Organization Charts of Competitors Can Be Used For Recruiting & Diversity Data

Recruiting from competitors and best of breed companies often times results in identifying great talent. Once again it requires stealth research, organization chart development, mapping, identifying passive candidates, call it what you want, but it is a necessary step in the recruiting process. Another benefit of this activity is that it can also identify diverse talent within those organizations of interest. This often times requires another step in the process, but none the less, it results in obtaining critical information. Below is a simple process to follow when identifying talent that can be used to recruit and identify talent within the companies. Depending upon the assignment, the information can have as little as just a name, title and telephone number but it can also contain, emails, direct dials, biographies and more. The results are priceless! Again this information needs to be part of your recruiting process.

Think about the possibilities of having access to such data. Having organization charts of the companies that matter most to your organization provides such insight and can be used in many ways. If you are not taking part in this activity you should because your competitors probably are....just saying!

If you wish to learn more, I would be happy to speak with you.

Happy Hunting!

Sheila Greco

Making Smart Recruiting Decisions - There is Great, There is Better ....

There is Great!

There is Better!

You only know you recruited the best when you know the potential talent pool. When you are in the know, it will assist with making smart recruiting decisions.

 

Making smart recruiting decisions can make or break the team, the company, market share, competitiveness  and much more.  Whether a company is recruiting a college graduate, experienced professional or senior level executive, each hiring decision needs to be a smart one.

 

When a company talks about branding they need to take into consideration that their people are their brand.  So as a company recruits talent,  it is imperative that they bring in the right talent, each and every time.   This means you need to know who is out there. You need to find greatness!

Yes, many will argue there is vast number of great people. Alexander the Great is a perfect example of that, however, would he really be the best fit for the particular job you are recruiting for? You don't know until you compare him to the others, based upon your company's requirements and needs.

Making smart recruiting decisions depends on knowing who makes up the entire talent pool.  Recruiters need to know who these people are. As I always say, you need to know where you are hunting for these professionals. This means taking 10-15 minutes to determine where you want these professionals to come from. Many companies do this for college graduates by recruiting from particular schools carefully chosen by the company.  This should hold true for companies as well.

So how do you know you have uncovered greatness? Or there may be someone else out there who is better than your top candidate? You don't unless you have  accurately mapped out each company and people of interest in the specific group. Once this is complete determining greatness is easier and making smart recruiting decisions can be done.

How do you do this? You recruit, network and build a pipeline from the potential talent pool and compare and contrast  these professionals that you believe are on target. Then I suggest scrubbing the list again and choose the best of the best who closely  match the job specification, company culture, needs, wants and desires of the hiring manager.  How? Begin with their background.  What makes them so great? How does he/she compare to the others in the talent pool?  Does this person deserve merit as an individual contributor, team player, leader or all three? If managing a team, is he/she  great at assembling a successful team and a great leader or is it  a combination of both?  Recruiters and hiring managers need to be in the know. Making smart recruiting decisions requires information,  that can be obtained by mapping out the desired companies of interest. Remember the list will grow as you recruit purely by networking. When this happens it further confirms that the recruiter is in the right space. So recruiters know your targets, know your potential hires know who you are looking for and take the time to know the pool and the talent within it.

Let me repeat if I may. In order to obtain your next “Alexander the Great” you need to know where he is hiding and the talent pool he is competing amongst.  Great talent is out there, so is the better talent, be sure your recruiting decisions are based upon information.  Recruiting is a process and a major part of the process is knowing who to recruit and having access to the right talent. Not just talent.

Thanks for stopping by. I look forward to speaking with you and your comments on this topic.

Sheila Greco

 

Admit It, Investing In Passive Candidate Recruiting Practices Is Where It Is At.....

Fresh Passive Candidates for your next search

Investing In Passive Candidate Recruiting Is The Only Way To Recruit!

Don't Be Shy About It- Go After The Top Talent You Want From Where You Want!

Investing In Passive Candidate Recruiting if done correctly, tells the story of the competition's talent, the entire potential talent pool, assists with current openings, exploratory openings, talent management and can  hands down increase the time to hire when this information is used to proactively recruit.

