Recruiter Chicks

Have you ever noticed that most places, when you get into an elevator, there is NO eye contact, no hello, just an unwavering focus on the NUMBER.  Which is so interesting when you think about the concept of the Elevator Speech.  And, of course, the endless questions and guidance…

Do you have one?  How long is it – 30 seconds? a minute?  two minutes (GASP)!?!?!  Do you have a business card that reinforces or supports it so they won’t forget you?  Does it cover every single scenario that could potentially need to be addressed?  Try and Google ‘Elevator Speech’ or ‘Elevator Pitch’ some time.  There are pages of tips, outlines, templates, secrets, and must-haves to sham-wow just about anyone.  Yet what happens when you get in an elevator?Exactly.  When is MY number going to be next?  Is some idiot going to stop this elevator and impede my progress further?  How much longer can this possibly take?  I HAVE NO CELL SERVICE – ARGH!!!

But one of the things I love about the South is just how darn friendly we can be…I can tell you that the Recruiter Chicks have never met a stranger.  We get in an elevator, on a plane, waiting for a table, or at whatever game or event is happening — it is an opportunity to smile, say hello, and figure out if the story we have instantaneously crafted in our head about you is anywhere remotely close to reality.

I was riding down the elevator today at my client’s office and sure enough, the elevator stops at the very next floor.  Within 10 seconds I know that my new elevator mate is actually an employee of my client.  Been there 10 years — working in an area of the business I have yet to touch. Next stop, two more join us.  The door shuts just as I start to tell my new friend what kind of work I have been doing with her company.  At which point, our newest elevator mate shares that the other person who has also just joined us, sings — and is amazing.  Random?  Yes…but…guess what?  My new client friend just so happens to really need a singer for an upcoming event.  Numbers are swapped, as is a promise to call this evening at 7pm.

And I have a blog post written in my head by the time I get to my car.  That was a very productive few minutes.

So…my point?  How many of us really ever take any one of the many chances we have to connect with others to do anything like this?  I have a hundred stories like this — and I know my blog partner, Teela Jackson, probably has twice that.   My question to you is — When are you planning on using that Elevator Speech?  Just sayin…

The Recruiter Chicks had the pleasure of attending the HR Technology Conference last week in Chicago.  It is truly a great conference chock-full of the best and brightest in the HR & Recruiting space as well as fun tools, trinkets, and loads of HR tech service provider folk – duh!

I was asked more than once why I was attending this technology centered conference.  I found it rude for people to continuously ask me this question.  For Pete’s sake, I work for an organization that uses technology to fuel the engine…just like you.  I enjoyed the conference more because it was not the run of the mill recruiting focused conference and I was not running with my typical recruiter crew.  I threw myself into the world of technology savvy, code writing, software, platform and suite carrying ninjas – people like the other half of Recruiter Chicks – Chris Havrilla.

My key highlights from the show:

1.  It’s all about the people PEOPLE! 

My recruiting friend and fellow member of the #ATLDelegation, Eric Jaquith has always told me that conferences are about networking.  Well, HR Tech was no disappointment.  There were so many HR professionals who were ready to meet, greet, connect, learn and share in one location and over a three day period.  There was a crowd of about  4,000 in attendance.

2. Shiny Objects

I wish I had an aerial view picture of the Expo Hall at the Conference.  It would seriously look like Willy Wonka designed and built a conference expo hall.  There were all sorts of goodies, pictures, t-shirts, iPhone cases, candy, games and human targets luring you to their booths.  The companies that were represented spanned from Interviewing software, Social Engagement platforms, Performance Management suites, Mobile Recruiting platforms and Reference Check technology tools.  This Expo Hall was a great place for those that are looking to upgrade/change, just upgraded/changed or will upgrade/change a system or component thereof.  It was interesting and disturbing to see HR pros acting like grown kids who happen to have budgets around these shiny objects.

3.  Limos 

Who knew the best way to get to know others at this conference and Very Important People (by the way) is to take a ride in a killer stretch Cadillac Escalade limo?  Seriously.  This limo was packed with Who’s Who in HR and many recipients of the Candidate Experience Award that were awarded during the conference.  Big thanks to Monster.com for the opportunity to speed network and get close and cozy with a few industry leaders and frankly those that lead by example when it comes to Candidate Experience.  It was great for speed networking, celebrating and party hopping!

