R2R Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better

R2R Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better said the hiring recruitment client to the R2R. “LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, internal referral schemes, internal recruiters, my own network, job boards I do this day in day out, how hard can it be?” â€" the latter being famous last words Have you ever wondered how any R2R business like mine (or one of the increasing number a sudden swarm or school or pride!) can survive, thrive and prosper in such a fiercely competitive  and ruthless market? A market where our customers themselves  are recruiters and therefore are surely capable of hiring their own staff and finding their own role! That old chestnut: For many years, when R2R was in its infancy, many recruiters failed to understand why on earth a hiring client (a recruitment business) would need to use a recruiter themselves to hire their own staff people literally could not get their heads around that. Even more bizarre was how candidates who came through a R2R were sometimes regarded with almost disdain for choosing NOT to promote themselves directly. I think times have changed somewhat since I began in R2R in 2003, (thank GOD of course a candidate needs a R2R a discreet, confidential reverse search model is essential!) however, the legacy remains that a few recruitment companies do still think they can avoid using a R2R at all costs and recruit themselves. Oh, the irony: Conversely, I never consider a client attempting to hire themselves directly as unusual any more, in fact, I prefer to “pitch” myself to my clients as an extension of their own network. Perhaps that is why so many of our clients at Qui Recruitment do use us pretty much exclusively they know they are getting a true partnership approach? Anyway, I digress. Is the direct hiring strategy better for the potential employee? You know where I am going with this summation, but hear me out and I am not trying to be predictable either. Objective? No! Subjective? Yes! and oh, there is £2k as a thank you. I realise that internal referral schemes are there to entice and encourage the staff to recommend their friends to their own employers by way of avoiding a much higher R2R cost. It is who you know after all, isn’t it? However, I argue that is this always the best option for that friend who is being referred- or are they just being sold to so that their pal makes a nice buck (many companies now offer £1k-2k per friend referred- nice money and better than any R2R deal out there!). By using the third party who is objective, ie the R2R, the candidate still knows that they are being represented (hopefully!) to those businesses (or business) which ideally suit their skills, expertise and motivators. I am sceptical that these internal schemes actually work for longevity of people’s careers. We often hear of people wanting to leave because the friend who referred them has left and now it’s “awful” to work there Internal recruiters: The bane of so many peoples’ lives in all recruitment spheres; however, I can totally see the attractiveness of having one person dedicated to finding the best recruiters for a business- after all, R2R is a full time job. I have respect for any internal R2R recruiter who really does remain impartial to the people they are approaching (as oppose to those who “shoe-horn” bums on seats just to get their numbers). Luckily, we work with a few of those who are the former and who do seem to appreciate how challenging R2R is, even from an internal perspective (if I had a £1..) LinkedIn: a double edged sword: There. I said it. Let’s face it. It is threatening and yet helping EVERY recruiter. I predicted it would be my greatest threat when I began using it back in 2008/9. I don’t rely on it, however I could not survive without it. I love it. I hate it. I wish it didn’t exist. I can’t imagine it not existing. Everyone uses it and yet you could spend all day on it and still not place anyone. So, people, let’s see LinkedIn for what it is. It is a FANTASTIC networking tool. It is not however going to replace R2R or any recruiter as it cannot replace personal interaction, recommendation or true consultation, in my humble opinion. My love affair with LinkedIn is enduring, like a marriage, I give, I take, I contribute, I am in it for the long hall but there are nights when I lie there and think about the bits I don’t like (hahaha) and what I would change. In summary: use me? The threats which face all R2Rs not just me are actually, ironically, threats to all recruiters generally. So please do bear this in mind, especially you potential candidates- can you really do a better job than a r2r who knows what they are doing?? Could YOUR candidates do a better job than you? If the answer is no, then a word of advice: do your research carefully over who to use- read testimonials (check they aren’t just work colleagues!), make sure they take time to meet you in person to get to know YOU and what you want: they must tell you WHO they are going to brief you on BEFORE they speak to a client and most importantly, if you aren’t happy or aren’t sure, don’t ever feel pushed or obliged. What do you think? Does Recruitment NEED R2R still? Is it going to need to adapt to survive? What is your experience as a client or candidate?  I would love to hear your thoughts as ever.

