Recruiting In Yoga Pants

Dressing up is for suckers

Author: Amy Miller (Page 3 of 4)

Recruiter Accountability! Recruiting Manager Edition

November 4, 2022 /

That’s right folks – many (most?) recruiters actually report to someone.

Now this obviously doesn’t include consultants, or independent recruiters. Anyone on a W-2 (employed by a company) and even some agency folks on contract or 1099 type work still report to someone! And that person is often a Recruiting Manager (RM).

The hierarchy can vary widely org to org – some recruiters roll up to the larger HR organization, some are defined by kind of recruiter (closers vs sourcers, for example). The one thing they all have in common? They’re bound by metrics and manager expectations.

One of the most common expectations is number of hires. That’s right – recruiters will typically have a specific deliverable or expectation of output – if we’re not making those numbers, we’ve got some ‘splaining to do! (Tell me more about recruiters NOT wanting to hire people. Seriously. Because if we don’t… well….)

THOSE numbers are of course fluid depending on the organization, kind of hiring we’re responsible for, things like that. For a senior tech recruiter working on niche roles, it may be 2 hires a month. For my high volume friends, it can be 10 times that amount or more.

RMs are often involved in STRATEGY discussions as well – working with business leaders to understand hiring goals for the year, partnering with their recruiting teams to help define how we’re going to get there – RMs are involved in those discussions as well. This allows them to set the right goals for their teams and help them be successful.

When recruiters screw up, RMs are there to help redirect or correct as needed. Like any other industry, we drop balls and make mistakes – when we get those escalations RMs dig into what happened and make it right.

A GREAT RM can make or break a recruiter’s career. Check out the accompanying video HERE.

Recruiter Accountability! Hiring Manager Edition

October 28, 2022 /

One of the strangest concepts to me is the idea that many non-recruiters have – that recruiters can INTENTIONALLY BE BAD AT THEIR JOB and no one cares.

You know what I’m talking about. According to some, we’re out here willfully ignoring applicants, leaving reqs open for months at a time, and generally sucking at our job.

Y’all. Make it make sense.

I PROMISE you – if a hiring manager is unsatisfied with the level of service they’re receiving from their recruiters, they will speak up. And if they’re not? THEY SHOULD. You may not see all the sausage making but know there is likely way more to the story – either that recruiter is getting an earful, or just maybe that role isn’t the priority some folks think it is.

In a well functioning recruiting team, joint accountability is the key. Recruiters and hiring managers both have certain responsibilities and expectations of each other that should be agreed upon and met.

In the last several years I’ve hit upon a formula that has served me well across multiple business groups in three big tech companies:

PRIORITIZATION

I created a sliding scale based on how critical a role is. Those categories each come with a particular level of service and SLA for both sides. A top priority / hair on fire / must fill req means we’re meeting at least once a week and we’re committing to a certain level of engagement / productivity (X resumes a week, Y HM reach outs, whatever). If a hiring manager does not want to make the investment, we will happily re-prioritize their role closer to the bottom of the list.

CLEAR AGENDA

Based on priority, we will meet on a regular basis. Those update meetings are critical – it’s an opportunity to share specific status updates, clarify any outstanding asks, and clean up our pipeline. If we don’t have enough candidates in process, we can also use that time to do some live sourcing together or further strategize on how to get more folks in process.

Hiring managers are a critical part of the business eco-system. They are empowered to build teams, and that is no small feat! Building a strong partnership based on mutual accountability and trust makes all of us more successful. One of my all time favorite business leaders said it best – if your recruiter isn’t your best friend, you’re doing it wrong.

Check out the accompanying video HERE

Recruiter Accountability! Candidate Edition

October 21, 2022 /

Who’s holding the recruiters accountable?

Everybody. Freaking everybody.

In the first of a 3 part video series, we’re going to dig into how recruiters are held accountable to (and by) CANDIDATES. Please understand we are talking about ACTIVE CANDIDATES here. Recruiters do NOT owe emotional labor to people who are not actively engaged with their clients/active requisitions. We DO owe accountability / closure to anyone we HAVE engaged with, even if it’s a simple “no longer under consideration” email after an application or a phone call after an interview.

