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Career Insight

The Real Measure Of Value

Career Insight, Inspiration, Leadership, Recruitment /

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

Career Insight, Career Preparation, Inspiration /

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

Career Insight, Employer Insight, Human Resources, Recruitment /

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

Career Insight /

⚠️ 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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Business Lessons From The Basketball Court

Career Insight, Employer Insight, Inspiration, Leadership, Recruitment /

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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You Can Be Traded!

Career Insight, Career Preparation, Inspiration, Leadership /

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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Here’s The Truth About The Job Search Process

Career Insight, Career Preparation /

They told you that the job search was a numbers games and you believed it! At one point in my life, I did as well. Have Chat GPT write you a winning resume and send out hundreds of applications a week. The next week, repeat the process until you get burnt out and start complaining about the job market, the economy, and recruiters that never follow up with you. I’m challenging that approach by suggesting that it’s not a numbers game, but perhaps your approach is focused solely on send-outs and not on results with small wins along the way. The job search quickly gets stale when you’ve sent out resumes with no response from the right people. Emphasis on the “right people”, i.e., decision makers. Your process needs to be finetuned with a goal towards achieving 2-3 responses from a decision maker a week. It’s about building momentum on a traditionally tedious journey that will keep you motivated through the rejections. My Recommendations: 1️⃣ Chose 5 companies for a given week that you’d like to work for. The quality of your outreach is more important than the number. Target those companies & do your research into each one. Stop blindly applying to companies and roles that don’t fit your values. To employers & recruiters, you are part of the 1% if you have an organized & well-thought-out job search strategy. You can tell a lot about a prospect by the approach they’ve taken to their job search. The best example of this was a candidate who I was counselling some time back. He showed me a detailed excel sheet during one of our calls that he was using to track every position he had applied to since starting his job search. It wasn’t long afterwards that he was hired and started a new position. 2️⃣ From those 5 companies that you’ve selected, go on LinkedIn and find a hiring authority or an HR representative at each company. Hit the “APPLY NOW” button on the job posting, but don’t stop there. Log it in your excel sheet and leverage LinkedIn to find the hiring manager for that position. Some postings mention who that person is, but there are times when you’ll have to make an educated guess. A personalized message to that individual with your resume attached will increase the chances of a response from someone within the company. Even if it’s a no, you’ve now connected with someone, and you can follow up in the future or keep the conversation going. When I was looking for a new position some years ago, I engaged in a 3-week blitz that included sending out resumes with a personalized message to a decision maker. From there, I got in my car and drove to a some of those companies where I was able to personally speak to decision makers. It seems intimidating, but after the first impromptu meeting, my confidence went through the roof. It was as simple as walking into the company and asking reception for that individual. In one instance, I was interviewed on the spot by the person overseeing that vacancy. Be encouraged and keep pressing forward!

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I’m Taking My Talents To…

Career Insight, Employee Retention, Inspiration, Leadership /

In my line of work, I am privileged to speak to a variety of professionals who are passively open to hearing about new opportunities or active in the market. This is of course good for business, but it’s boggling to the mind why business leaders are not doing a better job of providing a career growth trajectory for their best people. You shouldn’t be surprised when a top performer walks into your office with a letter of resignation. Oftentimes, counteroffers are seen as insincere and a tactic used by leaders to prevent a disruption to their business. A true professional will see right through it, thank you for the opportunity, and proceed to their notice period. But why are business leaders allowing it to get to that point and why aren’t they proactive in grooming their talent and finding meaningful ways to keep them motivated? Few companies have figured this out, and the rest are learning the hard way. People stay where they are wanted, appreciated, paid well, and most importantly, where they can see an evolution of their career in the short term. If you’re a business owner or leader of a division, realize that you have the ability to create a roadmap for your best people by engaging in conversations periodically and crafting a legitimate and tangible career path based on certain accomplishments being met along the way. Why should your talent have to look outside of your company to find that next level up when you have the autonomy to create a new role for that individual and pay them accordingly? You are foolishly allowing your superstars to take their talents to South Beach (🏀), and you’ve become a spectator like everyone else. Taking people for granted is expensive. If you think hiring comes at a cost, replacing your best people is even more taxing on your time, resources, and money. If you have the ability to move a top performer into that coveted Vice President role, why not do that? If you are not taking care of your best talent, someone else sure will.

