Recruiting In Yoga Pants

Dressing up is for suckers

Author: Amy Miller (Page 2 of 4)

How To Prep for a Coaching Call!

March 31, 2023 /

Even professionals can benefit from professional help.

It can be hard to admit we don’t have all the answers, but that’s why mentors and coaches exist! For job seekers, there are plenty of options when it comes to coaching. There are tons of coaches providing paid services (you can check out my recommended list here) and lots of recruiters who provide the occasional session (paid or free).

So how do you PREPARE for this session?

First of all, know your goal. You won’t have it all figured out (that’s why you need a coach!) but you should at least have a goal in mind. What do you want to learn during this session? Is there a specific issue you need help with? It could be anything from “I don’t know what I don’t know and need direction” to “I’ve done a lot of introspection and I need help with this specific thing“. For most of us, it’s probably somewhere in-between. It’s perfectly ok to not know EXACTLY what you need, but at least think about what you want to get out of the call.

Set expectations! The coach may help drive this as well – for a first introductory call, it may be pure discovery. The coach needs to get to know you a bit and understand your situation before proposing solutions. Other times, you’re able to quickly dig into problem areas and brainstorm potential fixes.

Some questions worth exploring during your coaching session:

  • Is my perception of my situation ACCURATE?
  • Is there NEW information that may help me?
  • Do I need to COURSE CORRECT my current strategy?

Finally, give yourself permission to drive the conversation. A great coach will help you come up with solutions on your own – not hand you a one size fits all playbook. Everyone’s situation is unique! Take the time you need to think through what is best FOR YOU.

For more information, check out the video HERE.

The “Right” Way to Reject A Candidate??

March 17, 2023 /

Y’all. Why are recruiters the way they are??

Alrighty let’s dig in – a recent LinkedIn post had my head spinning. It said (I’m paraphrasing a bit here) that recruiters should ALWAYS reject candidates over email and NEVER by phone or video call.

ALWAYS.

NEVER.

The two most dangerous words in recruiting.

But let’s get back to this idea around rejecting candidates. First of all, we have to acknowledge the very real rule that many companies have – CALL. That’s right. The last several employers I’ve personally worked for had a rule that if someone had gone through a full interview round, they got a CALL with the news (good or bad).

Now unfortunately many of those companies also have no feedback rules… so that call can be a little awkward in spite of our best intentions. Here’s how I do it:

Interview Prep
During this conversation, I let my candidates know two things: 1. I’m not able to provide specific feedback and 2. I will pre-schedule our outcome call if possible OR send them a link to schedule a call once we have a decision. If I’m able to kick off my candidate’s interview day (probably 70-80% of the time) I use those few minutes to schedule our follow up conversation. If I don’t do a kick off, I send an email include my calendar link so candidates can self schedule. It looks like this:

Hi CANDIDATE, thanks so much for taking the time to interview with us! I have an update for you. Here’s a link to my calendar (hyperlinked 15 min time slot) – feel free to schedule whatever works best for you. Otherwise, feel free to text me directly at (number) whenever you’re free for a chat.

I really want my candidates to feel empowered to tell me what works for them, and particularly WHEN works for them – no one should get a “surprise” call especially if it’s’ bad news.

The Call
This is more or less the “script” I follow when having this conversation. It should be an organic, free flowing conversation and candidates should feel comfortable asking questions or sharing any feedback / thoughts they may have about the process or anything else!

Hey Candidate, unfortunately we didn’t get the outcome we had hoped for. While we won’t be moving to an offer on this role, we definitely saw strengths in (positive areas).
(If true/appropriate) We didn’t see enough (strength / scope) in X, but would love to keep in touch for (future role, different role/level).

Obviously every recruiter needs to pick the language, style and verbiage that works best for them AND follows their company policy. This is also a good time to share if there’s a cooling off period, or if/when a candidate should follow up for future opportunities.

Great – so what’s a job seeker to do?

Clarify timing! It’s perfectly acceptable to ask the recruiter WHEN you can expect an answer. If the recruiter doesn’t offer to schedule something, request it yourself! Get confirmation on when you’ll hear back, or confirm yourself when you’ll be following up.

For more thoughts on this, check out the video HERE.

Resume & Job Search Advice – Who Do You Trust?

March 10, 2023 /

This can be tricky.

I’ll be the first to admit that it can be very difficult to know who to believe. A common complaint from job seekers is there is no single “right” way to do… well… any of this.

Let’s take resumes for example. This recruiter said 1 page only. That recruiter says PDF only. And another random recruiter is picky about font size.

