Recruiting Kick-Off Meetings Are A Must

Recruiting Kick-Off Meetings Do Matter

Before we begin any recruiting project, even recruitment research assignments, we ask for a kick-off meeting prior to the start. This routine activity is a time where everyone can learn, share and discuss relevant information as well as discuss expectations. I believe recruiting kick-off meetings set the stage for the win-win partnership that lies ahead of the team.

Embrace Kick-Off Meetings

Recruiting kick-off meetings act as the first formal meeting between the client, their team and the recruiting team (s) for a specific assignment. These meetings need to be embraced, not ignored or taken lightly. It is a time to set expectations, discuss the recruiting process, a time to ask pointed questions, learn about the role, each team player’s responsibilities, as well as discuss other relevant information that cannot generally be answered from just a job specification or informal meeting. It is a time to build rapport between all parties, strengthen the relationship and quite frankly is the start of what needs to be a successful partnership that must yield success.  Therefore, the act of engagement before and during the kick-off meeting from all parties is a must.

Meeting Overview

Kick-off meetings are generally used to introduce the team, understand the search, the strategy, the process, the goals, set the timeline of expectations as well as discuss how all involved are going to work together effectively.  In effect, the recruiting kick-off meeting serves multiple administrative purposes. These recruiting kick-off meetings also establish communication protocols, discusses specific recruiting and interviewing processes. It is also a great time to discuss timing around start date and on-boarding. It is the time to discuss when to expect feedback from the hiring manager after a candidate has been presented, set dates for update calls with regards to the progress as well as a great time to talk about the target list, potential talent pool and how many candidates will be presented weekly. I believe recruiting kick-off meetings set the right tone for each recruiting engagement and should never be omitted from the recruiting strategy or process.

The Agenda:

The agenda should be kept simple while allowing enough time to cover the role, the process and expectations. Each item should add value to the discussion. Most importantly it is recommended that all parties are prepared. Often the recruiting kick-off agenda is developed beforehand and sent to all parties prior to the meeting. 

1. Start with the introductions of each attendee while focusing on the role he/she will be involved with during the search. Allow some time to discuss past recruiting experiences that produced results, ones that worked well and should be mimicked.  
2. Discuss and review the job specification in detail - Discuss ideal candidates to include, musts, needs and wants. Define the skills, traits, and qualifications the hiring manager is seeking. Discuss companies in which the client has had success recruiting from, companies of interest and those which are off-limits.
3. Discuss the recruiting process details – Every client has a recruiting process that needs to be followed. If there is not a specific one in place, create one. There needs to be a roadmap to follow and stick to. Use this time to gather emails and telephone numbers of each team player so that communications amongst the team can be made quite easily.
4. Set the expectations of each team player, discussing accountability and involvement - Be sure to communicate the role of each, timelines of expected reports and candidates as well as all follow-up activities. 

The Meeting - It Can Be Face-to-Face or Simply Done Over the Telephone

1. Start on Time - To show respect for all parties involved, the meeting should start promptly. To facilitate this, it is recommended to send copies of the meeting materials in advance. This may include the agenda, job specifications, the list of those attending and biographies or links of those attending.
2. Allow the client or someone from their team to drive the process and meeting -  During this time, typically the client will speak in detail about the role, the process and expectations. This is the time recruiters and those who are executing need to listen, learn and ask questions. 
3. Recognize the fact that the kick-off meeting is the beginning of the recruiting engagement - An effective recruiting kick-off meeting presents a unique opportunity to establish the tone of this mutually beneficial partnership. For the client, it is a time to explain the role, the team, the company and the importance of the role to this hiring manager. For recruiters, it is a time to show the client you are an expert and you are the trusted partner who will deliver results by delivering interested, qualified candidates quickly. You are the recruiter who will identify, recruit and vet the high potential candidates your client so deserves. Now is the time to define your own responsibilities for the engagement. It is okay for you, the recruiter to "sell" but not oversell, the recruiting function to the client as a value-added service. Lastly, it seems logical to use this time to build trust between all parties involved. Game on!
4. When the discussion is winding down, the recruiter can suggest he/she will send a follow-up email, recapping what was discussed – This ensures everyone is on the same page.

Happy Hunting and be sure to include a recruiting kick-off meeting as part of your next search engagement if it is not part of your recruiting process. 

Sheila Greco

Recruiting Skilled Talent In 100 Hours

Recruiting Skilled Talent in 100 Hours

Hire Fast

Hire Cost-Effectively

Keep The Process Simple 

Finding and recruiting skilled, qualified talent is very challenging for companies of all sizes.  It is not just the norm for a specific industry, function or level. With low unemployment and a talent climate that is favoring candidates, without a doubt the pressure is on hiring managers to move quickly.  To help with this pressure, a fully engaged recruiting team can get the job done quickly, efficiently and without giving up on quality.  

With the average recruiting time of 18-21 days, this 100-hour recruiting model can work.  There is no need to cut corners with the quality of the hire and the recruiting processes it, it just means recruiting is a priority to all involved and a proven methodology will need to be adhered to.

