The Perfect Fit

Elevating Recruitment Excellence with AI: Enhancing Our Expertise for Your Success

To All Our Existing and Prospective Clients:

I hope this letter finds you well. As your dedicated partner in the on-going quest for top-tier marketing talent, I am excited to share a transformative development that is significantly enhancing our recruitment capabilities and ensure we continue to exceed your expectations. Bishop Partners has always prided itself on its meticulous approach to identifying the best candidates for your unique needs. Today, I am thrilled to explain how the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) will make our already successful and experienced recruitment process even more efficient, accurate, and tailored to your requirements.

Our Foundation of Trust, Honesty, and Discretion
For years, our firm has built a robust database of over 11,000 marketing professionals across North America. This extensive network, coupled with our unwavering commitment to trust, honesty, and discretion, has cemented our reputation as a leading recruitment firm. Our personalized approach ensures that we deeply understand your needs and the specific nuances of each role we fill. This commitment to excellence will only be amplified with the strategic implementation of AI technologies.

The Power of AI in Recruitment
Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing various industries, and recruitment is no exception. By integrating AI into our recruitment process, we will enhance our ability to identify, assess, and present the best candidates for your specific opportunities. Here’s how AI will transform our recruitment process and benefit your organization:

Resources For Your Remote Career Path

When you have the ability to work remotely, the opportunities are endless. You could land a full-time job with a company that operates virtually, or you could even open up your own online business! No matter what’s next on your professional journey, Bishop Partners can help you get ready. Here’s how to search for remote work opportunities, network online, and spruce up your resume for the job hunt.

Find a Telecommute Position

Today, plenty of companies allow their employees to work remotely. Here’s how to land the remote job of your dreams!

● Wondering how to find job postings for remote positions? Check out these platforms.
● Create a virtual portfolio for employers to view that showcases your most important professional achievements.
● Get in touch with Bishop Partners if you need resume and portfolio consulting.
● Get ready for your video interviews in advance by rehearsing your answers and testing out your technology.
● Once you’ve secured a remote position, settle into a routine that will boost your productivity!

Run a Business From Home

You can open a business without renting a retail space. These tips will help you launch a company that you can run remotely.

● Don’t launch a product or service without creating a business plan first — you can get all of your ideas down on paper.
● Registering your business as an LLC will grant you limited liability and tax perks, so get your Certificate of Formation in your state through an online formation service!
● Make sure that customers can easily find you online by setting up a small business website.
● Running a remote business doesn’t have to prevent you from networking — these tips will help you connect with others online and offline.

Tips for Job-Seeking Veterans

Are you transitioning from the military to civilian life? These resources are packed with tips on landing the right remote job.

The Recruiting Market is Red Hot and Rapidly Becoming Candidate Driven!

What the difference a year makes! Employers are no longer simply driving the recruiting bus, picking up experienced and skilled employees. Candidates need to want to work for you (employer) as badly as you want them on board!

In a survey with ExecuNet (a leading Executive Recruiting resource), completed last week the results were surprising, if not downright shocking!

“We are hearing from more and more executive recruiters that the executive hiring market is very strong. Some compare it to 1999-2000 just before the “dot com” bust. That may be overblown, just glad things are moving forward.

The challenges of a strong marketplace is that it isn’t all good news for recruiters who work so hard to fill a position. It is clearly becoming a candidate empowered market.

A Robert Half survey from February, 2021 highlighted that 28% of candidates backed out after receiving a job offer:

▪ 44% received a better offer from another company
▪ 27% received a counteroffer from their current employer
▪ 19% heard bad things about the potential new company through due diligence”

One of the principles of interviewing is: “Know Your Candidate!” They have options.

Know if your candidate is interviewing elsewhere – a top candidate attracts other recruiters, so keep the pulse on all candidates you are seriously pursuing; you can be seen as a helpful part of their process.

Understand what competitors are offering – top candidates can be expected to attract top interest and you can build relationships to help them compare offers, so they can better make a decision.

Prepare for the Counteroffer – clear with the candidates early what their view is of a counteroffer and lack of longevity for anyone who accepts one.

Improve the way to extend offers – take advantage of the relationship between hiring manager (or recruiter) and candidate and be open, honest and sincere.

Help your candidates resign – enable them to leave graciously and professionally, it protects them and commits them to final closure.

