Recruiting In Yoga Pants

Dressing up is for suckers

Category: recruiting (Page 2 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

Should You Work EXCLUSIVELY With One Recruiter?

August 26, 2022 /

Would you consider signing and exclusivity agreement with a recruiter to represent you?

While it may seem like a good idea… it’s important to keep in mind that recruiters ultimately work for THEIR CLIENTS (aka the hiring manager/company) and NOT you – the candidate. What are the scenarios in which a single point of contact or representative might work out?

Internal Recruiters

Once you are actively interviewing for a role, if you’re working with an internal or corporate recruiter it is IMPERATIVE that you keep them in the loop of any other conversations you might be having. Most internal recruiters are happy to share internally, and generally want to land you for the company and not just their specific requisition. Recruiters also tend to leave detailed notes in the ATS to trying to game the system by having lots of side chats with different recruiters actually harms more than it helps. Be transparent with your recruiter if you’re interested (and qualified!) for roles outside of the one you’re being considered for.

Agency Recruiters

Similarly to internal recruiters, agency recruiters will likely have some tagging or “ownership” rules regarding your candidacy – meaning they can represent you across any of the opportunities their agency has access to. They will often share with their colleagues try to to connect you to roles managed by other recruiters. Having a single point of contact within the agency is a good idea – working with MULTIPLE agencies is also a good idea!

Right To Represent

This is where it gets tricky. Some companies (particularly larger firms) maybe have multiple agencies working on the same hiring need. Now personally, I think this is a TERRIBLE idea – but no one asked me so here we are. SO – this is one of the rare instances I might agree to let a specific recruiter from a certain agency represent me exclusively – with the caveat that it is for THIS ROLE and ORGANIZATION.

As usual, your personal mileage can vary greatly depending on the firm, client base, and kinds of roles you’re talking about. The most important thing is to understand the pros and cons of such an agreement. Anything that unnecessarily hinders you from talking with other companies or potential opportunities would be a non-starter for me.

Have you – as a job seeker – ever committed to “exclusivity” with a recruiter? How did it work out?

For more on this topic, check out the accompanying AMA Friday video HERE

How To Beat The ATS (and get immediately rejected!)

October 12, 2020 /

What’s old is new again, y’all!

That tired, old “tiny white font” hack is back on the internet, this time in the form of a TikTok video. Now I don’t actually HAVE TikTok, so we’ll have to settle for a link to where I was recently subjected to this horror – someone’s LinkedIn post.

edit: I now have TikTok. My kids are embarrassed beyond belief. Here’s my response.

The general idea is that you can trick “the bots” (yeah, the ATS bots that don’t exist. I know. Stay with me here) by adding the Job Description to your RESUME in TINY WHITE FONT! White, so it’s not visible. Tiny, so you don’t have a weird bunch of “empty” space. The goal here is to pack your resume FULL of the necessary keywords so you get past the (imaginary) bot. I mean, how could you NOT be a perfect fit for the job, when you’re resume is basically the job description??

If you suspend all logic, you have to admit there’s a certain kind of magic to this. Sort of like the same kind of wonder little kids have when their parents convince them Santa Claus is real. I mean, there’s just enough evidence (the presents, the cookies consumed, the reindeer hoof prints) to PROVE that THIS IS REAL.

Except the parents who are buying the gifts, eating the cookies, and making hoof impressions know better.

The big difference here though, is there’s no harm in believing in some fat guy in a red suit. Using the aforementioned trickery in your job search though, can actually cost you. Let’s dive into a few possible scenarios, AKA things I’ve personally seen happen as a recruiter –

1. A real person looks at your resume. Assuming your resume is not a fit otherwise (minus the white font trickery), we never know you even tried that, and just reject. Because… you don’t meet the basic qualifications. This is literally the first and most important rule. Good news, we don’t know you tried to scam us. Bad news, you never got past the first screen anyway.

2. A real person looks at your resume. There’s some interesting / relevant experience, but the recruiter doesn’t see a particular technology that they know the hiring manager is looking for. So a little CTRL-F – word shows up… GASP! In TINY. WHITE. FONT. Reject. Congratulations, you’ve just convinced the recruiter that you’re probably shady and we have other candidates to look at. Next.

3. A real person looks at your resume. You clearly meet the basic qualifications, and get passed on to the hiring manager. If you’re lucky, the tiny white font trick goes unnoticed, and you move through the recruiting process.

4. A real person looks at your resume. Not a fit for the role you applied to, but you stay in the database. Some time later, the same recruiter (or even a different recruiter) runs a search, and guess who’s resume shows up? Boolean search shows the relevant terms highlighted in… wait – what’s this? TINY WHITE FONT? Ugh. Reject. The recruiter moves on to other candidates.

