Monday, December 26, 2011
Retail Jobs in Canada-Suzviews: The Truth About Applying Online: and Why You Need ...
Retail Jobs in Canada-Suzviews: The Truth About Applying Online: and Why You Need ...: Did you know that your odds of getting a job by using online application systems: either job boards or corporate: are no better than 1.6% ? ...
The Truth About Applying Online: and Why You Need a Personal Recruiter
Did you know that your odds of getting a job by using online application systems: either job boards or corporate: are no better than 1.6% ?
First trick is to have your resume make it through the auto screener........the system that checks for every single keyword mention.
Now some professionals recently created 100 absolutely perfect resumes:
that should trigger an acceptance through the system.
Did that work? You guessed right: Nope
Only 12 of the resumes actually screened through to a human.
What you need to understand is that applying online is a nearly hopeless way of getting a new job.
Not that it never happens: only that it rarely happens.
We hear horror stories all the time about candidates sending out up to 100 applications a day: and if they are lucky will receive an auto reply thanking them for their time but dont expect a response otherwise.
Because thats the bottom line: applying online is mainly a waste of your time and resources.
Why?
Well besides the fact that your resume didnt make it through the system:
about half the time the job posted isnt even real.
Yes thats right: the firm is only posting the job to meet legal requirements of fairness and already know who they are going to hire.
Only by linking up with a personal recruiter can you avoid all these obstacles.
They will honestly tell you:
1 )your resume wont make it in its current format......
2) the job actually isnt really available.....
3) the firm is a candidate window shopper: they call you in just to compare you to their own internal candidates
4) the firm has a horrible candidate experience record
5) your credentials etc arent what they want
6) the bias this firm has against hiring from firm "x"
Yes thats true too:
certain companies will automatically rule you out based upon who you worked for before
Also true:
more than 5 years in one job: and you are in retail: a dinosaur
less than 2 years in one job: you are unstable
What you need to know is that the entire review process is set up to catch you making mistakes:
not to actually see if you can do the job
Its a case of "last man standing".......the person who "got the highest score" more or less.
You would be astonished how many candidates get dumped at third or fourth interview:
overuled from hire by a tiny detail.........
One senior director was eliminate for the "snow question"......
how they answered how they would get to work in a blizzard.
You absolutely need to figure this out:
link up with a recruiter:
They will coach you through the entire process:
tell you what pitfalls to avoid
Having a personal recruiter is like having a personal trainer, chef, stylist and social coach all in one: and its free to you.
To avoid corporate abuse of candidates:
ONLY agree to be reviewed by a firm IF you are represented by an agent and insist your agent do all the talking for you.
More later in 2012 Candidates!
First trick is to have your resume make it through the auto screener........the system that checks for every single keyword mention.
Now some professionals recently created 100 absolutely perfect resumes:
that should trigger an acceptance through the system.
Did that work? You guessed right: Nope
Only 12 of the resumes actually screened through to a human.
What you need to understand is that applying online is a nearly hopeless way of getting a new job.
Not that it never happens: only that it rarely happens.
We hear horror stories all the time about candidates sending out up to 100 applications a day: and if they are lucky will receive an auto reply thanking them for their time but dont expect a response otherwise.
Because thats the bottom line: applying online is mainly a waste of your time and resources.
Why?
Well besides the fact that your resume didnt make it through the system:
about half the time the job posted isnt even real.
Yes thats right: the firm is only posting the job to meet legal requirements of fairness and already know who they are going to hire.
Only by linking up with a personal recruiter can you avoid all these obstacles.
They will honestly tell you:
1 )your resume wont make it in its current format......
2) the job actually isnt really available.....
3) the firm is a candidate window shopper: they call you in just to compare you to their own internal candidates
4) the firm has a horrible candidate experience record
5) your credentials etc arent what they want
6) the bias this firm has against hiring from firm "x"
Yes thats true too:
certain companies will automatically rule you out based upon who you worked for before
Also true:
more than 5 years in one job: and you are in retail: a dinosaur
less than 2 years in one job: you are unstable
What you need to know is that the entire review process is set up to catch you making mistakes:
not to actually see if you can do the job
Its a case of "last man standing".......the person who "got the highest score" more or less.
You would be astonished how many candidates get dumped at third or fourth interview:
overuled from hire by a tiny detail.........
One senior director was eliminate for the "snow question"......
how they answered how they would get to work in a blizzard.
You absolutely need to figure this out:
link up with a recruiter:
They will coach you through the entire process:
tell you what pitfalls to avoid
Having a personal recruiter is like having a personal trainer, chef, stylist and social coach all in one: and its free to you.
To avoid corporate abuse of candidates:
ONLY agree to be reviewed by a firm IF you are represented by an agent and insist your agent do all the talking for you.
More later in 2012 Candidates!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Candidate Shopping: When Endless Pursuit of the Ideal Candidate Does more Damage than Good
Retail firms are notorious for Shopping: Endless candidate shopping and never actually hiring anyone.
Why? Well presumably the miraculous ideal candidate is still one more interview away.
Like the perfect dress. Or the perfect woman to marry.
Recently one local firm kept shopping until they had accumulated 300 resumes for a Director role:
shortlisted that to 15:
and STILL made no hiring choice.
Not surprisingly they are back on the phone looking for recruiters to send them even MORE candidates.
That would be a NO......no way. Not a single agency will refer even one more candidate to this firm.