Do you, the Employer, have the time and resources necessary to really develop the relationships and understand the nuance of a candidate’s career goals? Those are the (simple) elements that help the retention of high value candidates. It’s also why there are Executive Recruiters!

Give Bob a call to see how Bishop Partners can help you hire the most valuable candidates, in a timely way.

Recruiting Surges as Pandemic Recedes! It’s Recruiting Pandemonium!

The St. Louis Post Dispatch Headline over the weekend read, “US Economy Roaring Back”! Friday in the Wall Street Journal, “Jobless Claims fell below 500,000 last week for the first time during the pandemic as layoffs continue to decline.” It’s not only bars and restaurants who are having trouble hiring . . . it’s every (not any) employer who is interested in upgrading particular capabilities.   

The second week in January, 2021 Bishop Partners experienced an incredible, sudden acceleration of recruiting activity from our former and new Clients. It was exciting! We’ve already completed more searches this year, than all of 2020!

For example, in an agency or in-house creative group, those superior creatives, digital media planners/strategists/buyers, client service leaders or new biz developers are extremely difficult to identify and hire. They don’t watch job boards or apply for new positions. If they’re not working at the employer of their choice, being paid what they’re worth and professionally very happy, it’s their own fault!

When layoffs are planned and executed, employers don’t lay off their most valuable employees. They lay off those who are not great at what they’re doing or who’s comp level was just too much during Covid.

Companies are more methodical in the approach to hiring in that the openings are a result of analyzing the business model and organizational structure to key on personnel realignments, upgrades or replacements. With the vaccine rollout and a better understanding of how to mitigate surges than a year ago, companies are working feverishly to meet demand and expand capabilities (modern marketing), while also assessing where they can embrace remote talent in some departments permanently.

If you aren’t already, now is the time to be developing your hiring strategy for the rest of the year. Business is bouncing back quicker than anyone expected . . . don’t get lost in the dust!

To efficiently identify, recruit and hire the top performers in your industry, it’s smart to hire a professional recruiter who specializes in your industry. You want the position filled as quickly as possible.

Give us a call and we’ll be happy to discuss your needs and explain how we can be a resource for you.

Spring Clean Your Professional Profiles

As Spring is just around the corner, it is a great time to clean and refresh. Consider applying that concept to your online professional profiles with an update to all of your social media platforms. 

As the economy improves, hiring activity is increasing and is expected to really accelerate, especially in the second quarter. In a competitive job market, it’s important to stand out amongst your peers. A good way to catch a hiring authority’s eye is with a strong profile on LinkedIn. Strong LinkedIn Profiles are significantly enhanced with recommendations (more so than endorsements!).

Incomplete profiles or leaving off blocks of time will not get you the same attention as those profiles that are showing effort and attention to detail. Even if you are not actively looking for a new role, your professional presence can yield a conversation about an opportunity that can intrigue.

Recruiters are constantly searching for talented individuals in their field, so demonstrate your contributions by detailing the ways you’ve added value, where you have gained applicable experience, and how you have delivered on leadership, team building and mentoring opportunities.

In addition to updating your LinkedIn profile, also take the time to review the rest of your social media. Hiring authorities might look at Facebook, Twitter and Instragram so maintain those platforms in a manner that represents you authentically and professionally. What you put out there publicly can attract an engagement with a recruiter or eliminate you from the talent pool.

It’s also a good idea to always have your resume up to date. Don’t forget to include promotions, certifications, collaborations and contributions you’ve made since the last time you looked at your resume.

A Client of mine put it best, I think. She said, “I won’t hire any candidate who has something posted that they wouldn’t want their grandmother to see!”

Thanks to Bailey at Bohan & Bradstreet for contributing to this article.

Identifying & Hiring Top Talent Efficiently

Every owner, CEO, President or hiring manager often has a problem to solve. The need could be the result of Covid layoffs, retirement, building bench strength, budgeted growth plans, replacing an under performing team member or one that has moved on. Regardless, the position needs to be filled as quickly as possible, by a candidate who is a professional fit for the role, and equally important, one who is a strong cultural fit for your organization. You need them to flourish on and with your team. 

