One topic for which we write extensively is the upcoming worker shortage (see here). Obviously the economy will not stop, but there will be a real battle for talented employees. The Working Wounded Blog from abcnews.com makes an interesting statement that companies will have to go beyond salaries and stock options to secure the best talent. They will need to focus on the corporate environment to make it pleasing to the employees. Based on the facts listed below, I think he is hitting a topic that will be at the forefront shortly (emphasis mine): The key numbers for the U.S. work force for the next 10 years are 76 and… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Tightening Market
Strangely the economic news seems to have a hard time making it in to the mainstream media. In case you missed it, unemployment is down to 4.6% which is the lowest it has been since July 2001. We have entered our 34th straight month of manufacturing expansion – the longest stretch in almost 20 years. The labor market has tightened dramatically and finding strong candidates is becoming more challenging. We endorse the approach of looking for talent that will transfer into the needs of your position. When we define a sale, we build a blueprint of the skills, aptitudes, motivations and style that will be the best fit for successfully… Read More
Continue ReadingKeywording a Resume
CareerJournal posted an article titled Finding the Right Keywords to Get Your Resume Noticed. As you have probably noticed, we are on a crusade to stop companies from making initial candidate decisions based on resumes only. We go to great lengths to parse a resume for key information. We have our own keywords and, more importantly, key data that supports their claims. Notice this section of the article: Although many keywords are industry specific, Mr. Block says, certain phrases are important to almost all companies. They include “communication skills,” “problem-solving,” “team work,” “leadership,” “resource optimization,” and “image and reputation management.” “Business development” might be one of the most important of… Read More
Continue ReadingQuick Ad Tip
We are sourcing for a handful of different positions right now (more than just sales positions) and are seeing an interesting trend. The major job boards (CareerBuilder and Monster) are most active on Tuesday. We post our ads on Tuesday and receive most of our responses on that day and the next day (Wed.). The smaller, niche sites seem to be more active on the weekends – mainly Friday afternoon and Saturday. Keep that trend in mind next time you post an ad.
Continue ReadingAnecdotes – The 30 (or 10) Second Commercial
It is Friday therefore it is time for another hiring anecdote. I was phone screening sales candidates for a high-tech company and I asked a candidate to give me a quick 30-second commercial of the products and services he had sold. I asked him to frame his experience in the context of how it fit the requirements of the position. At least he was quick. His 10-second response was: “Well, I have sold everything from cow manure to satellite TV.” He never did answer the second part of the question about tying in his experience to the requirements of the position. I know – if he could have effectively tied… Read More
Continue ReadingAn Employee’s Market
The economy is roaring after 5.3% growth in GDP last quarter. We have recently started tracking this monster.com index and it appears to be quite accurate. The takeaway stat: The index, which Monster said is a strong predictor of overall U.S. demand for workers, is up 25 percent over the past year.
Continue ReadingLack of a Sales Process
From Sales & Marketing Management: Of the 1,275 companies surveyed nationwide recently, less than half have a formal sales process; of the 45 percent that do, only 45 percent of those actually monitor the processes in place to make sure they are helping the company sell better. Our first step in running a sales hiring process is to have our customer fill in this graph: This information tells us 2 things – the basic level of prospecting activity required and the company’s grasp of their current sales process. If a company cannot define what it takes to close one deal, how can they expect a new salesperson to do it… Read More
Continue ReadingQuestions When Hiring
Jill Konrath has a great post about salespeople who come on “like a bull in a china shop” when trying to sell to prospects. Her cure for these salespeople: You need to create conversations with decision makers. And, there’s only one way to do this. You need to ask questions to engage prospects in a dialogue, then shut up and listen. I couldn’t agree more. I want to take that point and apply them to sales hiring. We use the entire hiring process to observe the salesperson in action. We particularly observe their question pattern – are they trying to determine how they would sell the company’s value proposition if… Read More
Continue ReadingReading the (Non-Verbal) Signs
How to Read Your Prospect Like a Book! by John Boe is a quick read article from Sales Vault with some great tips on understanding the nonverbal cues a prospect/client is sending you. He states: …that one of the easiest and most effective ways to close sales is to be aware of the prospect’s “buy signals.” The article gives clues to look for in reading body language, mainly head and facial gestures. For an example: Head Gestures Tilted back = Superior attitude Tilted down = Negative and judgmental attitude Tilted to one side = Interest For those of you that know this information already, it is a nice 5 minute… Read More
Continue ReadingHow to Win the Talent Wars
From Sales & Marketing Management’s e-newsletter (sorry, no link available): How to win the talent war: * Assess current strengths and gaps. Review the talent on hand and what your future needs will be. * Create a vision and strategy. Identify the tools, processes, and technology you will need to fill your talent gaps. Create a vision that can be embraced by a those who will be asked to do the recruiting work. * Complete a readiness assessment. Is your organization ready to jump into the talent wars? Is the culture prepared to support the impact of a new talent vision? * Build the business case. Identify the benefits to… Read More
Continue Reading