Sigh. I’m exhausted just thinking about it.

Here’s the thing though – there is no universal standard to MOST of this. I’d like to think we can all agree that clean, concise, and clear accomplishments are key. So what’s a job seeker to do?

Relevant Advice

Let’s face it – not all advice on the internet is meant for you. And that’s ok! Even in my recruiting world, I’m pivoting from engineering to high volume production hiring. The advice I give MY candidates will shift greatly – because it’s a very different skill set with a different set of expectations, resume guidance, and interview best practices. Make sure you’re asking questions (and following the guidance of) people who actually KNOW what you’re trying to learn – and can help you get there.

Trusted Sources

Before you take advice from ANYONE, you should vet them! If we’re talking resume advice, recruiters are often a great source for feedback because they are ultimately your audience. Don’t you want to know what the person responsible for reading your resume wants to see? Career coaches and resume writers can also be great – but are they familiar with your particular industry, seniority, and skill set? Like recruiters, coaches and writers can be generalists too – but are they knowledgable about the companies and industries you want to work in? Do they have the trust of recruiters and hiring leaders? Are they trusted or even recommended by recruiters (check out my list here).

Ultimately, you have the responsibility and opportunity to decide what’s best for you. YES, there’s lot of advice out there – and lots of self-proclaimed experts that have perfected the manipulation game and only want to get their hands on your hard earned money. Some services (if it’s affordable for you) can be worth every penny. Sometimes you just need to focus on QUALITY advice, and stop trying to listen to everyone.

For more on this topic, watch this week’s video HERE.

GHOSTING! What it IS and How to Avoid It!

February 17, 2023 /

Y’all I’ve been avoiding this topic for years.

I knew when I started creating content all about recruiting for job seekers I would HAVE to address this.

Ghosting is absolutely a real thing. A real TERRIBLE thing. It happens, and it shouldn’t – but it’s also a term that gets tossed around a lot, leading to more confusion and bad feelings.

So let’s get down to it – when thinking about recruiting and job search – what IS ghosting anyway?

Let’s start with the dictionary definition:

Obviously the SECOND definition is the applicable one in this scenario

So there are two key things to consider: 1. a RELATIONSHIP and 2. WITHDRAWING from all communication WITHOUT EXPLANATION.

To put it in recruiting terms, ghosting is a lack of closure after two way communication has been established.

GHOSTING:
– a recruiter contacts you about a job – you respond with your availability, and the recruiter never gets back to you with next steps or an update (like the role is no longer available, etc)
– you interview (at any stage of the process) and never heard the outcome

NOT GHOSTING:
– you send your resume unsolicited to a recruiter or hiring manager and they don’t respond
– a recruiter let’s you know they’re not moving forward with your candidacy, and you don’t hear back from them even if you reach out again

In a perfect world we all respond to every message and have clear, concise communication forever and ever amen – but we’re HUMAN and shit happens. So what’s a job seeker to do?

Set the right expectations!
We already know not every message is going to get a response – that’s ok! Increase your odds by sending targeted, relevant communication with a clear call to action.

Get clarity on timelines
Once you’re in an interview process, ask your recruiter WHAT you can expect and WHEN. Hold them (us) accountable for follow up within reasonable timeframes and also the mechanism by which you’ll follow up. Should you expect a phone call? Email? Something else? Confirm with your recruiter!

Amy’s 3 touchpoint rule
For me, I don’t get super invested in the beginning. The further in the process I get the more clarity / follow up I expect but regardless I will attempt to reach out THREE TIMES – Once I’ve been ignored (ghosted) 3 times? I’m done. I’ll note that this is no longer a viable opportunity, and get on with my life.

Fine, but what about RECRUITERS?

Ahhh I’m glad you asked! Here are some things that I do to (mostly) avoid ghosting candidates. I can’t lie to you and say it’s never happened. I CAN say that if I catch it (or am called out… yikes…) I WILL do everything I can to rectify it. But to help avoid it….

Contact Info
If you’ve ever received a prep email from me (that means you’re one of my active candidates) you have TWO THINGS – my personal cell phone number, and access to my calendar. I absolutely encourage my candidates to use them as often as needed.

ATS Reminders
I am fortunate to work for a company that takes follow up seriously and have an ATS that is enabled with reminders. If I miss a follow up or closure, I get an email, If I miss it AGAIN, my BOSS gets an email. There is definitely room for grace (again, human here) but I AM held accountable or closure and proper follow up.

