Minnesota Headhunter

Paul DeBettignies On TV Talking About Salary Increases, Klout And Vacations

A couple of times in the past month (and once in August) I have made a local TV appearance and while I was posting links on twitter and Facebook I just realized did not post them here…
 

--> Last week (Jan 25, ‘12) I was on FOX 9 News with Recruiter: Research to Negotiate Salary talking about how company executives are more willing to give salary increases this year:

 

Recruiter: Research to Negotiate Salary: MyFoxTWINCITIES.com

Smokers Need Not Apply

There was an interview on CNN yesterday about how some hospitals, the one yesterday is in in Ohio, are screening candidates for nicotine use. Unfortunately the video is not posted on their site which is unfortunate because there was a great Q&A.

So far it seems just a few hospitals are doing this.

Their reasons range from wanting to cut healthcare costs to promoting a healthier lifestyle.

Critics ask about a slippery slope like beer drinkers and those who eat meat.

I don’t know what to think about this. On the one hand I get the cost of covering employees healthcare and on the other it seems like we are getting into their behavior.

Is this business doing their best to handle out of control costs or an intrusion into (potential) employees lives?

A few articles and video:

Boring Blogger? Discover Your Niche

The following post is courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap:
 

These days, blogging is as much an art as it is a science. Not only do you have to provide quality content, but you must also build an engaged readership that will come back for more.

How, then, are you supposed to go from boring to engaging if you’re just starting out? Well, how about discovering your niche? Though it seems simple, discovering what you’re going to blog about is a lot more than just posting what you like. Here’s how you can get started:

Find your passion. Blogging is always easier when you’re posting things you like, since it doesn’t seem like a chore or an obligation. Essentially, when you post things that interest you, it isn’t boring, so you keep yourself engaged.

However, figuring out your specific niche or passion isn’t as easy as it looks because you need to narrow a few things down. After all, the most successful bloggers have one set stance, not a million different thoughts.

Search Firms Used For Competitive Intelligence And Corporate Espionage

I have had quite a few conversations in 2011 with my search firm friends (all independent of each other) about how clients who in the process of a legitimate search (as in the search already started) have asked to see candidates from certain companies or firms.

While this is a common thing for hiring managers to want, people from a certain company, these conversations and perceived incidents seemed more of a “fishing expedition” to learn more about their competition.

A colleague in Silicon Valley was asked to add to the interview pool 2-3 candidates from a particular company. It was “out of place” to ask about it at that time.

During the post interview phone call my colleague learned that the questions these particular candidates were asked were much different than the rest of the pool.

One particular candidate shared some of the code he was working on with the CIO. For the candidate... he was sharing work samples. For the interviewing company... they were getting competitive intelligence.

Infrequently over the years there have been times when candidates tell me what questions they were asked and my ears perk up and I know the client was fishing for some info.

Wondering: What do non HR folks think of the phrase "Human Capital"

From the get go let me say I am biased… I think this term sucks. I am also not a fan of “Human Resources” but that horse ran out of the barn long before I got here.

Why you ask???

I think the the words and phrases we use matter.

So when companies say that people are their greatest asset, that without them their companies would not be successful and then words or phrases are used make the people who are their greatest asset into “things”… I object.

It’s just not consistent.

So my question is posed to those not in HR or Recruiting… what do you think of and/or how do you react to the phrase “Human Capital”?

I asked this question yesterday on Twitter and Facebook and had some immediate reaction.

Want Time Off? Don’t Fake An Obituary

This one falls under the category of: Dude… WTH were you thinking???

If you like Scott Bennett of Brookville, Pennsylvania want to take some time off from work and want to get paid for it do not do what he did… he placed an obituary in the local paper for his mother.

Who is very much alive.

This fella placed the ad in the The Jeffersonian Democrat (their local paper) so he could get paid time off from his factory job.

Wondering what his mother (and employer) think of this.

 

 

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So You Want To be An Astronaut? How Hiring: NASA

This is no joke… NASA is hiring Astronauts.

For those who have dreamed of going to space there just might be a chance.

Here is the recruiting video:
 

 

NASA had a BIG announcement yesterday and they have posted the following info online at USAJOBS. Find it by clicking:

Astronaut Candidate

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

Job Title:

Astronaut Candidate

Department:

National Aeronautics & Space Administration

Agency:

Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

Unemployed Anthem: Cost Of Livin' – Ronnie Dunn

You ever hear “one of those songs” that stops you in your tracks?