4.  Parties

There’s 3-4 dinners/parties a night during this wonderful conference and this is when the real playas play!  Many lifelong connections and business deals begin at these dinners/parties whether you’re bonding while eating beets on a stick, listening to Gangnam Style and attempting the dance or watching your friends blow the roof off the joint singing karaoke to “Ice Ice Baby.”

Overall, this was another solid conference experience.  I would be remiss not to mention the sessions, one in particular blew my mind away.  It was the ‘Marsh Transforms itself with Social Technology’ session delivered by Laurie Ledford and Ben Brooks of Marsh & McLellan.  They delivered this session from the 100,000 foot view and shared how social impacted their overall business, not just HR or Recruiting.  If you haven’t already, take the time to learn about their business and how they completely transformed their culture in a way that is rewarding both intrinsically and extrinsically.

Some of you I have helped with a job search will have seen this before, but the advice is sage and certainly worth a post.  Time and time again I have seen this process work.  It happened again just this week –a friend called me and said he was ready to embark on a discrete search for a new opportunity.

“Hey Chris, I know you ‘re a Recruiter…can I pass you my resume?”

This is actually how most people utilize their network.  It could even be a blast from email or Linkedin.  And likely, it is probably not giving you the results you would have liked or anticipated.  If you really want to turbocharge your networking efforts, try these following steps — it will take some work on your part, but it will be worth it.

1. Decide what you really want to do.  Ideally.  Not what you would be willing to do — but really what you would do and why.  Jot this down – the role you would love — and for what you are most qualified , have the most accomplishments doing, and where you’d add the most value.
2. Decide where you want to do it.  Not just where you would be willing to work — but really where and why.  What is your pressing criteria — Industry?  Business Function?  Company Size?  Company Stability?  Culture?  Commute?  Benefit Package?  Travel?  Match that against companies that would find you the most valuable to them based on your background or past experiences.  Maybe it is a competitor?  A vendor?  A supplier?  You get the drift, right?  Jot this down too.
3. Come up with a target list of companies that fit the criteria you outlined above.
4. Check their company sites, Linkedin, Google, and/or external job boards (Monster, Dice, Careerbuilder) or aggregators (Indeed, Simply Hired).  Note any jobs you see that are open that fit your criteria.
5. Use LinkedIn, your social networks, your email contact list, your neighbors, etc. to give people in your network direct, easily actionable tasks based on what you have outlined above.

I always push back on people to help me help them.  And what is helpful to me — and will be to the people you are hoping will help you — is to have this pretty solid idea of the type of role you want and your ideal target companies.  Thus the exercise above.  It will keep you focused and it will keep your network focused too.  And not just the why’s — know what you don’t want and why as well.  This will make it easier for you, me, and anyone else helping you, to take a targeted approach — that also just happens to have the benefit of showing you know who you are, what you are seeking, how you can/will add value, and why these organizations have to have you to take their teams or organizations to the next level.  It also can help you figure out who all can best help you and how — and then you can use your network accordingly.

I know this pushes some of the ownness back on you to think through all of this and do some research and footwork, but doing a job search is just like building a business — it needs to be focused and frankly you don’t want somebody else assuming what your vision, values, and goals are…or where you should work.

For instance, there is a big difference between…

“I am looking/open to new opportunities, here is a copy of my resume — Could you please keep your eyes and ears open?”

…and what happened in my example from this week.  I had told my friend that reached out to me to do exactly what I have described above.  As it turned out, I didn’t know anyone at his target company — but I saw through LinkedIn that I had a connection there.  Because I had the information I requested, I was able to still send this email on his behalf:

“Hi _________!  I am trying to help a friend make a connection with someone at ____ .  I am reaching out to you as I noticed you were a second level connection to me via ___ and a fellow ____ member.  He is currently working so he was hoping to make a discrete inquiry regarding potential job opportunities in _____.  Through our discussions, it was clear has a strong respect for and interest in _____ as an organization.  He also has experience calling on the same customer base and your products are either linked to or used with the tools he currently sells today — which would make for a very easy transition and short learning curve if there are opportunities. He also happens to reside in the same area as your ______ division, headquartered in_____.   If there is an interest, I’d be glad to forward you, or anyone you deem appropriate, his resume and contact information.  Please let me know if you have any questions.  Thanks in advance for your attention — have a great rest of your week! “

And for those of you who favor the blast on email or social media, you could do the following…

“Hey Friends, do any of you have a connection at ________?  I’m looking for a Sales Manager position and would welcome an intro”

(please note I did not say reference/referral, save that for the people you have direct work experience with that you can ask personally/directly).

