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May 2009 Archives
I'm amazed (well, maybe not) about how many responses I received to poor practices in interviewing. Here are some others that came in recently:
1. "The worse practice I have seen is when the employer who after two interviews, exchange of emails and letters, fails to come forward and say "We have gone in another direction" or say anything at all.
Yeah, I got the message, but is it the one they wanted to send? That was two years ago; to this day, I have hard feeling towards that company and could not recommend them as a class act."
2. "I remember walking into the office. The person behind the desk was not a real friendly person. I handed him my resume after he gave me a dead fish hand shake. He sat behind his desk and the interview started. He stared at my resume the whole time asking questions and never looking at me. He never made eye contact with me. He briefly described the position and asks me a few questions about my resume. The interview was over he told me he has more interviews to conduct. He said I would hear either way if I got the job or not. About two weeks went by I didn't hear any thing.
I called the interviewer to ask him directly. His response was "Did I call you with a job offer?" I said "no" He said "then you did not get the job". This is someone who holds public office. That is not the way to handle a rejection of an applicant."
Thankfully, there are others that came in of a positive nature.
1. "At the end of the process if the candidate is not a good fit I make sure to follow up with them timely, generally in written form. For the most part the candidates are disappointed and just want more info on why not so they can learn from the experience. I just try to think, "how would I like to be treated?"."
2. Early in the interview process - "If they really seem to not be a good fit I generally ask them if they think this is the best fit for them. By this time if its not they will realize it and say no. I always tell them that I will pass their resume along if I come across a good fit for them and ask them to send colleagues they think might be a good fit for us. If nothing else, the meeting has created a networking opportunity."
Today I had a client ask me if I have any brochures about my company. I handed her a business card and shared with her that all the information about me is on my website (and all the services I offer are on either side of my card.
This brought to mind approaches companies and recruiters need to take when preparing for the recruiting trip/visit. Here are some suggestions on what to bring with you
1. Business cards of both you and key players in your organization that may not be present.
2. Printed collateral - in lieu of expensive brochures, bring some takeaways like printed job listings, key contacts at the organization, and key facts about the company. These can be printed on inexpensive paper and can help people remember you.
3. Cheap takeaways - food, candy, bottled water can all be inexpensive reminders of how helpful you were on your recruiting visit.
4. Extra socks and underwear. Sounds silly, but I find a mid-day shower break gives me a recharge so that it breaks the day up (especially for multi-day recruiting efforts)
5. A laptop with a continuous loop Powerpoint with or without sound or video that plays on your table. I've used this at trade shows and recruiting events and it often will help present your company and you in a positive light if you are busy with others or need to step away. Powerpoint, Keynote (for Mac), Google Presentations (if you have internet access) will allow you to do this very effectively.
For any suggestions on how to implement these strategies inexpensively and effectively (I'll leave your wardrobe selection to you), contact me at robert@galaconcierge.com
I was at a BBQ this weekend and a friend mentioned to me about a furlough going on at their workplace - 1 unpaid day off three times per year. The friend was very enthused about the idea however, because the three days off were the Friday before 4th of July, Friday before Memorial Day, and Christmas Eve, three of the slowest days of their business anyway.
In another vein, unpaid days off can be a great way to grant people time off who don't have earned vacation time (and a way for you to save money and satisfy your employees at the same time). Whether your business needs require you to cut back or not, granting unpaid days off from work without penalty can lead to greater morale, cost savings, and hopefully long-term retention of key staff.
A huge gripe I hear often is that workplaces aren't flexible enough with work schedules because of strict vacation and sick time rules and inflexible business practices. A perk of offering flexible unpaid time off is the ability for staff to still have time off from work that doesn't interfere with the running of the business.
Consider this - would you rather give an employee 1 unpaid day off a month for 12 months straight, or lose that employee altogether because you are unwilling to consider the option?