This one did it for me.

Times are difficult on Main Street U.S.A.

And in the suburbs and downtowns too.

I hope this song takes off and I hope my recruiter, hiring manager and HR friends hear it too.

And not just hear it… but feel it.

Many of the industry conferences this year have included sessions about the “candidate experience”.

I hope this makes it more personal.

Not having a job sucks and we need to remember that every application and inquiry is a person with a family, responsibilities and most of all… pride.

Here is the video and below are the lyrics (there is a 34 second intro):

 

Blogging Does Not Make You An Expert

Lately I find that I disagree with more of what I read from the job search, career, HR and recruiting community than I agree with.

Maybe it’s because being on the other side of 40 I am starting to embrace the life of a curmudgeon. I hope that’s not the case. Hopefully it’s because I have been around long enough to have a finely tuned BS meter.

And so it happens again today that I read something and my BS meter breaks. Not just goes off but breaks...

On Twitter I saw a link to The Secret to a Successful Career Transition: Blogging, clicked and was taken to Brazen Careerist.

Third paragraph in I read:

Looking back more than eight years later, I wish someone would have told me that I didn’t need to wait for a job or title or promotion to become an expert.

WHAT?!?!?!?!

They didn’t tell you because it is not true!!!

I agree with the ideas in the article that writing a blog can help with recognition.

Back To Basics: Blocking And Tackling

I think too much.

I strategize too much.

I think about the thing and what might happen next and then branch into a flow chart of all sorts of possibilities.

It can be good that I can see likely outcomes and how to get there.

It is bad when I never start doing the thing.

Three quotes have jumped out at me in the past day and a half.

The first came from an old college friend and entrepreneur Darren Cox. We were talking about his startup UCaSTT and about my HireCast Consulting.

He could tell I was a little “wound up”, had some things on my mind and was doing a lot of thinking.

He told me:

"Stop thinking, start doing shit."

The second came in an article (I do not remember which one) that referenced a quote from Chris Gardner (The Pursuit of Happyness and Will Smith):

We Don’t Need More Jobs... We Need More Skilled Workers

I hope this title does not offend anyone. Here is what I am trying to say... companies across our country have jobs that are not being filled and we have workers looking for jobs.

The skills of those looking do not match the skills of the open jobs.

I am not laying blame on anyone for this because frankly everyone is at fault.

So should we create jobs to match the skills or... should we train to fill the jobs?

Clearly you can see that I lean towards the latter.

What happened to internships?

What happened to apprenticeships?

What happened to on the job training?

My opinion: we do not need a jobs program we need a training program.

So instead of sitting idle, instead of just watching this happen why do we not do something about it?

Minnesota Headhunter Blog Roll Updated | 70 New Blogs

It has been some time (I think it was January ‘11)  since I last updated my blog roll. This update comes with 70 blogs.

I also deleted a number of blogs that have not been active for some time. That was around 45 or so.

These blogs are also added to my TwinCitiesBlogs.com project.

 

Minnesota Politics Blogs:

• Governor Arne Carlson

Minnesota Recruiter and HR Blogs:

• DG Consulting Services
• Minnesota Labor & Employment Law Blog
• TempWorks Staffing Software Blog
• Career Professionals In Minneapolis
• Celarity
• LinkUp
• netWORKed Lawyers

4th Of July 2011 Minnesota Fireworks Shows

Updated July 2nd, 2011

I am posting this a bit earlier than usual and have links for most of the shows. Give me a few days and I will get them all.

If I am missing any please leave a comment below.

June 29th

• Plymouth

July 3rd

• Anoka

• Bloomington

• Hudson

July 4th

• Apple Valley

• Blaine

• Chanhassen

• Coon Rapids

• Cottage Grove

• Delano

• Eagan

• Eden Prairie

• Edina

• Elk River

• Forest Lake

• Hastings

• Lake Minnetonka – Excelsior

• Lakeville

• Minneapolis – Powderhorn Park

• Minneapolis – St Anthony Main

• Oakdale

• Prior Lake – City

• Prior Lake – Mystic Lake

• Richfield

• Roseville

• St Cloud

• St Louis Park

• St Paul – Harriet Island

• Stillwater

• Waconia

• White Bear Lake

• Woodbury

There are some more fireworks shows later this summer:

July 11th

• Robbinsdale

July 16th

• Maple Grove

July 24th

• Stillwater

July 30th

• Rosemount

August 6th

• Prior Lake

August 20th

• Mounds View

August 27th

• Woodbury

Follow The Program And TheLadders “Guarantees” You A $100K Job Offer

Today The Ladders announced Signature their new job coach program that for $2,500 guarantees you a $100,000 job offer in six months or your money back.

