We posted about typos in resumes back in September and mentioned a significant survey result: Eighty-four percent of executives polled said it takes just one or two typographical errors in a resume to remove a candidate from consideration for a job opening; 47 percent said a single typo could be the deciding factor. Time to turn the tables on these executives. I just read a sales ad from a sizeable company that had this typo in the description: …seeking an outstanding individual for Territory Account Manger Perhaps Christmas is still on their mind, but this error leaps from the page. Obviously from the survey mentioned above, typos on resumes are… Read More
Continue ReadingNew Article Released – Right Talent
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 ReadingIs There An Editor In The House?
Full disclosure – I’m no economist. You wouldn’t have to know me long to realize that fact. However, our local Pioneer Press offers a quick read business article with a potpourri of short articles – Labor could reap rewards of political shifts. From the 1st story: Political shifts in the U.S., Europe and Asia increase the chances that 2007 will bring labor higher pay and stronger job protection after five years in which its share of economic gains fell….Wages in the dozen nations sharing the euro barely shifted last year even as the region, which expanded last week to include Slovenia, enjoyed its strongest growth in six years. “Economic data… Read More
Continue ReadingA Culture of Fun
From abcnews.com – How to Have More Fun at Work. This topic is going to become more common as Gen X ascends and Gen Y populates the workforce. Already we are seeing numerous articles on work/life balance enter the article sphere. I’ve worked for many Boomer managers who were suit-and-tie, get your work done leaders with no time for, well, fun at the office. At one technology employer, we had a dartboard and ping pong table in the lunchroom that was a huge hit. In the sales department, we would take a 15 minute afternoon break to go trash-talk each other while competing like we were in the Olympics. To… Read More
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 ReadingCBO
It has been a while since we have done this Monday thing so here is something amusing to start your week. CareerJournal.com offers Drinking on the Clock Is OK for This Position. Opening graph: If drinking beer on the clock and traveling to Oktoberfest in Munich on the company dime sounds like a dream job, there are still nine days left to apply for the newly created post of chief beer officer at the Four Points by Sheraton hotel chain. I’ve been to Munich but not during Oktoberfest. I have also stayed at a handful of Four Points by Sheraton hotels. If they hire based on experience, I can probably… Read More
Continue ReadingCover Letter Threat
I’m having more fun today digging through online resumes and came across this intro to a cover letter: SPECIAL NOTICE:I ONLY accept 1099/C2C/Freelance Web Development assignments. No other offers of any sort or job description will be considered beyond what is stated below. Anything else will be considered SPAM and dealt with accordingly, up to and including reporting the offender to proper authorities. I’ve never seen anything of this sort in my lifetime. Nothing like indirectly threatening potential customers/employers!
Continue ReadingA Strategic Story
This may be an old one, but it is a good way to end the week: A little field mouse was lost in a dense wood, unable to find his way out. He came upon a wise old owl sitting in a tree. “Please help me, wise old owl, how can I get out of this wood?” said the field mouse. “Easy,” said the owl, “Grow wings and fly out, as I do.” “But how can I grow wings?” asked the mouse. The owl looked at him haughtily, sniffed disdainfully, and said, “Don’t bother me with the details, I only advise on strategy.”
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
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