How to WOW Candidates…

Wow! Where Do I Sign? …Impressing potential employees.

 

It’s nothing new to hear that competition for talent is tough. Attracting the right people is undeniably important. So how do you get it right just out of the gates? Wowing and wooing potential employees doesn’t have to involve a lot of splashy gimmicks, but rather a lot of listening, thoughtful planning, and salesmanship.

 

The thoughtful planning should happen both before and after the interview. Thinking of the interview as an invitation helps color the entire process with courtesy. Besides reviewing in advance what you want to learn from candidates as well as what they will need to learn from you, take steps to make candidates feel as welcome and comfortable as possible. Arrange for any reasonable accommodations that they request, and reimburse all travel and meal costs. For out of town candidates, small details such as timing a break between flight arrival and the interview to allow the candidate to refresh or eat a meal are generally appreciated.

 

If the candidate arrives the evening before the interview, arrange to have a company welcome pack at the front desk upon check in. Besides company propaganda, this could include information on your community that is available from your local Chamber of Commerce or Visitors’ Center. If the spouse is traveling with the candidate, include his or her name on the packet and include information on local attractions, housing and job information, a list of recruiters in the area, as well as a list of Web sites that can direct the candidate and his or her family to even more information about the area.

 

Enough time should be scheduled with each candidate to allow for a relaxed, unhurried interview. The first impression of the office environment is as important as the initial impression you make on the candidate as the potential employer. When the candidate arrives, take him or her to a comfortable room where he or she can sit and read prior to the meeting. And make sure you’re on time. Being late is impolite and reflects poorly on the company.

 

The interview should, ideally, be a structured but relaxed conversation, not an overly formal review of the candidate’s resume or an intimidating question-and-answer session. Try to be mindful of talking too much. Let the candidate do most of the talking and pay attention. Preparing professionally and having a conversation with the candidate establishes rapport and increases the chances that he or she will respond honestly. The importance of this cannot be over-emphasized because at this point you need to discover what really matters to the candidate. This means including the candidate’s personal life (read: family and lifestyle) in the hiring process.

 

Being familiar with the candidate’s background, experience, and career aspirations all help you understand his or her vision so you can “show and sell” how your opportunity can help achieve those goals. Likewise, uncover the candidate’s motivations – is it mostly money, or what about quality of life? Do you offer childcare on site? Gym corporate discounts? Pension? Flexible scheduling? Do you live in an area with great beaches, hiking trails or other enticing natural features? Play up every attraction – every angle – you have, and let the candidate know that you recognize that there’s life away from work. This could tip very even scales your direction when a hot prospect is comparing your offer versus another.

 

Close the interview by explaining what happens next in the hiring process and thank the candidate for his or her time. Timeliness is especially critical now as delaying offers generally costs employers the most in-demand candidates. The top 10% will be gone after the first week, so minimize inefficiencies and approval delays. If there is an unavoidable delay, however, have the hiring manager call the candidates to let them know where things are in the process, and provide a date when they can expect to know an outcome.

Resume Design: Tips and Templates that get Results!

By Rikka Brandon and Erin Mayer

 

Employers prefer crisp-looking resumes that get to the point. If your resume is wordy, unappealing visually, or boring- it will get tossed in only minutes.

Layout  
Add interest and clarity by using bullets, indents and varying font styles (such as bold and italic letters). Avoid using unconventional fonts or adding photos or graphics.

Length  
The general rule is: one page for early-career (entry level to 5-10 years); two pages for mid-career candidates. 

Job Data  
Provide the reader with relevant detail about your past and present employers, such as product information, size and physical location.  How many did you manage both directly and indirectly? What was your territory? Who were your customers, etc.

Measurables  
Quantify your job duties, reporting relationships and achievements with actual numbers.  Especially in the building industry, numbers are key.  You should be able to back up these tangibles with proof, as well.

