Recruiting Passive Candidates & Keeping It Simple Silly!

Recruiting Passive Candidates & Keeping It Simple Silly!

 

 

 

Recruiting Passive Candidates & Keeping It Simple Silly (KISS Method) has been my strategy for over 20 years.  The approach, as always is methodical and the process remains the same.  Whether recruiting for a President/General Manager , Java developers, Architects,  Regional Sales Managers ,  Account Managers (BI & Retail), Leaders and Consultants in I/T or Tax & Audit  the recruiting strategy remains the same.   It begins with research/name generation that provides the call/connect list which shows  the potential talent pool that is then used for recruiting and networking.  It doesn't get more simple then this!

Recruiting passive candidates and keeping it simple silly is what I believe to be the tried and true way to successful recruiting.  I have tried, I must admit to just go for it, but it only works for the first 1-2 days, then I find myself stalling a little to regroup which I find to be a waste of time.  Call me old-fashioned, but the more organized I am the more efficient I can be.  I practice what I preach! If you want to hear me preach call me! If you want results call me too.

Here is my 10 Step Keep It Simple Silly Recruiting Process:

1. Kick Off Meeting With The Client

2. Target List Development (Best of Breed, Back Yard Warriors, Direct Competitors)

3. Research/Name Generation - Steps to Uncover the Potential Talent Universe

4. Create Call List/Connect List (in addition to the research, I  recommend using  SGA ExecutiveTracker, LinkedIn, as well as other useful tools to create a comprehensive list. Do not overlook previous recruiting call lists and research) 1-3 days

5. Carefully Create/Craft the Email  & Telephone Message

6. Proactively Recruit/Source & Network

7. Fill The Pipeline With Interested & Qualified Candidates - Present

8. Set Up Interviews

9. Conduct Reference Checks

10. Hire

Pretty simple!

Oh one last thing, you need to be organized in order to be successful. Just wanted to get that one in too.

Who We Are:

Sheila Greco Associates LLC is one of the oldest and most trusted company in the recruiting and research industry. We are able to quickly and cost effectively conduct research/name generation for clients who choose to do their own recruiting as well as recruit solid candidates for corporations and search firms.

I am a trained executive search and research consultant (Trained By Jim Mead & Stan Johnson) so I have personally trained everyone in our firm  just as I was 20 years ago.

If you want to learn more about what we do and how we do it call or email me at 518 843-4611 or sgreco@sheilagreco.com

Thanks for stopping by!

Sheila Greco

 

 

 

 

Sheila Greco's Personal Approach To Social Networking

Face-to-Face Networking has Many Benefits

My Personal Approach to Social Networking

Last Wednesday I co-hosted our third Recruiting Networking Event In New York City with InTalent Consulting.  This invitation only, intimate event is all about one-on-one sharing of information to include recruiting trends, hiring issues, retention and many other issues facing decision makers in today's ever changing talent acquisition and talent management areas.

The advantage to events such as this is the ability to network amongst your peers.   Many of our guests were openly discussing problems, successes, ideas and many were passing along business cards to continue the conversations.   It was a real hit!

The discussions were lively, interesting, informative to say the least.   At this time I wish to share with my readers the discussion topics I personally was involved in:

1. Companies Are Hiring - Actually 77% stated their company plans to and is currently recruiting senior level and individual contributors, a trend they see will continue at least through the third quarter of 2012.

2. Companies are continuing to build internal recruiting teams.

3. Using Social Media To Recruit continues to grow.

4. Great recruiters are still in high demand - especially those who know how to develop relationships, network and are proactive in their recruiting efforts.

5.  The frustration of having to sift through many resumes that are received from vendors that are not a match.

6. The value of on target research and the importance of  emails for connecting with passive candidates.

7. Companies are being a bit cautious  and taking their time bringing new hires on board.  They want to be assured these are the best candidates for the roles. Putting some pressure on the recruiters to say the least.

I want to thank my Co - hosts Mary Clair Ryan and Cindy Lubitz!  Two great ladies  you need to know.

Lastly we will be having more of these events in New York (again), Atlanta, Boston, Chicago and somewhere out west.   If you want to be part of the next one email me at sgreco@sheilagreco.com or tmasters@sheilagreco.com

Thanks for stopping by!

