Thursday, January 24th, 2008 at 11:13am by JRed

It’s been awhile since we had to issue a Peak Performance ”Mountain Top Tip,” but something I saw yesterday demanded a brief commentary this morning.

For those of you who watched the new Fox Reality TV Show Moment of Truth you probably already know where I’m going with this.

The show itself is exactly as Matt Roush from the TV Guide described it, “Who with a brain or a soul could do anything but despise Fox’s new bottom-of-the-reality-barrel-time-waster, which turned out to be as dull as it was degrading. Welcome to the latest blood-curdling and soul-numbing example of how eager Fox’s reality division is to debase people for fun and profit.”

If you’re not familiar with the show the concept is simple.

Strap a willing (gullible?) contestant to a chair on stage, hook them up to a lie-detector machine and proceed to ask them VERY PERSONAL and PRIVATE questions - - in front of loved ones and/or important people in their life let alone a live studio audience.

The more questions you answer truthfully, the more money you can win. However, if the polygraph judges that you’re lying you lose everything.

Sadly, the contestants who took part last night may lose more than just some prize money.

Let’s look at one particular individual. During last night’s premier episode, George brought along his uncle, girlfriend and boss.

The first question he was asked revealed that he had gone through another co-workers personal belongings without them knowing. A few questions later this guy even admitted that he has a gambling problem (and previews for next week’s episode show him being confronted with the question of whether or not he gambled away the college fund of one of his children!).

Nice job George.

Maybe it’s just me, but why in the world would you subject yourself to this type of humiliation all for the mere POTENTIAL to win some money?

In George’s case, he may have talked his way to the unemployment office too because what sane, competent boss could sit there and hear one of his employees admit that he not only has a gambling problem, but that he’s gone through the personal belongings of others at work?

I’ll admit that the idea of having candidates (and Hiring Managers) hooked up to a polygraph during an interview is appealing although highly unlikely any time soon.

I guess this just proves what we already know. People will do anything for money.

Whether it’s lying on a Resume and/or during an interview to get the job or telling the truth no matter how despicable it will be done if people think they can benefit financially from it.

MOUNTAIN TOP TIP #13: USE COMMON SENSE. THINK BEFORE YOU ACT AND DEFINITELY THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK! THIS IS CRITICAL IN SALES AND ESPECIALLY DURING AN INTERVIEW. THERE’S A REASON WHY THE SAYING “DON’T PUT YOUR FOOT IN YOUR MOUTH” IS A COMMON SAYING.

YOU CAN ALWAYS MAKE MORE MONEY IN THE SHORT TERM, BUT MAKING LIFE-ALTERING DECISIONS (I.E. CAREER DECISIONS) BASED SOLELY ON COMPENSATION IS NEVER WISE.

OH YEAH, AND WHATEVER YOU DO PLEASE DON’T WATCH THIS SHOW! I WANT FOX TO GIVE ME THAT HOUR BACK!

Tuesday, November 27th, 2007 at 4:11pm by JRed

Ebbs and flows. Peaks and valleys.

Regardless of your industry or profession, the fact that you’ll encounter these moments at some point during the course of a year can be either exciting or traumatic.

If you’re not careful the “down” times can even wreak havoc on your mental health and severely decrease your level of confidence.

So, how does one specifically in Recruiting and/or Sales protect themselves from “getting too high” from the highs and “getting too low” from the lows?

The answer is to shift your your focus.

First and foremost, you need to realize that working harder is not substitute for working smarter. It’s the old “don’t equate activity with results” approach.

Just because you put in 12 hour days and work weekends doesn’t mean that success is sure to follow. Success is not an entitlement, but a reward. 

A simple shift in focus on what’s really important in life will help you to work smarter instead of harder and see measurable results.

Personally, the two greatest truths I learned in this industry have helped me tremendously. What are they?