How to STOP Using Only 10% of Your LinkedIn Recruiter License

How to STOP Using Only 10% of Your LinkedIn Recruiter License Weve been talking a lot lately about what recruitment leaders should stop doing in 2017; how they can  STOP messing up their critical job adverts and START  getting real, decent applicants, as well as how marketers need to STOP delivering tactics instead of strategy. A theme which links all of this together is my new acronym: FORMO Fear of Recruiters Missing Out. We have become a generation of tech / app / extension / data proliferation and the process is screwed up.  This has never been more so than with LinkedIn Recruiter (RPS Licence).  Ive written before about how recruiters do not expect ROI (return on investment) from LinkedIn. I often see this when I work with recruiters to help them confidently purchase / renew the licence. Yes, they have the LinkedIn Recruiter training to get the ball rolling. Yes, they run the reports on usage… but they often dont analyse data what I feel is critical to seeing ROI. They also don’t check in with recruiters and how they plan to implement their LinkedIn Recruiter Licence. When I work with recruiters, I’m not into ‘wham, bam, thank you ma’am’ training. I’m into ROI. It’s sustainable and as cheap as chips! 70 20 10 â€" Only retaining 10%? Imagine if you studied your client and talent (and staff) retention figures and realised that you were at 10%? You’d faint, scream, hide… But as humans, there is the theory that we retain 10% of the training we receive and the rest is a split between watching others and on the job challenges. I’ve been in training in some form or another for 20 years and I totally agree with this theory. Aiming to get (at least) 100% ROI from LinkedIn Recruiter Why is it that we often only “do the math” at the end of the day? We often use finance figures from previous activity. We look back at last month and what do we do differently this month? We possibly don’t have enough predictive analysis to help us predict success (or failure). I often get told by recruiters that they need help understanding how to measure ROI from a LinkedIn Recruiter Licence and waiting on placement data is too long a wait (AND this assumes either success or failure, rather than a journey which needs constant management and focus). Here are some data points I feel are critical to helping you understand the ROI of LinkedIn Recruiter: LinkedIn Company Page Metrics: LinkedIn Company post Impressions Linkedin Company page followers LinkedIn.com Staff Profile Metrics Followers not connections Number of Connections Weekly profile views LinkedIn Recruiter (RPS Licence) Metrics LinkedIn Recruiter usage and success InMail Acceptance Rates â€" I would clarify that this needs measuring against sends/ declines too Activity â€" LogIns/Searches/Profiles Viewed/In-mails sent â€" plus projects and alerts setup Website Metrics Hits to Website from LinkedIn and which pages were the most popular Flow to website and applications â€" I would add referral rates in Google Analytics CRM Metrics Placements â€" Value by month â€" have a think about LTV too (life time value) Opportunities â€" In CRM with LinkedIn as source Leads â€" In CRM with LinkedIn as source Candidates / Contacts â€" source = LinkedIn You don’t need me to tell you that buying a system, especially LinkedIn Recruiter, is not the goal using it well and happily paying the invoice is the goal. Saying of course we’ll renew to LinkedIn is a great statement to make, as opposed to FORMO. “Your FD telling you that you’ve spent a fortune on tech just to stay the same, is not what you want to hear at year end.” Telling your clients that you have every bit of tech going and still you’re having issues finding talent is not a sales pitch, an excuse or even a USP.  Start the measure the effectiveness of your LinkedIn Recruiter licence. Take action on how effectively and successfully it is being used. Stop waiting for placements to happen / not happen before you measure ROI. Habits will have been formed and the system perhaps devalued by then.

Keep it Simple When it Comes to Happiness.

