Make Recruiters Work for You

There are many misconceptions about recruiters and what they do. Some people see them as magical, job-finding elves, who are going to solve all their problems. Others see them as the bottom feeders of the HR world, who will staff any position for a buck. Regardless of your opinion…we have all the jobs. You need to learn how to make us work for you.

Understand There Are Different Types of Recruiters

Internal Recruiters – These people work directly for the company you could be working for. They often have direct access to the hiring manager and are probably the most well versed in the position requirements and the corporate culture. They likely also work in other areas of HR, which means if you’re hired, they will have to work with you. If they determine you are unpleasant at any point during the recruitment process, they will have to think very hard about whether you will be submitted to the hiring manager or end up in the “not qualified” pile.

A Recruiter From an Agency – Depending on the Agency’s relationship with the company, they could have any level of knowledge about the position and the company. A good recruiter will do their research and be very knowledgeable about both of these things. Some companies have no interest in engaging in the recruitment process, they will outsource it to an agency, and provide very little information. Regardless of how skilled a recruiter is, they may not be able to answer your specific technical questions about a position, but they are still the gatekeeper between you and the hiring manager… so play nice. Also, the quality of the candidates they put forward are a direct reflection of how effective they are at recruiting. They’re depending on you to be impressive to make them look good. When you suck, it’s embarrassing for everyone. Don’t take your interactions with these people lightly… because they’re not.

How to Talk to Recruiters

You already know that when you apply to a job ad, you should tailor your resume to that position. You sift through the ad and the company website and make sure you fit with that company and that position. Many people are very good at this, but when they don’t have those tools to guide them, they flop.

Think about how recruiting works. Clients contact agencies, who specialize in recruiting, to make sure they choose the right candidate. Recruiters talk to a million people per day. You need to make an impression with your skills and experience and your personality in order to stay out of the Applicant Tracking System “Black Hole.” To do this, you need to make sure that several key messages stick in the recruiters mind:

·        Your area of expertise

We understand that being unemployed is difficult, but you’re not doing yourself any favours by telling us you can do anything… because you can’t. When we staff a position, we want to have a perfect fit between the employee and the employer… We’re not interested in finding you something to tide you over until the next position comes along. 

·        Your marketable skills and relevant work experience

What job would you be perfect for? Which skills make you perfect for that position, and what relevant, real-world examples can you tell me about where you exhibited those skills? These are the most important things to have recruiters remember. Terrible recruiters may not actively ask you for these specific tidbits of information, so you may need to work them into the conversation on your own.

·        Your name (or personality… or both)

There is something about you that’s memorable. Find out what it is. For some people it’s their work experience, personality or even just your laugh.  You can go as far as to develop a tagline for yourself that helps the recruiter remember who you are.

Keep Your Leads Warm

Job hunting is just selling yourself. Keep in touch with them the same way you would a sales lead. Any recruiter could have an opportunity for you at any time. Connect with them on LinkedIn. Congratulate them on new positions (especially if it’s with another recruiting agency), and find reasons to engage with them on a regular basis.

When the jobs come in, you need to be already known to the people handing them out and they need to know you well. Before speaking with a recruiter, picture this scenario…

A new position has come in. Several recruiters are sitting around a table discussing the qualifications. The lead recruiter asks “does anyone have any candidates for this position?” If you were successful in your interaction with the recruiter, they automatically say your name in this meeting without having to consult the applicant tracking system. 

What’s Wrong With GenY?

Greetings from the lazy, entitled generation! You may know us as those lazy know-it-alls, who need constant positive reinforcement, ridiculously flexible work hours and a promotion every five to ten minutes. What happened to us? Why do we seem so much dumber than everyone else?

I think the real issue we have is a lack of communication. Much like the traditional married couple, where one stays home and takes care of the children, and the other is the primary breadwinner, there are arguments that are standard and could be avoided if both took time to see the other’s point of view.

For example: The person who goes to work all day often feels as though the stay-at-home partner is spending all their money, taking advantage of them, and is lucky to be staying at home. The stay-at-home partner often feels undervalued, because their contributions to the household aren’t measurable in currency.

I know this, because it has played out in every sitcom since the 50’s. If Archie and Edith Bunker can come to an agreement, surely the Boomers and GenY can figure something out. Let’s try and understand some things.

We Spend too Much Time on our Phones

Perception: We don’t look you in the eye when you’re talking, because we have a sweet game of Fruit Ninja on the go. Also, what you’re saying isn’t super important.