So how does that work exactly?

ATS Reminders and SLAs

Many companies have rules around how quickly we need to respond or close out on active candidates. Some systems will have reminders, and some teams pull weekly status reports to make sure activity is progressing. We recruiters have to answer for any missed connections or lack of closure.

Candidate Contact Points

Now this may be an “Amy” thing – but something I have consistently done is made sure my candidates have my personal cell phone number so they can call or text me any time. Now the downside is that eleventy billion people have my number and I have an embarrassing number of unread texts / voicemails but I’m trying y’all!

Surveys

Not every company does this, but many have a post interview survey! This can be a free form text field, or perhaps “rate this process” on a scale of 1-5. Those surveys go to recruiting leadership AND they do get read and discussed! I’ve absolutely had to explain negative feedback or follow up on mistakes I’ve made (I told y’all I wasn’t perfect).

Any time we’re dealing with people (recruiters, candidates, hiring managers alike) there’s always a possibility of making mistakes. The most important thing we can do is try our best, get it “right” more often than not, and be willing to admit when we’ve screwed up / try to make it right if possible.

What would you add to help with accountability?

Networking With Recruiters! 2022 Amy’s Version

October 15, 2022 /

I wrote about this back in 2019 and hahahahaha OMG how things have changed since then.

You can read it here, if you’re curious.

So what’s changed Ames? Well, the SHEER VOLUME of requests I get. Every. Single. Day.

Simmer down haters. I know how y’all like to get confused about how recruiting works. Keep reading.

So let’s start with WHAT recruiters actually do anyway. We are hired by companies (internal or agency) to find, engage, and deliver qualified candidates. As such, our PRIMARY FOCUS is on engaging with people in our specific niche/line of business/talent populations. There are other business facing priorities, but let’s focus on the candidate/applicant/prospect side.

For many recruiters, our priorities are as follows:

  • Applicants (folks who applied directly to our open roles)
  • Employee Referrals
  • Sourced prospects

My personal policy and what I encourage my team to do, is to check the applicant buckets first thing every morning. Yes, some roles get hundreds of applicants, but rarely overnight. Even in those cases it’s still a good practice to quickly review/forward/disposition on a daily basis. Over the last few years direct applicants have been my personal best source of hire! Sourced candidates (found by me / my team) and formal employee referrals (via my company’s internal career site) round out our list.

OK Ames, we get it – but what about people who want to approach you?

Let me clear up one ridiculous misconception RIGHT NOW – I LOVE interested, qualified prospects sliding into my DMs. Love it. Absolutely love it. You think I dress up in silly costumes every week and come up with funny ways to bring attention to my open roles for the hell of it?

Y’all – I WANT people who could fit my roles to find me and talk to me.

Those folks are my SECOND priority, after direct qualified applicants. I try to quickly scan my various inboxes daily to make sure I’m not missing any hot prospects or urgent requests. I also share contact info for our entire recruiting team, which is the single best way (AFTER applying directly) to get in touch with us about roles we’re hiring for.

But what about everyone else? Job seekers need help!

Y’all have to understand that my day job is what allows me to create all the other content for folks I will never hire. That means my day job HAS to be my priority. I started this blog and later YouTube channel BECAUSE I was no longer able to keep up with all the one to one requests. I have no special skills. I was not born into privilege, nor was I handed any opportunity. I had to figure out the hard way what worked for me, how to network effectively, and what a proper job search strategy (FOR ME) looked like. My primary goal with this “side hustle” is to help the average, every day job seeker who does NOT have certain privileges navigate all this better. My content is FREE, no strings attached, and available to anyone who wants it.

I sincerely welcome any and all messages from anyone who wants to get in touch – I’m merely asking for a little grace and understanding if I can’t respond right away, or worse – completely miss your message and fail to respond at all. I will never – EVER – be mad that someone reached out to me.

Now there are SOME individuals who think I could provide more value by responding to hundreds of people every week with “sorry can’t help you” instead of “making videos every day”. (Once a week, sparky. I make videos once a week. Math is hard I know).

Now that we have a bit more CONTEXT, let’s dig into what job seekers CAN do to stand out and get helpful responses!