Sheila Greco

Sheila Greco's Eulogy To Her Grandmother Marie Dygon

Today we say goodbye to someone whose love was and is so important in our lives. Grandma was a very special person and we will all remember her for who she was to each of us. I’m sure each and every one of you here today has something to share on how my grandmother touched your life. Keep those memories close and forever in your minds and hearts She may not be here today physically but she is with us forever spiritually. She is a part of us forever!

I was very close to grandmother not to mention her only granddaughter so of course I was a little special in her eyes. Sorry boys!! Well she was special to me too.  Like many of us, she wasn’t perfect, but her love was unconditional.  I know because she has shared that love with me for all of my life.  Prior to her fall, we would spend endless hours talking about the past., she told many, many stories that she remembered about the antics of her children, grandchildren and about great-great grandchildren too. Her stories were always happy ones where we would laugh and just be silly.

Depending on the child, grandma would do whatever the child wanted to do! From playing baseball in the yard, racing us in the swimming pool, growing vegetable gardens, playing cards, dominos, bingo even betting horses with the best of us, she never really cared about what she was doing as long as she doing it with those she loved! Her family meant the world to her.

We do remember how she was always glad to see us, how she would welcome us with hugs and kisses, and then say "I love you!!! She would then hold our hands with both of hers, to look at us and even without words, that look and her smile said "I am so proud of you. When I couldn’t be with her and would just talk to her on the telephone it was always about me! She wanted to know how I was doing and when would I be home. She was always so happy when the whole family was together.

She really taught all of us the importance of family, love, and kindness and the importance of being a good solid citizen. Something I can see we are all passing along to our children as well. Believe me it was felt in the room last night! The love and warmth were felt by all.

We all remember her faith and how important is was for us to go to mass and Auriesville Shrine in the summer.  She said the Rosary daily, prayed before bedtime thanking god for the day and to bless each and every one of us. She even did this nightly with her loving caregivers. In her final days even when she couldn’t speak a whole lot she would shout out their names to let them know she was grateful to them. We must remember how she prayed for us, and we know how her prayers are even with us now. Her faith and her devotion to the Lord was so strong, I have no doubt she has found Eternal Rest with our Lord and Savior.

We remember her hope, for each of us, that we would find happiness in our lives, that we would grow to be good and loving people. We know that she was not disappointed in any of us. She would have been so proud to see all of us together yesterday.

You can see the faith she has shared, as we gather today to commend her spirit into the trusted arms of our Loving God for eternity. You can see, most of all, the love she gave and gave and gave, ceaselessly and tirelessly for all of us, in that we come together today and remember her.

And so Grandma your life was one of faith, of hope, and of love. And the greatest gift that she has given us is her love. We love you, Grandma. We will miss you. And we will always remember you.

Role Of A Recruiter. Are You Really A Recruiter Or Just Playing One On TV?

You know you are a recruiter when you...

 

 

 

 

1. Recruit- Not a recruiter that limits their efforts to just posting, tweeting,  and just taking whomever comes along. Real recruiters naturally and actively seek out the talent required.

2. Network- Speak to all who can help you connect with the best of breed talent. Continues to keep the networks they developed active. Networking work both ways! Always return calls and emails.

3. You become the expert - Regarding the position, the company, the hiring manager's needs and wants.

4. Really know the talent you recruited - Of course you need to know the background of the candidates, but you also need to know what make them "tick", gets them excited, what their long and short-term goals may be, and of course WHO they really are to include what they do in their spare time.

5. Only present on target candidates that fulfill the needs of the hiring managers and  are a match with the company's corporate culture. 

6. Have a sense of urgency- Feel everything needs to be done today! Nothing can wait until tomorrow. Do it now!

7. Organized- Being organized helps with effectiveness and efficiency.

8. Understand recruiting is a process - Willing to do what is expected during the recruiting cycle.

9. Overcommunicate - Follow through with the candidates that make the cut and those who do not. Always be available for the clients and candidates.

10. Always  ready to do #1.

There are many recruiters out there. There are many people who think they are recruiters and fewer great recruiters. If you are passionate about recruiting you can certainly be a successful one if you really care. Know the role of a recruiter before you take on the challenge.

Thanks for stopping by!

Sheila Greco

Sheila Greco Associates LLC, your research and recruiting resource! We look forward to hearing from you!

http://sgatalent.com

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recruiting Top Talent & The Importance Of Creating A Solid Target List

Top Talent can be hiding within the walls of the competition.

But don't stop there!