We don’t socialize the way people used to. I recently attended an Oscar party, where we were all watching the show together while simultaneously reading and tweeting commentary on our phones. This is how it works now. When we have dinner or go out for drinks, phones are on the table and active. You may find it annoying, but trust me…it’s only going to get worse.

Complaining about smart phones in 2013 the like complaining about rock music in 1984. Don’t be John Lithgow… nobody likes John Lithgow.

P.S. We’re not being antisocial, we’re experiencing life in augmented reality.

We’re Unprofessional

Perception: We dress too casually and we’re too informal.

Business attire is not a well-defined term. You can’t write it on an employment contract and expect everyone to dress how you think they should. I feel perfectly professional in a dress shirt, a blazer and a pair of jeans, so I will be surprised when the manager in the Cargo pants, that haven’t been ironed since the 70’s, tells me I’m inappropriately dressed for work.

Our communication style is admittedly more relaxed. Younger generations have been corresponding with their peers via the written word since before they were taught how to write proper correspondence. As a result, the English language is in the process of being completely destroyed. Emoticons are now accepted in work emails. Other less formal styles of writing will follow. Eventually, Twitter style abbreviations will become acceptable. As we transition, know that younger employee’s will jump the gun and start emailing that they will “tlk 2 u l8tr.” Be sure to correct this, because right now that sh*t’s annoying.

We Need Constant Positive Reinforcement

Perception: We need our hands held...pretty much all the time.

Having studied Human Resources, I know there are studies that indicate that positive reinforcement DOES motivate people. I also think some of us have taken this waaayyy too far. I actually find it condescending when someone throws out one of these.

“Thanks for putting that report together.” (i.e. Thanks for doing that thing I told you to do)

We don’t need the reinforcement as much as we need to know what the goals are, and if we are attaining them. We are much less likely than past generations to feel satisfied in a position where we’re doing what we’re told just because we were told to do it. You have to manage people like they’re people now. You can’t just tell someone to “push this button every hour” without telling them what the button does. My Dad has told me that if the boss isn’t complaining, everything must be fine. I’ve encountered enough managers who avoid negative feedback in performance appraisals to know this isn’t true.

We Expect Too Much Too Soon

Remember the olden days when you started at a company as the intern, and you got coffee for people until you were able to prove yourself, and you slowly moved up the ladder until you finally did something less degrading? I don’t…but I’ve read about it in books, and saw it on Mad Men.  What happened to this era?

Two Things Happened

1. An undergraduate degree costs as much as half a house. We can’t afford to get you coffee for a year before we start making money.
2. Google happened: Companies started publicly telling employees that they weren’t worthless or completely replaceable … and it just ruined us. 

Every generation thinks the younger generation are idiots. I used to think it about freshmen when I was a senior. I thought it about undergrads when I was a grad student, I currently think it about some new graduates entering the workforce and I fully anticipate to feel this way about each upcoming generation. The important thing is that I know that they are not ACTUALLY all idiots, but I will perceive some of the things they do as unprofessional or stupid because they are different. As a younger generation, we also have a duty to manage and understand the expectations of our more senior counterparts. A lot of what we think is normal really gets under their skin.  The purpose of this post was not to call anyone out or justify anything, but to initiate an open dialogue to facilitate some kind of understanding. 

CAVEAT: There are some flagrant generalizations in this post. I chose Boomers and GenY to illustrate a point. I have met Boomers who blatantly answer voice calls in the middle of meetings, and have peers who glare at me when I check my phone. There are people at both ends of the spectrum in either age-range. 

The Job Hunt Blues

People often tell you that looking for work is a full time job. Those people are correct. It is actually the WORST job ever because you don’t get paid and the more you have do it, the worse you feel about yourself. Like a regular job, you need a work-life balance. This is actually more important than it is in a regular job, because companies need to see you at your best. If you’re too eager, or mopey, or tired your chances of success decrease slightly. Sitting at home doing the same thing over and over again with little or no success really demotivates a lot of people and they start complaining about everything, including the lack of employment in their respective areas. This is not attractive to any prospective employer.

Lucky for you, I’ve put together one of my famous numbered lists to solve all your problems.

1.       Wake Up at an Appropriate Time

It’s really easy when you don’t have a place to be, to sleep in, watch cartoons and live the sedentary life. You still have to put in the hours to be an effective job seeker. Also, interviews are always during work hours, so you’ll most likely need to be alert for a morning interview. It’s hard to do that at a 9am interview if you’re used to waking up at noon.