Follow Up Friday!
I learned this from the amazing Stacy Zapar, recruiting leader. I saw her speak about this at a conference a million years ago, and the idea is you have time blocked every Friday to follow up with any active candidates and ensure they hear from you. That can be closure, a specific next step, or even “no update update” (we’re waiting on feedback, etc).

Awkwardness is usually based on a lack of communication (or poor communication) – and good communication keeps the ghosts away.

Check out the accompanying video HERE.

I Tested Resume Scanners So You Don’t Have To

February 10, 2023 /

I had a sneaking suspicion these sites were not all they claim. I have definitely had the privilege of being referred to MOST roles I’ve had in my career (recruiting can be funny like that) but I STILL needed to have a viable, story telling resume that left no doubt I was worth at least an interview.

Reminder – the purpose of the resume is to GET YOU AN INTERVIEW – that’s all.

Alrighty. I tried TWO popular resume scanners, and here are my results.

First up, landing a job at Google.

Now I knew a lot of recruiters at Google but none of them referred me. I had applied at some point in the past, I can’t even remember when – and they contacted me! Now did they contact me directly from my application or did they find me in a search? I don’t know. It doesn’t really matter, because THEY made contact with ME – based on (I can only assume) the information they had in their database – which is the resume I gave them at some point.

See for yourself how I got a “low match” for the job I was ultimately hired for:

Low match?? Let’s find out WHY!
Surely I did better on Hard skills though…?
Plot twist, I did not do better. Let me guess… if I PAY I’ll get the greyed out skills I missed?
Soft skills – in all my career I’ve never searched for “passion” as a keyword. Ever. Never ever.
I did not “bring” it. I’ve brought shame on my whole family.
Oh… I’ve got some negative words for you.
We’ll never know because I refuse to pay for this. Sad face.

Somehow I got an interview ANYWAY in spite of my terrible “low match” resume. When it was time to explore something new, I was referred by a pal to my current role – so many of you may think “oh it doesn’t count! You were REFERRED!” well friends, let me remind you that my RESUME still had to show I was a fit for the job. We don’t do “courtesy interviews” – ain’t nobody got time for that. Here’s what happened when I tried the resume I sent against the role I was ultimately hired for on a different scanning site:

Ok ok – slightly better than half. I’ve beaten my previous high scores on multiple sites!
Word doc, actually. And this feels like points for putting your name on your paper in grade school….
LOL @ education. No it doesn’t, and more importantly, NO I DON’T.
File under “obvious keywords for a recruiter” – hit the only ones that matter
If only I said “Management” one more time…
Y’all… this can’t be serious. I definitely referenced working with business leaders like “VPs and Directors”
Did “proactively” and “proactive” cancel each other out here? WHAT IS HAPPENING?
I’m all about measurable results. I am skeptical.

SO WHAT’S A JOB SEEKER TO DO??

I will NOT discourage you from using one of these sites. You’ll notice I didn’t name names or link back – because I won’t ENDORSE them either. If you find value in this exercise, please knock yourself out. There are limited free versions that my help you – kinda like a placebo effect. Heck you can even spend money on it if you really want to. I waste money on frivolous shit all the time – no judgement here.

Bottom line – these sites are ok at taking a guess at important keywords and telling you if you have them or not – and that’s about it. These don’t compare you to any other applicants. No spell check, no feedback on the story telling aspect or narrative… just…. words. Matching. Or not.

I recognize that for ME – having the privilege of knowing really really well how resumes are read (and by whom) it’s easy for me to skip sites like this. If you really feel stuck and your resume is just not getting it done, try a scan. See if you pick up any glaring inaccuracies or misses. Better yet – find a recruiter in your field, trusted colleague or even potential hiring manager who will read your resume and give you straight feedback. There are FREE resume review sites on both LinkedIn and Facebook – I’m a moderator for both. Staffed by volunteer recruiters, you can get honest feedback with NO strings attached from a real live human who reviews resumes for a living.

Check out the accompanying video over on my YouTube channel HERE.

Good luck out there y’all.

How Recruiters Use AI For Sourcing!

December 23, 2022 /

Well I started some shit on LinkedIn recently. 🙂

AI in Recruiting is such a hot topic. Some folks think that AI should do it all and recruiters are completely unnecessary. Weirdly, some of those same people get all salty about us using technologies to do our jobs more efficiently.

(I swear the Venn diagram of people who know nothing about recruiting and complain the most about recruiting is a damn circle).

Back in my day we had to put ads in newspapers, fliers on cars and call random strangers and ask if they want new jobs. It was total chaos. I remember checking the news for “business updates” and names of people getting promoted or moving to new companies. Then, the internet happened.