Get clear on your ask

If you just want to network or add someone to your LinkedIn connections, that’s totally ok! You can say that! Unfortunately I’m at the max LI allows, but I encourage folks to follow me to stay connected. Feel free to engage in comments, tag me in posts, I’m cool with that! If you want to DM me, please tell me EXACTLY what it is I can help with. If I see the message (and honestly, I get SO MANY I know I miss a bunch) I’ll do my best to answer quickly – even if it’s redirecting you back to a video or post I already made.

Do your homework!

I cannot stress this part enough – contacting the RIGHT recruiter(s) is such an important first step. Most of us are pretty good at highlighting our industries, the company we recruit for, and the kinds of roles we’re looking to fill. Simply targeting your message to the RIGHT kind of recruiter is already a game changer, and fairly low lift.

Connect with / Follow industry pros

So many job seekers default to RECRUITERS, which is fine! Most of us really do want to help and it’s like Christmas when qualified folks land in our inboxes. However, those messages can be accidentally missed in a sea of other requests. Don’t sleep on networking with fellow (insert title here) and their leaders! If I was looking for a new recruiting job, you better believe I’m hitting up RECRUITERS and recruiting MANAGERS at companies I want to work for.

OK Ames you’ve convinced me – now what do I SAY?

I got you! I’ve written targeted networking templates you can access HERE. These templates are intended to give you a framework you can personalize to your specific requests and target audience. I have lots of other content like Salary FAQs, Recruiting FAQs, all kinds of stuff to help you navigate this all more effectively. If you like videos, I’ve curated a whole playlist you might want to start with. – Job Seeker Survival Guide

To sum it up –

Friends, let me be vulnerable with you for a moment. While 90% or more of the reactions I get to my content is positive, I get my share of very loud haters. I’ve had people tag CEOs of three major tech companies (my employers) trying to get me fired. I’ve been insulted, threatened, and accused of all kinds of nefarious nonsense. I refuse to share my family on social media (rarely even pictures) because my KIDS have been targeted by strangers angry that I didn’t give them something they demanded of me.

There is NO profession – including recruiters – that deserves the vitriol certain folks lob our way. The fact that recruiters remain accessible after what we go through should be celebrated! I know my content (let alone my style) is not for everyone, and that is OK! My only ask is if you HAVE benefited from anything I’ve shared, please pay it forward. Share with your friends. I don’t want lifelong followers – my hope is that folks leverage my insights, get the role(s) they want and help the next group of job seekers.

I never want to shame anyone for seeking help. EVER. Asking for help is a sign strength, in my opinion. Recognizing your gaps, or where you need a lift, is a wonderful thing. I sincerely want to be that lift to as many people as I can, as effectively as possible.

Recruiters are human too – don’t forget that when asking us to put the HUMAN back in Human Resources.

P.S. – for the salty little potatoes in recruiting who think I owe literally every single person who contacts me a response – please leave your contact information below. I will add it to my auto-responder so that these folks can go to YOU for the direct, one on one assistance I am unable to provide. We thank you for your service. Alternatively, you can see if shutting up is right for you.

Applying Through 3rd Party Sites!

October 14, 2022 /

We love an easy button don’t we?

Applying through a one-click / easy apply / mass application type site may SEEM like a good idea, but what happens on the backend of that process?

So for me, I’m ALWAYS going to go straight to the company’s careers page. Sorry LinkedIn – love ya but not going to apply through ya. I want to go STRAIGHT to the hiring company, carefully upload my information, make sure my resume parsed correctly. You’re going to see EXACTLY what I want you to see from me and I’m taking NO chances!

But I am crazy suspicious like that. If you’re not, and you want to take your chances with one of these sites, read on!

I investigated LinkedIn, Zip Recruiter, and Indeed to better understand HOW those applications are managed. The results, NOT surprising in the least! In fact, these sites operate exactly how I had hoped.

All three sites allow the job poster (typically a recruiter) to set up specific criteria in order to be moved through the process. This can your typical Yes/No decision tree type questions, or even assessments! Based on the job seeker’s response to those questions, an applicant can be “automatically” dispositioned. So what does THAT mean?!