Job and Education Dates
Make sure the dates are clear and without gaps. If you’re a mid- to late-career candidate, you can save space by lumping early-career jobs together. I would recommend NOT putting in phrases like ‘over 25 years experience in’ as it can age you rather than make you look experienced.  If you’ve got a role on your resume that is from years and years ago and is of no relevance to the position you’re seeking- leave it off.

Degree Credentials
Please be accurate-and honest. Misrepresenting your degree is unethical, and could result in consequences that are embarrassing-or worse.  Add in any certifications, awards, trainings, etc.  If you are currently working on a Six Sigma Black Belt- say that! If you’re only two classes away from an MBA, do tell!  List as many as you can that showcase your qualifications and ambition.

10 Keys to a Dynamite Resume!

By Rikka Brandon

To help you construct a better, more powerful resume, here are ten overall considerations in regard to your resume’s content and presentation:

1. Position title and job description. Provide your title, plus a detailed explanation of your duties and accomplishments. Since job titles are often misleading or their function may vary from one company to another, your resume should tell the reader exactly what you’ve done and how well you did it.

2. Clarity of dates and place. Document your work history and educational credentials accurately. Don’t leave the reader guessing where and when you were employed, or when you earned your degree.

3. Explicitness. Let the reader know the nature, size and location of your past employers, and what their business is.

4. Detail. Specify some of the more technical, or involved aspects of your past work or training, especially if you’ve performed tasks of any complexity, or significance.

5. Proportion. Give appropriate attention to jobs or educational credentials according to their length, or importance to the reader. For example, if you wish to be considered for an engineering position, don’t write one paragraph describing your current engineering job, followed by three paragraphs about your summer job as a lifeguard.

6. Relevancy. Confine your information to that which is job-related or clearly demonstrates a pattern of success. Concentrate only on subject matter that addresses the needs of the employer.
 
7. Length. Fill up only a page or two. If you write more than two pages, it sends a signal to the reader that you can’t organize your thoughts, or you’re trying too hard to make a good impression. If your content is strong, you won’t need more than two pages.

8.  Spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Create an error-free document that’s representative of an educated person. If you’re unsure about the correctness of your writing (or if English is your second language), consult a professional writer or editor.

9. Readability. Organize your thoughts in a clear, concise manner. No resume ever won a Nobel Prize for literature; however, a fragmented or long-winded resume will virtually assure you of a place at the back of the line. 

10. Readability. Be sure to select a conventional type style, such as Times Roman or Arial, and choose a neutral background or stationery. If your resume takes too much effort to read, it may end up in the trash, even if you have terrific skills.

Finally, I suggest you write several drafts, and allow yourself time to review your work and proofread for errors. If you have a professional associate whose opinion you trust, by all means, listen to what he or she has to say. A simple critique can make the difference between an interview and a rejection.

Two simple ways to get your resume read.

by Erin Mayer, March 2009

As a jobseeker, your most important tool is your resume.  Through this you get interviews, which lead to offers.  Thus, making sure it gets read by employers is one of the best things you can do to increase your chances of landing a great job.

Often, jobseekers are not aware of just how little time is initially spent determining if their resume represents a strong candidate who should be considered, or someone who should be discarded along with countless others.

What jobseekers need to remember is that employers usually start with a huge number of resumes.  The best jobs elicit massive numbers of applicants, and smart hiring managers frequently search for talent in vast resume databases.  In both cases, hiring managers must, of necessity, find a way to drastically reduce the number of resumes, while simultaneously making sure that the resumes they are left with represent strong candidates. There are two methods by which this is accomplished: personal review and electronic filtering/searching.

The personal method involves the employer going through each resume and determining if it will be saved for closer consideration or tossed out.  It is not unusual for hiring managers to make this initial decision in less than a minute.  With a quick scan, they will either be struck by your words and consider you, or find nothing that immediately appeals to them and toss your resume out with countless others.  In total, they likely see and understand less than 25% of the words on the page.  What they do see needs to pop, or the rest will never be read.

