Even though we are still experiencing high unemployment, every recruiter has positions in their company that seem impossible to fill. Sometimes it’s an inconsistency between the expectations of the position the proposed salary. Or perhaps it’s a position that unrealistically encompasses too many job categories; such as “need knowledge of graphic design, marketing, database management and web programming.” Often it is simply a “bad image” that emotion-loaded words in the position description may conjure up in a person’s mind. For example, “COLLECTOR” may translate to a prospect as, “Does that mean I have to harass and threaten people?” Similarly, the first response to “SALES POSITION” may be, “I can’t call people all day and get hung up on!” Here are some ideas for improving your approach to attracting good candidates for your hard-to-fill positions:

Don’t just sell the job, sell the company.

Do you offer the greatest benefits? Are you an established company? What are the perks? Are there great advancement opportunities?  Paid training? Baseball games and picnics?  Tuition reimbursement? Flexibility? Discounts?  What about bonuses? Wellness plans? The list goes on. Advertise and market what your company offers, then sell them on what they need to do to get a foot in the door!

Address the negativity.

Find a way — perhaps through a clever headline or title change — to address the main issue that you know people will find unappealing. One collection agency changed the job title from “Collector” to “Client Service Rep” because the job did not require calling on people in default of loans. Rather, their clients called the reps to set up payment schedules. Understandably, people would most likely to assume the less accurate, more negative interpretation and bypass the opportunity. The same could be done to improve the appeal of a sales job that does not require cold calling — one of the main reasons people fear sales.

Offer a sign-on bonus.

In the long run, offering a sign-on bonus can be much less expensive than using a search firm, continuous advertising, or hours of networking to try to get a prospect interested. Make the bonus competitive in your industry, and offer a second bonus if the employee stays on for at least six months.

Search in lateral occupations.

Looking for Customer Service Reps but the well is dry? Try posting and advertising under categories of people who might have the people skills necessary to do the job, such as clerical workers, administrative assistants… even waitresses. If you are looking for certain skill sets, think out of the box at other professions that share similar characteristics!

Give better incentives for current staff who recruit.

Sometimes the same old employee referral program just doesn’t provide the motivation that it used to. Refreshing the program and giving it a new look and feel can improve recruitment referrals by 100%. It’s a small investment to create some fun posters, paycheck stuffers, promo’s, table tent cards, etc., to really get people motivated about referring and encouraging others they know to work for your company. And remember, employee referral programs also improve retention because everyone wants to work with their friends!

Lastly, show career paths.

The best way to have a candidate try a job that may not be their ideal choice is by showing specific ways in which they can move up in the company. Some firms advertise “management potential in two years.” That is a big plus. Consider how many jobs don’t really have any moving up potential, and any candidate looking for long-term growth will appreciate the incentive.

By,

Tricia Folliero

Vice President, Recruitment Division 

Tricia on Facebook & Linkedin 

Maybe it is a good thing, but apparently I am at the point in my blogging life where I am able to take requests.  So here is one, where we can look at the different Government procurement vehicles and how they work.  I would like to focus on the following:

1. Task-Based Informatics Professional Services (TBIPS)
   1. Standing Offer
   2. Supply Arrangement
2. Temporary Help Services (THS)
3. Standing Offer(s)
4. PS Online

I would like to focus on these because they are the ones that I more commonly see in my day-to-day grind. 

1.  Task-Based Informatics Professional Services (TBIPS)

TBIPS is the newest form of procurement vehicle the Government is using and it was brought in to replace the existing procurement vehicles (THS, GOL, PS Online, etc).  While the transition to TBIPS has been rocky for many departments, more and more departments are becoming familiar with how it can be used.  TBIPS certainly appears to be the procurement vehicle of choice.  It is better then THS as its dollar maximum is much higher then THS is and it allows for a contract to have options years.  This allows an organization to bring in a resource for a length of time and takes away the need for continuing to renew the same resource over and over again.  The important thing to note about TBIPS is that each firm who is qualified under TBIPS has submitted a ceiling rate for each category and they are unable to exceed this rate.

