The Perfect Fit

Companies Should Send Candidates Thank-You Notes, Too

That's the headline in a recent Ad Age article.  Sub-Head, "It's a Great PR Move for Prospective Employers".  I completely agree with Paul Gumbinner, the author of the Ad Age article. Paul writes,

"After an interview, it's surprising that only about 60% of candidates send a thank-you note (an even smaller percentage sends them after visiting with a recruiter). Aside from being an expression of good manners, a short note expressing interest can go a long way toward promoting a person's candidacy.

Of course, much has been written about thank-you notes in terms of job seekers. But I wanted to tackle something that, to my knowledge, has not been suggested before: Interviewers should send them to candidates, as well.

I would like to propose that this should be the policy at every advertising agency."

It should be a policy at every single employer, period . . . not just agencies.  I know most job seekers would say, "Hey, how about a simple acknowledgment of my interest in your company?"  It's extremely annoying to me that the vast majority of employers (75%+ ?), don't even bother to acknowledge receipt of a resume or inquiry.  Most employers are a black hole for resume submissions and as such, are committing PR suicide.  I've written about this previously with "Screw You, Candidate!"

In the near future, skilled employees are going to be at a premium.  Once you factor in their experience, career goals and fit with an employer's culture, they will be even more limited.  Yet, companies don't take the opportunity even acknowledge an interested candidates' resume.  They should thank every single applicant and treat each one with respect.  Respect is the foundation for retention and for hiring.  If respect exists in a corporate culture, so does employee retention.  You can't recruit someone with disrespect!

Respect (obviously) even goes beyond retention and recruiting.  It shouldn't exist for self-serving reasons.  It should exist because it's the right way to do things . . . everything.

Yesterday, I tweeted the article "Respect: A Key Ingredient for innovation".  The Innovation Tools blog goes on to state:

"Respect is a key ingredient for successfully bringing a new creation to market. In other words, innovation. At the highest level, senior managers should have respect for both the future of the organization and for the people they are responsible for guiding.

The senior management team needs to be seen by the troops as having their best interests in mind, and not just pumping up the stock price. If the senior managers are viewed within the company as being self-serving and unconcerned about the long-term success of the firm, the creativity and focus needed across the company will not flourish."

Why is a lack of common sense, civility and respect so much the norm?  Is it laziness, selfishness or (heaven forbid) expense?  Do employers consider themselves to be "too busy"?   How many of you will ever work for a company who never bothered acknowledging your interest or failed to treat you with respect?

Are You Ready For Your Next Career Opportunity?

I had a candidate apply for an Account Supervisor position yesterday.  My client is in Dallas and I know this candidate is overqualified for an Account Supervisor level position.  It's not unusual for those who have been without a job for several months to start aiming a bit "lower", just so they can get employed again.  I responded to the candidate and pointed out that the position was in Dallas, and that perhaps he'd missed that.

I thought his reply to me was pretty interesting, and shows some of the frustration not only of those who are currently out of work, but also for workers who are employed.  They're looking too (see my posting "The Next Six Months . . . Emerging Employment Trends") . . . The market is just starting to turn from being one of Employer driven, to the candidate having a bit more leverage.  It's not as easy to find that leadership candidate as many think.  As I've written and Tweeted before, it's never easy finding top performing leaders who fit into a particular company culture, and have the same sort of vision of and goals for the future.

Here's how the candidate replied to me:

Thanks for the information on Dallas position. I assumed that there was not relocation available. That seems to be the case with most jobs nowadays. I've been looking for a couple of months now. There are some opportunities, but even more people looking for them. It's tough enough to be competing against some of the quality of communications professionals out of work, but you still have to compete against those looking to change jobs. I sometimes wish that those with a job would take a break from looking, then that way those of us without one could compete for the open positions. I've run into that a couple times already.
 
Thanks also for keeping in mind for any positions that come up.

