How to use your Network when Job Hunting

Posted on by February 25, 2013

Clinical RecruitmentWhen it comes to the job search, you have one of the best tools at your disposal:  your network. Networks are important to nurture because they add a human touch to the application process.  From my experience I would guestimate between 60-80% of hires are due to “who you know”.

A network is, technically, everyone you know.  Here are some helpful hints on how to use your network to its greatest advantage:

1.    Build your Network.  Whatever you do, don’t forget an essential golden rule as quoted by Napoleon Hill in his essay called “The Law of Success”:  “Before you can secure co-operation from others; nay, before you have the right to ask for or expect co-operation from other people, you must first show a willingness to co-operate with them.  For this reason… the habit of doing more than paid for is one which should have your serious and thoughtful attention.” (p8)

The best way to build your network is to freely contribute to causes within your field.  Market your strengths by positioning yourself in front of people who will be able to notice your skills and recommend you for career opportunities.  By genuinely and selflessly giving of your time and talent you will truly impress people and will build incredible alliances with those who will help your job search endeavor.  Areas to consider include social media and online discussion groups, active memberships with civic organizations or special interest clubs, and volunteering.  Not only will you effectively continue to build your network but you will be able to add additional skills, experiences and accomplishments to your resume.

2. Nurture your network.  This step can start at any time, but the hope is that you are building and nurturing your network before you need it.  Talk to friends and colleagues with the intention of rekindling rapport.  As you build new associations stay in contact with them so you create a long lasting bond.  A network is all about relationships, and this takes time; however, the more people in your network feel connected to you, the more they will want to help you.

3. Tell them about your situation.   Don’t just contact people you think may be helpful in your job search, contact everyone!  You don’t know who your contacts know and anyone can help generate a job lead.  You can either take the direct approach by asking for their assistance, or a more indirect approach by just asking for friendly advice regarding your job search.  Renew connections by picking up the phone and calling your contacts; then be sure to follow up with an email so you stay in their mind.

Most importantly, please realize business and social networking is not a quick solution to your job search challenge.  This approach can take time, but by sticking to building those relationships and contacts your efforts will pay off.

Co-written by Allison Hunt and Angela Roberts

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Hiring Managers, Do Employment Gaps Matter?

Posted on by February 21, 2013

Clinical RecruitmentAs a Hiring Manager I am sure you see candidates with gaps in employment as an area of concern.  You may have questions regarding the applicant’s dependability, work ethic, or if the candidate is even truly qualified to perform the job.

However the reality is that not all employment gaps are negatives.  Layoffs happen, new babies are born, relatives become sick and need to be cared for, people take time off from work to go to school, and many other things can occur resulting in a significant resume gap.

So in the effort to find your next quality team member, how do you determine which employment gaps are valid and which ones should be a big red flag?

Did the applicant explain their employment gaps?

I like to work with people who are honest and up front about their situations…and those who pay attention to details.  Therefore, when an applicant sends a resume to me without explaining significant or multiple employment gaps, I automatically jump to a negative conclusion about their circumstances.

I believe candidates who are tuned in to what Hiring Managers are looking for and have a strong work ethic are aware of the perception work history gaps leave and feel the need to explain those gaps in a well-crafted cover letter or in the submission email.

I recently posted an in-house Data Entry position and received 772 applicants for that one opportunity.  As the hiring manager I had to be smart about which candidates I would speak with and unfortunately, those candidates who had a trend of short job tenured positions and unexplained employment gaps were the first to be culled from the applicant pile.

Here are some things the Hiring Manager should look for:

1.  Did the candidate keep up with industry trends and focus on education to maintain their skills during the gap?   This may include volunteering as well as informal and formal studies within the industry.

2.  Is there a trend of employment gaps or just one instance?  Past job history can be a predictor of future job performance so you want to keep your eyes open for a trend of short job tenured positions and/or employment gaps.