Bonus Point – the recruiter is so annoyed they put a note in the database that you came up in a search using a tired old “hack”. Future recruiters steer clear. I’ve absolutely seen this happen at a small, privately held company as well as in agency. If you still don’t believe me that this is old news, check out this article from 2010. It’s as bad an idea now as it was then.

Now many people will argue with me that there’s NO WAY a real person looked at their resumes. Sometimes, that’s absolutely correct. Knock out questions, roles being closed/internal transfers pending, maybe we already have a large number of prospects… bulk dispositions CAN happen, though I would not say it’s “the norm” and not nearly as common as folks may think. Even when it DOES happen, guess what? A PERSON made that decision. And set up the ATS to do it. My coffee maker may turn itself on at 6 am every day, but only because I told it to.

There is a common misconception that if you only have enough keywords packed into your resume, you’re going to get past the gatekeepers (robotic or otherwise). Ok… and then what? I’m even willing to play along that all recruiters are just out here playing buzzword bingo and submitting unqualified candidates based on a keyword match. How far does that actually get you? Do you think you’ll even get an interview if you truly don’t possess the qualifications for the role?

Visible Confusion | Know Your Meme

Sorry y’all – not how it works. You’re going to have to be able to perform the job. If you CAN perform the job, taking time to actually illustrate that in your resume from the start is always going to be the smart play here. Anything else is just sleight of hand, kind of like sneaking presents from Santa under the tree.

Eventually, kids grow up and know better. Let’s hope job seekers will follow suit.

How To Land Your Next Role In 5 Easy Steps

June 17, 2020 /

hahahahahaha.

 
Y’all I couldn’t even TYPE that title without laughing. As if it’s that simple. 
 
 
BUT WAIT! What if we COULD distill the process down to a reasonable, repeatable, 5 step process? Let’s discuss.
 
 
I actually DO believe we can create a simple roadmap for finding your next role. Here are the steps I came up with – let’s pick them apart down below.
 
 
  1. Determine the companies you’d like to explore / could see yourself working at
  2. Look at their open roles, apply to ones you clearly fit the qualifications for (caveat – employers have a responsibility for being clear and concise in their postings – I know this doesn’t always happen)
  3. Threefold networking – Recruiter/Peers/Leaders – more on that and how to get templates below
  4. In tandem, make sure your trusted network knows you’re open, what you’d like to do and what you’re good at – they may often recommend companies you may not have considered or that didn’t make the cut in step 1
  5. Rinse and repeat as needed
 
 
 
So why does this WORK? The key to all of this is QUALITY OVER QUANTITY. So many job seekers (and God love ya recruiters are lousy for this too) think that “if I just spam ENOUGH PEOPLE SOMEONE WILL RESPOND”. 
 
 
Oh nay nay. 
 
 
In step 1 we are carefully curating a list of companies we could see ourselves working at. There’s no magic number or criteria here. YOU decide who makes the list. Maybe it’s all of FAANG. Maybe it’s anywhere within a 10 minute commute. Could be 3 companies, could be 30. You decide. Although 30 you might want to break down into 3 separate efforts. 🙂 Check out my video on Dream Jobs HERE.
 
 
GREAT! You’ve got your list. On to step 2. Now check out their careers pages. Look for roles that light you up. Do they actually hire what you do? That’s a good place to start – once you’ve found a role (or maybe a few in HUGE companies) start working on those applications! The key here is to make sure your resume is well targeted to the job description and those pesky Basic Qualifications are clearly addressed. If you’ve already created your master resume and are targeting a handful of related roles, this should not take more than an hour or so. This is TIME WELL SPENT. The better targeted your profile and resume are to the needs of the role, the more likely it is a recruiter will contact you. That said, we’re not going to sit around and wait. WE ARE HUSTLERS AND READY TO MAKE SHIT HAPPEN!
 
 
So now we’re at step 3. NETWORKING. Yes applying is important – but that doesn’t mean you can’t use every means available to you to get noticed. Job seekers often default to contacting recruiters – which is a GREAT idea, if they’re the right ones. I wrote about networking with recruiters HERE. You can also email me with “NETWORKING”  in the subject line for updated templates and more guidance on how to reach out to recruiters, possible peers/colleagues, as well as potential hiring managers.
 
 
Whew! We can see the finish line. Now here’s the part where you call on your friends and family. If you’re open to a change, TELL PEOPLE! Your colleagues, neighbors, your kid’s t-ball coach, all these people know other people. Now this is not a license to spam everyone with your career problems, but if you know the guy across the street works for your dream company, hit him up at the next HOA meeting! It can be as simple as “hey I’m looking for my next career move and applied to a role at XYZ Firm. How do you like it there?” See where the conversation takes you. If neighbor guy is uncomfortable, he’ll change the subject pretty quickly. Let it go. OR – he could be like most decent humans and tell you all about it. Maybe even offer to refer you! Employee referrals are fantastic when done right. I actually landed my current DREAM JOB after grabbing a glass of wine at happy hour with one of my girlfriends. She works for a company I had actually avoided for years. I’d interviewed a couple of times but didn’t have the best experience previously. While hearing about how much she LOVED her job I knew I had to at least throw my hat in the ring. Nearly 6 months later I’m the happiest I’ve ever been career wise! Take the shot.
 
