previous position and stay for an extended period of time, which one would it be and why?
4. If you suddenly became financially independent, what would you miss most about your job?
5. In the morning, does your job make you jump out of bed or hit the snooze button?
6. What makes for a great day?
7. What can we do to make your job more satisfying?
8. What can we do to support your career goals?
9. Do you get enough recognition?
10. What can we do to keep you with us?

Although they can be useful at review time, these questions don't have to be asked in a formal session. Bosses are encouraged to schedule time when they can introduce these topics in an informal manner - over a cup of coffee or lunch, for instance. The key to success is promptly addressing issues that could lead to losing a key member of the team, or making sure that the employee has a full understanding of situations that cannot be easily changed. Using this technique can actually enhance communication between managers and their employees.

Source: MRINetwork
Ten Questions the Boss Should Ask Every Employee
Thursday August 9, 9:00 am ET MRINetwork(TM)

Job Hunters Hire Experts to Clean-up Online Image

2007-08-06T13:47:00.000-07:00

Job hunters perfecting their resumes for that dream job are being urged to also polish their online profile -- and clean it up if needs be, with a new breed of companies emerging to help mold Internet images.

Recruitment experts advise job hunters to Google themselves before stepping out into the competitive job market to see if a search pull ups that blog entry written about legalizing marijuana or drunken party photos with friends.

"The internet brings a new dimension to the application process. Sometimes it can work to your advantage, and sometimes to your disadvantage," employment Web site Careerbuilder.com spokeswoman Jennifer Sullivan told Reuters.

Various surveys have shown that employers are using online searches to check out potential candidates -- especially as some of the early Internet surfers become bosses themselves.

A study of 1,150 hiring managers by Careerbuilder.com found 26 percent of managers admitted to using search engines such as Google and 12 percent of managers said they used social networking sites like Facebook.com in their hiring process.

Those numbers may be low, but not the repercussions.

Of the 12 percent who checked social networking sites, 63 percent declined to hire an applicant based on what they found, citing lying about qualifications and criminal behavior as two of the top disqualifiers.

But with hiring managers and job seekers using new and different ways to stay one step ahead of each other, new technology has emerged to help both sides of the game.

For $10 a month, ReputationDefender.com will search your name everywhere -- even "beyond Google" -- including password-protected sites, and give a report of their findings.

For about $30 a month, clients can have them do a clean-up, which involves ensuring all links to, for example, a college kegstand on Facebook.com or a disparaging blog entry from a former partner, will not appear during an online search.

"More than half of my clients use us just to search and don't even ask us to clean anything up," the company's chief executive and founder Michael Fertik, 28, told Reuters.

Fertik, a graduate from Harvard Law School, said it's important for everyone to know how they're perceived online.

"Often pictures that are intrinsically innocuous get taken out of context, and then can become punitive," said Fertik.

PROS AND CONS TO ONLINE PROFILES

While ReputationDefender.com caters to individuals not employers, DefendMyName.com services both camps.

The two-year-old Portland, Maine-based company, a division of QED Media Group LLC, will conduct an online clean-up for any size client, from individuals to large corporations. Some clients are companies seeking positive brand image online.

Using proprietary technology, company founder Rob Russo said DefendMyName creates links to promotional sites and blogs on clients in order to bury negative search engine results.

"Online searching has taken on an essential role in the corporate world when people are scouting new employees. It is becoming an actual part of the hiring process along with a criminal background check," Russo told Reuters.

But it is not always to job seekers disadvantage that potential employers can check them out online.

The Careerbuilder.com study found 64 percent of hiring mangers had their hiring decision confirmed by information found online and 40 percent of managers said their decision was solidified by seeing that a candidate was "well rounded" and showed a wide range of interests."

Beth Murphy, an advertising assistant in New York, whose boss admitted to searching her profile on Facebook.com, said being scoped out online helped her land the job.

"In seeing my Facebook profile, they thought I seemed like a well-rounded person. They saw pictures of me doing service work in Africa immediately followed by pictures of me hanging out at a football tailgate," she told Reuters.

By Stephanie Bagley
Mon Aug 6, 8:33 AM ET

Six Must-Ask Interview Questions

2007-08-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

Interviewing can be a gut-wrenching process. Most books on how to interview list hundreds of questions you need to be ready to answer, but few talk about the questions you need to ask.

