Job agent is a common service of job boards to keep candidates in the loop of new job openings in the “visible job market”. Job agent significantly decreases the amount of search activities performed by job seekers. However, candidates must still evaluate job ads, prepare their CV and cover letter and send them off.
To really ease the job hunt process, candidates in Poland (I did not find this service in other countries) may use career agent, a service rendered by professional career consulting companies. Essentially, a candidate commissions a career professional to actively promote his/her job application to the prospective employers for the period of 2-6 months while he/she can jump into the process when employer demonstrates interest in interviewing. The service include: preparation of CV and cover letter, social media profiling, job offer research and liaison with the prospective employers, job interview and salary negotiation coaching, as well as an individual marketing campaign in the “hidden job market”. Candidates can spend their time on other activities then applying for jobs and substantially lessen their frustration with the job hunt processes.
So how is all this relevant to HR? Should HR care that candidates’ applications are sent by third parties? Accordingly to some recent articles, HR does not appreciate to receive applications sent by helicopter parents. So, are they happy to receive them from career agents?
Given the war for talent, HR should be happy about quality candidates no matter how they get informed of openings and whether or not they contact the employer by themselves. After all, career agent is similar to head hunter who introduces talent to the company. There are important differences though. Whilst head hunters are paid by the company career agents are paid by the candidate. Notably, the remuneration include a basic flat fee plus a success bonus, around 60-80% of candidates first gross salary at his/her new employer. Second, while head hunter act in the company’s interests, career agents and parents always have the candidate in mind first. But unlike parents, career agents may help candidates to define career goals, help them find opportunities that balance their passions and market opportunities, and aid with candidates self-exploration.
What are the odd for career agents to boom? Can career agents get the foot through the door of e.g. German HR departments? Can in-house recruiters get used to dealing with candidate’s career agent just like it is normal for the casting director to deal with the actors’ agent? Would career agents be easier accepted when they represent senior candidates? What impression make candidates (senior or entry-level) who let themselves represent by a career agent? Why it can be beneficial for a company that candidates work with a career agent? And finally, are HR departments prepared to deal with career agents?
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
National Characteristics of Job Ads
At first, job ads seem to be uniform across the regions. Their components are pretty much the same: a short description of the employer, a teaser, a task list, a candidate profile, employer’s rewards to the successful candidate, and contact information. Yet, there are some characteristics of job ads that are unique to certain countries.
To circumvent scarcity of resources in human resource departments, many companies in Hong Kong, Poland and Great Britain opt for communication with shortlisted candidates only. Some companies will indicate their approach in the job ad by placing one of the following phrases:
* Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.
* We regret only shortlisted candidates will be notified.
* We reserve the right to contact shortlisted candidates only.
Another line often included in job ads in those countries is
* All data collected will be used for recruitment purposes only and will be used strictly confidential.
However, in Poland applicants are also asked to include consent with personal data processing. For example:
* Please include the following clause in your CV: I hereby give consent for my personal data included in my offer to be processed for the purposes of recruitment, in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act dated 29.08.1997 (uniform text: Journal of Laws of the Republic of Poland 2002 No 101, item 926 with further amendments).
By indicating the salary range, HR and recruiters in Great Britain attach great importance to efficiency of recruitment process. In Poland, this practice is coming about slowly. In Germany, it is completely unusual.
Next, while indicating a contact person and a phone number is very common in German job ads, it is rather an exception in Poland. However, an emerging trend among local recruitment agencies in Poland is to invite questions to the job ad by skype or gadu-gadu (Polish instant messaging system). Skype and gadu-gadu nicknames are included as a result.
A rather recent note appearing in job ads in all analyzed countries, but yet not aimed at job seekers is the request to refrain from resume forwarding by recruitment agencies. Such request accompanies ads by global players such as Google and companies with well staffed in-house recruitment departments or established agency relationships. For example:
* To all recruitment agencies: Google does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, Google employees or any other company location. Google is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.
To circumvent scarcity of resources in human resource departments, many companies in Hong Kong, Poland and Great Britain opt for communication with shortlisted candidates only. Some companies will indicate their approach in the job ad by placing one of the following phrases:
* Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.