There are some requirements on the job seeker so check out Signature Terms and Conditions.

is this worth checking out?

Yeah, I suppose it is. They say during their trial period they have had a 90% success rate.

Here is why I am a bit skeptical…

Marc Cenedella, The Ladders CEO, was on CNBC this morning announcing the program with the video below.

He says they guarantee an offer within six months.

Is the guarantee an offer or a job? There is a huge difference between the two. I have seen it said both ways.

Can Or Will A Robot Do Your Job?

One of the lessons learned from the Great Recession is that many companies figured out how to maintain productivity with less people.

Some of this comes from advances in technology, some of it from learning that they had over hired and some from workers willing to work longer hours and in return having some job security.

But lets talk robots.

Can (will) a robot do your job?

Example, at the grocery store the other day I notice that the number of self checkouts increased.

Sure jobs were created to build the systems but surely the number has to be less than the hundreds and thousands of cashiers who are not going to be needed.

Same thing with robots doing tasks. No doubt really great high paying jobs will be created but a company of 500 could create robots and tools that will take the place of 1,000’s.

The lesson to be learned here is we all need to be doing continuing education and advancing our skill sets.

We need to evolve with the times or way me be left behind.

Unemployed Need Not Apply: Is It Legal?

My usual disclaimer: I am not an attorney and I do not play one online.

Back in June of 2010 a search firm representing a client posted a job on a job board saying

“NO UNEMPLOYED CANDIDATES WILL BE CONSIDERED AT ALL”

I wrote this blog post about it including a screen shot of the ad

Florida Search Firm: “No Unemployed Candidates Will Be Considered At All”

Here is an image of part of a Craig’s List ad from a few weeks ago:

Why I Love Minneapolis And St Paul

I get this question a lot, "Why do you live in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St Paul?" The short answer is I love this town. I really do.

Rather than have me talk about the outdoors, arts, sports, universities and colleges, diverse economy, night life, etc check out this awesome video from Seven and Sixty Productions called Why We're Here: Twin Cities

Why We're Here: Twin Cities from Seven and Sixty Productions on Vimeo.

Minnesota Business, Technology, Recruiter, HR And Sports Blogs Updated

What follows is an update (31 blogs) to my blog roll. These blogs are also added to my TwinCitiesBlogs.com project.

Minnesota Recruiter and HR Blogs:

• Work 'N World
• The Miracle Worker

Minnesota Technology Blogs:

• Average Joe MN
• AppleSlut.com
• Jesse Hanson
• Attached WPF
• 2,000 You Should Know About C#
• Ryan Rampersad's Blog
• Vince's Random, Tech-Related Thoughts
• BenkoTIPS
• Brent's Notepad
• Brent says…
• (software) => iterate{ design; test; develop }
• People are the Platform
• Scott Koland's blog
• Assembly Required

Minnesota Blizzard 2010: Snowmageddon, Snowpocalypse, snOMG And Metrodome Roof Collapse

Well… we lived through what has ended up being  a 14” to 22” snowfall depending on where in Minnesota you live.

Here in Downtown Minneapolis I am guessing we had around 19” with 17.1” the official storm tally making it the 5th largest storm ever and the biggest since the Halloween storm of 1991 with 28.4”.

Here is what my patio looked like before and after shoveling:

Don’t Give Up, Don’t Ever Give Up – Jim Valvano

What do you decide to do when you are at the end of the road?

This has been a common theme in 2010 and for the last couple of years for myself and most people I know. The Great Recession has kicked a lot of people in the backside and add that on to caring for parents, kids, careers and day to day things a lot of people have felt overwhelmed at one time or another.

For some it has been a constant feeling.

I did a job search presentation to a local group two weeks ago and after one of the attendees took me aside and said they had “quit” a long time ago on the job search. I was torn between showing empathy and wanting to kick the guy’s butt. I get what he meant and that feeling is horrible but he needed to “wake up”.

Instead I asked if him quitting had helped and he said no.

OK then, I guess we need to keep going, right?

You can’t give up, you just can’t.

I am reminded this week of a speech Jim Valvano gave at the ESPYs in 1993 to serve as a reminder to myself and hopefully you can take something away from it.

Below is the video and here is the transcript: Don't give up, don't ever give up.