1. An outward focus as opposed to an inward focus. Yes, I am confident in my own abilities and I think I work extremely hard, but that doesn’t make me entitled to success. I needed to remind myself regularly that there is only One who is ever in complete control of everything. This is also known as vertical leadership and I’m not ashamed one bit to proclaim my membership in the most effective networking group there is. I need to trust that everything happens for a reason and that what seems bad today could end up leading to good tomorrow. Sometimes my hard work and determination pays off, sometimes it doesn’t. What I have found is that during those times that it doesn’t I can almost always say it was becasue I believed I was in complete control and master of my own destiny. I was wrong! I know that this contradicts a lot of what we’re taught in sales especially when we’re making a living in a pay-for-performance business modeal, but when you stop to think about it all it actually makes perfect sense. I’m not saying we shouldn’t work hard. Not at all. I’m just saying we need to recognize where that success ultimately comes from. All I have to do is fulfill my responsibility to bring glory to Him and do the job I have been put in a position to do. That means I need to look my best, be my best and do my best at all times.

2. Forget dollars and remember it’s about people.  It was very liberating for me in this industry when I changed my perspective from one focused on “dollar amount per placement” and “dollars in placements generated per week/month” to one that was focused on “people hired” and “people hired per week/month.” Once I became people-centric instead of money-centric everything changed. I even began to genuinely care about the client’s/candidate’s needs more than my own. Not surprisingly, success followed.

MOUNTAIN TOP TIP #12: THERE ARE MANY RECIPES FOR SUCCESS, BUT THE ONE THAT IS THE MOST POPULAR AND EFFECTIVE IS THE ONE THAT PUTS PEOPLE BEFORE YOUR POCKETBOOK.  

Thursday, November 15th, 2007 at 11:34am by JRed

While we live in an era of transparency, that doesn’t me we should become careless with the type of information we convey about ourselves to potential employers online.

As this recent story about one irresponsible Facebook user suggests, nothing about the Internet is private.

Plus, did you ever consider what your email address says to employers? If not, you might want to start thinking about it.

Perhaps that’s one of the greatest ironies about the online word. Sitting in front of your computer as your fingers march across the keyboard as dutiful little soldiers is an isolated and private event - - or so it seems.

The harsh reality is that we need to remind ourselves that EVERYTHING we do online (i.e. every site we visit, every word we type, every picture we post) is recorded and available for public consumption.

To think that such “questionable” (and what used to be private) things about us won’t rub someone the wrong way and/or affect how you’re viewed is naive. To continue to allow your personal brand to be defined this way is very risky as it could have a major impact on your future and career.

The mantra “Be Yourself” tickles the ear, but perhaps “Be Yourself - - Within Reason” should be our mission statement.

MOUNTAIN TOP TIP #10: KEEP YOUR PRIVATE LIFE PRIVATE AND YOUR PUBLIC LIFE PUBLIC. THERE’S A TIME AND A PLACE FOR EVERYTHING.

DON’T BLUR THE LINES BETWEEN WHAT’S APPROPRIATE AND WHAT’S INAPPROPRIATE.

MANAGE YOUR PERSONAL BRAND OR YOU COULD BE MANAGING AN UNEXPECTED CRISIS.

Wednesday, November 7th, 2007 at 11:49am by JRed

It’s a common challenge we’ve faced in 2007 and it’s a little disturbing that it’s becoming a trend.

Why is it that some organizations have no problem circumventing their interviewing and hiring process when it’s clear they have an excellent candidate in the mix while a vast majority insist on sticking to the process?

The end result is demoralizing for the company that loses a great candidate and it is EXTREMELY frustrating for the Recruiter who worked so hard to source, screen, interview, assess and manage the candidate over the course of nearly two full months.

Case in point, we’ve just watched one of our clients lose not one, but two Peak Performers to other competitors - - both on the same day and both in completely different markets!

Obviously, I share in their frustration given our investment with nothing to show for it, but a part of me is glad that this happened.

Perhaps the sting of losing two exceptional candidates who were at the Reference Check/Background Check stage of the process (i.e. final stages) will be enough to motivate them to consider making some changes.

Both instances illustrate what we’ve been trying to express to them since day one.

There’s no question that we will find top talent for hard to fill positions as evidenced by these two cases (both were Peak Performers in their industry of expertise). Yet, when we do find them we expect that you will TRUST that we’ve done our job properly and use the information we’ve compiled for you to make a quick, but well-informed hiring decision.

One of the primary reasons why a company chooses to partner with a recruiting firm should be because they are looking to save valuable time.