Although there are a number of outside factors affecting the outcome, there are two steps you can take to maximize your resume’s ability to catch readers’ eyes.  First, focus on formatting your resume.  Not chronological or functional formats, but the actual way the words and phrases are aligned on the page.  For example, using lists and bullets can quickly call attention to any series of information.  Indentations, italicizes, underlines, and the like may be used as well.  Every resume is different, so play around with different formats.  Choose the one that, at a very quick glance, most easily and effectively conveys your most impressive and qualifying achievements and characteristics.  By far the best help you can get in this regard is to have family members or friends read it.  Tell them they have 30 seconds to scan it, and then ask them what they got out of it.  Ask them how it portrays you, and what qualities were most clearly expressed in such little time.  There is no substitute for several sets of eyes…the benefit of having other people review your resume before you submit it cannot be overemphasized.  

The second step is your language.  Style, word choice, voice, and grammar can play a huge role in the effectiveness of your resume.  Keep your style short and concise.  Avoid excessive use of adjectives: this eliminates often-unneeded words to give you more room, makes your use of adjectives more meaningful, and helps keep the message clear and unobstructed.  Use powerful action words to emphasize your skills and achievements.  Be sure to only use the active voice.  This consideration requires special treatment.  People use the passive voice so naturally that they often do not even realize they are using it.  The passive voice is “less direct, less bold, and less concise,” all qualities you should strive for in your resume.  “The habitual use of the active voice…makes for forcible writing…of any kind.  Many a tame sentence of description or exposition can be made lively and emphatic by…[using] the active voice.” The Purdue University Online Writing Lab is a good resource for brushing up on the active and passive voices.  As far as grammar goes, strive for perfection.  Excellent grammar will do nothing but make your resume clearer and easier to understand, which will prove invaluable to someone who only has 30 seconds to look at it.  Check out a copy of Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style.  Every quote above is from it (section 14 to be exact).

Electronic filtering and searching is the second method by which employers “weed out” resumes.  On TopBuildingJobs, employers can search through our resume database by company or keywords, such as Purchasing Manager, Vice President of Sales, etc…  Some companies run more specific searches on their own databases, sorting by any number of relevant words or phrases.  Identifying keywords for the position or area you are interested in can make sure your resume comes up when employers perform this type of electronic filtering.  Again, the possibilities are varied and numerous, and depend on the specific position, company, area, expertise, etc… that you are interested in. 

Maximizing your resume for both personal review and electronic filtering and searching will give you the best possible chance of having your resume earnestly considered and carefully read.  It is the first step a company takes in hiring you, so prepare for it carefully.  Go get that job!

 

Reviewing your Recruiting Process

Have you ever wondered about your candidates’ experiences when applying for a position with your company? Even if your business is in the minority of organizations that isn’t strongly affected by the tight labor market, gauging the effectiveness of your recruitment process is a smart business practice that affects your employer brand for better or worse.

 

One of the first steps in reviewing your recruiting process is to consider your job descriptions. Are they accurate? Compelling? Lacking in detail? It’s in everyone’s best interest for the applicants to be fully aware about the specifics of the job, including the physical requirements, type of workplace, relocation considerations, opportunities for advancement, and salary range so that applicants can self-screen and make decisions on that basis. The beauty of using the web to recruit is that you are not limited by space to describe your opening.

 

Job descriptions are also valuable tools to get your candidates excited about your opportunity. Include any information on benefits, stock options, or other unique perks your company may offer. Creatively re-thinking the job title can also be beneficial in terms of sparking a job seeker’s interest.  Think: Super Star Branch Manager Needed or Project Manager with Sign-on Bonus.

 

Next, consider your job posting. Where and when did you post? If you’re doing it right, you should expect 10-15 qualified candidates. If you do a lot of online postings, Friday afternoons is not an optimal time as job hunting is no longer tied to the Sunday paper. Instead, Monday through Thursday is usually the busiest time for job boards because people look while they’re at work.

