How Interviewers Affect Candidate Decisions

Yesterday I attended a Webinar from Monster and DDI titled, “Thanks, But No Thanks: Keeping Top Prospects From Turning Down Your Offer” that not only echoed many of the points from this Selling Power article, but had the data to support it. There were numerous points that I wanted to share with you so I’ll post on them in bite-size pieces over the next few days. In our previous post, point #4 talks about trust. A candidate forms their opinion about trust in 3 areas with the interviewer being the first mentioned. I’m sure some of you thought that may have been a bit far-fetched but take a look at… Read More

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The Etiquette Of Retention

Does ‘Thank You’ Help Keep Associates? from CareerJournal.com takes a look at turnover/retention issues at a major law firm. Scary, I know. However, there is a good lesson in here in regards to retaining top employees. First the setup from the article: Faced with a surge in turnover of its associates, the prestigious law firm Sullivan & Cromwell LLP has been putting on a charm offensive to hold onto junior lawyers. The presentation showed that the New York firm, now with about 625 lawyers, lost 31% of its associates in 2004 and 30% in 2005. The average associate attrition rate for law firms of about that size or bigger for… Read More

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Strange Interview Occurrences

We were talking over here at Select Metrix about strange interviews so I decided to google the topic and found this site. There are some great, bizarre stories that will make you laugh. A few teasers: “She wore a Walkman and said she could listen to me and the music at the same time.” “… she threw-up on my desk, and immediately started asking questions about the job, like nothing had happened.” “… asked if I wanted some cocaine before starting the interview.”

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Resumes – My Weakness

Jason Davis at Recruiting.com points us to Resume Hell. I have a real weakness for poorly-worded resumes and cover letters. This site offers some entertaining quips. For example: “interests and hobbies none at present” Or maybe this one: “Hobbies I enjoy cooking Chinese and Italians” One final one: “Hobbies…Liposuction…” If you enjoy these items, check out the site – I guarantee you will laugh.

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Sales Traits Series – Self-Direction

This week we look at a trait that is growing in importance with the number of home-based sales position. We are working with multiple customers to find strong salespeople who are located in the territory and based out of their house. Truly this is a strong trend for the future. One trait that needs to be measured is this week’s offering. Self-Direction Balanced self-direction originates with an internal drive to excel in a chosen career path. It requires one to have a strong desire to be better than they currently are today. This trait includes having a clear vision of one’s future objectives and the self-discipline and organization necessary to… Read More

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Stats On Gen Y Web Use

Inc.com’s article Seven Out of 10 Employees Admit to Abusing Office Computers, Phones relays some stats from a recent Harris Interactive survey. Nearly 72 percent of workers ages 18 to 24 said they check personal e-mail accounts at work (compared to 61 percent of the general population), and 77 percent are using the Internet personally (compared to 69 percent of workers overall), the survey says. Seventy-one percent of the young respondents said they maintain some sort of personal website. Personal blogs are the most popular among young workers, while 52 percent use networking accounts, such as MySpace or Facebook. Thirteen percent of workers 18 to 24 have an online dating… Read More

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Managing Gen Y Workers

Manage Smarter offers Understanding the 20-Something Workforce. I have to confess, in our business we do not have frequent interaction with 20 some year olds. Here are excerpts of the author’s suggestions: 1. Make their first day unforgettable. Twenty-somethings thrive on instant gratification. “They’re used to taking a lot of data in at one time and making a choice,” Dorsey says. While this is a great asset in business, it unfortunately means a company has little time to make an positive impression. 2. Don’t rely on a competitive salary to keep talent. “It’s a big realization, but money does not always build loyalty,” Dorsey says. Twenty-somethings’ parents, often Baby Boomers… Read More

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