The Perfect Fit

22 Years of Recruiting!

My 22^nd Anniversary of Helping!

Wow!  I can’t believe that I’ve been a recruiter for 22 years and I’m still loving it as much as I always have!  I consider myself very lucky, being able to make a good living by helping my Clients and Candidates grow, improve or move forward in some way.  It’s extremely professionally satisfying to be sincerely thanked for the role I played in talent acquisition or career advancement.

I’m really proud of the reputation earned over these decades of work.  I’ve always tried to add value to every person or company I’ve come in contact with.  Sometimes that help is a conversation and sometimes it consulting, either cultural for a Clients or career for Candidates.  It’s always extremely gratifying!  I consider myself very lucky!

That reputation is now leading to marketing leaders (both agency and brand) all over the US, getting in touch with me.  They trust me with their resume to discreetly help them identify their next career chapter.  These leaders range from the CEO, CMO level to CDs, Analysts or Project Managers (virtually every title at ever level) who’ve have heard I might be able to help.  I’m talking about Presidents of Global agencies or holding companies to those who’ve just graduated.  It’s flattering and it’s fun!  I like to think it’s karma. Good things happen when you consistently treat people with respect.   

I’m looking forward to more years of helping agencies and corporations and candidates increase their capabilities or capacities.  I’m very proud to be able to feel like a true partner.  It’s why my company’s name is Bishop Partners . . . Thank you very much!

 

Marketing Communications Leaders, Strategists & Creatives Available Now!

I’ve consistently said that I’m very proud of my reputation as a marketing recruiter, earned over more than two decades of value delivered to client and candidates.  See the 50+ Recommendations on my LinkedIn Profile and website.
 
Taking the time to develop real relationships makes all the difference in understanding what the goals of both clients and candidates are.  When those two things match up, it’s exciting, rewarding and profitable for everyone.  It’s why over 70% of my candidates remain with my clients for over three years.
 
If you’re an employer and have an organizational need for an experienced employee leaders with a specific skill set, please get in touch.  It’s very possible that we have an existing candidate in our database whose vision, values and goals align with yours.  Hybrid or remote work dramatically enlarges the candidate pool that can be available.
 
Here’s a sampling of candidates who have recently introduced themselves for my help in identifying that next step in their career and are available now:
 
Global CMO, CT, Jill - Rebuilt global marketing function across NA, EMEA, APAC and LATAM to create marketing powerhouse.  Drives business volume through new product creation, demand generation campaigns, innovative branding and storytelling, effective solution positioning and expansive communication distribution to increase profitable growth.

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.

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.

No Time (or Staff) to Identify & Interview Job Applicants?

Are you posting jobs and being overwhelmed with applicants? No staff or time to properly identify and screen the best applicants? You’re not alone . . . We can help!

I know from recent conversations that many employers are not “waiting patiently” for Covid to become more “under control”. They are realizing that  the past four months have forever changed the way business will be conducted. Employment for the future has radically changed, almost overnight! Highly specialized digital marketing “specialists” remain elusive, yet in constant in demand. They’re difficult to identify, recruit and hire, even if you’re willing to let them work remotely.

Maybe you’re receiving “unsolicited” resumes. Do they just get “filed” or added to a database somewhere? Does anyone in HR have the time or expertise to screen them and determine if there might be an exceptionally talented or skilled pro who wants to work for your company? What if it’s a skill you really need . . . but you don't respond?

Client demand has helped us re-imagine new ways to support Employers’ Talent Acquisition and hiring needs. We’ve rolled out different ways for Clients to deal with the cost of recruiting search, by spreading payments over months or quarters. There are alternative options for payment, like Paypal, Zelle or Venmo. We’re open to finding even more new and creative billing/payment solutions. It’s a new world!

We’re also “Unbundling” the recruiting and talent acquisition workflow. We understand that your staff has been cut back. If you post a job and receive even 20+ resumes/day, assessing and responding is daunting. If your team doesn’t have time or expertise, we’ll help. Here’s a document that outlines the range of support we provide, if you identify the candidates (Unbundled Recruiting). We of course, would be happy to help identify and recruit your candidates from the beginning, if necessary. Let us know how we can best help you.