For Indeed, your application is “Rejected”. In Zip Recruiter, it’s “Hidden”. LinkedIn? You’ve been “Archived”.

Do you know what all three of those statuses have in common?

The list of applicants is still READILY AVAILABLE AND VIEWABLE to the employer! Many recruiters will go back into those lists and double check candidates for mistakes or even fit for other roles.

Just like we do in traditional ATSs. It’s even possible to “unhide” or whatever to bring that candidate back to the main workflow.

These sites can be particularly useful for small companies that can’t afford a big box ATS, or don’t hire often enough to set up their own. Once again, the SYSTEM being used to TRACK APPLICANTS functions exactly as expected. It’s a digital filing cabinet, following the instructions given to it by the user – typically a recruiter.

Don’t let yourself get weirded out or scared by these scam artists masquerading as “job search coaches”. You don’t need to pull the tiny white font crap, no need to “bypass” applications, or throw yourself on the mercy of your network. Targeted, relevant applications coupled with strategic networking is your best bet.

For more on this topic, watch the video HERE

No Feedback? No Problem!

October 7, 2022 /

Ultimately, feedback doesn’t REALLY matter.

Ok maybe that’s some crazy thing I made up to protect my own sanity. Recruiters have been candidates too, you know. And I’ve certainly had my share of failed interviews.

As a recruiter, there are THREE THINGS I know for sure when it comes to feedback. That feedback is HIGHLY DEPENDENT on the following:

  • Company norms/expectations
  • Team needs
  • Role specifics

We know that interviewing is a data collection exercise that tells us if we do or do not have a fit for those three things – does the person fit the org (culture fit…?) does the person add needed skills / experience to the team, and will the person be successful in this role / level. Now these expectations should be laid out during interview prep and such, but the interview is an opportunity for decision makers to learn enough about you to say “yes” or “no” to these decision points.

Sometimes, the answer is no.

That does NOT mean you’re not a great (insert title here) – it simply means you weren’t the right fit for that specific company/team/role. Sometimes one of these topics, sometimes all of them. Sometimes, it’s literally timing.

The only thing that matters is does this impact your ability to apply or interview again.

Follow me through on this – just because THIS role on THAT day isn’t right, can I still apply in the future? Can I be considered for a different role or team? Should I wait a year or more?

THAT is the only kind of feedback I personally care about. I know that what Company A thinks or me (good or bad) is not in any way related to or shared with Company B, which may think I’m great.

Don’t let a lack of feedback hold YOU back from moving forward. We’re not going to change a decision that’s already made, but we can definitely spend that emotional energy on future opportunities.

Unsuccessful Interview = Waste of Time?

September 30, 2022 /

This is a tough one y’all.

A lot of job seekers are understandably frustrated when they get rejected after an interview. The process can be absolutely grueling at many companies, and a lack of feedback (or God forbid – closure!) can feel like salt in the wound. Believe me, I get the urge to go straight to LinkedIn and fire off a post asking how Company had the actual audacity to interview me knowing they weren’t going to hire me. (Yes, we’ve all seen posts like this)

EXCEPT – the company likely did NOT know they were not going to hire you. That’s why they interviewed you. To figure all that out. Check out “What’s The Point Of An Interview Anyway” for more on that topic.

So what’s a job seeker to do? Even if we have the most positive outlook on this, being rejected still stings and doesn’t get us any closer to a regular paycheck. NOW WHAT?

Change your thinking.

We tend to look at interviews as a one time event that results in a clear yes or no. While this is technically true, what if I told you that you could use your interview as a networking opportunity? Think about it – whatever field you’re in, you’re likely going to interview with people who also do the same thing. If you’re an electrical engineer, I would be SHOCKED if you didn’t have at least one electrical engineer on your interview panel. This pretty much goes for almost any industry, don’t you think?

So here’s the specific next step I want you to take. Once the interview dust has settled, the decision is in, closure has been received, send a note. This will likely be a LinkedIn message or invite, unless you have specific contact info for folks you met (which frankly, is pretty rare). Try something like this:

Hi Interviewer,

Thanks so much for the time you spent interviewing me last month (or whenever) for the (Title) role. I was bummed to hear from (recruiter) that I wasn’t selected, but I really enjoyed getting to know everyone and would love to keep in touch for future opportunities.

