In the modern world you will have to be spot on to find out the best man to serve your company. There exist a lot of ways that recruiters all over the world adapt to take people. The methods vary company to company and from recruiter to recruiter. But there is one thing that is same with all the recruiters all over the world. That is how they find out people to recruit. How they locate potential candidates is the same thing everywhere. They use different types of networking. Their own networks and the networks of the people they know. They use both online and real life connections. They might use sites like Linked In to locate potential job seekers.
This will be very helpful for people who are seeking an employment. So many of us would go around saying “how am I supposed to get in touch with the recruiters?”. Well here is the answer. You don’t have to or you can’t get in touch with all the recruiters. You will have to be in touch with the recruiters those seek qualifications that you have. So you need to find out people who are actually looking for you.
The simplest way to do this, is networking. The recruiters will go and seek for people in their networks. Have a good network through proper channel so that whichever way they go they find you. If you have a strong network and the recruiter hears your name more than once then he is highly likely to consider you seriously.
As far as choosing the perfect network goes look into the type of job you seek. If it is a marketing job then you better build your network with people who are related to this ground. Or build a network with companies that are related to marketing firms. This way you can actually make your name heard by the recruiters once they spread their networking wings looking for you.
Showing posts with label Headhunting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Headhunting. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Managing the Sourcing Function
Improving the effectiveness of your sourcing organization
The following are some learnings around how to make your sourcing more effective, especially if varying levels of experience exist within the team.
Understanding the fit: You may be reading this and go "no kidding", but the reality is this step is commonly skipped over in the process. Understanding the fit has to do with a solid working knowledge of the industry, the business group supported and how the role fits into what that leader is trying to accomplish. Where this usually breaks down is in one of the following areas:
If the sourcer is working through the recruiter, there is an expectation that the recruiter will ask all of the right questions when meeting with the hiring manager.
If the sourcer/ recruiter meets with the hiring manager and there is a lack of preparation coming into the meeting. This includes the sourcer / recruiter not presenting industry knowledge and using the meeting time to validate assumptions around expectations.
If the Recruiter is the Sourcer, the focus is more on the skills, versus the business goals the hiring manager is trying to accomplish. As a result, the recruiter finds the right skilled person, but the applications of the skills are misaligned.
Solutions: The key is planning, planning and communication. Assume nothing and talk about everything. Wikipedia.org can be a super tool when seeking to understand an industry, a position, a skill set. Interestingly enough, wikipedia if leveraged appropriately provides some good data points that can be used during a hiring manager discussion.
Secondly, have all of your recruiters / sourcers go in prepared to a hiring manager discussion. Again you might say no kidding, but 9 times out of 10 it does not happen, unless it is an Executive Search. Prepared means one or more of the following: Understand the industry; Have a prior discussion with the HR Gen of that business unit to understand any nuances that may positively / negatively impact the search efforts; Look on Linkedin, Spoke and your own ATS system to bring some profiles to calibrate against. People are visual, if you give them something to look at and respond to, you are more likely to get closer to the desired outcome at the very beginning of the search effort.
Duplication of Effort: Recruiters workloads are not getting any lighter, so therefore it is easy for individuals to go to the path of least resistance. However this path, especially if multiple people or vendors are assisting can be costly and unproductive. At SourceCon, Rob McIntosh presented a sourcing channel checklist. He broke this checklist into roles and activities. I took this channel sheet back to my organization, as well as peers, and began to ask questions, here is what I found:
Recruiting and sourcing teams that do not work from a plan perform duplicate work efforts. This lack of planning typically results in overlap when searching resume databases, contacting the same resources or networking through the various social networking sites
Continue to manage from the plan. Use the plan as a management tool to understand how the recruiting team is using each of the sources.
Don't pay sourcing vendors to do the same work performed internally. Face it, recruiters like the job boards. If you are using a resume mining and screening vendor, so do they. Pick one..
Not all sources generate results, so stop using the source and move on. Time is not a commodity in the recruiting business. Leverage your ATS data to begin understanding how your organization fills a particular type of role best and build from there.
Solutions: I truly believe that duplication of effort is something that requires constant monitoring. Now with that being said, I would also recommend the following:
Create the channel plan.
Create a channel plan that supports the sourcing strategy. A high volume, low complexity, localized plan will look very different from a high complexity, low volume, national search. Know what it takes to execute both and build a quick project plan to maximize time and resources.
Keyword Sets: Create sets of keywords that can also be divided by channel.
Manage to the sourcing plan. Conduct a review with the team on their activities and the results generated. Immediately seize activities on sources that are not generating the desired results and get the team to move on.
Prioritization: Not all sources generate results. Not all of the easiest sources will generate the results for the position that is being searched for. The concept of What source will generate the best results first requires sourcing knowledge, industry experience and reviewing the metrics to better understand what works inside your organization Activity for activity sake, still does not result in a hire. This only causes ill will, especially if there is segmentation between the recruiters and the sourcing team.
Solutions:
High Volume / Low Complexity: These are processing related sourcing plans. This requires activities that may leverage recruitment marketing, resume mining, job posting, radio advertisement, creative employee referral campaigns and drip market efforts leveraging contacts within the ATS. This plan may require the assistance of a resume mining vendor, an experienced sourcer/ recruiter as well as some good recruiting administrators. Each have there own role in getting the desired outcome accomplished. Know what works to execute a plan.
Low Volume / High Complexity: These are more strategic sourcing plans. This will include market research, competitive intelligence, employee referrals, cold calling and industry networking. Depending upon the type of role will determine which of these activities goes first.
The reality is, prioritization of a sourcing strategy may require someone who can serve as the organization's sourcing strategist. This person must be able to turn around a project execution plan quickly and articulate clear directions to multiple stakeholders in the process. This person must be a data jockey, who can pull reports from the ATS and leverage data to identify those activities which have a higher possibility of generating results first and baking this into the plan.
The following are some learnings around how to make your sourcing more effective, especially if varying levels of experience exist within the team.
Understanding the fit: You may be reading this and go "no kidding", but the reality is this step is commonly skipped over in the process. Understanding the fit has to do with a solid working knowledge of the industry, the business group supported and how the role fits into what that leader is trying to accomplish. Where this usually breaks down is in one of the following areas:
If the sourcer is working through the recruiter, there is an expectation that the recruiter will ask all of the right questions when meeting with the hiring manager.
If the sourcer/ recruiter meets with the hiring manager and there is a lack of preparation coming into the meeting. This includes the sourcer / recruiter not presenting industry knowledge and using the meeting time to validate assumptions around expectations.
If the Recruiter is the Sourcer, the focus is more on the skills, versus the business goals the hiring manager is trying to accomplish. As a result, the recruiter finds the right skilled person, but the applications of the skills are misaligned.
Solutions: The key is planning, planning and communication. Assume nothing and talk about everything. Wikipedia.org can be a super tool when seeking to understand an industry, a position, a skill set. Interestingly enough, wikipedia if leveraged appropriately provides some good data points that can be used during a hiring manager discussion.
Secondly, have all of your recruiters / sourcers go in prepared to a hiring manager discussion. Again you might say no kidding, but 9 times out of 10 it does not happen, unless it is an Executive Search. Prepared means one or more of the following: Understand the industry; Have a prior discussion with the HR Gen of that business unit to understand any nuances that may positively / negatively impact the search efforts; Look on Linkedin, Spoke and your own ATS system to bring some profiles to calibrate against. People are visual, if you give them something to look at and respond to, you are more likely to get closer to the desired outcome at the very beginning of the search effort.
