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International Recruiting Lessons We Can Learn From the 2012 Olympics

by Veronica Blatt

I don’t know about you, but my free time is currently consumed with watching the 2012 Olympic Games. I follow the updates on the internet and (even though I usually already know who won) rush home to tune into the coverage. You can guarantee, until the last medal is awarded, I will be watching  athletes from countries around world, with different backgrounds and economic conditions, compete on the same stage in hopes of achieving greatness. The Games give me an opportunity to inspire recruiters to work a little harder to achieve success by keeping some of the tips below top of mind.

  1. Training pays off – Like the 2012 Olympic athletes, you’ve been “training” your entire life for a successful career. From the lessons you learned in high school and college to your first day on the job, your training has shaped the recruiter you are today. So, if you want to be good at what you do, invest in yourself. Attend conferences, training sessions and webinars, hire coaches, increase your opportunities through recruiter networks and take the time to increase your knowledge through professional development. Michael Phelps didn’t become the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time over night, and it probably won’t happen overnight for you either. But with each investment, you increase your chances for success.
  2. Be aware of your competition – Each of the 205 countries participating in the 2012 Olympics are very aware of what the other countries bring to the table as it relates to athletes. It affects the way they prepare and the strategy that goes into each competition. You, too, should make yourself aware of your direct competition and do everything you can to gain a competitive advantage. Create a value statement that separates your firm from your competitors and make sure it is continuously evolving. International recruiting is a great way to set yourself apart from your competitors and the ability to serve your clients throughout the world will definitely give you an advantage.
  3. Be diverse in skill set – For most of the Olympic athletes, they are competing in the same sport but in more than one competition. For example, there are several different swimming styles and distances and for the most part, the best athletes are competing in more than one event. This allows them optimal odds for success. As recruiters, you want to allow yourself the best chance for success (and money). Being able to place different types of candidates in different niches will allow you a broader opportunity to make money. If you are an expert in one particular niche, join a global recruiting network and utilize your network partners for help with positions or candidates that are not in your specialized niche.

What are some of the comparisons you can make between the 2012 Olympic Games and international recruiting? I know the Olympics inspire me to work a little harder and go the extra mile to achieve success. What about you?

If you MUST discount your recruiting fee…

by Veronica Blatt

Independent recruiters face continued downward fee pressure from clients. Many give in to these demands for discounted recruiting fees. I think it’s a slippery slope and ultimately not a good way to elevate the recruiting profession. How many other professional service providers routinely slash their fees? Accountants? Attorneys?

Years ago, when I was going after my first summer babysitting job, my dad told me to establish my fee at 50 cents per hour MORE than the going rate (yes, I’m dating myself, but that was a *huge* difference). I thought he was nuts. There were PLENTY of other babysitters offering lower rates, and I really wanted that job. I knew they’d say yes at the lower price. I was sure they’d never agree to the higher one. “But you’re worth that extra money and here’s why,” my dad said – and helped me to make a list of my differentiators. Turns out he was right. I got the job, and I babysat for them regularly until one newborn infant turned into two school-age kids. They even referred me for other babysitting jobs. (Thanks, Dad!)

It’s not any different when clients ask for discounted recruiting fees. Some independent recruiters establish their fees based on “the going rate” without giving it much more thought. Some don’t think about their differentiators. Some don’t have differentiators. And that’s how the door gets opened for clients to ask for discounts. Greg Savage says recruiters should be having conversations about value, not price. Jeff Kaye says that if you can’t differentiate based on approach, you’ll be forced to differentiate on price. I agree with both of them. Do you really want to be known as the cheapest recruiter?

As an independent recruiter, you’ll face this dilemma more times than you care to admit during your recruiting career. You’ll have to decide when, if ever, to discount your recruiting fee. Last week I saw a Tweet by Jeremy Snell from Zero Entropy Networks that said recruiters should negotiate fee discounts in dollar amounts, not percentages. I absolutely agree with him. It’s far too easy to offer a 10% discount, which seems like a small number until you actually calculate the math. Why not offer a discount of $1,000 instead? The client will still reap a sizeable financial savings, but you won’t have given away such a big chunk of your well-deserved paycheck. Better yet, ask the client to give you something in exchange for the discount – for example, payment within 10 business days. After all, it’s a negotiation, right? Tying the discounted recruiting fee to an action on the client’s part doesn’t devalue your service.