Sure, you can post your open position on job boards and receive hundreds of applicants and perhaps a handful will work in the industry. Nevertheless, most will not be qualified for your role and they will have no specific industry experience. Perhaps a handful will have worked in the industry but aren’t qualified for your role. You will spend countless hours (which translates into wasted time and money) sorting through resumes and talking to people who cannot solve your problem. If you are lucky, you may get one that you can hire. Are you seeking to ‘get lucky’ in filling this crucial need?  Is that a result worth the amount of time spent?

A better approach is to align yourself with an industry specific, professional recruiter. One that understands your product(s), how you go to market, who your competitors are, and will understand the specific issues that you need the candidate to solve.  Your ‘industry expert’ recruiter is well connected with the people in YOUR industry vertical and ultimately can qualify anywhere from 50 – 200 people (depending on the position). In the end, you will get the best 3 or 4 candidates who are actually excited for the opportunity to join your team! 

Sometimes (especially with highly technical roles) it may be as few as 1 or 2 candidates introduced. Regardless, this is the ‘less is more’ approach. You will receive quality candidates, fully vetted and qualified to fit the specifications of your role, both professionally and culturally.  They will know enough about your company to know that this is actually a career opportunity for them.

Don’t fall into the ‘we need to see more’ before we can make an offer trap. Remember, time to thoroughly qualify a candidate…has already been spent for you. Focus on who is in front of you – the qualified candidate that will solve your problem while achieving success for you and your organization.

Written by my friend Ted Konnerth, CEO of Egret Consulting and lightly edited by me.

I'm Thankful and Grateful for Thankful 2020! (Hard to Imagine!)

While 2020 has delivered unexpected and incredibly challenging issues, it has also shown that we’re stronger and more resilient that we might have imagined. Thanksgiving is the time to take time and reflect on all that we have to be Thankful for. I’ve renewed my thanks that I’m living the life that I’m living, challenges notwithstanding.

• I’m thankful for Barbara, the love of my life and constant companion (especially during quarantine). It helped reinforce our love for each other.
• I’m thankful for my family and friends who have stayed healthy and such an incredibly important part of my life.
• I’m thankful that I’m healthy. Devastating death and a virus make me realize how uncertain life really is and  what I have to be thankful for . . .
• I’m thankful for loyal Clients who have supported me, encouraged me and hired me through 2020!
• I’m  thankful for my trusted reputation, encouraging candidates at every level of marketing and digital media to contact me for future opportunities.
• I’m thankful that I can support and advise those who need help with presenting themselves in the best light or with advice on career next steps.
• I’m thankful that Covid has opened my eyes and helped me be innovative in the way my recruiting services are delivered and paid for. Clients appreciate that innovation.

Thankfully, I could go on . . . But I’ll spare you . . . thankfully!

I hope your day is filled with love, laughter, and gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving!

Bishop Partners Celebrates 19 Years of Recruiting and Executive Placement! Thank You!

July 1 was the 19th Anniversary of Bishop Partners and my becoming an Executive Recruiter! This past year was both the best and the worst in some ways. It was the best professionally and personally, but Covid-19 has obviously had unbelievable impact on all of our lives and jobs.

Fortunately, this past year has been professionally excellent. I was worried that people (Clients especially) would think that my move to Florida, meant that I was retiring. Not even close! Fortunately, Barbara’s and my move for personal reasons has had little impact on my business. I’ve survived past recessions, terror attacks and social unrest. My experience and national reputation continues to be a strong foundation for Bishop Partners’ ongoing success. I’m thankful!

I want to thank all of you who have contributed to our success over these past 19 years. I wouldn’t still be here without your support, your positive feedback and your referrals . . . to both colleagues (Candidates) and Employers (Clients). Thank you!

Even though I had two searches cancelled at the offer stage in early April, I’ve been pretty busy. I have new Clients in St. Louis, Austin, Ft. Lauderdale and Las Vegas. That reputation (and maybe my blog?) has been responsible for conversations in the past six weeks about the strategic hiring of a company’s missing talent.

I’ve had conversations with Clients about a Digital Strategy Director, several about New Biz Developers, top grading for a VP level Media Strategist, a Director of Marketing and a Director of Sales and Marketing. A Former Client contacted me and asked me to start thinking about candidates who could be President of a new agency she’s launching. Someone will call and say, I’m interested in the best talent you know of in a particular specialty or vertical . . . recruiters with a specialty know who the most valuable candidates are (and the candidates know who the best recruiters are!). It’s rewarding to be a trusted resource!

