Based on the title of this blog entry, one might think I am about to discuss opportunities to work in the restaurant or food service world or perhaps positions opening up at wineries. This could not be further from my mind (or what is left of it as temps climb towards 90 degrees)! My thoughts have actually turned to a candidate who I helped find a new job back in the late '80's when there were more open jobs than candidates and people used rather unorthodox methods to plot their personal journeys.
While working as a rookie recruiter at a Central NJ staffing firm, I came across a client needing a moderately experienced industrial electrician. Without the benefit of the Internet back then, I took to our books of available candidates and found a young man who appeared to be a great match. As luck would have it, three of my colleagues were searching for similar candidates and we all zeroed in on the same person since supply was much lower than demand. The four of us put our heads together and crafted out a two day plan where this electrician would interview at all four sites. We hoped he would get perhaps two offers to choose from.
Needless to say, there was a bit of shock in our office when all four clients called with offers for the same candidate! To complicate matters even more, the pay rates and benefits were all very comparable. Our solution was to bring the candidate into our office and help him select what was best for him (though all four of us thought our job was the one he should take!) and he readily agreed to the meeting. It became apparent that he really loved all four facilities, the people at each place, and that the jobs were all terrific.
The deciding factor came down to one, totally unrelated item: FOOD! Our candidate managed to get a bite to eat at all four company's cafeterias and selected the one with the best tasting food! Having recruited now in parts of four decades (no, I am not that old yet!), I can assure you I have never seen food as the major factor for selecting a job ever again!
Today, many companies have replaced cafeterias with vending machines. Many barely offer a lunchroom devoid of any amenities whatsoever. Beyond that, who gets more than one offer to choose from these days! With all the high profile changes we have witnessed in our society, I think one of the most signifcant is that we do not necessaruily control our professional future anymore.
Have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Temp-to-Perm Opportunity
One of my clients needs someone with very strong mechanical and or machinist skills to work on assembly and troubleshooting of industrial machinery. Some learning curve is anticipated and candidates with 1-3 years experience are welcome to contact me at harold@smartstaff.jobs and please refer to this blog post!
Interview Bloopers
Interviews are essential to getting hired for most jobs. Most everyone knows the basic rules: bring copies of your resume, arrive 15 minutes early, dress professionally, etc. Sometimes, interviews take place where all rules are tossed out the door rather fast. Having sent candidates out on interviews for more than 20 years, I have acquired a mental list of resume bloopers and thought I would share a few today!
One candidate was dispatched to a very traditional client who frowned upon candidates who were not impeccably dressed and groomed. Having prepped the individual about this, she went to the meeting in a very impressive looking suit. The CEO walked in wearing a Grateful Dead t-shirt and sandals!! The rest of his staff were dressed in similar garb!! As I learned later, he had secured concert tickets for his team later that day!
Another candidate arrived at the interview and was ushered into a VP's office containing a 100 gallon fish tank with some very sick looking fish. This candidate was a computer programmer who moonlighted in a shop that specialized in rare tropical fish. He spent the next 20 minutes inspecting and repairing the filtration system and walked away with a job offer as a programmer!
Several years back, I worked on a project for a client who needed to 10 people with various technical backgrounds and contacted me at the trade school where I was assisting graduates in their search process. Over the course of about 2 weeks, they interviewed about 15 people and selected 9. We had one slot to fill and I sent a talented, if not a bit offbeat, candidate. Right after the interview, the hiring manager called and asked if I had seen the young man before he went to the meeting. Having not, I was curious. As luck would have it, he stopped by on his way home......in his lime green trousers and bright yellow blazer! Apparently, he spilled breakfast on his suit and tried cleaning it in the washing machine! In a fit of panic, he borrowed clothes from his uncle! End of story!!
I am sure there are some entertaining interview bloopers out there worth sharing. Whether you were the interviewer or the candidate, please share your unusual experiences!
