Monster provides some great resources for employers including free webinars on timely topics when it comes to hiring. Click here to see a recent presentation or here to see what other scheduled (or completed) webinars on on their docket. The top sources for finding new opportunites as used by candidates are: Family & Friends Job Boards (large) Past Managers & Colleagues Job Boards (niche/speciality) Recruiting/Placement Firms As you are probably aware, many people consistently keep an eye open for new opportunities. So why don’t more people apply to ads? Here is what the researchers discovered were the biggest frustrations for candidates is their search: Vague Job Descriptions Inflated Requirements –… Read More
Continue ReadingAd Writing Essentials
Over the past week there have been more articles than I care to count on how to write an effective job ad – none of which are written with sales positions in mind. When it comes to sales, you need to think a bit differently. Let me give you an example – all the articles recommend, in some fashion or another, to collect resumes from candidates via email. Some even suggest that you respond with a thank you even if they are not qualified for the position. Fair enough, but not one mentions to put your phone number in the ad. You’re probably saying, I’m not doing that and having… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Proactive Thinking
This week we look at a trait that is important when assessing sales candidates for complex, long sales cycle positions. Proactive or reactive is the difference in this highly valued sales trait. Proactive ThinkingThe ability of a salesperson to evaluate future implications of current decisions and actions. This would include examining the long-range effects of a decision. The ability to mentally create the scenarios and outcomes of situations that could develop from decisions or plans of action. A salesperson with strength in this capacity will tend to evaluate current situations, needs and actions based on how they will change in the future. A salesperson with weakness in this area will tend to… Read More
Continue ReadingReference Checks
I came across an article on Monster this morning that identifies fives mistakes you want to avoid for reference checks. The article is a quick read, but here are the five mistakes to avoid: Not Checking at All Lack of Consistency Making the Job Offer Contingent on a Reference Check Not Requiring References Who Have Worked Directly with the Candidate Asking Leading questions and Failing to Ask Follow-Up Questions In point 3 the author has this to say: References should be checked much earlier in the process than many employers actually perform them. Once the top two or three candidates have been identified through resume screenings and initial interviews, references… Read More
Continue ReadingChanging Bait
Here is an article from Selling Power that is spot on – Fishing for Recruits? The first step, says Silverman, is to get creative with your titles. “You can write a great job description, but if it’s buried under a boring title such as ‘Account Manager,’ no one is going to click on it. A good title [like a good headline] is going to create a call to action. He’s right. The days of counting words, employment ad shorthand and simple position titles are gone. I still see companies using this approach as I stated in a previous post. Stop now and make the adjustments. The only part of an… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Skills Trump All Others
There is something about industry experience that is seductive to many hiring managers. The allure of a salesperson who has been “in the industry” for some time is almost irresistible. The same infatuation seems to exist with salespeople once they are on the payroll. The salesperson’s ability to understand the company’s product and service offering is important to the position. But why are many new salespeople judged by their level of product/service understanding? Is this really the best determinant of sales success? In a word, no. At the risk of being overly simplistic, salespeople are hired to . . . sell. Their sales skills trump all other skills. These skills… Read More
Continue ReadingImproving Job Ads
From CareerJournal.com’s Employers Try Plain English To Improve Quality of Job Ads: Traditional job descriptions, some recruiters say, emphasize qualifications, but skimp on describing the work, the challenges and the company culture. This topic has been a sore spot for me for many years. I read many sales ads during the week and find many of them lacking. Crafting an effective sales is difficult and takes a fair amount of work. Many ads read like 1980’s retreads. Some solid advice: The new ads can also help recruit a broader pool of promising candidates because they don’t set strict education and work-experience requirements. HealthEast Care System, a Minnesota hospital group, began… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Balanced Decision Making
This week we look at a trait that is beneficial to both salespeople and sales managers. The ability to stay balanced in forming decisions is integral to sales success. Salespeople who can look at the entire opportunity and properly weight the pieces before pursuing it are the most successful. Salespeople who can’t often chase the proverbial rabbit down the hole. Balanced Decision Making This trait involves the ability to be objective and fairly evaluate the different aspects (people and other) of a situation. This ability includes making an ethical decision that takes into account all aspects and components. It is the ability to maintain a balance between the needs of… Read More
Continue ReadingHow Not To Deal With The Salary Question
From Foxnews.com’s How to Deal With the Salary-Expectations Question: Don Sutaria, president and founder of CareerQuest, a staffing and training firm, advises job seekers to avoid offering a solid figure. “Don’t answer the question. Say, ‘I’ll expect the fair market value. Make me an offer and we can discuss it.’ Or, ‘Maybe you can tell me what your range is?’” Sutaria adds that the best approach is to arm yourself with information. “It’s very easy to find now, based on the job title and industry, what your range is.” This is a pet peeve of mine. I don’t think candidates get anywhere by being coy about their salary expectations. Candidates… Read More
Continue ReadingHire Fast, Fire Fast
From Dick Costolo’s Ask the Wizard blog: Briefly, the “No False Positives” school of hiring says that bad hires are worse than no hire because bad employees infect the company with all sorts of issues. Better to march on with nobody filling an important slot than to bring in a sub-par performer. The hire fast, fire fast approach basically can be boiled down to “it’s really almost impossible to understand whether a person is going to be a killer A+ match before they start working with you day to day, so best to find somebody that seems close enough, and then remove them quickly if they don’t work out.” This… Read More
Continue Reading