Putting myself in the candidate’s shoes I can see their frustration and even understand why they might have questioned this company’s commitment to finding key talent. I too would’ve become a little uncertain about the whole thing.

Worse is the fact that we use a contract that rewards the employer for making a hiring decision quickly. The quicker you make a decision, the lower the rate we charge.

These particular candidates were pursuing this opportunity and working with us for nearly 60 days even though the interviewing process represented only 30 days of that total. 

I realize that an organization might have a process they need to adhere to, but the harsh reality is that their competitors have no problem eliminating steps from their process in order to make a strategic hire. They continue to get stronger by winning this war for talent while other companies stand still and are even further behind then they were when their search began.

Why? Simply because their competitors are pulling the trigger and making hiring decisions quickly. They have no problem making a hiring decision when it’s clear that the candidate is the right person for the job.

For candidates of this caliber (especially those who are actively seeking multiple opportunities), 60 days is just too long a process.

MOUNTAIN TOP TIP #10: IF YOU CAN’T TRUST YOUR RECRUITING PARTNER TO DELIVER EXCEPTIONAL CANDIDATES IN AN EFFORT TO SAVE YOU TIME DURING THE HIRING PROCESS WHAT IS THE POINT OF EVEN WORKING WITH THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE?

FIRST-CLASS CANDIDATES WILL FEEL DISRESPECTED IF YOU DRAG THINGS OUT WITH THEM TOO LONG.

THE SALESFORCE IS THE LIFEBLOOD OF YOUR COMPANY, DON’T PLAY RUSSIAN ROULETTE  WITH THOSE WHO COULD JUST AS EASILY BECOME A PEAK PERFORMER FOR YOUR COMPETITORS WHEN THE GOAL IS TO ADD THEM TO YOUR TEAM FIRST.

PULL THE TRIGGER WHEN IT’S CLEAR YOU HAVE THE RIGHT CANDIDATE RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!

Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007 at 1:54pm by JRed

We all know that learning how to write strong Job Descriptions/Job Ads is one key to attracting Peak Performers.

Developing this skill takes time.

Obviously, your description/advertisement should be built with your core recruiting philosophy in mind.

For instance, if you know that your company/client will offer a compensation package that is much more attractive than the industry standard you might think that leading with that information is the key to success.

Alternately, if you know that your organization/client offers a salary that is significantly less than the current market you’ll probably decide to lead by describing the opportunity and challenges.

One area that is often overlooked is the Position Title. Don’t underestimate the impact that the right Job Title can have in attracting Peak Performers.

Paramount Recruiting Partners, LLC works on everything from Entry Level to VP of Sales positions. You’d be amazed at how often our call back rate increases with the SAME candidates when we present an opportunity with a “more-important-sounding” Title.

There’s absolutely no deception involved in this approach. Our job is to accurately present the true nature and scope of the opportunity that’s available so that a professional can make an informed decision.

Besides, most of the time we simply realize that our client has created a Title that misrepresents the strategic position they need to fill and we feel it’s our job as the experts in this field to make the necessary changes in order to find the best-of-the-best. 

You should always try to come up with 2-3 alternate Titles for the position you’re working on. Not only will this help you focus your sourcing and networking efforts, but it will also serve as a magnet to other peak Performers who might have otherwise missed your ad because they were searching for jobs using completelty different keywords than the ones that were originally provided.

Be careful not to go overboard with this though. That is to say that you never want to misrepresent your client and their opportunity to a potential candidate. Plus, candidates can see right through this.

If a position is originally labeled as being one for an “Account Executive” you might also consider using ”Sales Representative” or even “Outside Sales Rep” for the Title, but you wouldn’t think of calling it a “District Sales Manager” or “VP of Sales” type of position.

MOUNTAIN TOP TIP #9: WHAT’S IN A NAME? EVERYTHING! SOMETIMES FINDING THE RIGHT JOB TITLE IS THE KEY TO FINDING THE RIGHT PEAK PERFORMER.

Thursday, October 18th, 2007 at 12:25pm by JRed

I admit it. I’m a Lou Adler groupie. The guy just has a way of getting to the point and making sense. More importantly, his advice really works when applied properly.

