Congratulations! You’ve gotten yourself a new job; taken another step up the ladder. Time to celebrate and daydream about all the future holds for you. But before you pop that champagne, you have to resign from your present job first. Handling a resignation well requires forethought, planning, and professionalism. 

What to Consider when Resigning from your Job

First Things First

As tempting as it may be to rush to resign as soon as you get an offer, don’t. Offers fall through, negotiations break down, budgeting gets pulled. Wait until you’ve got a signed offer letter in hand, start date and your benefits package all figured out before letting your manager know you’re leaving. There’s nothing worse than jumping the gun then finding yourself empty-handed.

Make A Plan

Before you schedule a meeting with your manager make a plan of how you intend to ease out of your position. Offer a schedule to transfer accounts, information etc… to co-workers or your replacement, and make recommendations of how best work can be reassigned or shifted. Make certain to include a road map for any unfinished projects and clean up any files that are in less than pristine shape.

Write TWO Resignation Letters

The first letter you’re going to write is solely for your own use. This is the letter where you air all of your grievances -- you say everything you’ve ever wanted to say. Think your present boss is a moron? Say it. Hate the way your co-worker laughs? Say it and tell them if you never see them again it would be too soon. Still angry that you were passed over for an important project? Let it all out.

Doesn’t that feel good?

Yes, it does.

Good. Now delete the file, burn the paper, empty the trash. No one else on the entire planet needs ever see it, and in fact, it’s probably wise to destroy it as soon as you type the last period

Now sit down and write the second letter -- the real one. Keep it short, clear and always professional. State what you are grateful for, what worked for you and what you will carry with you through the rest of your career. Be certain to say thank you, and of course include the date for your last day.

And unless you’re as clever as the guy who sent a condolence card, keep it simple, straight forward and professional.

Schedule An Appointment

Unless you work on one continent and your supervisor is on another, always offer your resignation in person. And always schedule a meeting -- a drop-in is not the way to handle this kind of information.

Make sure you let your direct supervisor know first-- you don’t want word leaking out before you’ve had a chance to handle it yourself. Once they’ve been informed, ask your boss how they’d like you to manage letting other people in the office know. They may want to get out in front of the information first -- if so, respect their choice.

Be Prepared For the Counter Offer

There’s every chance that your well-planned resignation will be met with a counter-offer. And it may be sweet -- more money, added benefits, extra time off. Your boss may be very motivated to keep you around. But be wary.

No matter how valued you are, you’ve already identified yourself as a flight risk, so even though the company is fighting to keep you around, they also know you’ve got one foot out the door. When the time comes for cut backs or reorganization, your name very likely will be at the top of the list.

You went looking for a new job for a reason, is more money really enough to make you want to stay? Not likely. Stick to your plan to move on and up.

The Best Laid Plans

Your perfect resignation scenario probably looks something like this: You book a meeting with your manager, hand them your letter, offer two weeks and share a hearty handshake. You then spend the next two weeks easing the transition, saying goodbye, having your exit interview and preparing to move on.

But there’s every chance that the company wants you gone that day. So be prepared, have boxes at the ready, make sure you’ve cleaned up your company computer and be prepared to be walked out by security with little time to wrap anything up.

Finish Strong

Resigning a job isn’t only about what happens next. It’s about what happens three, five, ten years down the road. You want to exit the company on a positive note. Be helpful and constructive in your exit interview, consider what you say carefully and aim to be an asset up until the end. Then say thank you and wish everyone well. If you exit on a high note, then you’ll have even more to go out and celebrate.

A winning Olympic team is not so different from a winning sales team -- well, aside from the whole medal and international fame angle. What it takes to build a team of dedicated, talented and motivated individuals is the same whether we’re talking sports, IT or AV solutions. While your team’s top-grossing salesperson is never going to wind up on a box of Wheaties, they are going to rise to fame within your company. And just like the coach training star athletes, a great sales manager also has to build and train their team.

Here’s how a great sales manager is like an Olympic coach.

They Build a Diverse Team

Just as a good swim coach understands that a team made up entirely of freestyle swimmers will not win the most medals in the games, so too, the smart sales manager knows that a diverse talent pool makes for the most wins. 

