Minnesota Headhunter

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.

Buzzwords That Should Not Be On LinkedIn Profiles Should Not Be In Job Descriptions

Today’s “link of the day” in the Recruiter and HR world (and on some major web sites) is this one from LinkedIn, Buzzwords 2011: Who’s been ‘creative’ and ‘effective’ this year?

The list is the “Top 10 overused buzzwords in LinkedIn Profiles in the United States”:

• Creative

• Organizational

• Effective

• Extensive Experience

• Track Record

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):

Recruiting: OK, So What (Who) Are You Really Looking For?

I think I have had the following conversation every day at least twice a day for the past six months with clients, corporate Recruiter and HR friends and search firm colleagues.

Upon receiving a job order, job description or hiring summary:

ME: Huh

FRIEND: Huh... what do you mean “Huh”?

ME: This is... a lot

FRIEND: What so you mean?

ME: It seems you want someone who can fly (like Superman), speak 4 languages, juggle (while blindfolded) and have six pack abs.

FRIEND: (confusion)

ME: What or who are you really looking forward?

FRIEND: What do you mean?

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?

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.

Recruiters: Stop Spamming LinkedIn Groups

For the love of (whoever or whatever you believe in) please make it stop!!!

Memo to LinkedIn Group Managers:

You could help with this. Email the offenders and explain to them that their relentless posting will not be tolerated.

Or… risk losing people from your group who opt out of the whole thing.

Hey you Recruiter person, yeah you… your every day job posting on LinkedIn groups is annoying.

It’s called Spam.

How is it working for you? Are you getting the folks you need?

Or are you annoying people?

Have you even thought about this? Yeah, that’s what I thought.

Instead of just ranting at you allow me to give you a few tips:

- You do not need to post each job.

• How about one post that says 4 new jobs have been posted

Excel And The Recruiting Process: Can They Coexist?

The following post is courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap:

 

No. When I started recruiting in 2005, my company still had file cabinets to store resumes. They used vanilla folders as “buckets” for hot candidates and clipboard worksheets as the hot-list. When the recruiting manager suggested that I do the same, I cracked open the excel file.  He was full of disbelief and pessimism that I could succeed using a spread sheet. He was wrong.  Soon, the other recruiter in the office had adopted the spread sheet as the method of applicant tracking.

Fast forward 5 years. I interview at a $300 million dollar company that is growing by rapidly. When I ask them what Applicant Tracking System (ATS) they are using, they say Excel. I guess I smirked or laughed and I didn’t get the job, but that’s okay.

If you are still using Excel in 2010 to track your applicant pool, you have serious recruiting process re-engineering to consider.  If you are using Excel as a part of your recruiting process, again you need to consider how much money you are losing in missed opportunities.

Social Media – Friend Or Foe For Recruiters? | Presentation

 

I was asked to do a presentation for the Minnesota Recruiting & Staffing Association and talk to my colleagues about the use of Social Media in recruiting and if it helps or hurt us:

Here is the description of the event:

It used to be staffing companies and recruiting firms were the only ones with all the information, the "Golden Rolodex" of candidates and companies.  Now our clients and candidates have access to much of the same information.  Social media sites are a great tool but some clients are hiring their own internal recruiters to mine these same sites for candidates. 

So what can we provide that they still need and how do we show our value?  What are companies doing and what could we be doing?  Finding people is easy, it is the information overload we all struggle with and how to best handle that.  Come hear about some simple techniques that you can implement when you get back to the office.

The Job Market Is Returning, Consumer Confidence Is Up, The GDP Is Going Up...

The following post is courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap:
 

So what does this mean to you the candidate or the hiring manager?

As a candidate, it means there are more job openings, you can expect multiple job offers and recruiters will be calling you more.  So as a candidate, you need to make sure you are networking, your resume is ready and you start polishing your interview skills. 

Also you need to expect more competition for jobs, because not only will all the unemployed be looking, the one who stopped looking will return and those who are working but don’t like their jobs or want something new will start looking because there will be more job opportunities that will get them excited.

As a hiring manager, this means candidates will have more choices, so if you are not selling your opportunity they will move on to the one that sounds better.  In addition, as the number of jobs increase there will be less fully talented/qualified people for each job. 

How To Build Employee Engagement Using Social Media

The following post is courtesy of the Recruiting Blogswap:
 

Social Media has become an integral part of the way we live and work. It is hard to imagine that it is only twenty years since the Internet was created. According to Nielsen research, social network traffic grew by 43% from June 2009 to June 2010. Social network activity now dwarfs online games, email and search as the number one activity. Every single day more people are also now turning to their social networks, as the preferred way to find jobs.

Managers need to realise that social media is much more than Facebook or LinkedIn. There is also a level of skepticism and confusion about the value of social media. A communications manager recently told me that she was one of the first people to get a Twitter account, after attending a conference in New York. Currently she still has no active account, and perhaps due to her confusing initial experience, is now a social media skeptic.

The astronomical growth of social media has created new ways for companies and candidates to connect online. In the late seventies, the movie Close Encounters of the Third Kind, was written and directed by Steven Spielberg. The movie used Hynek's scale of three types of encounters: sightings; observations of UFO's; and human observation of animate beings. Similarly, the involvement of Human Resources with the phenomena of Social Media can best be described and summarized at three distinct levels or types of encounters: compliance; sourcing; and engagement.