This week he wrote an excellent article titled, “How to Control Your Hiring Manager Clients and Make More Placements” and it’s a list of the common challenges we Recruiters face as well as some great suggestions for improving the nature of your partnership with a Hiring Manager.

Let’s face it, establishing trust and maintaining open and honest communication with your client is a no-brainer, but too often we don’t do enough as Recruiters to cement the relationship by sharing our expertise and offering critical advice.

For some reason, many Recruiters (myself included when I first started out in this business) are afraid to push back at a Hiring Manager they’re working with.

The feeling is magnified when you’re a contingency Recruiter because you think that if you push too hard (or enough to offend them) they’ll simply spend more time with someone else instead while you’ve just lost an opportunity for a much needed placement.

While that does happen from time to time, this reluctance to challenge Hiring Managers when you know deep in y0ur soul that they’re making a dumb decision is what’s keeping you from becoming a Peak Performer.

Your clients may do a lot of dumb things that cause you to work harder than you need to. They’re left with the impression that you’re “just another Recruiter” and you’re left shaking your head, rolling your eyes, and pounding your fists in disgust and frustration.

Still, can you blame them because you failed to differentiate yourself from your competition? Many Hiring Managers (or those making the hiring decisions) are recruiting as a secondary function in their position. So, often times they’re simply doing things the only way they know how, the only way they’ve ever been taught.

Your job as a true business partner should be to educate them on the “right” and “wrong” way to conduct an interview, assessment a candidate, and ultimately make a hiring decision and present an offer.

Trust me, if they entered into a partnership with you they need to expect that you’re going to do your job and do it the best you can as part of your commitment to them.

If they recoil at your first attempt to get them on the same page as you then they don’t truly respect you as an expert professional and you should begin to reexamine the nature of your partnership.

Remind them that your job is to find them the best-of-the-best, a professional who meets their specific requirements and expectations, and the only way you can do your job effectively in a timely manner is if they trust you to do your job and trust you to provide an accurate analysis of an individual’s competency.

One sound way to emerge as a leader and true expert in your field is to boldly and confidently tell your clients when you disagree with them. Fight for your candidate(s)! You have all the information you need to make your case. Now, all you need to do is put it all together and reiterate to your client why you think they should strongly reconsider.

Adler suggests that minimizing the common problems we have with Hiring Managers can reduce your sendouts per hire by 50% - 100% with a proportional increase in productivity and your close rate.

One of their suggestions is one that PRP has recently focused on:

• Establish a program where 100% of your candidates are seen

The concept is simple and yet challenging when first starting out. Recruiters need to develop a partnership with their Hiring Manager clients that is so strong that every candidate you present is seen without question. In fact, the Recruiter should be able to automatically set up an interview without the Manager even seeing the candidate’s Resume ahead of time.

Getting to this level requires a great deal of trust, but it is possible and the impact will be enormous in terms of more placements and annual billings.

MOUNTAIN TOP TIP #8: IF YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOUR HIRING MANAGER CLIENTS REALLY IS A PARTNERSHIP THEN YOU NEED TO TREAT IT AS AN EQUAL ONE. THEY’RE THE EXPERT IN THEIR FIELD, YOU’RE THE EXPERT IN YOURS. EXUDE CONFIDENCE AND EDUCATE YOUR HIRING MANAGER CLIENTS. THIS IS WHAT RECRUITING IS ALL ABOUT!

Tuesday, October 2nd, 2007 at 3:47pm by JRed

John Sullivan had a good piece yesterday on ERE where he discusses how retention problems begin during the hiring process.

He lists 8 hiring-related factors that cause turnover and suggests that focusing on these areas of concern will improve an organization’s rate of retention. They include…

1. Hiring candidates who are focused on money
2. The source where you found the candidate
3. Average tenure in other jobs
4. On-boarding and orientation
5. Recruiter involvement after the hire
6. The lack of diversity orientation and retention
7. Manager rewards for great retention
8. Being aware of the most common causes of turnover

At the top of the list, he admonishes anyone who thinks hiring candidates who are focused on compensation is the best course of action.

I wholeheartedly agree with him and it’s a critical point worth hammering home.

Even when it comes to recruiting Sales professionals, it’s wrong to hire candidates who list financial gain at the top of their list as their primary motivator.

