Most recruiters I know, and that majority happens to work for agencies, have a long standing stigma against the idea of “splits”. The split seems to carry with it the idea of concession. Concession of control, ability, success, status, revenue, etc… These are all very valid points given the very simple fact that, when you engage in a split placement, you lose half of your revenue. A recruiters best case scenario is to bring in their own business, fill it themselves and take whatever cut they are entitled to based off of 100% of the revenue generated…we all know this. So, before you scoff at these next two sentences, read through the bullets and, if you don’t agree, I challenge you to reply with a compelling argument.

One of my all-time favorite movies is Billy Wilder’s “The Apartment”. Made in 1960, the film offers an incisive look at corporate America of that time. The story tells how Bud Baxter (played by Jack Lemmon) rises up the corporate ladder at a major insurance company. I won’t tell you how this happens—you need to see this movie!—but I mention it here because it assumes a common career goal of the period: after college, one would join a company in an entry-level position, then gradually move up the ranks, so that 20 years later, he would be a part of that company’s upper management team and working from the coveted corner office. Times have changed considerably in the last 50 years. Today, pension programs are nearly non-existent, employer-provided health care is primarily funded by employee contributions, and many employees feel under-appreciated, under-challenged and under-compensated. Thus, a large majority of the job force changes positions about every other year, earning them the derogatory term of job-hoppers.

To adapt the old saw, some people are job-hoppers, and some have job-hopping foisted upon them. With lay-offs and mergers becoming more and more common, many employees keep their options open, and answer the phone when a recruiter calls. One would hope that every job-hopper would eventually find someplace to settle down for a longer period, but some enjoy the challenge of learning and exploring new avenues in their chosen field. Every job field has a basic skill set, and one who changes positions frequently gets a wide variety of experience in several areas. That being said, there are good and bad ways to job-hop. It is of the utmost importance for employees to have reportable and verifiable positive results at any position where they worked. Those who leave jobs just because of boredom, low pay or problems with the work environment are not doing themselves any good when looking for a new position.

On the company side, the cost of training and educating a new employee has to be measured against the possibility of that employee leaving in a rather short time. Thus, it is very important to discover why a candidate has separated from their previous positions, and to establish if this is an unbreakable pattern. After all, some of the reasons for leaving a position are perfectly acceptable, such as temporary or contract employment, or moves due to changes in the spouse’s employment.  An extended period of job-hopping is a potential red flag, though, and the best question you could ask that candidate is whether they really want to continue in this field. Above all, one should always examine the total package. A candidate with a wide background could bring fresh ideas to the company and the sources from where the varied experience stems is far less important than the methods used to get there.

Job hopping is a situation that is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. However, it is not necessarily the negative aspect that it once was. So, don’t throw away that resume just because it has several entries—that same person may offer great benefits to your company, and if you treat them well, they might just stay put.

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First used in military applications in World War II, 360 degree feedback has been used in companies since the 1950s. Its popularity has increased substantially in the last decade with the use of internet-based applications. Basically, 360 degree feedback is a way to garner information about a candidate from a variety of sources, including the candidate himself. An anonymous online survey is sent to a subject and his managers and peers. In some cases, surveys can also be sent to subordinates and customers. Because of the multiple viewpoints presented, the surveys can provide a richer overview of a candidate’s strengths and weaknesses than that found in a typical résumé. The technique is widely used by companies for performance reviews and promotions, and is gaining popularity in the recruiting process.

When used inside a company as a training and performance review tool, 360 degree feedback has proved to be very effective in identifying areas for employee improvement, and discovering hidden potential. However, 360 degree feedback should be implemented as part of a larger program where the results of the surveys lead to new methods that will bring better future results. Otherwise, a sudden change of approach can lead to lowered employee morale and biased results.

Because of confidentiality issues, it is preferable to have the surveys designed and managed by an outside company. There is no shortage of companies that will offer their software (and usually seminars on how to use it). As you look for a third-party that can provide services, examine their sample surveys, and if you want to use 360 degree feedback for your recruiting efforts, be sure that there is a version of the software specifically designed for that purpose. The surveys should include questions about the subject’s work skills, leadership, motivational effectiveness, ethics and general attitude.

360 degree feedback can be very valuable for recruiting. Some of the survey subjects listed above are the same subjects that can be difficult to include in an in-person interview. Getting multiple responses from outside sources can provide those valuable and necessary insights. For outside recruiters, the positive feedback that comes from a 360 degree feedback report can help build the candidate’s case in the eyes of a hiring manager. After all, multiple corroborating sources are much more effective than a self-serving résumé written by the candidate himself.