Meanwhile, take good care and stay safe!

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!

The Lines Between Consumer and Employment Branding Are Blurring

As the talent field has made the shift in its employer-brand focus from a “nice-to-have” to a “must-have,” there’s another significant trend that’s reshaping the way high-performing companies are communicating their mission, culture, and career opportunities.  It’s called talent branding.

Your talent brand is the highly social, totally public version of your employer brand that incorporates what talent thinks, feels, and shares about your company as a place to work.  Think of talent branding as employer branding 2.0.

No longer owned solely by recruitment advertising agencies or even human resources, talent branding is moving into the spotlight and sharing the stage with other branding, advertising, and marketing players and tactics employed by the savviest chief marketing officers. And they are applying the same rigor to the talent-brand development process as they do with any other high-stakes marketing efforts.

And, depending on the title on your business card, you may consider that a blessing or a curse.  It wasn’t simpler in the past, just more segregated.

Back in the proverbial day, consumers went to stores and job seekers went to the classifieds or the job boards. But in a digital world everyone is everything and goes everywhere. We are bombarded by content and channels and swayed by predictive technology, and seemingly unlimited options.

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]!

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

What Are My Salary Expectations?

Every day, I answer questions from candidates about elements of the the job search.  I do it with phone calls, emails or sometimes LinkedIn InMails or social media.  I would also like to use this blog to help candidates with questions they may have.  Feel free (and encouraged) to write a question in the "Comment" section below, or send me an email.  I'll do my best to answer your question as soon as I can.

Question: Do you have any insight on relevant salary (calculator) websites? I have an interview tomorrow and don't want to undersell my experience and expertise. 

I've only found one source with any science or credibility that I use to consider base salaries, especially in the marketing/advertising community.  I use www.RobertHalf.com/creativegroup. What they say is not gospel . . . there is in fact, no really reliable source that can accurately predict what a starting salary might be, because employers' circumstances vary so wildly . . . There's also impact from the geographic location and cost of living factors.

With that said, you should never answer the question, "What are your salary expectations", with a number, especially in a first interview. Your answer should be, "I expect to be paid commensurate with my responsibilities and with our regional market value." Let the employer say a number first . . . absolutely. You don't even have to tell them what your current comp is. It should have no bearing about what another job is worth.  Make 'em squirm . . . especially if they really like you!

If this is a first interview, it's way too early to talk money, because you won't have a good idea of what the responsibilities for the role really are . . . Compensation is based on responsibility, it's that simple.

Ultimately, it's not simple of course, because a new job is never "just about money".  It's about doing what you love doing.  It's about career growth and the ability to learn from your colleagues and your boss.  It's about the clients and about your potential for career growth and being rewarded with increasing responsibility, with excellent performance.

In the end, the employer should be telling you what the compensation is, not asking about what you think it should be or what your salary history is.

Are Cover Letters Essential or "Old School"?

Are Cover Letters Essential or Useless

I continue to be amazed by the number of job applicants who do not support their application with a cover letter.  In my job descriptions, I specifically ask interested candidates to “include a cover letter detailing their specific interest in and qualifications for the opportunity, as they imagine it”.  I’d say about one in five actually does that.

I understand that in many circles, cover letters are considered “old school” or unnecessary.  Some believe resumes are in that same category of “old school”.  LinkedIn encourages recruiters to accept applications with the Profile only.  I understand how convenient that can be, especially for mobile users.  I don’t think candidates understand the opportunity missed by not utilizing a cover letter (in tandem with a compelling resume!).

The cover letter is your opportunity to explain (perhaps most importantly) why you have interest in a particular employer and how you believe you can add value.  This is a critical piece of information that can be powerful in making the employer understand that a candidate really would love to work for their company.  Inversely, the lack of that statement makes that candidate “just another applicant”.  Why not take advantage of that opportunity, especially if you really do want to work for that particular employer?

Those of us who read resumes for a living, tend to initially scan them to see if something (anything) grabs our attention . . . you’ve heard that viewers look over a resume for less than 30 seconds, prior to making a judgment.  That’s true enough, sadly.  It’s unlikely that the viewer will be able to understand how a candidate’s prior experience might relate to their particular opening, in 30 seconds or less.  Smart candidates explain the how and why in their cover letters . . . This is not to say that you simply re-iterate what’s in your resume on your cover letter.  Here are other articles I've written, "10 Reasons Why I Ignored Your Resume" or "Want to Apply For a Job? Introduce Yourself with Impact!"