Take more control at your next interview by asking some pointed questions of your own. Here are six must-ask questions and why you should know the answers.

1. What happened to the person who previously did this job? (If a new position: How has this job been performed in the past?)

Why You Need to Ask: You need to know any problems or past history associated with this position. For instance, was your predecessor fired, or was he promoted? Is this a temporary position or brand-new? The answer will tell you about management's expectations and how the company is gearing to grow.

2. Why did you choose to work here? What keeps you here?

Why You Need to Ask: Although you may like this company, you're an outsider. You need to find out what an insider has to say about working there. Who better to ask than your interviewer? This also forces the interviewer to step out of their official corporate role and answer personally as an employee and potential coworker.

3. What is the first problem the person you hire must attend to?

Why You Need to Ask: You need to be on the same page as your new manager, as well as be clear on what the initial expectations are and that you can deliver. What you don't want is to allow yourself to be misled about the job’s requirements and end up overwhelmed and over your head after the first week on the job.

4. What can you tell me about the individual to whom I would report?

Why You Need to Ask: It doesn't matter how wonderful the company might be; your time will be spent working for a specific manager. You need to find out who this person is and what kind of manager he is -- earlier rather than later, before personality clashes develop. If you're an independent type used to working through solutions on your own, for instance, you'll chafe when you find you're being supervised by a micromanager.

5. What are the company's five-year sales and profit projections?

Why You Need to Ask: You need to know about the future of the company you plan to spend several years of your life working for. It doesn't have to be this exact question. For example, you might want to ask about the company's future plans for new products and services or any planned market expansion. Of course, you've done your own research, but nothing can beat an insider’s observations and insights. This also shows you've done your homework and are serious about this company.

6. What's our next step?

Why You Need to Ask: This is your closing and the most important question to ask at the end of the interview. You need to know what happens after this point. Many books advise asking for the job now, but most people may feel too intimidated to bluntly do so. And with more candidates already scheduled for interviews, they're not likely to make you an offer yet. You may also need to do some additional research on the company, making it too early to ask for the job.

A good compromise: Take the lead and set a plan for follow-up. You'll also be able to gauge their enthusiasm when they answer. Don't forget to ask for your interviewer’s direct phone number and the best time to call.

What to Remember

As a job seeker, the key to a good interview is to find out as much about your potential employer as possible. Asking these six questions will not only make you appear more committed as a candidate, but will also give you better insight into both the challenges and opportunities that may lie ahead for you.

by Joe Turner
Monster Contributing Writer

For Many Job Hunters, Money Is Not a Priority

2007-07-30T09:16:00.000-07:00

They say money isn't everything, and that's true for many job hunters. While it may seem intuitive that most are concerned with compensation, it isn't always top of the list. Priorities change not only during a job, but also over a career.

When "early career" workers -- those up to age 35 -- and workers in their 40s have acquired skill sets and are deciding where they want to settle for the long run, they often take a look around, says Steve Gravenkemper, a consulting psychologist for workplace consultancy Plante & Moran LLP of Southfield, Mich., and that's the point at which many companies lose people in whom they have invested time and training.

A recent study conducted by consultancy Accenture Ltd. in 21 countries on six continents found challenging and interesting work topped the list of employer characteristics that job candidates sought when considering a new position. Rewards and compensation were a close second, and opportunity for advancement third, followed closely by a company's long-term prospects. But other popular concepts like corporate citizenship and workplace diversity were at the bottom of the list of 15 qualities.

"There are basic needs: compensation, challenge. But once you get employees in the door with these, they'll move on to looking for other things" like working for a responsible company or one that encourages teamwork, says John Campagnino, Accenture's global head of recruiting. "You need to offer recruits a package with as many of these characteristics as possible. Priorities shift over time."

Beyond entry level, the decision becomes complicated by more responsibilities -- not just marriage and children, but also the time workers have invested in honing their skills, where they have chosen to settle, and long-term goals such as retirement benefits.

"There's a paradox," says Plante & Moran's Mr. Gravenkemper. "At midcareer, people may realize how important job security is to them, and yet job security may be an illusion. Workers used to go into a company knowing ... that if they did a good job they would be employed for life. Now that's no guarantee. They want to know 'What's in it for me?' "

He adds, "I was working for one company with a group of high-potential employees...and one employee said, 'I'm so glad to see you -- I never knew I was high-potential before.' It's often the strongest performers who leave because they have the most options."