Its not just because obviously there are endless hours of work put into sourcing candidates for them:
but
there are all the disaffected candidates who resent having supplied so many of their own hours chasing this elusive job only to hear: NOTHING
That sets up an incredible scenario of resentment towards the above brand: creates brand resistance for all further searches but trashes the recruiters reputation. Next time the recruiter calls for a valid position: all the candidate thinks is: Here goes another waste of my time.
What this retailer doesnt seem to get:
is that when we call on their behalf:
fully 7 out of 10 potentials already know the brand reputation for fruitless interviews and applications and simply reject to proceed.
Thus fully 70% of the talent pool wont even listen to a proposal from that brand:
and this just trashes what the recruiter can bring to the table in candidates for them.
The point here is: the harder they screen, the longer they search: the more they turn off multiples more candidates.
Its a case of diminishing returns.......they are making it worse for themselves: not better.
Yet they are foolishly proud of all the due diligence they think they are putting in.
Research shows: you only need to review about 20 people who fundamentally qualify for your role
to establish a baseline of what is available in the market and if your price is right.
Stop at 20: and HIRE......
Its amazing how many senior people just cant make simple hiring decisions: so terrified of getting it wrong.
If you cant find 20 people who qualify: then its simple: your expectations are ridiculous.
You change: dont ask the talent to morph into some magical format that melds to your fantasy candidate.
Be realistic about what you can expect at what price.
You only have 45k to shop with?.......in todays market that is virtually entry level:
yet we see job descriptions that Senior Execs would have a hard time even understanding.
This is a marketplace: you are buying and brokering talent. People talent has a cash value.
And unless you are Facebook or Apple:
you are only worth what you are willing to pay.
Low price? Low talent pool. Simple equation.
From a recruiters point of view: when you consistently dont hire: we stop doing referals for you.
End of: We dont need the agro.
We dont need ticked off candidates hounding us about roles that will never be filled.
We dont need junk feedback about the negatives of the candidate:
I recently heard one that blew me away: They HR didnt like the sound of the candidates voice......
Are you kidding?.........
this person was an ideal match culturally, skill wise and reputation wise: No one else this person ever worked for had issues.........
So do you think anyone will source for that retailer any more?......when the deciding factor is tone of voice?
Firms that endlessly source and never hire:
turn the entire market place agains them
That reputation spreads like wildfire:
a few Facebook mentions about what a candidates experience was like
just that alone:
is enough to totally ruin your relationships with recruiters and candidates alike
And you sure dont want recruiters out there telling candidates:
thats not a firm I would send you to
because they are talking to hundreds of other retailers every week.
You need a hugely positive experience for all candidates:
You need to actually hire in a timely way:
or stop interviewing altogether.
You need an amazing reputation with recruiters as well.
You have to stop window shopping and actually hire people.
Why? Well presumably the miraculous ideal candidate is still one more interview away.
Like the perfect dress. Or the perfect woman to marry.
Recently one local firm kept shopping until they had accumulated 300 resumes for a Director role:
shortlisted that to 15:
and STILL made no hiring choice.
Not surprisingly they are back on the phone looking for recruiters to send them even MORE candidates.
That would be a NO......no way. Not a single agency will refer even one more candidate to this firm.
Its not just because obviously there are endless hours of work put into sourcing candidates for them:
but
there are all the disaffected candidates who resent having supplied so many of their own hours chasing this elusive job only to hear: NOTHING
That sets up an incredible scenario of resentment towards the above brand: creates brand resistance for all further searches but trashes the recruiters reputation. Next time the recruiter calls for a valid position: all the candidate thinks is: Here goes another waste of my time.
What this retailer doesnt seem to get:
is that when we call on their behalf:
fully 7 out of 10 potentials already know the brand reputation for fruitless interviews and applications and simply reject to proceed.
Thus fully 70% of the talent pool wont even listen to a proposal from that brand:
and this just trashes what the recruiter can bring to the table in candidates for them.
The point here is: the harder they screen, the longer they search: the more they turn off multiples more candidates.
Its a case of diminishing returns.......they are making it worse for themselves: not better.
Yet they are foolishly proud of all the due diligence they think they are putting in.
Research shows: you only need to review about 20 people who fundamentally qualify for your role
to establish a baseline of what is available in the market and if your price is right.
Stop at 20: and HIRE......
Its amazing how many senior people just cant make simple hiring decisions: so terrified of getting it wrong.
If you cant find 20 people who qualify: then its simple: your expectations are ridiculous.
You change: dont ask the talent to morph into some magical format that melds to your fantasy candidate.
Be realistic about what you can expect at what price.
You only have 45k to shop with?.......in todays market that is virtually entry level:
yet we see job descriptions that Senior Execs would have a hard time even understanding.
This is a marketplace: you are buying and brokering talent. People talent has a cash value.
And unless you are Facebook or Apple:
you are only worth what you are willing to pay.
Low price? Low talent pool. Simple equation.
From a recruiters point of view: when you consistently dont hire: we stop doing referals for you.
End of: We dont need the agro.
We dont need ticked off candidates hounding us about roles that will never be filled.
We dont need junk feedback about the negatives of the candidate:
I recently heard one that blew me away: They HR didnt like the sound of the candidates voice......
Are you kidding?.........
this person was an ideal match culturally, skill wise and reputation wise: No one else this person ever worked for had issues.........
So do you think anyone will source for that retailer any more?......when the deciding factor is tone of voice?
Firms that endlessly source and never hire:
turn the entire market place agains them
That reputation spreads like wildfire:
a few Facebook mentions about what a candidates experience was like
just that alone:
is enough to totally ruin your relationships with recruiters and candidates alike
And you sure dont want recruiters out there telling candidates:
thats not a firm I would send you to
because they are talking to hundreds of other retailers every week.