 
Ok Amy I did all that and I STILL don’t have a job!! NOW WHAT? Well, do it again. That’s step 5. You may run through this exercise a few times before you get THE call. This is why it’s so important to start with a (very) short list – give your resume and application (and networking emails and outreach) the right attention up front. You can do it again with the next few companies. And the next. And the next. I’m not asking you to limit the number of applications or outreaches – I’m asking you to do it strategically, methodically, and with the other person in mind. No spam. 
 
 
This FEELS like a no-brainer to me, but somehow seems to really piss off the so-called experts. You’ll recognize them by their constant shouting about how “the process is BROKEN” and telling you to stay away from people like me. They may also be selling something and are often found hollering at me in the comment sections of everything I say or do on social media. 😉 There is no one size fits all foolproof solution. The minute I try to create that, some fool will come along and prove me wrong. Look, this is YOUR career – you decide where you’re going and how you’ll get there – I just happen to think I’ve got a pretty reasonable map. 
 
 
 

How To Land Your Dream Job In 1,472 Easy Steps

May 8, 2020 /

I get asked a LOT how I got into Big Tech. If you’ve been following me for a hot minute, you know I’ve been recruiting since the dark ages and in tech for a while now too. I’ve been there, done that, got several t-shirts.

Still, when people ask me “how did you end up in THAT job?” – the answer isn’t terribly exciting, helpful, or that interesting. Simply put, I hustled. I mean I worked my ASS OFF to learn my industry. I made friends. I asked questions. I begged people to mentor me. I EARNED IT.

It took a long time.

Let’s go aaaaaallllll the way back to my childhood. I was a dirt poor little girl in the literal middle of the country. I was an only child (until my brother came along when I was 12). I didn’t know my dad then. My mom worked 2-3 jobs at a time to keep me in a single pair of shoes I was not allowed to wear except to school and church – to keep them nice. We couldn’t afford a second pair. I was the poorest kid I knew growing up (maybe others just hid it well, I don’t know). I had dreams of maybe someday renting my VERY OWN trailer with the money I’d make working at Walmart (one of our town’s biggest employers). I sometimes fantasized about living in France. I didn’t really believe it would ever be possible.  Technology was something for “fancy people” and only rich kids went to college. Amazon and Google weren’t even invented yet when I was growing up. Microsoft was in it’s infancy.

I’ve worked for all three since then.

I married too young (as one does when they don’t know they have other options). I had kids early (because I was married and that’s what you do). I found myself alone on the other side of the country, getting divorced at the tender age of 24 with two kids under 5. I had been working as a temp, finally bulldozing my way into a role in the advertising department for a global staffing agency. I was making $10 an hour and struggling to make ends meet.

My rep from the Employment Guide (remember when we used to PRINT ads? good times) told me I’d be a great recruiter. I didn’t even know what a recruiter WAS, but found out pretty quickly they can make a lot of money. I jumped in with both feet. I did not make a lot of money. At first. That came later.

You may be wondering why I’m telling you all this. I need you to understand – no one invited me to this party. I wasn’t supposed to have this career. I never went to college (oh some CC classes, but that was in the 90s! And I’m pretty sure I got a D in English anyway).  All I really had going for me was determination and a refusal to give up. EVER. I didn’t even know what I wanted to be when I grew up. Just… not poor. 

How did I get into my dream job(s) at such amazing companies? For me, it’s really simple. I found what I love to do. I am OBSESSED with recruiting. I love it. I love everything about it, even the bad stuff. It’s a CRAFT, a SERVICE, an amazing peek into the human psyche and understanding why people do what they do. It’s solving really big, complex business problems by just making connections. Every single day, I am living my dream.

I know you’re still asking – BUT HOW DID YOU GET HERE! Why did Microsoft hire me? Then Google? Finally Amazon? I could tell you all about the networking I did. Tirelessly applying to role after role. Attending Chamber of Commerce mixers trying to meet people “in the biz”. Dressing up in my polyester knock off suits trying to impress people who terrified me. I could tell you all that, but it really doesn’t matter. Because everyone’s journey is different and there are no secret handshakes.

Your path is going to look very different. The things that worked for me may not work for you, and that’s ok. You may end up at Google right out of college, and I’ll be just as proud of you as I am the weary single dad who taught himself to code at night after the kids went to bed. 