Recruiting skilled talent in 100 hours is actually doable and simple: Believe it or not the process itself does not change from the traditional recruiting/search process, the focus is on timing, deadlines, accountability and quick results. 

Recruiting skilled talent in 100 hours fits nicely into the average recruiting time of 18-21 days. Most often in these scenarios, hiring managers will be interviewing interested, qualified potential candidates in weeks 3 & 4 or days 15-20 of the recruiting period.  

100 Hour Recruiting Skilled Talent Methodology

Goal: To create a talent pool of approximately 100 qualified potential candidates and present 3-5 candidates within 3 weeks (100 hours). 

1. Days 1-5 (40 hours)- Start with a Kick-Off Meeting – Every recruiting assignment requires a kick-off meeting to set the objectives, discuss responsibilities, accountability, the creation of the target list, recruiting strategy all while focusing on the ideal candidate(s) the client is seeking.  The first three days are critical for the overall success of the project. This is when the talent pool is carefully being built and the recruiting activities are at the beginning of being fully executed.  Overall, the goal for the first week is to create a talent pool of 60 to 70 potential candidates, all with direct dials, emails, and profiles so that each can be connected with at least twice, via email and Inmail this first week.

2. Days 6-10 (80 hours in ) - The recruiting process is fully underway and calls have been made to each in the talent pool. The goal for this time period is to actually connect, recruit, vet, network and present the best 2 to 4 candidates while adding at least 30 additional potential candidates to the talent pool so that the total will be at approximately  100.

3. Days 11-15 (Completing 100 Hours Recruiting Skilled Talent - Following up and wrapping it up - During this time period communication with all parties involved must be focused upon. Speaking with candidates, the hiring manager and keeping with the spirit of a cohesive recruiting team is very important during this critical time period of the recruiting process. For which the goal to achieve success has arrived with either a hire or close to having one. Team goals results in team successes and makes for a very happy hiring manager. Need I say more….

This aggressive, focused methodology is not new. All it does is put actionable, accountable recruiting parameters around timing, process and results.

Lastly let it be noted and openly discussed that our experience in professional services recruiting shows that recruiting skilled talent in this industry requires on average 160-200 hours of recruiting or 4-5 weeks with a talent pool of approximately 200 names. These numbers are more in-line with recruiting reality for the professional services industry.

Just saying….

Best regards,

Sheila Greco

Soft Skills Do Matter In The Work Place & Should Not Be Overlooked When Evaluating A New Hire

Soft Skills Do Matter When Hiring

When hiring technical professionals technical skills matter

When hiring  marketing professionals  specific marketing skills matter

When hiring data analytics consultants having the right skill sets matter

When hiring in general, soft skills do matter

Obviously matching a professional's background to the requirements of the job description matters, however,  just as important is the professional's soft skills.  Yes, soft skills do matter!  Long term new hires need to possesses soft skills sets to include strong work ethic,  positive attitude, and strong communication skills. Such crucial soft skills are the ones that count toward a professional's  overall success which in turn results in the company's and team's success.

Having exceptional soft skills  do matter! Having these skills help make an employee a better employee and a leader a better leader.  Having the ability to trust,  be trusted, problem solve, delegate, motivate and build strong teams are a heck of a lot easier if a professional has strong soft skills.  Unfortunately way too often are these soft skills undervalued and even overlooked when evaluating a professional for a role. Moving forward, try to make it part of your interview process to evaluate a potential candidate's soft skills because soft skills do matter. Let's not believe or  expect people know how to behave on the job and assume they understand the importance of being on time, taking initiative, being friendly, and producing high quality work. Just saying…..

Happy Hunting!

Sheila Greco

In recruiting there is no such thing as being overly proactive. Join Sheila Greco as she hosts an event in NYC November 5

Join Sheila Greco as she hosts and presents “Sourcing Tips that will Provide Continuous Candidates and Reduce the Cost Per Hire” Come learn how Sheila helps clients implement a proactive recruiting strategy that is continuous by incorporating data (recruitment research/mapping) to get connected as well as how to stay connected and engaged with the desired talent. During this presentation Sheila Greco will share details of how to make a proactive recruiting strategy work for you and your clients.

Search firms http://tinyurl.com/pamzchy (Invitation and details to event)

In the recruiting world, time is always of the essence and the need to perform is expected.

As your clients continue to request qualified pipeline of candidates to interview quickly, why not hit it out of the park by having a qualified group of talent that is all ready engaged to reach out to? Learn how Sheila and her clients are prepared. For corporations http://tinyurl.com/ogmos6h (Invitation and details to event)

It doesn’t matter if you are using outside partners or internal resources this proactive continuous recruiting strategy can play a critical role in driving successful recruiting performances than ever before. This strategy doesn’t require a huge investment of money but dedicated time by your team. Learn how mapping, creating networks and staying engaged will reduce your time to hire as well as reduce your recruiting costs. Sheila’s goal is to discuss how she and others leverage data/mapping/recruitment research to help reduce the cost per hire and keep the candidates of choice in their networks. Let us know if you can join us.