I’m proud of how I’ve been able to help candidates with their resumes and a strategy for unexpectedly having to find a new job. It’s very satisfying to help someone take the next step in their career path. We all

Enhance Your Talent Pipeline - Now!

This is the perfect time to enhance your talent pipeline!  The situation caused by Covid-19, is unlike any other economic slowdown in history. It’s not driven by economics, but by biology. Just like SARS, or MERS or H1N1, this pandemic will end. We’re seeing encouraging signs of employment and the stock market rebounding. Even NYC has taken the first steps of “opening up”. There’s a cautious optimism about our economy.

Executive leadership teams are having strategic conversations about what to do as their business picks back up. Every furloughed worker will not be brought back. This is an opportunity to re-position, refine and “topgrade” those critical roles that will help bring your brand or company back and lead it into the future. ‘Bringing back’ is just the start. Creating meaningful strategy and innovations based on what will be a new reality, is essential for brand survival and growth. This is the time to scrutinize, refine and enhance your team for maximum efficiency and productivity.

Candidates have never been more accessible. They thought their employers had a very positive feeling about them. Many believed themselves to be ‘indispensable’. Many were absolutely stunned and angry, after having been furloughed or laid off. Now, they’re home, they’re answering their phones and have the time and willingness to re-consider their career futures. I know that many previously happy and engaged executive and employees are not so happy or engaged right now.

Before Covid, candidates couldn’t be reached, they were too busy or they were travelling to events or in meetings. It was difficult to have a conversation during work, if there didn’t happen to be a conference room or some other place to accept a recruiter’s call. Now is the best time (maybe ever) to contact top candidates. There’s time to find “the best of the best”. I’ve never had such a high percentage of candidates answer my calls and be willing to listen to and consider new opportunities.  The "Covid Side Effect"

Between telephone and Zoom interviews, we’re able to get a really clear picture of a person’s skills, experience and personality. The hiring process can often take 30 or more days . . . It makes sense to start, continue or re-charge the interview process, right now. Candidates want to hear about opportunities! They return calls promptly.

While I understand that this might not the time to bring someone on board, it is the perfect time to start to identify the pool of candidates (or create a pipeline) for other searches. There’s opportunity for more “first interviews” by video and phone.

There’s never been such a confluence of time, opportunity and availability, to get phone conversations started. Now is the best time we’ve seen in years, to build your candidate pipelines! Bishop Partners is trusted, experienced and ready and willing to help. Give us a call!

To Our Clients and Our Candidates, "We're Here to Help"!

I wanted to send a note of support and optimism, as business has stopped, literally overnight . . . we’re here to help you.  I agree with those marketing prognosticators and many of our Clients, who suggest that once this virus is under control and we approach ‘normalcy’, business and demand for marketing will explode with the pent-up demand that will have been simmering for months.  

Jobs will return to support that demand.  Whether laid-off or furloughed employees wait for their former employer to hire them back is an open question.  There will be new, better opportunities.   There are CEOs and Managing Partners all over, who are wondering “What will we do to staff properly for the future”. The most experienced executives are creating contingency plans, in case “their” employees have found a better opportunity.  The most sought after, data driven skillsets have changed and will be in high demand.  Opportunities will abound!  Brands will be hiring!  

I want you to know that I’m not just here for you when times are great!  We’re not going anywhere.  I continue to value our relationship.  I’ve got your back.  If there’s anything we can to do help, now or as business picks up, please let me know.  I don’t want to sound “mercenary”, because that’s not my intent.  I genuinely want to provide help and support in whatever ways I can.  

I’ve been in the recruiting and consulting business for a long time.  We’ve been through the dot com bubble burst, terrorist attacks and “The Great Recession”.  We've learned valuable lessons.

The Secret of How The Best Executive Recruiters Sustain Employer Culture

Business owners, principals and leaders want to know how the best executive recruiters sustain employer culture

If you Google “Company Culture”, in 0.67 seconds, you’re overwhelmed by 127,000,000 results. There’s an incredible amount of interest in company culture, because it’s perceived as the foundation for everything from employee stability, to corporate growth, profitability and sustainability. Most will agree that a Company’s culture is fundamental to the success or failure of that company, by any measure.