Duplication of Effort: Recruiters workloads are not getting any lighter, so therefore it is easy for individuals to go to the path of least resistance. However this path, especially if multiple people or vendors are assisting can be costly and unproductive. At SourceCon, Rob McIntosh presented a sourcing channel checklist. He broke this checklist into roles and activities. I took this channel sheet back to my organization, as well as peers, and began to ask questions, here is what I found:
Recruiting and sourcing teams that do not work from a plan perform duplicate work efforts. This lack of planning typically results in overlap when searching resume databases, contacting the same resources or networking through the various social networking sites
Continue to manage from the plan. Use the plan as a management tool to understand how the recruiting team is using each of the sources.
Don't pay sourcing vendors to do the same work performed internally. Face it, recruiters like the job boards. If you are using a resume mining and screening vendor, so do they. Pick one..
Not all sources generate results, so stop using the source and move on. Time is not a commodity in the recruiting business. Leverage your ATS data to begin understanding how your organization fills a particular type of role best and build from there.
Solutions: I truly believe that duplication of effort is something that requires constant monitoring. Now with that being said, I would also recommend the following:
Create the channel plan.
Create a channel plan that supports the sourcing strategy. A high volume, low complexity, localized plan will look very different from a high complexity, low volume, national search. Know what it takes to execute both and build a quick project plan to maximize time and resources.
Keyword Sets: Create sets of keywords that can also be divided by channel.
Manage to the sourcing plan. Conduct a review with the team on their activities and the results generated. Immediately seize activities on sources that are not generating the desired results and get the team to move on.
Prioritization: Not all sources generate results. Not all of the easiest sources will generate the results for the position that is being searched for. The concept of What source will generate the best results first requires sourcing knowledge, industry experience and reviewing the metrics to better understand what works inside your organization Activity for activity sake, still does not result in a hire. This only causes ill will, especially if there is segmentation between the recruiters and the sourcing team.
Solutions:
High Volume / Low Complexity: These are processing related sourcing plans. This requires activities that may leverage recruitment marketing, resume mining, job posting, radio advertisement, creative employee referral campaigns and drip market efforts leveraging contacts within the ATS. This plan may require the assistance of a resume mining vendor, an experienced sourcer/ recruiter as well as some good recruiting administrators. Each have there own role in getting the desired outcome accomplished. Know what works to execute a plan.
Low Volume / High Complexity: These are more strategic sourcing plans. This will include market research, competitive intelligence, employee referrals, cold calling and industry networking. Depending upon the type of role will determine which of these activities goes first.
The reality is, prioritization of a sourcing strategy may require someone who can serve as the organization's sourcing strategist. This person must be able to turn around a project execution plan quickly and articulate clear directions to multiple stakeholders in the process. This person must be a data jockey, who can pull reports from the ATS and leverage data to identify those activities which have a higher possibility of generating results first and baking this into the plan.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
10 hiring tips for startups
Be role specific
Hiring is the most important decision at startup stage. Here are some hiring tips for startups
1. Hire for a specific role and not because you are impressed by the person.
2. Don’t think of the role, write it down along with the skills and experience you’d need the person to have in order to perform well in the role.
Give comprehensive picture of the company
3. Create a clear and interesting script about your company, nature of business, future potential and how that role fits in. Use any recognition, commendation that came your way in the script.
Remember in case of startup jobs, both interviewer and aspirant are evaluating each other. You need to come across as a worthy employer.
4. If you are not sure you can assess abilities, there is no harm asking a known senior or ex-boss to sit through the interview with you.
Learn during the process, he may not come everytime.
Right information
5. Give a clear picture of your current state, strengths and limitations.
Assess the same about the candidate. Right information is key to decision making.
6. Working for startups requires abilities like initiative, selfdiscipline, cost consciousness, multitasking, resourcefulness and risk taking more than subject matter expertise.
Don't be defensive
7. Do not get defensive about your startup status. All big enterprises started out as one. Everyone works for the future; make sure you are able to define bright future loudly.
8. Ask for references and do not limit to two. Take five references, talk to all, get a feel.
Take enough time
9. Hiring is the most important decision at startup stage. Give it your enough time, prepare, read stuff and meet many candidates. Do not delegate hiring.
10. Do not hesitate to headhunt the right guy, no matter how big a company she works for currently. You’ll be surprised how bored good professionals can get working in working big companies.
Your job can give them the freshness they want. Worst she can do is say “no”. There is a high probability that she’ll refer some one else who fits in.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Ten Common Job-Hunter Types
This is wonderful segmented description of different job hunters by By Lou Adler, I found it intresting and useful for everybody so thought to post it on my blog for my friends and readers....
::If you frequently find top people who are either over-qualified, uninterested, or tell you they've just accepted another job or are close to it, job-hunting typecasting can increase the number of top performers you see.
Adler has defined 10 tyoes of job seekers candidates based on the behaviour psychology of the top performer. Obviously, the more anxious they are about the quality of their current jobs, the more aggressive they'll be in looking for something else. Ten classic job-hunting styles stand out, from those who are simply open to talk about possible opportunities to those who are ready to accept a reasonable offer in a few days.
Knowing the type of person you're seeking can help you develop a targeted sourcing strategy, rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach. Segmenting your candidate pool this way will become more and more necessary in order to increase the quantity and quality of top performers you're seeing.
Ten Common Job-Hunter Types
1.Explorers. Explorers are people who are fully employed and quite satisfied in their current jobs. They will be open to explore other career opportunities if presented to them, but they will not proactively seek out something else. Recruiters need to call these people and provide them a chance to evaluate their opportunity with minimal commitment, letting them "just look" at what you have to offer. You can't push too hard when talking to Explorers. If you can get them excited about what you have to offer, you can try to reel them in by conducting an exploratory interview or suggesting an exploratory meeting with a hiring manager. To hire these people your job must offer both stretch and long-term growth. Expect the process to take longer, and don't expect a lot of preparation on their part unless they see your job as offering a significant career move. Explorers are passive candidates, but are open to consider something else if it's far better.
2.Foragers. Foragers are Explorers having a bad day. On these occasions, Foragers will venture into the job market for an hour or so, poke around, and if something stands out they'll check it out. Since their foraging is short-lived, your jobs need to be easy to find and compelling.
Since Foragers will lose interest as quickly as they entered the job-hunting market, you must make informal contact with a credible proposition quickly. Foragers have the same job demands as Explorers, but they're somewhat easier to find since they're looking for you.
3.Tiptoers. Once diminishing job returns set-in, most top performers tiptoe into the market. They'll contact a few former close associates and maybe a well-networked and respected recruiter or two. While Tiptoers represent the shift from passive to active candidates, their job demands are still high. Tiptoers are typically sourced through a very proactive employee referral program, or through a recruiter who's known as a functional or industry specialist. Don't expect a lot of preparation from them or demand they complete an application. If you do, you won't see them again. Tiptoers aren't desperate, and they often appear uninterested, so you'll to need to make your case quickly that you're offering something special.
4.Googlers. Googlers are job hunters who Google for jobs, putting in keywords like "jobs Denver warehouse distribution" into search engines to see what pops up. Your objective is to be on the first page of these searches. Tiptoers become Googlers soon after they establish their initial network, especially if nothing develops right away. To make sure your ads are found by Googlers, you need to use search engine marketing tools like pay-per-click, search engine optimization techniques, and easily found talent hubs that group jobs by function (e.g., all Flash developers). Although they're somewhat active job seekers, Googlers still have high job demands since they've just entered the market. But even if you're offering strong career opportunities, you'll also need to move fast, because the best of the Googlers quickly find other good jobs. Assign Googlers to your most aggressive recruiters, and make sure your hiring managers are available for instant exploratory discussions.