We all start somewhere. Some of us are a lot further back from the finish line than others. Some are running a completely different race, and that is ABSOLUTELY OK! YOU determine YOUR dream. Don’t let anyone stop you. No matter where you start.
Baby Recruiter 🙂 1976

Recruiting IS a Service – Here’s Why

January 13, 2020 /

What do recruiters actually DO, anyway?

I answered this in last week’s AMA Friday – you can check out the video here –

 
 

So while the general idea of this week’s episode is that recruiters are NOT in the business of finding people jobs, it also created some questions. Several folks expressed some disbelief, confusion, and a couple people outright disagreed that recruiting is indeed a SERVICE. Here, in my not so humble opinion, is exactly WHAT it is that recruiters provide. Enjoy!

1. Consultation(s)
Ok then – we have a position to fill! This is where it all begins – the initial contact with the hiring team. We often refer to as an intake meeting, or something similar. Regardless of what you call it, this is the time to set some serious expectations and get LOTS of information on what exactly it is the new hire will be doing. A recruiter is not an order taker. Let me say that again for the people in the back. A RECRUITER IS NOT AN ORDER TAKER. If your hiring manager wants to hand you a job description, waves you away and tells you “I’ll know it when I see it” that is NOT a partner, you are NOT providing a service, and I am really really sorry about how much you’re fixing to hate your job. This should be a DISCUSSION (maybe multiple discussions) to fully vet what exactly is the business problem we’re trying to solve and what kind of talent we think we need to solve it. This is not a one way conversation – recruiters should also be setting expectations with hiring managers and guiding next steps/future meetings all the way through onboarding the new hire. Recruiters and hiring managers should be meeting regularly to discuss status, what’s working (or not), and keep each other informed of any new updates, changes, or challenges.

2. Search
Right! We have what we need to execute a search. Next steps can vary widely – maybe we post a really great targeted job ad (Katrina Kibben of Three Ears Media is your person if you need help here!).  Maybe you search your database (if you’re not, what’s wrong with you?). Maybe you do some deep web boolean magic. You’re probably doing all of the above. This would also be the stage where you are vetting / presenting qualified and INTERESTED prospects to your hiring managers. Clear feedback is crucial. If managers are saying NO find out WHY. It’s possible you missed something in the intake meeting. Perhaps something has changed and the hiring manager didn’t loop you in. Test and test again that you are actually searching for the right kind of person and asking the best possible questions during your screening. EVERYONE will thank you for not wasting their time.

3. Interview Process
If you’re really lucky, you’ve got schedulers and coordinators who can manage calendars. I hate this part because I SUCK at it. I can barely manage my own calendar. However, it’s my job to be a coach throughout the process. I make sure my candidates have a thorough understanding what they’re interviewing for and what we expect. I spend as much time with my candidates as they need and do my best to always be available for check ins or questions. Read more about interview prep HERE – it’s that important.

4. Closing
Yes, sadly this will be closing the loop with candidates who aren’t getting an offer. I hate this part. I hate hate hate it with every fiber of my body. But, it’s a necessary evil and important part of the process. Done decently well, these candidates will maybe take your call the next time there’s a role they might want to hear about. Then there’s the FUN closing! You guessed it, making an offer. My absolute FAVORITE part of the job.

5. Offer Negotiation
Sure, this could be part of closing, but it’s so complex I’m giving it it’s very own step. There’s usually a lot of back and forth here, and it starts way back when we’re first working on a strategy with the hiring teams (what can we afford to pay / what level are we thinking of hiring at, etc) AND kicking off with candidates (what would it take for you to say yes). These are rarely one time conversations. It’s usually an ongoing discussion that drives closer and closer to the “magic number” with every step. Don’t even get me started on competing offers and the mental gymnastics we go through trying to anticipate everything that could get in the way of the win.

6. Onboarding
Hey… you made an offer, it was accepted, and your work here is done! Right? RIGHT? Sad to say, no. It’s most definitely not. While MOST candidates will follow through with their “yes”, there are always risks here. This is often when buyer’s remorse can set in. Staying close to your candidates (and keeping your hiring managers close to them too!!) is CRITICAL. In an ever tightening labor market counter offers are more common and looking better all the time. If you’re not keeping your candidates and new hires as excited and engaged as they were when signing their letter, you’re missing a seriously important step.

While this is by no means an exhaustive list or complete description of everything related to the service (YES IT’S A SERVICE) of recruiting, hopefully it gives a bit more insight into this crazy industry. Most recruiters are doing this 10, 15, or 50 times over (ok 50 is a stretch – you can read what I really think about req loads for more on that). Not every position is created equal, and so the level of service provided can vary. Anything surprising on this list? What would you add?
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