While top salespeople may share some fundamental skills or abilities, a team made of salespeople with the same strengths and weaknesses does not make for the highest sales numbers. Different clients may require different sales styles, just as different products may too. You need the closer who can work with your larger, more corporate clients, and the “finesser” who knows how to nudge a new customer toward a close.

Just as athletes need to stretch and grow, so too do salespeople -- make sure you’re making room for your team to get new training, face new challenges and keep pushing the limits of their reach and ability.

They Know It’s A Mental Game

An Olympic level coach knows how to read their athletes, and understands what it takes to make each individual perform at their best. Some members of the team may need loud music to pump themselves up before the game begins, while others need a quiet place to find their focus. The smart coach makes room for both team members to get what they need. And they also make room for failure; there is no such thing as success without trial, error, and mistakes.

This couldn’t be more true for salespeople. Not every call is going to result in a win, not every deal is going to close. There will be winning streaks, and there will be times when it’s hard to get a spark lit. Winning sales managers understand they have to create an environment that fosters resilience, where each salesperson gets the supports, training, and kind of incentive that keeps them pushing through the tough times.

They Know that Teamwork is Important Even in an Individual Sport

Just as the 200-yard dash might be an individual event, even Usain Bolt’s chances of reigning dominant diminish without a strong team to support him. Sales may be an individual sport, but even a top-grossing sales star cannot reach those heights without the support and dedication of the entire team.

They Understand the Transformative Power of Failure

The best sales managers are the best because they know that failure isn’t measured by deals not closed, but opportunities for growth not taken. And in fact, I’d argue that the very best managers of any stripe are the ones who are willing to share the stories of their loses, who don’t pretend they’ve always been exactly where they are in their careers. There are studies, after studies, after studies on the power of failure -- you need not look further than silicon valley to know how so-called failures or losses can lead to transformative innovations.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Even the kid born with innate ability or talent needs coaching and an incredibly high number of repetitions to hone their abilities. Michael Phelps might have been born with the wingspan of a champion, he might even have the focus and passion to win buried deep in his DNA, but he would never have made his first Olympic team if he didn’t have the drive to keep practicing and honing his skills.

None of this is to suggest that you going to be hiring salespeople who solely are athletes, already experienced in sales or have proven track records, but you are looking to hire people who are driven and are committed to honing their skills.

Providing your team with ongoing training, holding sales competitions, and constantly raising the bar on performance and outreach all help to build a better, stronger team.

They Know A Win Isn’t the End Of The Game

Just as the US Women’s Soccer Team knows that past glory in the World Cup doesn’t insure how they’ll perform in the future, a sales team is always building on success. It might be tempting to rest on the laurels of a hot quarter, but taking those wins and pushing for a banner year is what makes a sales team truly successful. The constant drive to improve is a mindset that needs to be encouraged, fostered and rewarded.

J. Patrick & Associates is an Executive Recruiting firm that focuses on Executive Management, Sales, Marketing and Technical roles within Information Technology markets. We have over 20 years of experience recruiting in every aspect of AV/VTC/UC, Application, Storage, Information/Network Security, Mobile Technologies and Telecommunications.

The business of hiring and retaining Information Security professionals has never been more important, or more competitive. It's a candidate's market, and if you’re hiring you'll need every advantage you can get.

Here are some tips to keep in mind on how to get the edge in a crowded field.

Tips to hire and Retain Security Analysts

Be Ready to Build

Being afforded opportunities for ongoing education is a strong incentive for InfoSec professionals. Technology is constantly changing, becoming better, faster and more varied. In order to be effective at their job, analysts need to be up-to-date on all of the newest products and solutions. Companies that pay for, and encourage consistent training not only tend to attract higher caliber candidates but they also suffer lower attrition rates. Here’s a list of certifications you can help your analysts achieve.

Challenge

A survey in 2014 by ClearanceJobs found that being challenged was the number one way to retain InfoSec Professionals. Another survey found that almost 40% of professionals would move for more challenging roles, even without the promise of higher pay. Reward your security team for exploring parts of their job that they find exciting or challenging. Host Hackathons where they attempt to beat each other's systems, which, by the way, also has the added benefit of searching out any weakness in your system.