5.Networkers. Top people become Networkers when the easier job-hunting tactics don't pan out. Networkers are top people who aggressively go out of their way to meet respected recruiters, ask their former associates for others they can network with, and start trying to get connected to their 2nd and 3rd degree connections on LinkedIn. While their job demands soften a bit by this stage, these people won't take superficial jobs or lateral moves. Don't force Networkers to formally apply for jobs before talking to them, since they're still looking, not yet buying. In addition, companies need to expand their employee referral programs so that their employees are easily found by Networkers. Line managers also need to be more open to meet with Networkers just to discuss current and potential future opportunities.
6.Top-downers. Good people don't hunt and peck for requisitions when looking for new career opportunities. If nothing turns up quickly through networking, they'll proactively enter the job market conducting a top-down industry and company study, seeking out the best opportunities. Once a few companies stand out, Top-downers seek out some people in these companies to network with. These could be secondary LinkedIn connections, or just contacting the hiring manager or functional VP directly. Under no circumstances prevent this from happening using some legal rationale! HR should promote the idea of allowing hiring managers to hear directly from good candidates, since they'll often hear about good people through their networks weeks before they turn up in the recruiting department.
7.Aggregators. If none of the above techniques pan out, job-hunters become more aggressive as they look for something at least somewhat better then they now have. They're also more likely to make a quicker decision based on tactical criteria, like compensation, title, and location. However, these folks still won't spend much time on the major job boards; instead they'll become meta-searchers starting with job board aggregators like SimplyHired. To be seen here you'll need to reverse engineer your job ads and make sure they come out on top when an Aggregator goes to SimplyHired and searches on "your job title" "your city." SimplyHired will scrape your job board at no cost to ensure you're in their system, and they'll even provide a free evaluation of where you stand against the competition. While Aggregators start with sites like SimplyHired, they'll also search around on the more promising niche sites. SimplyHired will push your ads to these and any other free sites as well, for what seems to be a modest fee.
8.Socializers. Sometimes these job-hunters are also referred to as Joiners, but their aim is the same – meet people either online or in person who can help them find a new job. There's a lot of physical activity involved in the live events, so you know these people are serious. They'll also start sending emails to 3rd and 4th degree contacts, call every recruiter listed on a relevant Google search, update their MySpace and Facebook pages, Twitter and blog every day, and send out resumes to their Plaxo connections. While the majority of the best people have been picked up by this stage, there are still some good people in the Socializer crowd who just didn't find something sooner. So keep an open eye out for top performers who contact you, but move fast, because if they're any good, someone else will quickly recognize this diamond in the rough.
9.Posters. These are the people who finally decide to post their resumes online in all the best known places. People in this category will keep their resumes updated even after they've found a job. In this case they move back into the Explorer category open to accept your inquiry, but probably not willing to move too soon unless the opportunity is "just right." DO NOT CALL these people; it takes too much time since you don't know their current status. Instead, send a compelling email inviting them to consider your opportunity. Make sure your job description is creative and interesting, and suggest that if they're interested they should send you a resume with a half-page write-up of an accomplishment most closely related to real job needs. A performance profile should be used as the basis of creating this compelling email.
10.Hunters. Rarely will top performers become Hunters. These are candidates who will hunt and peck through the major job boards and company career sites to find something. They'll even apply online, sign up for numerous job agents, and do whatever it takes to find a job. So don't expect many top performers in this group; most of what you'll find are the Leftovers. These are the people who everyone else ignored. However, now and then you'll find a strong person here who somehow got overlooked. Unfortunately, by the time you've found them, often they'll tell you they just got an offer somewhere else.
If you're not seeing many good people from your sourcing efforts, or those good ones you do see tell you they've just accepted something else, you can assume you have a Leftover sourcing strategy. This is the default strategy most companies fall into when they don't implement workforce planning in combination with the targeted early-bird sourcing programs described above.
While job-hunter typecasting offers a good foundation for developing sourcing programs, the real key here is to recognize that the best people have different needs whenever they enter the market. A good sourcing strategy has to take these into account, rather than assume that the latest sourcing tactic presented at some conference will wind up being the universal solution.
Sourcing strategy development is an important part of the sourcing process, and it's based on using the latest consumer marketing ideas, technologies, and messaging. Few companies have adopted this concept wholeheartedly, but those that have are starting to see impressive results. It's not too late for everyone else to join in.
::If you frequently find top people who are either over-qualified, uninterested, or tell you they've just accepted another job or are close to it, job-hunting typecasting can increase the number of top performers you see.
Adler has defined 10 tyoes of job seekers candidates based on the behaviour psychology of the top performer. Obviously, the more anxious they are about the quality of their current jobs, the more aggressive they'll be in looking for something else. Ten classic job-hunting styles stand out, from those who are simply open to talk about possible opportunities to those who are ready to accept a reasonable offer in a few days.
Knowing the type of person you're seeking can help you develop a targeted sourcing strategy, rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach. Segmenting your candidate pool this way will become more and more necessary in order to increase the quantity and quality of top performers you're seeing.
Ten Common Job-Hunter Types
1.Explorers. Explorers are people who are fully employed and quite satisfied in their current jobs. They will be open to explore other career opportunities if presented to them, but they will not proactively seek out something else. Recruiters need to call these people and provide them a chance to evaluate their opportunity with minimal commitment, letting them "just look" at what you have to offer. You can't push too hard when talking to Explorers. If you can get them excited about what you have to offer, you can try to reel them in by conducting an exploratory interview or suggesting an exploratory meeting with a hiring manager. To hire these people your job must offer both stretch and long-term growth. Expect the process to take longer, and don't expect a lot of preparation on their part unless they see your job as offering a significant career move. Explorers are passive candidates, but are open to consider something else if it's far better.
2.Foragers. Foragers are Explorers having a bad day. On these occasions, Foragers will venture into the job market for an hour or so, poke around, and if something stands out they'll check it out. Since their foraging is short-lived, your jobs need to be easy to find and compelling.
Since Foragers will lose interest as quickly as they entered the job-hunting market, you must make informal contact with a credible proposition quickly. Foragers have the same job demands as Explorers, but they're somewhat easier to find since they're looking for you.
3.Tiptoers. Once diminishing job returns set-in, most top performers tiptoe into the market. They'll contact a few former close associates and maybe a well-networked and respected recruiter or two. While Tiptoers represent the shift from passive to active candidates, their job demands are still high. Tiptoers are typically sourced through a very proactive employee referral program, or through a recruiter who's known as a functional or industry specialist. Don't expect a lot of preparation from them or demand they complete an application. If you do, you won't see them again. Tiptoers aren't desperate, and they often appear uninterested, so you'll to need to make your case quickly that you're offering something special.
4.Googlers. Googlers are job hunters who Google for jobs, putting in keywords like "jobs Denver warehouse distribution" into search engines to see what pops up. Your objective is to be on the first page of these searches. Tiptoers become Googlers soon after they establish their initial network, especially if nothing develops right away. To make sure your ads are found by Googlers, you need to use search engine marketing tools like pay-per-click, search engine optimization techniques, and easily found talent hubs that group jobs by function (e.g., all Flash developers). Although they're somewhat active job seekers, Googlers still have high job demands since they've just entered the market. But even if you're offering strong career opportunities, you'll also need to move fast, because the best of the Googlers quickly find other good jobs. Assign Googlers to your most aggressive recruiters, and make sure your hiring managers are available for instant exploratory discussions.
