CareerBuilder.com’s article Today’s Hardest-to-Fill Jobs lists the top 10 hardest-to-fill jobs. First, a little background: According to a recent survey by recruitment firm Manpower Inc., the answer is no. The survey says 41 percent of U.S. employers are struggling to find qualified job candidates because of a lack of available talent. And then the top 10 positions: 1. Sales Representative2. Teacher3. Mechanic4. Technician5. Management/Executive6. Truck Driver7. Driver/Delivery8. Accountant9. Laborer10. Machine Operator Yes, sales rep is the most difficult position to hire. There are always sales candidates available, but it is far more difficult to identify the right salesperson. We can help.
Continue ReadingThe Mature Hiring Trend
We’ve been talking about the talent shortage topic for some time and it is only going to become more prominent over the next decade. The Christian Science Monitor offers this story – ‘Age friendly’ workplaces on the rise – that defines a growing strategy – making your company culture more “age friendly.” Here’s why that approach is so important: Already, 10,000 baby boomers are turning 50 every day, a trend the US Census Bureau says will continue for the next decade. As the age for collecting full Social Security benefits climbs to 67, and as some pensions become less secure, more people will need to keep working. But many employers… Read More
Continue Reading5 Futuristic Jobs
This is fascinating – CNNMoney.com has a short slide show presentation in their article 5 Dream jobs of the future. They are: Disease Mapper Robot Programmer Information Engineer Radiosurgeon Second Life Lawyer Yes, that last one is correct. Here is part of the description: Count Stevan Lieberman among the virtual world’s earning elite. Instead of trying to practice purely virtual law–which few if any lawyers have turned into real money–Lieberman has taken a hybrid approach, using Second Life as a meet-and-greet area for new clients, who then take their real-world legal needs offline. And since he took in $7,000 in fees in the first two weeks after hanging up his… Read More
Continue ReadingThis Is A Hobby?
I just read through a local business weekly that had a profile of a power player CEO. Her bio says she is married with 3 children all under the age of 3. The first thing listed under her hobbies section: Spending time with her family I know, this is probably just semantics, but spending time with your family is a hobby? I generally think of rollerblading, hunting and traveling as hobbies. Your family is more important than work and I would characterize family life as more than a hobby. Again, maybe it is just semantics, but certainly not how I would state it.
Continue ReadingA Not-So-Dynamic Ad
This is the closing sentence from a long, detailed sales manager ad I read this morning: For full job details, to apply online, and to learn more about our dynamic organization, please visit our website at www.company.com and search for Req ID# XXXXXX. “Search for” a req on their website? I followed the link and it simply takes you to the home page of their rather extensive website. I went 5 clicks deep into the site and still did not find the specific job listing. Don’t do this. It may work for web developer positions, but not for sales positions.
Continue ReadingThe Benefits Of Coffee
From the stack of information that my only interest me comes this important article – Coffee can be good for you, experts say. My passion for coffee knows no bounds so this is welcome news: Drinking coffee can help ward off type 2 diabetes and may even help prevent certain cancers, according to panelists discussing the benefits — and risks — of the beverage at a scientific meeting. And later: There’s evidence, Arab noted, that the beverage may protect against certain types of colon cancer, as well as rectal and liver cancer, possibly by reducing the amount of cholesterol, bile acid and natural sterol secretion in the colon, speeding up… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Chef-Hiring Analogy
I’ve been on this resume topic all week but it is important enough to continue. First let me give you the setup and then an analogy. We run a detailed, repeatable process to identify the strongest candidates for a specific position. Our process includes profiling the typical sale and then sourcing candidates based on the information revealed in the profile. We run candidates through a phone screen where we actually mirror the pressure they will encounter when calling on your prospects. We score them and have the top candidates complete a battery of objective, online assessments. We will even ask for candidates to complete written, essay-like questions so we can… Read More
Continue ReadingWhere The Jobs Are
In small businesses according to Inc.com’s short article Small Businesses Driving Job Growth. Private-sector payrolls rose by 64,000 jobs in April, including 45,000 new jobs at small businesses, according to the ADP National Employment Report. By contrast, jobs at larger firms dropped by 10,000, the fourth straight month of declines, the report said. Nothing wrong with that fact. We have been working with a wide variety of companies lately and there definitely seems to be hiring momentum in the “smaller” businesses.
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Attention To Detail
Ah, this week we look at a trait that tends to be foreign to many salespeople. But that need is changing as the market factors become more complex. If your sale typically includes a complex, detailed offering, this trait is definitely one to measure in all candidates. Attention To Detail This is the ability to notice and dedicate mental resources towards details. This trait includes recognizing the component parts of a procedure or object and verifying the correctness or error in an individual part or procedure. A salesperson with strength in this trait will likely be thorough in the execution of their job responsibilities. They will define each job function… Read More
Continue ReadingWhere The Ads Are
Newspaper circulation continues its precipitous decline. However, online employment ads have increased 24% from last April according to this Inc.com article. Surprisingly, I talked to a company last month that did not believe online job ads were the way to go. Their plan – post sales ads in the printed newspaper. Some stats: Online job ads totaled 4,365,000 in April 2007, an increase of 16 percent from the previous month, and represented approximately 2.9 vacancies for every 100 persons in the labor force in April, the report said. That is a significant number of ads especially compared to the number of people in the labor force (ever wonder how they… Read More
Continue Reading