2.       Plan a Full Workday

It’s really easy to get sidetracked when you don’t have a plan. Create a job hunting strategy and map out all of the tasks involved.  You know when you are the most effective, so you can plan the heavy stuff for those times. You need to take into consideration the time it takes to fill out applications, write cover letters and tailor your resume. Make sure you include time to use social networking for job hunting purposes, and attend physical networking events as well. A former employer of mine once told me not to work on any one task for more than two hours at a time. He says after this time, you become less interested and less efficient. Change it up every now and then.

3.       Take Breaks

The reason steps 1 and 2 are important is that if you do them properly, you won’t feel guilty about taking regularly scheduled breaks. Your employer is required to give you a 15 minute break every four hours and 30 minutes for lunch on a full shift. If he’s not a douchebag, he gives you a full hour. Take those breaks. They are government mandated for a reason. Don’t be your own douchebag boss.

4.       Don’t Forget About Your Hobbies/Personal Life

If you are a regular gym-goer, now is not the time to stop. You should also take this opportunity to start eating healthier. Continue to go out and see people on a regular basis. Doing stuff from a computer at your kitchen table and then moving to the couch at 5pm, and then to bed and back to the table in the morning can make you a little crazy. The networking events you attend won’t be enough. Plan things with your friends and go out at night. Be a regular person even though you don’t have a job…just do it cheaply cause you’re poor.

When you neglect to properly plan and execute your job hunting strategy, you start to feel guilty about how little you’ve done. Then you don’t take time for yourself. This results in you being less effective. It’s a vicious cycle that ultimately results in a pint of ice-cream, a lot of crying and still no jobs. The worst thing you can do for yourself at this juncture is take away the things that make you sane. Also, if you have good friends, they will pay for things because they feel sorry for you. You won’t get this kind of treatment again until someone you love dies (true story).

P.S. These strategies can also be applied to people who work from home or for themselves. 

Recruiting for Social Media: It’s Easier Than You Think

Your company understands that it needs to be active on social networking sites. Your Facebook page is quickly becoming more important than your website. The dilemma most small business owners face is though they understand the need for social media, they don’t understand the most effective ways to use it. You’d like to ask your marketing guy to do it, but yesterday you saw him make a voice call from a landline to a record store to see if they had the latest albums. At this point you resolve to hire someone to create and manage your online presence. Here are a few tips for when you’re looking.

1.  Age Doesn't Matter

Most people will assume that a young person will be better at social media, because they grew up in a generation that uses it more readily. This is incorrect. As a young person, I can tell you that we are literally not better at ANYTHING. Experience trumps (whatever the hell you think young people have) every time. We are more apt to engage in social media, but someone in their 40’s with an affinity for social media also has “life experience,” “related job experience,” “industry experience”  and other things to draw on that a younger person wouldn't.  Social media skills require a specific way of thinking. The person can’t be intimidated by a new program or feature, because there’s a new one every 5 minutes. There is no reason someone in their 30’s or 40’s can’t have this skill.

2. Hire a Writer

It’s all words. Your employee needs to make the words happen and he needs to make ‘em happen good.

3. Check Up on Them Online

If this person is planning to work in social media, they should have given you links to their social media accounts, and their presence should be quasi-professional. As much as you think you would like to separate the people from the organization, now that everything’s online, you really can’t. They will put your company’s name on their LinkedIn, and attach their Twitter feed to this account. Others will look your company up on LinkedIn and see who your employees are.  Anything they've made publicly available on purpose is fair game to use in your assessment.

4. Beware of Experts

Someone who walks into an interview telling you they know exactly what needs to be done and exactly how to do it is a dud. Social media is social, therefore you need to get to know the clientele before you’re able to really understand the best way to engage with them. A good candidate will offer suggestions of possibilities along with the caveat that everything is subject to change based on the results of the interaction.  

Don't make assumptions based on what you believe a good social media expert should be. Put these people through the same process you put all of your employees through. Identify the key skills and relevant experience you're looking for. Assess them thoroughly, and hire someone who is the right fit for your organization. 

Why Recruiting is as Awful as Dating

Here’s a neat little tidbit about recruiters. They’re real life people and everyday is full of disappointment. E-recruiting, much like E-dating, has many success stories. You’ve probably met a lot of happy couples who met online, but for every happy couple, there are 10 horror stories of people showing up 10 years older or 50 pounds heavier than their picture. The sad part about recruiting is that you don’t get to date the winners for very long. You give them to the hiring manager and then you have to start all over again.