5.Networkers. Top people become Networkers when the easier job-hunting tactics don't pan out. Networkers are top people who aggressively go out of their way to meet respected recruiters, ask their former associates for others they can network with, and start trying to get connected to their 2nd and 3rd degree connections on LinkedIn. While their job demands soften a bit by this stage, these people won't take superficial jobs or lateral moves. Don't force Networkers to formally apply for jobs before talking to them, since they're still looking, not yet buying. In addition, companies need to expand their employee referral programs so that their employees are easily found by Networkers. Line managers also need to be more open to meet with Networkers just to discuss current and potential future opportunities.
6.Top-downers. Good people don't hunt and peck for requisitions when looking for new career opportunities. If nothing turns up quickly through networking, they'll proactively enter the job market conducting a top-down industry and company study, seeking out the best opportunities. Once a few companies stand out, Top-downers seek out some people in these companies to network with. These could be secondary LinkedIn connections, or just contacting the hiring manager or functional VP directly. Under no circumstances prevent this from happening using some legal rationale! HR should promote the idea of allowing hiring managers to hear directly from good candidates, since they'll often hear about good people through their networks weeks before they turn up in the recruiting department.
7.Aggregators. If none of the above techniques pan out, job-hunters become more aggressive as they look for something at least somewhat better then they now have. They're also more likely to make a quicker decision based on tactical criteria, like compensation, title, and location. However, these folks still won't spend much time on the major job boards; instead they'll become meta-searchers starting with job board aggregators like SimplyHired. To be seen here you'll need to reverse engineer your job ads and make sure they come out on top when an Aggregator goes to SimplyHired and searches on "your job title" "your city." SimplyHired will scrape your job board at no cost to ensure you're in their system, and they'll even provide a free evaluation of where you stand against the competition. While Aggregators start with sites like SimplyHired, they'll also search around on the more promising niche sites. SimplyHired will push your ads to these and any other free sites as well, for what seems to be a modest fee.
8.Socializers. Sometimes these job-hunters are also referred to as Joiners, but their aim is the same – meet people either online or in person who can help them find a new job. There's a lot of physical activity involved in the live events, so you know these people are serious. They'll also start sending emails to 3rd and 4th degree contacts, call every recruiter listed on a relevant Google search, update their MySpace and Facebook pages, Twitter and blog every day, and send out resumes to their Plaxo connections. While the majority of the best people have been picked up by this stage, there are still some good people in the Socializer crowd who just didn't find something sooner. So keep an open eye out for top performers who contact you, but move fast, because if they're any good, someone else will quickly recognize this diamond in the rough.
9.Posters. These are the people who finally decide to post their resumes online in all the best known places. People in this category will keep their resumes updated even after they've found a job. In this case they move back into the Explorer category open to accept your inquiry, but probably not willing to move too soon unless the opportunity is "just right." DO NOT CALL these people; it takes too much time since you don't know their current status. Instead, send a compelling email inviting them to consider your opportunity. Make sure your job description is creative and interesting, and suggest that if they're interested they should send you a resume with a half-page write-up of an accomplishment most closely related to real job needs. A performance profile should be used as the basis of creating this compelling email.
10.Hunters. Rarely will top performers become Hunters. These are candidates who will hunt and peck through the major job boards and company career sites to find something. They'll even apply online, sign up for numerous job agents, and do whatever it takes to find a job. So don't expect many top performers in this group; most of what you'll find are the Leftovers. These are the people who everyone else ignored. However, now and then you'll find a strong person here who somehow got overlooked. Unfortunately, by the time you've found them, often they'll tell you they just got an offer somewhere else.
If you're not seeing many good people from your sourcing efforts, or those good ones you do see tell you they've just accepted something else, you can assume you have a Leftover sourcing strategy. This is the default strategy most companies fall into when they don't implement workforce planning in combination with the targeted early-bird sourcing programs described above.
While job-hunter typecasting offers a good foundation for developing sourcing programs, the real key here is to recognize that the best people have different needs whenever they enter the market. A good sourcing strategy has to take these into account, rather than assume that the latest sourcing tactic presented at some conference will wind up being the universal solution.
Sourcing strategy development is an important part of the sourcing process, and it's based on using the latest consumer marketing ideas, technologies, and messaging. Few companies have adopted this concept wholeheartedly, but those that have are starting to see impressive results. It's not too late for everyone else to join in.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Recruitment Process in India.
The recruitment process in India is designed in such a way that each candidate gets the desired profile according to its own choice. Place the candidate from the right profile, the best job recruitment agencies, the solution is the end of most Indian job recruitment agencies.
The job recruitment agencies in India involves identifying those posts, preparing the job description and person specification, advertising, management of the response, the prequalification process, organizing meetings, conducting interviews, making decisions, the appointment and action. This means that a lot of time and resources must be invested before the right candidate is selected.
Most recruitment agencies in India follow three stages in the recruitment process, which are essentially short list of application, preliminary assessment and final interview and selection.
The recruiting India process may include a written test to judge the particular skills of a candidate. In this case, the test must be carefully prepared, not to deviate from the subject. Much can be found on the candidate's resume. A good presentation of his resume is in an organized way and refined talk a lot on the individual. His mentality and attitude can be judged according to his resume.
Then the interview, which is an important and crucial part of the recruitment process. The person who takes the interview of the candidate must be well prepared in advance. Concerns such as the location of the interview, the timing, structure of the question of strategy, the style of taking the interview must be decided in advance, so that nothing is excluded, and all subjects properly treated.
In addition, there are a number of things that must be taken into consideration in the recruitment process. Until the final decision about a certain candidate is taken, it is important to keep in regular contact with the candidate. The decision-making process should not take too long to prevent candidates from taking any other occasion. An applicant must be informed once the decision is made. He or she must say the entire process of his appointment clearly with the details of all documents to be submitted. A record should be kept of the candidate file for future reference.
The recruitment process must be strong and justified and shall withstand external scrutiny. Only a good job recruitment agency with a good understanding of the area and the process can execute the same success. In India, most of the recruitment agencies to understand the needs of clients and candidates and they work in a planned way to recruit people.
The job recruitment agencies in India involves identifying those posts, preparing the job description and person specification, advertising, management of the response, the prequalification process, organizing meetings, conducting interviews, making decisions, the appointment and action. This means that a lot of time and resources must be invested before the right candidate is selected.
Most recruitment agencies in India follow three stages in the recruitment process, which are essentially short list of application, preliminary assessment and final interview and selection.
The recruiting India process may include a written test to judge the particular skills of a candidate. In this case, the test must be carefully prepared, not to deviate from the subject. Much can be found on the candidate's resume. A good presentation of his resume is in an organized way and refined talk a lot on the individual. His mentality and attitude can be judged according to his resume.
Then the interview, which is an important and crucial part of the recruitment process. The person who takes the interview of the candidate must be well prepared in advance. Concerns such as the location of the interview, the timing, structure of the question of strategy, the style of taking the interview must be decided in advance, so that nothing is excluded, and all subjects properly treated.
In addition, there are a number of things that must be taken into consideration in the recruitment process. Until the final decision about a certain candidate is taken, it is important to keep in regular contact with the candidate. The decision-making process should not take too long to prevent candidates from taking any other occasion. An applicant must be informed once the decision is made. He or she must say the entire process of his appointment clearly with the details of all documents to be submitted. A record should be kept of the candidate file for future reference.
The recruitment process must be strong and justified and shall withstand external scrutiny. Only a good job recruitment agency with a good understanding of the area and the process can execute the same success. In India, most of the recruitment agencies to understand the needs of clients and candidates and they work in a planned way to recruit people.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
10 careers that make employers look for you in 2009
10 careers that make employers look for you in 2009:
If you think looking for a job and finding a career are the same thing, think again. With the US unemployment rate under 5%, almost anybody can find a job.