 

One very effective way to test your process is to utilize “mystery shoppers.” Commission people to be phantom candidates who will apply for positions, submit “perfect resumes,” and even interview with your company to let you know what was frustrating, where they wanted to quit, what was helpful, and in general, how they found the experiment. This will indeed deliver the moment of truth about your recruiting process.

 

Other considerations include the time it takes to get through the entire recruiting process (at a minimum, you should average one step per week as the all-star candidates won’t be available for long) and a review of your compensation. Salary.com offers an easy way to check if your offerings are competitive.

 

Finally, do you sell yourself? Similar to creating compelling job titles and descriptions, making your voice heard amid the cacophony of employers vying for job seekers’ attention means you need to convince candidates why they should work for your company. Taking this to the next level, sit down with your leaders and figure out a way to do this in a way that attracts the kinds of candidates you most want to hire. None of these ideas take a tremendous amount of time or money to implement, but putting them into practice can pay big dividends in terms of beefing up your recruitment machine for the long haul.

Retaining employees in today’s market

By Erin Mayer, January 2009

One of the philosophies of companies which attract, retain and motivate high performing employees is a positive attitude toward individuals and a belief that valuing them is key. In this era of acquisitions, increased change, and lay-offs, it is quite easy for top management to see employees as expendable resources to be hired and fired at will according to the current short-term business plan. Employees get scared and cynical and keep their eyes open for new, more secure opportunities.  They also report ‘the ship is sinking’ to friends, relatives, and random strangers!

Many companies scream, “People are our most important asset.” But talk is cheap. Similarly, many companies post mission/vision statements that must be backed up in practice to be believed.

Small and large companies are equally affected by the changing market- The loyalty that some employers and employees proudly proclaim is dependent. When the labor market is tight, people and companies seem to look out for number one.

Some companies forget that the ‘entry level’ positions are often filled by individuals that are coming directly into contact with customers- Yet companies often overlook these new people or simply forget to communicate with them. This happens in so many industries; banking (tellers), hotel/motel (housekeeping), building materials (stockers/counter workers/etc…) retail… the list goes on and on.

There is a clear caste system in most companies- and most fail to understand or calculate the cost of this turnover. (in addition to the cost of lost customers- disgruntled employees tell others and can alter the buying habits of many).

What are the basic principles of a positive ‘company attitude’?

1. First, employees need to feel they are appreciated, valued and trusted.  This isn’t touchy-feely- It is about respecting people and their contributions to the company effort. This principle implies competence.

2. Development.  Each person in an organization needs to be good at what they do, and you know what… few people start out that way. Employees who participate in their own growth and development plans are going to stick around because they know their company wants more for them.  Managers are often overworked and busy- so training and developing new employees often goes to the wayside.

3. Increased responsibility. As people learn and grow, they should be given additional responsibility.  This will help them to feel a sense of ownership and a feeling that they are contributing and are a valuable asset.

4. Good relationship with immediate manager.  All research shows this to be critical.  Every day one is working under someone who either helps them to feel better or to feel worse. Granted, not all relationships are going to be wonderful (or should be wonderful, for that matter… ) but attention to this area is crucial.

These are not new concepts- sometimes we just forget how important they are… they apply to companies of all sizes.  Whether small or large… Foundation is the key!

Gurus to attend International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas

For more than 64 years, THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDERS’ SHOW … aka “IBS“, has been the building industry’s defining business event.

We’re excited to attend! Both Rikka Brandon and Erin Mayer will travel to Las Vegas on Monday, January 19th to meet with clients and potential clients as they showcase their products at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

We’re proud members of the NAHB and are pleased to show our support. 

If anyone, client or candidate, would like to schedule a meeting the week of the show, please connect with Rikka Brandon at Rikka@BuildingGurus.com or Erin Mayer at Erin@BuildingGurus.com