Talent Search Partners, Inc.

TALENT SEARCH PARTNERS, INC.

The Issue Is Trust

Recruiters don’t trust Candidates, Candidates don’t trust Recruiters, Hiring Authorities don’t trust Recruiters, & Recruiters don’t trust Hiring Authorities. Confusing, but the illustration above is simple enough to understand… So, how is this distrust manifested… Cue the typical email from a Recruiter to a Candidate: Hello, Candidate – our client in the pharmaceutical sector, a global entity and leader in their space is looking to hire a new Director of Something…to hear more about this exciting opportunity, please reach out to me. Everyone is familiar with this sort of email. Here’s the explanation and much needed context… The average Recruiter receives a job assignment from a Hiring Authority alongside 3-4 other Recruiters who have been put on the same assignment. Cue the rat race! When I was introduced to this industry, I was told that you should never disclose the name of the hiring company to Candidates because of fear that they would go behind your back, reach out to the company directly, and thereby eliminate you from the process entirely. What a terrible way to establish any relationship! Recruiter to Candidate Distrust: From the perspective of the Recruiter, I expect you to take my calls during your work day, listen to what I have to say about this great opportunity, take time off your job to meet with me and interview with my client, leave your comfortable position, and move to a company that you know little about, all while I keep the company’s identity from you until it’s convenient for me to share it with you. This is essentially what we do as Recruiters, and we gripe when candidates don’t call us back, ghost the process when it’s no longer convenient for them, or take a counter-offer after you’ve spent 3 months working with them to get them to the finish line. Candidate to Recruiter Distrust: Candidate: So, who is your client? Recruiter: I’m sorry, but I cannot disclose that for confidentiality purposes. Candidate: So, you expect me to commit to this process without knowing the company? Recruiter: Yes Candidate: Can I at least know what the salary range is? Recruiter: How much are you looking for? Candidate: Not interested. Thanks. Hiring Authority to Recruiter Distrust: From the Hiring Authority’s perspective, you’ve dealt with enough Recruiters in your lifetime to know that they surface only when they want something and fling resumes that they haven’t properly qualified. The conversations are generally centred around what is best for them with little to no effort to get to know your company, your team, the position, or the culture. Why would I trust a professional who operates in this manner? Mindset: I’ll force recruiters to work against themselves since they clearly don’t know their own value. Recruiter to Hiring Authority Distrust: You know that Hiring Authority is flirting with other Recruiters which automatically diminishes the relationship and causes that Recruiter to keep their options open as well. That’s why it’s easy to ghost their clients. “You haven’t committed to me, so I won’t commit to you.” If this works out, great, but if not, we’re not married to each other. Again, hardly the foundation for anything good to come from this. Yet, we continue to engage in this sort of transactional behaviour. This is precisely why Recruiters must change the way they see themselves. If you don’t respect what you do, then how can you expect others to take you seriously. Takeaway: For Recruiters to remain relevant in their marketspace and be seen as a solution, and not a thorn, they need to change the way they operate. Admittedly, that change has to start at the leadership levels within our own ranks. AI will never become a threat to the profession if we position ourselves as value-adds that give more than we take.

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The Real Measure Of Value

My walk last night did little to solve my value conundrum. The dog feces left along my path certainly didn’t help the situation… I’m struggling with value… Every recruiter pitches their value the same… “a huge database of resumes” “years recruiting in your industry” “a team of recruiters who will be dedicated to your roles” “flexible fees” …a great list of value cliches, but this is not real value because it doesn’t address the needs of the end user… Recruiters are in over-supply and the demand for talent is at an all time high. There is a recruiter on every street corner and the trail of scarred executives runs deep… I’ve encountered executives within companies who would rather struggle to fill positions through their own efforts than work with “another recruiter.” Hard to blame them… 3-months, 6-months, 9-months, a year goes by, and the position still hasn’t been filled… If recruiters are in over-abundance with demand for talent running at the same pace, then why haven’t these two variables been able to marry each other at this equilibrium point… If there are so many of us and an equal number of roles to be filled, then why are executives reluctant to sign on that dotted line to engage that recruiter? Why would they rather deal with the lost revenue and frustration of having positions go unfilled for quarters… I believe the issue lies in quality, not supply… Recruiters for years have over-promised and under-delivered. They talk a big game but fail to show up when it counts. This has happened so many times over the years that companies have caught on and would rather forgo the trauma of another failed attempt to work with a recruiter… The missing link in this relationship has nothing to do with statistics and experience. It has everything to do with doing what you said you would do… Executives are tired of being taken on a roller coaster ride. For most, the thrill no longer exists, and they are exiting the ride in droves… Most executives in my opinion could live with the result of a failed attempt to fill their position if recruiters demonstrated traits of resilience and integrity… We don’t need another recruitment agency. These days anyone with Wi-Fi and a cell phone plan can be a recruiter… What we need are professionals who understand the importance of what they do and how they can drive an economy forward. The key is to serve, not extract, with the end goal of facilitating lasting partnerships. This remains the greatest stumbling block within the recruitment process… I don’t mind paying for a service (even overpaying) if I believe there will be a true exchange of value & a commitment to quality. The reason why there is so much negotiation is because of a misunderstanding of how both sides benefit in this equation.

