You ever notice what a mixed bag of economic news we receive these days? Here is one that caught my eye from CNNMoney.com (my editing): The private sector gained 9,000 jobs in July, primarily among small businesses and the service sector, according to a report payroll manager ADP released Wednesday. A consensus of economists surveyed by Briefing.com had expected a loss of 60,000 non-farm jobs. Can you imagine if the “consensus of economists” bet on football games? They would be making their predictions from the poor house. Nonetheless, I heard a very interesting talk from John Sumser last week in which he discussed that national employment statistics are grossly overrated… Read More
Continue ReadingCasualness – The Candidacy Killer
I remember having a sales job (pre-computer days) where I was expected to wear a suit every day. One day I showed up with a navy sportcoat, tie and khakis and I actually was a bit nervous about what my boss might say. I didn’t get in trouble, but I didn’t wear a sportcoat again. Suffice to say, the average office has become extremely casual over the past 20 years. We get the opportunity to see many different office environments and I am beginning to think that they are evolving into even more casualness. Jeans are becoming more common in the middle of the week, not just on Fridays. I… Read More
Continue ReadingCyberslamming And Social Network Checks
Using social networks like Myspace and Facebook as part of a background check currently falls into a legal grey area. Apparently this activity is lacking any precedence in the judicial system which means it is risky. I’m not naive, I suspect most companies Google candidates to see what they discover. Recruiting Trends provides an article that describes one area where trouble may arise: There are anecdotes on the Internet of false postings under another person’s name – a sort of “cyber identity theft.” If anonymous information is posted, such as in a chat room, there is the new phenomena of Cyperslamming (sic), where a person can commit defamation without anyone… Read More
Continue ReadingWhen Hiring, Expect Success
Have you ever worked with a “glass half empty” person? They are something to behold especially if you are a bit of an optimist. We get the chance to interact with many leaders of both sales departments (VP of Sales) and entire companies (CEO). One thing that always catches my ear is the leader’s level of optimism. I find leaders who have a realistic level of optimism to be the most effective. I’m not talking about whistling through the graveyard, but rather a measured optimism that seeks positive solutions. The reason this is so important is that employees have a more difficult time rallying behind a pessimistic leader. I have… Read More
Continue Reading10 Most Recession-Proof Jobs
This story from Forbes.com provides a survey with a simple, but insightful structure: To compile its list, Jobfox examined its database of about 4,000 job postings from November 2007 through July 2008 to see which professions have the most openings monthly. Ok, so what did they find? Sales representatives top the list–and, unlike other professions, not because there’s a shortage. Rather, in tough economic times, a good sales force is a critical way to pull a company out of a downturn. I like to say that good salespeople are always in demand no matter what the economy is doing.
Continue ReadingCompensation Consternation
I know, lame title, but I couldn’t resist. ManageSmarter.com offers up this article – Compensation Complexity Hinders Sales – regarding current compensation plans. Here are some numbers they quote within the article (my editing): Only 41% of sales leaders were satisfied with their current compensation plans (down from 59% two years prior), and only 46% believed their plans were promoting the correct behaviors for sales success. Nearly half (46%) of sales force leaders believe their sales compensation programs have become more complex since 2006. I always found the compensation plans to be more “complex” when I wasn’t at quota. Successful selling definitely alleviates many problems. But there is this: The… Read More
Continue ReadingOverqualified
The layoffs that have occurred in this weak economy have led to a larger percentage of overqualified candidates responding to lower-level positions. We are presently seeing this effect in our sourcing efforts. Clearly some companies that are looking to cut costs are laying off experienced salespeople who have 1.) higher salaries & benefits and 2.) are not delivering top-end numbers. That’s not to say they are not being successful, but they are performing at a level where a financial decision maker may decided to release them. This downsizing happens frequently to sales departments in weak economies. The follow up move is this – hire a younger, less expensive salesperson for… Read More
Continue ReadingDictionaries Save Cover Letters
Killian’s Cover Letters from Hell are out again with some highly entertaining fare. This one does it for me: I’m looking for work because even though my company was profitable last year, this year they are expecting a large defecate.
Continue ReadingSales 2.0
I read often about web 2.0, recruiting 2.0 and sales 2.0. Math was never my forte so numbers scare me. But I did come across a very informative article in Sales & Marketing Management article titled A Step-By-Step Overview of Sales 2.0. The first pull quote: With instant access to corporate Web sites, search and social networks, your customers have company and product information at their fingertips, which give them much more control over the sales process than they had in the day when brochures and pricing were only available from a sales rep. Many prospective customers postpone talking with a sales rep, believing that they’ll get a better deal… Read More
Continue Reading10 Mistakes Companies Make In The Hiring Process
The title of this post caught my eye from US News & World Report. The insightful list made me laugh; I believe I have watched companies make all 10 of these mistakes in the past 12 months. The 10 mistakes are: Flakiness. Making hiring decisions that aren’t based on the right criteria. Not distinguishing between what can be taught and what can’t. Not asking the right questions in interviews. Letting candidates get away with superficial, stock responses. Hiring too quickly. …Not moving fast enough. Not getting back to candidates. Conducting intimidating, high-pressure interviews. Not giving an accurate portrayal of the job. Author Alison Green has this to say about #2 Employers often overvalue particular types… Read More
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