* We regret only shortlisted candidates will be notified.
* We reserve the right to contact shortlisted candidates only.
Another line often included in job ads in those countries is
* All data collected will be used for recruitment purposes only and will be used strictly confidential.
However, in Poland applicants are also asked to include consent with personal data processing. For example:
* Please include the following clause in your CV: I hereby give consent for my personal data included in my offer to be processed for the purposes of recruitment, in accordance with the Personal Data Protection Act dated 29.08.1997 (uniform text: Journal of Laws of the Republic of Poland 2002 No 101, item 926 with further amendments).
By indicating the salary range, HR and recruiters in Great Britain attach great importance to efficiency of recruitment process. In Poland, this practice is coming about slowly. In Germany, it is completely unusual.
Next, while indicating a contact person and a phone number is very common in German job ads, it is rather an exception in Poland. However, an emerging trend among local recruitment agencies in Poland is to invite questions to the job ad by skype or gadu-gadu (Polish instant messaging system). Skype and gadu-gadu nicknames are included as a result.
A rather recent note appearing in job ads in all analyzed countries, but yet not aimed at job seekers is the request to refrain from resume forwarding by recruitment agencies. Such request accompanies ads by global players such as Google and companies with well staffed in-house recruitment departments or established agency relationships. For example:
* To all recruitment agencies: Google does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, Google employees or any other company location. Google is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
How to get a job in HR with experience in operations?
Some people enter Human Resource management by design others, including myself, by luck.
If luck is not on your side yet, the management did not entrust you with the new role in in-house HR, you need to do something to impact your ability to work in HR field.
With solid experience in operations, but little to no formal education in HR and no experience in HR, this is what you can do:
* Try to take on additional tasks in your current job that take you in the HR direction. Make your workplace (boss and HR person) aware that you are interested in an HR role. Maybe there are ways the departments can share you. You can support HR Manager in a component of Human Resource management, like training, e.g. orienting new hires, preparing their training plan, conducting training sessions; or recruiting, e.g. scouting talent in social media, engage with users to recruit talent, conducting screening interviews.
* Consider taking a sabbatical to do a HR internship abroad, there are companies out there who paid will surely find you a placement.
* Consider taking up a voluntary HR assistant job with a local nonprofit organization in your neighborhood.
* Make your current skills and tasks relevant to HR. Don't expect your prospective employer to connect the dots in your CV. Get the support of a decent CV writer to take your current experience and make it sound useful in an HR department. There are many skills needed in HR department - project management skills, analytical and problem solving skills, (internal) customer orientation, excellent verbal and written communication skills, with an emphasis on tact and diplomacy.
* Look at niche job boards to find specific openings for HR professionals. Read the job ads carefully. Some companies look specifically for HR staff with experience in operations.
* Apply for term jobs (fill in for a person on sabbatical or maternity leave). These are usually not attractive to HR professionals with linear CV, so the competition might be not so strong.
* Inform your network on Xing, LinkedIn and even Facebook about your desired career direction.
* Network in HR groups on social media networks and engage in discussions.
* Get a twitter account and start twitting on you insight and link your experience to HR.
* Once invited for an interview, prepare well. Be enthusiastic and turn every HR need into an opportunity you could fulfill.
* Read books, blogs, and magazines on Human Resource Management and Talent Management.
* Get a formal qualification in HR – however, do not overestimate its value.
* Do not give up hope and use every chance to put a foot in the door in HR.
If luck is not on your side yet, the management did not entrust you with the new role in in-house HR, you need to do something to impact your ability to work in HR field.
With solid experience in operations, but little to no formal education in HR and no experience in HR, this is what you can do:
* Try to take on additional tasks in your current job that take you in the HR direction. Make your workplace (boss and HR person) aware that you are interested in an HR role. Maybe there are ways the departments can share you. You can support HR Manager in a component of Human Resource management, like training, e.g. orienting new hires, preparing their training plan, conducting training sessions; or recruiting, e.g. scouting talent in social media, engage with users to recruit talent, conducting screening interviews.