You need a hugely positive experience for all candidates:
You need to actually hire in a timely way:
or stop interviewing altogether.
You need an amazing reputation with recruiters as well.
You have to stop window shopping and actually hire people.
Monday, September 26, 2011
What Hirers Want from Candidates 2012
The big question on the minds of recruiters and candidates: is what do these hirers want?
Rather than guess: I started interviewing some of my clients and here is what they said.
Candidates:
a) They want good attitude before skills.
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Well that sounds easy enough.........but what the heck is that really?
What it boils down to is: enthusiasm for their company.
The biggest complaint we hear about older candidates is that once hired, they spend a lot of time saying: We always did it this way at XXX company......why do you do it differently?
To the new firm: you are wasting their time. They dont care how other companies did it unless they specifically ask for advice. They simply want you to learn their systems and get up and running as fast as possible.
They dont want challenges they want you to forget most of what you specifically learned in the last 20 years and do it THEIR WAY.
The bottom line is they want you to think their way is the BEST way you have ever seen it done.........something they DO get from younger less world wise candidates.
You think you were hired for all the knowledge you bring to the game to actually apply that knowledge.
Not so much.
You were hired because you have a CORE UNDERSTANDING of the industry: so they dont have to lay the groundwork: but thats really it. Now they want you to play on their team.
If they are the Leafs! The Leafs are the top team.
If they are the Senators: then they are.
Forget whatever team you played on before: They dont want to hear it.
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b) Someone who wants THIS exact job: right here: right now.
Hirers unanimously say: Bring me someone who passionately wants the job I am offering: not just A job and not the next job up the ladder.
.. this exact job at this exact pay with this exact level of power.
In fact: you are probably being interviewed because you are already doing a nearly similar job.
This shows up as at interview when candidates are asked what they know about the firm and why they want to work there..........that blank stare that comes from only having browsed their website wont cut it.
In other words: that stale old interview question: Why do you want to work for us?.......has increased in its value to the employer............
Cant stress enough how much effort candidates need to put into that research pre-interview.
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c) Fit over skills:
You see these horrific job postings with lists of skills: you consider painstakingly each and every one of them and reach the decision you match those criteria. You might even get an interview: but you dont get hired. You are left wondering what went wrong?
Fit. The company didnt see you on their team. They didnt "get" who you were as being "like them"
Hirers want to hire people: "like them".
Skill just isnt enough. Its only 50% of the job these days.
Having a lot of skills and experience gets you through the door: but only "fit" gets the deal.
So what is "fit"???
Let's be real here. some of it sounds prejudicial and illegal.
"Like Us" can mean: all M.I.T. educated engineers with young techno minds.
No way around that: it does exclude older people. It can exclude those without modern educations.
The hirer thinks you wont fit in with the rest of the team.
Well: you will never know anyway: you likely wont get an offer.
Fit is generational attitude........
Fit is visual.........
Fit is values......
Fit is a simple test: Who is your favourite musician?.........if you mention Johnny Cash in a company that plays Lincoln Park........you probably wont get hired.
Yup: folks: thats the folly of fit..........
Heres the advice: if its a retailer: walk through their store: if you dont sound act or look like them: you arent them: you wont be hired. Dont be fooled into thinking they are looking for something different in support roles at head office.
What you see is what they are hiring. Dont waste your time even applying.
Select companies that will value what you have to offer: not companies that will need to make you over into their profile employee: they wont bother.
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Lets take Visual Fit:
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A young lady was recently sent for an interview as a Bilingual Office Admin person. Pretty straight forward. She was bi-lingual and skilled at office work.
However, she wore something dowdy to the interview: really surplus clothing but otherwise clean and neat. .......to an interview with a fashion retailer.
Nothing wrong with her skills: she didnt "fit" the image they have of themselves......and Army Surplus wasnt it.
The underlying message: If you look like a model: apply. If not: dont.
But thats their "fit" and they arent alone. Every company gets to decide who "fits" and who doesnt.
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Lets take values:
They all say "Customer Service" which really means what?
Not much really:.....each company teaches or preaches it to the level they require.
It mostly means: friendly.
Yes folks: friendly personable people are in big demand.
Add to that: calm under pressure, sensible and every other skill your Mom told you to have.
Be polite.
Be fair to co workers.
Be nice people.
Nice people are saleable in the hiring market.
Be prepared to show niceness at interview.
The challenge for actual Retail Work: is that these might be the skills HR wants to see you demonstrate at interview:
and so you should.......
but real success in retail takes one heck of a lot more than niceness to succeed.
It usually takes flat out greed. Good retailers are hungry retailers.
Thus the most successful retail people can tell you what they sold two months ago:
but often cant tell you why Mary is upset that she was short changed 5 minutes on her break or even notice that she was.
Thats the oxymoron of retail:
its a people business
but not necessarily a social business.
Team players are rewarded more than high achievers..........thats the new normal.
So take heed in interviews superstar retailers!
They dont care at that stage that you can generate dollars:
they want to see how nice you are:
think
What Charities do you support?
_________________
Generational Fit:
Well foks this is a new buzzword. It means you better understand everything thats "new".
.........from fashion to technology.
You better have an active LinkedIn account.
You better know how to use the Cloud.
You better know ecommerce inside and out.
You better be enrolled in educational upgrades.
Why? because not so much where the firm is now: but where it thinks it is going. Hiring is done with the future in mind.
No one wants to buy old technology: nor people associated with old technology.
Your ability to get hired is directly related to how current and innovative you can show you are.