I'll just say once again that it's important for every employee to "manage their career".  You need to be ready for a change, should you identify the right opportunity.  You should have your resume and portfolio current, and ready to present.  You should have your online profile(s) in order and up to date.  You should make sure that every tool you have to sell yourself to a prospective new employer is ready to go at a moment's notice.

It would be very unfortunate to miss your next great promotion and/or career opportunity, because you're not ready for it.  Are you ready for a phone call from a recruiter tomorrow? 

"Recruiters are driving me nuts. What should I do?"

I know from being a marketing and advertising recruiter for over eight years now, that candidates rarely hear back from employers.  It's an annoying fact of life that I just don't understand.  I believe that recruiters, especially retained recruiters have to be held to a higher standard.  My job is to develop a relationship with those candidates I'm working with for the benefit of the clients I'm working with.  My job is also to respond to candidates' inquiries and to do my best to manage their expectations.

I also know that most candidates just don't understand how retained recruiters work.  I've blogged about the difference between retained and contingency recruiters in the past and I know I'm going to be doing it again in the future.

I ran across another blog posting in one of the online recruiter forums I stay in touch with.  This blog is written by Sarah Welstead and I think has an interesting approach to answering the question in today's headline.   Retained recruiters should NOT be driving you nuts!  Let me know what you think . . .

"Because I've worked in the recruiting industry for a while now, but am not actually a recruiter myself, scarcely a week goes by that I don't get an email from someone - a friend-of-a-friend, a spouse-of-a-friend, a child-of-a-friend - telling me that they're having unsatisfactory interactions with recruiters, and asking what they should do about it."

via community.ere.net

Who's Hiring? What's Hot? Marketing Hiring Trends . . .

I've had three candidates this week ask me for my opinion on the "hiring environment", regionally.  After answering each of those inquiries individually, I've just received a fourth and decided to respond here.  The questions most frequently asked are:  Are many (any) places hiring?  What types of jobs are being hired for right now?   I'll take them one at a time.

Whether or not "many" places are hiring is relative.  Companies and agencies are hiring, but obviously on a very conservative, selective and thoughtful basis.  Both agencies and corporations have opportunities.  It's safe to say that employers are looking for absolutely top-notch candidates.  Every company is running as "lean" as they can possibly afford to.  Any new hire has to be able to add significant value, if not generate revenue, right away.

The hiring environment is improving.  I've seen improvement in activity since the middle of the summer.  Activity is continuing to increase.  Industry wide, temporary and/or contract positions are seeing more action, which is a recognized precursor to hiring for permanent positions.  If a company loses a valuable employee through attrition, that position might have to be replaced simply because staffing is so "lean" that there is nobody else who will have the time to be able to also do the work of the lost employee. 

There are agencies and corporations who are taking this opportunity to aggressively hire new employees.  They're looking to take advantage of top notch talent to grow for the future, wanting to be perfectly positioned when the economy starts really humming again.  Many are replacing existing employees with new employees who they feel can better deal with the marketing communications evolution into the future.  (If you're not enhancing your own knowledge and skill set, you're quickly becoming obsolete.)  Companies are "top-grading" from the Board level to entry level.  No company can afford to have someone who is not contributing and adding value.  If they're (you're) not, they (you) could be gone.

In both corporations and agencies, new business development is a sought after skill set.  People who have consistently demonstrated success at sales are in demand . . . and probably always will be.  People who understand how to go beyond what's expected to add value, wear multiple hats, and contribute beyond their literal job description . . . top performers (at every level) . . . will always have opportunities.

It's not surprising that new media, online marketing, electronic communications . . . call it what you will, is changing rapidly.  Almost every position I've recruited for over the past year, on both the client and agency side, had a new media component to it.  Whether a VP of Marketing, or a Group Account Director, fluency in online marketing (as evidenced by participation) is becoming an essential component of every marketing functional position.  It's a very good idea to have a professional presence online.