One candidate was dispatched to a very traditional client who frowned upon candidates who were not impeccably dressed and groomed. Having prepped the individual about this, she went to the meeting in a very impressive looking suit. The CEO walked in wearing a Grateful Dead t-shirt and sandals!! The rest of his staff were dressed in similar garb!! As I learned later, he had secured concert tickets for his team later that day!
Another candidate arrived at the interview and was ushered into a VP's office containing a 100 gallon fish tank with some very sick looking fish. This candidate was a computer programmer who moonlighted in a shop that specialized in rare tropical fish. He spent the next 20 minutes inspecting and repairing the filtration system and walked away with a job offer as a programmer!
Several years back, I worked on a project for a client who needed to 10 people with various technical backgrounds and contacted me at the trade school where I was assisting graduates in their search process. Over the course of about 2 weeks, they interviewed about 15 people and selected 9. We had one slot to fill and I sent a talented, if not a bit offbeat, candidate. Right after the interview, the hiring manager called and asked if I had seen the young man before he went to the meeting. Having not, I was curious. As luck would have it, he stopped by on his way home......in his lime green trousers and bright yellow blazer! Apparently, he spilled breakfast on his suit and tried cleaning it in the washing machine! In a fit of panic, he borrowed clothes from his uncle! End of story!!
I am sure there are some entertaining interview bloopers out there worth sharing. Whether you were the interviewer or the candidate, please share your unusual experiences!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Respond to All Inquiries!!
As the recession continues to crawl along, I am more amazed each day at the lack of courtesy shown by candidates when I call them with potential employment opportunities. It is bad enough when someone posts a resume on search engines then elects not to reply to phone calls or emails, but even worse is when a candidate sends me their resume then takes anywhere from three days to more than a week to get back to me. Why on earth would someone submit their resume if they do not intend to apply?
One theory I have to put out there, though some of you might not like it, is that many candidates are applying for jobs just to list them on their unemployment papers. As someone who tries to make every phone call or email count, this is wasting my time.
Another thought is that a candidate might neglect to remove his/her resume from search engines upon landing a new job. The simple solution to fix this would be a quick phone message or brief email indicating they are not currently on the market.
My third thought is that many people are just simply frustrated and need a break from job searching in such challenging times. This is fine. A few weeks of laying low might just be good for the soul but please make your posted resumes inactive during your period of inactivity!
Recruiters and hiring managers tend to have pretty strong memories. If someone blows me off enough times, I will bypass their resume during future candidate searches. Please do not accidentally set yourself up to fail!!
One theory I have to put out there, though some of you might not like it, is that many candidates are applying for jobs just to list them on their unemployment papers. As someone who tries to make every phone call or email count, this is wasting my time.
Another thought is that a candidate might neglect to remove his/her resume from search engines upon landing a new job. The simple solution to fix this would be a quick phone message or brief email indicating they are not currently on the market.
My third thought is that many people are just simply frustrated and need a break from job searching in such challenging times. This is fine. A few weeks of laying low might just be good for the soul but please make your posted resumes inactive during your period of inactivity!
Recruiters and hiring managers tend to have pretty strong memories. If someone blows me off enough times, I will bypass their resume during future candidate searches. Please do not accidentally set yourself up to fail!!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Engineers Needed!
Long term project job opportunities in North Jersey for Operations Engineers with Minitab, Matlab, Guide Sheets, GD+T, NCR and ECR and Gauge Designers with AutoCAD, ProE Wildfire, Gauge R+R, and GD+T. Send resumes to harold@smartstaff.jobs and please mention my blog!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Who Controls the Interview?
Most candidates I chat with believe that the interviewer completely controls the meeting and that any attempts to take charge will end in a total disaster. This is not always the case. Sometimes, the person running the interview may be very inexperienced at how to manage the process and would actually be quite happy for you somewhat take over and keep things flowing! The key is to do your best to assess the situation early and adjust accordingly.
For example, if you are greeted by a lot of very brief questions such as how long were you at your last job; did you like the work you performed, would you be happy in an identical role, etc., reply by offering to explain a bit about your last job, highlights of your work, etc. If the interviewer seems eager to listen, go into some details but do not overwhelm.
