Recruiting Resources

Independent Recruiters: Embrace the Mobile Job Search

by Veronica Blatt

There’s no doubt you’ve heard that the job search  is increasingly going mobile. With every generation embracing mobile technology, it’s important for independent recruiters to make sure their websites are mobile friendly. If you are using jobs boards as well, definitely take a second to make sure their platforms load properly on a mobile device. The infographic below, courtesy of Beyond.com, is more proof how important it is for independent recruiters to take the time to make sure they aren’t frustrating job seekers.

Recruiting Infographic


Independent Recruiters: 8 Principles of Recruitment Success

by Veronica Blatt

ToolboxI was doing a little early spring cleaning at work last week and found a postcard with Ross Clennett’s 8 Principles of Recruitment Success. I have no idea where this postcard came from or how long it’s been on my desk but I was happy to find it and thought it would make a great blog post for independent recruiters. Ross Clennett, The Recruiter’s Recruitment Expert, is a seasoned speaker, trainer, writer and coach and ‘has been an in-demand expert on recruitment in the Australian recruitment industry.’  I’ve outlined Ross’ 8 Principles of Recruitment Success for you below. Read the rest of this entry »


Independent Recruiters, How About a Little Candidate Love?

by Veronica Blatt

There’s been some lively discussion among the NPA ranks this week about the perils of neglecting candidates. While many (most?) recruiters say they work for the client—and I don’t disagree, because that’s who pays the bills—it seems timely to remind independent recruiters not to forget about the candidate. Especially in the candidate-short market recruiters are facing today.

Candidates have options. Lots of options. You’re not “doing them a favor” by helping them take important steps in their career. Independent recruiters and clients who aren’t responding to candidates in a professional, timely manner will lose out to those who do.

Qualigence International, the largest recruitment research firm in the US, recently conducted a survey on what recruiters and hiring managers consider their primary focus in 2013. The most shocking detail? ZERO said “making sure the candidate is satisfied.” Take a look at the other results in the [INFOGRAPHIC] below:

Candidate-Satisfaction

What are YOU doing as an independent recruiter, to show your candidates a little love?


7 Recruiting Resources for Great Training

by Veronica Blatt

wooden blocksAs independent recruiters, it can be tough to take time away from your desk to seek out training and other recruiting resources. Keeping your skills current is always important; it’s critical when talent is short and competition is high. There are many great options for recruitment training. Here is a list of 7 options for training, in no particular order, that are worth a look (note: the first 5 will all be speaking at the 2013 NPA Global Conference).

  • Recruiter eLearning, Doug Beabout – As with so many things in life, the “fundamentals” are the key to success. Doug is a big believer in the fundamentals of recruiting. While there are lots of recruiting resources that offer more flash and glitz, you can’t go wrong with Doug’s rock-solid methods.
  • Next Level Exchange – Next Level Exchange offers a variety of affordable online training options ranging from free previews of NLE TV episodes up to monthly subscriptions. There is a wide variety of trainers and topics suitable for everyone from a brand-new recruiter to an owner and everyone in between. Next Level Exchange is a tremendous recruiting resource that delivers high value for the money spent.
  • Bullseye Mentor, Greg Doersching – Greg is a hands-on, works a desk every day, practical trainer. He has great reference materials, samples, forms, etc. for anyone who purchases his training products.
  • Adler Concepts, Lou Adler – Follow Lou on LinkedIn where he publishes a lot of articles about hiring, HR, and recruiting. Lou is perhaps best-known for promoting performance-based hiring. Among other things, I enjoy reading his thoughts about writing more effective job descriptions.
  • #tru, Bill Boorman – I first learned of Bill on Twitter, and I am really excited to meet him at NPA’s Global Conference later this month. He really understands social media as a useful, effective tool for recruiting and recruiters. If Twitter isn’t your thing, you can always follow Bill’s blog.
  • NAPS (Disclaimer: NPA is a member of NAPS and holds a seat on the NAPS Board of Directors.) – NAPS, the National Association of Personnel Services, along with other state and national associations, are some of the best and most affordable recruiting resources available. Not only does NAPS offer certification and myriad educational opportunities, members also have access to legal advice.
  • The Savage Truth, Greg Savage – Greg is an Australian recruiter, speaker, and trainer who also frequently blogs about recruiting and staffing issues. I like Greg’s “tell it like it is” style and global perspective.

There are plenty of other excellent recruiting resources. Who or what are some of your favorites, especially outside of the USA?

Independent Recruiter Blog

 


3 Reasons Small Employers Hire Independent Recruiters

by Terri Piersma

tulipsWhen you are a small employer, you should search for candidates yourself, right? Not according to an Inc. article I read recently by Vanessa Merit Nornberg called These Days, Recruiters are Worth the Money.

Like most small employers, Vanessa had been searching for candidates herself. She believed her reasoning was sound because she assumed the following:

  • Working with recruiters was a waste of time,
  • Reviewing resumes for the “right candidate” should be done by her as she knew best who to interview, and
  • Hiring a recruiter was too expensive for her small budget.