On the other hand, the argument can be made that giving one employee this option may open up a can of worms. It is important to put a system in place like the company mentioned to me this weekend at the BBQ that allows the company as a whole to be more flexible and allow maximum involvement and benefit.
In the last of this four part series, I discuss the fourth common complaint I hear about job fairs.
4. There are only entry level opportunities at the fairs I have been to.
It often is a misconception by candidates that the jobs that are presented at job fairs are just entry level. When meeting companies, it is important to identify what your goals are, and to explore all possible opportunities (even if there aren't any readily apparent).
Show up at a career fair with the expectation that you are going to meet people who will make a difference in your life and career. Meeting someone who is offering jobs, but not necessarily the one you are looking for, may end up netting you a new contact or a referral.
As one of my colleagues used to say "hire the best, not just the best available". The same can be said for the job search. You may be looking for the best job, and it may not be available, but someone at a career fair may present you with a future opportunity.
Choice of venue can turn your interview process into a success. Here are some tips when choosing a venue.
1. Choose a location on your company's premises that allows the candidate to see what your company is like, and also see the best of what your company has to offer.
2. If off-premise is the choice you prefer, select a small conference room or meeting area at a local hotel lobby that is convenient and easy to find.
3. At whatever venue you are doing interviews at, offer free coffee/water/juice or offer your candidate one if free beverages aren't available
4. Space out your interviews to allow enough time between interviews to recap or allow more time for candidates who you are considering seriously. This will allow for all candidates to be met on time and allow more time for candidates who deserve it.
Personal braining is personal training for your brain. What are you doing to train yourself (or train your people) to keep their brains sharp?
Here are some suggestions for getting yourself involved in a successful "personal braining" program:
1. Read for pleasure, not always for work. Reading something off topic from what you do can lead to new out of the box thinking. 2. Schedule downtime throughout the day (maybe a 10 minute break for every 50 minutes of work, or even a 5 minute break after 25 minutes of work) 3. Regularly brainstorm and consider new ways of doing the work you do now 4. Plan your work, and work your plan. As one of my professor's at UMass once said "Proper prior planning prevents pretty poor performance 5. Consider ways in which you can do your work remotely. This can create opportunities for flexible work scheduling
What do you do to exercise your brain?
My students and clients ask me all the time how I manage to fit everything I seek to do each week. I learned so much from two sources in particular - Lee Cockerell (Creating Magic) and Tim Ferriss (The Four Hour Workweek) - as well as from learning how to delegate and manage downtime.
Some of the things I find that work the best in managing my time.
1. Having one full "downtime day" a week. This means no work, no thinking about work, no correspondence. For me, this is Sunday (and half of Saturday).
2. Learning to let other people do what they do best so I can do what I do best. This means finding systems, processes, and people that allow you to delegate or share the workload with those who are more talented than you.
3. Doing things and handling things once where possible (including mail, email, writing papers).
4. Sequentially handling tasks instead of multitasking. This leads to better results and more focus on the task at hand.
What are your best practices in time management? Let me know my commenting or emailing me privately at robert@galaconcierge.com
Q: I already have a job, why should I go to a job fair?
The networking opportunities by being present at a job fair are tremendous. Marketing yourself to others when you aren't looking for a job can be a very effective way of preparing yourself for possible future opportunities.
I believe in my career when I have been happiest in a position is the best time to explore what else is out there. I have seen too many of my peers search for work because they hate their job, can't stand their boss, or a combination of the two.
When you aren't actively looking, very often using a job fair or passive search will help you for the day you do decide that it is time to move on.
Likewise, for those companies not looking to fill positions, having a presence at a job fair may help you find the "backfill" talent to fill future positions, and see what other companies are doing as well.
Q: How do I conduct myself if I am out of work and interviewing? Things I should do and shouldn't do?
A: If you are out of work, the last thing you want to appear to an employer is needy. For example, reframe this answer to the question "Why do you want to work here?"