There are an incredible number of “measures” of a culture. Some say there are four types, some say eight and some say 10! There’s no one right answer.  The question is really, do you know how to add those ingredients (both tools and people) which will support, then improve your culture? Do you know what and who not to add to that culture? The knowledge of both is absolutely critical! Couple that with the skilled talent shortage and you can see why recruiters are in demand. “Post and Pray”, isn’t working any better than ever and certainly fails when viewed through the lens of culture.

The most recent issue of AdAge had the annual “Best Places to Work” issue.  There’s no question that better culture contributes to employee and stakeholder happiness, whether the company’s a start-up or Fortune 25. Happiness for employees isn’t necessarily driven by money, as it is for many other stakeholders. Still employee happiness leads to better fiscal results. “Companies that invest in their employees both at work and beyond the office yield big dividends. Top-ranked companies invest significant time and effort in creating, writing and sharing company culture and visions to foster an atmosphere of support and caring for their employees.

The factors that most relate to high workplace ratings encompass feelings of support, encouragement, empowerment and purpose—areas where top-performing companies exceed expectations.

Leaders of top-ranked companies make a conscious effort to provide support and benefits to empower their employees—both as workers and as human beings who have a life. Investments in employee empowerment and supportive services result in happier, more productive employees.
Employees’ experiences at a top-rated company tend to be better across the board. Employees at top-performing companies feel differently about their relationships with their co-workers and management. They respect and have fun with their colleagues and feel there is opportunity for advancement.”

How To Future-Proof Your Career In A Fast-Changing, Unforgiving Global Job Market

Last week, I was interviewed by Jack Kelly, for an article in Forbes.  I was impressed with Jack's thinking and some of the subjects of his articles and/or blog.  Here's one of those articles, I thought especially on target and likely of interest to many . . .

We are living in a fast-paced, unstable time period where things change swiftly and dramatically. The corporate world is more dynamic and chaotic than ever. In our parents’ or grandparents’ generations, they would accept a job and hold onto it throughout the entire duration of their careers. However, those days are over and done with. The advancement of technology, globalization and the corporate view that employees are disposable have all changed the game. We can no longer view our careers as safe and sacrosanct. You can be sitting in your office chair this morning, happy and satisfied. Then, two weeks later, there’s a corporate-wide reorganization and you’re shown the door. You can be replaced by technology or a less-experienced, lower-cost employee. Your job could be moved to another country or your role could be deemed no longer relevant or required. The only constant is change.

It's critically important to start a plan to prepare for your future. It's career self-sabotage to believe that things will stay the same and that you’ll confidently climb up the corporate ladder. It's career malpractice to act like an ostrich, stick your head in the ground, hope for the best and ignore the reality of the changes happening around you. You need to be bold, confident and aggressive in managing your career in the face of uncertainty. It's not easy nor is it pleasant to think about, but you must do it. 

Here is how to start:

1. You need to change your mindset on several fronts. We all derive a sense of status from our career, the company we work for and job title. When you sit down at a family dinner or meet new people, you enjoy a little humble brag about what you do for a living. While that’s fine, you’ll need to divorce your ego attachment to your current career.

Why Hire a Professional Recruiting Firm for Executive Search?

With the span of companies we service ranging from start-ups to publicly traded global corporations, I’ve fielded the Client question, "Why hire a professional recruiter"? from many different persperctives. The answer is not one size fits all. Hiring executives in larger companies partner with me to strategically target talent during a period of growth, change or to confidentially replace leadership. Smaller family owned businesses or startups may need our help to plan for succession, market opportunities, advise on organizational structure or identify a role that will align and deliver business goals.

Here are a few reasons why a partnership with Bishop yields a high return:

1) Time is money. We streamline the process with an in-depth analysis of the client company keeping an eye on short and long term goals to clearly identify the role. Only the top candidates are presented so the hiring authority in evaluating key, qualified and interested people. Interview coordination and close contact during the hiring phase and on-boarding also tightens process time.   

2) Marketing is paramount in attracting top talent for your company. We’re representing your brand, strategic initiatives and big picture goals. Our approach is to communicate clearly the vision, history, and uniqueness of the company before discussing the role within.

3) The human factor is something to consider. Our candidates are making a weighty decision that likely affects family. Career moves are all about timing.  We’re experienced in balancing what is important to each party to bring about a mutually satisfactory, timely outcome.