 

 

After reviewing numerous 2012 recruiting predictions and trends,  there seem to be 2 predictions that make every list.

1. The importance, need and desire to recruit directly from the competition.

2. Finding the much-needed talent with mission critical skill sets specific to an organization.

As I begin to think about this and how I can help my clients with these two trends, it has become obvious to me the need to emphasis the importance of a solid target list. The solid target list acts as a roadmap, a plan, as to where the talent may be sitting and poached. So by taking the time to creat a solid target list, long-term will help with identifying and recruiting the hard to find top talent needed by the organization. It is important to know that each target list needs to be specific to the requirements of each specific job. There could be some homework that recruiters may need to do to put together this solid target list, but it will be well worth the time and energy.

When creating a solid target list, I usually divide it into categories:

1 Target List, 5 Potential Categories

1.Competitors- Direct Competitors, same size, similar brands and services. (J&J)

2.Best Of Breed - companies with critical mass, best and brightest management teams, (companies may include  P&G, General Mills,  Apple, Google, Goldman Sachs, General Electric etc)

3.Back Yard Warriors - Great companies with great talent where recruiting top talent would not require relocation.

4.Small To Medium Companies On The Rise, but in  your space - Since 2008, great talent has been recruited by these companies and they have benefited greatly so great places to investigate and definitely not ones to overlook.

5.Specific teams within organizations - Those that have been recognized or known to have solid management and team players. (Human Resources Awards, Marketing Awards, Retail Creative teams).

If you need help with putting together a target list, call me at 518 843-4611 or email sgreco@sheilagreco.com. Glad you stopped by sgatalent... Until the next time enjoy!

Sheila Greco

 

Companies Who Employ Proactive Recruiting Strategies Will Win The War For Talent!

Fresh Passive Candidates for your next searchBack to Recruiting Basics!

Proactive Recruiting Strategies Include the Process of Knowing the Potential Talent Universe Before the Recruiting Activity Begins.

So you think you recruit -  but are you really recruiting or just think you are? Proactive Recruiters actively  recruit, search, hunt, seek out professionals who are employed by companies of interest, looking for those who can be enticed by a better opportunity and quite frankly just follow a methodical recruiting process utilizing  back to basics recruiting strategies.   I firmly believe that unless you know who is part of the potential talent universe before you recruit,  you cannot say with confidence that you have actively recruited, presented and hired the best-qualified candidate for the job!

Presenting candidates and filling the pipeline of candidates with only those who come to the recruiter, the company, found on job boards, the internet and are active is a very limited way to recruit. Wouldn't you agree?  I think that by only filling the pipeline of candidates with these types of recruits is what I call reactionary recruiting or passive recruiting. Recruiting in such a manner, in my opinion can be doing  a disservice to the company and clients.

I am not negating the successes that do come from passive recruiting or reactionary recruiting I am suggesting that recruiters need to take a step back, take the time to learn about the potential talent that could be available to the organization and clients. Recruiters really need to proactively use methodologies that uncover or identify potential talented recruits and then go recruit them.

Recruiting defined by Business Dictionary.com sums it up.... The process of identifying and hiring the best-qualified candidate (from within or outside of an organization) for a job vacancy, in a most timely and cost-effective manner. So you need to identify - know who you are recruiting by using research/name generation/traditional telephone research as part of the recruiting process.

Proactive Recruiting and returning to  Back To Basics Recruiting Strategies is  a long-term strategy and can be well worth it if a company truly believes people are their best assets.  No one will disagree with the fact that having top talent, breeds winning teams, that win and can compete on many fronts.

Ask yourself, did I recruit the best available talent during the recruiting process? If the answer is yes, than share your knowledge with the corporation and the client. It will speak volumes.  Winning the talent war does require employing a winning recruiting strategy and it does include research/traditional telephone research, passive candidate research as part of the process. My recommendation is "to be in the know" and to really know who  is part of the potential talent universe before you recruit. I always say, "go get them before they get you! Be proactive in finding the best of breed talent.

Hope you enjoy my Back to Basic Recruiting Presentation and download it now.  I will be scheduling workshops in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Chicago and Pennsylvania discussing Back to Basics Recruiting Strategies.  So if you are interested, please let me know by emailing me sgreco@sheilagreco.com.

Always here to help...have a great day!

Sheila Greco

Below is an interesting article.