I hope you’ll consider connecting, and I hope our paths will cross again in the future!

You

So why does this work?

Simple! You’re just making friends/connections with people in your industry. Now this isn’t an immediate fix or automatic re-consideration of your interview – it IS an opportunity to stay connected to someone who does similar work. That person may go work for a new company, and when asked “who do you know” by their new recruiting team (I promise you we do this) well – they know YOU!

The reality is this – we’re not going to overrule a hiring decision. While it would be WONDERFUL to get feedback, I want you to also keep in mind that feedback is highly subjective and only relevant to three things:

  • The Company
  • The Team
  • The Role

If you want to work for that company in a different capacity, it’s fine to ask if it makes sense to reapply, target different roles or different levels. Also find out if there’s a cooling off period (of course I have a video on that TOO). Beyond that, feedback about this specific interview may not be as actionable or constructive as you might hope. My failed interview at Meta did nothing to keep me from moving on to Google.

Now go make some new professional friends! You never know what doors they can open in the future.

Years Of Experience In Job Descriptions!

September 23, 2022 /

I know this one really frustrates people. ALL people! Recruiters, Hiring Managers… definitely candidates.

WHY do we list years of experience in job descriptions anyway? Isn’t that just another way to inject bias or keep people from getting a chance at a job they can clearly succeed in?

Well, hopefully NO.

Here’s the deal with YOE – it comes down to COMPLIANCE.

I know I know, you’re tired of hearing me blame OFCCP for everything. I’m tired too, but I also understand the logic behind it, and I’m going to do my best to explain it here (and in the accompanying video).

From the DOL website:

So how do we create these objective, noncomparative and job related requirements? Noncomparative means we are not comparing candidates to each other. We’re merely comparing them to the expectations of the role. A recruiter MUST compare the person’s resume to the JOB – and it must be objective and measurable.

“Must have excellent Excel skills” is NOT an appropriate BQ – but “must have at least 2 years experience working with Excel” is! We can MEASURE that. “Excellent” is entirely too subjective. My excellent might be your just ok. With YOE, a candidate either has the required years of experience, or not.

So how do we land on the RIGHT years of experience? This is tricky. We basically need to start from the business problem we’re trying to solve and work backwards from there. We ALSO want to minimize the YOE and make that number the absolute smallest we possibly can, in an effort to screen in as many potential applicants as possible. Here’s how that works:

ABC Company needs to hire a Production Supervisor. The Production Supervisor will oversee a team of 20 assemblers and they’re expected to churn out 100 widgets a day. The Production Manager wants someone who has experience in the widget industry AND significant people management experience, as the team is expanding to 40 in the next 18 months while also bringing a new shift online. Basic Qualifications will look something like this:

  • 2+ years people management in a warehouse or assembly environment
  • 5+ years production experience in a warehouse, logistics, or manufacturing environment

MEASURABLE! OBJECTIVE! NONCOMPARATIVE!

But why those numbers exactly? It comes back to the minimum requirements/capabilities needed to do the job. This person will be a supervisor. They MUST have some background in hiring / firing, people management, mentoring and growing employees in their careers. Someone who’s been a leader for 6 months simply wouldn’t have as much opportunity a someone who’s been doing it 5, 10, or even 15 years. HOWEVER – we don’t want to make that number too big, as we’ll rule out people newer in their career who’ve accomplished some big things. So we land on 2 years, knowing this likely means someone’s seen at least 2 annual review cycles and done some hiring or even firing in that time.

Same with the 5 years of production experience. This person will lead a whole initiative, including expansion. Ideally this person has shipped lots of widgets, built teams over time, and is well versed in the ins/outs of a production facility. Maybe they’ve even stood up new facilities. We’re not necessarily married to an industry (say consumer electronics), so we’re keeping our options open there. BUT – we definitely know we need someone who’s been around the block a few times and gotten several t-shirts.

OK FINE – but what if I only have 4 years and 6 months of relevant experience? You’re really not going to call me?