The bad news is that many of these jobs are low-paying, come without benefits, or offer little in the way of security.
Finding a career where you have the upper hand takes a little more long-term planning than simply finding a job, but it will be well worth in the long run.
These ten careers--in four major job sectors--are likely to be rewarding because employees in these fields are expected to find themselves in an employee's market.
Healthcare workers are in high demand
Healthcare
For better or worse, you can't fight demographics, and those demographics show that the average American is getting older. Healthcare needs increase with age, so as the baby-boom generation enters retirement, healthcare workers are going to be in more demand than ever.
Personal/Home Health Aide:
As people age, healthcare becomes more of a day-to-day issue, which is why personal/home health aides are in such demand. Health aid training will give you enough background to get started in this field.
"Demand for medical assistance is gradually growing!"
Medical Assistants:
Demand for this occupation is growing, but so is the demand for formal training. You'd want to take some medical assisting courses in school--or even consider a medical assisting degree.
Psychologists are always in demand
Mental Health Counselors/Social Workers:
The psychological aspect of healthcare cannot be overlooked. Consistent with the theme of an aging America, Alzheimer's disease is creating more and more mental health challenges, but there are also conditions such as autism which are becoming more common in the general population.
Psychology programs are offered in many schools, and online psychology degrees are also available.
Programmers in IT sector
Information Technology
The big concern with information technology (IT) has been that some programming and customer support functions have been outsourced overseas. However, certain IT functions are more hands-on, and these are the areas where trained workers remain in demand.
Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts:
Mastery of the computer system makes you indispensable to an organization. This takes a high level of training, so a degree in information technology is a must. Experience plus training is even better, so if you are already working, consider earning an IT degree online.
Computer engineers are always in demand
Computer Software Applications Engineers:
Routine programming can be outsourced, but there will never be any substitute for the ability to create new, value-added applications.
A computer programming degree is a good start, or go online to check out other types of computer science degrees.
Teaching is the best option!
Education:
Teaching is another career that is hands-on enough to be immune to outsourcing.
Teacher:
Dedicated teachers are in demand in virtually every part of the country, and with the general population growing, this demand is not going to wane any time soon. You will need a degree in education, and an online teaching degree is one way of meeting this requirement. You'll need teacher's certification as well, so check your state department of education website.
Legal Assitants job is always secure!
Professional Services
The nature of these services is highly-individualized, which is one of the reasons trained professionals are in demand.
Paralegal/Legal Assistant:
These occupations are in demand because they can leverage the time of high-priced lawyers.
There are paralegal schools across the country and online where you can pursue a paralegal degree or legal assisting training.
Auditors job can always be safe!
Financial Services
The heart of the baby boom is entering its peak savings years. Careers in finance can be highly compensated, so an MBA in finance may be well worth the investment. An online finance degree can be a way to give your current career a new boost.
Accountants and Auditors:
These have some of the same characteristics as financial services careers. Training can be found at a variety of accounting schools, or consider an online accounting degree. Specialize in taxes or estate planning or fraud to attract even bigger opportunities.
Be an HR professional
With all the job demand described above, it should be no surprise that this is expected to be the fastest growing segment of the professional and business services sector. Plus, what better way to keep track of evolving employment trends than working as a recruiter or placement specialist? Consider earning a human resource management degree either online or at a traditional school.
As always, check out the relevant accreditation standards for any career training and educational program you choose. As for making that choice, the bottom line is, if you want a job where you'll be in demand, just look at society's trends and follow those trends toward your new career.
If you think looking for a job and finding a career are the same thing, think again. With the US unemployment rate under 5%, almost anybody can find a job.
The bad news is that many of these jobs are low-paying, come without benefits, or offer little in the way of security.
Finding a career where you have the upper hand takes a little more long-term planning than simply finding a job, but it will be well worth in the long run.
These ten careers--in four major job sectors--are likely to be rewarding because employees in these fields are expected to find themselves in an employee's market.
Healthcare workers are in high demand
Healthcare
For better or worse, you can't fight demographics, and those demographics show that the average American is getting older. Healthcare needs increase with age, so as the baby-boom generation enters retirement, healthcare workers are going to be in more demand than ever.
Personal/Home Health Aide:
As people age, healthcare becomes more of a day-to-day issue, which is why personal/home health aides are in such demand. Health aid training will give you enough background to get started in this field.
"Demand for medical assistance is gradually growing!"
Medical Assistants:
Demand for this occupation is growing, but so is the demand for formal training. You'd want to take some medical assisting courses in school--or even consider a medical assisting degree.
Psychologists are always in demand
Mental Health Counselors/Social Workers:
The psychological aspect of healthcare cannot be overlooked. Consistent with the theme of an aging America, Alzheimer's disease is creating more and more mental health challenges, but there are also conditions such as autism which are becoming more common in the general population.
Psychology programs are offered in many schools, and online psychology degrees are also available.
Programmers in IT sector
Information Technology
The big concern with information technology (IT) has been that some programming and customer support functions have been outsourced overseas. However, certain IT functions are more hands-on, and these are the areas where trained workers remain in demand.
Network Systems and Data Communications Analysts:
Mastery of the computer system makes you indispensable to an organization. This takes a high level of training, so a degree in information technology is a must. Experience plus training is even better, so if you are already working, consider earning an IT degree online.
Computer engineers are always in demand
Computer Software Applications Engineers:
Routine programming can be outsourced, but there will never be any substitute for the ability to create new, value-added applications.
A computer programming degree is a good start, or go online to check out other types of computer science degrees.
Teaching is the best option!
Education:
Teaching is another career that is hands-on enough to be immune to outsourcing.
Teacher:
Dedicated teachers are in demand in virtually every part of the country, and with the general population growing, this demand is not going to wane any time soon. You will need a degree in education, and an online teaching degree is one way of meeting this requirement. You'll need teacher's certification as well, so check your state department of education website.
Legal Assitants job is always secure!
Professional Services
The nature of these services is highly-individualized, which is one of the reasons trained professionals are in demand.
Paralegal/Legal Assistant:
These occupations are in demand because they can leverage the time of high-priced lawyers.
There are paralegal schools across the country and online where you can pursue a paralegal degree or legal assisting training.
Auditors job can always be safe!
Financial Services
The heart of the baby boom is entering its peak savings years. Careers in finance can be highly compensated, so an MBA in finance may be well worth the investment. An online finance degree can be a way to give your current career a new boost.
Accountants and Auditors:
These have some of the same characteristics as financial services careers. Training can be found at a variety of accounting schools, or consider an online accounting degree. Specialize in taxes or estate planning or fraud to attract even bigger opportunities.
Be an HR professional
With all the job demand described above, it should be no surprise that this is expected to be the fastest growing segment of the professional and business services sector. Plus, what better way to keep track of evolving employment trends than working as a recruiter or placement specialist? Consider earning a human resource management degree either online or at a traditional school.
As always, check out the relevant accreditation standards for any career training and educational program you choose. As for making that choice, the bottom line is, if you want a job where you'll be in demand, just look at society's trends and follow those trends toward your new career.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
What is a "headhunter" or "recruiter"?
Job Headhunters And Recruiters
What is a "headhunter" or "recruiter"?
A headhunter is actually a professional placement specialist or executive recruiter. What they do is they get a request, typically from a client company, and the company will say, "We're looking for an executive or a professional who can do XYZ. Please help us find this individual." The executive recruiter at that point will either go into their database of candidates and/or they will actually recruit or headhunt at other companies to find the most appropriate individual or individuals they can introduce to their client company, and hopefully get them placed.