However, the reality of her hiring situation was that it was taking her a very long and frustrating time to find the “right candidate” even though she searched a variety of ways including placing ads on large and specialized job boards as well as on local university boards.

Then, one of her senior staff members suggested she contact a recruiter she knew. Reluctantly, Vanessa met with the recruiter. In the end, she decided to try something different. She signed a contingency recruitment agreement. She would pay the recruiter only if she hired a candidate presented by the recruiter.

The results surprised Vanessa. Within one month, Vanessa hired the “right candidate” from the group of candidates presented by the recruiter. Her experience working with a recruiter changed her hiring strategy. She concluded the following about the experience:

  • She filled the position faster.
  • She spent less money considering the overall cost of hiring which included the cost of her time to search for candidates.
  • The recruiter was able to find the “right candidate” for the position.

While the above is compelling, Vanessa discovered something even more interesting. She asked the candidate she hired why she worked with a recruiter instead of posting her resume on job boards. The candidate replied, “because recruiters make sure your resume gets seen, while submitting via the Internet is like sending your resume into oblivion.”

Bottom line: even small employers benefit from working with independent recruiters to find the “right candidate.”


Decision-making and Democracy in a Recruiting Network

by Veronica Blatt

ballot-boxOver the past couple of weeks, I’ve been working on distributing proxy authorizations to NPA’s voting members for our upcoming annual meeting. It’s a great reminder for me of the member-ownership aspect of our recruiting network. As a member-owned cooperative, NPA is run democratically. Voting members who attend our annual meeting cast their votes in person. Those who are unable to attend assign a proxy to NPA’s secretary/treasurer, who ensures each vote is cast in accordance with that member’s wishes.

During the annual meeting, audited financial statements are reviewed and discussed, elections are held for the Board of Directors, bylaws changes are voted upon, and members have the ability to bring up new business from the floor. Every member firm of our recruiting network has an equal say in how NPA is run, regardless of the size (or success) of each firm. As with any election, members may not be satisfied with the outcome, but they are certainly an integral part of the process.

Last year, NPA members voted to adopt brand-new bylaws. The old bylaws, adopted in 1981, had become out-of-date, and needed to be “modernized” to fit today’s business environment and the global nature of our recruiting network. Already this year, NPA’s Board of Directors is proposing two amendments to the bylaws based on member feedback. The changes will be discussed and debated, and members will vote on whether or not to adopt these changes. Next year, it’s conceivable there will be further revisions.

While it’s tough to get excited about bylaws (unless you’re like me), this process is an important distinction between NPA and other recruiting networks or recruiting franchises. It’s what makes us different from our competitors. Other recruiting organizations are owned by individuals. While members or franchisees may be able to offer feedback about how those organizations are run, they do not generally get to participate in business and financial decisions that may impact their own businesses. By contrast, NPA’s president and staff do not establish policy; we implement the programs, services, and policies developed by our members.

If you are considering joining a recruiting network, is member-ownership important to you? Or are you more comfortable paying someone else to make decisions? There is no wrong answer, but it’s a point that deserves careful consideration. Click the link below for a checklist that helps you compare NPA to other recruiting networks.

button-evaluate-split-placement-networks

 


Starting a Recruiting Business

by Dave Nerz

sticky-notesIf 2013 is the year you will start a recruiting business, here is a very high level look at some things to consider.  The steps may be spelled out for you if you are buying a recruitment franchise.  I would strongly suggest you consider formal and informal network membership as an alternative to purchasing a recruitment franchise.  Here are the high level actions required to get going with your business:

1. Pick a name

Think ahead. Maybe someday after you start your recruiting business you will want to sell it and retire. Do not name the recruitment business after yourself. There is less value to a business called “John Jones Recruiting” when there is no John Jones in the business. At the same time, don’t let name selection paralyze you. The name might help, but look at Google: who would have picked that name? I think they are doing just fine with a crazy name.

Make sure your company name is not already taken with the  U.S. Patent and Trademark Office or the appropriate service in your location.

2. Register a domain name

Make sure that the name you selected has available the domain that you want. Even better, think about how people might find you via an online search and see if there is a way you can incorporate your top keyword into your domain name (as well as your company name).

Go for the .com extension. If you must give in, consider .net or .jobs. Try to avoid the dreaded hyphen! Check domain names at Network Solutions. There is nothing worse than a thriving business working on a @gmail.com, @yahoo.com or @aol.com address.

3. Arm your recruiting business with tools

Business cards – Vistaprint.com is a great source of cheap cards.

Accounting Software – Quickbooks is a standard. Freshbooks is an online option.

Applicant Tracking System – I like PCRecruiter. They have a low-cost, highly-flexible tool to track clients and candidates. (Disclosure: Main Sequence Technology, maker of PCRecruiter, is NPA’s technology partner.)

Backup system or cloud-based storage area – Dropbox or GoogleDocs are cloud-based, or you can have a scheduled backup from a service like Carbonite.

Mailing/Marketing Service – try Constant Contact or MailChimp.