My suggestion is to always be ready for whatever the future may hold.  You should have all appropriate materials (resume, portfolio, online profiles/presence) updated and ready to go.  The economy is not necessarily out of the woods yet, and it's likely that unemployment is going to continue to increase.  You need to be ready to start a job search should you find yourself laid off.  You should be ready to respond to a new opportunity, professionally and promptly. 

Start positioning yourself as a thought leader and top performer in whatever your function is.  Be proactive!

Get to Know A Recruiter In Your Specialty

Unemployment is at 9.8% and climbing.  We're starting to consistently (but slowly) see that economic indicators are suggesting that the worst of the downturn is behind us.  Nobody knows the pace of recovery.  Employers are starting to think about hiring and employees are starting to think about new opportunities.  The unemployment rate of 9.8% is misleading, outstanding employees remain special and sought after.

According to Ted Konnerth of Egret Consulting,

"Monster and the Human Capital Institute recently found that 84% of employers felt their employees were content, while 58% of their employees expressed that same feeling. In more detail, 79% of employees are more likely to be seeking jobs elsewhere. 50% are concerned about top performers leaving their company and 57% believe employers exploited the recession to drive longer hours and lower pay from their employees."

There are successful companies who are working to identify those employees who they want to hire.  Those employees who the employer feels are going to be able to lead their company into the next phase of growth.  These companies are not waiting for a recovery, they're moving to make themselves a more powerful player now.  There are any number of surveys indicating that there is going to be renewed hiring in the next six months.  Are you ready for that next career move?

Do you know a recruiter who specializes in your area of expertise?  If not, do some research and find someone you can trust.  Get referrals from friends and colleagues.  There are going to be premier opportunities that are not advertised.  They're going to be filled by hand-picked candidates who are already successful, happy and motivated by what they're doing right now.  That candidate will be enticed to leave for an even better next career opportunity.

Hiring has already started.  We saw an upturn in mid-Summer.  Are you ready?  Are you happy?  Are you being professionally challenged . . . and rewarded?  Are you growing professionally?  Are you being professionally (and as a result personally) fulfilled?

Take a look at that resume.  Make sure it's updated with your latest "accomplishments", as opposed to "responsibilities".  I have a terrific article on my website that talks about how to create an impactful resume.  You can see it here.

If a recruiter calls with that next superb opportunity, be ready to respond!  Get to know a headhunter who specializes in what you do . . . introduce yourself and let them know you're always interested in moving your career forward.

If you're successful and respected in the marketing, corporate communications or advertising specialty, feel free (and encouraged) to visit our website at www.Bishop-Partners.com, and upload your resume, confidentially of course.  We'll respond to you!

Differences Between Retained and Contingency Search Firms

As a retained marketing recruiter, I develop relationships with both my clients and my candidates.  Those relationships often turn into friendships, even if a candidate ends up not being the candidate who is offered the job.  That relationship is developed because of a trust the client or candidate puts into the retained recruiting relationship.

The retained recruiter functions as a partner with the client, helping them identify and hire the very best candidates available for the open position.  We also have to partner with the client by talking about the position and making judgments about the viability of the "match".  The way to know that a candidate can succeed in the long term with one of our clients, is to get to know that candidate very well.  It sounds simple, but the reality is getting to know the candidate is essential . . . and time consuming.

I'm not knocking contingency recruiters, they certainly have their place and can succeed for their clients.  There are differences in the approach.  Many of those differences are based simply on the amount of time a recruiter can spend talking with and understanding a candidate.  A powerfully great hire is all about more than the resume . . . in fact the resume and finding the proper skill set is the easiest part of the recruiting process . . . it's everything else that's difficult, and it's that "everything else" that's essential for long term success for the candidate in the client environment.

The business models for retained and contingency recruiters are substantially different.  The fact that contingency recruiters have to be spending half their time finding their next "job order" (as we call it), obviously diminishes the amount of time they can spend on existing searches.  In turn, they can't spend the time with each individual candidate that a retained recruiter can.  Their incentive is to get as many candidates in front of the client as possible . . . and quickly . . . before another contingency firm beats them to the punch! 