Understand the value of the service you provide, and be able to articulate it to your clients. Then protect it fiercely. Don’t sell yourself short because “everyone else is doing it.” My babysitting customers were happy to pay a premium for my services because they knew they were getting excellent value. Don’t you want the same kind of relationship with your clients?

Removing Barriers to Recruiting Internationally

by Dave Nerz

Businesses are growing internationally and global recruiters interested in growth will need to find ways to support this shift.

A study, sponsored by MAXIS GBN of more than 350 multinational business executives, reports that 40% percent of those surveyed intend to expand operations outside their home markets. The expansions will be in both developed and emerging markets.

With growth and expansion come challenges for businesses—and the global recruiters supporting them—to find talent in local markets. The war for talent is on and it is being waged on a global stage! Consider these findings:

  • Close to 20% of the largest multinationals surveyed expect to double their total workforce outside their home country within the next five years.
  • Twenty-five percent of companies will enter new markets in five years.
  • Global markets are outpacing home markets for revenue growth. Thirty percent of respondents expect 70% of their revenue from outside of their home country within five years.
  • Brazil, China, India and the U.S. are target markets for companies looking to sell products.
  • Vietnam, South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa are considered the best opportunity for those seeking to source materials, products or components.

The Barriers to Global Recruiting

Engaging in international recruiting will be an important survival strategy for recruiters in the years ahead. Yet there are many barriers to recruiting internationally that will delay or even stop recruiters from addressing this opportunity. Here are some of the challenges indentified by successful global recruiting organizations:

  1. Desire and Awareness – Some recruiters have become insensitive or immune to their clients’ growing need for talent outside of their local geographies or home counties. Relationships with clients built long ago and grown locally have remained locally focused. Some smaller recruiters have not investigated their clients’ international recruiting requirements. In some cases, lack of awareness is compounded with a lack of desire to change from a comfortable recruiting process.
  2. Knowledge – A lack of knowledge about foreign markets for talent keeps many recruiters from asking about international recruiting requirements.
  3. Networks – The absence of a network of international recruiting partners has prevented smaller firms from competing for international recruiting assignments.
  4. Success – As with most things, we tend to fear those things we have never tried or been successful with in the past.

Remove the Barriers

Take these actions to begin exploring the opportunities that recruiting internationally can offer your firm:

  1. Ask Clients About International Needs – You might be surprised how many small and mid-sized companies are seeking talent in areas outside the markets you have served. By asking, you will identify the opportunity that international recruiting represents within your client pool. Remember that recruiting is competitive and that developing a skill may help you land the next new client…so it is not just about the clients you have today.
  2. Become Knowledgeable – Read, ask questions, attend webinars, and add to your knowledge about what is going on in international recruiting markets.
  3. Grow Your Network – Increase your networking skills and efforts. LinkedIn and the many LinkedIn Groups are a great way to start. Become connected to more international recruiters. Based on client feedback, you may identify target countries to focus on initially.
  4. Demonstrate and Promote Your Efforts and Success – Talk about what you are doing when given an opportunity. The more you can display your knowledge, interest and any successes the more others will think of you as capable of international recruiting.

The growth of international recruiting is an opportunity for recruiters. Find a way to add global recruiting to your capabilities. Doing so will enhance your firm’s likelihood of survival, growth, and profitability in the years ahead.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Don’t Let a Counter Offer Cost You a Placement!

by Veronica Blatt

Today’s installment is courtesy of guest blogger Frank Michael D’Amore. Frank is the founder of Attorney Career Catalysts, a firm that places lawyers in law firms and corporations, and facilitates law firm mergers. He is a former General Counsel and law firm partner who is now in his 11th year of recruiting. Frank writes a monthly column, “The Business of Law,” that is published in The Legal Intelligencer. You can find out more about Frank, including his soon-to-be-created blog, at www.attycareers.com.

You recruit a great candidate and beautifully manage the recruitment process, which leads to that person receiving a terrific offer. The commission check is almost in your grasp, when the candidate unexpectedly tells you that he has accepted a counter offer to stay with his current employer…..