Interesting article in Forbes

Only The Employed Need Apply - Employing Traditional Passive Candidate Research Can Be The Force Behind Doing So

Fresh Passive Candidates for your next search

Only the employed need apply.  Agree Or disagree. It is reality to some.

Traditional Passive Candidate Research can be The Force  Behind Hiring The Employed!

For those who use Traditional Passive Candidate Research as part of their recruiting strategy, recruiting the employed really is not anything new. I am not saying that only the employed are targeted to fill the potential candidate pipeline report, but the emphasis is put on finding candidates who are residing at the companies of interest to include competitors, best of breed companies, back yard warriors and other companies the hiring manager has had success recruiting out of. A great way to connect with these professionals is to employ Traditional Passive Candidate Research into the recruiting process.

Not everyone knows about Traditional Passive Candidate Research. That is okay, but should your client ask you for passive employed candidates you should become aware of it. Simply put it is the process of  identifying potential candidates from a target list of companies created by the hiring manager based upon past successful hiring results. This process goes right for the jugular. Calling into companies and getting right to the people of interest. I am not saying to ignore the internet or research and recruiting tools  to find talent. You can use them, but don't solely depend on them.

The benefits of Traditional Passive Candidate Research - can far outweigh using free and paid for service research and recruiting tools.  The center of the search process is undeniably the research phase so it needs to be done right and it needs to be done by those who know how to do it. Having access to top talent right from the beginning can and does shorten the recruiting cycle, not to mention helps the recruiter recruit with knowledge. Most Traditional Passive Candidate Research provides not only names of potential candidates, but reporting relationships, emails, direct dials and often times specific information around the executives and their teams.

Let's face it, hiring managers drive the process and know who they  need. Often times they turn to the internal talent acquisition team to get it done. Depending on internal capabilities, hiring can be done internally, outsourced or a combination of both. Either way the goal remains the same, there is a need to find best of breed talent yesterday. Traditional Passive Candidate Research empowers recruiters to be focused, the ability to get to the right candidate faster, a channel that allows the recruiters to engage with potential candidates, network, and can assist with branding a company just by connecting. Oh, such power! And yes, it gets the recruiter to the employed!

I am not saying to ignore the unemployed...... but do recruiting partners/clients want to see these folks from you?  It depends. Some do, some don't. Remember you don't make the rules! You can choose to follow them or opt out. However in today's world and according to many articles in the news, there are corporations publically saying the employed need apply or privately doing so. Either way,  in order to be a successful recruiter these days, you need to know how to  find the employed.

A few things to ponder.....

Do you agree that the best talent are those who are employed?

Do you consider that statement of "Only the Employed Need Apply" to be discrimination against the unemployed?

Please feel free to comment. My opinion is that as a recruiter you always want to find the best of the best, the "A" Player talent. So do just that. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sheila Greco

www.sgatalent.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Transparency Within An Organization Builds Trust

We Like to Work With People We Trust!

As a leader of a small company I believe in transparency within an organization. I believe that the more my employees know, the more successful they will be and the company will be.  Being honest, transparent and upfront can and does create trust. I was once told by my Father that transparency is very important to any company ( he too  owned a few small businesses) because transparency  fosters trust and trust amongst the team ultimately creates success!

Trusting a leader, each other, believing in the same goals, being able to reach those goals as individuals and team players leads to success both short-term and long-term.  It’s the realization that one person cannot do anything as well as a cohesive, trusting team can do.  As a leader, I can say that  it is much easier to move a mountain with teams that  are "on-board" and  supportive of each team player's abilities than to complete the goal alone.

Leaders need to be accessible, need to be open and honest with all the players. It is important that the team players are honest and open with each other and the leader. Leaders cannot be afraid to share with the team the overall strategy of the company, what is expected of each player, each project, the results desired and the importance and need to trust each other each and every time.

Overall, team players need to be on board with the decisions the leader has made.  Some decisions can be made as a team, while others need to be made by the leader themselves. Many successful team players are creative, willing to learn, not afraid to share amongst the team what they have learned and also willing to be open to tell. Each team player needs to be accessible, upfront and trust each other. To hold it all together each team member needs to behave in such a manner that displays passion, interest in succeeding and playing well in the sandbox while treating each other fairly.

Having a transparent team atmosphere has a tendency to show weaknesses within the team too. Displaying weakness within the team either allows one to change a team member’s position to something they are more suited for or it will make those decide that this isn’t for them and move on. This is okay long-term!