Sheila Greco LION sgreco@sgatalent.com sgreco@sgatalent.com

Leverage Your Networks To Recruit

Leverage Your Networks To Recruit World Class Talent

You take the time to create strong professional networks. You continue to build, nurture and maintain them. This is a skill many recruiters have mastered and successfully continue to leverage as they recruit world-class talent. You too need to be sure to leverage your networks as you go through the recruiting process to identify, qualify and present candidates to your clients.

Did you know that recruiting from your professional networks is actually one of the most effective best practices for recruiters to recruit world-class talent? Well, it is! Let this be your reminder to use your networks as you search for qualified talent for your clients. The number of professional networks you have is not important, but what is important is the fact that you have a wide network of connections. Such connections should include clients, former co-workers, industry figures, business owners, previous candidates, professional acquaintances, and others  who also act as hubs for access to secondary connections.

A great advantage of recruiting from within your own networks is that you are virtually recruiting from a "screened" community of talent that is all ready engaged. Another advantage of tapping into your professional networks for recruiting is that often times your contacts respond to the call, try to help and don't dismiss the importance of the call. This being said, as people in your networks reach out to you,  you too, must be ready to act and assist as best you can. As I was once told by my father, networking is the key to success in any business. He continued to say that is important to build intimate, sincere relationships which can be mutually beneficial. 

In closing, let me say that any and all solid networks will serve you well today and for years to come. As a recruiter, allow your professional networks to become an additional tool in your recruiting toolbox. Recruiting is all about networking and relationships. Therefore, continue to build upon your networks and keep them strong. Leverage your networks to recruit, and success will follow.

Happy Networking

Sheila Greco

sgreco@sgatalent.com

Stay Ahead Of The Rising Demand For Talent

Stay Ahead Of The Rising Demand For Talent

Be Ready To Make The Hire When The Right Talent Is Presented

Don't Let Talent Slip Away

recruiting Needs To Be continuous

Keep networking. Keep the process moving forward.

 

We read it, hear about it and of course live it…. the war for talent is on. We are at the point where companies need to make hiring decisions fast and or faster than they have been accustomed to in order to compete for talent. Companies need to be in a position to make quick hiring decisions while making sure the hiring decisions are smart ones. The unfortunate part for those who act slowly, can result in watching the world-class talent  slip away go to the competition or simply become unengaged.

Hiring should not be stressful, or minimized by busy hiring leaders. Unfortunately sometimes hiring may take a back seat due to busy schedules, business obligations, the need to meet business goals and objectives. But none-the-less, as of late, we are seeing many hiring managers becoming fully engaged. When they are, the process couldn't be better.

We all recognize that recruiting is not just about the recruiting process or recruiting strategy but really about hiring the right talent that will help position a company to compete and achieve positive results. Therefore when a search for a new employee is launched, it needs to be the focus of all involved. Otherwise it may result in an unsuccessful pursuit or loss of world-class talent.

Good luck to all.

Sheila Greco

sgreco@sgatalent.com

Recruiting Is Not A Static Event - Recruiting Efforts Need To Be Continuous

Recruiting Efforts Need To Be Continuous

Recruiting World Class Talent Requires Staying Connected

Recruiting Is Not A Static Event

Recruiting world-class talent requires having access to talent that is right for your organization. Leveraging talent intelligence/recruitment research can be the key to filling the pipeline with qualified and quality candidates but winning the war for talent goes beyond just the hire. In order to win the war for talent, I believe recruiting efforts need to be continuous. Recruiters need to network and stay connected will future potential hires.

Recruiters need to understand the importance of leveraging the data, talent intelligence/recruitment research that is obtained during the research phase of the recruiting process. As a recruiter with over 30 years of experience I believe successful recruiting is all about creating, maintaining and mastering the art of building relationships. It is all about who we know, right? So my advice is to get connected and stay connected with people and talent that could benefit your organization, not to mention you! It starts with the identification of talent and continues on for as long as you want it to.

Recruiting efforts need to be continuous. Winning recruiting strategies include the implementation of a recruiting process that starts with the identification of talent, employs proactive recruiting activities, focuses on vetting the qualified, presenting/filling the pipeline with interested world-class  candidates followed by staying connected with potential talent. Yes staying connected by creating professional networks and relationships that matter. I believe this forward thinking recruiting strategy will help companies win the war for talent going forward. Are you continuously creating, maintaining and nurturing relationships? I hope so.

Just saying…..now go get the talent you need before the competition does.

Sheila Greco

sgreco@sgatalent.com

Exploiting Intelligence Will Be Part of Future Recruiting Strategies

 

Intelligence will be part of future recruiting efforts.

