Filed under: General | Tags: graphic, multimedia, recession, unemployment
Great depiction of an extraordinarily difficult situation shared by millions in the U.S. and throughout the world.
Makes it all too real…view it here...
CNN reported that unemployment rose in 29 states, with five states accounting for the top rates:
Michigan: 15.1%
Nevada: 13.0%
Rhode Island: 12.9%
California: 12.5%
South Carolina: 12.1%
Unemployment remained high in Europe, with the UK looking at institution of the so-called ‘Tobin Tax’ which would pay for unemployment benefits by taxing banks and other financial institutions.
Filed under: Executive, General | Tags: Adam Bryant, NYT, success, William D. Green
The three key points from Accenture CEO William D. Green’s recent discussion with the NYT’s Adam Bryant. Green nails it – we need more CEOs like him.
“I said there are three things that matter. The first is competence — just being good at what you do, whatever it is, and focusing on the job you have, not on the job you think you want to have. The second one is confidence. People want to know what you think. So you have to have enough desirable self-confidence to articulate a point of view. The third thing is caring. Nothing today is about one individual. This is all about the team, and in the end, this is about giving a damn about your customers, your company, the people around you, and recognizing that the people around you are the ones who make you look good.”
Filed under: General | Tags: Danusha Lameris, gratitude, kindness, Thanksgiving
To get water flowing it’s important to prime the pump. Sometimes we make that happen by giving without the thought of getting.
Please join me this week in doing some act of anonymous kindness. It’s not important whether it’s done for someone you know or a stranger. Just do it in gratitude – Thanksgiving week is the perfect time.
From Fictional Characters
“Wouldn’t you, if you could?
Step out of your own story
to lean for an afternoon against the doorway
of the five-and-dime, sipping your coffee,
your life somewhere far behind you,
all its heat and toil nothing but a tale
resting in the hands of a stranger,
the dingy sidewalk ahead wet and glistening.”
— Danusha Lameris
Filed under: General | Tags: Monster, PunkRockHR, Ruettimann, Winegardner
Maybe you’ve thought about job boards in general – and Monster in particular – as a Las Vegas kind of experience. You know – the deck stacked against you and the odds favoring the house.
Well, I just read something that’s making me look at Monster in a new light.
Laurie Ruettimann isn’t known for being timid. She’s got a rep for stating her mind.
What do I find attractive about Monster after reading Laurie’s post? Quick guides. A deal on job posting for employers. And Eric Winegardner. I like people who rep smart technology.
Monster bears another look. (And nope, no $ from Monster for this.)
Filed under: Executive, General, Legal, Professional | Tags: Recruiter, job search, job, headhunter, irritate
There’s a lot of misunderstanding about how recruiters work and their role in a candidate’s job search. Many of us aren’t entirely clear about how to work with recruiters. But we are clear that a recruiter who detests you can stop your progress.
Here’s an idea. What if you knew five things that would make a recruiter hate you – I mean things that really irritate them – and you didn’t do them? Wouldn’t that speed up your search by eliminating a stumbling block? You bet it would.
Here they are:
1. Act as if you’re the only person they’re in contact with
Everyone knows that the way to get a recruiter’s attention is to monopolize their time, call frequently to make sure they’re on the job for you, and act as if their job is to get you a job, because it is, right?
Wake up. Recruiters are hired by companies to find the best candidates and help their client (the company) fill important positions more easily. I’ve said it before and here it is again – recruiters work for the companies that hire them.
Yes, they can’t get those candidates without having a huge contact list. Yes, you might be the right person for one of the positions they’ve got to fill. Yes, smart recruiters are very nice to work with.
But no, your helpful phone calls and pushy attitude won’t endear you.
The right way to do it is view the recruiter as an extension of the company. They’re the first screen. The recruiter can let you through the gate, but you’ve got to do more than that. You’ve got to give them a reason to champion your candidacy, not just support it.
Tell your story so well that the recruiter is excited about representing you to the company. When I worked with one of the best recruiters in Silicon Valley, she took extra care to get details from the top candidate that she knew would smooth the way for them.
2. Misunderstand your relationship with the recruiter
It’s great to develop a meaningful relationship with a recruiter. The last one you met was like your best friend – your sister, even. You could tell her everything – and did. The job didn’t work out, but, like, you’re buds, right?
Wrong. A recruiter may be friendly, but they are not your friend. You have a symbiotic relationship with them. Together and aligned, you can make wonderful things happen. To do that, be clear that they’re not a relative or friend.
