FPC of Huntsville-Nationwide Technology Industry Recruiting

As a recruiter for more years than I can remember, I’ve interfaced with my share of pros and people in the “needs improvement” category. It goes without saying that any external partner you work with is going to reflect on your brand in some way. But when it comes to choosing a recruiter, it’s particularly important to keep in mind that this professional may be the first person a potential candidate meets “from your company.” When you vet a recruiter, there are a few key areas you want to explore: ☑️ How will they learn about your company, the roles you want to hire for and the reporting structures? Choose someone who takes the time to get to know the details. ☑️ Do they have a system for contacting candidates and relaying information back and forth? How well do they seem to communicate? ☑️ What’s the recruiter’s process for following up with candidates? Choose someone who is confident about following up quickly with all candidates, not just the one you choose. The value a recruiter brings to your brand cannot be understated—if you choose the right recruiter.

You’ve interviewed for a new position, but it doesn’t seem like the right fit. You have other options to choose from, so you’re pretty clear: You’re going to turn it down. That’s fine, of course, but HOW you turn down a job is important. Simply saying “No, thanks”—especially if you’ve gotten far in the hiring process—can leave the hiring manager with questions. ⭐️ Be thoughtful before you make the call (always call), and figure out why you’re saying “no” ⭐️ Find a worthy balance between being transparent and being positive ⭐️ If you have constructive feedback about the hiring process or position, share It may be uncomfortable to be honest, but the hiring manager will appreciate your emotional maturity—and chances are, you’ll leave the door open for another role down the line. Even if it’s not at this particular company, you never know when you’re going to meet someone again. I see it all the time.

What makes a leader, a leader? Ask ten different people and you’ll get ten different answers. Here’s one list of potent leadership traits I borrowed from Harvard Business Review that makes a lot of sense to me. It lists five emotional intelligence traits effective leaders must possess. 1. Self-awareness — which can look like self-confidence, to a degree, but includes a realistic self-assessment and, often, a self-deprecating sense of humor 2. Self-regulation — the ability to control disruptive impulses and moods 3. Motivation — a passion for one’s work that goes beyond seeking money or status 4. Empathy — being able to tap into understanding the emotions and experiences of people you work with 5. Social skills — the ability to manage relationships and build networks I’ve seen a lot of people rise in the ranks of leadership, and I can testify that these qualities are inherent in anyone who successfully leads.

How do you motivate your team beyond the traditional carrot or stick approaches? Chart Career Paths: People want to know they’re learning and growing on the job. Show them that you support their upward trajectory — even if it means you’ll someday lose them as they move on to other roles. Encourage Continuous Learning: Offer and encourage opportunities to learn and grow on the job. Foster Friendships: Work friendships can lead to better performance. Allow your team the time and space to interact and bond during their workday. Organize social experiences that help them connect on a personal level.

Sometimes, the best candidate for a job you’re trying to fill doesn’t even realize they’re looking for the job. That’s where passive recruiting comes in. The best way to launch a passive recruiting effort, of course, is via a recruiter, but there are other practices you can institute to up your chances of finding ideal candidates. ✅ Encourage employee referrals. No one knows better than your employees what it’s like to work for your company, and who might be a good fit. Employees are your strongest advocates for recruitment. ✅ Make sure people know about your company. Publishing thought leadership and other forms of content marketing is one good way to raise public perception of your company. Participating in live or virtual events like industry conferences is another. ✅ Use social media to your advantage. Pay attention to the professionals you see in your social orbits. Extend conversation in the form of things like DMs, tweets and LinkedIn InMail. It’s smart to have a multifaceted approach to finding talent anyway. You never know where your next genius hire might be found.

I read and hear a lot of resume advice, but these tips from a senior talent director from Google struck me as particularly good. 1. Emphasize your impact, outline the results you’ve achieved, and use data to back that story up. 2. Read the job description closely to find language you should mimic in your resume. 3. Be very specific about what you can contribute to this particular organization. 4. Celebrate all your experience — which, depending on how many years you’ve been in the job market, might be past employment, but can also include schooling, project work, and volunteering.

To hear a lot of entrepreneurs tell it, being good at failure is the key to success. Take Sir James Dyson. After 5,126 failed prototypes and 5 long years, he was still determined to invent a better vacuum cleaner. Patent 5,127 on his list became the best-selling bagless vacuum in the US. Today, the Dyson company employs over 1,000 engineers around the world, the brand is synonymous with quality modern vacuum cleaners, and the man is worth $5.7B. What can we learn from James Dyson? If you have a vision, see it through. You may not be an inventor or engineer with an idea that you’re sure will shake the universe up. You might not even be an entrepreneur. But as I witness every day, there’s room for all kinds of vision in this world. Perhaps yours is to land a job that better suits your talents. Or to build a team that will help your company become a disrupter. Whatever your dream and vision, be like Dyson: not afraid of failure.

Part of what’s great about working with a recruiter is having an ally in the negotiation with a potential new employer. But even with a recruiter helping you out, you’re still going to be involved in the negotiation. And if that’s not your strong suit, it can feel nerve-racking. Here are some of the tips I give candidates about honing their negotiation skills. 1. Always do your homework so you know your options and can present a thoughtful case. 2. Define your goals before you walk into the conversation and know exactly how far you’re willing to bend. 3. Stay calm, cool and collected. 4. Be a listener. Good negotiators spend more time listening than talking. 5. Most important: Ask for what you want. And if you need any more tactical advice, don’t hesitate to reach out today. I am happy to help with your specific situation.

You lobbied hard for this job. You killed it in the interview. You landed it! And now you hate it. Uh oh. Before you panic, give it a little time. In my time this business, I’ve met plenty of people who faltered when they finally found their dream job — then later realized those were just growing pains. Harvard Business Review cites a phenomenon called construal level theory which says that we treat things that are further away from us more abstractly than things that are up close. A job might seem great in theory, but when we’re in the daily trenches, we suddenly see the things we don’t love about it. There may be a period of adjustment to any new job. You may be disappointed at first, then grow to find real meaning in your role. I suggest giving it a few months — and then, if it still doesn’t feel right, start thinking about a change.