Stakeholders involved in any type of recruiting need to be aware that this investment can drastically reduce the cost per hire while yielding the game-fully employed, possibly over performing talent you and your competition may wish to recruit. But you need to get to them first! You need to invest!

How can you reach this super talent?

1. Carefully choose an internal professional with previous research experience (picking up telephone and developing organization charts) or outsource to a reputable, results driven research company to do the work. The objective is to thoroughly break out the companies and teams at the companies of interest. Focus the efforts on comprehensive organization charting.

2. Find biographies of those uncovered by step 1. This again which will help you understand who is in each role, their backgrounds, education and the responsibilities of each.

3. View it, use it and cultivate it! Implement a system where someone in your organization connects or stays in front these professionals every 30, 60, 90, 120 days.  This can be done either internally or externally. We offer this service.

Today especially, we all know the passive candidate seem to be the recruiter’s best chance of filling critical roles, but they also can be the hardest talent pool to win over. You need to engage and build relationships with this talent pool.

4. Implement a strategy that creates a proactive recruiting methodology as part of the recruiting strategy. Remember everyone company want top talent just like you. Don't be shy go get them.

It has been proven that organizations that only use recruiting to fill current and immediate talent needs will often time miss out or be one step behind those that act proactively. So you need to stay in touch with the professionals who are on your radar screen as well as those you want to be on your radar screen.

Investing in Passive Candidate Recruiting & Research can be well worth it. We know. We have over 21oo clients doing this on a variety of levels.

I am on the road now creating awareness about the value of understanding the talent pool and the benefits the recruiting teams can have when utilizing the recruiting strategy that centers around passive candidate recruiting from a specific talent pool. If you are interested, just let me know and I can come visit or set up a web-ex meeting.

Thanks for stopping by.

Sheila Greco sgreco@sheilagreco.com 518 843-4611 ext 221

 

Incorporating Customized Competitive Intelligence Into Your Recruiting Strategy Makes A Lot Of Sense

 

Competitive Intelligence Helps With Making Intelligent Hiring Decisions!

Incorporating Customized Competitive Intelligence Into Your Recruiting Strategy Makes A Lot Of Sense. When it comes to sourcing hard to find talent, the easiest way to do so is to conduct competitive intelligence on your competitors and the companies on the target list. Having data on the available talent can and does help with making solid recruiting decisions.

Let me compare it to handicapping. Handicappers base their decisions on data. Many start by taking a look at the talent of each horse and compare it to the competition. When they place their bet, or choose their top pick, they are confident they have chosen the best horse in the race based upon information to include individual talent, facts and statistics. Shouldn't recruiters be doing this too?

Think about it. Recruiters will take any edge they are given, so give them this edge. We all need it in order to recruit top talent EVERYONE wants and needs.  Having access to the potential talent pool, facts, data, and statistics, will in turn w give them the ability to reach the best of breed talent before the competition does. Competitive Intelligence requires upfront work, but long-term it cannot be beat! Knowledge is Power!

As I speak with clients and others regarding recruiting and current recruiting strategies, it is mind-boggling to me to think that hires are made without knowledge and data. As I walk them through the process and speak about the benefits of combining the two in the recruiting process, they begin to see the many benefits. I ask them, with your current recruiting strategy and process do you feel confident that the best candidate was chosen if there isn’t data to back it up? What are your thoughts?

Incorporating Customized Competitive Intelligence Into Your Recruiting Strategy saves time, money and the overall return on investment to the company is priceless.

Just wanted to give you something to think about over the weekend!

Thanks for stopping by! Have a question or comment call me at 518 843-4611 or email sgreco@sheilagreco.com.

Sheila Greco

 

Organization Charts Reveal Much About Structure & Talent

Fresh Passive Candidates for your next search  

Do you know who the players are at the organizations you track or compete against?

If you do, the power and competitive edge it gives you is priceless!

As with the middle and end of 2011, the beginning of 2012 is shaping up
 to be the year where talent management and talent acquisition teams will 
be collaborating even more than in years past.