Here's a list of some of the fundamental differences between the retained and contingency models:

Retained:      Represent employer clients only.
Contingency:      Can and do represent individuals seeking placement.

Retained:      Conducts assignments on an exclusive basis only.
Contingency:      Are usually in competition with other similar firms or agencies for the placement.

Retained:      Professional recruiting staff tends to be compensated on a salary, bonus, profit-sharing basis with incentives for client business development.
Contingency:      Professional staff tends to be compensated on commissions for placements made.

Extreme Cover Letters (That Don't Work!)

I'm conducting a national confidential search for a Creative Director for an out of town client.  In addition to the normal approach of researching and calling into targeted (competitive) companies for passive candidates, I've posted the position on a couple of specialty creative job sites.

I received two cover letters today, that are remarkable in their own way.  Both fail miserably I think for obvious reasons.  I thought I'd share them with you because most people just don't understand how ineffective these approaches can be.  They basically serve to disqualify the candidate immediately.

The first Creative Director has quite an ego.  The letter is all about him . . . I've tried to deliver the format the way I received it:

"I am a
self-motivated creative super star who is unafraid to push the boundaries in order to achieve greatness! My specialty is putting the WOW factor into every facet of what I do, from creating eye-popping graphics to writing attention-grabbing copy. If it can be printed, read or otherwise visualized, I have done it in my 15-year career. My vast experience includes both corporate and agency-based creative, management of large and small teams, direction over design and production as well as mastery of Mac-based systems inside and out.
In the workplace, I
am personable and easy to talk to. I can handle criticism as easily as praise and respond to suggestions or instructions in a positive, forward-thinking manner. My colleagues often seek me out for solutions to help them better perform their own tasks.
My ideal scenario
is to find a company or agency who can utilize my talents to their full extent.
As many things as I have accomplished thus far, I have only scratched the surface of my potential. Your company will reap the rewards of the continuing growth and evolution of my career, resulting in a mutually beneficial situation. I am seeking a salary range beginning at 65K per year, but am certainly flexible, given the right opportunity. I have also filled out a profile and uploaded a resume on your site.
Please click the
following link to view my portfolio of recent work:
http://www.coroflot.com/acmecreativeguywithmassiveego
I look forward to
speaking with you further so we can begin our new relationship together soon.
Thank you for your time and consideration."

I know this next one will speak for itself:

"Hi. Attch. is a R.
Thx, DCU"

The idea is to let the company know you want to work for them, and why.  It shouldn't be all about you, it should be all about what you can do for them. 

Proud To Be In IRSA, International Retained Search Associates

Remember that club in high school that you so wanted to be a part of, but were never invited?  Or more recently,  that exclusive professional organization or association that so attracts you, but membership is by invitation only . . . and you aren't so presumptuous to think you'll ever be invited?  Well, IRSA is just that sort of association for me and Bishop Partners, LLC . . . IRSA stands for the International Retained Search Association, and I was invited to be a member in January of 2008.

Since that time, IRSA has been refining its role and value to the members.  I'm pleased to have lead the drive for a new identity and positioning for the organization.  The re-branding effort was lead by St. Louis' own branding and design consultancy, Yank and LImey.  My good friend Ben Franklin, who in my opinion is one of the best designers of brand identify anywhere, created our new logo and identity.

I'm also proud of the new website we've just rolled out.  To view it, click here.  My fellow IRSA members trusted me to direct the design and development of the site, which is intended to highlight the value that IRSA members consistently deliver to their clients.

IRSA is a group of about 25 retained recruiters, all of whom are leaders in their specialties.  Most have been retained recruiters for decades, and know exactly what they're doing.  Many are such accomplished recruiters, that they are routinely chosen to train other recruiters at national association gatherings, like the NAPS (National Association for Personnel Services) event coming up in Las Vegas.  To get an idea of what those events are like, you can check it out here.

