STReBlog » Hiring

What to do after the interview

Sun, 06 Jun 2010 19:32:03 +0000

We all learned Friday that job growth is not where we want it to be yet…at least not in the private sector. So there are still lots of people interviewing, trying to “get on the right bus”. I saw a blog called “Don’t Wait by the Phone” and it got me thinking, and commenting, so let’s go!
1. Write the thank you note. Write a note as soon as possible. What’s important is to write a note that stands out, and is engaging. I’ve seen (and received) too many notes that look like they came from a Microsoft word template. Make yours stand out by showing you understand what the priorities of the job are. Include a comment that integrates your skills and experience with what they’re looking for in the ideal candidate. [Hint: Always ask, what the key priorities of the job are, or what they are looking for in the ideal candidate.]
2. Self-assess the interview. While it’s fresh in your mind, evaluate your interview performance. No, I don’t mean “beat yourself up”, but I’ve found there’s always a thing or two that I think of and could have done differently. When I was interviewing for CFO jobs, my interview skills always improved as I interviewed more. I’d think of more examples of experiences that would highlight my skills, or questions I’d want to ask so I could evaluate the opportunity better.
3. Follow up with the person who scheduled the interview. Whether it’s a recruiter, a friend/networking contact, or HR, reach out and thank them for the opportunity to interview. Give them your assessment of how the interview went, your interest, and if appropriate, ask them about next steps.
4. Keep looking for/scheduling more interviews. No matter how well the interview went, keep looking for more opportunities. The goal is to have choices and options and not to put all your eggs in one basket. And I find candidates interview better when they fell confident about their “interview pipeline”. These are tough times, but don’t let the interviewers know it. Be cool and confident.

Remember, nobody bats 1,000. Set the right expectations for yourself. Do your best, learn from the interviews, and keep looking for that right opportunity. A positive attitude goes a long, long way.

What’s the job market really like right now?

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 04:16:57 +0000

I’ve gotten more questions recently from candidates wondering what the job market is like. Some say they’ve seen an increase in activity, others have been out of work for more than a year and are considering expanding their search to areas outside of Silicon Valley. As usual, there’s not a simple straightforward answer.

Let’s start with the good news. Intel, Google and AMD all had good earnings reports this week. And companies like Cisco, HP, and Intel have announced hiring plans. Most third party recruiters I’ve talked to are getting more job orders to work on, which means internal staffing teams need help finding talent. These are all signs of the hiring trend moving up and to the right.

The bad news is that the unemployment rate still remains high and there are a lot of very talented people who are still out of work. I read an article a couple of weeks ago that drilled down into the details behind the unemployment rate provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate includes all types of workers, at all levels with different levels of education and was 9.7% in March 2010. If we just focus on management, professional and related types of workers the unemployment rate in March was 4.7%. And the unemployment rate in March for people with college degrees was 4.9%. This data is for the entire U.S. and I don’t have it broken down for Silicon Valley, but I have to believe the trend is consistent. The unemployment rate for professionals and managers is probably significantly lower than the 12.6% that was just reported in California.

So if you’ve been out of work for a while and are feeling frustrated and hopeless, it’s not as bad as it seems. I will continue to give the same advice. If you’re not working, and haven’t been working for over six months, go out and contract, or volunteer, and update your resume and LinkedIn profile. It will make a difference. And keep your network informed of your activities. I know you may feel like your communications may not be getting results, but there is more activity, more jobs, so your network will be able to help with leads now more than ever!

Know your recruiter

Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:34:41 +0000

I was just reading a blog for candidates entitled “Why finding a recruiter/headhunter should not be your first move”. I wondered what he was saying about my industry, so I read on. You can read the blog by clicking here.

While I agree that calling a recruiter probably shouldn’t be your first move, it should be near the top of the job hunting to do list. BUT, even before you consider placing a call, make sure you know who you’re calling and whether they will be helpful. How do you find that out? Call other candidates you know and ask for referrals.

While Lavie is correct in saying recruiters are paid by the employer and we are not in business to help candidates find jobs, a good recruiter will spend time with candidates who are referred to them by candidates/clients in their network. These are the recruiting partners you need to find. At STRe, we know we can’t place all the candidates who come through our doors, even if they are qualified for an open job order we’re working on. But we do know we can usually provide some bit of advice or guidance to most candidates–and that’s what we strive to do. Not only does it feel good to help out, especially in this market, frankly it makes good business sense. Candidates often become clients and if they have a good experience with STRe they will often tell others. We frequently have new clients tell us they heard about us from a candidate who had a good experience with us. And clients want their potential candidates for a job to be treated well by the recruiter that represents them and their company.

The article goes on to say that if a recruiter is not working in your field, it’s probably not a good person to work with. I agree. You need someone who can understand your qualifications and even highlight the skills and experience you have, but may have inadvertently omitted on your resume.