LinkedIn – buy the best package you can afford. You will be using it all day, every day, so make it your friend.

4. Set up a website

There are many low-cost tools, including godaddy.com, Network Solutions, and Vistaprint. A word of caution: You don’t want your next-door-neighbor’s-kid’s-best-friend to build you a website, unless that person REALLY knows about websites, responsive design, search engine optimization, mobile interfaces, etc. Economical is smart. Cheap is not.

5. Get connected to the industry

Join the industry trade association – NAPS (National Association of Personnel Services) is in the US.

6. Get trained

Look into a service like Next Level Exchange. They provide training on recruiting from many of the masters of industry.

7. Expand your capabilities/make more money/connect to a peer group

Once established, join NPA, The Worldwide Recruiting Network to enable global coverage to your prospects and clients, do more deals, and gain access to fellow entrepreneurs for ideas and coaching.

It is a great time to be a recruiter. It is difficult work, but the demographics are on your side. With millions of boomers retiring each year and companies back into a growth mode, good employees will be hard to find. That’s where you can benefit. Happy New Year and best of luck for a successfully starting a recruiting business.


Evolution of Independent Recruiters

by Terri Piersma

Independent recruiters represent many different work styles. Recently I viewed an infographic by RecruitLoop that summarized work styles of recruitment consultants from the 1980s to the 2010s. While it is admittedly a generalization of recruitment by decade, I decided to share it with you as an example of how technology has played a key role in changing the landscape of recruitment.

The infographic summarized the past four decades as follows:

  • 1980s Recruitment Top Gun
    The tech boom in the ’80s gave high-flying recruiters a chance to spread their wings and headhunt more senior, more technical, and more specialized roles.
  • 1990s Pulp Fiction Recruitment
    With the booming tech industry and growing dot-com bubble, prosperity ensued. Recruitment Consultants rode the wave, worked hard, and played even harder.
  • 2000s Minority Report Recruitment
    Recruiters became far more tech savvy, as print declined. Many created a virtual presence. Intelligent specialist recruiters created a competitive edge.
  • 2010s The Social Network Recruitment
    Gone are the days of an office. The recruiter is a cyber-sleuth, working anywhere and anytime to stay ahead of the game. Being flexible with the latest social networks and apps are a must. They are adapting fast to avoid extinction.

Evolution of the Recruitment Consultant

Image:  FreeDigitalPhotos.net


2013 U.S. Job Forecast Positive for Independent Recruiters

by Terri Piersma

December of each year usually brings predictions about jobs for the following year. This December is no exception. Recently, I read Careerbuilder’s 2013 U.S. Job Forecast. Independent recruiters take note! My post today will summarize this forecast which was conducted online in November 2012 by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder and included more than 2,600 hiring managers and human resource professionals as well as more than 3,990 workers (employed full-time, not self-employed, non-government).

  • Key Findings
    1. 62% of the companies reported they were in a better position than one year ago
    2. 42% reported sales had increased and another 42% had no change in sales
  • Hiring of Full-time, Permanent Employees
    1. 26% of employers will increase the number of full-time, permanent employees they will hire (up 3% from 2012)
    2. 9% will decrease (up 2% from 2012)
    3. 55% no change
    4. 11% undecided
  • Top 10 Jobs Companies Plan to Hire for in 2013 for Full-time, Permanent Positions

    1. Sales
    2. Information Technology
    3. Customer Service
    4. Engineering
    5. Production
    6. Business Development
    7. Administrative
    8. Research & Development
    9. Accounting & Finance
    10. Marketing
  • Temporary and Contract Hiring
    1. 40% will hire temporary or contract workers in 2013 (up from 36% in 2012)
    2. Among these employers, 42% plan to transition some temporary workers into full-time, permanent employees in 2013
  • Hiring By Region
    Employers  in the Midwest, Northeast, South, and West regions of the U.S. noted if they planned to increase hiring, decrease hiring, or have no change in hiring as well as if they were undecided about hiring in 2013. While all regions showed an increase from 2012 regarding an increase in hiring for 2013, employers in the West and the South responded that they will hire more employees in 2013 than those in the other regions.

To read the complete Careerbuilder 2013 U.S. Job Forecast, click here.

While the forecast shows some employers are optimistic, others are still cautious. However, for independent recruiters, it is good to read that only 9-10% of employers will decrease the hiring of full-time, permanent employees in 2013.

What trends in hiring have you noticed with the clients you serve?

 

Image:  FreeDigitalPhotos.net


Common Screening Mistakes by Independent Recruiters

by Veronica Blatt

There are a lot of factors to take into consideration when qualifying a candidate for an open position. Some independent recruiters have a set process they follow and some have a different process for each situation. Personally, I think it’s important for independent recruiters to have a checklist of items that must be completed before a candidate can be presented to a client. Whether you feel the need to complete each task based on the job order or client is up to you. To keep yourself organized a ‘task list’ seems like something all recruiters should utilize. If you start to become sloppy with your process you may commit one of the top 10 screening mistakes listed in the infographic below created by Resoomay. Read the rest of this entry »


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