Maturing needs are why many alumni continue to utilize career services, says Beverly Principal, assistant director for employment services at Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., which offers students career counseling for life.

Ms. Principal says she often sees former students who are trying to make the transition from entry level to the next step, or to start their own business. Five or six years after they start a career, "people may have a family and want completely different things. They need help figuring out the transition."

Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., has two staffers dedicated solely to helping alumni. "When the economy is good we see people looking to make more drastic changes," says Donna Goldfeder, director of career services. "When the economy is tight and things are scary" they will be more cautious about such transitions.

Companies can retain workers they have invested in, she adds. "Supervisors should show their appreciation, give compliments. It's really still about the human touch. Are your workers happy?"

By Teresa Rivas
From The Wall Street Journal Online

The Recruiting Landscape from 60,000 Feet

2007-07-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

Recruiting is critical to business even if not all executives buy into this idea - in reality, it is the future of any business. So, as long as capitalism is around, the future of the recruiting industry is very bright. Add to that the looming talent shortage with baby boomers leaving the workforce and the population aging in general, and the need for recruiters - especially savvy, creative recruiters - is greater than ever and will continue to grow. But are recruiters working harder not smarter? Has internet recruiting become more of a distraction than an enhancement? What recruiters and their employers need to remember is that even though new tools come along there are strategies and skills that will continue to be required for recruiting success. Here is a brief introduction to some of the issues I've seen in today's recruiting landscape.

I've seen many companies today use recruiters in the wrong way and as a result many recruiters don't know their place or their value for companies. Companies should use recruiters as offense, not defense, because hiring the right talent is a competitive advantage regardless of the role they're in - and recruiters should be proactive in finding this competitive advantage rather than reactive in letting resumes come to them. As a founder and manager of multiple companies, the most costly mistakes I've made have all involved hiring the wrong people. At the end of the day, recruiting is all about having the right person in the right position, yet there are so many companies (and recruiters) out there that don't even know where to start and thus end up turning to the nearest job board.

Job Boards certainly have value and a place in the recruiting market, but the best candidates are the superstars who aren't looking for a job or even anticipating a recruiting call. Of course, many in the recruiting space talk about this audience, but I don't believe most recruiters truly grasp how and where to find these perspective employees. More training and focus is needed on how and where to find the right candidate that will deliver a competitive advantage for the company/client. They won't be found hanging out in social networks, and they certainly aren't going to be milling around job boards. They are happily executing; they're performing. Performers don't have time for social networks (although their friends might, so there can be some use for these tools).

Recruiters simply need a way to quickly identify that targeted population of passive candidates by going beyond providing shallow "connections" to provide the context they need to know if this person could be a fit, such as who has relevant experience via past companies and industries. Recruiters need to be able to simply define the ideal persona of a candidate - via education, location, title, industry, credentials, or whatever it may be. And then, using tools like [business search engines] that search the entire business web, find a narrow - but highly targeted - list of people that fit that persona.

Then comes the hard part - what most recruiters are still missing is that they still need to do the legwork. The best way to find great producers is through actual communication - picking up the phone. Where they get the contact from is almost irrelevant as long as this person is performing and looks to be a good fit for the organization. While speaking to someone who is happily producing for another company can be a daunting experience, with practice and tools that provide the recruiter with a great opening for the initial call - all but eliminating the "cold" side of a cold call - they can find quick success.

In the end, recruiters use job boards because finding the right candidate takes a lot more time than finding a bunch of wrong ones.

As the talent shortage becomes a reality, the recruiting industry will continue to need new and better tools but they also need to remember the basic skills and business models that have proven successful time after time.

By Russell Glass
Employment Marketplace
July 2007

Do You Really Have a Recruiting Strategy?

2007-07-16T12:59:00.000-07:00

Most leaders in the Staffing Industry in search of management talent for their organizations:

• Can't even define the term "strategy" as it relates to their needs
• Don't know the available strategies in recruiting
• Don't have a name for their own recruiting strategy
• Don't know the steps involved in preparing a recruiting strategy
• Have never written down their strategy so that others can follow it
• Have never compared their strategy in recruiting to their competitors' recruiting strategies in order to ensure that theirs is superior
• Measure the effectiveness of their recruiting strategy

What Exactly Is a Strategy?
The basic premise of having a clearly defined strategy is that by focusing your efforts and looking at the big picture, recruiting activities will produce results aligned with needs and have a significantly larger economic impact on the business.