How does a headhunter or recruiter get paid?
Typically a headhunting company will be paid by the client company, and that's always the way that you want to go if you're an applicant. So if you are thinking of using an executive recruiter or headhunting firm to help you with your job hunt, be sure to ask them, "Are you employer paid or are you applicant paid?" And the most reputable headhunting firms are going to be company paid.
What are guidelines for working with a headhunter or recruiter?
With job headhunters and recruiters, the most important thing to remember about working with a headhunter is that they are in the business of sales. Headhunters make their money by every placement that they make. Most reputable executive recruiting companies are the ones who have good relationships with high quality client companies and who are looking to recruit top level people. Therefore it's very, very important when you're interviewing with those types of companies to find out what their track record is and what types of companies they typically work with. Do they have areas of specialization that they place? It is very important because obviously if you're in accounting, you don't want to be recruited to be working with an executive recruiting company who places people in the healthcare field. So you must ask recruiters a lot of questions.
What are guidelines for working with a headhunter or recruiter?
A good head-hunter or executive recruiter is going to spend the time to really get to know you and what your needs, goals and objectives are; not just for the short term, but also for your long term career plans. The last thing that an executive recruiter wants to do is place a candidate with the client company (remember that the client company is the one paying the bill) and then have one or both parties be unhappy after a few months. They are really looking for that long term win-win relationship, between the candidate and the client company. So, if you paint a very honest picture for the recruiter you're working with, he or she can then take that picture of you to the client company and that's going to ensure that long term success for you.
How do I find a headhunter?
With job headhunters and recruiters, the best way to find a really good headhunter is through referral. Find some other people who have worked with a headhunter and get the name of the specific recruiter that they have worked with. Additionally, you can also call around to other employment agencies and find out what types of relationships they might have with executive recruiters. Certainly you can go to the internet but you might not always get an honest picture of who this company is going to be, so your best bet is to contact recruiters armed with a lot of questions. And be sure that those recruiters answer your questions to your satisfaction.
-------------------------------------
What is a "headhunter" or "recruiter"?
A headhunter is actually a professional placement specialist or executive recruiter. What they do is they get a request, typically from a client company, and the company will say, "We're looking for an executive or a professional who can do XYZ. Please help us find this individual." The executive recruiter at that point will either go into their database of candidates and/or they will actually recruit or headhunt at other companies to find the most appropriate individual or individuals they can introduce to their client company, and hopefully get them placed.
How does a headhunter or recruiter get paid?
Typically a headhunting company will be paid by the client company, and that's always the way that you want to go if you're an applicant. So if you are thinking of using an executive recruiter or headhunting firm to help you with your job hunt, be sure to ask them, "Are you employer paid or are you applicant paid?" And the most reputable headhunting firms are going to be company paid.
What are guidelines for working with a headhunter or recruiter?
With job headhunters and recruiters, the most important thing to remember about working with a headhunter is that they are in the business of sales. Headhunters make their money by every placement that they make. Most reputable executive recruiting companies are the ones who have good relationships with high quality client companies and who are looking to recruit top level people. Therefore it's very, very important when you're interviewing with those types of companies to find out what their track record is and what types of companies they typically work with. Do they have areas of specialization that they place? It is very important because obviously if you're in accounting, you don't want to be recruited to be working with an executive recruiting company who places people in the healthcare field. So you must ask recruiters a lot of questions.
What are guidelines for working with a headhunter or recruiter?
A good head-hunter or executive recruiter is going to spend the time to really get to know you and what your needs, goals and objectives are; not just for the short term, but also for your long term career plans. The last thing that an executive recruiter wants to do is place a candidate with the client company (remember that the client company is the one paying the bill) and then have one or both parties be unhappy after a few months. They are really looking for that long term win-win relationship, between the candidate and the client company. So, if you paint a very honest picture for the recruiter you're working with, he or she can then take that picture of you to the client company and that's going to ensure that long term success for you.
How do I find a headhunter?
With job headhunters and recruiters, the best way to find a really good headhunter is through referral. Find some other people who have worked with a headhunter and get the name of the specific recruiter that they have worked with. Additionally, you can also call around to other employment agencies and find out what types of relationships they might have with executive recruiters. Certainly you can go to the internet but you might not always get an honest picture of who this company is going to be, so your best bet is to contact recruiters armed with a lot of questions. And be sure that those recruiters answer your questions to your satisfaction.
-------------------------------------
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Headhunting - Learning the Game.
Headhunting - Learning the Game
Headhunters are often thought to be the kind of people who can go out and acquire excellent job candidates for their clients, just at the drop of a hat. We all know it’s not that easy but it is the common perception of people outside the human resource field.
Behind these apparently effortless hiring results are literally years of developing and maintaining relationships with successful professionals. A determination to succeed is a pre-requisite for ongoing recruiting success and true headhunters do not work in the business for a few years and move on.
Most HR people will never work in the headhunting field but there is advantage to be found in looking at the basic skills and techniques that headhunters use, and how internal HR can take advantage of them and apply them in their own work.
It’s All Relationships
The key issue with true headhunters, as opposed to those who just put the title on the bottom right of their business card, is that their relationships with prospective candidates are long-term. Headhunters don’t mine databases for skills, and they have to keep momentum in their candidate relationship over long periods of time. This has to be done without going into any deep relationships until a suitable position has come up.
For this reason true headhunters are likely to be in a relationship with many potential candidates, even when they have no position to offer. This is the part that many recruiters never master.
The reasons for this are quite varied. Internal recruiters are often targeting a job as Human Resources Manager and don’t stay long enough in recruiting to develop any real depth in their relationships. The are often introverts and prefer deep relationships with a small number of people, to what they would she as the shallowness of multiple ‘friends’.
Turnover of recruiters is also high and a network of telecommunications people is quickly lost when the recruiter moves into industrial parts. In a War for Talent market like in our country there is a strong requirement to put ‘bums on seats’ and this precludes a long-term relationship approach.
To my mind only a few people and a few companies in the world have actually achieved a sufficient number of candidate relationships that qualifies them to call themselves Headhunters. They know who they are. Funnily enough, most of them prefer the word Search Consultants, as the expression Headhunter can have negative connotations.
Give To Receive
A cynical view of all this would lead us to believe that headhunters maintain false, shallow relationships that are based on purely selfish motivations.
But reciprocation is one of the tools that I believe is essential to their success. Giving something away is good business because in most cases you can rely on the other person to give back when you need them to. People don’t like to have too much debit on the relationship balance sheet. It’s makes them feel uncomfortable, and that feeling can only be alleviated when the favour is returned.
I’m not a big fan of the ‘Guanxi’ network where you calculate the value of what you are owed, and expect it to be given it’s equivalent in return. These are shallow relationships that just happens to take a long time to work themselves out. True giving is done without the expectation of anything in return.
A good example is social networking, where the ethos is that members are required to give before they receive. Headhunters often have large connections bases on social networking sites and they are an obvious person to choose if you want to connect with someone else. Their inbox will be filled with requests to connect two individuals together.
Their natual tendency might be to refuse these connection requests, but if they think long-term they will oblige, even if it means the loss of a potential search fee. In the long run the obligations they build will be returned in the form of a basic trust, and this trust will eventually result in business relationships that will last a long time. Admittedly, it’s a long chain of causal connections but results will accrue to those who commit to their career, and who tough it out in the beginning.
This is a much different world from that of the internal company recruiter who used to spends his day as a PC-jockey, searching for skills in a Job Portal's search box.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Managing the Sourcing Function:
Improving the effectiveness of your sourcing organization
The following are some learnings around how to make your sourcing more effective, especially if varying levels of experience exist within the team.
