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Invested, innovative, brilliant: Improving the recruiting experience |
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Tuesday October 28th, 2008 It's about time we had a fun poll. Sunday October 26th, 2008 So it's a bit late. Gen Y and their apron-strings distracted us. Your answers to our poll told us that you think the kids are just fine.
Saturday October 25th, 2008 True story... A few months ago I met with the senior Canadian recruiting leadership team at a major international luxury hotel chain. Their biggest recruiting challenge was attracting and recruiting recent hospitality-industry grads from programs like the George Brown cooking school. So they showed me their programs (career-planning tools, opportunities for advancement, apprenticeships, exchange programs with their hotels in other countries, etc.), and I was surprised to discover that they had a whole 'parent-focused' program. They remarked that since many of the candidates they wanted - typically very recent grads in their early 20s - had been living at home their whole lives, and in some cases would be required to relocate (because most luxury hotels are located in big cities), their parents had a huge role to play in their career decisions. They had all kinds of "What can your child expect from a career with us?" resources - including a special section on their careers website. What was most interesting to me was that no one seemed to find this odd: the candidates, parents and the hotel's recruiting team all took it for granted that today's average 23-year-old recent hospitality grad would naturally have their parents involved in their career decisions.
I realize there is no longer much of a stigma attached to living with your parents well into your 20s - and in fact it's often viewed as a shrewd fiscal move. But by age 23, shouldn't a person want to at least feel independent from Ma and Pa? Isn't finding a job on your own a crucial part of demonstrating that you are now an 'adult' and can make your own way in the world? When my friends and I graduated from university in the early 90s and started finding our first 'career' jobs, we would never have considered getting our parents involved (unless it was to provide us with contacts). We would have been embarrassed to let anyone know that our parents were involved with our job search or interview process; our parents would never even have considered contacting an employer; and employers would never even consider hiring a candidate who even suggested that their parents would be involved in the offer process - because we'd have been dismissed as 'not ready for the real world'. We know that Gen Y parents are used to over-parenting their kids, so I sort of understand why that Wall Street mother called about delivering a cake to her daughter at work; and we know that the talent market is tight, so I sort of understand why employers are prepared to overlook the perceived immaturity of having Ma and Pa involved in the recruiting process.
But what I don't understand is why the kids themselves don't want to assert their independence and make it clear that they can forge a career on their own.
Is it because today's 22-year-olds respect their parents' input more than they used to? Is it because Gen Y's simply LIKE their parents more, and LIKE to have them involved in their lives? Is it merely a consequence of a lifetime's worth of over-parenting? Or is it that today's 20-something is focused solely on ROI ("If my mother's phone call to my new boss results in a better comp package, I don't care how babyish it makes me look...")? Saturday October 25th, 2008 Apparently I'm not the only one who encounters Egregiously Bad Candidates: last week's blog post about the guy who said he wanted a job in IT but didn't have email, internet or a computer really struck a chord. And I've decided that there must be a full moon or something in the water, because just yesterday one of our recruiters received a resume package from a candidate which can only be described as 'cringe-inducing'. >p? (The following is true and verbatim - though I've changed a couple of identifying details.) Opening the 9x12" manilla envelope, the first page read as follows:
I shall give $1000 cash to the person who gives or gets me a full-time permanent job. The position must be one that utilizes my proven organizational, negotiating and management skills; one that will allow me to exercise my intelligence and energy; one that will take advantage of my excellent creative and communications skills. If you have such a position avalable at your firm, or know of a suitable one at a different firm please send an email today, to iwantthethousanddollars@XXXX.com. I will place the $1000 in escrow with a lawyer on the day I start work and it will be payable on the day I pass probation.