Having a clearly defined strategy sets up an architecture to focus your efforts and planning beyond basic tactical recruiting and towards establishing a competitive advantage in recruiting. A strategy focuses the actions of a recruiting professional, or group, telling everyone what to concentrate on and what is unimportant.

From a practical standpoint, being strategic includes these elements:

• Establishing a competitive advantage. The primary goal of a strategy is to drive actions that gain your office a sustainable competitive advantage in your industry. It demands an ongoing competitive analysis of major "talent competitors" and adjusting of strategy to keep competitors from mirroring or gaining an advantage over current recruiting efforts.
• Demonstrating economic impact. Strategic impact is measured in profit, return on investment (ROI), increased revenue, higher market share and increased margins. They rely on extensive information gathering and forecasting of the business environment.
• Continually evolving. Being strategic means continually evolving and reacting to any change in the environment. It requires you be proactive and aggressive. If requires that you seek out problems and opportunities.
• Data driven. Strategic functions rely heavily on the analysis of data and the measurement of outcomes.
• A way of thinking. Being strategic is as much a way of thinking as it is a way of managing.

What Are the Available Recruiting Strategies?
Depending upon your resources, marketplace, lines of business, and company objectives the right recruiting strategy for your organization is unique. In fact, strategies cannot be “generalized” from company to company. Recruiting strategies are complex and individual to the organization. A solid strategy, does, however, contain up to 12 distinct elements. In order to develop a complete recruiting strategy, select one or more items from each of the twelve elements. These elements include:

• The primary goals of recruiting
• The prioritization of jobs
• The performance level to target
• The experience level to target
• The employment status of the candidate to target
• When to search
• Where to search
• Who does the recruiting
• Primary sourcing tools
• What skills to assess
• How to assess skills
• Primary selling points to offer

Comprehensive recruiting strategies cannot be accurately covered in with a single word or even a simple phrase. Before you can put a name on your strategy, you first need to make a variety of decisions within each of the 12 different strategy elements.

The net result is a strategy that might, for example, sound something like this:

An external, hire-to-learn strategy targeting top performers: Our strategy is a skill-building, "hire to learn" strategy focusing on hiring experienced top performers (who are currently employed by competitors) into pre-identified key jobs. Our strategy employs a pre-need, external "within the industry" search that primarily utilizes sourcing and recruiting specialists. A branding strategy and employee referral program are utilized to attract candidates. Candidates are selected primarily through interviews that screen candidates for pre-identified corporate competencies. The primary "candidates selling" approach is a great culture and proven learning and growth opportunities.

With a strategy in hand, you can not only focus your internal resources to the task of attracting top talent, you can bring into line outside resources to your company’s distinctive strategy to ensure consistent messaging in the candidate marketplace regardless of the spokesperson.

Longer Resumes Becoming More Acceptable

2007-07-11T22:16:00.000-07:00

The “keep-your-resume-to-one-page” rule may be on its way out. While 52% of executives who responded to an Accountemps survey said they believe a single page is the ideal length for a staff-level resume, 44% said they prefer two pages. By comparison, a decade ago, just 25% of executives polled cited two pages as an optimal resume length, and 73% preferred a single page.

Although employers may be willing to review longer resumes, job-seekers shouldn’t go overboard. “Employers want to see that applicants can prioritize information and concisely convey the depth of their experience,” says Accountemps chairman Max Messmer.

Issue Date: Staffing Industry Review Magazine
June 2007 Issue, Posted On: 6/1/2007

What Should Good Staffing Management Do?

2007-07-01T22:55:00.000-07:00

1. Provide leadership. Everything starts with strong leadership. People need direction, focus, controls and a fair system of rewards. Although they don't require a charismatic leader, they do need someone they respect, who can follow and lead by example, who is open to input from staff, and who has a strong ethical compass.