* Consider taking a sabbatical to do a HR internship abroad, there are companies out there who paid will surely find you a placement.
* Consider taking up a voluntary HR assistant job with a local nonprofit organization in your neighborhood.
* Make your current skills and tasks relevant to HR. Don't expect your prospective employer to connect the dots in your CV. Get the support of a decent CV writer to take your current experience and make it sound useful in an HR department. There are many skills needed in HR department - project management skills, analytical and problem solving skills, (internal) customer orientation, excellent verbal and written communication skills, with an emphasis on tact and diplomacy.
* Look at niche job boards to find specific openings for HR professionals. Read the job ads carefully. Some companies look specifically for HR staff with experience in operations.
* Apply for term jobs (fill in for a person on sabbatical or maternity leave). These are usually not attractive to HR professionals with linear CV, so the competition might be not so strong.
* Inform your network on Xing, LinkedIn and even Facebook about your desired career direction.
* Network in HR groups on social media networks and engage in discussions.
* Get a twitter account and start twitting on you insight and link your experience to HR.
* Once invited for an interview, prepare well. Be enthusiastic and turn every HR need into an opportunity you could fulfill.
* Read books, blogs, and magazines on Human Resource Management and Talent Management.
* Get a formal qualification in HR – however, do not overestimate its value.
* Do not give up hope and use every chance to put a foot in the door in HR.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Capturing Attention and Definition of Passive Candidates
Companies searching for staff via job ads try to capture candidates’ attention with inducements in the summary teaser or first paragraph, luring position titles or addressing them informally to create familiarity and closeness.
Common wisdom suggests that messages sent to passive candidates in case of direct approach must have even greater power to capture people’s attention.
Then who are passive candidates? Ad definitionem, passive candidates are people, who are not actively looking to move, i.e. are not applying for jobs. If they do not search for a new job, they’re most likely happy in their current one and thus, unlikely to embark on a new one. Hence, a more accurate definition would describe passive candidates as those who do not actively look for jobs, but are keen to move. Consequently, people who do not consider any career move, are not candidates period.
And what about those who indicate that they look for new opportunity irrespectively of their status - employee or jobseeker in their LinkedIn or Xing profile. By being approached by the employer they too qualify as passive candidates.
The full definition of passive candidates could then be: people who are keen to move and are approached by a company instead of applying for jobs by themselves.
From the perspective of this belief, I doubt whether one can motivate a person not intending to leave his current employer to join the recruitment process of a next-employer-wannabe in hopes to land a new job. Neither a particular message will do nor the medium.
Take for example, an electronic greeting card. Cartoony or not, with animation, with music and what not, if the person is not ready for the next career move, s/he passes on the opportunity.
What about a visualization of a prospective title like the example below. A mixture of personalized job ad and a direct approach method.
How LinkedIn and Google figured out that I might be interested in B2C Marketing position, is still a mystery to me.
What will then help one to reach out to people initially uninterested in a job change possible?
I believe repetition makes poaching them possible. Sending multiple messages by various persons from the company instills the idea of moving and makes one more sensible for and critical of the conditions and career prospects at their current employer.
Common wisdom suggests that messages sent to passive candidates in case of direct approach must have even greater power to capture people’s attention.
Then who are passive candidates? Ad definitionem, passive candidates are people, who are not actively looking to move, i.e. are not applying for jobs. If they do not search for a new job, they’re most likely happy in their current one and thus, unlikely to embark on a new one. Hence, a more accurate definition would describe passive candidates as those who do not actively look for jobs, but are keen to move. Consequently, people who do not consider any career move, are not candidates period.
And what about those who indicate that they look for new opportunity irrespectively of their status - employee or jobseeker in their LinkedIn or Xing profile. By being approached by the employer they too qualify as passive candidates.
The full definition of passive candidates could then be: people who are keen to move and are approached by a company instead of applying for jobs by themselves.
From the perspective of this belief, I doubt whether one can motivate a person not intending to leave his current employer to join the recruitment process of a next-employer-wannabe in hopes to land a new job. Neither a particular message will do nor the medium.