2019 and The Summer of Change!

The Summer of ’19 . . . Wow, a summer of unexpected surprises, marked by rapid personal and professional changes!

In late February of this year, my 57 year old brother-in-law dropped dead of a heart attack. He had been healthy, happy and always fun to be around. He was a best friend. Several months later, my father-in-law died unexpectedly. He was 92 and in excellent health. He had a very active social life and called us or stopped by every day. He last visited my wife and I on a Sunday, had a heart attack on a Monday, was hospitalized and died that Thursday.

We all know that “tomorrow’s not guaranteed” and “life’s too short”! My wife Barbara and I were having a conversation in mid-May, when we both suddenly looked at each other and wondered, “what are we waiting for”? Why don’t we make a change, get out of the fast-paced, high pressure daily life we live (we both own our own businesses) and start enjoying more of life? We decided to do just that.

When we decided to sell our Condo and move, we weren’t exactly sure where we’d go. We put our condo on the market the first week of June. That first week,  there were three showings and two offers. The buyer with the best offer wanted to close by July 30 . . . so we did. We decided to move to Vero Beach, Florida, because of the proximity of so many friends. A quickly planned, week long visit confirmed the idea. I’d never heard of Vero Beach and had no idea where it was. Barbara and I visited and were hooked. We bought a house, have settled in and are enjoying a completely new life! We’re very happy with our decision.

I’m going to continue working. While we were selling our condo and buying a house in June and July, I’m proud to have completed searches for a Sr. Event Producer, a Vice President of Sales and Marketing and a Sr. Creative Director. I’m currently working on searches for a Vice President of Digital Strategy and an agency President, both in St. Louis. I’m also working on a Sr. Principal, Corporate Growth and Strategy for a Florida Client.

Recruiting For That Data-Driven Art of Digital Marketing

The first quarter of this year is the busiest start to a year we’ve ever experienced!  We’re proud to have worked with a diverse Client base ranging from tiny start-ups to Fortune 100 iconic brands.  What’s struck me as most interesting is how the searches have almost all become focused on data driven digital media/online marketing skills and tactics.  Here are searches we’ve worked on or are still working, in the first quarter:           

            Design Director

            Dir. of Digital Advertising Operations

            Experiential Producer

            Graphic Designer

            Marketing Analyst

            Senior Client Success Manager

            Senior Creative Research Strategist

            Senior Digital Media Analyst/Campaign Manager

 

We’ve all known that “Big Data” and the targeting of specific customers, demographics or groups of prospective Clients, has been rapidly growing in use, effectiveness and efficiency.  This is the quarter when I’ve realized how truly ubiquitous digital and data are in customer or client outreach and engagement.  I’ve previously written about "FutureHire" and how digital skills were becoming a critical component of every search we’ve conducted for the past several years, but it seems to have hit a new level.

I’ve historically been as much a consultant as a recruiter to my Clients. My “target Client” is a small to medium sized, privately held company where support (or advice) is needed in marketing, advertising or digital media talent acquisition. In fact, a recent blog post, “Consultative Recruiting” (http://bit.ly/2yCQ6wf), speaks exactly to that.

Earlier this week I met with the CEO of a successful mid-sized agency that’s making acquisitions and expanding across the US.  He suggested that I start to specifically offer a “Consulting” practice to owners/principals of those small-medium sized Clients ($2M-$200M).  He believes that I deliver value during, open and honest communications with owners/principals.  He said “there aren’t many people we’re (CEOs and Owners) comfortable enough with to be truly honest in conversations.  Your communication style encourages that.” 

Bishop Partners provides “Recruiting and Consulting for Marketing, Advertising and Digital Media”.  We practice “Strategic Recruiting”.  We will quickly deliver skilled and experienced candidates for difficult positions at every level of your organization, up to and including succession planning for your most senior roles.  Please get in touch with me and let’s have a conversation about how I can help you identify, recruit and hire the premier talent that your organization needs. EOE

 

Hiring Skilled Employees is Extremely Competitive

1st quarter 2019 hiring trends indicate a robust job market that is highly competitive for talent acquisition. Companies who actively market themselves to attract and engage talent will set themselves apart. Talented professionals are researching the reputation of companies and their teams to determine if it is a potential fit. Further, candidates are paying close attention to feedback on candidate experience prior to applying. According to KellyServices.com and Linkedin:

• 75% of candidates research about firm's reputation and Employer Brand before applying for a job

• 83% of employers say that Employer Brand plays a significant role in their ability to hire talent
• 69% of candidates would not accept a job in a firm with a bad reputation even if that means being unemployed
• 97% of candidates who had a positive experience would refer others to apply
• 90% of global professionals are interested in learning about new job opportunities even though only 36% is actively looking

The Bishop Partners' team is constantly proactively targeting the talent pool to engage dialogue and market opportunities. Our proven track record of success over almost 18 years, brings the best people to the table for our clients while streamlining the hiring process.​​​​​​​  Our goal for acceptance of an offer by a candidate is 45 days.

If you need help identifying, recruiting and hiring critical employees for your company, contact Bob at [email protected]!

Having Trouble Hiring Experienced Leaders? Use Strategic Recruiting

If you’re having trouble hiring experienced leaders (at any level), recruiters can help. Employer’s Executive; Do I need a recruiter? How do I find one? There must be differences in recruiters, I’m not sure what they are.

There are lots and lots of recruiters out there. Large firms, “boutiques”, contingency, staffing, contract or part time, retained . . . Who’d be the best recruiter for your firm? What makes one recruiter better than another? How can a recruiter do a better job than my company’s existing talent acquisition team? Do recruiters really add any value?   The common perceptions are; recruiters are expensive, they don’t always succeed, the candidates don’t stick around very long . . . Again, “Who’d be best the best recruiter to work with your firm?”

There are some recruiters who are truly partners with their Clients and are considered to be a valuable “strategic asset”. What makes one recruiter more valuable and “strategic” than another? A truly strategic recruiter adds much more value to the Client than a tactical one. Recruiting strategy is more than filling “open roles”, it’s about contributing to the long-term growth of the client.

First and most importantly, strategic recruiting is about consistent success with the recruiting/hiring process; frequent, predictable success, year over year. Does the recruiter consistently succeed in introducing superior candidates that a Client is (actually) excited to hire? Second, does that candidate consistently perform beyond expectations and earn promotions to increasing responsibility over time? Third, does that candidate stay with the Client for more than a year or two? Does the recruiter become a trusted advisor and partner with access to the Executive Leadership Team? Does that Client continue to use that recruiter for ongoing needs?

Recruitment Strategies For Employee Retention

Recruitment strategies for employee retention became an important part of a conversation during a recent lunch, with a Partner/President of a new Client prospect. We had an engaging conversation about each of our businesses and what we each thought was the secret of our success. I appreciate a company principal  who’s willing to open up and have a candid conversation about what’s going well and of course, what’s not. That’s the basis of a strong, successful working relationship!

Later, I sent a note to thank this person for their time and to let them know how much I appreciated hearing what’s going on in their business. I was surprised and thrilled, when I received the response, “I really appreciate your thoughtful approach and desire to match agencies and people for the long-term—that’s not something other people in your industry are talking about.”

I was shocked to hear that, because I assumed that every recruiter would talk about how long their candidates stayed with their clients. I’ve always considered retention to be one of the most critical metrics to measure how well a recruiter performs. I know that my Clients agree with that!

Executive Search is an expensive proposition. The best ways to judge a recruiter’s value is by a) Do they consistently succeed with the search and b) How long do those candidates stay with that Company? Are they consistently promoted into more responsible or productive positions? If the recruiter consistently

Consultative Recruiting Expertise Adds Value

Consultative recruiting expertise adds value when an experienced recruiter meets with a company’s CEO, President, COO or other executive leader, to discuss how that company can accelerate growth. Consultative recruiting is essential for succession planning searches, or confidential searches or any search where a company needs a strategic leader, much more than a “worker”. Are you thinking about creating an “in-house creative capability”, for the first time?

Consultative recruiting is the difference when it comes to making strategic hires that have significant and long term impact on a business. Consultative recruiting is very different from “filling a job opening”, where one simply lines up a Company’s specific needs with a Candidate’s specific skills and experience. The time spent is directly proportionate to the value added.

This is a far cry from posting a job to ZipRecruiter, Indeed or some other niche job board and “hoping for the best”. Recruiters used to call that “Post and Pray”! The premier candidates never even look at job boards. If you try it a couple of times, it’s immediately crystal clear how inefficient it is. You’re lucky if even 15% of respondents are even remotely qualified for the role. Full employment makes hiring even more difficult!