1.a) TBIPS has two categories, the first being the Standing Offer (SO) which means that the department looking to hire a resource picks the category and then goes to the lowest priced firm and works its way up until it finds a firm who can supply the resource at their ceiling rate or lower. 

1.b) The second category is the Supply Arrangement (SA) which is where multiple firms (no less then three) are invited to compete against each other  for the same position.  Firms will bid separate resources and usually the lowest cost-per-point candidate is chosen to fill the contract.

2. Temporary Help Services (THS)

Was probably the most common procurement vehicle until TBIPS came around!  The challenge with THS is that the value of the contract can not exceed $89000 so if you have a high priced resource, $89000 does not gone a long way in keeping that resource on-site for a while.  The good thing about THS is that your rates are not set in stone and you can adjust them accordingly.  If you know of an up-coming THS requirement, you can increase or decrease your rate in order to accommodate your client or your candidate.

3. Standing Offers

They are slowly no longer being issued as TBIPS was supposed to replace them and give everyone a fair chance at filling any contract position.  How they work is that a department would issue an RFP for a supply arrangement and would pick as many firms as they felt necessary and used only those firms who qualified to select their contract resources.  It is like using the same 10 companies every time and having them compete against each other.  This allows for good relationships to be formed between the client and the firm however it could also back fire.

4. PS Online

PS Online is interesting in that candidates need to be pre-approved to be on PS Online.  Categories are defined with specific skill sets and your candidate(s) must have those particular skills in order to be deemed compliant in that category.  Only candidates who were pre-approved at the time of the requirement can be submitting and closed against any open PS Online Requirement.

I hope this helps you get a better understanding of how consulting firms procure contract resources into the Government.  It can be tricky to wrap your head around it.  I am still learning on a daily basis.

Today I reached 10000 LinkedIn connections and I must say that I am rather proud of this accomplishment.  While you may think that social networking is not really a task, I would argue otherwise.  It took a fair amount of time and work to grow my network to that size.  It is the time associated with having a network of that size which makes it time consuming.  I am believer that you get out of life what you put in to it and social networking is the same.

I have relied on my network on more than one occasion, especially when it comes to growing this blog and it has always amazed me and the feedback I have received from people who I do not have a face-to-face relationship with per say.  It has been important for me, and obviously others to give back to my network and support them.

I would encourage anyone to grow their network and use it to its fullest extent because it really can be such a beneficial tool.

If you are interested in best practices for building references, you might want to check out this recorded webinar on Customer Reference Recruitment Strategies.  It was prepared based on feedback from some of our clients that have the formula down.

I’ll give you the key points here, but definitely check out the webinar itself for the full picture!

1. Build your strategy. Define what you are looking for and how you are going to get there. Don’t just wait for it to happen. Use survey techniques and some simple math to understand what you need and how much of it based on the audiences you intend to serve.

2. Communicate. Reach out to the different groups within your company that work with customers. Let them know what you are doing and why. Anticipate their concerns with information about why customers won’t be overused. Set expectations clearly and hold to those promises at all cost.

3. Make it easy.  Ensure that your process is easy! Don’t ask too much of your participants at any one time. Use clearly defined forms and an organized way to keep track, this way nobody has to guess what to do and nothing falls through the cracks. Stick to your guns when people try to take short cuts, guiding them back to your process. Reinforcement of good behavior is key!

4. Ring the bell. Most important, celebrate your successes! Bring that visibility to executives and don’t be afraid of internal marketing. Use metrics to show results, branding to create an identity and campaigns to increase awareness. The more buzz you can create, the more it drives people to want to be a part of it. 

The webinar is about 20 minutes and goes into a lot more depth. Enjoy!

In this tough economy, competition for open job slots is fierce. So how do you catch the recruiter’s eye? What sorts of things do you do to maximize your potential of being hired?

The first thing to keep in mind is the recruiters’ perspective. Most recruiters are glancing through hundreds of resumes a day, searching for the one that best fits the job description. Thus, you only have one chance to make the right impression. Make your resume catchy and sophisticated. The standard size 12 typewriter font doesn’t do you any good. Instead, take advantage of free resources, such as resume templates on Google docs or in Microsoft Word. Additionally, make sure that you include every accomplishment that may work towards your advantage.