From the moment I heard about IRSA, I was hopeful to become a member.  We meet twice a year to intensively discuss and share best practices with each other.  Since there is no "right" way to succeed at recruiting, different people have different approaches.  The glory of IRSA is that the members are very willing to share all their methodology with fellow members.  The value of that open sharing and mutual support is absolutely immeasurable.  It's not an exaggeration to say that every IRSA member is a better recruiter as a result of their involvement.

This association also helps each member recruiting firm provide additional support and capability to all of our clients.  Since the organization is truly international, with firms from every continent except Africa and Australia (at the moment), existing client relationships can be leveraged to provide those clients with additional capabilities and service all over the world.  The client can rest assured that they will be dealing with an experienced retained recruiter with the highest ethical standards and success rates.

I also work with a number of candidates who are interested in working in other countries.  IRSA will give Bishop Partners a far better opportunity to be able to move those candidates to spectacular opportunities in other cities from Beijing to Paris.  It's an exciting additional capability.

I'll also have the ability to provide candidates for our partners in other cities, who are looking for premier performers in the areas of marketing, advertising and corporate communications. 

Working With Headhunters, Part III

It's interesting to me to see which posts elicit responses and which do not.  If you haven't been following the saga surrounding the provocative email I received from candidate Jeff, you might start by reading Working with Headhunters and then Working with Headhunters, Part II.

Here's another thoughtful comment that was emailed to my by my friend John Salazzo, Director of Marketing for Craftsmen Industries, the leading manufacturer of customized vehicles for the event and promotion industry.

"I know its strange to hear from me twice in the same week but I saw your post on Plaxo about recruiting and had to make a comment.

I’ve been on the other side of the equation for years, hiring and working with recruiters. You know I haven’t worked with you yet so please realize this is from my experience with others. There are two important points I’d like to make.

Point One is that many recruiters don’t really do their homework and confuse quality with quantity. Some just aren’t good listeners and feel that through their salesmanship they can convince a company that the three selections are right for them when they are not. Additionally, the fee structures are high, especially when the recruits they send are not the right fit. One more thing, some recruiters take weeks to “comb over resumes”, I can tell you from this side, we all feel its an excuse for the high rates. Its especially true when the 3 resulting candidates are completely unimpressive.

Point Two is that many unemployed people are scared, desperate and naive about recruiters. They need to understand that they are the inventory for the recruiter. You work for the Company, he is your client. If there is no demand from a client for their skill and qualification set then they won’t get contacted every week by the recruiter. I don’t touch the spaghetti sauce until I’m making spaghetti—sorry for the poor metaphor. Recruiters can get a bad wrap from both sides. The candidates feel they are ignored after several very good conversations with the recruiting firm (“why don’t they call anymore”) and recruiters get burnt by candidates and companies. The candidates inflate their resumes and experiences, which makes the recruiters look bad and the companies either try to “backdoor” the recruiter or don’t really know what they are looking for.

It’s a tough business, especially now. I hope your experiences have had none of the above. I’ve used recruiters in Boston, NYC and London and there is a common thread. Recruiters are in business to make money. They exist to deliver a quality product at a perceived value, to meet a requirement. Like I said, it’s a tough business but I’m glad folks like you are in it."

I would love you to post that response as a comment on my blog at www.TheMarketingRecruiter.com.  Your comments are well put and to the point.  One of the reasons I’m writing this blog is for exactly these sorts of reasons.  I’m trying to help candidates better understand what recruiters do and how they do it.  Your note moves that conversation forward.

Thanks John.

I understand that many candidates don't know what to expect from a recruiter.  I try to manage expectations from the first contact. I try to be clear on my website, when I talk about "What should you look for in a recruiter?"

Working With Headhunters, Part II

A couple of weeks ago I received an email from Jeff, a candidate I didn't know who was suggesting that all recruiters are frauds and/or liars, and should be avoided.  If you haven't seen that yet, you should read it first.