I was working with one senior candidate for a top level construction role:
he seemed to be a perfect fit.........except he didnt have a degree in anything:
just loads of practical experience.
Well this fact was a key issue at both his interviews:
Why?
Not so much about where the company is today but where it is going in the future.......what knowledge they anticipate they will require.............not about how something was done 10 years ago.
When I suggested he enroll in some online college upgrade courses: about $200 each: he balked.......he would only do that IF he got the job: NOT to get the job..........a $100k job.
Huh? ....200 dollars to make 100,000 seems like a good investment to me
This is where a lot of candidates are going wrong.
What you have to invest to get the job probably outstrips what you have to do to keep it.
If your education isnt current: you are at a disadvantage for "fit" to todays hirers.
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d) Near perfect matching to the job description:
If they say they want Apple Peelers with 6 years experience and a fork lift permit:
thats what they mean........
Well I have most of it: I am a quick learner and can pick up the rest easily.........doesnt cut it.
Look very carefully at that job description:
if you cant tick every single box and demonstrate that you have every single skill and experience in every category they list:
you better be prepared for the fight of your life if you get called to interview:
and you likely still wont be hired.
Why? because hirers honestly believe that if they just look hard and long enough: there is someone out there who will match their request perfectly.
Forget the old: Transferrable Skills thing: no one cares anymore.
If you are a store manager in groceries: you probably arent going to be a store manager in fashion.
If you are a fashion store manager in young trend dont think luxury fashion is interested in you.
Nearly all hiring is a lateral move..........from where you are to where you still are; only the name changed and maybe the pay got better.
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Summary:
Most of my clients anticipate that 2012 hiring nunbers will be the same as 2011........but less at the executive level and more at street level........more boots on the ground.
They also agree they are going to use job boards much less and social networking incuding recruiters more.
Candidates have to be aware that once you are posted on LinkedIn etc:
your skill set is going to match every other retailer at your level of career.
Its going to be who best can brand themselves.......
How your style and personality stands out from the others
that will make the difference between being selected and not
Personality and fit to the hiring firm is now deciding your career path:
in terms of who will hire you.
Senior workers and those without specialized education will have to work harder than ever to compete by upgrading and being able to present themselves as current.
Each client of mine say they will be introducing more and more technology to retail:
more innovations in merchandising, more to define their shopping experience from others.
There is no way to escape the generational gap that older workers face in retail. Its upgrade or go the way of the horse and buggy.
Even fashion retailers are increasingly asking for specialized degrees or diplomas in Fashion Marketing, Design, Purchase Management:........Retail is no longer the Default position until you get a REAL job.
For this one factor alone: most hirers see the bulk of their hiring going to the 30-45 age crowd.
Yet because of this demand: retailers that do "fit" are in great demand. Never has retail paid as much as it does today for this age group. Many roles compare favourably with engineering jobs.
We can agree or not: but hirers get the ultimate say in who they choose to hire and this is how they are thinking right now in retail.
In my next blog: the point of view of recruiters for 2012 will be put forward to compare.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
How to Absolutely Kill Interest In Your LinkedIn profile or Resume:
Absolutely nothing stalls interest in contacting you for career options than long winded profiles or resumes full of "fluff" words that mean absolutely nothing.
Mmmmmm: what are the favourite spirit killers?
1) Results oriented:.......as opposed to??.......don't care about results? really? what is the point of this phrase?
2) Passionate:.....as opposed to??......could care less?.....waste of words
3) Creative:.....Ok: you arent creative if you use the word Creative.......let your bio show you are creative......Recently have seen some great resumes with the actual logo of the retailers they have worked for inserted: very memorable.
4) Brand development expert:........Ok......How>? If you say it: prove it:.....most candidates dont realize they have to be a "brand" of their own:......not just a soldier in the massive army.
5) Unique:.....again: if you have to use the word unique: then you arent unique. A big long list of your home runs makes you unique: shows your unique talent.
6) Leader:......mmmmm.....prove it.
7) Solution oriented:........well if you are: What solutions do you favour? Which ones worked that you created?
8) Team player......unless you work for a retailer of one .........then you obviously have to work with a team....nothing is more meaningless than this phrae...
9) All round:......so: you can do everything....(no ego here....and who exactly is out to purchase "everything" talent: hirers want to hire specific skills.......not a buffet of various general abilities: Show what you are expert in
10) Seeking Career where I can use my talents:........sure: we all are.........So is the recruiter supposed to guess what you really want to do next?.........
All these buzz words are interest killers that mean nothing except you are good at "fluff" selling.........they hide real skills and goals you may have. It doesnt paint you as Executive: stuffing paints you as: ......&*($**^%$$...bluffing.
Recruiters dont have time to navigate through nonesense.
A clear concise portrait of who you are: what you are expert at: why you are expert aka proof of success and what you want to do next speeds up the probability of being contacted for a job you really do want to pursue.
Even better if your paragraphs are two sentences long. I can guarantee you: recruiter dont read: they scan. Long winded biographies go unread.
Even better when what you say per item is less than 90 words and in bullet form.
Todays employers want to solve their problems by hiring people who solve their problems.
If you cant show how you solve unique problems you want get picked up.
A profile that projects:
Here is what I do best
Here is the proof
Here is what I want next
is the one that will get contacts.
Junk is junk. .........there is no way to disguise it with fluff words.
Mmmmmm: what are the favourite spirit killers?
1) Results oriented:.......as opposed to??.......don't care about results? really? what is the point of this phrase?
2) Passionate:.....as opposed to??......could care less?.....waste of words
3) Creative:.....Ok: you arent creative if you use the word Creative.......let your bio show you are creative......Recently have seen some great resumes with the actual logo of the retailers they have worked for inserted: very memorable.