Want to Apply For a Job? Introduce Yourself with Impact!

I'm amazed at how candidates will often introduce themselves in a timid or uncertain way.  This frequently happens when a candiate is applying for an opporunity they saw on my blog, or through Twitter (please follow me @HeadhunterBob). It's an approach that is not impressive and rarely results in moving forward in the recruiting process.  It's also why I'm not posting as many positions to online job sites any more.

I'm sure you'll agree with me that it's imperative that a candidate consistently and confidently introduce themselves, then conduct themselves with confidence.   Candidates will respond with an email asking "Do you think this position is right for me?"  Or, they'll say, "Look at my LinkedIn Profile and let me know if you think I"m a good fit".  If you don't know, you probably shouldn't introduce yourself or apply.

The first thing to do is decide if you're interested in the position, and if so, are you qualified for it.  If those answers are both yes, introduce yourself like you're qualified and want the position.  Think about it and decide how to best present yourself with impact.

It's important that you tell me why you're excited about the opportunity and why you believe you're qualified and ready to excel in the position.  Get my attention with a powerful cover letter tht makes me want to know more about you.  See "Cover Letters II".  Write a resume to get the job.  (See a previous post "Your Resume is Boring! How to Write a Resume to Get a Job").  Your whole goal at this point is simply to get the hiring manager's (or the recruiter's) attention, so that you move to the next step, a conversation with the hiring manager.

As I re-read this, it all seems so obvious.  I guess that's what's so surprising to me.  It's just hard to imagine the approaches that some take to introducing themselves.  I hope I'm making the point that it's not extremely difficult, it simply takes some forethought.  There's a best way to introduce yourself for each opportunity.  It's not going to be using the same cover letter and resume that you used for the last position you applied for!

Meet Google's New Job-Match API: Cloud Jobs

I just ran across a blog post that I think is worth sharing.  It was originally written by Stephen Duque.

It’s a problem that recruiters and candidates alike are all too familiar with:poorly written job descriptions  that do little to direct the right talent to the right open positions abound. To make it even worse, many resumes are similarly uninformative, making it equally challenging for employers to find the right candidates through simple keyword searches. Google has stepped in to do something about this bidirectional mess.  
In a blog post on November 15, 2016, Google announced it’s now job-match API, Cloud Jobs. “Hiring is one of the hardest things organizations do” says the post. “Part of the difficulty comes from a lack of industry standards to define and describe occupations and how they align to specific skills.” Google’s Cloud Jobs aims to change that.

A part of Google Cloud Machine Learning group, Cloud Jobs is currently in the alpha testing phase and available only to a limited number of companies. In its complete form, Cloud Jobs will be a big, free to use API that boasts a really smart, intuitive job match algorithm to pair job seekers with relevant positions. Anyone will be able to use it and, when used in combination with applicant tracking systems (ATSs), will allow companies to better leverage contacts from previous applications to fill new job openings.

What Google Cloud Jobs Does

It Translates Jargon

Tight job market is putting slow-to-act employers at risk

Published on: August 12, 2016 By St. Louis Post-Dispatch, USA

Written By Shobhana Chandra

It’s another sign that America’s job market is hot. Workers are in no mood to stick around too long while businesses make up their mind about hiring them.
Al¬most one of every four employees loses interest in an opening if they don’t hear back from a prospective employer within a week of being interviewed, according to a survey by staffing firm Robert Half.

Make that two weeks of waiting, and the share jumps to 46 percent.

Further, 39 percent of people surveyed said they’d move on to chase other openings when faced with a lengthy hiring process.

“They have options, they want to move quickly,” said John Reed, senior executive director of the technology staffing division at Robert Half, the world’s largest specialized staffing company. “The market is so strong that candidates can have a lot of influence in the pace of the interview process.”