I've had a couple of friends email me after that post, saying how unusual (strange?) it was for Joel to write to me to get advice on where he can publicly post information on how inept and/or (worse) deceitful recruiters are.  It seemed strange to them.  It was strange for me too . . . Nonetheless, I felt compelled to reply.

I've since received a follow up email from Jeff . . .

"Thank you for taking the time to respond to my e-mail. As an update and for your information,  I offered the recruiting agencies that I referred to in my email  the link  to look at  the e-mail that I sent you. Not one of the recruiting  agencies had the  professional courtesy to  get back to me.

It appears to me Bob  that  you are the only recruiter I have had the opportunity to interact with that has any professional ethics or is concerned  as to how people view recruiters.

If you decide to publish this e-mail please let me so I can  refer other people to the link."

Best regards,  Jeff

There you go . . . another tiny tale from the world of social networking and marketing.  Dealing with "human assets" in headhunting is fascinating.  There's never a dull moment!   I'm looking forward to what might be next!

The Greatest Opening Line . . . Ever!

It figures that after my post of just over a week ago, "Opening Lines For Cover Letters" that I would receive another cover letter with an opening line that just blows the others away.  I couldn't stop myself from sharing this one too.  I'm not trying to be cruel here.  I'm sure the writer sent this with sincere feelings and in the hopes that it would in some way provide insight into the personality, goals and values of the candidate.

I'm afraid it probably does just that.  The reader of this opening line has to assume that it is heartfelt and appropriate.  The only other possible assumption is that this person has a rather oblique sense of humor that was lost on me.

What's the line you ask?  Here you go:

"Hi, my name is Tom and I'm a Taurus. I enjoy long walks on the golf course, Cajun food and Rock and Roll. I'm looking for someone who shares my passion for great creative and who isn't afraid to take things to the next level. Let talk and see if we connect – I could be the one you've been looking for."

That's the opening line for a Creative Director position.  Sounds sorta like a personal classified looking for someone to date.  I suppose it might have impact on some employers . . . but I'm inclined to doubt it.  Maybe Tom pasted in the wrong copy from a document he was previously working on . . .

I had to respond and let him know he wasn't quite right for this particular search.

We work in a glorious industry.  You never know what might be next!

Opening Lines for Cover Letters

I was speaking with a candidate yesterday for this Dallas CD search, and he mentioned he'd read my last posting on job descriptions and cover letter responses.  He made the comment to me that he had a lot of friends who didn't think the cover letter was "very important".  It is.

I thought maybe a good way of illustrating the point from my side of the desk would be to share some "opening lines" with you.  It didn't take me more than 15 minutes to go through responses and pick these as examples.  I don't want to be cruel or rude about this.  I realize that everyone isn't an expert in how to respond to an employer or recruiter to express interest in a job opportunity (which is part of the reason I'm writing this blog to begin with!).  My goal is to help you understand from the recipient's perspective (mine) that some of this just doesn't work.  A typo is death.  You will (instantly) be disqualified for a typo!  Take your time.  Think about what you're saying and target your response.

Here are some examples:

"As a Creative Director, I am currently looking to make a transition into a more challenging position . . ."

"Please recognize that my formal education and recent job experience are exactly what your organization needs to expand in a positive direction."

"Hi, my name is Annie, I read the requirements and qualifications posted about this job and would like to know more. It definitely peaks my interest, and is the avenue I want to take in the next step of my career."

"I am a talented and fun designer looking for employment in the Dallas area."

“Creating enticing visual concepts for direct mail, catalogs and target base marketing, I am experienced and well-versed in SC3, InDesign . . . “

“Your open Creative Director - position caught my attention because my experience aligns nicely with the requirements.  I would be interested in learning more.”

"I am interested in the position you are looking to fill. I believe that I am uniquely qualified and have the skills that you are in need of."

"“I am an inspired and highly experienced communications professional who partners with my clients and colleagues to create brands that are differentiated from the competition and highly relevant to the customer. I am well qualified for this position. What more, one of my strongest abilities . . . “

"I do work that works.
Work available upon request."

