We released a new article today titled Finding Sales Candidates with the RIGHT Talent. “Talent” is a hot buzzword right now and since we measure it, we thought it would helpful to share some of our findings. Suffice to say, most hiring managers believe it is best to hire the candidate with the most overall talent. While this approach is certainly better than hiring someone with little talent, there are still pitfalls to avoid. As you have probably ascertained from the article’s title, we target candidates with the right talent for the position’s requirements.
Continue ReadingWhat You Need
If you have read The Hire Sense for any length of time, you know that we are consistently reading sales employment ads looking for strong formats. Unfortunately, the majority of our reading reveals poorly constructed ads. I personally believe these ads are the starting point for companies who end up criticizing online job boards. They pay the exorbitant fee to place the lousy ad and then receive a lousy response. Their defense mechanism is simple – the online boards are an unproductive waste of resources. As I’ve stated before, if you don’t catch any fish in a lake renowned for good fishing, it doesn’t mean the lake is inferior. The… Read More
Continue ReadingThink Sourcing – Part 2
CNNMoney.com takes the today’s job report even further – Skilled worker shortage hurts U.S. The article’s opening sentence: The biggest problem with job growth right now isn’t too few new jobs. It’s too few skilled workers. And later: “It’s down to the nub already,” he said. “Supply and demand is completely out of whack.”Some experts say part of the blame for the slowdown in the economy in last year’s second half can be laid on labor constraints – companies couldn’t expand as fast as they wanted due to a lack of workers with the right skills. Notice that the comment is not a lack of skills, it is a lack… Read More
Continue ReadingThink Sourcing
From Foxnews.com – Economy Shrugs Off Weak Housing and Automotive Sectors As Employers Add 167,000 Jobs in December. We are encountering extended sourcing cycles right now due in no small part to compensation increases. Employers stepped up hiring last month, boosting payrolls by a brisk 167,000 and keeping the unemployment rate steady at a still historically low 4.5 percent. Workers’ wages grew briskly. The latest snapshot of the nation’s employment climate, released Friday by the Labor Department, showed that the jobs market ended 2006 on a strong note and provided fresh evidence that the troubled housing and automotive sectors aren’t dragging down employment across the country. We have implemented numerous… Read More
Continue ReadingAd Format
I saw this section in a sales ad this morning: Day to Day – At a glance The section contained seven bullet points explaining the tasks of a typical day in this role. It was a quick read section that provided enough insight into the position to pique the interest of the right candidates. The brevity of the section is the factor that makes it work. I would not recommend 25 bullet points with every daily task – just provide the flavor for the candidate.
Continue ReadingThe Perfect Storm
CNNMoney.com offers this quick story – Planned job cuts take big Dec. dip. The phrase “planned job cuts” is a poor construction, but it essentially means expected layoffs. Planned job cuts for all of 2006 fell below 1 million for the first time since 2000, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., an employment consulting firm. Be wary of the naysayers spouting an impending doom for our economy. The economy is robust and it truly is an employee’s market right now. The reason why you should be aware of this fact: “With the American economy at full employment for the first time since Sept. 11, 2001, the latest job-cut data… Read More
Continue ReadingSales Traits Series – Self-Management
Today we are focusing on an aptitude that has become more prevalent with the advent of remote salespeople. When we assess sales candidates for home-based or remote office positions, we place a higher significance on this trait. Self-Management An overall trait comprised of multiple factors which involve a person’s ability to manage his or her own self. This trait is similar to a person’s ability to manage others which involves empathy, understanding, gaining commitment and various other leadership qualities. This trait measures a person’s ability to marshal similar abilities toward managing themselves. A salesperson with strength in this aptitude will be able to objectively and accurately assess their own strengths… Read More
Continue ReadingTop 10 Hiring Mistakes
Inc.com offers up this slide show that nails it – 10 derailing mistakes that can short circuit any hiring process. A couple of my favorites: Jumping to conclusions Don’t be too hasty when reviewing resumes. A 30-second glance isn’t enough to eliminate a candidate. Be fair, and take the time to discover the truth behind a resume. I would take it one step further – don’t jump to conclusions after interviewing the candidate either. We have sat through many interview debriefs where the hiring manager took one piece of data from the interview and ran it out to a sinister trend in the candidate. There is nothing more frustrating than… Read More
Continue ReadingJanuary Is Active
From a promotional email from CareerBuilder.com: Last year, job searches on CareerBuilder.com increased by over 60% in January, breaking all previous job search records. Obviously, CareerBuilder is trying to sell employment ads, but the quoted statistic is remarkable. We hear people complain about finding talented salespeople using the big online boards but we have consistent success with them. The boards may be a problem for some positions, but I don’t think that is the common cause. From what I see, many companies post ads that are . . . well, atrocious. Here’s my Minnesotan view on it: Imagine you are on a large lake that is renowned for good fishing.… Read More
Continue ReadingOnline Ads
From Fortune/CNN Money.com: A market research firm called Borrell Associates is now claiming that in 2006, online ad spending for employee recruitment – a.k.a., help wanted – has for the first time surpassed comparable spending in newspapers. The actual amounts are $5.9 billion on the Web vs. $5.4 billion for newspapers.We haven’t seen the full report, but in a thorough post, Alan Mutter quotes this nugget: “When the history of Internet advertising is written, recruitment sites will undoubtedly dominate the first chapter,” says Borrell. “In 12 years, these sites have grown from a few job boards to hundreds of niche competitors. Online recruitment now accounts for 25% of Internet advertising.”… Read More
Continue Reading