I really want to do anything at all, I just need the work.
into:
I bring to you knowledge and experience in key areas. I delegate well, manage time wisely, and work well with others.
Always accentuate what you are good at, and not what you are lacking. Once you get the interview off on the right foot by explaining reasons you deserve to work there, you can sprinkle in details of why you are out of work.
Previously, I mentioned 4 common comments I hear about job fairs:
1. The people that are working the tables don't care. 2. All the jobs at these fairs are cold-calling jobs. 3. I already have a job, why should I go to a job fair? 4. There are only entry level opportunities at the fairs I have been to.
This time, I'm going to talk about #2
There is a misconception amongst job seekers sometimes that the only jobs offered at career fairs are sales positions for financial companies, entry level jobs, or companies looking to add to their list of possible candidates for future openings.
Approaches to take for a company at a job fair to rectify this misconception:
1. Have a list of open positions and opportunities available for candidate review. 2. When you meet possible candidates, try to match the candidate on the spot with an opportunity that may match their skill set. 3. If you are going to have just entry level positions, or "cold-calling" positions, look at ways to frame this work realistically but also creatively to convince candidates of the worth of these roles.
Approaches from the candidate point of view:
1. Have an action plan going in about the companies you'd like to speak with. 2. Research what companies are going to be at the career fair prior to the fair. 3. For these "cold-calling" companies, research what these roles actually entail before making a judgement ahead of time.
Next week, I'll touch on reasons why a job fair is worthwhile, even if you already have one.
As a Disney cast member, I was able to experience and live the magic of Walt Disney World for a semester as a College Program participant, working at Fort Wilderness. It was more than just a job - it was a life altering experience.
The living, learning, and earning components of this internship made it valuable for me, my friends, and now students who I recommend go on this program.
What separates Disney's internships from others I have been exposed to is that it involves preparing you for not only the time you spend with them, but also for your life afterwards. Learning how to present yourself well, deal with executives, work with people from different cultures and backgrounds, and so many other experiences really shape people into someone people back home may not recognize (and in a very positive way).
My own experience can be summed up as this...
They made me into a human being.
For more information, visit
www.wdwcollegeprogram.com
Feedback from my students and clients of late has been that job fairs don't do anything for them. Some of the reasons for this that I have heard include:
1. The people that are working the tables don't care. 2. All the jobs at these fairs are cold-calling jobs. 3. I already have a job, why should I go to a job fair? 4. There are only entry level opportunities at the fairs I have been to.
Today, I'll address the first point. I've seen this myself; apathy or lack of care in the people working the job fair tables. This could be the result of someone being assigned to the role with little interest, a belief that no candidates will be found by using this method, or the misconception on the part of the attendees that the people behind the table don't care.
Some of the best practices to employ as a representative of your company at a job fair:
1. Rotate job fair responsibilities between HR, managers, and other representatives of the company.
2. If possible, break up the job fair into shifts, and have people rotate roles during the shift.
3. Outsource your job fair representation; their are plenty of passionate people out there who if hired for a single event may be more passionate about your product than you!
Soon, I'll touch on #2 on this list - "All the jobs at these fairs are cold-calling jobs."
One of the most important aspects of creating a culture (or maintaining a culture) in your organization is having a legacy to leave behind, or respecting those who used to call your place of work home.
One of the examples from sports that can help understand the importance of respecting those who built or made it what it is is Old Timer's Day. Some sports teams have an old timer's day where they bring back legends from the past who have made an impact on the organization. These aren't always the stars or top performers, but often those who played a bit role but nonetheless were part of the organization in some role.
Colleges also reward and honor alumni. I'm proud to be a Distinguished Alumni at WCSU and a member of the Alumni Association and chapter co-president for my UMass club in Albany.
Organizations and businesses that really get it respect heritage in the workplace. They keep retired employees on as consultants, refer back to former employees for advice, insight, or projects, and bring back employees when it comes time to fill new needs.
What does your organization due to respect your legacy employees? Let me know at
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