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The Follow-Through

Proper basketball shooting mechanics dictates a consistent “follow-through” contributing to a smoother and more accurate shot attempt. As part of good fundamentals, following-through is not only taught, but encouraged at all levels. It’s the last thing in the act of shooting that helps to guide the ball into the basket, yet few regularly follow-through. The average recruiter can take an order from a customer, source resumes, submit them to the hiring managers, arrange interviews, make the placement, & collect the fee; rinse and repeat. Yet, despite doing all of the “right things” to make the placement, one in four recruiters are likely to leave within a year of starting at an agency. That’s 25% annually. The average basketball player can dribble the ball, pivot, position their elbows and knees into a shooting posture, & release the ball, yet only a few have the success rate of Stephen Curry. So, what’s the differentiator in all of this? Like shooting, recruiting relies heavily on details. Why are recruiters seemingly doing everything right, but not able to build healthy relationships with clients and candidates? The answer lies in the follow-through, which for many, are details seldom emphasized. I think of following-through as the small steps in-between the bigger steps to a successful outcome. Getting to know your clients and candidates by engaging in several conversations during the hiring process; visiting your customer’s office or facility; making yourself available after hours and on weekends; providing interview feedback to candidates; post hire congratulatory gifts; reaching out consistently post hire to ensure the well-being of your candidates. What would your career look like if you followed-through? What about your job search? If more recruiters were dedicated to the details of proper execution, this would not only lead to more placements & satisfied customers, but there would be less frustration within our ranks leading to decreased turnover. What does following-through look like in your profession? How can you be a better executer in your field?

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Choose Your Next Window Contractor Wisely