These two pages were followed by a 4-page resume (with an 8-point font size, there was a LOT of text). The problem? I mean, aside from the fact that this wasn't the work of a young, recent grad just trying to get their foot in the door, but the trying-too-hard desperation of a guy in his late 40s (judging by the dates of his education)? The problem is that even after the reward offer, the pseudo-newspaper article, and 4 pages of 8-point type, we still couldn't figure out what kind of job the guy was looking for. His career objective is: "To utilize my intelligence, creativity, literacy judgment, organizational skills and considerable self-starting initiative to rapidly advance states objectives." Um... So we all had a good laugh about it - but then started to feel a bit bad. Because you know that somewhere, this guy is sitting at his computer, dreaming up creative ways to apply to jobs, and wondering why he never gets called back for an interview. And since no one ever calls, there's no one to tell him that while it's important to call attention to your resume, there are some kinds of attention you really don't want.
Friday October 24th, 2008
A little discussed fact is that Generation Y has been the most parented generation so far. They seldom had to walk anywhere as children. Their parents, either alone or in car pools, escorted them to every lesson, sporting activity and creative endeavor they tried. These are the kids whose manager parents applied their own scheduled and stimulating work styles to child-rearing. A recent O Magazine article called it the “supermom phenomenon” and described how they maintain contact, control and involvement in their adult-children’s lives both as university students and as new members of the workforce. The phenomenon is reaching recruiters, as this excerpt from the article illustrates.
According to the article, corporations on the leading edge have already started making recruitment videos to appeal not only to entry-level employees, but to their parents as well. Some corporate recruiters, apparently, have also found themselves negotiating salaries and benefits not with the new recruit, but with their parents. So, have you ever had a meeting with a candidates mom and dad? Thursday October 23rd, 2008 There is one thing giving your employees free flu shots and multivitamins can't prevent: Ferris Days.
I think it's fair to say that we all need a day off from the grind every once in a while, but it's one thing to take a "mental health day" and another thing to lie about it. According to a new Career Bulder survey, about 1/3 of us are great big fakers, at least once a year. It's not the best strategy says an excerpt from the survey.
The survey did not compare hours of unpaid overtime to increasing numbers of faker days. I think, the two are probably related. Anyone have any other insights? Leave a comment below to share your take on these results. Thursday October 23rd, 2008 Forbes. com has released its list of Recession Proof Jobs. The top ten list is: 10. Finance Staff (but you better know what the capitalization rates are every moment. 9. Business Analysis, Research 8. Business Analysis, Software Implementation 7. Administrative Assistant 6. Networking and Systems Administration 5. Accounting Staff 4. Account Executive 3. Nursing 2. Software Design and Development 1. Sales Representatives Any surprises there? I didn't think so. Wednesday October 22nd, 2008 When I read this post about Online Employer Reputation Monitoring, I was incredibly surprised that the words EMPLOYMENT BRAND did not appear until the final paragraph. Creating and communicating a consistent employment brand drive across all types of media helps companies protect their reputations as employers. Monitoring how third-party recruiters adopt and utilise your brand is key to this regard. At Head2Head, we have created and maintained a database of articles and tools called Recuiter2Recruiter. Material there can help you create, communicate and maintain your employment brand. Visit the site and follow the directions for a user name and password. Tuesday October 21st, 2008 This month's poll about Gen Y will close on Thursday night. Get your answers in now to see the results on Friday morning. Monday October 20th, 2008 In its recent joint statement on Canadian competitiveness, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce made 14 suggestions that it believes should guide the new government in managing our economy. Throughout these 14 suggestions, there is a strong emphasis on "talent". The need to develop homegrown talent is placed alongside the need to promote innovation. The need to allign Canada's immigration policy with the needs of business is also highlighted. Thirdly, the list emphasizes that Canadian businesses are having difficulty attracting and retaining highly-skilled employees. Coupled with calls to invest in education, infrastructure and the streamlining of regulatory processes, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce is making it very clear where it thinks the government's priorities should be. Thursday October 16th, 2008 Between posts about Gen Y, their communication styles, their lack of job satisfaction, and this month's poll, I've been trying to get my head around how best to support this generation so that they can take on more responsibility earlier and fill shortages in the workforce. What I'd forgotten, is that starting a career is one of the most stressful times in a young person's life. Matthew Brink of Saint Joseph’s University’s Career Development Center reminded me. In his experience, most students avoid thinking about the real world until their third year of university and put off visiting the career center as long as possible. Sometimes, Brink says, it’s the waiting itself makes the task overwhelming. An earlier start gives students the tools to start preparing for a career. Brink says that student should actually start their career planning in their first year of university. “While adjusting to college life can often be enough for freshmen to handle, there are plenty of services offered at SJU to help them get grounded and thinking about the future,” Brink said. “For example, freshmen often haven’t declared a major and may need help figuring out what they’re best suited for.” Employers look at more than grades and want to see a well-rounded person who has been involved in clubs, sports or student government. That involvement should be encouraged from the very first year. In the second year, Brink says that the job search résumé should already be in the works. “By junior year, students should be working to secure internships, researching graduate school options and networking with alumni,” he says. “Senior year can sometimes be too late to start gaining real work experience.” It's obvious to me that recruiters can and already do play a pivotal role in helping university career centres. Many participate in résumé clinics and share networking tips. Brink's plan, though, offers more opportunitied to network with students and to help them learn how to network. What do you think a brief course in networking would look like for 18 year-old first-year students?