Keep it Simple When it Comes to Happiness. The last few weeks of my life have been utterly chaotic as far as my personal life goes. As things have started to settle down, Ive had a chance to catch my breath and think about the decisions Ive made, lessons Ive learned and what I could share with other women about my experience. I think happiness is much simpler than women make it sometimes. Heres an awesome quote by Brian Tracy which, if taken into consideration each day, should simplify your ability to achieve happiness: Be absolutely clear about who you are and what you stand for. Refuse to compromise. For many people, finding themselves is a job in itself. But if you know who you are and what you want, just abide by those guidelines when making decisions and monitoring how you feel. Keep it simple. Dont over analyze: if its not what you want, then forget it. If you know what you want, go get it- even if it takes a while. Now this advice isnt necessarily relevant in your career life but more applicable to your personal life. But remember, the choices you make in your personal life will ultimately affect your career and financial life as well. Im suggesting that you adapt your attitude, your perspective and your actions to match what you want. Is dating a brunette with a business degree and great muscles extremely important to you? Then dont date the blonde skinny guy who majored in Political Science. It will probably bother you later and you will waste time and you will be mad at yourself later. Do you want a guy who asks YOU out, texts you first, and offers to meet up with you when you are both sober? Great. Then dont get hung up on the guy who only texts you on weekends when he is drunk. Why? Because that doesnt fit what you want. Believe me, the guy who pursues you is worth waiting for. Do you want to get married but know you arent with the person you want to marry? Does he not believe in marriage? Do you want to be with someone with your same religious beliefs? If so, then why are you with someone that doesnt match these criteria? Are you expecting lightning to strike your guy and change his religion, his thoughts on marriage and your relationship? Sorry, this is reality and reality doesnt work like that. The first quality of Suze Ormans Eight Qualities of a Wealthy Woman is harmony. She says that when you are in harmony, what you think, say and do are all aligned. If you want to be someones #1, then stop dealing with the guy who puts you at #27. If you want to buy a condo, start making a plan to do it and then make sure your actions reflect what you are thinking and saying. I think many women see things how theyd like them to be, rather than see things for what they really are. All youre doing is hurting yourself in the end. I have a detailed list of what I want in a guy, along with a list of achievements I want to accomplish in both 2009 and in 5 years. Now that I have my destination on paper, I can review it and make sure my thoughts, actions and words reflect what is on my list. Whenever I have compromised what is important to me from my list, Ive been disappointed. I shouldve just kept it simple by sticking to what I wanted in the first place. I challenge you to make your lists about what you want in a friend, job, boyfriend, financially etc. and keep it simple by sticking to your list. No more sugar coating, or going after things that dont match up with what you want. Although it might be a hard habit to break at first, you will feel much happier in the end.