Why should it matter to you whether that recruiter is retained, contained, or contingent? To many people, recruiters are all cut from the same bad cloth. When you sense that it’s another recruiter on the line with the same self-serving pitch, you likely tense up, rush them off the phone, or hang up before they can complete their sentence (hopefully you don’t do the latter too often. There is something humane about letting another human finish what they have to say, even if you’re completely disinterested). I digress… Retained, or not to be retained. That is the question! Let’s first dissect this misunderstood word. In simple terms, it means working exclusively with a service provider with a monetary deposit to ensure the commitment to & integrity of the relationship (I did not use Google for that). Let’s employ an everyday scenario… You’re looking to get your windows done and you hire a contractor to do the work. The contractor comes over to assess the job, provides a selection of window options, and offers a quote for the job along with a timeframe for completion. You agree to use that contractor, at which point, the contractor requests a deposit to solidify commitment from you, the customer. That deposit is then subtracted from the final cost of the job once completed. Simple enough and agreeable as a practical way of doing business. Let’s now take a look at the recruitment industry… When I broke into this field almost 15 years ago, I was trained in a purely contingent environment. The normal way of doing business under this model was to solicit business from a company to fill one of their vacancies, take the request, create a stealth job description, reach out to prospects, facilitate interviews and final offer, & close the deal. Rinse & repeat. Pretty standard to the industry, but in all of this is an open-ended, commitment-less relationship with zero accountability to the other party. What do you mean Troy? Do tell… Let’s go back to the window contractor example… You hire that contractor to do the job, but this time, there is no deposit made to the contractor. They agree solely based on a signed contract. They start the work, and everything is progressing well enough. All of a sudden, the contractor shows up late for the job. The day after, they’re a no show. Your calls go unreturned for the next 3 days and you’re left wondering if the job will get done. Friday afternoon, you receive a call from the contractor, and they agree to complete the job the following Monday. On Monday, they’re a no show and you’re left with an unfinished job, money in your pocket, but now you begin the process with another window contractor hoping for a better experience. This is what we commonly refer to now as ghosting. That contractor abandoned the job, likely for another customer who paid a deposit. So, why are hiring executives disagreeable to paying a retainer for exclusive recruitment services? It stems entirely from how recruiters have positioned themselves in the marketplace. For years, they’ve worked for free and hiring authorities have lived with the poor results associated with “free” If you’ve been getting a free service for years, why would you one day want to start paying for that service, even if the facts declare that free hasn’t resulted in positive outcomes for you? Recruitment is no different from any other service and we need to start seeing ourselves as organizational difference makers, change agents, & facilitators of growth. If we don’t value what we do, then how dare we get upset when others don’t. The issue is internal. Once we start respecting what we bring to organizations’ and peoples’ lives, then we will see real change and lasting relationships with decision makers. Google defines retained recruitment as a search process that focuses on quality and long-term value over speed, leading to a lower risk of bad hires and a more thorough search process (with more transparency). In essence, retained recruitment is better because it prioritizes finding the right person for the role, reduces the risk of bad hires, and fosters a strong partnership between the recruiter and the hiring company, leading to more successful hiring outcomes. Wouldn’t you consider this to be more desirable than what I described above? The onus lies entirely within the recruitment industry to redefine its image and start positioning itself as a service that allows executives to sleep better at night. The days of recruiters competing against themselves, chasing candidates in a reckless manner, candidate redundancy, and a poor brand image are the past. Welcome to the future of the candidate/recruiter/customer relationship, and only those willing to do something different will reap the benefits.

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Your Career Parachute

⚠️ Candidates! Don’t be fooled! ⚠️ If you accept a counteroffer from your current employer and one of their promises is that they will build a team under you as a way of addressing some of your professional ambitions, please know that there could be another motive in doing so and this could merely be a promotional carrot to appease you for the time being. You’ve already attempted to leave once, and in their minds, what is stopping you from trying again. To mitigate this risk, they will promise to build under you so that everything you know can be transferred to a successor. This is their way of ensuring the smooth transition of their business in the event of your departure. So, while they are promising to grow a team under your leadership, they are really securing their business post your employment. The organization is not at fault for this, but the key is to be informed. It is also probable that they could abruptly end your employment once you’ve adequately groomed a suitable replacement. I highly advise against accepting a counteroffer, but if you must, please be wise about it by not taking everything at face value.

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Progress Is A Collection Of Small Steps

✅ We want to be a market leader by 2040… ✅ We want to increase our revenue by 50% in 3 years… ✅ We want to surpass our competitor in the development of… Goals are great, but they are only achieved by focusing on the details. These are the seemingly insignificant tasks that we take for granted. We all like to put “excellent attention to detail” in our resumes, but how many of us actually pay attention to the details that matter the most? We’ve become so fixated on distant goals, that we’ve forgotten about the process. Tucked away within the process is how you treat your most valuable asset, your people. We’ve forgotten that people achieve goals, not numbers in an excel sheet, not investing in automation, or buying your competitors. If motivated and treated correctly, your people can become the engine behind attaining market leadership by 2040 or increased cash flow by 2028. It’s interesting when I hear business leaders talk about their goals. Take me inside your company and let me see how you treat your people. I’ll tell you whether you’ll attain your goals or not. Even if you do, it won’t be sustainable. You’ll spend all of your profits filling holes along the way. So, what are “the details” that are often overlooked by business leaders… 1️⃣ “Good morning, Team!” 2️⃣ “Take the afternoon off to spend with your kids” 3️⃣ “Let’s talk about equity in this company that you’ve served faithfully for years” 4️⃣ “Thank you for a job well done on this project. Without your contributions, it wouldn’t have been possible” 5️⃣ “Thank you for cleaning the restroom, Steve” (Comment to Janitor) 6️⃣ “Tell me how I can serve you better” 7️⃣ “What are your financial goals and what do you need to make to achieve that?” We’ve spent years focusing on the wrong things. Let’s start bridging the disconnect by doing the little things well & consistently.