Once your resume is aesthetically pleasing, your next concern is how to give the greatest visibility to your resume. Companies like Resume Rabbit can post your resume to over 80 job sites for $59.95, but that may not be entirely necessary. With Yahoo! Hot Jobs, Careerbuilder, and Monster being the most popular places recruiters dig for resumes, posting to all three will give your resume proper visibility. Keep in mind that posting your resume to these sites costs you nothing.  So, cast a wide net.

As an active candidate for any position your approach should be a more aggressive one. In addition to posting your resume, searching for relevant job postings can be beneficial in staying up to date with new jobs.   While searching for posts on the big three (Hot Jobs, Monster, and Career Builder) may be effective, there are still more efficient resources that can be used. Sites such as Indeed and Simply Hired are increasing in popularity, and for a good reason.  By taking advantage of these sites, job seekers can view postings from various job boards and career portals simultaneously. Using Indeed and Simply Hired can cut the time you spend searching for jobs in half.

With competition for open jobs increasing more and more, its essential to cover all the angles involved in being an active candidate. Creating a powerful resume and posting it to the right sites is a great way to give yourself wide spread visibility in the eyes of recruiters. In the same sense, using Simply Hired and Indeed ensures that you are aware of any job postings which could relate to you. Taking advantage of these resources can make your path to finding a new job a quick and painless one.

I have a little more info on Lucas Isley.  He is out with an upper body injury and the time table says he is out indefinitely, so I don’t think we will be hearing from Isley for a while if the injury is as serious as it appears.

Dennis Brown had two assists for Omaha (USHL) this past weekend.

Nick Pisellini lost two games with the Steel (USHL) last weekend, one in regulation and one in overtime.

Jordan Gidaro had another scoreless weekend for Orangeville (CCHL).

Dan Dekeyser is still out with an undisclosed injury for Sioux City (USHL).

Here are the future Broncos’ stat lines:

Isley:  17 games-13 goals-8 assists-21 points

Brown:  20 games-2 goals-11 assists-13 points

Pisellini:  15 games-8 wins-6 losses-1 OT loss-3.19 goals against average-89.5 save percentage

Gidaro (Totals):  18 games-3 goals-2 assists-5 points

Dekeyser:  7 games-1 goal-3 assists-4 points

Ben Warda:  N/A (Transfer)

Took me a while to notice this, but it turns out Blastoff’s ‘direct contact’ with Henry & June, retailer for the sexually adventurous,  got them in a bit of trouble with certain members while it was still in ‘beta’ mode. Bill Rodgers jumps in to save Blastoff’s image by calling it an oversight and the retailer has been removed. An oversight?… I guess he’ll say anything to stay in the good graces of the church and public schools. Keep those fundraisers going kiddies!

Meanwhile Blastoff continues to disintegrate behind the scenes as they are now currently using Jango Mail to keep pushing that urge to shop to all their members via email blasts. Apparently they are still unable to get new invitees signed up and are hoping to make up for lost revenue. I guess they still haven’t resolved the black-listing problems. Some million dollar investment!

(If the ‘bit of trouble’ link goes dead I’ve attached a screen shot for your viewing pleasure)

I will be out for the next few days.  We will head out to spend time with family.  Never fear, there will be some time spent in the field and on the water as well.  I will report when I get back.

In the meantime, Thanksgiving is an uniquely American holiday.  We love the time with family, the feasts, the football games and everything else, but in the middle of it all we sometimes forget to pause and be thankful.  I am thankful to live in such a prosperous and free country where I can pursue my passion and actually make a living out of it!  Is this a great country or what?  I am thankful to live in a place where we have the luxury of so much recreational time and money, and a place where we have been good stewards of our natural resources, our fish & wildlife resources.  I am thankful to call Nebraska home; a state with such a diversity of fish & wildlife resources, natural beauty, and great people (“There is NO place like Nebraska”).  I am thankful that we have more water now than we had a couple of years ago.  I am thankful for the health to enjoy it all.  And I am thankful with family to share it with.