Recruiters know how to successfully identify talent amongst the crowd. They also know how to exploit the intelligence gathered during the research/sourcing process. Often realizing the value of such intelligence and the importance it plays in creating a strong pipeline. But what happens to this intelligence once the pipeline is filled? Is the once sought after talent suddenly dismissed? Forgotten?  I sure hope not! They could be part of the next candidate pipeline. Even the next hire. That being said, it is important to cultivate relationships with such talented professionals. Don't waste the intelligence that was captured. Not to mention the time, energy and money spent. Be aware that intelligence will be part of future recruiting efforts.

Not measured on cultivating relationships? Probably true. But making it part of your recruiting practice is not a waste of your time. Soon enough there will be emphasis put on capturing and exploiting the mapping intelligence. The change in the marketplace is all ready occurring. Internal executive recruiting teams are beginning to take notice and monitoring top talent in the industry. It includes, mapping talent at companies of interest while tracking "A" Players. Yes, the industry is moving in this direction. Senior management has Intelligence on their radar. They are becoming more and more aware of the importance of such intelligence. Therefore I am a true believer that intelligence will be part of future recruiting efforts and strategies.

Lastly, no one can argue the fact that intelligence often results in attracting more talent than the company needs. Routinely over producing, creating efficiency while quickly filling the pipeline with exceptional candidates. All the more reason to cultivate relationships with the professionals identified. The goal needs to be that the recruiter gets to know them and they get to know you! As the relationship unfolds do begin to softly sell the company and the benefits related to working there.

Happy Hunting.

Sheila Greco

sgreco@sgatalent.com

The Recruiting Industry - Decades of Inspiration, Innovation, Obsession..... And Of Course The Need For The Human Touch As Part Of The Process

The Recruiting Industry - 40 Plus Years In The

Making

Constant Innovation -  The Obsession With Tools,

Technology And How To Make The Process More

Efficient, Cost Effective And Results Driven!

And The Need  Of The Human Touch To Get The Job

Done!

Have some of the changes to the recruiting industry been disruptive or just the continuation of the evolution of the recruiting industry? Similar to other industries, the recruiting world continues to evolve and to some extent still open to discovery. I am almost certain there is still something else out there that will be the next LinkedIn.

So what is next? What new resource is looming around the corner? What technology process will be the next disruptive one? Time will tell. As more and more enhancements and introductions enter the recruiting industry, we need to be reminded that there have been a few constants. Some of the constants include the need for recruiters to always add value, recruit top talent, be efficient and offer a cost-effective solution. Therefore in order to be a successful recruiter, it is important to have the skill sets to exploit the available resources, understand that quality should never be compromised by quantity, time is always of the essence and the importance of  creating relationships, engaging candidates and communicating with clients. Sometimes we forget that recruiting is a people business and are not as mindful of the importance of the human touch during the process. Don't let the hype of new technology and recruiting techniques ever overshadow the importance of the human touch.

Forty years ago, when executives, hiring managers, and others in large/small companies took notice of the recruiting world, it was so exciting and new. Expectations back then may not have been as high, yet the need to perform was obvious. As the industry grew, so did the number of firms and the number of professionals. As the industry matured so did the opportunities to enhance, exploit and introduce new technologies, processes that looked to increase efficiency and reduce inefficiency. Today we are still awaiting the next big thing and looking forward to making the recruiters job a bit easier.

But again, I will say it and say it loud, none of these tools, in my opinion will ever replace the need and important role that the human touch plays in the recruiting process. Furthermore, candidates need to be recruited, screened and presented, all of which I believe require the human touch. Technology and key word vetting cannot ever replace a conversation. Don't be fooled! Just saying..............

Happy Hunting!

Sheila Greco

http://sgatalent.com/?page_id=3586

Retrain Your Brain - Don't Just Post & Hope - Take A Look At The Value of Recruiting With Organization Charts

Win the race for talent……

Understand there is more to recruiting then just key word searching and posting on social networks

I am suggesting it may be worth your time to learn how having access to clearly defined organization charts can prove to be a huge benefit and real asset to your recruiter toolbox.

Finding the right candidates requires training, dedication and hard work. In order to be a successful recruiter it is important to know how to gain access to the potential talent pool, understand the importance of building solid networks, the importance of engagement, the need to communicate the good and the bad, and be ready to find/hunt/search/proactively recruit the best candidates each and every time.

Be that recruiter who desires to be #1. Set yourself apart of the competition. Retrain your brain and get trained on how to do more to enhance your recruiting skill sets. A great start would be to truly understand the value of recruiting with organization charts. In the beginning don't worry if you cannot create one yourself, but long-term set the goal to learn. Having this skill set will help your career long-term. It certainly can't hurt.  

When starting a new search, try to resist going right to the internet or to the other tools that you may be comfortable using. Retrain the brain, step out of your comfort zone and try to create and build organization charts at the companies of interest around the targeted talent requested. (If you are not quite there yet,  find someone who has the talent to do so.)  The more you do it and use it, your comfort level with building and recruiting with organization charts will increase and its value will be revealed.

Please recognize that organization charts are mainly used to tap into the potential talent pool at the onset of a search and such results need to be exploited during the actual recruiting process to fully realize the value.