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The Engine Of The Enterprise

HR is one of the most undervalued business units within a company. I’m not quite sure when the shift took place, but it’s apparent from my experience that Human Resources is operating at a diminished value within most companies. Transactional at best, and often abused. Think about it, they are looking after the greatest assets within a company, and they architect the policies, procedures, and programs that have the greatest impact on those assets. They hold everyone to a standard and call things out when they don’t align. It’s no wonder why we have witnessed an increase in dejected employees. The governing body that is supposed to be looking out for them has become an afterthought by many business leaders, leveraged only when it’s convenient. Case in point; I was recruiting an executive leadership role for a customer of mine late last year and there was a candidate who had entered into serious contention for the role and had received good reviews internally amongst key people. Being the astute leader that he is, he noticed that HR was not amongst the decision-making cabinet and that worried him. Perhaps a sign of other issues within the organization according to him… Why does Human Resources in some cases fall under the leadership of the finance department or CFO of a company when the interests & functions of these 2 business units are completely different?! Both are working towards the success of the company, but the goals are distinct. Those lines shouldn’t be crossed. Investing in Human Resources should be intentional & consistent.

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Business Lessons From The Basketball Court

I love basketball banter! As I’ve aged, I have come to appreciate the pre & post game analysis more than game action. The news that still has the basketball world buzzing and the Dallas community in fury, is the trade that happened behind closed doors, finalized in the wee hours of the night to avoid public scrutiny & backlash. Coined the most shocking trade in NBA history, the move of one of basketball’s rising legends is still mind-boggling to many. How could a franchise with playoff aspirations at the beginning of the season now be facing a missed opportunity to make the postseason? I’ll leave the conspiracy theories to the experts, but there are important lessons to takeaway for the business world: Whatever you are trying to accomplish as a business leader should be clearly communicated. It’s unrealistic and counterproductive to reach a consensus on every decision, but leaving your team in the dark is certainly not the way to build a winning organization. Hidden agendas provide a smooth runway for your best people to take their talents elsewhere.

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What Do You Need To Earn?

What are your salary expectations? What are you presently making?? I’d like to see business leaders take a different approach to the topic of compensation. Disclaimer: The following only applies to top performers in their industry – opening this question & train of thought to any and everyone does not work. I am directing this to those top-tier candidates who operate from a place of professionalism, integrity, and who can deliver on what they’ve communicated. My recommendation… Rather than asking for a prospects salary expectations which is really only used one dimensionally to rule someone in or out, I’d like to hear business leaders ask the question this way – “what do you need to earn?” This question has a degree of empathy that I think has been lacking from a lot of conversations surrounding money. For years, we’ve heard executives talk about what their budget is, what they’d prefer to pay, and what they think a person is worth. This is not considering what someone is presently making and what they need in order to maintain (& improve) their standard of life. I’m challenging business leaders to shift their focus, their language, and their mindset surrounding money and to start making real investments that will pay dividends in the long-run. Salary negotiations don’t need to be contentious if we can get back to what intrinsically motivates people to change careers. Only those who are bold enough to change will reap the benefits that come with it.

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You Can Be Traded!

The basketball world was left in a state of confusion by the Luka Doncic trade early Sunday morning. How could a franchise that just went to the NBA finals a year ago with a roster designed to make another championship run so callously part with their best player in the prime of his career? What took place by the leadership of the Dallas Mavericks happens on a daily basis in the business world and doesn’t come as a surprise to me. As I consider the situation, here are my takeaways and lessons learned: I’ve facilitated many great connections over my career in recruitment. I’ve also seen relationships fall by the way side despite efforts to turn things around. If you’re a top performer within your organization, understand that you can be replaced if business needs change. We see this where there is new ownership or a change in the structure of an organization. I’ve witnessed enough of this throughout my career and the best way to handle it is to look after yourself. Your work is what you do to make a living and to provide for your loved ones – your identity should never be defined solely by your profession. Employees are expected to serve notice to ensure a smooth transition out and transfer of knowledge, but organizations can end that relationship in a moment regardless of your past successes & commitment. Work hard, be professional, but remember that you are a chess piece to that company, and they will continue to make moves that benefit the bottom-line.

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