Meaning

The ClearanceJobs survey noted that 2nd to desiring challenge is doing meaningful work. Unlike previous generations that might have been amenable to doing work for work’s sake, today’s professionals are looking to connect to their work, to know that their labor is making a difference, is useable and impactful.

Know What’s Important

We may tend to think that compensation would come in first when attempting to attract talent. But the Clearance Jobs survey shows that it isn’t a major priority for today’s workforce. Compensation plays second fiddle to training and engagement when looking for a new employer. But faced with a tight talent market, it is worth offering a premium to have the best talent for protecting your data.

But keep in mind the actual hiring process is important too. Certainly, due diligence and thorough background checks are vital, but too many companies get hung up in long and protracted interview processes. Too lengthy an interview process, poor communication with candidates and recruiters,  and taking too long to make an offer will cost you.

You have to be prepared to be decisive in order to hire A level talent.

Integrity

Just as you are looking for candidates with the highest level of integrity, scruples, and honesty, candidates are also looking for companies that operated from the very same set of virtues. All of your employee branding materials, as well as every level of contact candidates, have with your company must reflect your integrity. Remember, prospective employees are looking at you long before they apply to an open position. Your reputation is one of your best recruitment tools.

Your info-sec team is vital to your company, understand what they need and want in order to attract and retain the best talent in the field.

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LOOKING FOR JOB SECURITY? THINK CYBER-SECURITY

EMPLOYER BRANDING IS THE KEY TO SUCCESSFUL RECRUITING

Hiring managers know that filling vacancies can be time consuming. Reading through resumes, conducting phone interviews, and vetting candidates can take you away from all your other responsibilities. But taking the time to get the job done right can save time, money, and headaches. Spare yourself the struggle and do it right the first time!

Here are 3 strategic methods for gaining an asset to your organization.

Understand the Company

Let your mission statement be your guide to success! A well crafted mission statement, one that reveals the character of your company is one of the best ways to  attract desirable candidates. Make sure that the key qualities that you value are easily identifiable in all of your materials. If a company’s main focus is “Going Green” and the potential candidate disregards the practice of taking care of the environment, then maybe they're not the best pick for the position. When interviewing a candidate, ask how their personal goals intersect with the company’s. If both are in alignment, you could have a very good match on your hands.

Understand the Role

Before the interview process, it's important that you understand the open position and obligations that are embedded within it. Any vacancies should be thoroughly explored before you hand a job description off to human resources. Discover faults or pain points in the role. Find out why the position requires certain specifications.

A study from the National Business Research Institute has shown the two leading factors that attribute to a failed hire are poor skills match and unclear performance objectives.

This isn't to say that you need your human resources department to become experts on all company roles. However, you do want them to be familiar with tasks that are performed in an average day, so that they can filter for your job properly.  Putting yourself in the shoes of the candidate could further help your search to finding the most qualified employee.

Quickly But Not Too Fast

After a promising first date, would you be ready to walk down the aisle?  I didn't think so! However, you also don't want to take too long, creating the opportunity for another to sweep in and steal your true love.

The hiring process is eerily similar to the dating game. In a technical aspect, two parties engaging, shaping a bond, and establishing goals that can be executed together. When a company hires someone, they are granting them access to numerous resources and assets. An unsuccessful match can cost you time, money and can in some cases lead to security vulnerabilities.

Hiring managers need to strike a balance between finding qualified candidates, and doing so in an efficient and respectable amount of time. Taking too long to close a hire can result in the lose of a worthy applicant, and rushing the process can lead to a bad match. According to the National Business Research Institute,  43% of employers cited that filling vacant positions in a limited amount of time resulted in unfit and unqualified hires.

Having to refill a position after a failed hire is a time consuming and costly endeavor. Find your balance and place the right candidate the first time. Nobody wants to repeat the process!

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HOW TO REEL IN CANDIDATES WITH A KILLER JOB DESCRIPTION

Looking for a new job or to relocate? Give one of our recruiters a call!

J. Patrick & Associates, Inc is an Executive Recruiting firm that focuses on Executive Mangement, Sales, Marketing and Technical roles within Information Technology markets. We have over 20 years of experience recruiting in every aspect of AV/VTC/UC, Application, Storage, Information/Network Security, Mobile Technologies, and Telecommunications.

