Middle School All Over Again

I loathe bullies. To me, they’re just insecure jerks who like to torture people they consider weaker than themselves. Everyone remembers someone from their childhood who was a bully, and as I recall, no one really liked them. Sure, they had followers, but that was usually because the followers were scared of them and figured, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.” As I watch my kids grow up, I’m astounded at how early bullying starts in the schools. And what’s even more astonishing is how many people remain bullies into adulthood. Instead of the playground, they use the workplace to find their targets.

It can be in-your-face or subtle, but workplace bullies tend to use belittling, manipulation or intimidation wherever they find an opportunity. According to KickBully.com, more than 30 million Americans have reported being bullied at work. Again, astounding! If you are one of those people, below are some tips to help. If you are one of the bullies: Grow up already!

Business Networking….is it for me?

On a plane ride last week I ran into a former colleague who had worked for the same company for 25 years, and then was laid off. His business network consisted mainly of his co-workers, many of them still in the company, and some had moved on. He shared with me that he never really thought about building a diverse network while working for this company because he did not need to, and he is now struggling for referrals to help him get a job.


The number one advice I have given people that I have coached or mentored has been to build, nurture and maintain a solid and diverse business network. This is true regardless of industry, experience, type of company, or line of work. This is especially true for small business owners and entrepreneurs. In fact, for many businesses, both large and small, their business network is the main, if not the only, source of leads and referrals. I have come across many business owners who do not do cold calling at all – they get all their business from referrals, which they get through their network.

The type of network I am talking about here is the old fashioned, face-to-face business network where you meet people and interact. Sure, there are great technology tools that help you be more efficient in communicating with your business network, such as LinkedIn. The lines blur a bit with social networking, and the use of social networking tools for business, but that is a subject for another day.

Starting a Recruiting Firm #2 - Get your Ducks in a Row!

I was resting after three sets of tennis this past Saturday, and I noticed the beautiful pond that lines the courts. A mallard and her baby ducklings were lined up on the running path, crossing a small bridge to swim in the lake. I watched as Momma made sure her little babies were lined up behind her, and as she waddled across the bridge, she corrected course a few times, quacked an order or two, and successfully got her flock into the water. It made me think about the recruiting world and how to successfully get your ducks in a row to begin a new venture. Here are five absolute musts to get you started, and see if you can guess the movie quotes used for each:

1. “You’re the expert. I just work here.” Line up the right experts - this is critical. Strong, seasoned advisors and partners can guide you through the process and answer key questions. You’ll need a CPA at the partner level, a small business banker with some skins on the wall, an attorney, a benefits broker (health insurance, business insurance, life insurance for later), a printer for marketing collateral, and a financial advisor to get you pointed in the right direction.
   

Father Knows Best

I recently read an article about how awful Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) are and how difficult it is to find candidates in those systems. My first thought was, “Maybe the searcher is not doing it correctly or wasn’t trained thoroughly.” Sure. That could be it. Or perhaps the ATS really is awful. However, more often than not, finding candidates in any ATS could be a challenge simply due to user error during data entry. I know documentation and data entry is no fun. Raise your hand if you enjoy it … I’ll wait. That’s what I thought. I’m sure there are those out there who really do like it, but I’m betting they are not recruiters.

I recall one of my employees saying they didn’t have time to enter much candidate information since placing them took higher priority. I agree to that last part – as a recruiter, making a placement is your ultimate goal. But where has quality and due diligence gone? Isn’t it true a database is only as good as its data (remember “garbage in, garbage out”)? How many other placements did that recruiter miss out on due to failing to enter a candidate’s information correctly? Misspelled names, incorrect categorization, forgetting to attach a resume, failing to input contact information, etc., can all cost that recruiter a placement. These mistakes can also cost the recruiter’s coworkers, and ultimately their candidates and hiring managers. There’s nothing worse than finding an A+ candidate, and then discovering there’s no way to contact that person. (OK, lots of things are worse, but you get my point.)

Hello world - I'm learning about this blogging thing!

Corner Bakery, a Diet Coke and free wifi. Greatness! I'm sitting here in between meetings and got to thinking about my new blog. Actually, I was up at 2 in the morning thinking about it, too, but let's not go there (sleep - gotta get some soon). So what am I going to write about? Concentrate on? Focus, focus, focus.

I've got 17+ years experience in a wide array of affairs - public accounting ("audit"), controller ("bean counter"), and operations/sales management. And I’ve been around the recruiting space for 10+ years, founding a recruiting and consulting firm, then ECC Hiring Solutions, LLC (www.ecchiring.com). My strongest skill - my sweet spot, if you will - is building companies. It's so much fun - it's like bringing a baby into the world, watching them sit up, then crawl, walk, then run. Of course, they spit up and say things like, "Dad said a bad word, Mommy!" But I digress :)

Hello? Anyone out there??

Wide awake. Just after midnight, and I can’t shut my brain down. Way too many things to do, catch up on, think about. Now I can’t stop thinking about why I can’t sleep. Oh yeah…caffeine late in the day. That’ll do it.

This is my first blog, so I’m also awake thinking of how I’m going to do this, what I want to blog about, what you want to read. I have 15 years of experience in the recruiting industry, so between tips and tricks geared towards candidates, hiring managers and recruiters, I figure there’s at least some grand wisdom I can impart. If nothing else, funny stories about interviews-gone-wrong are always a hit.

Latest Employment Report (Apr 2010): What does it mean for recruiters?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics published the latest employment report last week - 290,000 new jobs added in April 2010, the largest monthly gain in the past 4 years.


What does this mean for recruiters? - solid and broad opportunities for growth.


This is a great sign that business is picking up. Trade organizations predict hiring "Heat Waves" starting in May, and trends indicate that temporary staffing will lead this wave. The trends also show services, IT and finance jobs to take the lead. Are these early indicators a sign of full recovery?


The bottom line is that companies have definitely started to hire again and staffing firms will see an increase in business from this increase in hiring, both for temporary and permanent jobs.


Are you ready to meet this new demand?