Should the interview begin to drag after about 30 minutes and interviewer seems uneasy, try to close the process. Ask what the time frame is for filling the job, how many other candidates are being considered, and if there is any information you could provide. Finish by stating you are very interested in the job and will touch base in about a week unless you hear back from them first.
Finally, do not try to read the interviewer's mind. Most hiring managers do a fairly good job of camouflaging their opinions in front of candidates!
For example, if you are greeted by a lot of very brief questions such as how long were you at your last job; did you like the work you performed, would you be happy in an identical role, etc., reply by offering to explain a bit about your last job, highlights of your work, etc. If the interviewer seems eager to listen, go into some details but do not overwhelm.
Should the interview begin to drag after about 30 minutes and interviewer seems uneasy, try to close the process. Ask what the time frame is for filling the job, how many other candidates are being considered, and if there is any information you could provide. Finish by stating you are very interested in the job and will touch base in about a week unless you hear back from them first.
Finally, do not try to read the interviewer's mind. Most hiring managers do a fairly good job of camouflaging their opinions in front of candidates!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Killer Resumes
Cookie cutter resumes, the kind created from using templates, look just like they sound. They are neat, clean, efficient but do nothing to highlight a candidate's special talents. As a firm believer that a resume should serve as your own person advertising brochure, I want all of you to think for a moment. When you pick up a newspaper, open your junk mail, pay attention to a pop-up ad on line, etc.; which advertisements really stick in your mind? There are two types that I usually remember, the very informative yet attractive ones and the extremely obnoxious and annoying versions. I will patronize the businesses that tell me something in a positive yet interesting way while I stay far away from the obnoxious folks.
Exactly the same thought process is used by most hiring managers when they sort through hundreds of resumes clogging their email every day. Recently, I received a resume which started with a page of 100 reasons why I should hire the candidate laid out in all types of boxes and bullets. Besides being hard to read because of the layout, the candidate was obviously very pompous, self centered and egotistical! As a recruiter, I try to send candidates to my clients who are highly qualified and also extremely professional and ethical. Perhaps this candidate is terrific but I never got past the first page.
Before creating your resume, ask yourself a very simple question. 'If I were the employer and my resume crossed my desk, would I call myself for an interview?' Also, ask a few trusted friends and/or colleagues the same question. The answer absolutely must be yes before you put your resume into play.
Exactly the same thought process is used by most hiring managers when they sort through hundreds of resumes clogging their email every day. Recently, I received a resume which started with a page of 100 reasons why I should hire the candidate laid out in all types of boxes and bullets. Besides being hard to read because of the layout, the candidate was obviously very pompous, self centered and egotistical! As a recruiter, I try to send candidates to my clients who are highly qualified and also extremely professional and ethical. Perhaps this candidate is terrific but I never got past the first page.
Before creating your resume, ask yourself a very simple question. 'If I were the employer and my resume crossed my desk, would I call myself for an interview?' Also, ask a few trusted friends and/or colleagues the same question. The answer absolutely must be yes before you put your resume into play.
Monday, May 2, 2011
The Customer ALWAYS Comes First!
This past Saturday, I visited one of the big box home centers to take advantage of their very large garden shop. The area was swarming with shoppers and a significant number of workers. While picking out some plants, I heard the garden shop manager tell one of her team members that his goal for the day was to make sure every customer who approached him was personally walked to whatever product they were looking for and to page her if he was stumped by a question. That type of old fashioned customer service is a rarity any more and I salute them.
No matter what field you work in, whoever benefits from your efforts is your customer. Always remember to treat them as if they were the last customer on earth and do everything you can to retain them as your customer. The simple fact is that many of us would struggle if we did not build a high level of customer loyalty.
No matter what field you work in, whoever benefits from your efforts is your customer. Always remember to treat them as if they were the last customer on earth and do everything you can to retain them as your customer. The simple fact is that many of us would struggle if we did not build a high level of customer loyalty.
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