Transparency within an organization does not just happen. It takes time. It starts with the leaders implementing this strategy and it needs to be embraced by each team player. Sharing information amongst the team is a must for this to work. Not everyone feels comfortable openly sharing what they know, it may seem like one is going against what they have been taught but it becomes imperative that everyone be open for transparency to work. This is a learned behavior, I think.

If transparency exists within your organization hats off to you. If it does not, think about how you may want to introduce it.

Have a great day!

Sheila Greco

Thanks for visiting us at http://sgatalent.com

 

Benefits Over Bucks! What's Important These Days For Candidates!

Money Matters As Do Benefits!

Are Benefits Taking Center Stage At Decision Time?

Research, Recruiting, Filling the Pipeline with qualified candidates, presenting best of breed all matter, but the final offer can make or break the deal.

I know I have the best job in the world – hands down.  I help people advance their careers and help them find happiness in a new work environment.  There is absolutely nothing more rewarding in life than feeling like you helped someone even if it’s in a very small way. But in dealing with people, there are many things that are important to one and not to the other. Therefore the other piece of the recruiting process is to understand what is important to each  candidate in their next move. Now more than ever, benefits have jumped to the forefront.  So just a little note for us to keep in the back of our minds as we recruit....have the candidates explain their needs and wants at before offer time.

Has actual cash money become obsolete in the candidate acceptance process?   I will say probably not; but there seems to be a new obstacle in the recruiting process.

Being that “inquiring minds have to know” I started checking around with my fellow recruiters outside of SGA to include some corporate recruiters.  Well, what I have found is that low-and-behold this is happening more than you might think.  I guess it’s true what they say, “money can’t buy happiness”.

It seems like since the recession candidates have come to believe it is more important to work at companies that not only offer a paycheck but offer innovative and forward-thinking solutions to health care and the promotion of a healthy workplace.

This subject has become really interesting to me.  If you have feedback, have been experiencing the same thing or just want to share with me the most outlandish benefit you have had put on the table for your candidate please let me know.

Sheila

Thanks for visiting today!

Good Recruiters Recruit - Better Than Great Recruiters Prepare Candidates

Even with Research, Recruiting, Sourcing, Networking, Identifying Passive Candidates and Evaluation - It All Can Be For Naught..

No Matter What the Scenario, Recruiters Need to Prepare their Candidates for the Interview Process.

Identifying passive candidates, sourcing, networking, recruiting, evaluating and presenting with knowledge are things  great recruiters can do in their sleep - but preparing a candidate for the recruiting process can be a whole different story.

As I have stated over and over again; good recruiters fill the pipeline of candidates with ease but the job really doesn't stop there.  As a passionate professional in recruiting and passive executive research, I cannot stress enough the importance of preparing a candidate for the interview process.

You would think that when you are recruiting best-of-breed talent you wouldn't have to prepare them for the interview process - right?  Well, let me tell you, beyond contrary belief this is not the case.  Believe it or not it isn't a fact that every candidate we find knows how to interview or prepare for the process.  All your hard work can be gone in a moment if your candidate walks into the interview with an outfit only fit to be worn by Lady Gaga herself.   Although she is an incredibly talented artist and fashion guru, wish I had half of what she has, her attire wouldn't quite be the fit for most of corporate America.  Having said this, my disclaimer to my fellow recruiting professionals is to prepare your candidates (whether you think they need it or not) with any and all the information you have regarding things such as company culture and what is expected of potential employees.  This is part of the process that is most often neglected or we just assume candidates know on their own.  Perhaps they do but why leave it up to chance.

Tips for preparing candidates for the interview.

1. Discuss the value of dressing for success.   This has been known to be a very sensitive subject with candidates - so tread lightly and use those personal skills you have developed throughout your years of recruiting.

2. Educate the candidate, discuss the corporate culture, the company,  the process, the biography of the hiring manager and why the position is open.

3. Explain the role and what is expected (an insider knowledge is always good).

4. Discuss with them potential questions to ask regarding the position.

5. Help them sell themselves.   Provide them with hot buttons that are relevant to the hiring managers expectations.

6. Advise them to be honest about their experiences and what they are interested in doing short and long-term.

7. Be sure to tell them to follow-up with a thank you to all they interviewed with.

These are just a few very basic things that I have seen get overlooked by recruiters because they are under the assumption everyone knows how to interview.  The fact is, professionals who have been in a particular position for any lengthy time period has more than likely no idea what is expected of them in today's interviewing environment.