When thinking about security for your business, you’ve no doubt seen to it that your office building is well-protected. You’ve got an an alarm system, security cameras and/or a guard posted at the front at your building.

But there is another vulnerability that you might be overlooking that could do way more damage than anything lurking outside.

Increasing Costs of Invisible Threats

The alarming acceleration in the growth of cybercrime is making it difficult for analysts to zero in on what the real cost to businesses is, but it’s reaching record levels. One of the latest findings, according to the IBM Cost of Data Breach Summary is that attacks are growing in both volume and sophistication, increasing overall by 64% in 2015 from 2014, and steadily rising.

The higher complexity of these recent attacks are costing companies more than ever before. The study found that each compromised record can cost $158, with an even higher cost impact in regulated industries like healthcare - a whopping $355 per record. That can add up astronomically when there are thousands of entries.

It’s not Just About Virus Protection Anymore

These sophisticated attacks are getting smarter and stealthier, and can wreck havoc on your business unless you’ve got someone watching specifically for them. An undetected breach, even it it's only for a short period of time, can result in a potentially severe impact to both your business and your customers.. Each minute that the data remains vulnerable, the costs of containing the hack skyrocket.

The only way to mitigate the damage is to have a cyber security response team at the ready to perform incident forensics, stop data leakage, and report the breach to the appropriate agencies, partners, legal and customers immediately. A surprising amount of organizations, even ones in critical sectors like energy and utilities, are not prepared enough to deal with a serious attack.

An Ounce of Prevention…

With the cost of the average data breach climbing up to $4 million an incident, the only offense is to build the strongest defense and apply enterprise risk management. Given the growth and strength of the threats, security breaches have to be factored into the cost of doing business at this point. Investing in cybersecurity failsafes before you face a catastrophic problem is crucial, as it may be it’s too costly and difficult to play catch-up after an attack.

Calling in the Cavalry

Following increased reports of worsening high profile attacks, more and more companies have decided to take the proactive route, and are turning their ships in the right direction and making it a priority to recruit the right cybersecurity talent to properly protect their critical data.

Source: IT NEXT

No one wants to be the next Home Depot, (that recently agreed to pay at least $19 million to 50 million cardholders) or the Democratic National Committee, whose computers got infiltrated and combed for months only to have sensitive campaign information leaked, or completely lose the ability to provide service to customers, so what is a company to do?

According to Radware, Organizations under threat should consider:

• A cyber security emergency response plan that includes an emergency response team and process in place.
  
  
• Protecting its infrastructure from multi-vector attacks that can saturate the Internet pipe.
  
  
• Including on-premise detection and mitigation with cloud-based protection for volumetric attacks.
  
  
• Providing protection against sophisticated web-based attacks and website intrusions to prevent defacement and information theft.
  
  
• Monitoring security alerts and examine triggers carefully. Tune existing policies to allow identification of real threats if and when they occur.

If you’re considering adding cybersecurity experts to your organization, you should:

• Find the right expert for your business size and function. If you’re smaller, you can consider someone that fits a few classifications. If you’re larger, be prepared to go for a more specialized team if you need to protect a wealth of critical personal information.
  
  
• Don't delay beginning your search. Some organizations are reporting that it can take 3-5 months to fill a senior position in some sectors.
  
  
• Get help recruiting the perfect candidate, someone who fits what your business needs right now, as well as who seeks to adapt, keep up certifications and will grow as you and the tech changes.

 J. Patrick and Associates serves Information Technology firms that are looking to improve or expand their teams in mission-critical functions, where the success of the firm is highly dependent on the quality of certain hires. If your goal is to build a star cybersecurity team, contact us today:

In Part 1 of this blog we asked the question, What Does it Take to Attract Top Sales Talent? And the answer we provided was simple: pre-IPO status. Read about why leaders in the field are looking move to these kinds of companies here.

While we stand behind that assertion, we also know it doesn’t tell the whole story. Of course not all of our candidates are looking for the same thing. So while the major trend may still be to go pre-IPO, we also have many top candidates for whom public companies are a better match. However (and this is a big caveat), what they are looking for in a public company is quite specific. And it’s a good distinction to understand.

The Company That’s Gone Public, But Has Not Been Acquired.