Along those lines,

Think of the many reasons why YOU are thankful for fishing…

spending time with family?
enjoying the outdoors?
the thrill of the catch?
fishing buddies?

….now imagine sharing your passion for fishing with someone new.

http://www.takemefishing.org/community/anglers-legacy/take-the-pledge/promo/TFFEM?utm_source=rbff&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=TFFEM

– a simple promise to introduce someone new to the sport of fishing.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

You might want to keep your head down there, Tom, for the next few days anyhow (That reminds me, I am also thankful that we have more wild turkeys now than we ever dreamt was possible).

My firm recently started sourcing campaigns where we are going to target a specific type of candidate or technology for a month and try to find as many people as we can.  We have made it into a bit of a contest within the office and have dangled a small carrot at the end of it.  My personal opinion is that this is a good idea however I would caution any firm to stress the focus of the campaign. 

 The primary focus still needs to be recruiting the regular orders.  The sourcing campaign is something that should be done for a small portion of the day or during some downtime.  You would not want your recruiters to stop sourcing their real positions for a sourcing campaign that may not pay any immediate dividends.

 Does anyone else have any ideas or tactics their office uses this way?

É uma grata surpresa saber que a Zoho está procurando atingir nichos que a Google não está interessada, pelo menos até agora. O ótimo ReadWriteWeb divulgou o novo serviço, de nome Recruit, basicamente um gerenciador de contratação de recursos humanos que visa automatizar tarefas comuns a pequenas e médias empresas.

Se o Zoho continuar trilhando este caminho (o de prover aplicações comuns para pequenas empresas) estará desafiando o Salesforce.com, que por sua vez está mudando seu foco para as grandes empresas e desafiando um mercado dominado pela Oracle. Nada mal para uma empresa que já vem incomodando a Microsoft e sua suíte mega-boga famosa Office.

Competição muito bem vinda para o setor. Veja um vídeo demonstrativo logo abaixo.

It’s so easy it’s scary!

Watch this video for a dark and twisted (and largely accurate) take on what I’m currently researching for upcoming posts…

The University of Washington basketball program got a big commit just a couple of days before Thanksgiving, and fittingly, he’s from Turkey.  Enes Kanter, a 6′ 10″ 240lb center, is currently playing ball for Stoneridge Prep in California, but made a name for himself while playing on the Turkish National Under 18 squad.  It was there that he was the MVP of the U18 European Championship, putting up 35 points and 19 rebounds in the championship game against Lithuania.  He turned down millions to play professionally in Europe in order to experience college basketball in the US and help him make the jump to the NBA.  It’s a big signing for the Huskies, who have tons of back court talent, but have been left with a bit of a void in the paint after Jon Brockman graduated.  This definitely softens the blow local 5 star center Josh Smith dealt Husky fans when he chose UCLA over UW.  Kanter was also considering UCLA, USC, among others.

Kanter’s profile on Scout.com.

More on the Kanter signing from the Seattle Times.

Over the past week, there have been two new players who have decided to play hockey at Western Michigan.

Ben Warda played last year at Michigan State and has decided to transfer to WMU because of his lack of playing time.  Last year Warda played in 33 games for the Spartans, tallying one goal and four assists.  Warda played two years of junior hockey with the St. Louis Bandits of the NAHL.  Warda played in 119 games for the Bandits, scoring 43 goals and 62 assists.

Ben Warda

Photo Courtesy of msuspartans.com

Dan Dekeyser of the Sioux City Muskateers has committed to play for the Broncos next year.  Dekeyser is a 6-2, 170lb defenseman from Algonac, Michigan.  Dekeyser is injured right now but played in seven games, scoring a goal and three assists.  The USHL story on Dekeyser is here:  http://www.ushl.com/news/story.cfm?id=2847.

Jordan Gidaro was held scoreless in one game this weekend against Streetsville (CCHL).

Lucas Isley is still hurt.  The timetable for his injury is unknown to me.

Dennis Brown recorded two assists in two games this weekend for Omaha (USHL) and was a +4.  Brown is now at +13 on the season.