4) Brand development expert:........Ok......How>? If you say it: prove it:.....most candidates dont realize they have to be a "brand" of their own:......not just a soldier in the massive army.
5) Unique:.....again: if you have to use the word unique: then you arent unique. A big long list of your home runs makes you unique: shows your unique talent.
6) Leader:......mmmmm.....prove it.
7) Solution oriented:........well if you are: What solutions do you favour? Which ones worked that you created?
8) Team player......unless you work for a retailer of one .........then you obviously have to work with a team....nothing is more meaningless than this phrae...
9) All round:......so: you can do everything....(no ego here....and who exactly is out to purchase "everything" talent: hirers want to hire specific skills.......not a buffet of various general abilities: Show what you are expert in
10) Seeking Career where I can use my talents:........sure: we all are.........So is the recruiter supposed to guess what you really want to do next?.........
All these buzz words are interest killers that mean nothing except you are good at "fluff" selling.........they hide real skills and goals you may have. It doesnt paint you as Executive: stuffing paints you as: ......&*($**^%$$...bluffing.
Recruiters dont have time to navigate through nonesense.
A clear concise portrait of who you are: what you are expert at: why you are expert aka proof of success and what you want to do next speeds up the probability of being contacted for a job you really do want to pursue.
Even better if your paragraphs are two sentences long. I can guarantee you: recruiter dont read: they scan. Long winded biographies go unread.
Even better when what you say per item is less than 90 words and in bullet form.
Todays employers want to solve their problems by hiring people who solve their problems.
If you cant show how you solve unique problems you want get picked up.
A profile that projects:
Here is what I do best
Here is the proof
Here is what I want next
is the one that will get contacts.
Junk is junk. .........there is no way to disguise it with fluff words.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Attracting Passive Candidates: You Have to Sell!
Oftentimes people wonder what the difference is between HR searching for candidates and recruiters.
Simple. Selling.
HR spends enormous sums of money on passive recruiting techniques: job sites, corporate websites: internal postings: all of which only appeal to Active Candidates: mostly the unemployed or soon to be unemployed or On Their Way Out of their Company for various reasons.
Nothing especially wrong with that: but the facts are this represents only about 8% of the entire workforce at any given time and in retail: even less.
HRs have a strange aversion to hiring the unemployed: We don't want anyone someone else didn't want no matter what the reason.
As the retail workforce continues to shrink in availability: this attitude will have to change. The recession dumped lots of very qualified people on the market a few years ago but the assumption is they kept the best workers.
Not so: more often they kept the "cheapest" workers to contain payroll costs.
So now its time to top up again. You can bet these Active searchers will indeed find a percentage of these posted roles: if HR will even look at them.
Recruiters therefore don't have a lot of motivation to promote Active job seekers: companies don't pay for what they believe they can obtain themselves.
They get paid to find Passive candidates: those that are reasonably happy at jobs they already have.
Or: the other 92% of the workforce.
Next to none of these workers ever check out a job site of any kind.
(Well let's face it: the 'drop' rate (completing the application process) is huge for online job postings regardless of being an Active seeker or not: something 90%+.)
Corporate jobsites fare only slightly better: around 17% completion.
Why? Mainly because it's so time consuming, confusing and unrewarding. Ever try to go through a Taleo based application? Wow: nightmare of frustration.
At the end of such a process: a candidate is lucky to recieve: Due to the High Volume of Applicants you will ONLY hear from us if..........If you Won the Jobsite Lottery!
Candidates know the success rate for applying online is around 1 in 200-300 chances to be hired.
Candidates know that online applications are nothing more than a lazy HR department attempting to "not be bothered" with most people: to make their own lives easier by getting candidates to pre-qualify themselves.
Thanks for nothing!
Jobsites are nearly entirely ineffective in recruiting anymore. No one wants to play anymore. It's like finding the Cadbury $250,000 Key in your Chocolate Bar..........How many bars do you have to eat to win?
Jobsites can't Sell the Job or the Firm very effectively.
They are nothing more than laundry lists of
WE NEED:........WE WILL TAKE FROM YOU:
If you are:
The most amazing candidate in the world
Can jump every hurdle we have set to exclude most human beings
Work for some anonymous unstated prize of undetermined value
Then maybeeeeeeeeeeeeee...........we will talk to you.
Convince me to hire you!
Right.
Wrong:
Unless time has warped and it's still the 1940s!
Finding candidates is a courtship process no different than finding customers.
People have to be convinced there is value in considering switching loyalties to your firm.
Recruiters need to have something to SELL about your firm: something special.
Not many people are interested in lateral moves for lateral benefits.
But first of all they have to SELL your firms Brand:
the products as well as the reputation.
There has to be a Value Proposition; a reason to RISK changing companies.
If you are coming to the table with the same old HR processes which are notoriously candidate unfriendly:.....
....and the same old compensation packages: called: Prove you are worth this money
....and the same old 3 month evaulation periods of "we will try you out"
....and the same old vacation packages which you usually lose with a job change
....and the same old sweat shop hours
....and worst of all you are offering a lateral career move
...........then what can a recruiter Sell about you? to entice away a candidate from a job and a company they are basically happy with?
Some companies only call in recruiters when their own miserable processes have failed.
Others use them because they really do care about creating the best possible team.
Whatever the scenario: a recruiter has to find ways to package your firm to appeal to the type of candidates you want.
Yup that's right. We have to Sell YOU......sell your brand to candidates.