There’s nothing wrong with being money-motivated, but it should never be the sole and/or primary reason why a candidate chooses to accept one employment offer over another.

In fact, our advice to Peak Performers who work with us is always the same - - don’t get lulled into a compensation-driven career strategy. One should ALWAYS take a job because it is the best job with the most significant upside potential, not because it offers the highest salary.

A candidate can always make more money in the short-term, but the key for them should be to find a company and job opportunity that offers the best chance to maximize their career growth. 

That being said, your job as a Recruiter becomes clear. You need to demonstrate to them that it’s your company that offers the best opportunity. Boldly proclaim that if it’s job stretch and career growth they’re after (not just financial gain) then their search is over.

When you’re interviewing candidates, you also need to be consistent with your presentation so that you promote your organization as being an employer of choice and reinforce that message throughout the process. 

Clearly demonstrate to them how you will offer the chance to find personal satisfaction by putting them in a position to make a big impact, by giving them as much responsibility as they can handle and by putting them in challenging situations on a regular basis.

It’s ok to talk about your attractive salary/compensation package, but it shouldn’t be the main focus, and under no circumstances do you ever want to lead with that as the main reason why they should consider working for you.

If done right, the candidate will recognize the true potential and opportunity for growth and your efforts toward future retention have already begun on a positive note.

However, hire a candidate who is interested only in money and you’ll be back to square one in a few short months because they’re the type who’s always looking for something better.

MOUNTAIN TOP TIP #7: AVOID HIRING MONEY-MOTIVATED MANIACS. HIRE OPPORTUNISTS INSTEAD. 

Wednesday, September 26th, 2007 at 7:40am by JRed

This is such a simple rule of thumb - - so easy - - that it may seem ridiculous to devote time to writing a post about this. While today’s tip could be applied to both Recruiters and Sales Professionals I want to focus on the candidate for a moment.

When you schedule a phone interview with a Recruiter (especially if it’s your first in-depth conversation to discuss things in greater detail) please make sure you know a little about the position you are going to talk about. I know, it seems as though that would be common sense, but you’d be surprised at how often we encounter this with candidates.

Opening the conversation with “What position is this again?” shows a lack of preparation and quite honestly it comes off as a little insulting. If we’ve contacted you and succeeded in scheduling a phone interview it’s a given that we have already provided a quick summary of the opportunity through brief preliminary discussions and/or messages (in an effort to generate interest and get a you to respond) at least a few times already.

Besides, if you’re blasting your Resume to several organizations each day and not keeping track of when and where it’s being sent you’re already going about your job search in the wrong way.

The solution is simple.

First, keep a record of the date that you submit a Resume as well as a quick note that provides you with a quick summary of the position as a reference tool and one that also includes the name of the organization and contact listed with the ad. Second, when an interview has been scheduled (often at least 24 hours in advance) you should immediately pull your quick summary and locate the full ad so you can have it in front of you during the interview. At the very least, you should read it in its entirity prior to speaking to a Recruiter.

If none of that has convinced you of the importance of being prepared for the initial phone screen here’s something else to consider.

From a Recruiter’s perspective, a candidate who comes off as careless and unprepared during the initial phone screen will force the Recruiter to obviously assume that the candidate conducts themselves in a similar manner when dealing with clients and customers. Obviously, our job is to qualify/disqualify every assumption, but why risk putting yourself behind the eight ball from the start? Why would you want to do anything that could create uncertaintly especially that early in the recruiting process about you as a viable candidate?

MOUNTAIN TOP TIP #6: PREPARATION SAYS YOU RESPECT YOUR TIME AND RECOGNIZE THAT TIME IS VALUABLE TO OTHERS AS WELL. PREPARATION SAYS YOU REALLY CARE. BE PREPARED!

Friday, September 21st, 2007 at 10:58am by JRed

Here’s one of the LEAST EFFECTIVE ways to write a job ad that will attract only the-best-of-the-best…

Women, as well as men, are encouraged to apply.

Aw gosh! You really mean it? You’ll actually consider a woman for the job? Wow! I can’t believe it! What a progressive company and definitely one I want to be a part of!

