Full disclosure – I don’t personally own an MP3 player (my kids do), but I do use one from time to time. This past week I have come across several articles about the use of them at work, the pro’s & con’s of allowing them and whether companies have policies regulating their use. Here are some of the articles and the interesting points I found in them: iPod @ Work – StarTribune.com Some problems that occur related to the wearing of iPods/MP3s include the users not being able to hear others when they address them, inaccuracies and mistakes on the job due to being more mentally engaged in the music,… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Working Interview
I came across this article in Monster’s resource for candidates – Work the Working Interview. The article has three main points: How the working interview helps employers evaluate you, Show your stuff and Ace the working interview. Basically, the article provides tips for candidates on how to perform well in a working interview. Stephen Morel, President & CEO of Pro Staff, is quoted: It helps employers evaluate soft skills, like commitment, loyalty and work ethic, plus it shows attitude and abilities in real time,” he explains. Employers can also evaluate whether a candidate’s personality will be a good fit with the staff. Monster provides a link for candidates to evaluate… Read More
Continue ReadingHire Great People: 10 Simple Rules
Monster has some great resources for candidates in preparing, practicing and improving not only their interviewing techniques, but their chances of receiving job offers. Unfortunately, their employer resources are somewhat limited. I did find a good article on hiring – it is a list of 10 simple rules to follow. Rule no. 1 is by far the best and one we preach here at The Hire Sense: Rule number one is clear, but very counterintuitive: Don’t ever, ever hire somebody just like yourself. Why not? Because from the beginning of time, executives have been unconsciously cloning themselves, stocking the shelves with vanilla young men from impressive schools. And what has… Read More
Continue ReadingMost Desirable Employers
From a survey conducted by WetFeet of new graduates – here are the lists of most desirable employers by industry. Technology 1. Google 2. Microsoft 3. Apple 4. IBM 5. Yahoo Consumer products/pharmaceuticals 1. Johnson & Johnson 2. Procter & Gamble 3. Nike 4. Medtronic 5. Genentech Financial services 1. Goldman Sachs 2. Morgan Stanley 3. Citigroup 4. Lehman Brothers 5. JP Morgan Chase
Continue ReadingAnecdote – The Bewildering Email (Round 2)
Just this week I received an all-too-familiar email response to a new ad we just posted. In fact, I originally posted on this strange email dialogue back in May. The hauntingly familiar, mangled syntax message arrived with little regard for my clear ad instructions – all applicants were asked to either email their resume or to call me directly. His one sentence email: is new business coming from advertising agencies also clients who use your services in the new york city marketplace important to you? Being a glutton for punishment, I decided to go down this path again. I responded with the exact same email that I sent him earlier… Read More
Continue ReadingTop 10 Tips for Prospecting Success
As you know, we are intrigued by lists and statistics and I came across this article in Sales Vault’s current newsletter. It is a quick read and I recommend that you read all 10 tips. To give you a taste of what you will learn: 5. Schedule your prospecting sessions for 3½ hours. Take a fifteen-minute break between each hour. That is more productive than five prospecting sessions of one hour each. Very interesting thought. If you are like most salespeople, being able to reduce the amount of time you need to spend on prospecting sounds most appealing. 7. Always be in a “Disqualification” mode. Be determined to spend your… Read More
Continue ReadingSelling Power Daily Video – 2
As I stated in my previous post I would keep you updated as to the effectiveness usefulness of Selling Power’s daily video clip. I have been watching them off and on the past couple of weeks and each time I find a usable tidbit in them. For instance, today Gerhard Gschwandtner is interviewing John Roberts – CEO Sugar CRM. As you would expect, the interview is on the effectiveness of CRMs. The one point that I pulled out of today’s clip is on what John Roberts sees as the biggest reason for CRM failure is user adoption. His clear point – quality of CRM training drives user adoption up. A… Read More
Continue ReadingBest Buy’s Results-Only Work Environment
There has been a lot written on Best Buy’s Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE) in articles and in the blogs. Everyone seems to have an opinion about this type of work environment and if it could work outside of Best Buy. One article specifically addresses the point of the adaptability of Best Buy’s culture in other companies. I found a couple of points of interest that I would like to share with you. “Best Buy’s culture is very young,” says Washington, D.C.-based flexibility consultant Paul Rupert of Rupert & Co., who has worked with clients ranging from Wal-Mart to Xerox. “They have a lot of significant managers who are still in… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Comp Potpourri – Part 2
A few days ago the Velvet Hammer provided some pointers on putting together offer letters and I wanted to chime in on the topic. I have just a couple of general reminders as you deliver the offers to your sales candidates: Your position is probably not the only opportunity they are looking at so keep the process moving along – timing is everything. Qualify the total compensation package with the candidate. Will the offer be in the candidate’s range or will it be out in left field? Expect to have some negotiation with the candidate on the offer. Again, this is probably not the only opportunity they are pursuing. Make… Read More
Continue ReadingClergy Appreciation Month
The month of October is Clergy Appreciation Month and dates back to 1992. Hallmark has a page giving details of this celebration. Here is some background from their site: The mission of Clergy Appreciation Month is to uplift and encourage pastors, missionaries and religious workers by providing physical, emotional and spiritual support. There are more than 1 million full-time Christian ministry workers in the United States, including 350,000 senior pastors. So make sure to thank your pastor, reverand, preacher and priest for all they do.
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