Recruiting works in reverse to how HR works:
Mr. Candidate: Sell ME..........on reasons we should hire YOU
HR and Recruiting have the same end goal: but use totally different methods.
HR says Sell Me on You!
Recruiters say Sell You to Them!
HR often thinks: Why do I need a recruiter? Aren't we doing the same thing?
Nope.
Recruiters are salespeople: out there selling your brand across the entire pool of retail candidates.
They get paid to sell. Period.
A CHRP type designation counts for nothing in the sales game.
Well is it any different than hiring our own cheaper recruiters?
Yup.
Your own staff recruiters just can't make the intimate relationships with competitors staff: unless they are ready to quit anyway: and are thus actually Active candidates.
Recruiters develop deep data bases of Passive candidates looking to move when the right Story comes along........things they would never confess to a direct competitor.
In house recruiters are basically an extension of HRs already extensive Active candidate recruitment overhead but still can't touch the Passive pool.
There are only two pools of candidates:
8% Active
92% Passive
There has never been an effective way to reach most Passive candidates other than outside Recruiters.
The stats are:
Job boards: 3.6% .............hire rate
Newsprint: 7% ............. hire rate
Random Apps: 7% .............hire rate
Job Fairs: 8% ..............hire rate
Random Walk Ins: 12% .............hire rate
Staff Refer: 12% ............ .hire rate
Corp Job Sites: 17% ..............hire rate
Recruiters: 56% ...............hire rate
HR continues to spend ridiculous amounts of money on methods that are measurable failures:
with the lowest possible Return on Investment........
If they were in Finance or Marketing: they would be fired for such lousy results.
All the while thinking Recruiters "cost too much".........
The only method that costs too much is one that doesn't work!
When you retain a Recruiter:
You are actually retaining a Top Sales Professional.
The better they are at selling your brand: the better hiring results you will have!
Just that simple.
If you don't have something great to sell and someone to sell your brand to candidates:
You will not get the best talent.
Simple. Selling.
HR spends enormous sums of money on passive recruiting techniques: job sites, corporate websites: internal postings: all of which only appeal to Active Candidates: mostly the unemployed or soon to be unemployed or On Their Way Out of their Company for various reasons.
Nothing especially wrong with that: but the facts are this represents only about 8% of the entire workforce at any given time and in retail: even less.
HRs have a strange aversion to hiring the unemployed: We don't want anyone someone else didn't want no matter what the reason.
As the retail workforce continues to shrink in availability: this attitude will have to change. The recession dumped lots of very qualified people on the market a few years ago but the assumption is they kept the best workers.
Not so: more often they kept the "cheapest" workers to contain payroll costs.
So now its time to top up again. You can bet these Active searchers will indeed find a percentage of these posted roles: if HR will even look at them.
Recruiters therefore don't have a lot of motivation to promote Active job seekers: companies don't pay for what they believe they can obtain themselves.
They get paid to find Passive candidates: those that are reasonably happy at jobs they already have.
Or: the other 92% of the workforce.
Next to none of these workers ever check out a job site of any kind.
(Well let's face it: the 'drop' rate (completing the application process) is huge for online job postings regardless of being an Active seeker or not: something 90%+.)
Corporate jobsites fare only slightly better: around 17% completion.
Why? Mainly because it's so time consuming, confusing and unrewarding. Ever try to go through a Taleo based application? Wow: nightmare of frustration.
At the end of such a process: a candidate is lucky to recieve: Due to the High Volume of Applicants you will ONLY hear from us if..........If you Won the Jobsite Lottery!
Candidates know the success rate for applying online is around 1 in 200-300 chances to be hired.
Candidates know that online applications are nothing more than a lazy HR department attempting to "not be bothered" with most people: to make their own lives easier by getting candidates to pre-qualify themselves.
Thanks for nothing!
Jobsites are nearly entirely ineffective in recruiting anymore. No one wants to play anymore. It's like finding the Cadbury $250,000 Key in your Chocolate Bar..........How many bars do you have to eat to win?
Jobsites can't Sell the Job or the Firm very effectively.
They are nothing more than laundry lists of
WE NEED:........WE WILL TAKE FROM YOU:
If you are:
The most amazing candidate in the world
Can jump every hurdle we have set to exclude most human beings
Work for some anonymous unstated prize of undetermined value
Then maybeeeeeeeeeeeeee...........we will talk to you.
Convince me to hire you!
Right.
Wrong:
Unless time has warped and it's still the 1940s!
Finding candidates is a courtship process no different than finding customers.
People have to be convinced there is value in considering switching loyalties to your firm.
Recruiters need to have something to SELL about your firm: something special.
Not many people are interested in lateral moves for lateral benefits.
But first of all they have to SELL your firms Brand:
the products as well as the reputation.
There has to be a Value Proposition; a reason to RISK changing companies.
If you are coming to the table with the same old HR processes which are notoriously candidate unfriendly:.....
....and the same old compensation packages: called: Prove you are worth this money
....and the same old 3 month evaulation periods of "we will try you out"
....and the same old vacation packages which you usually lose with a job change
....and the same old sweat shop hours
....and worst of all you are offering a lateral career move
...........then what can a recruiter Sell about you? to entice away a candidate from a job and a company they are basically happy with?
Some companies only call in recruiters when their own miserable processes have failed.
Others use them because they really do care about creating the best possible team.
Whatever the scenario: a recruiter has to find ways to package your firm to appeal to the type of candidates you want.
Yup that's right. We have to Sell YOU......sell your brand to candidates.
Recruiting works in reverse to how HR works:
Mr. Candidate: Sell ME..........on reasons we should hire YOU
HR and Recruiting have the same end goal: but use totally different methods.