2. Make sound decisions. Good managers use both their gut instinct along with an analysis of the facts to make good decisions. The gut is really their analog computer that tells them, based on their experience, if something either makes sense on the face of it or doesn't. When things are not obvious, they have to run the numbers and ask questions to figure things out.

3. Create teamwork. A company should be a team effort and is only as strong as its individual members. If you have a great sales rep who brings in the orders, but your recruiters are not filling them, or vice versa, you can't succeed. Providing team-based incentives leads to the identification of weak links. Get close to your staff socially, but always remember who the boss is, and don't let friendship cloud your judgment.

4. Streamline your company. Don't have more people than you need. Streamlining the organization not only saves money, but also people who are fully utilized are happier campers. And in today's increasingly fast-paced world you can't wait until critical information works its way up the food chain before you know about it and can act upon it. Streamlining maximizes your span of control so that you can get as close to the action as possible, and reduces the likelihood that information will be filtered before reaching you.

5. Be connected. Our rate of change makes it incumbent on you to utilize electronic communications (e-mail, pagers, etc.) to stay connected, as long as you don't become overloaded. Don't operate in a vacuum of your company information alone. Be connected to the world around you and integrate that information with your internal data in order to make sound decisions. Join industry as well as eclectic associations. Be on the Internet and be well read. Seek advice from others including outside experts. One of our clients used his social connections to entertain the movers and shakers in his community for both seeking advice from successful people as well as opening up doors for his staff. Never stop learning, and if you are doing great, don't think that now you have all the answers.

6. Retain control. Always remember that it is your equity that is at stake in your own business and that even if you have a bank loan, it is your house that may be held as collateral. Having a good staff is critical, but it is only the owner who will do anything to ensure the success of the enterprise. So stay in control, have adequate checks on the decisions that affect the financial viability of the company and make sure that you sign off on all key decisions (see Case I, above).

7. Be analytical. Most staffing company owners and managers are not as comfortable with numbers as they are with people. That is understandable given that we are in a people business. But you don't have to be an accountant to understand the meaning of not making a profit or not having sufficient cash flow to cover payroll. You need to be able to understand which numbers are important and how to fix things if they are flashing red. You can always hire people to do the number crunching, as long as the numbers are being crunched competently and are then translated into something that you use to run your business. As noted above, your gut alone is not usually enough.

8. Think "boundaryless." You don't need to be large to extend your staffing business boundaries. This also helps when your margins are thin or your market share is low. A good way to do that is to create value-added services. Some of our clients have done this via training workshops, performance guarantees, employee retention programs, profit improvement programs, alternative billing methods, career counseling, customized reports and proprietary screening methods. They first created, branded and copyrighted the services. They then promoted and bundled the services, which increased their margins as well as their market share. Project solutions offer a similar way to extend traditional boundaries, but this does involve greater risks as you are now responsible for deliverables, not just staff augmentation. The results can be impressive with an increase in profits of up to 60% higher for those who are able to perform in this arena.

9. Communicate well. You need to clearly communicate whatever your concepts are to others, unless you want to do everything yourself. Good communications start with explaining why you are requesting that things be done in a certain way and then what the benefits are to those parties involved. If you come up with a new compensation program for your staff, for example, you will need to explain how that plan (if it is designed well) will make the employee, as well as the company, more money. You should be prepared to provide examples and answer whatever questions arise.

10. Be creative. GE had its 4Es, QMI, six sigma program, its unique grids and charts. Create your own tools and convert them into your own buzz words and mystique to energize your staff and stand out from the competition. Last March we wrote about some of the creative concepts from Blink, The Tipping Point, etc., such as viral marketing, thin slicing problems and connectors. Build on those concepts and be better than your competition by staying one step ahead in the creativity arms race.

Exerpt. Issue Date: SI Review - March 2007, Posted On: 3/9/2007

Networking Works!

2007-06-30T11:11:00.000-07:00

The most common way workers and managers landed their current jobs was through networking, according to a survey by Hudson, part of the Hudson Highland Group Inc. Twenty-eight percent of workers cited networking, while 33% of managers did.

"E-mail and the Internet make replying to an online job posting easier than ever, but in this situation, easy does not necessarily mean effective," said Steve Wolfe, senior VP of Hudson North America. "Consequently, developing and maintaining a strong network of professional as well as personal contacts can mean the difference between landing an interview and getting lost in the crowd."