3.  Was the employment gap recent or did it happen some time ago?  If the gap in work history happened in the past and the candidate has shown strong job tenure since, then I wouldn’t be concerned with it.

Did the candidate attempt to hide their Employment Gaps in their resume?

I will make this one super simple – hiding or falsifying anything in one’s resume is a deal breaker for me.   

People use all sorts of tricks to hide hiccups within their work history.  Some things you should be on the lookout for:

1.  Do the applicant’s start and stop dates for all their positions seem to “fit” too perfectly?  Said differently, did the applicant always manage to leave one position in one month and always start the next position the following month?  Many applicants will “stretch” their dates of employment in order to cover gaps in their work history.  Before making an offer, always conduct a background check as well as an employment verification to confirm the candidate’s dates of employment were not falsified.

2.  Did the candidate eliminate the dates of employment for their previous positions?  Alternatively, did the applicant only use years (and not include months) when listing work dates on their resume?  While this practice can cover several months of unemployment it is clear the candidate is hiding something.

3.  Did the candidate get fancy with the formatting of their resume?  If so, pay close attention to their dates of employment as applicants frequently use functional resumes and nontraditional formats to hide employment gaps.

I hope you find this article useful and if you have any experiences you would like to share, suggestions or questions please feel free to leave a comment.

Dedicated to Every Client’s Success

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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How to Prepare Your Hiring Team for an Effective Phone Interview

Posted on by February 21, 2013

Clinical RecruitmentNow that you have identified your top candidates, the next step in the hiring process is the Phone Interview.  Don’t underestimate the value of an effective phone interview! I typically eliminate about 90% of my candidates through the phone interview step which means the 10% who are awarded the face to face interview have already been fully qualified as meeting the requirements of the position.

So how do you ensure your Hiring Team is prepared to conduct highly effective phone interviews?

1.     Use a Template to drive Consistency

I started using a template about 14 years ago and found it increased my interviewing efficiency ten-fold.  There are many reasons to use a template:

Equality:  If you follow a template, then you are sure to ask each candidate the same questions.  Therefore, when you have finished speaking to every candidate you are able to conduct an “apples to apples” comparison when reviewing your notes.

Notes for future Reference:  No matter how great your memory is, I challenge you to remember the details of every interview you have ever had.  A template will afford you a place to write notes and reactions as the candidate responds to the questions and will give you a tremendous reference later, (sometimes many days later), when you are deciding which candidate to move into the Face-to-Face interview stage.

Organization:  Having a template will ensure you stay on track!  You will be sure to ask those critical questions and truly know if the candidate is qualified when the interview is over.

So how do you go about building a template?  Use your job description!  Qualification by Qualification, Role by Role, build a template outlining those areas you wish to learn about the candidate.

Recruiting Tip:  Spend some time preparing before the interview.  I like to spend roughly ten minutes prior to the interview reviewing the candidate’s resume, making notes of clarification questions I need to ask while speaking to the candidate.  Not only will the candidate be impressed that you actually reviewed her resume prior to the interview, but your interview will be more effective.

2.    Punctuality

Make sure your team members are punctual.  If you have scheduled an interview for a specific time, meet it to the minute!  Becoming negligent in terms of punctuality will likely leave a bad taste in the candidate’s mouth as well as damage the professional reputation of your company.

3.    Greetings

You will want to impress upon your hiring team members that they should always introduce themselves as well as their affiliation with the company.  My favorite greeting is:  Hello Jane, this is Angela Roberts from craresources.  Although I understand this interview was scheduled in advance, is this still a good time for us to talk?

This question will re-commit the candidate to the interview and will gain their full attention.

I would also recommend you ask an icebreaker question.  The majority of candidates get nervous before and during an interview so an icebreaker question will give the candidate a chance to get past her initial nerves.  My favorite icebreaker question is:  Jane, I have your resume in front of me; however, before we begin, tell me a little about yourself and why you are in the market for a new opportunity.  Take copious notes because Jane will likely walk you through her resume, tell you why she wants to leave her current job (or why she already left) as well as provide other insights you will find beneficial…all while you are providing her an outlet to calm her nerves!