Tuesday October 14th, 2008 The great weather of the past couple of weeks has had more than one of us using the term 'Indian summer'. Problem is, 'Indian' doesn't mean "Wow, this September is as hot as it is in India!" The term has been around since the late 1700s, and there are several theories as to its etymology, but any way you slice it, it's probably not a term you should be using around the office.
Which is a good reminder that in our multicultural country (we're a 'mosaic', not a 'melting pot' like our neighbours to the south), there are lots of special times of year and holidays, and it's important to recognize them. It's worthwhile to know about the festivals of other cultures - and not just so we can comply with 'Diversity Mandates' or to plan absences or events accordingly, either. Many of these festivals are interesting or just plain fun!
This holiday is also known as the "festival of light(s)".
L'Shanah tovah is...
What year is it?
Yule, Samhain, and Beltane are all festivals observed by what religion?
What event is observed by many Buddhists on the first full moon in May?
1. d) Diwali is the Hindu Festival of Light, Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Lights, and Chaharshanbe Suri is part of Persian New Year celebrations known as the Festival of Light. 2. c) 3. d) It depends on whether you're using a Christian, Jewish, or Islamic calendar. 4. c) 5. a)
If you scored 5 out of 5, your MHIQ is genius-level. You are the darling of the social circles and always know when to schedule (or not to schedule) whom. Excellent! If you scored 4 out of 5, you're doing pretty well and have no doubt contributed to diversity programs in your workplace. Good! If you scored 3 out 5 you are perfectly average and only need to refer to your multicultural calendar once in a while. If you're working in a large, multicultural organization, you should probably start being a little more aware of what your colleagues are celebrating. If you scored 1 or 2 out of five, you need a little remedial help to raise your MHIQ. Some apples and honey for Rosh Hashanah, a gold fish on the desk for Nowruz, and some fasting for Lent should help you on your way. You may want to spend the evening with Wikipedia.
Monday October 13th, 2008 Recruiters get a bad rap - sometimes, candidate behaviour is just plain inexplicable For years, recruiting professionals have ranked somewhere between 'real estate agent' and 'travelling salesman' on the Unscrupulous Professions list. And there's no question that recruiters aren't always as assiduous in acknowledging or responding to candidate applications as they should be. But it's no wonder that recruiters often come off looking jaded or dismissive when it comes to candidates, because while the conversation above is unique in its specific punchline ("The IT guy who doesn't have a computer"), it's just one of the many, many examples of inexplicable candidate behaviour that most recruiters see every day.
As the Director of User Experience for a recruitment services company, I am often the recipient of out-of-the-blue phone calls from candidates ("To speak with someone in our marketing and communications department, please press 2043..."). Most of the time, I just roll my eyes a little: A-list candidates know that unless you have a specific contact name, it's best to make first contact with a recruiting company by email or applying online - so when I get a random phone call, it's generally safe to assume that the candidate on the other end is either a bit clueless or a little desperate. But it's easy enough to gently redirect these candidates to the website. But once in a while, I end up having a conversation which reveals just how useful the term 'WTF????!!' really is.
