Do you really know how candidates are finding you?

Posted March 17th, 2012 in blog_news, For Employers

Asking candidates – or even tracking – how they applied to your position may be giving you a misleading picture.

A couple of weeks ago, CareerXroads released the results of a study showing the sources of external hires:

Now, most recruiters will tell you that they’ve long known that the best source of new hires are referrals, so it’s not surprising to see them at the top of the list.  However, given the long-heralded demise of job boards, and the long-heralded power of social media for recruiting, it’s surprising to see the former coming in second while the latter is a bit of a blip.

The first thing we need to acknowledge is that the sample size here was only 36 respondents – not nearly enough to know how accurate the results are.

However, what may be more important is that recruiting is hardly ever this simple or one-dimensional.

How many touchpoints does it take to generate an applicant? How many to generate a hire?

99.9%, when organizations are tracking where a new hire came from, they’re (a) asking candidates to specify how they came to apply in the first place and (b) looking only at the most proximate cause.

And sometimes it really is that simple:  Candidate A is in the market for a new job, so s/he goes online and looks for opportunities, sends applications to anything that looks promising, and then hopes s/he will get an interview.

But most of the time it’s much more complicated than that.  For example, Recruiter Sally needs to hire a senior manager.  She posts the job on the company website, puts feelers out on LinkedIn, calls a few contacts in the industry, and sends an email to internal employees to ask for referrals.  She includes the link to the company website posting in emails to potential referrers and her LinkedIn status, and tells internal employees to direct their contacts to the company posting but to make a note on their covering note that they’ve been referred by someone.

She eventually makes a hire via a contact on LinkedIn, who has applied via the company website after having been referred by a former employee.

When the new hire is asked “How did you apply for this job?”, s/he says “I applied on the company website…” – when in fact the ‘source’ of this hire was a combination of social media (LinkedIn), referrals (via the LinkedIn contact and employee alumni network), recruiter initiated (getting the buzz going), and the company website (which facilitated processing).

It may be time to stop thinking about ‘single source of hire’ and start thinking about ‘engagement process required to make a great hire’.

 

Why are so many job ads just so awful?

Posted March 12th, 2011 in blog_news, For Employers

Spending an hour writing a better job ad could cut your time-to-hire in half.

The other day a client came to me with a fantastic job opportunity:  North American marketing manager for a really cool packaged goods company.  They have a downtown office in a converted loft building, you can bring your dog to work, and half your time would be spent in the San Francisco office.  Last year their corporate Christmas party was a 3-day trip to Bermuda.

They’d posted their job on a couple of job boards, but couldn’t understand – since they really are a great place to work – why they weren’t attracting many applicants, and why the ones who did apply definitely didn’t have the hipster, entrepreneurial ‘vibe’ they were looking for.  One candidate ended his interview after 15 minutes: He saw the CFO’s Labradoodle wandering down the hall, announced he could never work for an ‘unprofessional’ company which allowed dogs in the office, and left.

The root of the problem?  A terrible job ad.

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If you don’t know what job you want, you’re guaranteed not to find it.

Posted October 23rd, 2010 in For Job Seekers

Recruiters aren’t mind-readers. If you want them to connect you to your dream job, you have to be able to tell them what that dream job looks like.

In previous posts, we’ve talked about the basics of working with a recruiter (aka ‘headhunter’), and how to ensure they put you at the top of their callback list.

But this week I was reminded that before you start connecting with recruiters – before you even start writing your resume, in fact – you need to do one very important thing:  Figure out what job you want.

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We made the Profit W100 – again!

Posted October 17th, 2010 in blog_news, For Employers

They say you shouldn’t toot your own horn, but it’s hard to resist…

Profit Magazine has announced the PROFIT W100 Canada’s Top Women Entrepreneurs 2010, and we’re very excited to announce that Virginia Poly has made the list for the second year in a row!

The W100 is an annual ranking of the top female entrepreneurs in Canada, based on company size, growth rate and profitability of the business(es) which they own or of which they are significant stakeholders, and in which they have or share chief decision-making responsibilities.