A little insight into the process

First the recruiter crafts their profile:

I like long walks on the beach, Reggae music and I love to cook. I’m looking for someone with 5 years’ experience in marketing, experience with popular software with excellent attention to detail and willing to work in a remote location.

…then we sit back and laugh, knowing that person probably doesn’t exist, especially in the remote region the hiring manager needs them in. This is basically the equivalent of asking for someone with a six-figure income who is ok with the fact that you’re a single parent of five. If you ever see someone in a restaurant writing on a laptop, swirling a glass of brandy and laughing maniacally like a Disney villain, but crying at the same time...that’s a recruiter having a normal day.

Speed Dating Round

Recruiters schedule entire days of interviews just to meet the people, make sure the person matches the profile and isn’t a complete douchebag. You need to get through the first date to get to the second date with the hiring manager.

Step 1 – Make sure you can back up what’s written on your resume.

You were chosen to be interviewed because of several things you wrote on your resume. We’re going to ask you about them to make sure you did them. Be prepared to elaborate on specific projects.

Step 2 – Know yourself really well.

You are going to be asked to give an overview of your work history as well as what you’re passionate about. Print off your resume and make notes if you have to. Just be prepared to talk about this. It sounds like a given, but a lot of people fail here.

Step 3 – Be Charming

I interviewed a woman who had her own tagline. She told me she was “a small town girl with a big city attitude.” I never forgot her name as a result. Just like people don’t forget a good date, they certainly don’t forget a bad date.

Fact: Sometimes the HR guy won’t know all of the intricacies of the app development position you applied for.

Fact: They will be completely aware of the condescending attitude you have towards them.

Here is a list of things that will not get you to a second date

·      Name dropping: Tell me on your resume what companies you worked for, don’t spend a significant amount of time asking me if I know so and so. I’m not impressed by the fact that you worked for Donald Trump unless you can effectively tell me what you did for him.

·      Questioning my questions: If I ask you to elaborate on something, don’t ask me why I want to know that or how is that relevant to this position unless the question makes you uncomfortable for some reason. Often recruiters will want to know about all of your skills (even the ones that don’t pertain to the position you applied for). They can contact you for other positions, unless you were uncooperative.

·      A Shi**y Tone: Be intelligent, but don’t get smart. You would be surprised at how many professionals, after they realize they’re talking to a lowly recruiter, develop a smarmy attitude. Newsflash! In order to be hired, HR still needs to want to work with you.

I actually had an interview where the applicant told me to go to his website, because I could stand to learn a little about the field I was recruiting for…resume deleted.

Don’t be a douchebag. We share all of our notes with the manager.

Example: John Smith, 10 years of marketing experience, excellent portfolio, possibly overqualified for the position. Complete ass. If you hire him, I’m quitting.

Bottom Line: Most successful organizations are looking for someone who is a cultural fit. Being an attractive candidate does not give you carte blanche to be an ass. Getting through the first round is not a difficult task. Know your resume, be confident and courteous and welcome to date #2. 

Dude Where’s My Job? Episode 6 – The Follow-Up

A lot of people think that once you've finished the interview it’s all up to the employer. Wrong! You need to make sure the employer remembers your name and stays engaged with you until they make their decision. This isn't even limited to after the interview. You can keep them engaged from the time you submit your application to let them know you are still interested. You just have to make sure you don’t cross the line and become the annoying person who they can’t wait to be rid of.

Step 1

This is a repeat of Episode 2, where I told you to follow the company’s Twitter account or Like their Facebook page. If this is new information to you, go back and read these from the beginning. Why would you start reading from the Episode 6? This isn’t Star Wars, where Episodes 4 – 6 were awesome and then you watched Episode 1 and it immediately made you want to rant about it online….all my Episodes were equally awesome. Keep them engaged through the recruitment process by retweeting, liking, and commenting on their posts. This is done either before or immediately after submitting your application, and continues until you’ve been hired…..or rejected.

Step 2

Keep track of all the positions you apply for. You need to decide, based on each individual position, what would be an appropriate length of time to wait before contacting to check on the status of the competition. Larger companies will have a longer lag time between soliciting applications to the interview stage. A rough heuristic would be one to two weeks from the deadline to submit applications if they haven’t already given you a timeline. Once you have received a timeline, you should avoid asking questions until a couple days after they said they would get back to you. They will get annoyed and start to hate you.