HR says Sell Me on You!
Recruiters say Sell You to Them!
HR often thinks: Why do I need a recruiter? Aren't we doing the same thing?
Nope.
Recruiters are salespeople: out there selling your brand across the entire pool of retail candidates.
They get paid to sell. Period.
A CHRP type designation counts for nothing in the sales game.
Well is it any different than hiring our own cheaper recruiters?
Yup.
Your own staff recruiters just can't make the intimate relationships with competitors staff: unless they are ready to quit anyway: and are thus actually Active candidates.
Recruiters develop deep data bases of Passive candidates looking to move when the right Story comes along........things they would never confess to a direct competitor.
In house recruiters are basically an extension of HRs already extensive Active candidate recruitment overhead but still can't touch the Passive pool.
There are only two pools of candidates:
8% Active
92% Passive
There has never been an effective way to reach most Passive candidates other than outside Recruiters.
The stats are:
Job boards: 3.6% .............hire rate
Newsprint: 7% ............. hire rate
Random Apps: 7% .............hire rate
Job Fairs: 8% ..............hire rate
Random Walk Ins: 12% .............hire rate
Staff Refer: 12% ............ .hire rate
Corp Job Sites: 17% ..............hire rate
Recruiters: 56% ...............hire rate
HR continues to spend ridiculous amounts of money on methods that are measurable failures:
with the lowest possible Return on Investment........
If they were in Finance or Marketing: they would be fired for such lousy results.
All the while thinking Recruiters "cost too much".........
The only method that costs too much is one that doesn't work!
When you retain a Recruiter:
You are actually retaining a Top Sales Professional.
The better they are at selling your brand: the better hiring results you will have!
Just that simple.
If you don't have something great to sell and someone to sell your brand to candidates:
You will not get the best talent.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Insanity and Retail HIring: What's going on?
Now that Mays numbers are out: the unemployment has fallen again: to 7.4% we know that translates into less than 2% in the Retail Sector. The whole game just got harder.
What's wrong with Retail hiring anyway?
Well lets start with Job Postings: no matter where they are:
For some bizarre reason HR people think they have to write highly complex job descriptions as if everyone they are hiring are nuclear scientists.
A) Candidates dont read them anyway
B) No one understands them or what the heck the actual job is: not recruiters: not the HR people themselves
C) They arent enticing: they have all the appeal of a Blood Donation form
D) They ask for Dream Candidates to Apply: that one in a million Perfect Person Only who can match all the requested credentials
E) They focus mainly on skill sets and not Attitude
F) Candidates arent stupid: They know they are a Screenng OUT process: not a Welcome In process
G) They never tell you anything about what you will get in return for applying and being hired:
"exciting career" means exactly what?
---------
Today I will just talk about using common sense in Job Descriptions if you want to attract candidates:
I challenge you to pick any old job you want on Monster or the other job boards: cover up the title of the job and the company: then read it out loud to anyone at all: and ask them: What Job is this an ad for?
I tried it for a Store Mgr role: only 2 out of 10 Store Managers I read it to could identify the job as even being a retail job!!
Just : Tell it Like it IS!
What is the matter with saying:
Job Title: Store Manager
"We need someone to run a 10,000 sq foot box store for us with 100+ staff"
"We need someone who has done it before because its a "take over today" role without much training time"
Category:
Fashion:
"It's really important that you come with lots of fashion knowledge so you can best help our customers make fashion choices and you can teach staff too"
Skills:
"We are going to want you to show us your knowledge in:
inventory
display
scheduling
keeping on top of meeting sales quotas
so that we both feel comfortable you have all the tools you need to be successful"
Experience: You need to say WHY you are asking for experience
I have seen retailers posting for essentially $11.00 Hr part time jobs asking for University Degrees.
Why not the following?
"People who have done this job for about 3-5 years previously have the easiest time being successful because they have already faced most of the situations that will come up in this role"
"People who have college training in fashion have a big advantage in being successful with us"
Relevant Information: Make it Real!
-We do 3 interviews over 3 weeks
-We want someone to start August 1st
-We will give you 2 weeks training in another store
Personality:
Why not just tell the canidates what kind of person you want right in the ad?
"Our most successful people:
-Love working someowhere with a hectic ever changing pace
-Don't mind standing all day
-Really find helping customers with fashion choices to be a blast!
-Love to talk talk talk all day
-Thrive under pressure
-Have fashion or art or design backgrounds before they joined us
-Enjoy being in charge and making tough decisions
-Look forward to lots of change: transfer to other stores: moving up the ladder quickly
What's in it for YOU!
Stop pussy footing around salary:
Why is everyone so shy about announcing what they pay?
If your company pays well: Scream It!
-"Fabulous pay 75k+: Industry leader!"
if it doesnt:
-"Reasonable base: 50k region: Monster bonus and commission potentials!"
Don't think that using price is somehow distasteful to attract candidates: it's going to come up anyway.
Don't think: We don't want people who are motviated by money. Really? In retail? That's exactly the type of people you want: people motivated by sales and bonus structures.
Don't think your competition doesn't already know what you pay anyway and that you are giving away some top secret competitive issue. Believe me: there are tons of websites out there called "XXX Pay levels" What you pay is all over the internet long before you post.
Do you think somehow if you keep it a secret you can scam a candidate into accepting low pay?
Well if you can: that's someone who is going to leave you soon anyway.