Since the survey, done in June, was the first of its kind for Robert Half, it doesn’t offer comparisons
on how workers’ expectations have changed. Still, Reed said he noticed about two years ago that the leading companies started to move faster as they realized good applicants were less willing to be patient.

The relentless hiring spree of the past few years has reduced the unemployment rate to near an eight-year low and the pool of excess labor is vanishing, making it tougher for companies to find the workers they need. Filling open positions is also a problem for small businesses, the National Federation of Independent Business reports.

Of course, economists predict that the pace of hiring will cool later this year as the economy approaches full employment. For now, workers are calling the shots, at least on getting quick answers.

The largest share of respondents in the Robert Half survey — 39 percent — picked seven to 14 days when asked to define what was “too long” a process, starting from the initial interview to when they got the job offer.
Companies need to step up their game, or risk losing out on good hires. That doesn’t mean carelessly rushing through an important decision. But striving to get that verbal offer out quickly helps,and frequent communication will prevent the applicant from walking away, Reed said.

“Secure those candidates before the competition does,” he said.

The Best Candidates Trust Bishop Partners!

I’m proud of the reputation established over the past 15+ years.  It is an incredibly valuable benefit to my clients and as a result, I have candidates getting in touch on a daily basis, asking for help in representing them.  A good percentage of those candidates are top performers, who develop a relationship with a recruiter to help them advance their career.  It’s not so much that they’re unhappy where they are, but they are ambitious enough to realize that there are significant career opportunities that recruiters can (and do) present to them.

I  have clients call from all over the country, who call to ask about a certain kind of experience, skill or role and do I happen to have candidates like that in our database.  Clients realize that there are recruiters with the reputation that attracts top performers, so they call to check what’s (or who's) available.  Top talent is not getting any easier to find, especially with the rapidly evolving skill sets necessary for success.

Those are smart clients for any number of reasons, not the least of which is that the fee for “existing” candidates can be dramatically less than standard recruiting fees.  The titles range from Art Director to Chief Creative Officer, SVP and Managing Director or EVP Chief Digital Officer (i.e. this includes

Secrets Of Successful Job Hunting . . .

I originally posted this article almost five years ago (Spetember of 2011).  At the very recent suggestion of Adam Seabrook of BetterTeam (https://www.betterteam.com), I want to update some of the information.   Adam pointed out to me, "Hotjobs.com was acquired by Monster.com and the site was actually shut down."  I re-read this article and thought it was really pretty good.  Most of the advice and/or suggestions mentioned are still valid now.  So, I thought I'd re-post it.  You might pass it on to friends of yours who might be looking for that next career opportunity!

The first half of this year exhibited many signs of economic improvement, including increasing hiring activity in the regional marketing industry. Now that Summer's "officially" over as of last weekend, we have President Obama making a major speech on the economy and job creation this evening. We're obviously not out of the woods yet. Unemployment runs high and many are frustrated. I found this excellent article with ideas on job hunting. I wanted to share it with those of you who need a little new inspiration and/or direction!

This article was written by Jessica Stillman and originally published online on the BNET blog:

"As BNET’s sister site MoneyWatch pointed out recently, in a climate where it takes the average job hunter more than seven months to find their next position, big job boards like Monster and CareerBuilder are of only limited use. The post’s author Eilene Zimmerman writes:

How To Connect With Executive Recruiters

I thought a good way to follow up my post about how to find a recruiter, would be what to do once you find one!  As it happens, I ran across an article on a website called Blue Steps.  Blue Steps is a "career service for executives" and has some very relevant content for executives (especially) seeking their next career opportunity.  The article by Gulnar Mewawala.  I thought I'd share it with my readers.

Networking is a two-way street.
"Remember, you need to create reciprocal relationships with recruiters. Approach a search consultant with the same attitude of building a mutually  beneficial connection as you would when introducing yourself to any other executive for the first time.
If you meet an executive search consultant face-to-face at a conference or networking event, inquire about his or her business. Ask if he or she has a specialized area of focus. Even if the search consultant is not currently working on any opportunities for which you might be qualified or interested in, make sure to indicate your willingness to be a source of potential candidates or industry knowledge.
The same advice applies if are sending an introductory email to an executive search consultant. After mentioning any common connections and demonstrating your value proposition via a brief list of key achievements, convey an attitude of cooperation and willingness to help put the consultant in touch with other executives when appropriate.
 