There’s a big difference between a public company with an institutionalized culture, and the company that has managed to maintain its pre-IPO identity. What this means is that the original structure and charter remain in place, and that the company has not allowed its identity to change in order to fit that of its parent corp. Because of this attitude, they are able to attract and retain an 'A' level sales team that is more deeply dedicated to the company's brand, culture, and continued growth.

A good example of this is Zappos. Even after they were acquired by Amazon, Zappos has been able to buck convention in the interest of preserving their independent spirit. And this has served them quite well as they are widely regarded as one of the top companies who have gotten company culture right.

The Company That’s Already Been Acquired, But Is Siloed Under An Umbrella.

Rules were made to be broken, so we know that not all acquisitions mean the termination of a company’s identity. Depending on the terms of the merger or purchase, it’s entirely possible for an innovative company to hold on to their identity: as long as they are siloed under the umbrella of the larger corporation.

A good and timely example is the pending acquisition of LinkedIn by Microsoft. If early reports prove to be correct, LinkedIn will exist as an independent entity under Microsoft’s umbrella. Rather than being an integrated brand, they will remain singular, retaining their identity, feel and flavor while benefitting from the reach and technological edge that a parent company like Microsoft can provide.

What these types of companies offer sales people is the ability to have one's cake and eat it too. It provides the foundation and stability of a public company as well as all of the perks that come with greater financial reach— all the while being energized up by the innovation and forward culture of a startup. 

The one constant we are seeing in these highly desirable candidates who are ignited by disruptive technologies and excited by the opportunity to represent the next great products out in the world, is that independence and innovation are of prime importance.

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WHAT GETS ENTERPRISE SALES-LEADERS EXCITED THERE DAYS? - PART 1

J. Patrick and Associates serves Information Technology firms that are looking to improve or expand their teams in mission-critical functions, where the success of the firm is highly dependent on the quality of certain hires. Whether you’re a candidate looking to move to one of our top-end customers, or a vendor looking to build your sales team, contact us today:

With Memorial Day comes the unofficial beginning of summer;  time to break out the BBQ, beach towels and white pants and to slow down. Well, that’s all fine and well for the weekends or vacation, but it's not great for keeping your team up and running. Even if your business slows some in the summer months, it can be a challenge to keep employees running at speed. 

While you can’t ignore the fact that the season has an effect on productivity, here are some ideas to keep thing running well.  

Prepare for the Inevitable. 45% of Americans take their vacations in the summer. With that many people cycling in and out, employers need to plan ahead. Encourage managers and directors to set the vacation calendar for their teams long before the days start getting longer, that way they can be certain to account for any overlaps, or potential interference with critical deadlines.

It's also important to be certain to create an environment that encourages employees to take those vacation days. All too often employees are too stressed, or too worried about what they might find waiting for them at the office when they return, and so we wind up with only 25% of Americans actually taking the days they are entitled to.

If you want employees who are engaged and focused, foster an atmosphere that supports well-deserved time away.

Work On Your Flexibility.  If you haven’t already, consider how to make work hours more accommodating during the summer. While not every company is in the position to offer a four day work week every other week from June through August, perhaps a 10/4 solution would be a better fit: employees work 10 hours a day for 4 days a week. However you manage it, providing some flexibility during the warm days will help cut down on “sick days” (don’t they always seem to happen on a Friday or a Monday?) and slowed productivity. Another way to approach it is to offer remote hours. Let Fridays be an optional telecommuting day -- just make certain you have the right technology in place to both ensure employees can be productive, and that all their work remains secure.

Consider Climate Control. The only thing worse than being stuck in a sweltering hot office on a long summer’s day, is being stuck in one that’s chilled to sub-arctic temperatures. And while the HVAC system for many buildings is centrally controlled, provide what fixes you can for your employees. If the central air is too cold and maintenance won’t heed your calls to turn it down some, give out sweatshirts with the company logo. Too hot? Bring in some auxiliary cooling units. Then too is the problem that what’s too cold for some is just right for others. You may not be able to create the perfect climate for everyone. But at the very least, polling your employees on their comfort level, shows that you care, and that goes a long way to mitigating their woes.

Take It Outside. If your location allows, arrange for lunch to be eaten outside. Schedule a weekly visit to the park, put out a picnic table under the tree, get some tables with umbrellas for the courtyard.