Benefits:
Just say what it is:
and
For Petes Sake: Sell the darn Job! Make it worth working for you! It doesn't have to be all cash:
We Care Sick Days program
We Care Personal Issues program
Access to: Counseling, Education programs, Upgrading and Development Leaves
Scheduled Cell Phone/Internet breaks.....**
Free instore Wi Fi
Flex Time programs
1 All expenses paid Week per Year Conference Training
Merchandise Discounts
Monthly Contests and Rewards
Bi-monthly Performance Guidance
** the days of the "coffee" break are dead as any kind of relief from the misery of the job: this isn't the 1940s!
Retailers have to eliminate the: SLAVE concept so often posted in Job Descriptions
(and you are really lucky if we pick you!)
coming from a time of surplus talent
to a Google Job Posting: of Why would you want to work anywhere else because it's such an awesome career!"
Speaking personally: the one client I have the easiest time recruiting for is one that offers massive amounts of personal training.
It's such a powerful tool: money falls off the radar in discussions: candidates are just so overwhelmed that an employer would invest that much in them and that they will become better retailers!
--------------
Nuke the old job postings and start Selling! After all: you are a Retailer! How hard can it be?
What's wrong with Retail hiring anyway?
Well lets start with Job Postings: no matter where they are:
For some bizarre reason HR people think they have to write highly complex job descriptions as if everyone they are hiring are nuclear scientists.
A) Candidates dont read them anyway
B) No one understands them or what the heck the actual job is: not recruiters: not the HR people themselves
C) They arent enticing: they have all the appeal of a Blood Donation form
D) They ask for Dream Candidates to Apply: that one in a million Perfect Person Only who can match all the requested credentials
E) They focus mainly on skill sets and not Attitude
F) Candidates arent stupid: They know they are a Screenng OUT process: not a Welcome In process
G) They never tell you anything about what you will get in return for applying and being hired:
"exciting career" means exactly what?
---------
Today I will just talk about using common sense in Job Descriptions if you want to attract candidates:
I challenge you to pick any old job you want on Monster or the other job boards: cover up the title of the job and the company: then read it out loud to anyone at all: and ask them: What Job is this an ad for?
I tried it for a Store Mgr role: only 2 out of 10 Store Managers I read it to could identify the job as even being a retail job!!
Just : Tell it Like it IS!
What is the matter with saying:
Job Title: Store Manager
"We need someone to run a 10,000 sq foot box store for us with 100+ staff"
"We need someone who has done it before because its a "take over today" role without much training time"
Category:
Fashion:
"It's really important that you come with lots of fashion knowledge so you can best help our customers make fashion choices and you can teach staff too"
Skills:
"We are going to want you to show us your knowledge in:
inventory
display
scheduling
keeping on top of meeting sales quotas
so that we both feel comfortable you have all the tools you need to be successful"
Experience: You need to say WHY you are asking for experience
I have seen retailers posting for essentially $11.00 Hr part time jobs asking for University Degrees.
Why not the following?
"People who have done this job for about 3-5 years previously have the easiest time being successful because they have already faced most of the situations that will come up in this role"
"People who have college training in fashion have a big advantage in being successful with us"
Relevant Information: Make it Real!
-We do 3 interviews over 3 weeks
-We want someone to start August 1st
-We will give you 2 weeks training in another store
Personality:
Why not just tell the canidates what kind of person you want right in the ad?
"Our most successful people:
-Love working someowhere with a hectic ever changing pace
-Don't mind standing all day
-Really find helping customers with fashion choices to be a blast!
-Love to talk talk talk all day
-Thrive under pressure
-Have fashion or art or design backgrounds before they joined us
-Enjoy being in charge and making tough decisions
-Look forward to lots of change: transfer to other stores: moving up the ladder quickly
What's in it for YOU!
Stop pussy footing around salary:
Why is everyone so shy about announcing what they pay?
If your company pays well: Scream It!
-"Fabulous pay 75k+: Industry leader!"
if it doesnt:
-"Reasonable base: 50k region: Monster bonus and commission potentials!"
Don't think that using price is somehow distasteful to attract candidates: it's going to come up anyway.
Don't think: We don't want people who are motviated by money. Really? In retail? That's exactly the type of people you want: people motivated by sales and bonus structures.
Don't think your competition doesn't already know what you pay anyway and that you are giving away some top secret competitive issue. Believe me: there are tons of websites out there called "XXX Pay levels" What you pay is all over the internet long before you post.
Do you think somehow if you keep it a secret you can scam a candidate into accepting low pay?
Well if you can: that's someone who is going to leave you soon anyway.
Benefits:
Just say what it is:
and
For Petes Sake: Sell the darn Job! Make it worth working for you! It doesn't have to be all cash:
We Care Sick Days program
We Care Personal Issues program
Access to: Counseling, Education programs, Upgrading and Development Leaves
Scheduled Cell Phone/Internet breaks.....**
Free instore Wi Fi
Flex Time programs
1 All expenses paid Week per Year Conference Training
Merchandise Discounts
Monthly Contests and Rewards
Bi-monthly Performance Guidance
** the days of the "coffee" break are dead as any kind of relief from the misery of the job: this isn't the 1940s!
Retailers have to eliminate the: SLAVE concept so often posted in Job Descriptions
(and you are really lucky if we pick you!)
coming from a time of surplus talent
to a Google Job Posting: of Why would you want to work anywhere else because it's such an awesome career!"
Speaking personally: the one client I have the easiest time recruiting for is one that offers massive amounts of personal training.
It's such a powerful tool: money falls off the radar in discussions: candidates are just so overwhelmed that an employer would invest that much in them and that they will become better retailers!
--------------
Nuke the old job postings and start Selling! After all: you are a Retailer! How hard can it be?
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