As President and Founder of Poly Placements, Virginia was recognized in the 2009 PROFIT W100 list.   And in 2009, Poly Placements was ranked #6 on the Profit Hot 50 Canada’s Emerging Growth Companies.  Launched in 2006 – out of a spare bedroom – Poly is now the fastest-growing recruiting company in Canada.

(We’re in pretty amazing company, too.  Check out the stories behind some of the other W100 women, like grandmother Gabrielle Chevalier, who heads North America’s largest video-game distributor, and Lise Watier, who heads the high-end cosmetics company of the same name.)

Thanks to all our clients, candidates, employees – and everyone else who’s been a Poly Placements supporter over the past 4 years.  We couldn’t have done this without you!

How to double the chances a recruiter will call you

Posted August 26th, 2010 in blog_news, For Job Seekers

A couple of weeks ago, we talked about the basics of working with ‘headhunters’ (aka ‘recruiters’) to help you find a new job.

However, if you’ve been in the workforce for a few years, and are actively looking for a new job, the #1 question on your mind right now is probably much more simple:  “I’m tired of chasing recruiters.  How can I get recruiters to call me?  How can I get them to call me back?”

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Never worked with a ‘headhunter’ before? Here’s what you need to know.

Posted August 13th, 2010 in blog_news, For Job Seekers

Confused about how ‘headhunters’ work?  Don’t worry – you’re not alone!

If you’re new to the job market, or haven’t worked with a ‘headhunter’ before, you probably have some questions about how the process works.  So here are answers to some of the most common questions we hear from job-seekers.  And don’t worry – you’re not the only one who doesn’t know this stuff!

What’s the difference between a ‘recruiter’ and a ‘headhunter’?

Not much.  ’Headhunters’ tend to refer to recruiters who work in recruiting agencies.  However, you’ll almost never hear a recruiter refer to themselves as a ‘headhunter’ (sort of how you’ll never hear a ‘real estate salesperson’ refer to themselves as a ‘real estate agent’) – it’s considered a little derogatory.

How do recruiting agencies work?

There are some variations to the following process, but generally speaking this is how it works.

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There are lots of good salespeople out there. Here’s how to find great ones.

Posted July 22nd, 2010 in blog_news, For Employers

Those of us outside of the sales department often poke fun at – or even deride – the stereotype of the fast-talking, Ari Gold-type ‘Sales Guy’, but the truth is that without a sales team, 99% of the rest of us would be out of work pretty fast.

A good sales team can drive your business success; a great sales team can mean the difference between a $25-million organization and a $250-million one.

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Positive feedback: The first step to happiness

Posted July 21st, 2010 in blog_news

The most effective $0 you’ve spent all week

Ever noticed that when you screw up, the ‘feedback’ comes fast and furious, but when you do something fantastic, the ‘feedback’ is usually muted or just plain non-existent?

Except here’s the thing:  Study after study demonstrates that a culture of positive feedback delivers immediate and long-term benefits for productivity and employee retention.

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Current employees don’t know you’re hiring? Your recruiting costs just doubled.

Posted July 16th, 2010 in blog_news

Word-of-mouth is the single most effective way to get consumers to try a new product or top talent to apply to your organization.  Leveraging current employees to help build word of mouth can cut your recruiting costs in half.

word of mouthSo, your organization needs to fill 32 junior/intermediate roles in the next 3 months, but your recruiting department consists of 2 juniors and an intern who are already working 50 hours a week.

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9 Essential Interview Tips

Posted July 13th, 2010 in blog_news, For Job Seekers

When it comes to interviews, a little thoughtful preparation can go a long way.

Here are our 9 essential interview tips:

1.  Dress appropriately

Different interviews call for different outfits:  If you’re going to an interview at a Big 5 consulting firm, you should wear a suit; if you’re going to an interview for a managerial position at a chain restaurant, khakis and a shirt are fine (and a fancy suit might be way too much).

There’s nothing wrong with asking about appropriate attire, either – a simple “What is your office environment like – formal or business casual?” either in an email or on the phone when you’re arranging your interview can save a lot of embarrassment later.

(And remember:  99% of the time, it’s better to arrive over-dressed than under-dressed, so if you’re not sure, go for a more formal look.  No one will mark you down for trying extra hard.)

Click here to read all of the tips

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