If the goal is to find a first-class sales professional - - a Peak Performer - - why do I continue to come across this statement in job ads at least once a week?

If you’re an organization that has to include this in your job ad I feel sorry for you. Somewhere along the line you lost sight of the fact that to be the best you have to hire the best - - regardless of gender, race and culture.

Some may argue that it is important for them to highlight this especially in so-called male-dominated industries where the common pereception (stereotype) is that only men would want the job and only men would be able to perform at a consistent and high-level of success.

Nice try.

A Peak Performer looking for the best career opportunity available to them will pursue any position that offers a challenge as well as an opportunity for personal and financial growth.

Those who write these ridiculous job ads would be wise to focus on highlighting those aspects instead. Otherwise, you run the risk of alienating and eliminating some excellent candidates even before the process has officially begun.

MOUNTAIN TOP TIP #5: DON’T GET LAZY WHEN IT COMES TO WRITING JOB ADS. IN MANY CASES, THEY ARE YOUR COMPANY’S ONLY SHOT AT GRABBING THE ATTENTION OF A PEAK PERFORMER.

Friday, September 14th, 2007 at 11:28am by JRed

In today’s online driven job market, there’s no shortage of advice on how to get noticed and stand out from the crowd when seeking employment.

 A quick Google search using the phrase “get the interview” delivers an amazing 198,000,000 results! Monster is the first returned result so I’ll pick on the company that’s listed second.

One site claims a rough average that for every 100 Resumes you mail out, statistically you should get 10 interviews and 1 job offer. The site continues by providing the reader with the “Top 7 Tricks For Getting An Interview” to stack the decks in your favor and stand out from other candidates.

Not sure why there are only 7 as opposed to the expected 10 you see all the time, but here’s a quick rundown…

• Use a different color paper and not the standard white
• Use a different size paper for your Resume
• Get an inside contact
• Send a Certified Letter
• Send your Resume with a gift
• Deliver the Resume in person
• The Post-It Note trick

It does not appear as though they are ranked in any specific order, which is a good thing because I personally like only 3 of the 7 suggestions.

The best suggestion is the one that encourages you to “get an inside contact” at the company you’re interested in. These referrals can open MANY doors and be very valuable and rewarding!

The most creative strategy on the list is to use a Post-It Note. The thinking is based off of the assumption that in some organizations a Secretary/Receptionist is responsible for junk mail and for weeding out the qualified/unqualified Resumes before delivering them to the Hiring Manager’s desk. Imagine if a Post-It Note on one of the Resumes reviewed said “This one looks good - JR” and that’s it. There’s a chance the Secreatary/Receptionist might assume it came from an internal employee and a greater chance that your Resume moves to the Hiring Manager’s desk for review.

My least favorite suggestion (do I have to pick only one?) is the one that encourages you to “send your Resume with a gift” and it uses the example of ordering a pizza and having it delivered to the contact. Wait, there’s more! “If you do the pizza, here’s a tip - - put your Resume in a zip lock bag and tape it to the inside of the box.”

Seriously? Seriously.

Where do I begin!?! First of all, there’s no way I’m eating or drinking ANYTHING that is delivered to me by a stranger!  Second, if I saw a plastic bag of any kind taped to the inside cover of the pizza box in the off chance that I actually opened it I’d probably run and call in the local Hazmat Team.

My advice is that you obviously want to be creative when trying to separate yourself from other potential candidates, but that’s taking things to the extreme and definitely not the way to do it.

I recommend the Certified Letter technique, the Post-It Note tactic (very creative!) or something along those lines.

In fact, we had a candidate recently contact us to express an interest in one of our open positions using a creative and simple tactic. The only information provided to us was found in the Subject Line of the email…

“Regarding Sales Position: Please contact me ASAP to set interview @ 555-852-0001″

Nothing more, nothing less. No Resume. Not even a name. However, it was enough to pique our interest because for all we knew this professional was a Peak Performer and someone we’d definitely want to speak to or at least add to our network.

The person has an interview scheduled with us for next week Monday. Mission accomplished on their end.

MOUNTAIN TOP TIP #4: BE CREATIVE WHEN TRYING TO GET NOTICED, BUT DON’T GO OVERBOARD!