The message here is to have recruiters at least become of aware of the value associated with recruiting with organization charts. These charts offer a clear definition of a team, the talent, the reporting relationships at the target companies, while also taking the guessing out as to who needs to be contacted for the open position or contacted as a networking lead. This data helps with the messaging of the email and the call. Offering another advantage to those recruiting.

Obviously charts have so much more value compared to just a name, a title, or a public profile that is created by an individual. Again be reminded that many research tools and recruiting resources have limitations and should not be the only resource a recruiter uses. Again relying solely on the tools that require key word searching can and does cause recruiters to miss and overlook qualified candidates because of what is listed on a public profile or provided in a title. Again, resulting in the possibility of missing a candidate.Enough said, now just review the option of recruiting with organization charts and let me know your thoughts.

At the end of the day, a serious recruiter want to be #1, "the go to recruiter!" Step out of the comfort zone, create your own list of talent to connect with, build the best potential talent pool, be in control of your efforts and be proud to show them off to the hiring manager.

Sometimes we fail to understand or don't want to believe that using only tools is the only way to recruit. Try not to think that tools are it! Social network are it! Yes they are part of it, but not all of it. By no means am I saying don't use any of these tools, I am suggesting that recruiters need to if they are not all ready, become familiar with the benefits of recruiting with organization charts.

Here are my Top 5 Reasons that recruiting with organization charts has its benefits

1. Creates access to the potential talent pool while providing direct dials, emails and telephone numbers for ease of connecting. It is the foundation of the search process and important to the overall success.

2. Assists with filling the candidate pipelines for current and future assignment. This robust information also adds additional value by helping the recruiter with candidate tracking while building solid networks with professionals that will long-term create recruiting efficiency.

3. You, the recruiter is now the expert. You now have in your possession the potential talent pool that has been requested by the hiring manager. Such knowledge is priceless.

4. Having such priceless information helps the recruiter compare and contrast the interested and qualified talent who will ultimately be part of the candidate pipeline.

5. It confirms the fact that every stone was unturned. The desired were identified and reached out to. As were those who were referred to by the network of professionals housed in this space.

There is no doubt that there is a lot of information out there that recruiters can use to recruit solid candidates. But recruiting with organization charts creates efficiency, provides knowledge and can be used over and over again to recruit, track and build long-term relationships.

Don't be that recruiter who limits their recruiting efforts to just tools. Be that recruiter who has the ability to create organization charts, exploit what was obtained and build a pipeline of top talent. Increase your skill sets and set the goal to learn how to build and create organization charts. It can be very rewarding.......

Happy hunting, creating and successfully recruiting!

Sheila Greco

sgreco@sgatalent.com

Tips For Hiring Your Next Employee

 

The importance of defining who the hiring manager really wants

Be sure all involved with hiring are on the same page as you prepare for hiring your next employee, the superstar

Hiring your next employee and champion is important to the team's and company's future successes. Be sure to define who that person is so that he/she can make a positive impact immediately or as quickly as possible. To keep the recruiting process efficient, below are a few tips for hiring your next employee and superstar.

1. Define the role. Creating a well defined, well thought out job specification certainly helps with recruiting the ideal candidate. Be sure the hiring manager is involved with this step.

2. Define the type of individual the hiring manager is ideally looking for. Include such things as educational background, number of years experience, should the person be analytical, strategic, and/or big picture focused? Be sure the definition is not just limited to qualifications, but personal qualities and traits as well.

3. Define the individual's role on the team, beyond what is written. Be sure it is discovered the type of individual the hiring manager is really looking for. Be sure to define the role that this new team member will be tasked with. For instance, is the hiring manager looking for someone to clean house or build? Is the hiring manager interested in someone who can take over his/her role in a few years, or just someone who can simply join the team and add "value" to an all ready super team? Try to understand why someone succeeds and fails under this hiring manager. This too will help define and lead to a successful hire.

Hiring the next supestar is not always easy. It needs to be defined as to who best fits the definition of the hiring manager's next superstar. Hiring a professional goes beyond qualifications and qualities. Be sure to understand the type of individual the hiring manager really wants and why this type of individual will prove to be an immediate positive impact player. Before the search gets underway, be sure to be real with expectations, be ready to go out and search for the ideal candidate as defined, be patient yet understand that time is always of the essence when seeking out the company's next successful hire.

What tips do you have to share with us as you prepare for hiring your next employee?

Happy hunting.

Sheila Greco

sgreco@sgatalent.com

Are you ready to hire your next top performer? Don't Ignore Personal Qualities

  Successful hires go beyond just looking for specific qualifications.

As you look to hire your next top performer, don't ignore their qualities.

It makes sense to hire those who share the same qualities as you and your team's top performers.

You obviously took the time to create a job specification, the needs, the wants and the desires. But just as important a leader needs to review, examine and understand the qualities of his/her own team's top performers. As the list of qualities is created, it will become obvious the type of person you should be looking to hire. Taking the time to do this, does pay off as you look to hire your next top performer.