As for my example above, that very same day I received a response.  My friend sent his resume and the rest is now in his hands.  The best part is, he has done the work upfront to identify a great match — and he is prepared already for an interview.  And because I was armed with the information, I knew what to do when he sent me his resume.  No assumptions — and frankly not a lot of work on my end.  I was glad to help because I knew exactly how to help him.

Try this and I promise you, you will have a much greater chance for success in your job search.

I am often asked why I’m involved in SHRM-Atlanta and how I find the time to balance family, work and community involvement.  My answer: It’s easy when you have a strong commitment to the community and your own professional growth.  I grew up watching my Mom advise a business fraternity and earn the title of Person of the Year from the Nashville Chamber of Commerce for her countless contributions to the community.  She always talked about how those contributions and the community involvement benefited the community but also helped her grow professionally.

I am writing this post in hopes that more people will take charge of their career and professional growth through involvement in the community.

I work for an amazing executive search firm and I love my job!  After being with the firm for a little over three years, I needed to grow professionally so I started taking on more at work but I still had a desire to give back to the community in a more substantial way.  About five years ago, I initiated meetings with two prominent HR leaders in Atlanta to let them know of my desire to step it up and take on a more significant volunteer leadership role within SHRM-Atlanta for professional growth.  I was looking to supplement the professional development at work and step outside of my comfort zone by stepping up the level at which I was contributing to the HR community.  Our firm’s founder, Tom Darrow frequently speaks to job seekers and one key takeaway is around owning your own career growth and development by investing in yourself.  The world of work has changed and YOU are in charge of YOUR career growth.

Through involvement and countless hours of personal time, I have had the opportunity to lead meaningful initiatives and projects, the most significant of which was co-leading 800 volunteers at the 2012 SHRM Annual Conference.  It was one of the most gratifying, fulfilling, demanding, exhausting, exhilarating, fun and exciting initiatives that I had the privilege of being a part of.  It was a two year volunteer commitment and a way to give back in a grand way with the support of my company.  Most professionals working in small to mid-size organizations would never have this opportunity to stretch themselves in such a significant and visible way.  And that folks is what it’s all about!

The one two punch of a busy and awesome job coupled with volunteer leadership in SHRM-Atlanta have been professionally electrifying.  Thus helping me be a more balanced person to my family, co-workers, colleagues and friends.  I challenge you to take charge of YOUR career growth.  The moment you start taking charge of your own professional growth and development will be the start of some abundantly fulfilling moments in your life.

Many Talent Acquisition professionals get questions quite frequently from job seekers asking for tip and tricks for job interviews.  Most specifically focus on how to answer certain questions and ask the right questions.  This probably sounds a bit familiar to many.  I am often asked questions like: (1) Can you provide some sample interview questions? (2) How do I answer the salary question? (3) What questions should I ask at the end of an interview? (4) Should I tell a potential employer that I’m pregnant? (5) How do I answer the question, tell me about yourself?

Well folks, there is a wealth of information and answers to these types of questions all over the web and you will see if you’ve done any interviewing research that many have different views on how you should answer those questions.  All of this is lost if you don’t have the total package.

So many job seekers focus on the mechanical details of an interview and forget altogether that many of the aspects of interviewing are not mechanical.  Sure, you could answer all of these questions well and have succinct, articulate answers for all of them, but they are all lost if you don’t have the total package!

Have you ever watched The Voice on NBC?  If not, you should.  It is a show where amazing, unique and powerful singers come to achieve their dream of becoming a star in the music industry.  They sing to artists who have already proven themselves on the big stage.  One important element to recognize is…it’s not all about “The Voice.”  It is about the complete package and 70% of the complete package is presentation, confidence, chemistry, connection with the audience, style, range, fit, pitch and showmanship.  The same competencies are critical in interviewing.

The point – Think of the interviewers as the proven artists on “The Voice.”  Work on the total package and not just the mechanics of interviewing.  That’s not to say you don’t have to know the mechanics, you have to nail the mechanics or the basics to make it to the big stage.  Just make sure that when you hit the big stage you have worked on presenting yourself as “The Total Package” and BRING IT!