This newfound trend has surfaced over the last 12 months with many of
 my clients. Although I have always thought this to be a perfect match, 
companies have just started realizing how well it really works.

So you ask, "What's really happening here?"   What's happening is these 
two teams are pulling together to create a master plan that includes a
long-term recruiting strategy.   Together they are finding that creating 
organization charts of potential recruits from companies they repeatedly
 recruit from is cost-effective and useful to both teams.  That's right -
ROI for both teams.

How do both teams get ROI from organization charts?  Well, the old
saying you have to spend money to make money rings true on this one. 

The up-front costs are minimal when you consider the fact that you are
 reducing your cost per hire over time and the easy evaluating of 
external talent at the same time.

The fact is organization charts reveal much  about structure and
 talent.

Structure: Organization charts show how the company may organize itself
 by business functions: finance, marketing, operations, sales, research &
development etc. Others may organize themselves by product lines, brands, 
services, or a combination of both etc. But you don't know any of this 
until you actually see and have access to it.

Talent: Once organization charts are complete the next step is to 
develop biographies of the key players and others of interest for use 
today, tomorrow or next month. To make it even more powerful you can add
 salaries to this information.

This information can be used for recruiting, benchmarking, talent
 management and some professionals have been known to use it to draw 
inferences about a firm's culture. (See where I am going with the ROI 
here?)

Spending money on this type of service should be a "no brainer" and it
 has quickly become one for the talent acquisition and talent management
professionals at many Fortune 1000 Companies, Top 5 Leaders in many
industries and small emerging companies who have key players recruited
 from the companies who make this a practice.

If you have any questions about my experience in this area or you are 
interested in seeing what we have done with regards to organization 
charts and projects that include bios, salary surveys and more, please 
feel free to contact me.

 

Thanks again for stopping by....

Organization Charts Reveal Much About Structure & Talent. Wouldn't you agree?

Sheila Greco

sgreco@sheilagreco.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sheila Greco Associates Releases 2011 Women In Technology Facts & Figures Report

Information You Need To Know!

How does your company stack up?

Since 1998 Sheila Greco Associates has been conducting Women In Technology Studies. For over 20 years, CIO’s, Executive Recruiters and Business Intelligence Professionals have depended upon SGA for up to date information about women in technology. As primary information specialists, SGA provides, such services as Customized Competitive Intelligence,  Passive Candidate Research and Passive Candidate Recruiting services.  We know the technology world and it is one of our company's  core strengths.

SGA's study outlines:

  • Percentage of Women In Technology Leaders in Both Public & Private Companies
  • Key Findings
  • 11 years of statistics
  • The 25 Most Powerful Women in Technology
  • Percentage of Women in Technology by Industry & Function 2007 & 2011 Comparison
  • Organization Chart Examples
  • Salary of a Chief Information Officer
  • The General Consensus Of The Differences Between Female & Male Leaders
  • Top 10 Most Popular Careers For Women in 2011

Download your free copy of SGA's Facts & Figures Report at http://sgatalent.com/

For more information regarding this study, please contact us at (518) 843-4611 or via email at sgreco@sheilagreco.com

We would welcome you to visit http://sgatalent.com/

Top 25 Women In Technology Leaders

Kathy Lane, TJX

Again Feel Free to Contact me anytime! Don't forget to get your free copy of our Women In Technology Facts & Figures Report!

Sheila Greco 518 843-4611 ext 221

sgreco@sheilagreco.com

 

 

 

 

Organization Mapping - A Great Way To Learn About The Competition And Be Aware Of The Talent

Where Is The Talent? Who Is On The Team?

The Latest Trend Reveals Much Needed & Wanted Information

There are tools such as SGA  ExecutiveTracker,  LinkedIn, Google,  Passive Candidate Research, Social Networking and niche ones that assist with peeling back the onion, but the best way to Map an Organziation and capture this information is by speaking with people on the inside and those in the "know."