Read That Job Description More Closely

I'm coming to the conclusion that candidates don't "really" read job descriptions.  It's just amazing!  (It's one of the reasons a phone is a much better recruiting tool!)

I'm currently working on a search for a Creative Director in the Dallas area.  My job description clearly states that the client is not willing to provide any relocation assistance, because we don't believe it's necessary for this particular position.  That fact is not stopping Creative Directors from all over the country (world) in applying for the position.

Candidates apply for the position by (you've heard this before) sending along the same cover letter and resume that they send to every other job they apply to.  They're probably sitting there wondering why they aren't getting any response . . . not just from me, but from any of the other employers or recruiters they've applied to.  The reason they're not getting any response, is because they're not paying attention, or creating enough interest with their own response.

I can understand that there will be some candidates who might be willing to pay their own expenses to move to Dallas.  If that's the case, wouldn't it seem like common sense that they'd mention that fact in a cover letter?  I'm becoming convinced that they're just not reading the job description, and then considering whether or not they're a good fit.  I've talked to candidates many times about how surprised I am that someone doesn't research a company before they apply for a position with that company.

I think all a Creative Director (this applies to any job title!) has to see is the title "Creative Director" on a job description, and they fire off their info as quickly as they possibly can.  There's no tailoring the cover letter to the specific requirements of the position, or saying how they have experience in the areas needed.  It's apparent that they believe "one portfolio fits all" in the same way one cover letter and one resume fits all.

In this particular CD position, our client needs candidates with packaging experience, which I mention in the job description.  I would think that adding some packaging samples (assuming they exist) to an existing pdf e-book would be an obvious thing to do . . . apparently, it isn't.  If you have a website with lots of samples, but maybe not specifically what the job description is looking for, direct me to the website, and say in your cover letter that additional samples can be sent separately, if a level of interest is established.  I understand that every candidate doesn't have exactly the right samples prepared at exactly the right time.  I'm willing to wait to see their best work most closely related to my search.

This whole effort is not a race.  This is about trying to have impact and stand out from the crowd in the way you respond.  The additional time spent reading, re-reading and trying to understand the job description is well spent as a first step in developing a thoughtful response . . . one that will command the reader's interest . . . and get a response!

“RESUMES WITHOUT SALARY REQUIREMENTS . . .

 . . . WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.”

I received an email from a loyal reader of this blog who brought up this hiring issue after reading my thoughts about Anonymous Job Postings:

“I hate when employers ask the salary question. There are so many
factors. And just because I might have made more in the past should
not keep one from being considered. Maybe there will be fewer
responsibilities, or more days of or other perks that one would be
fine with getting less money. Not to mention that agencies pay scales
are all over the board.

At a place like Acme, each title level has at least a 20k range
that people could fall into. So you could be looking at 2 people who
do the same job and are equally talented, but have a big pay
difference, because one negotiated better or had a more generous boss.

It seems the problem lies, in the employer wants to get the right
person as cheap as they can, and the employee wants as much as they
can get. but in early talks when salary is talked about without
details of everything else, one can either be out of the running or
screw themselves over and not get what the place might have been
willing to pay.”

I have to admit this is another “pet peeve” of mine.  I think it’s completely inappropriate for an employer to ask this question at this stage of the process.  How can a candidate give a salary requirement when they don’t know anything specific about the job.  Some posted job description does not suffice for that purpose.

My reader is right when they point out the employer is concerned about salary.  Salary is obviously a concern, and an integral part of the hiring process, but not at this stage.  Appropriate salary is based on market value, the company’s particular culture and pay scale and most importantly, the responsibilities of the position.  In some cases, prior salary history is part of the formula.  My reader is also correct when he mentions other elements of the compensation package like, vacation, benefits, other perks and bonus based on performance can all affect the “salary”.