If your weekly staff meeting doesn’t demand the use of too much tech, find a spot outside where everyone can gather and do your weekly there. While getting work done is key, allowing some fresh air into a weekly meeting can help loosen up some new ideas.

Finding ways to encourage employees to get outside in the middle of the day not only helps to keep them focused and productive when they are in the office, it can also serve to increase the flow of ideas. Fresh air feeds both your employees and the company.

Call In The Caterers. Large companies cater lunch on a fairly regular basis for the simple reason that it keeps their workforce focused and productive. And while that may be beyond the means for smaller businesses, you can certainly do this on a smaller scale. Buy the team lunch one Friday a month, stock the break-room with cool drinks, keep the freezer stocked with ice cream or ice-pops. Arrange a Food Truck Friday either with a number of local food trucks, or a rotating calendar or favorites. Set up a sno-cone machine and keep a steady supply of ice. Consider what would appeal to your employees and treat them -- they’ll show their appreciation through the quality of their work.

Bring the Outdoors In. This is the perfect time of year to make some alterations to the physical plan. If you are overdue to rearrange the work space lay out, get it done now. New paint, new art, more plants and or flowers all go a long way to breathing new life into the office. Think of the office as you do your home, and lighten things up a bit.

Create New Challenges. Even if your business is one that slows in the summer, create new sales challenges or productivity contests. Just as you provide training and professional development throughout the year, take this time to encourage friendly competition. You can even throw in a physical challenge: The team member who can make the most calls AND log in the most miles on their bike wins! (Just make sure the quality of the prize reflects the level of engagement you’re looking for).

Rally the Team. There are countless ways to build team cohesion, but why not take advantage of the warm weather?  Everything from creating a softball team to compete in a local league, to sponsoring a company wide volunteer opportunity serves to not only break up the day, but help define who you are as a company. Host a company picnic, provide transportation to a local beach, amusement park or river rafting trip. Take advantage of all your area has to offer, in so doing, give your employees a shared experience that builds both trust and cohesion.

Summer may challenge your employees focus and enthusiasm, but by making some easy changes to routine and the physical plant, you can help them keep their eye on the ball.

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The purpose of an exit interview, according to Alexandra Levit, author of Blind Spots: The 10 Business Myths You Can’t Afford to Believe on Your New Path to Success. is “to get the departing employee to divulge why they are leaving and how they feel about their experience with the company.”   

Exit interviews are valuable to both employers and employees, whether it be via an automated phone call, website or a good old-fashioned sit-down meeting. These interviews provide employees with the opportunity to air out all of their grievances and positive experiences at your company. But what should be asked during an exit interview?

Check these 5 questions that are crucial for your company to conduct insightful exit interviews.

Why are you leaving?

This is the most obvious, but important question to ask employees that have handed in their resignations. It allows you to determine if a single event triggered their departure, such as a falling out with a co-worker or manager. Or perhaps the position of the ex-employees lacked key aspects, which should be resolved before hiring a replacement.  Either way, this question is crucial to receive feedback from an ex-employee.

How did the position match your expectations?

A key determinant to understanding your employee’s departure is to determine if the position met their expectations. You want to know if, in practice, the position was what was presented in the job description. Or perhaps the ex-employee felt that there was no correlation between their position and the company’s strategy. Brilliant Ink reported that clear communication about the line between the company’s strategy and the daily work of employees led to increased employee engagement.   

Did you have the tools and resources needed to effectively do your job?

If employees aren’t set up for success, from the beginning, they won’t be engaged, and so will begin looking for challenges elsewhere. Identifying what you are doing well, and how you can improve employee support will help you identify what areas you need to strengthen.

What was your relationship like with your manager?

According to BambooHR, issues with a manager is one of the top five reasons why employees resign. As important as it is to find an employee that matches the company culture, it is crucial to ensure that the managers are able to interact effectively with all employees. Although you cannot force everyone to mesh well, you can provide support where needed to assure a stable work environment.

What did you like most about your job?

Although the exit interview is a chance to receive constructive criticism from your departing employee, you also want to highlight any positives from their experience at your company. Along with learning areas of improvement, you will be able to learn what aspects of the job you should maintain for future employees.