Understanding the fit: You may be reading this and go "no kidding", but the reality is this step is commonly skipped over in the process. Understanding the fit has to do with a solid working knowledge of the industry, the business group supported and how the role fits into what that leader is trying to accomplish. Where this usually breaks down is in one of the following areas:
If the sourcer is working through the recruiter, there is an expectation that the recruiter will ask all of the right questions when meeting with the hiring manager.
If the sourcer/ recruiter meets with the hiring manager and there is a lack of preparation coming into the meeting. This includes the sourcer / recruiter not presenting industry knowledge and using the meeting time to validate assumptions around expectations.
If the Recruiter is the Sourcer, the focus is more on the skills, versus the business goals the hiring manager is trying to accomplish. As a result, the recruiter finds the right skilled person, but the applications of the skills are misaligned.
Solutions: The key is planning, planning and communication. Assume nothing and talk about everything. Wikipedia.org can be a super tool when seeking to understand an industry, a position, a skill set. Interestingly enough, wikipedia if leveraged appropriately provides some good data points that can be used during a hiring manager discussion.
Secondly, have all of your recruiters / sourcers go in prepared to a hiring manager discussion. Again you might say no kidding, but 9 times out of 10 it does not happen, unless it is an Executive Search. Prepared means one or more of the following: Understand the industry; Have a prior discussion with the HR Gen of that business unit to understand any nuances that may positively / negatively impact the search efforts; Look on Linkedin, Spoke and your own ATS system to bring some profiles to calibrate against. People are visual, if you give them something to look at and respond to, you are more likely to get closer to the desired outcome at the very beginning of the search effort.
Duplication of Effort: Recruiters workloads are not getting any lighter, so therefore it is easy for individuals to go to the path of least resistance. However this path, especially if multiple people or vendors are assisting can be costly and unproductive. At SourceCon, Rob McIntosh presented a sourcing channel checklist. He broke this checklist into roles and activities. I took this channel sheet back to my organization, as well as peers, and began to ask questions, here is what I found:
Recruiting and sourcing teams that do not work from a plan perform duplicate work efforts. This lack of planning typically results in overlap when searching resume databases, contacting the same resources or networking through the various social networking sites
Continue to manage from the plan. Use the plan as a management tool to understand how the recruiting team is using each of the sources.
Don't pay sourcing vendors to do the same work performed internally. Face it, recruiters like the job boards. If you are using a resume mining and screening vendor, so do they. Pick one..
Not all sources generate results, so stop using the source and move on. Time is not a commodity in the recruiting business. Leverage your ATS data to begin understanding how your organization fills a particular type of role best and build from there.
Solutions: I truly believe that duplication of effort is something that requires constant monitoring. Now with that being said, I would also recommend the following:
Create the channel plan.
Create a channel plan that supports the sourcing strategy. A high volume, low complexity, localized plan will look very different from a high complexity, low volume, national search. Know what it takes to execute both and build a quick project plan to maximize time and resources.
Keyword Sets: Create sets of keywords that can also be divided by channel.
Manage to the sourcing plan. Conduct a review with the team on their activities and the results generated. Immediately seize activities on sources that are not generating the desired results and get the team to move on.
Prioritization: Not all sources generate results. Not all of the easiest sources will generate the results for the position that is being searched for. The concept of What source will generate the best results first requires sourcing knowledge, industry experience and reviewing the metrics to better understand what works inside your organization Activity for activity sake, still does not result in a hire. This only causes ill will, especially if there is segmentation between the recruiters and the sourcing team.
Solutions:
High Volume / Low Complexity: These are processing related sourcing plans. This requires activities that may leverage recruitment marketing, resume mining, job posting, radio advertisement, creative employee referral campaigns and drip market efforts leveraging contacts within the ATS. This plan may require the assistance of a resume mining vendor, an experienced sourcer/ recruiter as well as some good recruiting administrators. Each have there own role in getting the desired outcome accomplished. Know what works to execute a plan.
Low Volume / High Complexity: These are more strategic sourcing plans. This will include market research, competitive intelligence, employee referrals, cold calling and industry networking. Depending upon the type of role will determine which of these activities goes first.
The reality is, prioritization of a sourcing strategy may require someone who can serve as the organization's sourcing strategist. This person must be able to turn around a project execution plan quickly and articulate clear directions to multiple stakeholders in the process. This person must be a data jockey, who can pull reports from the ATS and leverage data to identify those activities which have a higher possibility of generating results first and baking this into the plan.
The following are some learnings around how to make your sourcing more effective, especially if varying levels of experience exist within the team.
Understanding the fit: You may be reading this and go "no kidding", but the reality is this step is commonly skipped over in the process. Understanding the fit has to do with a solid working knowledge of the industry, the business group supported and how the role fits into what that leader is trying to accomplish. Where this usually breaks down is in one of the following areas:
If the sourcer is working through the recruiter, there is an expectation that the recruiter will ask all of the right questions when meeting with the hiring manager.
If the sourcer/ recruiter meets with the hiring manager and there is a lack of preparation coming into the meeting. This includes the sourcer / recruiter not presenting industry knowledge and using the meeting time to validate assumptions around expectations.
If the Recruiter is the Sourcer, the focus is more on the skills, versus the business goals the hiring manager is trying to accomplish. As a result, the recruiter finds the right skilled person, but the applications of the skills are misaligned.
Solutions: The key is planning, planning and communication. Assume nothing and talk about everything. Wikipedia.org can be a super tool when seeking to understand an industry, a position, a skill set. Interestingly enough, wikipedia if leveraged appropriately provides some good data points that can be used during a hiring manager discussion.
Secondly, have all of your recruiters / sourcers go in prepared to a hiring manager discussion. Again you might say no kidding, but 9 times out of 10 it does not happen, unless it is an Executive Search. Prepared means one or more of the following: Understand the industry; Have a prior discussion with the HR Gen of that business unit to understand any nuances that may positively / negatively impact the search efforts; Look on Linkedin, Spoke and your own ATS system to bring some profiles to calibrate against. People are visual, if you give them something to look at and respond to, you are more likely to get closer to the desired outcome at the very beginning of the search effort.
Duplication of Effort: Recruiters workloads are not getting any lighter, so therefore it is easy for individuals to go to the path of least resistance. However this path, especially if multiple people or vendors are assisting can be costly and unproductive. At SourceCon, Rob McIntosh presented a sourcing channel checklist. He broke this checklist into roles and activities. I took this channel sheet back to my organization, as well as peers, and began to ask questions, here is what I found:
Recruiting and sourcing teams that do not work from a plan perform duplicate work efforts. This lack of planning typically results in overlap when searching resume databases, contacting the same resources or networking through the various social networking sites
Continue to manage from the plan. Use the plan as a management tool to understand how the recruiting team is using each of the sources.
Don't pay sourcing vendors to do the same work performed internally. Face it, recruiters like the job boards. If you are using a resume mining and screening vendor, so do they. Pick one..
Not all sources generate results, so stop using the source and move on. Time is not a commodity in the recruiting business. Leverage your ATS data to begin understanding how your organization fills a particular type of role best and build from there.
Solutions: I truly believe that duplication of effort is something that requires constant monitoring. Now with that being said, I would also recommend the following:
Create the channel plan.
Create a channel plan that supports the sourcing strategy. A high volume, low complexity, localized plan will look very different from a high complexity, low volume, national search. Know what it takes to execute both and build a quick project plan to maximize time and resources.