4.    Set the Expectation that the Candidate should ask Questions

If a candidate is truly interested in the position and has done her homework on your company she will have questions.  There are no exceptions to this rule (unless you have done all the talking and already answered her questions).

The best way to open up the interview to candidate questions:  What questions do you have about the position or the company?

This open ended question sets the expectation that the candidate does have questions and is incredibly powerful.  By stating “What questions do you have?” rather than “Do you have questions?” candidates who are ill prepared will be easier to spot during the interview process.

5.    Close the Interview

Sell the company.  Sell the position.  Make sure you and your Hiring Team know exactly how you will promote this opportunity.  Remember you are competing for the top candidates, so be sure you express to the candidate what you believe the company and the position offers her.  Don’t make the mistake of assuming the candidate came to you already “sold” and will accept the offer if given.

Finally, tell the candidate the next step in the process.  Be open about when the decisions will be released, how you will communicate the decision to her, and then actually execute that communications plan.  The candidate will appreciate your openness and your follow through.

PS – if you would like some assistance creating an interview template, I will be happy to provide some free assistance.  Just leave a message in the comments section below or shoot me a quick email (aroberts[AT]craresources.com) and I will be in touch!

Written by Leah Brooks

Dedicated to Every Client’s Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Top 3 Reasons Why You Should Never Accept a Counteroffer

Posted on by February 25, 2013

Clinical RecruitmentSearching for a job when you have a job can be a challenge, especially when you are truly only passively searching in hopes of finding “something better”.

And why shouldn’t you be passively searching?  I always encourage people to explore their markets as this exploration is the best way for you to truly know what salary you can bring in as well as what options other companies may be able to provide you in the way of career growth.  Sometimes the result of this research is that you find your compensation and career path at your current company is exactly what you are looking for, and sometimes you find the exact opposite.

What I will tell you is if you have decided to explore other positions outside of your current company and you are given a job offer, accepting a counteroffer from your current employer will likely lead to disaster.  You may feel the counteroffer is flattering, however, from where I sit (as a hiring manager and recruiter for about 17 years) the people I have known to accept counteroffers have eventually regretted their decisions.

Here are the top 3 reasons why you should never accept a counteroffer from your current employer:

1.  Once you have threatened to quit you show you are not fully satisfied with something within your position, the company, the compensation, etc.  Even if your reasons for wanting to seek employment elsewhere are temporarily resolved (such as an increase in salary), your employer will feel it is only a matter of time before you threaten to leave again.  You have just made yourself a liability to your company!

2.  Think about why you are receiving that counteroffer…what is motivating your manager to give you what you are looking for now?  Why is the increase in salary, educational reimbursement request, or that promotion you feel you deserve an option now when it wasn’t 30 minutes ago?  While perhaps your current employer may be doing the right thing and genuinely trying to retain talent, you also have to consider that perhaps your current employer is really just trying to protect himself.  Attrition costs companies money and when people leave, their managers look bad.

3.  And most importantly, companies who are operationally and strategically mature will never give you a counteroffer.  These companies know they provide a competitive salary because they do the research to confirm you are being paid at or above industry average.  These companies know they provide a career path for you because they have a robust career development program.  The reality of it is these companies have a plan in place to retain and incent their top talent and want to keep people on board who are happy with their environment.

Now, I know “never” is a pretty strong word and I will admit a small percentage of folks who accept counteroffers have positive outcomes, but I would like for you to think about the risks before you are put into this type of situation.  Know what you want, know what you are willing to accept, and stick to your goals.  Most of all, good luck!

Investing in a Lifetime of Success,

Angela Roberts
www.craresources.com
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Are you considering a career change? We specialize in clinical recruiting! You can sign up for our Job Seeker email course which provides valuable insight into how to become more competitive in the marketplace.