You help the recruiter pay her mortgage, buy gas and put shoes on her children’s feet. But only if you have the skills to do the job and the social ability to fit into the work team and the company.
Don’t call the recruiter at midnight when your boyfriend dumps you. Don’t let them know that you just liquidated your 401K so that you won’t lose your house. Keep the conversation focused on the one thing that is important – being engaged in the process that leads you – step by step – to convince the people in the hiring company that you are the candidate they should make the offer to. Never forget that what you tell the recruiter will be circulated to the hiring company.
Finally, the recruiter is not your therapist.
3. Act as if they work for you
You’re bringing money to the recruiter because they get a huge commission with every placement – in fact, they’re swimming in cash. The more you think about it, you’re really the boss.
Sure. Believe that and call me immediately because I’ve just marked down the Brooklyn Bridge.
What the recruiter earns is none of your business. But for the record, companies are being more and more difficult with how much and the way recruiters are paid than ever before. Recruiting isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s time consuming, the clients are often tough to work with because they need someone excellent yesterday, and they have to sell the client on the top candidate.
Whoa! The recruiter has to sell the client? Yeah. It’s a shock, but there it is. The best recruiters know the people at their client company well, their likes and dislikes. Even though these are smart execs and managers, they want the recruiter to agree with them that Cal Montana is a great move for them – and for the company.
4. Lie
It’s no problem not to tell a recruiter the truth. They’ll never know and there’s no harm in it. Your friend Steve did it, got a great job offer and is working at the company of his dreams.
Lying to a recruiter is the same as lying to the hiring company. No matter when you do it, you’re placing your candidacy at risk. Don’t do it. Ever.
I’ve seen candidates who became employees fired more than ten years after the lie was told. Nothing will be worth it.
5. Be difficult and inconsiderate
You’re doing the recruiter a favor by helping them get their commission. And really, they should be taking your side on this little dispute with the company. So you said you’d call them yesterday and didn’t, so what? They’ll get over it when they get their check.
Attitude is important. In fact, even with more than the desired skills, if the recruiter doesn’t see you getting along well with interviewers and living up to your commitments, you’ll be toast.
They won’t get over it – they’ll get over you.
Every contact with the recruiter is an opportunity to prove that you’re a respectful, bright, capable person who will fit in and do the job. Don’t let yourself be lulled into complacency. A recruiter who sees a candidate unable to step up to the challenges of the hiring process will find a way to axe that person. Recruiters don’t win with clients when the candidate doesn’t stick and isn’t successful. You don’t have anything until you’ve started the job and completed the probation period. It’s critical to do your best all the time.
One candidate I worked with who was in the lead for a great job lost out because she wouldn’t agree to the title the company proposed. Know the ‘make or break’ and be aware of what you want vs. what you need.
Filed under: Executive, General, Legal, Professional, Recent Graduates | Tags: apply directly, headhunter, job, The Jobs Guy
There’s a great discussion going on over at The Jobs Guy about recruiters – with some recruiters participating to add spice. Hat tip to Ken Horst for getting the ball rolling on this.
The topic? Using a Headhunter vs. Applying Direct to a Company.
This is important to people at all levels, in all types of jobs. Here’s my take – do both.
In my experience, you get recruiter love when you’re a match for what they’re currently trying to fill. If they can see you in the spot, you’ve got their attention. That’s great when it works for you. And keep in mind that companies may be pitting 2-3 headhunters against one another in the mistaken notion that they’ll get the opening filled faster. Unfortunately, all that does is provide an opportunity for lots of confusion.
When you apply directly to a company, you control your own destiny. You’re not dependent on the recruiter, but you can be screened out just as quickly if you don’t present yourself as the right fit. Other difficulties? Apply too early in the cycle and it’s tough to get in. If you’re the first or second candidate, they’ll always want to see more and by the time they make the decision, they’ve forgotten a lot of the reasons why they were so impressed with you.
Between the two, I think a candidate’s time is better spent going direct.
Reserve about 10% of your total effort for recruiters and keep expanding your circle of relationships.
Filed under: General, Legal | Tags: job, Flip Chart Fairy Tales, libel, UK, New Moon
Let’s hop across the pond to the UK where Flip Chart Fairy Tales has an interesting post on some employee/employer litigation.
Employees are accusing a recruitment firm of abuse and as details have leaked, the employer has brought libel charges against them. It’s the first time I’ve heard of such a thing happening and I’m wondering if it’s going to migrate to the U.S.