Keyword Sets: Create sets of keywords that can also be divided by channel.
Manage to the sourcing plan. Conduct a review with the team on their activities and the results generated. Immediately seize activities on sources that are not generating the desired results and get the team to move on.
Prioritization: Not all sources generate results. Not all of the easiest sources will generate the results for the position that is being searched for. The concept of What source will generate the best results first requires sourcing knowledge, industry experience and reviewing the metrics to better understand what works inside your organization Activity for activity sake, still does not result in a hire. This only causes ill will, especially if there is segmentation between the recruiters and the sourcing team.
Solutions:
High Volume / Low Complexity: These are processing related sourcing plans. This requires activities that may leverage recruitment marketing, resume mining, job posting, radio advertisement, creative employee referral campaigns and drip market efforts leveraging contacts within the ATS. This plan may require the assistance of a resume mining vendor, an experienced sourcer/ recruiter as well as some good recruiting administrators. Each have there own role in getting the desired outcome accomplished. Know what works to execute a plan.
Low Volume / High Complexity: These are more strategic sourcing plans. This will include market research, competitive intelligence, employee referrals, cold calling and industry networking. Depending upon the type of role will determine which of these activities goes first.
The reality is, prioritization of a sourcing strategy may require someone who can serve as the organization's sourcing strategist. This person must be able to turn around a project execution plan quickly and articulate clear directions to multiple stakeholders in the process. This person must be a data jockey, who can pull reports from the ATS and leverage data to identify those activities which have a higher possibility of generating results first and baking this into the plan.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Existence of Recruitment Team in your Organization & their role..
Existence of Recruitment Team in your Organization
Introduction
What do you think is the actual role and responsibility of “Recruitment Team” in company? I my previous write-up titled “Roles for HR Professionals in New Economy, I have mentioned about various roles and responsibilities that a “Recruitment Team” can take-up. The key and main role of the Recruitment Team of any organization is “Sourcing” but even if they are not doing that and just working as a mediator between Various Departments and Recruitment Consultancy Firms/Agency … don’t you think they are not justifying their very existence in the system? Lets go in detail and find the solution.
Different resources available for sourcing
The following are the various resources available for corporate houses and organizations to get profiles for their requirements:
1) Advertisement
2) Employee References
3) Job Portals
4) Campus Hiring (including, hiring through different private institutes)
5) Recruitment Consultancies/Firms
6) Resumes‚posted on the website of the company
7) Direct Drop-ins
The last two are ill-managed resources. If managed properly‚these two resources can be very useful and effective. Among the above-mentioned sources “Recruitment Consultancies/firms” is the only source where you cannot, directly get in touch with the “prospective employees”.
I am not against “Recruitment Consultancies”‚I am in favour of them and I want to use them in a better manner. I want to use this resource for “Headhunting”. This gives rise to two more questions? What are different resources available with Consultancy Firms‚for sourcing and what is difference between Sourcing and Headhunting?
Different Resources available with “Recruitment Consultancy Firms” for sourcing Recruitment Consultancy Firms also use all the above-mentioned resources except “Campus Hiring” and “Employee Reference”. (Let me know if there is any other resource available to them). Then, why is it that you cannot tap the talent and they can? Probably, you are not aware of the market? Probably, you are not aware of the business?
What the “Recruitment Team” is actually doing?
First question, if the recruitment team of your company is the final authority to “Select” or “Reject” a candidate? In most of the cases‚your answer will be NOPE, they are not the final authority. That right has been vested on “The Departmental or The Functional Head”. If those Department and Functional heads selects anyone on their own‚without informing you‚you cannot do anything.
Now the second question‚you cannot take any decision (on selection or rejection)‚you cannot even source (just getting people from recruitment consultancy firms)‚then what are you doing in the company? Are you working as mediator or coordinator between “Consultancies” and “Functional Departments”? In such scenarios‚how can you justify the very existence to this “department” in the organization? I am not against “Recruitment Department”‚my question is if they are not doing the very basic and key function of their department-”Sourcing” , then what they are doing?
As soon as they get the requirement from any department or any division they just call their (their selected, short listed or favorite) consultants and place the requirement. I have seen‚in some cases they are not even able to explain to the consultants‚the Job Description‚Job Specifications and roles for the profile that they are looking for. It is an irony.
Solution and Conclusion
It is not my verdict and it is not my decision. It is your company and it is for you to pay. But, I suggest to “Corporate Heads” and “HR-Heads”‚either use your all resources minus recruitment firms‚efficiently or outsource your total “Recruitment Process” to an external agency. This will save a lot of Administrative and Operational Cost. What do you say?
Thanks to: Sanjeev Sharma for his contribution
Introduction
What do you think is the actual role and responsibility of “Recruitment Team” in company? I my previous write-up titled “Roles for HR Professionals in New Economy, I have mentioned about various roles and responsibilities that a “Recruitment Team” can take-up. The key and main role of the Recruitment Team of any organization is “Sourcing” but even if they are not doing that and just working as a mediator between Various Departments and Recruitment Consultancy Firms/Agency … don’t you think they are not justifying their very existence in the system? Lets go in detail and find the solution.
Different resources available for sourcing
The following are the various resources available for corporate houses and organizations to get profiles for their requirements:
1) Advertisement
2) Employee References
3) Job Portals
4) Campus Hiring (including, hiring through different private institutes)
5) Recruitment Consultancies/Firms
6) Resumes‚posted on the website of the company
7) Direct Drop-ins
The last two are ill-managed resources. If managed properly‚these two resources can be very useful and effective. Among the above-mentioned sources “Recruitment Consultancies/firms” is the only source where you cannot, directly get in touch with the “prospective employees”.
I am not against “Recruitment Consultancies”‚I am in favour of them and I want to use them in a better manner. I want to use this resource for “Headhunting”. This gives rise to two more questions? What are different resources available with Consultancy Firms‚for sourcing and what is difference between Sourcing and Headhunting?
Different Resources available with “Recruitment Consultancy Firms” for sourcing Recruitment Consultancy Firms also use all the above-mentioned resources except “Campus Hiring” and “Employee Reference”. (Let me know if there is any other resource available to them). Then, why is it that you cannot tap the talent and they can? Probably, you are not aware of the market? Probably, you are not aware of the business?
What the “Recruitment Team” is actually doing?
First question, if the recruitment team of your company is the final authority to “Select” or “Reject” a candidate? In most of the cases‚your answer will be NOPE, they are not the final authority. That right has been vested on “The Departmental or The Functional Head”. If those Department and Functional heads selects anyone on their own‚without informing you‚you cannot do anything.
Now the second question‚you cannot take any decision (on selection or rejection)‚you cannot even source (just getting people from recruitment consultancy firms)‚then what are you doing in the company? Are you working as mediator or coordinator between “Consultancies” and “Functional Departments”? In such scenarios‚how can you justify the very existence to this “department” in the organization? I am not against “Recruitment Department”‚my question is if they are not doing the very basic and key function of their department-”Sourcing” , then what they are doing?
As soon as they get the requirement from any department or any division they just call their (their selected, short listed or favorite) consultants and place the requirement. I have seen‚in some cases they are not even able to explain to the consultants‚the Job Description‚Job Specifications and roles for the profile that they are looking for. It is an irony.
Solution and Conclusion
It is not my verdict and it is not my decision. It is your company and it is for you to pay. But, I suggest to “Corporate Heads” and “HR-Heads”‚either use your all resources minus recruitment firms‚efficiently or outsource your total “Recruitment Process” to an external agency. This will save a lot of Administrative and Operational Cost. What do you say?
Thanks to: Sanjeev Sharma for his contribution
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