However, 360 degree feedback has its detractors, too. One of the major opposing arguments is that the information gathered in the surveys can be biased. Studies show that the longer the person taking the survey has known the subject, the less objective their opinions will be. This is especially true in the case of a candidate’s personal friends. There is also the “Rashomon effect” (named for a classic 1950 film directed by Akira Kurosawa) where different people will give their own differing assessments based on their personal motives. And with both of these issues, there is no way to judge the reliability of the information because all of the responses are anonymous.

In short, every company must make its own decisions on how and if to use 360 degree feedback. It can be a powerful tool, but can bring contradictory results. Perhaps the best solution is to research the companies that provide the service and if you want to take the chance, take advantage of the free trial versions on specially selected subjects. It is a trial-and-error process to be sure, but it may provide an additional and valuable resource to your recruiting and training efforts. Happy hunting! -Thomas Cunniffe

In the past few years, Twitter has become a major force in social media. As opposed to Instant Messaging and e-mail which direct their message to a relatively small audience, tweets can reach a vast range of people instantly. Twitter is not just for the young; it has reached a wide audience of various ages. So, tweeting about a new job opening can work for any career level.

If you’re new to the Twittersphere, here’s a few basic tips. Starting a Twitter account is as easy as logging on to www.twitter.com and filling out the form. But that won’t get you followers. For that, go to search.twitter.com and search on basic terms like #job, #employment, or one of the more popular Twitter abbreviations, #NAJ (Need a Job). You’ll get hundreds of potential contacts. Take the time to read the comments and re-tweet the ones you like. Twitter recommends using this method to help you find your own voice. You’ve only got 140 characters for each tweet, so keep it short and use abbreviations whenever you can. Also, use sites like www.tinyurl.com or www.bitly.com to create abbreviated URLs. Use hash tags (as in the search words above) to have your posts included in jobseeker searches (No special trick: just add the hash or pound symbol right before a key word). Integrate your Twitter account with Facebook to reach more people, and be sure to have a strong company website that lists the available openings as soon as you tweet them.

By its nature, Twitter is a quick and breezy environment. It is a good idea to focus your Twitter account on open jobs. Sure, you can send the occasional tweet about an upcoming job fair or trade show, but if people know to look to your tweets for new jobs, they will follow you and respond to your messages. If you have an RSS feed, you can use www.twitterfeed.com  to automatically send tweets from the RSS. This free service saves you from manually tweeting all day. It will also send the links so that your applicants leave Twitter and go directly to your application site. Twitterfeed doesn’t have a tracking component, so be sure to include a question about how applicants found you on your target site. However, if you get Twitterfeed or another service, don’t just let the computer do all the work. Twitter is a 2-way conversation, and you’ll make a lot of new friends (read: new applicants) if you’re willing to tweet back and forth with them. Use the @ handles (as in @keitholbermann) to make your tweets more personable and attract their attention.

Twitter is an exciting tool for communication and recruiting. Take some time to get to know it and it will help you find the best candidates. Then you’ll go away singing “Ah, Tweet Mystery of Life, at last I’ve found you”! -Thomas Cunniffe

With a new year upon us, we all have goals to make our lives better and more productive. Most of our New Year’s resolutions fall by the wayside by around January 15, but if the desire to be more productive is still there, we must be diligent on realizing our goals. Part of the challenge is making every hour count, and that’s where superior time management skills are a must.

There are several pre-fabricated time management plans on the market, but you’re unique, so why should you try to fit your life into someone else’s plan? The key to any successful time management plan is self-evaluation. How do you work? When are your most productive hours? What parts of your day do you enjoy most? Now, combine the answers to those questions with simple priorities. What are the most important things you must accomplish each day? What time of day is most conducive for making the most of your time? So, for example, let’s say that you enjoy talking to prospective candidates and the best time to contact them is the evening at home, rather than in the office during the day. Great! Set up a block of time for calling candidates, determine the best environment for doing the job, turn off the computer monitor, close the door, smile and dial. Now, continue the process for your second most important task and so on. Once you have several blocks of time set at optimum work times, you’ll have some empty spots. This is the time to take care of ongoing projects like entering candidates into the CRM, or for meetings with co-workers. Again, if you know your own work habits, you know what will work for you. Data entry is a great way to keep your mind active without drawing on your creative side, so find the times that work best for you and plug them in. And speaking of plugging in, play background music while performing those mundane tasks. Personally, I’ve found that the forward rhythmic momentum in Bach’s keyboard music keeps me moving during these times, but find the music that best suits your situation.