And lastly, unfortunately I have to disagree with the advice to apply for a position directly and Lavie says “because when you use a recruiter you add an extra layer to the screening process.” That’s the whole point! If you work with a recruiter who knows your field, interviews you in person, checks your references, this adds value to the hiring manager and you. At STRe, we use a presentation spreadsheet in addition to the resume for our Select Contingent Searches. This highlights the candidate’s skills and experiences as compared to the hiring manager’s key criteria. It improves the likelihood of the candidate getting hired and reduces the amount of time that hiring managers spend assessing and evaluating the candidates we present.

As a former CFO I understand the need for companies to lower their cost of hire. Unfortunately I have seen firsthand too many examples where well qualified candidates have submitted their resume for a position, never hear anything back from the company, and then can’t be represented by a recruiter because they’re already in the database. And sadly, even in this high tech age, it happens all too often. Candidates need to learn which companies have a good screening process of resumes from their website and which don’t. Because the reality is, you’re a finance professional, not a marketing guru. And sometimes your resume isn’t going to be an obvious fit through the “key word” parsing and you could get left behind.

Bottom Line: Take charge of your job search, work all angles, find trusted partners and you’ll be successful in any environment.

Just be straight with me

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:49:26 +0000

I like to think I don’t complain much, but when I am trying to find A-players for a client……and then the client goes silent and doesn’t communicate, it tests my patience. It’s not just about me…it’s about the perception it creates about the client’s company and employment brand. I think hiring managers sometimes forget that the hiring process puts them under a microscope. They’re not only hiring talent, they are representing their employment brand. The candidate’s first impression of the company is most often through the hiring manager. And it’s a lasting impression, whether they are hired or not. That’s why it’s so important to create a great first impression…on both sides.
Let me give you an example of a recent engagement we worked on. The hiring manager sent out an email to a number of recruiters. It was a juicy job order and we had some great candidates we were working with, so we sent a few resumes over. Eleven days passed, no word. The candidates were wondering what was happening. We told them we didn’t know, we didn’t have any word from the hiring manager. More follow up with the client. A week later I talked to the client and discussed the candidates. We agreed there was interest in moving forward some of the candidates. The client wanted to talk to one of the candidates directly. We let the candidate know. The candidate was waiting for the call, no time was set. A week went by and the client didn’t call. The candidate called us, any updates? We try to “cover” for the client. Another six days pass until the client calls the candidate and schedules an in person interview.
So what’s my point? Hiring managers are working with a recruiter, and may not think it matters if they have an active dialogue, keep them up to date. The reality is that we are representatives of the company in the candidate’s eyes. And while we will do everything we can to give a good impression for our clients, there comes a time when if the client isn’t straight with us, doesn’t have open communications, the candidate knows it.

It’s all about setting the right expectations. Remember that age old golden rule? Think about how you’d feel if you were candidate. If you let that guide your actions, your employment brand will be Stellar!

It’s a new decade; it’s a new ball game

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 02:41:49 +0000

Don’t know about you, but I’m glad to see us welcome in a new decade, change is good, and most people are ready for some positive momentum. I’ve been reading a lot about the positive economic indicators in the job market–if positive thinking can create jobs, there’s enough of it around to make it happen! Here’s a link to an article in the WSJ “Uptick in Executive Jobs Seen for 2010”, read it for yourself.
I’ve talked about the signs of improvement in the market in earlier posts, so let’s talk about what it means for candidates and clients. There are still too many candidates that are out of work despite their best efforts at networking, applying to company websites, and working with recruiters. If you’re one of them still on the sidelines, now is a good time to refresh your resume. I’m not talking a total overhaul, that’s probably not necessary. Reread the first page. Make sure you’re highlighting the contributions you made to the company in your last position, not just listing your responsibilities. Hiring managers are seeing too many resumes, make yours stand out by stressing the ways you’ve saved money, improved efficiency, or prepared a company for an IPO. Emphasis results, dollars saved, percent reduction in inventories, preparation of an S-1 that never got filed. They are all important.
And candidates, don’t forget, if you’ve done some consulting, even if it’s a short project, put it on your resume, it’s important. Perhaps you’ve worked with some colleagues on a pro bono basis to start a business, prepared a business plan to raise money, or volunteered for a non-profit. It makes your resume look fresh instead of stale.
Hiring managers need to be ready for the uptick as well. First and foremost, make sure you’re connected with your key employees to make sure they are engaged and motivated in their roles. Nothing makes people happier than contributing to a successful organization, so remind them how they are making a difference. And then, get a jump on top talent. “A” players are just beginning to consider jumping into the job market. Turn up your recruiting efforts a notch and get to these candidates before other employers do. It pays to be ahead of the curve. And carefully assess resumes, some of the candidates that are out of work are A players. You’ll benefit by finding those “needles in the haystack”. If you need help, call me, that’s our core competency!