Recruiters, yes you are trained on how to recruit.   But success also rests on completing and filling the assignment. I believe that preparing candidates for the interview is an important part of the process as you continue finding, recruiting, networking, sourcing the best of breed talent for your clients each and every time.

Enjoy the holiday weekend and thanks for visiting us at http://www.sgatalent.com

Additional Expert Advice:

http://www.money-zine.com/   Preparing For The Job Interview

Ten Tips on Preparing For a Job Interview

Recruiting Women In Technology SGA's 2011 Study Sneak Peek Preview

Since 1993 we have been specializing in recruiting and conducting passive executive research in the I/T World

The fact is that there are still fewer Women than men In Technology to Recruit!

 

Our results for just the Fortune 100 are in.  For 2011 there are 17% Women In Technology Leaders in comparison to 15% in 2004 and 12% in 2007. Finding top notch women in technology is becoming less difficult, there are just fewer out there.   No wonder why women in technology continue to encourage young women in high school and college to major in technology. These professionals are mentors and active in multiple related associations and organizations.   As most technology recruiters are aware, recruiting technology professionals can be challenging within itself and women in this space are considered "a hot commodity".

For the next few weeks my staff and I will begin to once again analyze women in technology and release our findings to all of you and the world.  FYI it consists of 1000 Companies.  Stay tuned for the results of SGA's Women in Technology Study.  This particular study is so much fun!

The 17 We have identified from The Fortune 100

1. Charlene Begley President and CEO of GE Home & Business Solutions and Senior Vice President and CIO for GE

2. Linda Sanford, Senior VP, Enterprise on Demand Transformation & Information Technology, IBM

3. Patricia Morrison EVP & CIO - Cardinal Health, Inc.

4. Beth M. Jacob, Executive Vice President, Target Technology Services and Chief Information Officer

5. Kim Hammonds, Chief information Officer of The Boeing Company

6. Nancy Davis, Vice President and Chief Information Officer UTC

7. Maria R. Morris,Executive Vice President, Technology & Operations MetLife, Inc.

8. Linda Gooden is Executive Vice President of Lockheed Martin’s  (IS&GS)

9. Diane M. Bryant,Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO) of Intel

10. Rebecca Jacoby Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer Cisco

11. Barbara G. Koster Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer for Prudential Financial

12. Susan O'Day, Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer The Walt Disney Company

13. Twila M. Day, Vice President and Chief Information Officer at SYSCO Corporation

14. Eileen Slevin, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, New York Life

15. Linda A. Mills Corporate Vice President and President of Northrop Grumman’s Information Systems

16. Theresa Wise  Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Delta Air Lines

17. Noel Brown Williams Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer HCA Information Technology & Services

This is it for now, but stay tuned..

If you are interested in this full list feel free to contact me at sgreco@sheilagreco.com.

Thank you for visiting  www.sgatalent.com

 

 

Top Executive Recruitment

Top Executive Recruiters Agree There Are Only Three True Job Interview Questions

The only three true job interview questions are:

1. Can you do the job? 2. Will you love the job? 3. Can we tolerate working with you?

That’s it. Those three. Think back, every question you’ve ever posed to others or had asked of you in a job interview is a subset of a deeper in-depth follow-up to one of these three key questions. Each question potentially may be asked using different words, but every question, however it is phrased, is just a variation on one of these topics: Strengths, Motivation, and Fit.

Can you do the job? – Strengths

Executive Search firm Heidrick & Struggles CEO, Kevin Kelly explained to me that it’s not just about the technical skills, but also about leadership and interpersonal strengths. Technical skills help you climb the ladder. As you get there, managing up, down and across become more important.

You can’t tell by looking at a piece of paper what some of the strengths and weaknesses really are…We ask for specific examples of not only what’s been successful but what they’ve done that hasn’t gone well or a task they they’ve, quite frankly, failed at and how they learned from that experience and what they’d do different in a new scenario.

Not only is it important to look at the technical skill set they have…but also the strengths on what I call the EQ side of the equation in terms of getting along and dealing or interacting with people.

Will you love the job? – Motivation

Read the full article on Forbes.com ...

Happy Birthday Bob Dylan!

Imagine Recruiting Bob Dylan? Imagine Interviewing Bob Dylan!