In addition, 40% of managers said internal promotions were the best way to fill an opening, followed by employee referrals (24%) and personal recommendations (20%), according to the survey.

The survey also found that 41% of workers expect to stay with their current employer for more than six years and 28% plan to switch companies in the short term. And 54% of workers are categorized as active or passive job seekers. The survey questioned 2,024 U.S. workers.

SI Report - March 16, 2007, Posted On: 3/16/2007

Recruiting Gurus' Observations:Recruiting Trends of Tomorrow

2007-06-28T11:02:00.000-07:00

When I am in receipt of what is characterized as "Junk E-mail" that adds to my knowledge or how to go about doing my job more effectively, I recognize its value. Sent Wednesday 6/27/2007 from ZoomInfo, I received a Mail Message that is informational and timely. I could post an editorial of one of my many opinions regarding best practices in the Staffing Industry; however, for today's article, I am pleased to pass on this gem from ZoomInfo:

Start using tomorrow's recruiting techniques today!

What trends determine which recruiters succeed in the current labor market - and which ones fail? Listen to observations from:

Lou Adler of The Adler Group
Jim Durbin of Durbin Media Group
HireVue's Ryan Money
David Manaster of ERE.net
Recruiting Guru Jason Davis
Sean Rehder of Rehder Talent Logistics

If you're looking for ways to make the difference between merely finding candidates and finding the right candidates, this brief online presentation will get your creative juices flowing! Listen to Lou Adler's comments on combining new tools with traditional networking, Ryan Money's insights into sourcing passive candidates, and Jason Davis' thoughts on the new cooperation between competitors.

ZoomInfo caught all these experts on video at ERExpo 2007, and compiled them into an online, on-demand presentation. Watch it now – and get started with the future of recruiting today!

Click here to watch now »

Who is ZoomInfo? ZoomInfo is a search engine that continually scans millions of Web sites, electronic news sources, SEC filings, and other online resources and provides results in concise, easy-to-use summaries. ZoomInfo PowerSearch helps recruiters source passive candidates by providing information on more than 36 million business professionals. ZoomInfo JobCast is a campaign tool that uses proven email best practices to help you efficiently reach these candidates. Try out ZoomInfo on some of your own searches!

Click here for a demo and free trial »

Copyright © 2007 Zoom Information Inc.

The 21st-Century Talent Shortage

2007-06-25T21:49:00.000-07:00

With baby boomers retiring and other companies luring away key talent, is your company ready to fill the talent void, or unprepared to deal with the shortage of talent to manage business operations and growth?

Succession planning is a boardroom topic discussed from time to time; however, almost all companies fail to set-up a program organizationally that can deal with forecasted labor shortages in the not too distant future.

Studies show only about 50 percent of companies has in place a succession plan framework. Those that do, generally have only a process that is aimed at the executive level. Over 90% of companies are insufficiently prepared to ensure critical management and customer-facing positions are filled to levels that safeguard revenue, service and their brand over the next decade.

Secession planning is like changing a tire on a moving car. Human Resource groups are caught up in principally a reactive function that includes a variety of activities – current staffing needs, recruiting and training employees, documenting performance, dealing with performance issues, ensuring company practices conform to various regulations, managing employee benefits and compensation, overseeing employee records and personnel policies. In tandem, front line management is over-involved day-to-day in meeting sales and earnings objectives while ensuring customer service levels and competitive innovation are greater than before. The byproduct of this present-day busyness is no solid strategic plan for long term talent acquisition in what will be the tightest labor market in US history.

How then, do you go about it? A starting point is to better document, analyze and discuss current talent management activities and benchmark this information against an assessment of future needs for talented people. 78 million baby boomers will begin retiring in the next few years, and will continue to do so through 2031 when they reach full eligibility, so any plan should be at least a 10-year plan.

A simple understanding your organization's future talent needs can be made—in raw numbers—by taking into consideration historic turnover statistics, a projection of the number of people currently in the organization likely retiring out, and the amount of new positions created through planned expansion.

Then, organize the performance review process to obtain accurate data regarding existing talent—this process must include measurements of individuals’ performance, as well as indicators of potential and readiness objectively. Using only a few performance indicators based on outcomes to specific performance objectives will make it possible to rank employees and present a clear view of the band of talent in each job family. Where an organization marks the ranking in terms of high, moderate, and under performing employees adds that the count of future talent requirements. Talent assessments need to be methodical, data-driven, consolidated and be graded to be a strategic tool.