Unbelievable but true Friday afternoon, I picked up the phone and engaged in the following - slightly abridged, but otherwise verbatim - conversation: ME: "Sarah Welstead." MALE CANDIDATE, AGED 22-35: "Your office is open?" ME: "Yes, we're open today..." MC: "But you're closing at 2 o'clock?" ME: "Ummm...no. We're here til 5 today." MC: "So you're not closing? I can come there?" ME: "The office is open, but - I'm sorry, did you have an appointment with someone here?" MC: "I want a job. I'm going to bring my resume there now and talk to someone about getting a job." ME: (light dawning) "Oh, I see. Actually, we don't really take resumes in person like that. Have you visited our website? If you're interested in a specific position, or want to send us your resume, you can do that through the website." MC: "I need to talk to someone. I want to give you my resume." ME: (eyes now rolling quite a bit) "Yes, the best way to do that is online. Once we receive your resume or application, a recruiter will be in touch and you can make an appointment." [this back-and-forth continued for several minutes - he was determined to drop off his resume in person and was disinclined to believe me when I said it wasn't the best way to get our attention] MC: "But I need some advice." ME: "About looking for work? What kind of job are you interested in?" MC: "IT - information technology." ME: (trying to stay positive) "Great! We've got an IT recruiting division, so you should just check out the IT jobs we've got posted, and apply to whichever ones you're interested in. If you don't see anything that fits with your skills, you can email us your resume and we'll let you know when something comes up." MC: "But I don't have email." ME: "You don't have an email address?" MC: "I don't have a computer or internet." ME: [a few seconds of silence] "Um, you'd like to work in IT but you don't have a computer or access to the internet?" MC: "Yeah." ME: [speechless] I did finally succeed in giving him the email address of one of our IT recruiters (who, 30 minutes later, received a brief email from someone requesting a meeting and 'advice' - but no resume or an indication of the type of job or advice he was looking for). But two days later, I can't get the conversation out of my head. I can't stop thinking: "What the HECK was that guy thinking?" Why did he forego any semblance of a greeting or explanation ("Hi, my name is Bob and I'm looking for work in IT and would like to drop off my resume...")? Why did he persist in his resume drop-off plan after I'd told him that the best way to bring himself to our attention was to go online? And why did he tell the recruiting company that he wants a job in IT but doesn't have a computer or internet access?
So what's my point? As a marketing consultant with a specialty in recruitment marketing, it's my job to understand how people think and process information, so that I can develop effective messages (and media). So when I have an interaction like the one above, I end up asking myself: "Is this candidate just a clueless anomaly who I can safely ignore? Or has he got great skills but just doesn't realize that it's important to make a good first impression on recruiters, since they're the gatekeepers of so many jobs?" (Don't you wish that, when you encounter one of these Egregiously Bad Candidates, you could just ask them, straight out, how they thought that doing [insert inexplicable behaviour here] was going to bring them any closer to their dream job?)
Monday October 13th, 2008
Three interesting bits of Canadiana: Today is Thanksgiving. The second is that Canadian banks are probably in the strongest position of any in the world right now. The third surprise is that tomorrow is election day. Yesterday and today, Canadian families will travel to each other's tables, give thanks for what they have and wonder how much longer it will last. One thing they can be thankful for is strength of the banks. After the American sub-prime mortgage crisis, the Bank of Canada, a semi-independent body that has to report its activities to parliament, but does not act upon the advice of parliament, apparently warned at least one Canadian bank to act on its low levels of capitalization. Foreign investment limits also reduced the exposure Canadian banks had to the failure of global investment banks compared to other Western countries. That doesn't mean everything is rosy, even if, as the Toronto Star recently reported, a record number of jobs were created in September. Like all Western economies, Canada has been losing its well-paid manufacturing jobs and creating low-paying service jobs. In areas of the country that were highly dependent on the auto-industry, for example, the average hourly rate has fallen from $22 per hour to $12 an hour over the past decade. For the past four years, Canada has had a minority government. No single party has had enough seats in parliament to push through legislation without cooperating with other parties. While it might frustrate those who want to see wholesale changes to how our government operates, it also makes for a system that controls extreme political ideology and encourages debate and discussion. Overall, that minority government system that demands balance has probably helped support the relative health of our economy today. Tomorrow, we'll see if that status quo will continue or if a majority government will be created. Recruiters here, like all working Canadians, will have to watch the results carefully. Friday October 10th, 2008 The evolution of language among all creatures I find it fascinating that research shows that it's not only human language that evolves: the language of mammals and birds also evolves over time, and scientists are even finding that the language of fish, frogs and insects changes as a result of all kinds of factors including geography, environment and genetic mutation.