This doomsday scenario, which may entail having to restart a search, or, worse yet, losing the opportunity if another recruiter makes the placement, can be avoided. The foundation should be laid early in the recruitment process, as you should receive a commitment from the candidate that he will accept an offer (assuming it’s a good one) if he fully goes through the process. You should not shy away from the possibility of a counter offer coming in to play, as it likely will if you’re working with a strong candidate. Rather, you should condition the candidate early on as to why accepting a counter offer is a bad idea.

The following ten points should be in your arsenal when addressing a counter offer. Some you may want to discuss at the outset of your work with a candidate; others may be best used when a counter offer is received:

  1. Candidates who accept counter offers will ultimately leave their company anyway. Studies and anecdotal experiences of experienced recruiters have shown that approximately 80% of candidates who accept a counter offer will leave their company within a year; about 95% will do so within 18 months. This has been borne out in my own search practice, as I have ultimately placed all three candidates who accepted counter offers within a year of them rejecting an offer that was extended to them by a client.
  2. If a counter offer is accepted, things will never be the same. Loyalty will forever be an issue, as senior management will not forget that the candidate who stayed had one foot out the door. The employment relationship is much like others in our lives — if you have ever had a significant other who almost left you for another, you’re likely to never forget it and this inevitably alters the relationship going forward.
  3. If someone accepts a counter offer, decisiveness is automatically called into question. If someone goes through a long recruiting process, makes a rational decision to accept an offer and then reverses course, normally within a day or two, this hardly portends well — even within his company — as to the candidate’s ability to exercise reasoned judgment. Indecisiveness will be an attribute that will forever be associated with the candidate.
  4. Promised changes are unlikely to stick. For some candidates, money is not the driver in making a move — the trigger may be dissatisfaction with some core ways in which the business is run. A counter offer that includes a commitment to change some of those practices may be well intentioned. However, history strongly suggests that once a few months go by, things tend to regress back to the norm and the promised changes end up being fleeting.
  5. “Why did it take your potential move to make the company offer you more money, a new title, or to promise to make changes?” If the candidate merited extra compensation or some other recognition, it should have been taken care of before the candidate gave notice. Getting that bump or promotion, after the fact, calls into question how the company really feels about the candidate—is it genuine or a reflex reaction to keep others from leaving?
  6. The benefits received when accepting a counter offer will be short-lived. When compensation season rolls around the following year, or when discussions ensue about promotions, or when leadership positions are filled or voted on, or plum assignments are given, the candidate who almost left is at a disadvantage. If it’s a close call on any of those issues between the company loyalist and the almost-departed, who is more likely to win that battle?
  7. The microscope will be on a candidate who accepts a counter offer. A candidate who accepts the counter offer better perform well, as the practical impact is that he will be held to a higher standard in the future. When a company reaches to provide extras to someone — especially when that was not planned (as it wasn’t in such situations) — the expectation is that the employee will have to perform at a higher level to justify that benevolence—he has no margin for error going forward.
  8. A candidate’s relationships with other employees may change. The changes that a company makes to keep someone can be disruptive to the overall business. When special deals are cut, it causes others — who have never threatened to depart — to wonder why they have not received the type of added benefits that someone who was about to leave did, which may trigger resentment from those company loyalists.
  9. Where did the extra dollars in the counter offer come from? Compensation budgets are firmly established each year. When a company magically throws new money at someone who is about to leave, those dollars will have to be accounted for, and, in many cases, will come out of the candidate’s next bonus or raise, which diminishes the true impact of what is bestowed in the counter offer.
  10. There are long-term, negative implications when counter offers are accepted. No matter how large the market is in which someone is based, the reality is that we live and work in a small world. The company that devoted considerable time, energy and resources in recruiting the candidate who accepted a counter offer, along with the recruiter, will never forget what happened. This very well may shut off some opportunities going forward and can have other harmful effects on a candidate’s future.

Don’t be afraid of a candidate receiving a counter offer. The earlier you confront the issue, the better, as you’ll diminish its eventual allure. Even if one is issued, you hopefully will be well armed to defeat it. Good luck!