Mapping competitors, best of breed organizations and back yard warriors are super hot right now. Organization Mapping provides a cross functional picture of an organization. Pictures speak in volumes (organization charts) and can help with making recruiting decisions, talent management strategic planning and is widely used for competitive intelligence purposes. Today, smart companies are moving toward strategically aligning recruiting with competitive intelligence teams. Should you be doing the same? Or have you been using recruiting as a way to gain information about your competitors for quite some time. If you have you are not alone.

Where Is The Talent

Organization Mapping  shows how  the target companies are organized, where the teams fit within the organization, the size,  unique titles, if there are any,  and much more.

Who Is On The Team?

Now you know where the team is, you want to know about the players.   You want to know who are the stars on the team, their backgrounds, education, years with the company, diversity, greatest accomplishments. What you can do with this information can be endless! Can this help with current & future challenges!

Building competitiveness these days requires more than just your brand name, your product/services, and customer service just to name a few. It's about talent too. You need the right people, doing the right things! You need the best talent on the market. You need superstars. As you continue to build your teams you need to be aware of who is out there. We have heard the phrase, "people are our company's greatest asset,"  I agree! There is a lot of truth to this, but  I sometimes wonder if companies really mean this and believe enough in this that as they recruit they sincerely look to hire the best available.  If you believe in this you need information that helps get you there. Please read this interesting article written by Jennifer Blanchard | HRTools.com Business Writer.

Organization Mapping is the current trend. I believe in it and can see the value it has.  Be in the know! Know your competitors, know the talent and create the strongest team you can so you can win!!! Having top talent on the team creates at a minimum competitive teams and often times winning ones! But you can only do this if you are aware of the best players out there.

 

 

 

Passive Candidate Research Finds Them, Recruiters Recruit, Evaluate & Present, But Candidates Are Who They Are!

Passive Candidate Research & Organization Chart Development Uncovers Potential Candidates and Reveals The Potential Talent Pool

Recruiting, Evaluating & Presenting With Knowledge Is Another Step

But Candidates Are Who They Are....

www.SGATalent.com & Sheila Greco Welcomes Colleen Alyward

Let’s talk about Age Discrimination for a minute. By Colleen Aylward

An excerpt from the book “from Bedlam to Boardroom” by Colleen Aylward

My clients are executive level job seekers who are completely lost in this new world of job search. They often complain to me about age discrimination as the reason they are still unemployed.

Maybe so. But there is another angle.

People like to hire others who are just like them.

If you don’t match the high energy, excitement, and passion of the rest of the company, the hiring managers perceive you as having no energy, no excitement, and no passion. Most likely, this is not the case. Most likely, you have learned over the years to think before you speak, but sometimes this asset can be a liability, given the age and perceptions of an interviewer. Yes, you’ve gained wisdom: You consider alternatives before making quick decisions; you do research on solutions; and you always consider the downsides of each. You call this prudence. They may call it slow. Strike one.

If you have let yourself go physically, many hiring managers may feel that your mental agility has atrophied as well. Seriously. It’s not age discrimination. It’s their perception of your overall energy and stamina, especially in a highly taxing position and/or one with a lot of travel and activity. Strike two.

If you don’t use the language, the acronyms, the newest industry buzzwords, they may think you are outdated. Or that you have lost the drive to keep up with new things. I knew an executive who was one of the first brilliant architects of the client-server age. He went for an interview with a large software vendor, but he didn’t describe his work in the newest language of distributed technology – “cloud computing.” Strike three.

So be careful when you start to think age discrimination is taking place. That will just make things worse. You’ll be defensive during your interviews without realizing it. And what you might perceive as “age discrimination” might be a hiring manager’s response to what you project in the areas of energy, influence, and atrophy.

 

Presenting Passive Candidates With Knowledge

Successful Recruiters Are Knowledgeable Ones!

Having Knowledge about The Candidates & The Potential Target Universe Makes You The Expert!

Chapter 5

Presenting With Knowledge. It says it all. You are totally aware of the potential talent pool! You sourced, networked, recruited and can say with confidence to your clients, we recruited the best from the companies you wanted! As you present the candidates you present the knowledge you gained during the recruiting process. You share with your clients the passive candidate research, organization charts, the top 7 and the 3-5 you believe are the best. Having the knowledge allows you, the recruiter to show that you listened and you are the expert.