And regional dialects - such as the difference in accent between someone in New York City and someone in Atlanta - are very common among animals. Wednesday October 8th, 2008 According to the latest McKinsey Quarterly, 30% of companies expect to shrink their workforces over the next year. In another report, the consultancy says it's time for companies to re-think off-shoring. "...soaring oil prices, a falling dollar, and rising wages are undermining some of the reasons manufacturers moved offshore," the report says. So, if you should find yourself out of work one day, you may be quickly rehired into a "repatriated job" a short time later? Yes, I am over-simplifying the shift versus shrink mindset. Unlike many other business people, I am thinking positive thoughts. I am thinking of certain kind of character from a certain generation of grandparents who seemed to enjoy the Great Depression. Having lived through the 1930s, no news of another recession, or other hard times, could get them down. Instead, they'd start to look forward to everyone pulling together and becoming closer. One grandmother I knew would start planning where all the relatives who would need to move in with her would sleep, she'd get out the hand-written recipes for "cheap and cheerful" meals and decide how to manage the hand-me-down clothes chain for the children. Writing the text makes it sound like a joke, but it's not. Her whole outlook was full of love. What I learned from her is this: the opportunity for change is always positive. Here are some positive changes that, I think, could come out of times like these: 1. Teenagers being taken out of service sector jobs. Part-time McJobs have been on the way out for middle-class young people for a while now. It's time for kids from poorer backgrounds to get out too. They'll be replaced by retired workers who need to return to the work force out of financial necessity. Teens will be needed at home after school to help care for elders, babysit and do household chores, like cooking, because fast food meals will become too expensive. Parents will increase the pressure on their children to do well in school. If there is a more common return to extended family-living situations, a trend foreclosures has already spurred, kids and teens will have more adult supervision from grandparents, aunts and uncles to actually ensure that there is consistent follow-through on expectations. 2. Anyone with a connection to the farm will go back there. It's an old story, but we all know the one about the kids who left home for the city, leaving Ma and Pa to putter around the big old farmhouse. Going home will ease the labour shortages in agriculture and help stem the use of illegal immigrants and/or victims of human trafficking to plant and harvest our food. Lack of cash resources will make the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides less common and, overall, the quality of the food supply will improve. 3. More democratic socialism. Now that so many banks are nothing but corporate welfare cases, why stop short of improving people's lives? We may finally see the rise of universal medical care in the US and a re-committment to it in Canada. The system will need an initial infusion of about 700 billion dollars, but overall, the cost of health care spending will fall due to falling rates of type II diabetes, lifestyle related heart disease and obesity (see part 2). The opportunities for recruiters will probably be interesting too. The more difficult the economy, the higher the priority on relationships. A new emphasis on trust and reputation will probably put an end to personality assessment-based hiring. More jobs will require more than one skill set for the sake of savings and efficiency and individuals will have greater variety in their jobs and lives. Family run and independent businesses will see a small renaissance and the importance of finding the perfect individual will rise. I, for one, am kind of looking forward to the new world order. |
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Paul has one simple goal: To help companies hire great people - and get the most out of every recruiting dollar they spend. That's why he's recognized as one of the best recruitment-industry thinkers in Canada.