Employee Turnover—Good news/Bad news

Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:17:54 +0000

Recently I’ve been seeing numerous comments about employee turnover. This is good news and bad news. The bad news is that hiring managers are at risk of losing some talented people. The good news is it means employees are feeling more confident about the economy and are willing to take the risk of moving to a new company.
According to a survey of U.S. workers released by Right Management, many workers are unhappy with their present jobs and 60% of employees intend to leave and an additional one-in-four are networking and updating their resumes. Only 13% of employees say they intend to stay.
“Employees are clearly expressing their pent up frustration with how they have been treated through the downturn,” said Douglas Matthews, president and chief operating officer at Right Management. “While employers may have taken the necessary steps to streamline operations to remain viable, it appears many employees may have felt neglected in the process. The result is a disengaged and disgruntled workforce.”
Information is power and there is still time to act. As a hiring manager myself, my experience is that you can definitely change employee discontent into content. The number one reason employees changes jobs is unhappiness with their manager. And often that can be as simple as “my manager doesn’t recognize my work”, or “there’s no work/life balance” at my company. These are problems that can be solved quickly and the results are immediate. So take a look around, and make sure your top talent is happy and engaged. We all know it’s much easier to retain talent than replace them.

The Landscape has Changed

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 05:42:27 +0000

The Landscape has Changed
I was struck last week by how many articles I read that were upbeat and positive about our economy. Everywhere I looked a vendor, partner, company, was reporting “slightly improved activity”. And this week Seagate raised its outlook for the current quarter as did Brocade. So what does this mean? Are we getting back to business as usual? I don’t think so, but the outlook is definitely improving.

An article in the NY Times a couple of weeks ago entitled “In Silicon Valley, the Jobs Picture Has Changed” talks about the industries that have been winners and losers since the dot com bust. Keep your eyes open for opportunities in new industries and be prepared to explain why your skills are transferable!

A Day of Good News

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 02:38:56 +0000

With the release of the 2 American journalists held in North Korea, it’s a day for good news, so let’s continue. In case you missed one of today’s top articles, there is certainly some good news on the job front. Almost half of workers who got laid off in the last 3 months have found jobs. And more good news, According to Careerbuilder, “Looking at workers who were laid off in the last 12 months and found new jobs, more than half (56 percent) reported they were able to negotiate comparable or higher pay for their new positions. Forty-four percent of workers took a pay cut, down from 49 percent in March.”

At STRe, we have seen a definite pickup in jobs that clients need help on, and pay has stayed fairly constant. This isn’t the time to look for a 10-15% increase when changing companies, but most companies aren’t expecting candidates to take pay cuts. The only area we’ve seen reductions in salaries has been in contracting. Both candidates and clients are putting pressure on rates for consulting positions. If you’ve been out of work for a while, hang in there, help is on the way.

Does Experience Matter?

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:02:24 +0000

A column in the Mercury News last week got me thinking about this topic that is near and dear to my heart. Chris O’Brien wrote a piece about the new VC start up that Marc Andreessen and Benjamin Horowitz founded. They are confident that they can crack the top 10 VC firms pretty quickly and O’Brien asked them why? The reply may not surprise you. They said they don’t have any dramatic new approaches, no “secret sauce” so to speak. O’Brien wrote “Instead, they think that too many in the industry are professional VCs, rather than former entrepreneurs such as themselves. It’s a kind of “back-to-the-future” mindset, hearkening to the early days of the valley when most venture capital flowed from entrepreneurs.”

And I agree with Marc and Benjamin. Experience does count. That’s exactly why I founded STRe Solutions. Because we are a team of former operating executives that have been there, done that. We’ve walked in your shoes. And our experience benefits both candidates and clients. We have a perspective that professional recruiters don’t have. And it works. But most importantly I love what I do, and so does the rest of the team of STRe. It keeps us engaged in the “real world” and allows us to leverage our skills and expertise.

Only the Laid Off Need Apply

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:31:35 +0000

I was on vacation last week and was catching up on email last night when I came across an interesting article that is a great follow up to the WSJ article “Only the Employed Need Apply.” Paul Boutin in Wired writes, if you’ve been laid off in Silicon Valley, don’t fret – it just might be a good thing. “[T]o start the next wave of opportunities, we need to revive the kind of wanton cross-pollination that got us this far,” Boutin writes. “That’s why being pushed out the door could be just what you—and the Valley—need.” Boutin says he’s been fired five times since moving to Northern California in 1990 and has bounced back every time.

While being fired five times might be a bit hard to explain on the resume, it certainly proves that resiliency and hard work can get you employed! Here’s a link to the whole article.