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:

Survey: Only 8% Of Companies Say IT Graduates Are Ready To Work. Who Is To Blame?

Well this certainly adds fuel to the industry fire that most schools are not turning out IT graduates that are ready for the “real world”.

SHARE, a professional association for IBM users, has some survey results:

Closing the IT Skills Gap: 2011 SHARE Survey for Guiding University & College IT Agendas.

Here are some highlights from the executive summary:

• 25% are concerned about the technical aptitude of job candidates

• 40% are concerned IT hires are not sufficiently prepared to perform jobs within their companies

• 44% say at a minimum there are notable gaps in skills.

• 8% would rate their IT hires as “well-trained, ready to go”

There are more statistics about jobs and skills in demand so be sure to click the link above.

Who Owns Your LinkedIn And Social Media Profiles?

A reminder before getting started that I am not an attorney, I do not play one online and anything I say here is not legal advice rather the opinions and thoughts of a recruiter and soon to be company owner.

Do you see the storm clouds on the Social Media horizon? HR pros, recruiters and yes marketing, public relations and sales folks should be seeing them for sure.

That storm brewing is over your LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other accounts. (links to my profiles)

You own them right?

Not so fast.

If you are using your personal accounts during business hours, doing company business and on company resources (computer and internet) you may be opening yourself up to some issues.

Better stated, your employer may be thinking that they have some claim to your profiles.

While I am specifically thinking about the non competes many recruiters on the search and consulting firm side have to sign we are now seeing policies being put in place for employees of all skill sets.

Recruiting: Monster vs LinkedIn vs Social Media

The last few weeks (and this happens 2-3 times a year) I have seen increased chatter about what are the best recruiter tools to use and many people pick sides.

And I ask this question: Why?

Usually the folks who pick sides have money in the game:

• Companies with an earnings report and/or their sales teams

• Trainers in one tool or another

• Pundits flapping their jaws and computer keys

This time the sources of the conversation came from:

LinkedIn files for IPO, reveals sales of $161 million (CNN Money.com)

Recruiters Rethink Online Playbook (Wall Street Journal)

Should Monster Be Afraid of Social Networking? (CNBC)

Monster CEO Fires Back (CNBC)

Hiring Minnesota IT Pros? Need A Hand? Call Me

It is time for me to practice what I preach. I tell people all the time they need to market themselves be it as an employee, consultant, employer or a business.

I say that you need to let people know you are available and if not know, build the relationship for down the road.

Disclaimer: I hate doing it for myself.

No really, I hate doing it.

Oh the irony...

But here I am in what might be the first time on my blog saying this, if you are:

• sourcing and recruiting IT professionals and could use a hand...
  
• working with search and consulting firms and they are not delivering...
  
• hiring a team of IT folks...
  
• wanting a relationship with a recruiter who is about relationships and not transactions...
  
• stuck on a “purple squirrel” search and want someone to dedicate their time to it...
  
• looking for someone to do a training session, half or full day for your recruiter and HR team...

... give me a call or send me an email.

One Reason Why I Use Social Networking Sites To Source And Recruit

I was doing a recruiter training the other day for a Minneapolis software company and after talking about the why and showing the how of social network sites I noticed one of their hiring managers sitting in the back of the room with his arms crossed and giving off a bad vibe.

So I took a deliberate pause, one of those awkward ones and then asked if there were any questions, thoughts, comments or wanted to challenge me on some of the content.

There were questions and comments, a lot of them, but I could not provoke the hiring manager to speak up.

I took another awkward pause and as I was about to move on to another topic the hiring manager leans forward and says:

“But why do we go to these sites? We have a career page, we post jobs on different job boards and we do other things too...”

A senior recruiter cut him off with:

“Yeah and how is that working for us? Our talent pool does not know who we are. We are passive in everything we do. We wait for people to find us and they are rarely who we want to be hiring.”

Anecdotal Analysis Of The Minnesota Job Market Q3 And Q4 2010

Over the past six weeks between Recruiter and HR events, meetings with senior management in companies of all sizes and industries, what I hear from job seekers and what I see from job postings here is an anecdotal analysis of the Minnesota job market as we end the 3^rd quarter of 2010, ready???

I don’t have a (definitive) clue.

My Magic 8 Ball has a cracked lense and some moisture has gotten in there making it difficult to see the answer to my (all of our) question.

Yep, that’s what I have come up with.

Hold on here is some information you can use to come up with your opinion and do me a favor, tell me what you are seeing.

Please note that this is not scientific and specific to skill set, industry, education attained or salary range unless otherwise stated. But it does come from enough varied sources that I feel comfortable giving an opinion.

What I know I know:

Free Webinar: Optimizing Your Job Postings

 

Minnesota Recruiters and Monster.com are hosting a free webinar tomorrow, August 31^st from 1-2 PM Central time titled “Optimizing Your Job Postings”.

You do not need to be a member of Minnesota Recruiters and heck, if you are outside of Minnesota and reading this join in on the session.

To register click --> Optimizing Your Job Postings

Webinar Information:

What do job seekers look for in a job posting? 

How do they search, when do they search, and what turns a job seeker into a potential candidate? 

By exploring seeker insights and best practices, we’ll answer all of these questions and more as we use best practices and data from Monster’s unique audience examine how to optimize your job postings to attract the best people.