Job Seeker Employment Date Codes - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Job Seeker Employment Date Codes - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career I like milk. For my entire life I have purchased it based upon the date code on the carton. The assumption is that the later the date code, the fresher the milk. You have date codes, too. Few people talk about them, but they can have major effects on your employability. Let me explain what I mean. I had two lunches last week with two different recruiters. Both mentioned employment date coding. They just didnt call it by that name. Why? Because the term employment date coding is a shorthand phrase I invented to describe one or more time stamps that many recruiters and hiring managers assign to job seekers. This may be the only article you ever read on this important concept, so I encourage you to read it thoroughly. What is an employment date code? It is a date  derived from your employment history. Let me explain. Whether you are currently employed or unemployed, your employment date codes are  on your resume. A recruiter or hiring manager can thus determine how long you have been at your current job, how long you were at your previous jobs, and the number of jobs you have had in the past five to ten years. In addition, if you are unemployed then they may also want to know your unemployed date code when you left your last job. Managing your date codes properly will positively affect your overall brand and  your employability. One  of the  recruiters I met  volunteered that he will only consider job seekers who (1) have a clean job history, (2) are currently employed, and (3) can demonstrate quantified results that justify their experience. His first two criteria are related to date coding! When I asked what he meant by a clean job history, he said that he expects the person to have no more than two jobs in the past five years and no more than four in the last ten years. Obviously, since he wants only employed job seekers, he is looking for people whose unemployment date code is not applicable. Your brand is strongest and you  are most  employable  when you have created  a reasonably stable work history and are currently employed. But, of course, many people have had  employment turbulence due to the major business downturns in  the U.S. recessions of 2000/2001 and 2008/2009 as well as certain industry sector consolidations. This topic is discussed in more detail in  Chapter 5 of  Fast Track Your Job Search (and Career!) titled Career Satisfaction. What can you do if you have changed jobs several times in the past five or ten years? The most obvious solution is to stay with your current employer three or more years, to demonstrated longevity.  If you are unemployed, then this may be a good goal  in choosing your next employer. Find the best place you can where you feel you can stay for a while. If you are currently unemployed, some additional clarification is needed. Your dates of past employment that are shown on your resume are fixed. You may be able to get somewhat creative in how you present them, which could reduce downside effects. (This is a topic for another post) Your date when you left your last job and became unemployed is fixed, too. However, there is more to it than that. And here is where my milk story becomes more relevant. If you are unemployed, no one will tell you but you need to hear it from me: You are like a carton of milk. Although you do not have a literal expiration date, each month that passes will tend to make you appear more questionable as a candidate. And after six months or so, some people may consider you expired as a job candidate. For these reasons, it is important that you not take the first few months of your job search too casually. Even if you have considerable financial resources, dragging out your job search is likely to reduce your marketability.  I decided to take a few months off or Its a tough job market are  likely to  fall on deaf ears. Here is my one sentence synopsis: Manage your career to demonstrate longevity with past employers, try to conduct your job searches when employed, and  get moving quickly when unemployed to avoid reductions in your  marketability. What do you think? Can you find a way to utilize this information to motivate yourself and succeed faster? Author: Richard Kirby  is an executive career consultant, speaker on career strategies, and author of Fast Track Your Job Search (and Career!). Richard Kirby’s earlier experience includes managing engineering, human resources, marketing and sales teams for employers that ranged from a Fortune 100 to a VC-funded entrepreneurial startup. For the past 11 years at Executive Impact, Richard has helped hundreds of executives and professionals successfully navigate today’s transformed 21st century job market and achieve better employment for themselves. Richard’s expertise includes career assessments and goal setting, personal marketing/branding, resume enhancement, strategic networking and job interviewing, and “contrarian” job search methodologies. He is a Board Certified Coach (in career coaching) and a Certified Management Consultant (recognized by the ISO).

#58 - Career Expert Series - Veteran Connections with Pete Blum

#58 - Career Expert Series - Veteran Connections with Pete Blum The Career Insider Podcast Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | TuneIn | RSSForEpisode 58of The CareerMetis Podcast, we will be hearing from Pete BlumevalPete Blum runs The Veteran Connections Podcast.It’s a weekly podcast that supports our transitioning veterans as they begin their journey into the civilian business world.Pete interviews veteran business owners about what steps they are taking, the hurdles they have encountered, and what advice they can give other veterans and business owners.Episode Summaryeval1. Pete explains how his transition out of the military caused him to learn some vital things that he could teach other veterans.2. He tells listeners about having to undergo the process twice, and the events that led up to the start of the Veteran Connections Podcast.3. Pete describes the premise of the Veteran Connections podcast, it’s early days, and what listeners can expect to hear when they tune in.4. He talks about some of the obstacles t hat veterans face when transition out of the military and into the civilian community.eval5. He also share some of the advantages that veterans bring to businesses who hire them.6.Pete gives a ton of valuable tips, tricks, insights and perspectives on finding a job as a veteran, from the starting line of researching companies, down to tiny things veterans can do accidentally to interview themselves out of a job.7. He shares actionable things that veterans can apply immediately to increase their chances successfully finding employment.Quotes“When they get out, they’ve done that their whole life, so they don’t really know anything about the civilian community”“Things on the outside are very different from the military”eval“Everyone I’ve talked to who has been through TAPS basically says it’s not enough”“If you want to find a job, first of all you have to research companies”“You go into an interview and they want to know about you. They want to know what skill s you have, what have you actually accomplished yourself.”“You need to find something that matches how you feel, or matches your passion.”LinksTo learn more about Pete Blum and for additional resources, you can visit hiswebsite.You can also connect with him or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Pete Blum.Pete Blum runs The Veteran Connections Podcast- a weekly podcast that supports our transitioning veterans as they begin their journey into the civilian business world.Intro Music provided courtesy of Accelerated Ideas

Unhappy with Your Job Take This First Step to Figure Out Why.