Generally speaking there are many qualities that make someone successful to include confidence, integrity, hardworking, knowledgeable, decisive, focused, positive attitude, strong communicator, team player,  the desire to learn, listen, results driven, loyal, organized among other qualities. Again, only you know which qualities you desire and will work for you and your team. So take the time to look at your team, select the qualities of your top performers and as you look to hire your next top performer, be sure to look for qualities that fit your team.

Additionally, as you interview don't ignore the values of the team, you and of course your company. Good luck and remember as you hire your next top performer once they have accepted be sure to provide them with what they need to succeed.

Happy hunting.

Sheila Greco

Using Corporate Emails To Recruit Today Is Like Using The Telephone To Recruit 25 Years Ago

Recruiting with corporate emails produces results!

I know because I exploit this technique.

Using corporate emails as a way to connect and recruit passive candidates allows the recruiter to create awareness regarding potential opportunities to these highly desired professionals. It presents opportunities directly to the passive candidate talent pool allowing them to act or not. If this technique is ignored, these professionals may never have access to these opportunities or be plugged-in to them. In other words, it could be seen as a missed opportunity for the passive candidate. Using corporate emails to recruit has many benefits for both the recruiter and potential candidates.

Such a technique builds relationships. It is subtle, a non-threatening great way to network and recruit. I have discovered that this technique gets responses 2:1 compared to other recruiting techniques. Although not every response is a yes, let’s chat, but it is a response none the less. This helps create efficiency too by not keep me hanging and continuing my recruiting efforts with those who are not interested. It not only closes the loop for me with regards to recruiting, it also acts as the beginning of a relationship, whereby each party can potentially benefit.  These people now know me, our company, the types of roles we recruit for and they now have access to a recruiter who finds them valuable, talented and someone who can be a great resource.

As we all know, recruiting is all about networking and building relationships. So why not use techniques that can be built upon. Such efforts will assist us long-term with our recruiting successes and lasting meaningful relationships.

Now do you see why I believe in the importance of using corporate emails to recruit? It is actually my preferred way of recruiting.  This method also increases recruiting efficiency and speed. So when you proactively recruit, may I suggest you use corporate emails to connect and network with professionals of interest.

Lastly let me share with you a few recruiting tips........

Sheila's Top 4 Recruiting Tips Needed To Recruit Mission Critical Talent

1. First create the potential talent pool to recruit from. May I suggest building organization charts around those professionals of interest as a great starting point. Long term it is proven that this creates recruiting efficiency. It also provides access to the professionals who the hiring manager desires and come from companies that have produced the best talent for the client. For this you will need a telephone, the internet, access to social media and any other type of resources which have successfully helped you with uncovering talent.

2. Look into your ATS and databases for potential candidates and networking contacts. Add these professionals to the potential talent pool contacts to create the recruiting list. Step 1 and 2 act as the foundation of every search. Not one of these steps should be ignored.

3. Begin reaching out via corporate emails, direct dials, corporate telephone numbers, cell phones, and in mails. Never limit the number of ways to connect with these professionals. If you do, you wasted your previous efforts of finding these folks.

4. Don't stop recruiting until you have 5-7 solid candidates. It is always easier to keep the momentum going versus starting and stopping. Although your efforts may slow down, don't stop!

Lastly let me leave you with this, using corporate emails to recruit is a proven recruiting technique. It provides results needed to successfully, efficiently, and cost effectively recruit mission critical talent.

I wish all of you the best of luck in hunting for your next hire!

Sheila Greco

Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn  or directly. I look forward to it; sgreco@sgatalent.com

Is There A Disconnect Between Your Candidate Pipeline & The Potential Talent Pool?

Could be if you are limiting your research and recruiting efforts to just big data, free data, technology and social media. Look beyond these restrictive and limiting resources.

It is time to train and retrain the brain. Recruiters seek intelligence that assists with creating exceptional candidate pipelines their hiring managers much deserve.

Looking for a great potential talent pool for your next search? I am sure you. Try not to just limit your efforts to the internet, social media and free or paid research/recruiting tools. I understand this may be a habit for many successful recruiters, however when you limit your efforts to just these resources, your are obviously limiting your search for talent. Wouldn't you agree? Recruiting requires linking intelligence with talent. This will provide the potential talent pool necessary for conducting a comprehensive search for talent.

No one can dispute the fact that there is plenty of data out there. However much of it has been found to be inaccurate, incomplete and at times borderline a waste of time! However good recruiters who have time, can weed through such data to find viable candidates. Yet, the process of doing so, can be exhaustive, time-consuming, inefficient and at times yield little results. Therefore time to retrain the brain. Look to linking intelligence with the talent you need to recruit.

Train the brain into believing that it is unrealistic to think that by simply posting, tweeting and using social media the best of breed will come. Long term, it is not a strategy that should be focused upon. Recruiting efforts need to be linking intelligence with talent to ensure a solid pipeline of candidates.