Sounds easy and basic, right? Well, here are the tough parts. You must discipline yourself to follow the plan! The toughest part of any task is getting started. I find that thinking about the best way to do a task makes it easier to start actually doing it. Once you’re in the act of doing something, you’ll usually find that the time passes quickly and you’re getting a lot accomplished. The other difficulty is that something will come up that will distract you from your plan. In those cases, remember the Latin phrase “Semper Gumby: Always Flexible!” Naturally, you’ll want to prioritize these “emergencies”, but if you decide that something just can’t wait, take the time to deal with it, but do it quickly and efficiently so you can get back to your original plan as soon as possible. This brings up the final key to successful time management: Allow more time than you expect to complete a task. Many of us make unreasonable demands on our own time. So, if it takes 90 minutes to call your stack of candidates, allow 2 hours. If you get through the stack early, you can move on to another task or treat yourself to a little extra free time.

The best part of learning effective time management is that once you have the skill, it can become second nature, and you can apply it to other parts of your life. Just think about how much stress you can alleviate by just getting more accomplished. That should keep you motivated at any time of the year.

With the coming of the New Year, the prognosticators of the recruiting field have peered into their crystal balls and have announced their predictions for the hottest hiring trends of 2012. Some of the predictions are—well, predictable—while others may offer surprises. Because job availability varies by region, the results are not listed in any particular order.

Health care remains a strong, growing force for job creation and growth. Virtually every branch of this field seems to grow, from medical records and nurse’s aides all the way up to doctors and surgeons. Most of this is due to the implementation of President Obama’s Health Care bill, but experts say that the retirement of Baby Boomers will strike the upper echelons of health care, with new doctors needed for rural areas and small practices.

High-tech continues to grow, especially in the field of cloud computing. The sales and marketing elements of cloud computing have shown a tremendous jump in available positions over the last quarter. Because of the expertise needed, these positions may be very difficult to fill, but the demand is expected to increase. However, it is projected that Management Analyst positions may be easier to fill as there are plenty of qualified candidates in the work force. Outside of cloud computing, demand for system developers and project managers continues to climb.

The demand for accountants is expected to rise in 2012. This appears to be especially true in the New York City area where demand seems to be outweighing supply. Wanted Analytics reports a 25% increase in openings during the fourth quarter of 2011 than in the same period in 2010. Cost accountants may be easier to place because of their transferable skill sets, but tax accountants are also needed. This field may be highly competitive for recruiting companies as they work to fill the available positions.

The field of Industrial Engineering is showing tremendous growth, especially in Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Boston and Detroit. The jobs in Houston are proving hard to fill as the local talent pool of industrial engineers covers a mere .17% of the total workforce. To fill the positions, recruiters may want to tap into the talent pools in places like Houma, Louisiana and Palm Bay, Florida, where studies show a greater percentage of industrial engineers.

Finally, manufacturing and production are starting to grow. In Wanted Analytics’ recent report, most of the major sub-categories—including machinists, front-line supervisors, printing machine operators, and assemblers—all made significant upturns in the past 90 days. Welders were the only category that went down (by 16%), but the demand for dressmakers and tailors shot up 313%! The talent pool for these jobs varies widely by city. Wanted Analytics reports that Chicago has a rich talent pool for these positions, but recruiters filling the same jobs in Minneapolis could find the task much more challenging.

As the economy and job markets slowly improve, all indications show that the above industries are the most in-demand. However, only time will tell. You can check back with us next year and see how the predictions held up.

One of my favorite pastimes is to watch old movies and TV shows to see how they predicted the future. I’m still waiting delivery of the personal robot and jet packs that we were all promised, but from the silly (The Jetsons) to the dramatic (Star Trek) to the profound (2001: A Space Odyssey), one thing that was predicted correctly was our use of video for conversations. Here we are, like George Jetson, Captain Kirk and the 2001 astronauts, using our video cameras and computer technology to communicate with people down the street or on the other side of the world. Recruiters have picked up on this technology to lessen their costs and increase their productivity.

So if you’re just getting started, what’s the best platform to use? For basic usage, Skype and Facetime seem to be the best options. Facetime has become quite popular, but it should be noted that it only works with Apple products. It may seem like everyone has an iPhone or an iPad, but that’s not the case. If you have those products, Facetime is pre-loaded, so you don’t have to worry about downloading software. Skype is now owned by Microsoft, and there are free versions for both PC and Mac applications. Thus, it retains wider usage and availability. Of course, if you want more bells and whistles, all you have to do is Google “video interview platform” and you’ll find plenty of companies dying to sell you their video conferencing packages.