When Placements Fall Through – Ask More Questions!

by Terri Piersma

In today’s world, business keeps moving faster and faster. Staying current with technology is a challenge in and of itself. So, who has time to analyze the past?

Kimberley Chesney, Chair of NPA’s Board of Directors, believes reviewing placements that fall through would benefit independent recruiters. In a recent communication to the recruiters in our global recruiting network, Kimberley shared “when you go back to the start of the placement (way back to when you received the job order) and take it all apart, you find things that could have been done better.”

When a placement falls through, three areas to consider analyzing include the following:

1.         Client
Did you ask the client tough questions from the moment you received the job order as well as throughout the placement process? Or, because you have worked with that client before, did you make assumptions that this situation was just like the prior ones? For example, Kimberley suggested asking your client “what has changed since we first started talking about this position . . . in the department, in the company, with your business?”

2.         Candidate
Again, did you ask the candidate tough questions throughout the placement process?  Kimberley suggested asking the candidate – “If we get to an offer stage with my client, what does that offer have to look like – salary, bonus, vacation, start date, non-competes, relocation, etc.?” Being surprised by a candidate may mean you didn’t ask enough tough questions of that candidate.

3.         Overview
Step back and consider what happened from beginning to end. Were you distracted with other business and excluded steps you typically include?  Were there any red flags you chose to ignore?  Did you assume everything would fall into place and, therefore, didn’t “close” the client and candidate throughout the process to uncover any red flags?

As an independent recruiter, what questions do you ask yourself when you review an unsuccessful  placement? What additional questions will you ask your client and candidate the next time?

Image:  FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What is the Difference Between Corporate and Independent Recruiters?

by Veronica Blatt

Depending on whom you talk to and their experience as corporate or independent recruiters, you will probably get a different answer to this question. The truth is there are tons of differences between the corporate and independent recruiting world. Below are some of the key differences that set these two professions farther apart than you might think.

Independent recruiters must build relationships with both clients and candidates in order to maintain their business. Their livelihood (and paycheck) depend upon their ability to market and sell themselves and their firm. On the flip-side, corporate recruiters have a steady paycheck from week to week and are assigned positions they must fill. They don’t typically have to develop new business accounts. Corporate recruiters may be more specialized since they only have to know about ONE company’s culture, products, or services. Third-party recruiters are more likely to have broad knowledge of companies, industries, and product lines as well as the functional roles for which they recruit talent.

Sourcing for independent recruiters and corporate recruiters can be quite different. Independent recruiters use selling techniques to connect with passive candidates who are not interested in leaving their current position. The independent recruiter must gain the trust of the candidate through a cold-call and a carefully tailored sales message. For the most part, corporate recruiters don’t use cold calling skills to recruit passive candidates. They may hire an independent recruiter to work for them, or use job boards and post advertisements to find candidates.

Independent recruiters need to be business savvy as for the most part, they will end up running their own business one day. The skills needed to run their own desk as well as manage other recruiters and the back-end of a business may be equally, if not more important than the skills required to successfully place candidates. Corporate recruiters may do much more than recruit. If they are functioning in an HR role, they may also be responsible for insurance, benefits, company policies, disputes and complaints, etc.

Having an independent recruiter or corporate recruiter skill set doesn’t make you any more or less successful. However, it’s important to note that there are definite differences between the two.

What are your thoughts about the differences between independent recruiters and corporate recruiters? Does a corporate background provide recruiters with the experience necessary to be successful in independent recruiting?

Candidate Mindset is an Important Recruiting Resource

by Veronica Blatt

Today’s post is courtesy of guest blogger Cameron Gausby, owner of KNG Technical Inc., a boutique recruitment firm specializing in the areas of research and development for biotechnology, engineering, and other specialized areas in high tech manufacturing. Cameron is currently a member of the NPA Board of Directors.

Over the years, candidates have asked me how they can better perform in their interviews and what I can advise that will give them an edge. I like to think I provide good coaching on the standards of how to handle the salary question, best present their strengths, weaknesses, motivation to move, etc. I consider interview preparation and coaching a valuable recruiting resource that helps close more deals.