Happy Hunting!

Knowing who you are looking for is the first step in finding them…

Recruiting Top Talent Requires Knowing Who You Want & Knowing Where You Need to Go to Find It!

Executive Research & Passive Candidate Recruitment

Chapter 1 Who

Who are we looking for? We start by creating the Profile/Job Description. The description should be simple and include such things as title, reporting relationships, overall role & responsibilities, qualifications such as particular skill sets and experience, and education. You also need to know who the client is really looks for and needs & wants. What makes he or she tick.  Remember, likes like likes so you need to know as much as you can about the hiring manager, the team, what the team is good at and what the team is not so good at.You can use this information as you begin to think about the research & recruiting strategy. Why? As you fan out from the target list you have other places to look for potential talent Stay tuned. As you go through this exercise you will now begin to understand the talent you need to find, recruit, and present

Chapter 2 Recruiting and Research Strategy

This step is very process driven and simple. This will include such things as creating the target list, the appropriate level or title we are seeking, favorite companies that the hiring manager or company has had success recruiting from, not the mention the ones that have not been so favorable. Discuss direct competitors, industry leaders, back yard warriors, best of breed companies, just a few categories that need representation when creating the target list.  Keep in mind, this step is the foundation of every successful assignment and is the starting point of finding and identifying top talent and uncovering the potential talent universe.

As the target lists are created, edited and finalized, the research phase begins. This includes building organizations charts around the talent of interest at each of the target companies. As the research is being conducted, it is imperative to not only obtain the names, titles and complete organization charts, but you must also be sure names are spelled correctly, titles are exact, emails gathered are verified and direct dials are confirmed. This makes reaching out to these folks easier and with a variety of ways.

Below is an example of an organization chart used for recruiting.

Intelligence is Everything....

Hiring Intelligently is the Only Way to Hire.

Being aware of the potential talent pool is critical to your success.

How do you know you recruited the best just because you made the hire?  Well, the truth is you don't.   You need the intelligence to be sure you did.  You do this by being totally aware of the potential talent universe.  You need to have the "inside view" of the talent pool of the professionals on your target list.

Time and time again we have proven there are significant benefits of knowing where to find the best talent, who they are and how to obtain access to them.  This is all available by using passive candidate research when you recruit.  This is done by building organization charts centered around the talent you are seeking.  This process does not necessarily need to be expensive but any cost involved is well worth it.

Successful companies have the intelligence on their competitors, back yard warriors, best of breed companies and the talent within each.

In order to be competitive you need to have the best talent.  Today a company's best asset and competitive edge is its people.   Having said that, when you are recruiting and/or looking to upgrade internal talent, become aware of whom the best players really are.

Follow my SGA Playbook and come back daily for information regarding recruiting the best with knowledge and intelligence.

Monday - Chapter 1 Who

Tuesday Chapter 2 Recruiting & Research Strategy

Wednesday Chapter 3 Recruiting Campaign

Thursday Chapter 4 Evaluation & Selection

Friday Chapter 5 Presenting With Knowledge & Intelligence

Something funny happened today at work.....

Accuracy Counts

Information is 100% the day it is presented!

When we conduct research or name generation, we like to produce organization charts. We KNOW that it is accurate the day we send it to our clients.

Just today a client called us up about his presentation regarding last weeks research and asks, how accurate is this research. I go on to say well when we sent it last Tuesday it was 100% accurate and today we would like to say 95%, but we will go back to double-check the information.

Anyway, when we went back, we had to make one change, and it just so happened that change made it 95% accurate until we went back to make it 100%....lesson learned...here today, gone or changed tomorrow so stand behind your research and it is only 100% the day you get it. Things change and people change.

Any way our client went on to say....thanks and I am glad you can say with 100% confidence, today's work is 100% accurate.

Research is only as good as the people giving us the information on the other side of the telephone. I tell people to double-check the information prior to sending the work. This includes dialing the telephone numbers (direct dials) and checking the emails again. Although you may say this is time consuming....it is a best practice method to follow...so our teams do this.