Consultative Recruiting makes all the difference between hiring a “worker” and a committed, caring and ambitious contributor/leader. The worker simply works, the leader contributes and then influences their colleagues to contribute too. They search out additional ways to contribute. Working is easy, leading and consistently truly contributing is not. (Boutique or Specialty Firms have additional value!)

Marketing Executive Search or Executive Placement or Executive Headhunter? Call Us Whatever You Like . . .

Marketing executive search, executive headhunter or executive placement? Call us what you will . . . But call, because recruiters succeed! Why (or How) do recruiters succeed when the actual Employers when the actual employer can have so much trouble doing the same thing?  The answer is simple . . . Time.

Retained Recruiters are able to spend the time necessary to identify, recruit and hire the top performers in any specialty, at any level and at any place . . .  staying focused and engaged until the search is successfully completed. Employers can’t afford to spend the real amount of time required, even if they have dedicated recruiters on staff.

I’ll also say right now, that a major difference between a contingent executive recruiter and a retained one, is the ability to spend more time, because the retained recruiter is already being compensated. For the purposes of this article, highlighting recruiting success, please understand I’m talking about retained recruiters like Bishop Partners.

The contingent recruiter has to race to get the resume in front of the employer faster, before another recruiter or even the Employer’s own posting identifies a candidate! They simply cannot spend the time necessary to actually develop a relationship with a candidate and understand that candidate’s career vision, values and goals.

Taking the time for that understanding is one of the most critical reasons retained recruiters succeed. (I’m proud to be able to say that Bishop Partners has achieved 100% success with retained searches, over the past 14 years.)

Retained recruiters are able to spend the time necessary, with the Employer/Client to gain a full understanding of that Client’s own vision, values, goals and most important, culture. Recruiters should know and understand the Client’s org chart and/or reporting structure. Knowing the supervisor (or VP) that a candidate reports to will make a difference. I try to get to know a Client’s culture and the job so well, that during some conversations with candidates, I inevitably say “we” . . . rather than “they”.

Digital Media Recruiting: Digital Strategist, Digital Project Manager, Digital Media Director

For at least the last four years, every search we’ve conducted has had “digital media” components.
Digital Media has become the ubiquitous element in advertising and marketing communications. Very little communication happens anymore, without the strategic digital element. While the value of those digital elements continues to grow, so does the demand for skilled digital workers. The experienced experts in every digital specialty are very difficult to hire. Those with the most expertise and experience are fully employed and not actively looking for a new opportunity.

Bishop Partners has over 17 years’ experience as marketing and advertising recruiting and consulting specialists. Over the past five years, that specialty has grown to include digital media. Here are some of the titles of the (specifically) digital media searches we’ve recently completed.

Client Success Manager

Content Strategist/Writer

Sr. Digital Strategist

Digital Media Campaign Analyst-Strategist (three hires)

Social Media Campaign Manager (two hires)

Sr. Digital Media Campaign Manager

Digital Project Manager

VP, Social Media Strategy

Digital media nomenclature and titles are rapidly changing.  New specialized skills are needed as new technologies, tactics and metrics are developed. As digital media grows, so does the need for new expertise.  It’s very difficult for many; many privately held companies to keep pace.  How about your Company?

Bishop Partners routinely consults with CEOs, Partners and Owners of privately held companies to help them identify and prioritize their need to evolve, catch up or even “get started”, to take advantage of the possibilities and efficiencies, of digital marketing communication.

Some of the statistics identifying companies who actually admit that their lack of digital experience is restricting revenue growth is surprising, if not stunning.  Yet, they’re unsure how to take a first step or develop a digital practice expertise, that adds real value (i.e. revenue) for their company.

Social media is taking on a life of its own.  It’s everywhere.  You can look around at any moment and see someone staring at his or her phone or other device.  It’s no longer a matter of “if” a company should get involved, but how.  Whether a B2B service or manufacturer, your customers can (will) be reached by creating a content marketing strategy based on the classic lead generation funnel.  Content engagement is starting to dominate, because it works.  Even better, it can be measured, analyzed and optimized for “real” ROI.

If you’re worried about your company’s next step(s) with digital media, please get in touch.  We can help.