Today, May 24th is Bob Dylan's Birthday and he turns 70. In an article written by Jon Pareles in the Rolling Stones Magazine May 26, 2011 issue nicely describes Dylan's life, top 70 hits and lots more. His #1 hit is Like a Rolling Stone!  A few of my favorites are Tangled Up in Blue which is #3, #5 All Around the Watchtower and It's All Over  Now Baby Blue #11!

If you like Dylan the article is worth a read.

Happy Birthday Bob!

 

Executive Recruiting Trends

The Importance of Human Touch and Pipeline Development are Center Stage for 2011's Executive Recruiting Trends

The Top 5  SGA has Heard Lately………

#1 In-sourcing vs. RPO:

This trend is toward selective, not full, recruitment process outsourcing. We will see outsourcing occur more often in the recruitment of high-volume, repetitive roles, and for the function of candidate sourcing only. There will be more RPO growth in the U.S. than Canada; more Canadian markets are focused on building internally. More executive recruitment functions are moving in-house, which is reflective of a growing transparency in the market. Increasingly, candidates can go online and see for themselves who holds which recruiting or leadership positions at a company, for example, rather than being forced to stay in the dark or play the guessing game to get in contact with the correct person.

#2 Talent Pipelining:

The importance of building a talent pipeline, as it helps employers get more return out of their recruitment efforts using the fewest resources, build a stronger employment brand, and create better relationships with candidates. Talent pipelining needs to be built into the recruitment process for key roles, as the push of relevant content and information to “nurtured” candidates helps build a company’s employment brand and increase passive candidates’ engagement and trust.

#3 Human Touch is Needed:

A poor or lengthy recruiting process can really hurt your organization’s chances of bringing the best talent onto your team. Just as candidates must sell themselves to you, you must sell your company to candidates. What’s your employment value proposition; how are you attracting, engaging, and retaining quality talent?

Begin to create a more candidate-centric recruitment process by adding more of a “human touch” to your process. Communicate with candidates when at all possible, and let them know where they stand as the process moves from phase to phase.  View all candidates as a customer or potential future customer, client or employee.

#4 Social Media for Recruitment:

Social media: It can be really overwhelming. Most of us are familiar with the major social media platforms — and they are playing an increasing role in recruitment as companies realize they must diversify their recruitment efforts to stay on top. Mobile technology is emerging as a recruitment channel, as companies are also realizing the power of texting and mobile apps for recruitment. Even location-based social networking sites like Foursquare have growing possibilities for businesses and recruitment. Tablets like the iPad are also becoming more popular for work use as these devices increase the business applications offered, and companies are beginning to examine the power of tablet applications to help strengthen their employment brand and company profile.

Video interviewing is a trend that more and more businesses (and candidates) are starting to pick up on, and platforms like Skype, the largest network on the Internet, are also becoming more popular for use in interviews or for virtual meetings.

Using these mediums can be powerful — but the content you put out and the messages you are sending to candidates and employees must be relevant.

#5 The Demand for Experienced Recruiters:

Recruiters today are being asked to do more with less, making it increasingly difficult for them to be successful. The demand for experienced recruiters is high — and the recruiter of yesterday has changed to reflect a demand for those who have an in-depth knowledge of the company for which they’re recruiting.

What are you hearing?

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!

The Art Of Listening & Learning!

The Art of The Conversation!

Do We Really Listen & Learn When We Converse!

You need to.  In Chapter 4 we take you through the Evaluation & Selection process.  As we begin to make decisions as to who the "A" Players are, conduct deeper dive interviews, have the candidates tell us why they should be considered, it is also important to compare and contrast the potential candidates to each other.  The only way we can do this well is to really understand who the candidates are and how they will not only perform in the role but how they will do as a whole within the organization, with the team and will it be a win-win situation for all involved.  I cannot emphasis enough how important it is to listen to what the candidates are saying. Conversations will take you back to college, learn about where they grew up, why they went to a certain college, chose the career they did, and the moves they made in their career. Then you talk to them about their own long and short term strategies, where they see themselves in five years, seven and ten years in the future. Learn about what they do when they are not working. What are their hobbies and interests just to name a few. As you are doing this you need to listen, digest, understand and learn about each  candidate. This in turn will help you the recruiter to make the tough choices as to who you will be filling the pipeline with.

Have fun and learn, listen, evaluate and select!

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.