Nick Pisellini started two games, winning one and dropping the other.  Pisellini stopped 50 shots in a 7-4 win over Waterloo (USHL), but gave up four goals in a 4-0 loss at the hands of Indiana (USHL).

Here is what the future Broncos stats look like:

Dekeyser:  7 games-1 goal-3 assists-4 points

Gidaro:  (Totals) 16 games-3 goals-2 assists-5 points

Isley:  17 games-13 goals-8 assists-21 points

Brown:  17 games-2 goals-9 assists-11 points

Pisellini:  13 games-8 wins-5 losses-3.31 goals against average-89.4 save percentage

Section Fifteen still lies in the dark.

The rooms will fill.

To join in on the fun send an e-mail to: SectionFifteen [at] Gmail [dot] Com

Let’s bring it down to earth with some helpful tips to help you get noticed. Well written cover letters relay much information such as:    

• Communication/Soft skills – Is the cover letter gratuitous rather than enhancing the resume?
• Negotiation skills – just like a good marketing letter, it should have a “call to action”.
• How well do your skills/experience meet the specific job specifications?
• How easily will you will be found on the internet? – It is advantageous to use a professional resume writer who will help you with your cover letters also. Appropriate Keywords well sprinkled will get you noticed.
• What do you say about yourself verses what others have acknowledged about you? – A lot of recruiters will tell you they don’t have time to read the cover letter after all it is what you say about yourself. So feel free to include accomplishments and quotes from your references.
• Links to your public profile – Ask your references if they will be a good reference for you and provide their endorsement on LinkedIn. If they hedge or say no, you have some work to do.
• Flexibility – If you include your resume when you apply online, don’t put the date in the letter, but on the filename or other file property information. Generally it is not the best idea to include the cover letter with the resume when you apply online because you may be type cast for a given role rather than open to opportunities.
• Preparation – Always research the company to place some product or company specific information that indicates you are a great fit for the position. It also indicates interest in the specific company.
• Enthusiasm – Always be enthusiastic about opportunities at the company and about your experience in general. If it comes down to the wire between 2 candidates, they will choose the one that best matches the company goals and culture.

Now Houston, do we have liftoff? Here are some ways to fire up your resume:

1. In place of Summary or Qualifications, use stronger headers like Expertise or Accomplishments.
2. Instead of action words that everyone uses, like motivated, and driven, use industry keywords.
3. Use statistics or your written references’ comments to corroborate the resume information, like awards, certifications, designations, sales quotas achieved/exceeded etc.
4. Use the header section to put your name and a brief, powerful description of your interests and skills. Then use the footer section to put your contact information.
5. If you are open to many different industries, first evaluate your interests, then search www.indeed.com for these keywords to see if you feel you would like to transition to these careers. If so, get some information on the companies that offer these careers. Research the companies and develop contacts there so you can network directly and through other contacts.
6. By scientific research, the first 30 seconds is when people precipitate value from your first impression. So, create powerful 30 second elevator pitches and ice breakers. Set a timer and read the first 30 seconds of your resume. If you don’t like it , re-write it until you do.
7. Ask your colleagues to critique your resume and offer suggestions. After all they know your work and can offer perceptive advice.

So what is your direction? What are your pain points? What do you need to know about making your next career move?

 While the effects of the recession are still in full force for the Ottawa IT market, some of Ottawa’s private sector companies are continuing to grow while others are still downsizing.  Ottawa’s unique blend of public and private sector IT business has helped mask the true effects that the recession has had on the city.  The large Government presence in Ottawa has continued to push forward with new IT projects but it has also begun to cut the budgets on some existing projects.  This has caused many IT consultants who were supporting projects to be back on the market looking for new contracts.

Labour market conditions in Ottawa have been fluctuating recently due to outside factors changing the shape of IT contracting and the vision of IT projects.  Many of our clients continue to push for contracting rate reductions as they look to get more production for less money these days.  The swine flu craze has caused the Government to throw more money at this issue which has forced them to create new projects and initiatives in the on-going effort to combat this issue.  We are continuing to experience growing pains with Government procurement methods as the push for full TBIPS compliance by all Government departments changes the landscape of procurement into the Government. 