Last year, however, a candidate who is a former professional athlete asked me what his mindset should be prior and during the interview. I had never been asked this before, but given his background in competitive sports, it was clear he knew that mindset was equally as important to his overall interview performance as how he answered specific questions. I hadn’t previously considered how the candidate’s mindset could also be a valuable recruiting resource.

After thinking about the idea of the candidate’s mindset, and the more I thought about the job description he was interviewing for, the more I understood my client’s problem (job description). Job descriptions are opportunities yes, but they are also transparent problems that need to be solved. The candidates being interviewed are potential solutions for that problem. But how many actually go in to the interview with the mindset, “I’m the solution to your problem and here is why.” No one understands the problem better than the hiring manager who put that problem to paper (right?), so it stands to reason the hiring manager should recognize the solution the moment it presents itself.

So in order for your candidates to have an edge on the competition, they need to demonstrate – better than their competition – that they are, without a doubt, “the solution.” Sounds easy enough until you ask yourself, the hiring manager, and the candidates what they deem to be the most important criteria for the job. I have found that nine times out of ten they are not aligned. If you, the candidate, and the hiring manager don’t understand what the problem is (in order of importance) there will be doubts about whether your candidate is the solution.

To eliminate this doubt and give your candidate a legitimate edge you need to:

  • Understand what the most important aspect of the problem is with all parties (job description),
  • Know for certain your candidate is the solution for that problem, and
  • Have relevant examples to back up their answers in the interview to prove it.

In this case, the problem (job description) was 1.5 pages long, yet for him to really be successful he needed just 3 critical skills. We have found this seems to be the case no matter what the industry or length of the job description. In this case, he was the only non-degreed candidate which made him the underdog on paper. Since he truly understood the problem and presented himself as the solution to the key areas, his focus and relevant examples came across far better than those who were presenting themselves based on their personal strengths and accomplishments.

It’s also important to note that because some hiring managers spend less than 5% of their time annually conducting interviews, they may not know what kinds of questions will really dig into whether a candidate is the solution. By practicing this exercise, the candidate will be better positioned to ask questions that will spark further dialogue about how he/she can solve the problem. Once the candidate and hiring manager are engaged in a problem-solving discussion, the candidate is in a position to help his/her own cause, and ultimately yours as well.

Knowing you’re the solution is one thing. Knowing exactly why you are the solution and presenting yourself accordingly is the mindset your candidates should have prior to and during the interview. Mindset coaching is a recruiting resource that will give your candidates a legitimate edge.

How a Recruiter Networking Group Can Help You Change Your Specialty

by Veronica Blatt

Have you ever thought about changing your specialty? Or adding a new desk to your existing business? It seems like shifting to a new specialty should be fairly straightforward, but it’s often harder than it seems. Here are three ways a recruiter networking group can help you make the transition:

Peer coaching and industry knowledge. A recruiter networking group consists of trading partners who are already experts in your new field. They will likely be willing to share information and ideas about how to make the transition into a new specialty. This valuable insight can save countless hours, and money, so that you can quickly start making more placements.

Provide candidates and/or positions during the transition. A recruiter networking group consists of trading partners that you can make split placements with. If they have open job orders, you can source candidates in the new specialty. If you have access to candidates in a desired specialty, seek out trading partners with suitable job openings. Split placements can be an extremely effective way to build a new specialty.

Reduce overhead associated with change or expansion. It can be expensive to add a new specialty, or to change your existing business focus. Not only do you have to factor in your valuable time, you may need to purchase new resources, tools, lists, etc. A recruiter networking group can help offset some of those expenses by carrying them for you. You don’t have to pay your trading partner unless you make a split placement. You’re not paying for your partner’s benefits. You don’t have to purchase equipment or invest in training. It’s a “pay-as-you-go” situation that has no, or limited, ongoing fixed costs.

If you’re seriously considering a new recruiting specialty, and you’re NOT part of a recruiter networking group, you may wish to consider joining one. Your existing informal networks are probably made up of recruiters, job seekers, and clients based on your existing specialty. It takes time to cultivate new contacts, and it will be harder to start something new until those contacts are established. Joining a formal recruiter networking group can be a wise decision that will allow you to shift into a new market area more quickly and cost-effectively.