The summation of these measures sets the groundwork for a realistic approach to acquiring and developing talent for the future. Bring Human Resources and front line Management together to ask important questions: What needs to be improved? Who are motivated to improve? What knowledge and skills do employees need to succeed in their work? How can what they have learned be applied and retained? Can ongoing performance be measured accurately? If talent cannot be developed internally, how can we acquire the talent from outside the company? How do we go about dealing with these gaps?

Adapting an organization to prosper in a talent war is difficult, and one should not act as though it can be done easily. However, this difficulty and the implications of change for the organization, should be cause for failure to act.

“Great things are accomplished by talented people who believe they will accomplish them.”
–Warren G. Bennis

The Candidate-Centric Business Model Concept

2007-06-24T14:09:00.001-07:00

Changes in economic conditions influence business operating models as we adapt to the drivers of supply and demand. The number of candidates available correlated with the number of open jobs influences, without question, the selling approach for the Staffing Industry. When the job market is depressed, unemployment is high and candidates are plentiful; sales are intensely focused on winning new customers to come across few and far between hiring needs. Conversely, when, jobs are abundant and candidates are scarce, the sales process follows the acquisition of a candidate, and the focus narrows to identifying the hiring manager with an open job that matches the background and experience of the candidate. This is concept is based upon demand forecasting and inventory management—best practices in product-based industries for decades.

The idea that a branch can “be all” to all customers is a myth. You cannot represent every candidate effectively and work every job order successfully. What you can do is develop a core-competency of identified job categories/titles for your branch and build a database of hiring managers who have interest in the job categories that you represent. The ideal core-competency skill sets for your branch should be representative of occupations that are desirable for Temp/Contract and Direct Hire. The reason for that is most candidates are best attracted and come to you for Direct Hire opportunities. Should they be “available” presently, they can be assigned to Temp/Contract engagements until which time a “regular” job is identified. Job categories/titles that fit these criteria are generally aligned with health margins, high pay rates and superior markups. These are the people likely to be sought after by hiring managers and department-level company representatives to fill critical open positions. These may differ market-to-market and should be reflective of your market; including hot industries and jobs as well as job categories with candidate shortages. These are the candidates that you should recruit day-in and day-out instead of wasting precious time trying to fill random job orders that sales efforts are generating.

Candidate-centric selling is simple as doing what you do now and adding one degree of strategy to generate job orders that you can fill with candidates you already have. Most Staffing Industry branches have a selling strategy that is made up of a target list or a zone approach—this remains the platform upon which you build your Candidate-centric business. You enhance this process by adding to your “contact names” associated with the companies that you are pursuing. The key is to add hiring manager, department manager, office manager, executive office contact names that are likely to have a direct need for the job category/title within your established core-competency. At the same time develop a way to track for the company (or hiring-manager level) record, AND the candidate profile the following important values that will superpower your searching and marketing activities: industry, job title, software and any other key need/experience that will match a candidate and a company perfectly. You then can do candidate-based reverse searches to identify companies to which to market them and search your database of available candidates to market specific companies.

You can develop additional sources to market your candidates by reviewing job board postings for core-competency positions—who needs your candidates? You can automate this by acting as a job-seeker (it is free to do so) and set up Saved Searches/Search Agents (employer searches, keyword searches) to automatically notify you of new core-competency positions as they are posted. Additionally review thoroughly the application/profile submitted by your candidates. Their job history, job search activity, and references are abundant with hiring manager names that have, and will again; hire the kind of person sitting across the interview table from you. Save copies of these leads to have ready when you are making sales telephone calls to qualify new leads and market candidates.

You bring these practices together by making candidates marketing calls the center of sales activity. Make it a practice to have a daily meeting to ensure all selling members of the branch are well-versed regarding core-competency candidates available—their background, experience and reason for being in the job market—these are the candidates that are highlighted for marketing efforts. Come together as a team to strategize how to place every qualified candidate with a company and make marketing calls until you do so. In other words, all sales calls are candidate marketing calls. When you make enough of these calls, you will receive job orders…job orders that you can fill with available candidates.