Step 3

Following an interview, some people will instruct you to one or all of the following;

• ·         Send a thank you email immediately following the interview
• ·         Send a handwritten thank you note immediately following the interview
• ·         Call the interviewer after the interview to thank them for the interview

Warning: Doing all of these things lets the employer know that you are not only enthusiastic and excited about the position, but also just a little bit crazy. If you’re applying for anything other than a stalker position, this is not recommended.

Choose which course of action best suits your personal style. You should probably only do one of those things. In the interview, you should ask what the anticipated timeline is for finding out if you were the successful candidate. After the interview, thank the interviewer for their time using one of the three methods above and then after the date they give you, ask if a decision has been made.

Step 4

If you didn’t get the job, ask for feedback. What was it that eliminated me? Most companies won’t tell you what it is, but every now and then you get lucky and they say exactly what it was. Some companies will be as specific as telling you exactly which question you answered incorrectly or insufficiently. You don’t want to keep making the same mistake if it’s something you can help. Don’t wait to get an interview to ask this question. If you don’t get an interview, ask them why you were eliminated. A wise man once told me that “knowing is half the battle.”

Dude Where’s My Job? Episode 5 – The Interview

Congratulations on getting your foot in the door. Now all you have to do is spend a short amount of time with your potential employer and not screw up.

Step 1 – Suit-Up!

There is a lot of advice available on what to wear for an interview. They tell you everything from what colour or brand of suit to wear to how to knot your tie. Most of this information is bull.

Fact: A Windsor Knot does not make you look more confident. It makes you look like you’re wearing a tie with a Windsor Knot.

The best advice I’ve heard is “dress like you already work there.” Find out what the other employees are wearing and dress accordingly. If the company has a laid-back dress code and all of the executives wear jeans and blazers, following suit could make them feel as though you already belong there. It’s also possible that they will expect you to be a little more polished at the interview and count the jeans as a strike against you. (I bet you thought I was going to give you real advice for a second, huh?)

Ladies… It doesn’t matter how big or small they are. You still MUST cover them up. Even the women in the room are staring at them…fail!

Most advice will tell you to wear something conservative with neutral colors. This is your safest bet, as the employer will focus more on what you have to say than your appearance. However, a friend of mine landed a sales position with a Fortune 500 company after showing up to the interview with purple streaks in her hair. The employer thought it showed she had spunk (I’m sure she said a couple things in the interview to lead them to believe that as well).

Step 2 – Do a Little Homework

Learn about the company you are interviewing for. Get a little history and a general working knowledge of what they do. Focus specifically on the position you have applied for. They will want to know why you are the perfect fit for that position. You want to demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the industry you work in, while being as specific to the position as possible. Let’s pretend you’re applying to a government position. Learn about the branch, it's function, and be able to talk a little about the legislation they would use most often.

The job ad will have listed both technical skills and behavioural competencies. Be prepared to talk about your past experience/current proficiency with these technical skills.  

Example:  Must be proficient with Microsoft Excel

“In my last position, I was required to create and maintain a database of all employee vacation and sick time in an excel spreadsheet that calculated monthly totals and averages. I also took an Operations Management course where I learned to solve complex mathematical functions using Excel’s Solver function.”

Human Resources is going through a phase where everyone thinks Behavioural Event Interview Questions are pretty much the best thing ever. To prepare for these types of questions look at all of the competencies listed in the job ad and think of examples of times when you exhibited those competencies.

Step 3 - Stay Positive

Keep the tone on the positive side. Don't bash old bosses or companies. Keep your answers positive too. If someone asks you how you respond to change in the workplace, they are most likely looking for someone who would respond positively to change. Your answer should not include the fact that you are able to adapt, but don't like to (It sounds like common sense, but you'd be surprised).

Step 4 – Don’t Not Prepare

Yeah it’s a double negative….no I don’t care!

If you received any communication prior to the interview, read it carefully and follow any instructions. Failure to do so will result in the recruiter raising one eyebrow and bein all “are you serious?” It will enrage them to a point that will make them want you to fail miserably.

Step 5 – Don’t Stress

Sure your entire future could be decided by this one short meeting, but don’t worry about it. It’s the interviewer’s job to make you feel comfortable, and help you explain how you qualify for the position. When you’re not comfortable, it makes the rest of the room uncomfortable. This makes the interview awkward for everyone. You don’t want the recruiter to be glad the interview is over.