You can see it – bad mouth a company in your blog, get a letter informing you that you’ll see them in court. And where does this leave HR? Like there’s a need for an additional warning in the employment contract about this – or a briefing for E-staff and directors to caution them to ‘watch for libel and notify HR as soon as you see evidence’? I can imagine that adding hugely to HR’s popularity. It’s not like there are spare cycles for it, with budgets as tight as they are.
There appears to be a big difference in libel laws between the UK and the US. Here, the presumption of innocence is maintained. In the UK, laws on this point are different. While innocence is presumed in other areas, when it comes to libel, you’d better be able to prove you’re innocent or you’re toast.
Employee – employer relationships can be freighted with all kinds of baggage, but I feel that it’s important to maintain the presumption of innocence in this area especially because it’s in alignment with our justice system and is fair to both the individual and the corporation.
Filed under: General | Tags: 4-Hour Work Week, Career Renegade, Malcom Gladwell, Seth Godin
A random kind of post, but quick – what do Tim Ferriss, Malcom Gladwell, Seth Godin and Jonathan Fields all have in common?
To review – 4-Hour Work Week took the world by storm back in April of 2007. A new issue is due out in mid-December - much revised, updated, and with case studies and completely new content. Tim Ferriss, a former Princeton guy turned James Bondian international business and life outsourcer par excellance, will come back at us with yet more ways to experiment with lifestyle design and live like millionaires without the irritants. Oh, and without the money.
Malcom Gladwell’s latest – What the Dog Saw – is a collection of his essays from The New Yorker. Brilliant is a word often-applied to Gladwell. Recently, his comparison of dog-fighting and football has generated a bit of controversy – a good sign for an author promoting his latest book.
Seth Godin, a marketing iconoclast and an author who has been accused of writing the same book twelve times, has a knack for stirring things up. Like a soprano who always hits the money note, his insights are bankable if implemented. His latest comments on the lifetime value of a customer are a great reminder that it’s the customer who pays the salaries in a business. We forget that. Ghandi didn’t – as evidenced by his quote on customers that is in every train in India.
Finally, Career Renegade by Jonathan Fields, gained a huge fan base among corporate cubicle dwellers when it launched in January of 2009. A recent post on dad-child relationships is typical Fields – blunt, wondering and engaging his audience in sharing their ideas about where it’s all going. This former attorney is now an author, speaker and business/life coach prodding others to create an ‘ultra-successful lifestyle business.’
Gladwell and Godin stand out as highly individual. Fields and Ferriss have staked out very similar territory. But what they’re all doing is combining the Internet with old school publishing to promote a platform that gains fans and makes money. Social media, yes. But that book you hold in your hand is still the cornerstone.
Filed under: Executive, General, Legal, Professional, Recent Graduates | Tags: adaptability, adaptable, DARPA, DoD, finance, Godin, HR, PR
Seth Godin talked about market change and having the right tool the other day. His take? It’s particularly important to know what the right tool is and use it when the market changes.
I’ll go a step further and say that organizational need – and customer need – help dictate the tool you select.
In HR, things get done with people. In PR, it’s a news releases, social media, special events. In finance, the spreadsheet is often the tool of choice.
The key point? It really comes down to adaptability.
In ‘Unpacking Personal Adaptability at Work,’ David J. O’Connell, Eileen McNeely and Douglas T. Hall make a case for the importance of the highly adaptable worker:
If indeed personal adaptability is so central to career success, perhaps both individual workers and workplace managers have a role to play. Based on this study, the value of personal learning is clear. This should offer further encouragement to pursue both formal and informal educational opportunities on an ongoing basis. The finding that managerial support is related to personal adaptability raises the stakes for managers. By offering appropriate support to workers, it seems that managers may bolster individuals’ motivation and sense of competence in dealing with change.
The role of HR becomes leading managers to help the workers increase their adaptability.
While adaptability is seldom taught expressly, we learn it wherever we are. It’s called survival. If you’re a soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan, survival is a result of hypervigilent awareness caused by adrenaline and your knowledge of danger. And if you’re deeply traumatized and develop PTSD, here’s how you are helped to adapt:
This vid from The New Yorker accurately depicts how the DoD uses video to train and help people adapt to war based on my experience writing a technical user manual for simulation software used by DARPA and the U.S. Army.
Adaptability isn’t a ‘nice to have’ in any situation – it’s the first tool in everyone’s kit.