Suddenly we had access to information like never before! Once LinkedIn really picked up speed people (and their work history) was RIGHT THERE for us to read all about. Wild!

Fast forward several more years, technology continues to evolve and now we have AI, ML, decision trees, automation (to an extent) – it’s wild out there! But how is this stuff ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTED?

For me, it’s about SEARCH.

There are many great AI sourcing tools out there, but a personal favorite of mine is HireEZ. I’ve used it for years at several companies, and it really is a recruiter’s best friend!

Note – this is a completely separate process from reviewing incoming applicants. Completely. Different. Process.

HireEZ (or any other AI search tool) is a 3rd party app that MAY integrate with an ATS. Big question mark there, as it does depend on the configuration and what security allows. I have always used it as a stand alone tool for outbound recruiting. I have two specific processes I follow when starting a search:

Labor Market Insights

Before starting a search I will upload the job description into HireEZ and run some analytics. The tool will parse my job description, separating the title, industry, must haves and nice to haves, and make suggestions on other keywords or drop downs I may want to consider. Once I have made all my adjustments, I can pull labor market data including how many available prospects there are, rough estimates of compensation, even geographic hotspots for the kind of talent I’m seeking. If I get too few results, that can be an indicator that our requirements are too stringent and we should rework the JD.

Sourcing

I LOVE the AI sourcing feature in HireEZ. I can use a job description (a described above), write a boolean string, or simply select my criteria to start a search. Once I’m ready, the tool will recommend some calibration profiles based on what I’ve asked for. I can give a thumbs up or down along with feedback to help the tool “learn” what I really want. Then I can set up recurring searches that will continue to add more prospects to my search project. Set it and forget it!

But what about bias?

Like any other system, the bias is in the user. It’s up to ME to make the right choices when filtering and selecting search criteria. I am in complete control of WHAT I’m searching for and just as importantly how I engage with people I find.

Ok, you found people – now what?

Again it’s important to reiterate these are NOT RESUMES. HireEZ (and tools like it) pull publicly available data, turn it into a profile, and presents it to people like me who are searching. That’s it. NOT a resume (unless you’ve got on uploaded on your social profiles). Merely data that has been aggregated from Al Gore’s internet. Once we have enough info to decide we want to learn more, we can also leverage these tools for contact info and make super targeted outreach to convince you to talk to us.

NOW we can talk about specific roles, applying to positions, and getting you into the ATS for further consideration, interviews, and hopefully offers.

More in this week’s video HERE.

What’s The RIGHT Number Of Interviews?

December 16, 2022 /

Ooooh people love to get mad about this topic.

Lots of people claim you only need ONE interview. Just the hiring manager, THAT’S IT! Others think anything beyond maybe three interviews borders on violating the Geneva Convention. What those folks neglect to understand is the most important question of all – what is the right amount of data needed to reach a hiring decision?

The reality – like so many things in recruiting – is IT DEPENDS.

Some roles can be quickly vetted in a couple of short conversations. Other roles need a deeper dive into multiple areas with different stakeholders. The missing piece (and what really sets job seekers off) is the lack of STRUCTURE AND CLARITY.

My number one piece of advice for any recruiters or hiring authorities wondering how to do this better? Establish your interview process before you ever start recruiting. Understanding exactly what you’re looking for in an interview process is the key to setting up a successful one.

Now that your interview process is created, share it! Candidates have the right to know EXACTLY what they’re signing up for when deciding to interview. Recruiters should be able to explain not only how many rounds but also a brief overview of the information that will be covered and how to best prepare.

Check out the video HERE

How To Request An Informational Interview!

December 9, 2022 /

Basically, networking. But networking with AN AGENDA!! My favorite kind!

So how do you do that exactly? Easy – four simple steps:

  1. Set Your Intentions! This is critical at the beginning of ANY job search but before you start asking people for help, make sure you know WHAT it is you want help with! Are you trying to pivot to a new industry? Relocate to a new area? Pick up a new skill? Now that you have an “ask” – put it out there! This can be a LinkedIn post, a tweet, wherever the people you want to reach are hanging out.
  2. Engage with experts! Once you make your request, folks will either start sharing THEIR expertise or recommend names for you to follow. GO DO THAT. Follow, connect, comment, share… Learn everything you can from what’s already available and what folks you’re being introduced to can offer you. You’ll probably find that many of your questions are already answered in existing content.
  3. Send targeted 1:1 requests! This does not HAVE to be a 15 minute “can I pick your brain” call. It can be a carefully written email asking for 3 specific things – make it easy to respond! If I know EXACTLY what you want, I can almost always pretty quickly write a response or drop a link that answers your questions.
  4. Show gratitude. That’s it. Lots of coaches and “experts” will claim that you MUST “build a relationship” or “show your value” before asking for anything in return. I don’t think so! Again, you’re seeking to learn something from folks who know what you don’t. It’s perfectly ok to not have anything to offer – yet. Simply showing gratitude and promising to pay it forward is all the thanks a lot of folks need (or expect).