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Try Something Different

Career Insight, Inspiration, Leadership, Recruitment /

I received a call from an executive leader of a company a few months ago. He wanted to enlist my help on a couple of searches that his organization was having trouble filling. These were not highly complex roles to fill by any means, but given the tightness of the marketplace, finding the right people and keeping them beyond a year is proving to be a challenge. My kickoff call went well, but ultimately, discussions stopped there. I was told during the call that they had a few recruitment partners that were working with on the searches, but for reasons unclear to me, they were not able to successfully fill their positions. Essentially, they wanted to add me as another recruiter since I was known to one of their executives in the company, under the pretense that more eyes on a search means greater odds of a successful outcome. I challenged the train of thought by suggesting that perhaps your approach to date is not working and maybe you should try something different. I realized today that most business leaders are afraid of change, and they are wired to engage in the same behaviour hoping that somehow circumstances will work out differently in the future. I think by definition you can call that insanity, yet most people are okay to remain in this state and this has somehow translated to be what’s best for business. It’s like repeatedly hitting your head against the wall and complaining about your headache. We are okay to have multiple recruiters working on a given search at the same time, yet we employ the services of one mechanic if our car needs an oil change or one law firm if we are being sued. I’ve never heard anyone say that they were going to use multiple surgeons to remove their gallbladder to increase the chances of a successful operation. Yet, this has become the dominate thought related to recruitment and then we wonder why positions are taking longer to fill and hires don’t make it past the first year of employment. Let’s try something different.

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Regular Maintenance

Career Insight, Inspiration, Leadership, Recruitment /

The courtship precedes any successful relationship for good reason and regular maintenance of that relationship is a must. Just ask anyone who has been married for more than 90 days or been in business for more than 10 years. Finding that great candidate or trying to build your team of professionals without healthy steps towards courtship is counterproductive. As a Recruiter approaching 15 years in the industry, I’ve facilitated many great relationships. Fortunately, I’ve witnessed hiring processes that were collaborative & just a joy for everyone to be part of, and others that would make you cringe. The onus rests on business leaders to create a good runway for those they are looking to hire. One of the worst things to do during the courtship is to make the other party feel like you are doing them a favour or leading them on a journey to nowhere. The best amongst us will be able to sniff this out early. If it’s not a fit or the timing is off, all parties should be able to understand so long as honesty and transparency were woven into the process from the beginning. If you’re a business leader overseeing a project team or product group, you will have to perform regular maintenance on those relationships. The camaraderie within the team falls entirely on your shoulders. Don’t make it easy for people like me to lure your best people away. Hire right, and treat your people well enough so that even the best offer they could receive won’t move them. This is the challenge because we are so narrow-minded, egotistical, and oblivious to what motivates our best people. One of the criticisms I received as an early driver was that I just drove my car. I did not do anything to take care of it. That explained a lot of the issues I had with that vehicle. I was reactive in the maintenance of my car when I should’ve been proactively checking the oil, tire pressure, coolant, and so forth. The cost associated with reacting far surpasses the cost of acting in the first place. Part of the maintenance on your team includes regular discussions about their goals and the career path they’d like to be on. Conscious at all times that this could be constantly evolving for some individuals. This is where not taking your people for granted comes into play. This could happen over lunch, bowling, or simply meeting as a team in your boardroom over coffee. This morning, I surprised my Wife with a bouquet of flowers, not because I’m a good husband, but because I’ve made a conscious decision to build a peaceful home and that requires maintenance in the areas that she finds meaningful. I am challenging business leaders to take regular steps towards building chemistry and trust within their team. The cost of not doing it is always bad for business (…but great for mine 😉)

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