Have your elevator pitch ready.
In person or via email, be able to succinctly describe your professional history, what you do now and what you are looking for in your next role. Speak (or write) clearly and to the point. Do not squander this chance to make a good first impression by asking for help in deciding your next career move, assistance with your resume or request general interviewing tips. Search consultants are not career coaches or executive resume writers. Keep this part of the conversation focused on your prior achievements and future goals. Say what you have to say, and then wait and allow the search consultant to let you know if he or she can help market your experience effectively.

How To Find Headhunters or Executive Recruiters In St. Louis And Elsewhere

I had several calls last week asking "what do you do"?  I explained that I'm a consultant and retained recruiter with an expertise in marketing, advertising and communications.  When the caller realized that my area of expertise did not match up with theirs, invariably the caller will ask if I know how to find other recruiters.  Well, yes I do!

I thought I'd write a post compiling some of the regional and national websites that can help you find a recruiter by geography AND specialty.  There are dozens of sites that can help do this, but I have the names of several, so I thought I'd share them with you.

Regionally, the Missouri Association of Personnel and Staffing Services (MAPSS) has a website at www.MKSSA.com.  At the top of the landing page, you can search member specialties, or just click here.

St. Louis Business Journal's Resource Directory, free, no search for specialty capability (until you open a company to see their Profile).Here are some other sites for both regional and national identification of recruiters who might be able to help your search:

The National Association of Personnel Services (NAPS), Premier National association of recruiters and staffing professionals.  You can match specialty and geography here. 

The Rejection Letter, Email or Phone Call

Nobody ever wants to receive it . . . for anything!  I don't like writing them.  I really dislike receiving them. I don't like calling candidates that I've established a relationship with and telling them that our client has decided to go with another candidate.  It's one of the worst parts of my job.

Since having to say no to people is part of what I have to do,  I try to do it with respect and understanding.  I try to give reasons why our client has picked one candidate over another.   While it's especially difficult in the later stages of a search, when my candidate knows that they're a finalist,  it can be equally difficult in my response to a first inquiry.  I feel like I have to be delicate enough to be sensitive, but thoughtful enough to let the candidate know that I've considered their candidacy.  I always re-confirm in my own mind that there are good reasons why a particular candidate is not right for my client.

Because I've been in the St. Louis market for so long, I know a lot of people.  When someone gets terminated, or "downsized" or laid off (call it what you will) I'm often one of the first people contacted, especially if I happen to be working on a St. Louis marketing or advertising position that the candidate feels like they're "the perfect fit" for.  It's not easy telling a friend "no".  Especially when they believe themselves to be qualified for the position.

Rejection is part of the business.  It doesn't have to be fun.

I originally wrote that post on November 17, 2008!  I think my attitude about telling someone "no" or "rejecting"them has changed a bit. I think it comes with more experience.  To be sure, I still don't enjoy the activity, especially the phone call.

The Recruiting Advantages Of A Marketing Specialty

I consider myself fortunate to be continuing to work in the industry I love.  One of the reasons I became an executive recruiter for marketing and advertising is because I've always enjoyed working with those colleagues (now friends) who share the same passions.

I've just been working on uploading some recently received resumes  into our newly upgraded database and I realize how lucky I am to a reputation that is (apparently) attracting absolutely top level,
A-List talent from all over the country.  Here are several of the kinds of resumes we received on a daily basis.  These are top performers in the most sought after functions . . . these top performers are looking for new opportunities.  Many are willing to re-locate.

Sr. VP, Managing Director & Director of Client Services:  20+ years' experience ranging from iconic global media companies and agencies to midwest regional agencies.  Expertise in planning, media reporting and analytics, operations and an ability to positively influence internal cultures.  This exceptional combination of skills is proud of the ability to consistently deliver beyond expectations.

Sr. VP, Digital Marketing ECD & Strategist:  A Mid-westerner, through and through, this pro has an exceptional history of building and leading highly regarded agencies' digital marketing efforts.  A unique blend of strategy, production, client consultation (education and explanation) and magnetic agency leader, mentor and collaborator.