Linking intelligence with talent is much different then just having access to a limited, inaccurate, talent pool. Intelligence not only links a recruiter to specific potential talent but offers other benefits that save time and money. Intelligence provides relevant contacts, exact titles, reporting relationships, otherwise known as organization charts, direct dials, emails, and profiles. But more importantly, as this information is exploited, it suddenly creates an ideal candidate pipeline, compared to a candidate pipeline which is the result of such limiting efforts as an ad, a post, a tweet or from a social media outlet. In simple terms, intelligence establishes a more focused recruiting process so that recruiters can deliver candidates to the hiring manager who have been carefully sought out, recruited and selected by both traditional recruiting efforts and the latest ones. No one can dispute the fact that limiting any recruiting efforts to a limited, closed network will of course hamper the search for qualified candidates. Not to exclude the fact that such efforts have been known to have delivered a limited, sub par slate of candidates who simply have responded to a "shout out!" or found amongst the limited talent pool and network the recruiter may only has access to. Huge difference, don't you think?

Don't have a disconnect between your candidate pipeline and the potential talent pool out there. Look to use intelligence to uncover the complete potential talent pool. Recruiters deserve to have access to such intelligence and more importantly, the hiring managers deserve it.

It's not too late to change or retrain the brain. Maybe it is time to  reassess your research and recruiting methods. Don't limit yourself to only what is "available" to you, go beyond and you will see the difference.

Happy Hunting!

Sheila Greco

Tips for Recruiting Top Talent....Use The Right Recruiting Email Subject Line!

Identify, Connect, Vet and Present!

Recruiting is all about connecting!

Recruiters need both a great message and a strong recruiting email subject line in order to be successful.

Recruiters have found success using emails to connect with potential candidates. I am sure the results are directly related to having a recruiting email subject line that wants the potential candidate to read more.

As always I like to share email subject lines that have been successful for me. Please note these are the ones I used while recruiting a Vice President of Marketing.

Enjoy!

1. Subject line: We have identified you as a marketing expert. I want to learn more about you, your career and possibly next steps.

2. Subject line: We have identified you as being one of the most talented in your space, lets network.

3. Subject line: As a marketing expert, I am interested in networking with you regarding a role we are working on.

Again be sure each email is personalized and has enough information regarding the role and the responsibilities. Having this information helps the professional with making the decision to learn more, refer or decline. If they decide to move forward and schedules a call, I make it a practice to send along the job specification and ask for their resume or biography prior to the upcoming discussion. I believe this results in having a productive conversation for both parties.

What recruiting email and recruiting email subject line works for you? Please share with us so we may use it too.

Happy Hunting.

Sheila Greco

sgreco@sheilagreco.com

You Are Hired! Let us tell you possibly why.......

You Did It!

You Are Hired!

Recruiting requires making the right moves which clearly involves uncovering the potential talent pool, exploiting the talent pool data identified, recruiting and of course presenting the most qualified. This process may take some time but the end result needs to be hiring the best candidate for the job, the company and the team.

Yes, there are probably a few who could have been hired, but you had a little more. Congratulations!

After being in the business for over 24 years, I wanted to share with you a few qualities that many of those hired possessed and were able to convey during their interview process.

You are hired because.......

1. You had the right attitude! Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude.

2. You showed how committed you are to achieving personal goals AND corporate goals. Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.

3. Money isn't everything! It is about the opportunity and the company. Opportunity dances with those already on the dance floor.

4. You are humble yet confident. If we remain humble and hungry, we can win.

5. You want to be held accountable.  The more accountable I can make you, the easier it is for you to show you're a great performer.

6. You are willing to take risks.....some calculated others not so much.“If you're offered a seat on a rocket ship, don't ask what seat! Just get on."

7. You are passionate & goal oriented.With out passion you don't have energy, with out energy you have nothing. 

Brilliant, you conveyed your qualities during the interview process. Now relax, enjoy and do what you do best....have fun and perform!

Please note runners-up that it is important to prepare, have the ability to tell your story and do it in such a way to convey what you have!

Happy Hunting and hello those who are being hunted!

Sheila Greco

sgreco@sheilagreco.com

Last Week's Top 5 Recruiting Email Subject Line Descriptions

We know recruiting emails work!

Statistics show recruiting emails need to be part of the recruiting process.

Last week while recruiting here are the top 5 recruiting email subject lines that produced the best results.

1. I am interested in networking with you regarding a systems engineer role. Let's connect.

2. As a thought leader I am interested in speaking with you regarding a role you may be interested in.

3. As a sales superstar I am interested in speaking with you regarding your next career move.

4. Heard you are exceptionally talented. I am a recruiter, let's connect.

5. We are recruiting sales professionals and you have been identified as a star. Let's connect.

We compete for talent daily and the need to have access to top talent is only part of the success equation. In order to start conversations with those professionals of interest you need to get their attention from all the noise out there. We have discovered that by creating effective recruiting email subject lines actually increases the response rate. Be sure you have what you consider a good recruiting email subject line so you too can get the results required to fill the pipeline with exceptional candidates and of course it needs to be done yesterday. What recruiting email subject lines work for you?