Once you’ve settled on the platforms, the actual task of video interviewing is not that different from in-person interviewing. Yet, there are some elements to remember. First of all, we’re dealing with technology, which means things can go wrong. So, testing the equipment before every interview is an important detail. It’s like the old mantra: count on getting a flat tire on the way to work, and if it doesn’t happen, you’re just there a little early. All of the major platforms allow you to do test runs and let you see what you look like on camera. Assume that the candidate is also doing a test run, but be prepared to make adjustments once you’re both online.

Video interviews can give you great insights on a candidate’s appearance and body language, but keep in mind that the camera and microphone can pick up things that we generally ignore. For example, many coaching sites tell candidates to pick a professional looking atmosphere to place the camera. You should do the same. Keep in mind that white backgrounds can make you look flat, and will create hard shadows. Keep the sun at your back, but never frame against a window as the camera will be unable to discern the light and shadow combination and will put you in silhouette. If you’re looking for eye contact, remember that you must look into the camera, not the screen. Further, as many movie stars have learned, one should train oneself to look at the camera with their downstage eye to avoid looking cross-eyed on camera.  However, the biggest problem can be the microphone, which is usually sensitive enough to pick up all sorts of little noises. The simple act of shuffling papers can sound like a torrential windstorm, and you probably have more paper on your desk than the candidate.

If prepared and conducted correctly, a video interview can save your company the cost of flying a candidate in for an interview, and can help you decide if a candidate is ready to hire or eligible for a further interview.

Gotta go—the mailman’s at my door. Maybe he’s delivering my robot…Thomas Cunnffe

No matter how many stages you have in your current interview process, it’s important to be prepared and to be thorough. If you have others working with you with the interviews (obviously, this can be other employees from the same company or a recruiter working with a client), arrange a meeting and start by discussing the important characteristics of the open position and the type of person you want to fill it. These might include detail-oriented, team player, flexibility (both in scheduling and attitude), positive attitude, required experience, work ethic, etc. Next, create a set of questions that fit these characteristics. Some companies have pre-written questions for interviews. These can be very helpful in structuring an interview, but be sure to examine (and tweak) each question to be sure that it will fully answer the subject. When compiling your interview questions, be sure to exclude questions that relate to age, gender, sex, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, disability, pregnancy or marital status. These are strictly forbidden by the EEOC and if asked, could lead to job discrimination lawsuits.

Once you’ve selected the candidates you want to interview, call them to schedule a time for a phone interview. While some candidates might be willing to talk to you right then, it’s best to give them time to prepare for the interview. Many sources recommend that an interviewee find a quiet room for their interview, that they smile while speaking, and refrain from vocal fillers like “um”, “ah” and the like. Of course, this is precisely on-target, since presentation is the key to a successful phone interview. After all, most of us do some of our business over the phone, and as an interviewer, you should be listening for the way the interviewee presents themselves (just as if you were a potential customer).

The interview itself should be structured. Think of a typical college exam: it starts with short answers and finishes with essay questions. In an interview, the short answers are the opening light conversation, the description of the job and its requirements, and a review of the candidate’s job history. As in an exam, the short answers shouldn’t take up too much time, so that the majority of the allotted time can be used to answer the essay questions. These are behavioral questions and as discussed in a previous blog entry, they should deal with specific instances that are common with the position being offered. Throughout the process, take detailed notes of what is said and how it is said. Be prepared to ask follow-up questions if the answers fail to address what you want to know. Maintain a constant speech flow throughout the interview so that there are no “dead spots” and keep the tone conversational so the candidate can feel comfortable in formulating their answers. The interview should close with a summation of the interview process in your company, and when the candidate should expect to hear back from you regarding the next step.

After the call is concluded, take time right away to review your notes and the interview. If you have found reasons why a candidate should not move to the next step, write them down! Don’t go by a “gut feeling” or expect to remember the reason for it later on. Having a list of negative and/or positive points will give you a solid reason for your decision, especially if you must defend it to other members of the hiring team.

IMPROVING YOUR SKILLS AS A RECRUITER 

Harry Morgan, best known for playing Colonel Sherman Potter on “M*A*S*H”, died earlier this month at the age of 96. One of his best lines as Col. Potter has become a mantra with me: “The world is too big of a place to be in competition with everyone. The only person I need to be better than is the person I am right now.” With the New Year coming up, we’ll all make resolutions that we’ll probably forget by January 15. But improving ourselves must be a primary focus for all of us, regardless of career, age or social status. Recruiters have a unique opportunity to help people improve themselves, but how can we improve ourselves at the same time?