It depends. If you’re CLOSE – I recommend at least throwing your hat in the ring. It’s entirely possible that the manager isn’t finding what they need, and will be willing to reduce the requirements (this involves creating a new position for compliance purposes, but can be done). Perhaps they’re also hiring a Production Lead with a rapid trajectory towards supervisor. If you are VERY CLOSE – it may be worth applying, as long as you understand you’re competing with others who may fit the minimum requirements and then some.

A red flag to watch out for is MAXIMUM years of experience. A job post that says “2-5 years of experience in X” sets off all kinds of alarms for me. That can be (unintentional) code for “we want someone young”. Nope!

This idea around MEASURABLE requirements and using minimum years of experience has been beaten into my head as long as I’ve been in recruiting. Recruiting managers, OFCCP trainers, lawyers, you name it – they’ve all told me this is the way to do it. If someone has a workaround, please share!

Until then, I’ll be following the guidance I’ve been given and keeping myself out of the auditor’s office.

Automation In Recruiting??

September 16, 2022 /

Yes, dear readers. Even I, Bot Slayer of Recruiting, believes in automation done right.

Automation can be such a time saver when implemented correctly. Repetitive tasks like note taking, or scheduling can be automated (or at least made easier) with technology. Where I’ve personally seen the biggest impact is through SOURCING.

Shout out to my friends at HireEZ! I use this AI sourcing tool ALL THE TIME. In fact, I don’t go to a new hiring manager meeting without labor market insights. I encourage my sourcers to use the AI sourcing function. It’s been an absolute game changer for me over the last 10 years or so I’ve used it. There are other similar tools out there so this isn’t necessarily a plug for one particular system, but I do love it and encourage you to check them out!

Like any form of automation, the tools are only as good as the recruiter using them. We can screw up badly if we have the wrong inputs. It’s a fact. THAT is how you get mismatched outreach, or delivery driver roles texted to you at 6 am. Someone used their “automation” badly.

Very, very badly.

As always, holding the end users (in this case, recruiters) accountable is a GOOD thing – automation is only as positive or negative as the person wielding it. Keep that in mind and ASK the recruiters representing the companies you want to work for.

Remember what happens when you ASSUME. Get the facts straight from the source instead.

What To Wear To An Interview!

September 9, 2022 /

Yay you got the interview!! Now what do I wear? Do I still have any suits? Will they still FIT?? Ok – yoga pants it is! (actually I totally wore yoga pants to my last few interviews. Got all the offers 😉 )

Here’s the thing – your personal experience with this may vary widely depending on any number of factors. The company’s culture, dress code norms or best practices. What’s comfortable FOR YOU PERSONALLY. Of course the pandemic has messed us up in all kinds of ways, moving many interview to a virtual set up. Don’t get me started on the effects of being locked down in my house where all the food is.

In this week’s AMA Friday video, there are a couple of key ideas to consider around dress code and how to navigate this:

Ask The Recruiter!

Seriously. The recruiter knows the company best. Ask if there are any specific expectations for the interview. What’s the typical dress code for day to day? Don’t feel embarrassed or uncomfortable asking! Recruiters WANT you to succeed, and we understand you literally have NO way of knowing this if you don’t ask. So please – ask.

What Makes YOU Feel Good?

OK – I get that biases still exist. I hate it, but it’s out there. Hairstyles, tattoos, piercings, you name it – no matter what your personal style is, there’s some jackass out there who will judge you for it. Let us pray it’s not one of your interviewers. If it is, I hope you have many other opportunities in front of you so you can turn that one down. Nobody should be shamed for their personal style.

Anyway, point being, what puts you in “interview mode”? Maybe that IS a 3 piece suit! Maybe like me, comfort is key. It could also be a significant piece of jewelry (lucky charm, anyone?) or a certain lipstick. In fact, I have a favorite red that I wear whenever I’m going into a critical meeting or speaking engagement. Even if no one else notices, I just FEEL empowered.

THAT is how I want you walking into you next interview. EMPOWERED to slay that job search dragon and come out the other side with an offer!

Check out the video HERE. I’d love to know what’s the CRAZIEST interview attire you’ve ever seen – or worn yourself!

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