Happy Hunting.

Sheila Greco

http://sgatalent.com/?p=2836

http://sgatalent.com/?page_id=229

SGA Talent Creates A Private Human Resources Community To Help Clients Find Talent

 

SGA Talent (Sheila Greco Associates LLC) integrates Work Market Platform into its company service offerings launching SGA HR Talent.  

Amsterdam, New York / New York, New York, May 15, 2013 - SGA Talent, a leading research, recruiting and data company announced today that it has partnered with Work Market to create an exclusive global on-demand network of premier contract recruiters and human resource professionals.

"My vision is to build premier Human Resource talent communities for both contractor and full-time professionals, so when clients need talent, they come to us for a rate that fits their budget and fees much lower then the average for full-time recruiting assignments. The contractor has the freedom to control their own workload and the full-time professional has the opportunity to review positions offered within the community. Unlike the job boards or other social communities, the talent will be prescreened ensuring quality candidates are part of the candidate pipeline. A bit of traditional recruiting and the use of new technology creates a successful recruiting process. Additionally by offering this type of service, it allows our client organizations access to a scalable network of contract and full-time resources”, said Sheila Greco, President and Chief Executive Officer of SGA Talent”

SGA Talent has worked extensively over the past six months to create this enhanced Work Market gateway that allows jobs, job status, job notes and ratings of the contractors and full-time professionals ensuring only the best talent is chosen each and every time.

Work Market co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Jeff Wald added, “At Work Market we have built a market leading product that has shown its effectiveness in serving over 250 clients, including some of the country’s largest enterprises.  We are honored to collaborate with a market leader in human resource management like SGA Talent.  Sheila and her team will be able to utilize the Work Market Platform to manage an on-demand labor force and provide the right labor solution for their clients.  SGA joins market leaders like Omnicom, Lockheed Martin, NCR and Adecco as users of the most advanced contingent labor platform.”

"Work Market and SGA Talent both provide excellent solutions for employer and service business management, respectively.  Together these two companies are creating a labor platform with an “eBay type - name your rate” alternative for the employers.  Today's economic conditions are creating change in the workforce and why not be the one’s innovating. This new service will help build efficiency and cost savings effecting bottom line for SGA's clients”, said Sheila Greco.

SGA's suite of products and services include Passive Candidate Research, Pre-Screening and Recruiting, Customized Competitive Intelligence, SGA ExecutiveTracker database and now SGA HR Talent.

About SGA Talent:  An industry leader for more than 23 years, SGA Talent takes great pride in partnering with our clients to provide them with data, research used for sourcing passive candidates and recruiting when needed.  SGA also provides a unique database (SGA ExecutiveTracker) for corporate and search firm clients to find talent within 15,000 top corporations starting with the C-Suite through individual contributors. It provides accurate direct dials, email and biographies, a great resource for anyone interested in quality, compiled information. To learn more about our suite of services, please visit us at www.sgatalent.com.

About Work Market:  Work Market is the leading enterprise-class freelance labor platform and marketplace. Businesses of all sizes use the Work Market platform to manage the complete life-cycle of their freelance labor, including the selection and hiring of contracted resources, the deployment and ongoing management of labor at scale and all associated payment and legal compliances. This allows businesses to increase labor productivity and enhance work quality while dramatically reducing costs. For more information, visit http://www.workmarket.com.

To become part of these human resources communities go to  http://bit.ly/YwoIF5

What's In Your Recruiting Bag?

Not all jobs are created equal.  Not all tactics or methods are created equal.  Building relationships and talent pipelines are still critical to reaching out to passive candidates and engaging them effectively. Building talent pipelines, conducting research and sourcing will not be disappearing any time soon, due to social networking or utilization of the Internet. Technology along with tools that utilize smart technology is not replacing people or high touch recruiting techniques. SGA Talent believes there are limitations to all of these and a mixture of the resources produce the best results.

And yes certain methods and tools work better for some roles while others not so much.  Make sure you track and know which sourcing strategy and tactics will get you the best talent in the most efficient way. We agree some roles are in multiples and transaction oriented while others require a personal touch and require building relationships while networking. Know the difference and choose the method that is most successful to complete the task.

Data remains king.  There are many methodologies on how to collect and access data.  Data can also create blocks as time is of the essence and sometimes sorting through too much data slows the process.

SGA Talent clients utilize a number of our solutions to assist with their sourcing strategy, which include products that are not part of SGA Talent!  We agree LinkedIn, Sendouts, social media connections and networks are key to any sourcing strategy.  Including your own ATS  But the personal touch and effective communication still is a key role for any recruiter.

Therefore, don't take to heart some of the recent articles/writings indicating that sourcing and research is no longer needed.

What worked yesterday might not work tomorrow but identifying talent utilizing all sourcing strategies (remember employee referrals!!)are still on the mind of our clients.The goal remains the same:  identify, engage, communicate, market, sell, assess objections and close the talent.  It’s a journey.

Happy Hunting and I look forward to your comments.

Best regards,

Sheila Greco