Unhappy with Your Job Take This First Step to Figure Out Why. Many people who come into my office tell me they are unhappy with their career. Some of them describe what I call the blue flu â€" they consistently dread going into work not because of a physical ailment but because they are so unhappy in their job. How to Be Happier at Work One of our first steps to helping them be happier in a career is to uncover the root of their unhappiness. Some typical reasons are listed below: Is it the work itself? Is it only some of the tasks that are creating the unhappiness, but those tasks take up a high percentage of their work day? Is it the work environment or culture? Is it the interactions with their co-workers or boss? Is it the hours they work or lack of flexibility? Is it the commute? Is it a combination of many of the reasons above? Is it the lack of appreciation or recognition for exceptional work? Is it the poor prospects for a promotion or raise? The reasons why my clients are unhappy with their jobs differ greatly. Once we uncover the root of the unhappiness, we can address it properly. In our coaching sessions, we create a plan to address this unhappiness and craft a strategy to help them find or shape a satisfying career. What kind of work strategies can address this unhappiness? For some clients, they need to completely find a new line of work. A career that more closely aligns with their skills and interests. For others, they will continue with the same type of work, but they need to find a new company to work for. The environment is draining them and keeping them from enjoying the work that they do. They need to find a culture that more aligns with their work values. Other clients simply need help identifying changes that they can make or affect that will allow them to eliminate/mitigate the sources of dissatisfaction with their current job. Some clients decide to open their own business and begin to realize a dream they had not considered implementing previously. Others who own their business, decide to either go back to the corporate work environment, or decide to redesign their business model and continue to own their own business but in a new way. There are ways to address the unhappiness in your career. Unfortunately, there is no magic button you can push to make this unhappiness go away immediately. However, with some work, you can begin to look forward to going to work each day!

Resume Writing For High School Students - How to Format Your Resume For High School Students

Resume Writing For High School Students - How to Format Your Resume For High School StudentsWhen you write a resume for high school students, there are some simple things that you must do to make it successful. Though this is a very difficult task, writing your resume and making it a success is well worth the effort.It is a very important consideration to keep in mind when you are attempting to create a resume for a high school student. However, many high school students do not take the time to take care of these details. Therefore, it is important to learn how to create a high school resume from scratch and how to edit them in a way that you can customize it to your personal needs.Writing a resume for high school students involves several things that you must do. First, you need to include all of the important information about yourself. This includes your high school career objectives and any additional professional skills that you have. You should also include your grades from the past two years and any awards you may have received in school.As far as formatting the resume goes, you need to know how to make it look good when you are writing it for high school students. There are various ways to style your resume. However, you want to avoid using too much to type in order to make it more readable.It is possible to create a great looking resume if you know how to make it look good at first glance. However, if you want it to look good after a while, then you may want to write in black and white. In addition, you should consider including only one color on your resume so that you can be sure that it can stand out from the crowd.The next step to writing a resume for high school students is getting to know the person you are writing it for. You will need to understand the person's interests, education, past jobs, and other relevant information. This will help you when you get into the main parts of the resume.The final part of writing a resume for high school stud ents is knowing how to format your resume for the different sections. You will want to place your curriculum vitae in a way that makes it easy to read and that matches your educational background. You can also format it so that you can include it in your applications for college and other professional situations.The fact of the matter is that formatting your resume for high school students involves several very important considerations. These involve formatting it for easier reading, placing it in a manner that makes it easy to use and determining the place where you will place your academic information. By learning these skills, you will be able to create a more professional resume for the high school student you are writing it for. Therefore, you will be able to create a resume that will make it easier for you to be accepted into the colleges and career opportunities that you are looking for.