7 Questions to Help Independent Recruiters Take Better Job Orders

by Dave Nerz

It is a tough market for independent recruiters, right? The work you do to fill an open position is 2 to 3 times more than what was necessary before the recession. Clients are slow to move and seem to change their minds about what they want, require and expect with each candidate that you expose them to.

So, are you taking good job orders?

  • Is the client being asked to think their requirements through? Or are you doing mind reading?
  • Is there agreement about what the client asks for? Is it written down and confirmed in writing?

Maybe you have a recruitment process; feel free to share your recruiting process via comments to this blog. If you don’t have a formal process, it may be because you have an informal process that has been working…good for you. Does it ever fail you? Maybe you don’t want to “waste the client’s time” when you know what they mean and you have candidates ready to go or can tap into a recruiter networking group to support you with a quick turn on candidates. As a frequent hiring manager at one point in my career, I can tell you my requirements changed from hire to hire, even with repetitive fills. Sometime you just need different skill sets to work with your team chemistry. Maybe a special skill is required to work a special project or with a specific client. I would not assume anything, as the cost of making that assumption is a waste of your time and the time of your recruiter networking group. Independent recruiters who work on a contingency basis only get paid for the time invested that makes a match. Are you really interested in taking on additional risk?

What if you created a simple form that collected some basic information about the job and then asked 7 straightforward questions of the hiring manager?

Basics: Company, Location of the Job, Job Title, etc

Question 1:  Money

  • Base Salary Range…more for exceptional candidates?
  • Bonus…how realistic is a bonus? Based on what?
  • Commission or other compensation available?
  • Benefits…fit to the market…better/same/worse?

Question 2:  Process

  • Who is available to interview?  Three reserved dates  _________, __________, __________.
  • What is the date you want this hire to start?

Question 3:  Required Skills and Background

Must haves:

  • bullet 
  • bullet 
  • bullet 

Question 4:  Not required but would make a candidate a standout. Dig deep here…get 3 good things!

  • bullet 
  • bullet   
  • bullet   

Question 5:  Why would the candidate choose to leave a good employer and take this position?

  • bullet 
  • bullet   
  • bullet   

These better be good…career path, company equity, flexible hours, high quality co-workers, etc.

Question 6:  The key duties of this job

  • bullet 
  • bullet   
  • bullet   

 

Question 7:  What will this candidate accomplish in the first 3 to 6 months if they are off to a great start?

  • bullet 
  • bullet   
  • bullet   

Sign it, and ask the hiring manager to sign it, too. Now I can sleep. I hope you will sleep better and make more placements. I know that doing this will separate you from the crowd of independent recruiters that don’t take the time to do this. It is a good investment and it brands you as a quality recruiter.

5 Elements of International Recruiting

by Terri Piersma

Flags of the WorldAs Director of Membership of a global split placement network, I’m fascinated and inspired with the details involved in international recruiting. One can easily conclude after learning the details of these types of split placements that the world is definitely smaller than in the past. Technology has played a major role in this situation.

As an example, I’d like to share with you the five elements of a recent split placement in our network. This split placement highlights how a network of independently-owned recruitment firms with a web-based sharing tool can better serve its clients and candidates; regardless of location in the world.

The 5 elements are as follows:

  1. Recruiter with the position was located in Australia.
  2. Recruiter with the candidate was located in Russia.
  3. Client was a geology company headquartered in Australia.
  4. Position Location was in Guyana in South America; just north of Brazil.
  5. Candidate was a German geologist working for a Russian geology company and doing fly-in/fly-out work in Guyana.

The recruiter with the position searched in NPA’s web-based sharing tool hoping to find a geologist. He found much more than just a geologist. He found a geologist currently doing fly-in/fly-out work in the very country where his position was located – Guyana! Needless to say he was thrilled and contacted the recruiter who had posted the candidate. All worked out during the placement process and the geologist started his new position this past April.

In NPA, this scenario works because we have technology in place to facilitate split placements among our members. In addition, all recruiters in NPA operate under the same Bylaws resulting in relationships built on trust.

How do you achieve success in international recruiting? How do you find candidates when your clients have operations located around the world? Are you a member of an informal or formal recruiter networking group?  How do you build trust with trading partners from different cultures?

Image:  www.freedigitalphotos.net

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