I’m not well-versed in the rapport-building technique (my phrase) known as Neuro-Linguistic Programming. In fact, I’m not certain that is the correct definition of the acronym NLP. But it is fascinating information. Geoffrey James discusses this topic in his blog post Ten Seconds to Better Rapport: This method based upon the scientific observation that people have what are sometimes called “thought modalities” or, more colloquially, “have their brain wired different ways.” Research has shown that most people favor one of the three different modalities: Visual. The person values and responds to what he or she SEES. A visual person will tend to dress flashy, talk quickly, and use plenty of… Read More
Continue ReadingWatch The Writing
I would not hire a single salesperson without first seeing a writing sample of some sort from them. The information age has made writing a priority skill in communicating with prospects. This cover letter sentence makes me lose my faith in proofreading: I relocated down south due to my wifes job and the maeket for my construction managment was not very good so I ventured in to new firlds. There are different levels of errors within cover letters and resumes. This example would fall in the “very bad” error pile.
Continue ReadingCover Letter Comedy
I’m all for standing out, but this line at the beginning of a cover letter is a swing and a miss. If you can get me excited about your business, I’ll bring the magic. I’d settle for a sales rep who brings the qualifying.
Continue ReadingVideo Resume Reticence
I’m a fan of the video resume concept for sales positions. Salespeople have to interact with clients in a manner that best represents your company. The video resume provides a glimpse into this presentation ability. Yet, according to RecruitingTrends.com, the majority of companies are not accepting these forms of resumes (emphasis mine): Indeed, just one in four (24%) senior executives polled claim that their companies accept video resumes from candidates reveals the survey, developed by Robert Half International, a staffing services firm specializing in accounting and finance and conducted by an independent research firm. When asked whether their company accepts video resumes from job seekers, 58% of responding executives state… Read More
Continue ReadingWho’s Hiring Whom?
This excerpt is from a cover letter: If you think there might be a fit. Please send me a brief overview of your project or company. Let me know how I could help you if there’s a fit. If there’s any interest or a fit on my side I’ll drop you a note. Fair enough? You know, some times you do not need an assessment. I am quite certain this individual has a strong sense of self. His overuse of “fit” is only eclipsed by his cocky closing. I’m all for confidence, but I would have serious concerns about this approach.
Continue ReadingBully Money
I think I may be a bully because this Wall Street Journal article, to me, borders on the absurd. New research highlights the prevalence and dangers of workplace bullying. In a 2007 survey of 1,000 U.S. workers, 44% said they had worked for a boss they considered abusive. The survey was sponsored by the Employment Law Alliance, an association of 3,000 employment lawyers. In a 2004 survey by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Heath, 25% of companies reported bullying incidents in the previous year. More incidents were attributed to co-workers than to supervisors. The study was part of the institute’s research on work-related stress. This year, two Canadian… Read More
Continue ReadingThe Resilient Economy
If you think of the obstacles that have been thrown at our economy over the past few years (oil prices, housing market, credit crunch, ongoing war, etc.), you start to appreciate just how resilient it is. When you work in the recruiting space, you pay close attention to the economic trends, especially the leading indicators, since hiring is a lagging indicator. This ERE.net post caught my attention as it deals with an insightful excerpt from Jonathan R. Hefferlin regarding the latest jobs report: There is renewed economic clatter with unemployment up by 0.2 to 5.7%, like there was a couple of months ago when it rose from 5 to 5.5%.… Read More
Continue ReadingAn Electronic Leash
You just knew this was going to happen – companies are using technology to monitor remote employees. The Wall Street Journal provides this article that illustrates what approaches are used by employers: They’re taking photos of workers’ computer screens at random, counting keystrokes and mouse clicks and snapping photos of them at their computers. They’re plying sophisticated technology to instantaneously detect anger, raised voices or children crying in the background on workers’ home-office calls. That seems quite invasive, but it appears telecommuters are generally willing to trade the invasiveness for the work-at-home option. I’m not certain I would be so eager to allow this type of monitoring into my computer. … Read More
Continue Reading10 Commandments Of Onboarding
We only work in the sales arena so we refer to onboarding as onramping since salespeople need to ramp up to revenue (production) during their initial employment. That being said, CareerBuilder.com provides some excellent rules to live by when bringing a new employee on board (my editing). Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy employee. Thou shalt give a written plan of employee objectives and responsibilities. A written plan detailing objectives, strategy and expectations of future results helps diminish any confusion about a new employee’s job functions and instead opens up the floor to discuss concerns or new opportunities. Thou shalt give thy employ thy undivided attention. Thou… Read More
Continue ReadingStupid Candidate Tricks
Here is a new one – candidates who use provocative usernames in the online resume submission software. From abcnews.com: …a candidate who entered his resume in the company’s online database — along with the username “Sexpig.” Yeah, what more needs to be said about that one? Well, this is much better: Poindexter, a community manager at Disaboom.com, a Denver-based Web community for those with disabilities, recently had to retract a job offer from an entry-level candidate who proved to be a LinkedIn liar. Shortly after extending the offer, Poindexter Googled the new hire and found that his assistant-to-be’s LinkedIn profile had been updated to include a nonexistent position at Disaboom… Read More
Continue Reading