Exit interviews may seem like a waste of time and money, but if conducted in an efficient manner your company will gain insight into what can be improved in the future.

When there’s a job opening, the first thing many hiring managers do is reach for their checklist of what constitutes the perfect candidate. Whether it be years of experience in a specified field or big company credentials, hiring managers have their checklist and most will only hire candidates who meet all criteria. And while these points are important, they can often prevent you from seeing the bigger picture and lead you to miss out on the actual perfect candidate.

How to avoid missing out on the perfect job candidate.

Over-valuing Your Hiring Checklist

Remember that most skills and requirements of the job can be learned, but attitude and personality cannot. To hire the perfect candidates, you must accept the fact that not every candidate will meet all the qualifications for the job. Basing your hiring decisions completely on a hiring checklist can lead to looking over really good candidates. It is important to become more open-minded, would you rather hire a candidate that is motivated and has a positive job attitude but meets 6 out of the 10 requirements or the candidate that meets all 10 requirements, but doesn’t necessarily fit with the rest of the organization or the job?

Over-valuing CVs

Today, most hiring managers base their hiring decisions on the credentials of job candidates, such as degree status, work experience, and certifications. This intensifies the pressure on job candidates to have a standout CV. In a recent survey conducted by Careerbuilder.com, about 58% of hiring managers reported detecting exaggerations and outright fabrications on resumes.  Remember to approach CVs with an open but critical eye to pinpoint any discrepancies!

Under-valuing Cultural Fit

Although it's important to look for the right skills and experience, ensuring that the candidate meets the fit of the organization is also crucial. A given candidate might meet all of your requirements, but will his attitude and personality fit with the rest of the organization? You may be asking yourself, how can I determine if a candidate meets the cultural fit? Well, many firms are administering personality tests to figure out if said candidate is the right match. Remember that it works both ways. If a candidate is a great fit for your company don’t pass on them just because they don’t have the necessary qualifications!

Before selecting a candidate based on your checklist ask yourself, “did my best employee meet all the qualifications when they were first hired?” It is important to remember that job skills and certifications can be learned and earned, whereas cultural fit and positive job attitudes cannot.

Just like a killer headline, a well-crafted job description can make all the difference in attracting your dream candidates. Think of your job description as a net you cast to attract and reel in qualified candidates. With all the competition casting out their nets, how exactly will your job description attract your dream candidate? 

Check out these 4 innovative ways to create a killer job description.

What Does Your Company Have to Offer?

It used to be a big no-no to include compensation details such as salary perks, benefits and incentives on your job listings. But in today’s competitive market, savvy candidates want to know this information before they’ll even consider applying. Providing salary ranges, information on competitive employee benefits and perks will help steer your most qualified candidates to your team.

Find Your Company’s Voice

Write the job description in the voice and language that matches your company’s personality and evokes the values and uniqueness of your company’s culture. How is your company culture unique compared to others? Are you a casual company or a button down corporation? Remember, your “net” should be made to attract people who are right for the position and, most importantly, your company.

Listing Responsibilities

Dr. Gordon Medlock, Sr. Talent Management Consultant with HRIZONS explains that there are 3 general approaches to writing job responsibilities, these include:

1. A detailed task list
2. A list of job responsibilities and associated tasks, or
3. A list of job specific competencies

Whichever approach your company decides to use, it is important to keep the list concise. Use bullet points and direct language to allow prospects to easily read through the responsibilities without getting lost. Make sure to include requirements for the position such knowledge of specific tools, certifications, and education.

Embrace Modern Technology

Spice up the job description with photographs that shows off your team and workplace, or videos that embody your company’s culture. Google’s Career page exemplifies the company’s culture and atmosphere through the use of bright photos. This is an opportunity to give prospects an inside look at your company and to show off any unique features. NASA’s video, “Careers: Women at NASA” is catered to women and gives an in depth look at NASA’s corporate culture, various positions available, and employee testimonials.

Social media is a great way to spread the word about your openings. Advertising your job openings on various social media platforms provides a larger talent pool to choose from. Time Inc. uses Twitter as another platform to advertise their job openings as well as to provide tips and advice for prospective applicants. Who knows, your next high performing employee may be a current follower!