Here’s a template you can use when you’re ready to hit step 3:

Hi (Name),

We recently connected/(name) recommended you as someone to talk with about (industry or topic). I am (quick intro) hoping to learn more about (topic).

I’m hoping you can give me some guidance on (bullet points).

If there is anyone else in your network you recommend I follow or other resources I should check into, I would be grateful! Thanks in advance for your guidance!

Me

Let’s say someone like me wanted to pivot to career coaching (bwhahahahaha wouldn’t that piss some people off). I’d write something like this, to coaches I admire or have been referred to me:

Hi (name),

We haven’t met, but your name came up in a conversation about coaching and I would love to understand a bit more about your industry. I’m a tenured recruiter in the Seattle market mostly focused on tech, and I am interested in exploring full time coaching. I recently read (something they shared/wrote) and was intrigued by (takeaway). Specifically, I’d love to learn more about:

  • recommended certifications / industry trainings
  • Workload balancing / how you structure your day
  • Business development / advertising of your services

I would welcome any other suggestions or topics you think I should research. Thanks so much for taking the time to read this! Hope to hear from you soon.

Best,

Amy

Easy peasy! Not every informational HAS to be a phone call or video chat. You’re requesting information. That’s it. That’s the purpose of the informational!

Not try it for yourself and let me know how it goes!

Link to video HERE.

Can A Recruiter BLACKLIST A Candidate?

December 2, 2022 /

Y’all.

I’ve seen some recruiters say some pretty crazy stuff in the last couple of decades, but the idea that we (they) can actually BLACKLIST someone is… well. a bit out there for me.

Let me explain – but first let’s unpack the definition of “blacklist”

Alrighty! So CAN recruiters “blacklist”? Not necessarily… but what could happen:

Recruiters can record specific, actual conversations or communications that happen between recruiter/hm and candidate. So – if you cuss out a recruiter it’s quite likely that will be documented in the ATS and recorded for future recruiters to read.

Of course recruiters ALSO have the authority to decide who they want to work with and submit to hiring managers. It would be VERY UNETHICAL to not submit a candidate solely because you don’t like them. It would be REASONABLE to not submit a candidate because of repeated or highly problematic behaviors.

I don’t say any of this to freak people out. MOST recruiters are fair, realistic, and understand the difference between data points (had a bad day) and trends (consistently inappropriate or poor behavior).

Finally, if a recruiter is recording personal biases or making decisions based on anything OTHER than fit for the role / verifiable data points, it can reflect very badly on THEM.

Bottom line – NO – recruiters typically do not have the authority or influence to “blacklist” anyone for any reason – but they can definitely track factual data and let the actual hiring authority (typically hiring managers) decide for themselves.

The Golden Rule – treat others how you want to be treated – is always a best practice no matter what side of hiring you’re on.

Do Recruiters Hate It When Candidates Negotiate?

November 11, 2022 /

Oh y’all. Bless the hearts of folks who buy into this.

Here’s the thing certain “coaches” will try to sell you on.

Recruiters DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW how to negotiate.

Who comes up with this nonsense?

Real talk y’all. This recruiter LOVES it when candidates are confident in their decision and know what they want. It’s the greatest gift! Candidates absolutely deserve the time/space to figure out what’s right for them and expectations absolutely matter!

As for me, I try to make the best possible offer I can, but even I don’t always get it exactly right. If we need to discuss further, no problem! If the offer works from the go, just take it. No shame in that either.

Here’s the thing – not every negotiation “hack” is GOOD. Game play, withholding information, stupid “take away” tricks – all nonsense and frankly beneath two professionals who should be capable of an adult conversation. Yes, recruiters too have a responsibility to be fair, honest, and transparent.

How do we manage that conversation? Check out the Salary FAQs here – https://www.recruitinginyogapants.com/salary-faqs and the All About Money playlist here – https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6eafD4u4Fa5n6lWAlBsKfM7vp-zOmbuY

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