To begin the process of self-improvement, we must know where we are now. Examine your own work habits and find places where you could be better. Analyze everything you do from the opening call to the final placement. Revisit the basics to be sure you’re not ignoring them. If you can, record your calls and study them later for ways to improve them. Don’t expect this to be easy: we all have egos and we have to keep them in check during this process.

Recruiters are in the people business. We must recognize the impact we have on the lives of the people we want to place. Take the time to get to know these people. Probe to find out what matters to them as they seek a new position. Listen carefully as they answer your questions, and note down anything they say that could inspire further questions. Use your knowledge of your clients and their available positions to fine-tune a match between candidate and career. Above all, keep at it—no matter how much research you do, there’s always another avenue to explore.

Recruiters are also in the sales business. We must convince our clients that we can deliver quality candidates in a timely manner, and to do so, we must convince our candidates that our clients are offering them a unique chance to improve their lives. To achieve these goals, being persuasive is one requirement and being a good closer is another. Can you convince someone in an argument, no matter how ridiculous the premise? If not, read Jonathan Swift’s masterful parody “A Modest Proposal” to see some of the methods to create a strong argument. And how many ways can you close a sale? Can you quickly adapt your standard closes to fit the immediate need?

Finally, recruiters are in the follow-up business. As a liaison between companies and candidates, it is vital to keep the communication channels open throughout the recruiting process. Keep everyone in the loop and keep the process moving so the placement can happen quickly and smoothly. If things start to disintegrate, find ways to fix the problems and retain the momentum. And if a deal does fall apart, let all of the parties know that you’ll work hard to complete the work you started.

Your own level of self-improvement will depend on your own experience, but striving for a better version of ourselves is an ongoing process which extends to all aspects of our lives. So make 2012 better for everyone, starting with you. Happy hunting -Thomas Cunniffe

With the long sluggish economic recovery finally starting to show signs of life, companies are beginning to hire again. In order to get applicants in the door, one must advertise. While the venues for job advertising have shifted from newspaper to the internet in the last few years, the basic priorities for writing a job ad remain the same. It is, after all, an advertisement, with the product being your available openings. Thus, it is important to remember that every ad must attract attention, give pertinent details, describe benefits and offer multiple options for follow-up.

Attracting attention is doubtlessly the most important aspect in writing a successful ad. On most job boards, readers filter the search results by job category and then browse the headlines. Therefore, it is not enough to simply put the job title in the headline. The job title should be included, but with powerful language around it. For example, instead of “Sales”, use something personal and exciting: “Are You an Enthusiastic Sales Professional? We want to talk to you!” The more memorable your headline, the more readers you’ll have.

Once a potential applicant has decided to read your ad, keep their attention by offering them the details they require. Don’t lose the tone of your headline! If you are using a headline like the one above, address the reader directly as “you”. Describe the job as succinctly as possible, using bullet points to identify the major responsibilities of the position. Be sure to tell about any additional expectations. For example, if the job requires evening or weekend work, or extensive travel, an applicant should know that up front. Include a general location and (if applicable) tell whether the office is accessible by public transportation. Be thorough—a job listing with too few details will bring more questions than applications.

Now that you’ve said what you need, tell what you’ll offer. Some indication of the salary should be included, plus a brief description of the benefits. Give an idea of the work environment: if it’s friendly and upbeat, be sure to say so. Emphasize the importance of the position, so that the applicant will feel that his work will matter. Tell of growth opportunities and any relevant awards that your company has won. Don’t short-change this section: make them want to work for you!

Finally, it’s time to encourage the prospective applicant to follow-up. Make it as simple as possible. Always include an e-mail address for submitting resumes. Don’t expect that every applicant has access to a fax machine or has a fax modem in their computer. Specify what type of documents you’ll accept (Word and PDF should be standard) and if your company’s e-mail program won’t allow attachments, be sure to mention that in your ad. And as implied above, if you’re not willing to take phone calls regarding the job, be sure that your ad includes all of the pertinent information. To ensure this, have several co-workers read the ad before you post it. To paraphrase Hillary Clinton, it takes a village to proofread an ad.

There are several other aspects to consider when creating an ad, including the use of graphics, and whether to use your company name. Basically, those are choices that can vary with the situation. Graphics can add to an ad’s aesthetic feel, but they can also slow down the reader. Many companies don’t want to tell the world that they are looking for help, while others feel that their name will bring in more applicants. Regardless of what you decide on these aspects, the above tips should help you bring in quality candidates. Happy hunting! -Thomas Cunniffe