Over the last few months we have seen increased levels of IT positions as Government employees returned from summer vacations and started getting their Q3/Q4 projects underway.  Over the last few weeks we have seen many departments looking to hire consultants prior to the Christmas break in an effort to staff their projects and hit the ground running as we enter 2010.

The Procom Ottawa office is really looking forward to sinking its teeth into the public sector once 2010 rolls around as many Government departs will look to spend their remaining budgets prior to their fiscal year end.  As we have seen many projects begin prior to the holidays we expect to see many supporting roles emerge following the holidays as our clients look for the go-to resources they are going to need to make these projects take flight.

A couple words off of this recent write-up on the subject.  Comments welcome.

Is recruiting for the military through video games the right way to go?

Well, video games unrealistically portray warfare to be a glorious and passionate exercise.  Though there may be much of both, the central directive is far from “kill the most bad guys,” and instead is fight for your God and country.

The theme of honor and the moral decision involved in fighting is rarely seen in video games.  Especially with being able to have “infinite continues” and just restart a level video games don’t do the realy military justice.

Though, we’re not sending kids into combat fresh from their Xboxes, so video games garner interest; that’s all.  That’s all they should do also, training is needed and the army is in need of interest and the training will happen after.

The logo for the U.S. Army's offical Video Game

Disclaimer: This photo has been staged in order to make a point.

I’m over the age of 21, which means I’m legal to consume alcoholic beverages. And I take advantage of my legality: I like to kick back with a nice Bell’s microbrew or a glass of Shiraz once in a while.

However, I’m hesitant to leave pictures of me with a drink in my hand on social networking sites, such as Facebook, because “Big Brother” (aka employers) are watching.

This is what I find difficult to swallow: I’ve seen pictures of professors, employers, and professionals with a drink in their hands (I’m facebook friends with many of them and even have enjoyed an adult beverage with a few of them). So, let me get this straight: I’m not supposed have photos of me drinking, but you can (directed at a general “you,” not anyone specific)?

And to what extent does this “censorship” go? Am I allowed to have a photo where I have a drink on the table? Am I allowed to be in a photo with someone who has a solo cup in his or her hand? I think there’s a certain point where you have to draw the line.

Much like News Editor Dan Hamilton, who recently wrote on a similar topic in our school newspaper, I drink because I enjoy what I’m drinking; not because I want to get “slammed” and make a fool of myself.

The amount of drinks necessary to be considered “binge drinking” is four or more drinks consumed within two hours for women and five or more drinks for men. Many times, my amount of drinking will not go beyond two or three in a night. And even that isn’t very often, most times I’ll have one beverage after a stressful day of work, classes, homework, job hunting, and other anomalies that are relevant to the life of a college senior.

Though college students typically carry the stigmata of binge drinking, not all college students, such as myself, fit the norm. I’m not going to lie and say I’ve never binged on alcohol before, but then again, not many adults can claim they never have either.

When consumed in moderation, I think drinking adult beverages can prove a sense of responsibility and maturity.

What do you think? Should students of legal drinking age hide or censor the fact that they enjoy drinking in moderation now and again? *Should they have to remove every photo that has an alcoholic beverage within the vicinity?

*This question was initially one that went unanswered at this week’s #PRStudChat.

I just returned from the monthly California Staffing Professionals Silicon Valley Chapter’s monthly lunch and discussion. Besides some great networking we were all treated to a Web 2.0 presentation by Adam Peterson, CEO of www.vipepower.com. Adam shared many secrets to help us market ourselves, our candidates,  and demonstrated his product. Adam’s solution is based on video clips that you tailor for your needs,  and it is definitely the cutting edge. One respected head-hunter gave a testimonial as he has been using the product for two years.  Check it out! www.vipepower.com.

…AND don’t forget to check out the CSP www.cspnet.org a non-profit membership organization that provides products and services to its members within the staffing services industry.

Need help with your current searches?

Contact the Recruiters’ Recruiter:

JoeLitvin@yahoo.com 925.817.0563