My experience is that very few candidates are interested in a new job just because of salary.  As they say, “Salary isn’t everything” . . . and it rarely is.  People are interested in the contribution they can make to a new employer, the working environment, perhaps the clients or co-workers, opportunity for training and career advancement . . . a myriad of things that don’t include a starting salary.

Employers cheat themselves when they ask this question, because inevitably highly skilled and motivated employees will not be considered.  If employers would consider candidates based on their potential for contribution and growth, rather than a starting salary, they would certainly have a bigger and better pool of candidates to choose from.  Too many employers don’t care to expend the time necessary to really determine who the best candidate is through conversations and the interview process.  The hiring process is a complex and difficult task . . . it takes time to do it right.

In my opinion, candidates can tell employers what their salary history has been, in an interview.  They should also explain to the hiring authority those specific reasons why they are interested in the new position, and how they think they will contribute to the new employer.  The result should be an open and honest communication and negotiation resulting in the mutual satisfaction of both parties.

If you have any other questions related to the hiring process, please feel free and encouraged to email me . . . I’ll be happy to answer them in upcoming posts.  I’m also interested in hearing about any personal experiences regarding today’s topic.

HR’s Dilemma, Matching Resumes to Job Descriptions

I’m not trying to slap myself on the back when I say I really try to take some time to read a resume and understand transferable skills, career progression and the candidate’s growth of responsibilities and achievement.  Headhunters deal with humans.  We need to understand as much about them as possible, what they’ve accomplished, what makes them tick . . . and what they ideally want.

I continually run into hiring managers who don’t really read the resume for career growth, achievement and consistent increasing responsibility.  Rather, it seems they try to most closely match previous experience (read, keywords) with the existing job description.  There’s sometimes no overall consideration of achievement, performance and previous opportunities for advancement.  Great candidates get lost in this shuffle.

The whole situation is compounded for those poor Human Resource people caught in the middle.  They have to deal with hiring managers from multiple departments.  There is no way they can possibly understand the nuance of some increasingly technical or multi-faceted positions as well as that hiring manager.  Rarely is enough time spent between the hiring manager (department head or person the new hire will report to) and HR, explaining the need and the kind of candidate who will excel.  Rarely does the hiring manager provide a well thought out job description for HR to work with.  Everything just happens too fast . . . everyone’s too busy.

It’s not like hiring is the only thing most HR professionals have to deal with.  Most are the go-to person for questions about vacations, benefits, insurance, the lack of coffee in the break room or the annoying employee in the next office.  The larger the office, the more work is on HR’s plate.  Talk about a juggling act . . . there just aren’t enough hours in the day.  It’s the most obvious explanation of why HR gets a bad rap for not being more responsive to inquiring candidates.  These are not the harried folks I talked about in my “Screw You” posting a week or so ago.

As a result of all these competing interests, HR and hiring managers default to matching up resumes and job descriptions.  The more keywords, titles, target companies or clients the candidate has on their resume, the more attention they get (or not).  There just isn’t the possibility of spending 10 minutes reading a resume from back to front and understanding just what a candidate may have to offer.  You’ve heard that people have an impression of your resume in 30 seconds?  It’s true.  I am not advocating that the “right” way to write a resume is to incorporate all of those elements, for the benefit of the harried reader.

The other unfortunate component is that most people aren’t great at writing resumes.  They never think about having one updated and on hand.   Most never see resumes in their daily routines and frankly have no idea what makes a good one, or how to write a powerful one.  It’s one reason I was compelled to start a resume and portfolio consulting service.  I kept running into great candidates who had resumes that were not representative of their abilities.  I couldn’t present their existing resume to my client and expect that my client would have any real idea of my candidate’s potential for them.  If I wanted that candidate to be taken seriously, I had to help them with their resume.

The whole job description and resume protocol hasn’t changed in 100 years.  There has to be a better way!  If you add the online (and sometimes anonymous client) component to it, it’s an incredibly impersonal process.  You’d think we could do better, for a hiring process that is dependent on personality, and personal impressions to succeed.