Take for example, an electronic greeting card. Cartoony or not, with animation, with music and what not, if the person is not ready for the next career move, s/he passes on the opportunity.
What about a visualization of a prospective title like the example below. A mixture of personalized job ad and a direct approach method.
How LinkedIn and Google figured out that I might be interested in B2C Marketing position, is still a mystery to me.
What will then help one to reach out to people initially uninterested in a job change possible?
I believe repetition makes poaching them possible. Sending multiple messages by various persons from the company instills the idea of moving and makes one more sensible for and critical of the conditions and career prospects at their current employer.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
HR routine, German culture and catchy subject lines
Ever since, I also blog on career-related topics, I visit portals and read other blogs related to career, cv and cover letter writing, job hunt, etc as well. Karrierebibel is one of the premium addresses for that matter. Often ahead of the times as the recent blog shows.
The author pledges use of marketing or "catchy" phrases in the subject line of an application email sent by candidates. He suggests that subject lines are the opportunity to make the first impression on HR or hiring manager and hence should be written in a way that it attracts their attention and makes them interested in a candidate. He calls for abandonment of uniform subject lines (e.g. key account manager application) in favor of "catchy" phrases meant to emanate self-confidence and interest (e.g. your next key account manager).
Agreed. But yet disagreed.
Indeed, writing „application” in the subject line is boring. Especially, as application by e-mail are usually sent to an e-mail-address exclusively established for this purpose. On another hand, lucky those HR departments that receive applications with subject lines that include the position name. Those getting a reference to the job ad as well should consider themselves twice as lucky.
Disagreed because the advice misses the reality check with the HR routine. A few beliefs:
* HR folk like any other people like to have it simple, informative and to the point.
* HR appreciates candidates who make their life easy. One of the recruiters job is to keep track of applications received and there is nothing more annoying than not instantly knowing what position a candidate is applying for.
*“Catchy” lines make recruiters job cumbersome and get the job seeker the wrong kind of attention. Super out-of-the-box applications also in terms of subject line are usually a turn-off.
* Efforts put in phrasing subject lines go unnoticed as long as e-mail-applications are printed which I believe is still a common practice in German SMEs.
The advice is also disconnected with the German culture. German job seekers still struggle to make good advertisement for themselves in cover letters or show their motivation to do the job for the employer in question. They are culturally not programmed to show self-confidence. Americans are. Yet, a quick review of career advice sites in English shows that the majority recommends to refrain from marketing-like subject lines. Instead, they promote simplicity: Name, Position, Job Ad ID.
Notably, candidate’s name in the subject line is particularly of benefit, when HR forwards the short-listed applications to the hiring managers electronically.
Next, some folk suggests trying to stand out in the crowd of applicants by adding one of the following besides Name, Position, Job Ad ID:
* Putting the addressee’s name at the beginning of the subject line.
* Adding credentials behind once name
* Adding total number of years of experience
* Adding very unique and specialized skill
Lastly, whether marketing-like phrases can add to the success of a job application probably depends on the industry, which the author did not give any consideration to. For application in ad agencies, some creativity is beneficial for sure. For more conservative industries, keeping it simple should remain the rule.
***
My research shows that out of 2000 recent applications received at my current employer, only one candidate utilized the wording “gesucht? gefunden!!!” in the subject line. Needless to say: She did not get the job.
This blog refers greatly to the comments left by LinkedIn members.
The author pledges use of marketing or "catchy" phrases in the subject line of an application email sent by candidates. He suggests that subject lines are the opportunity to make the first impression on HR or hiring manager and hence should be written in a way that it attracts their attention and makes them interested in a candidate. He calls for abandonment of uniform subject lines (e.g. key account manager application) in favor of "catchy" phrases meant to emanate self-confidence and interest (e.g. your next key account manager).
Agreed. But yet disagreed.
Indeed, writing „application” in the subject line is boring. Especially, as application by e-mail are usually sent to an e-mail-address exclusively established for this purpose. On another hand, lucky those HR departments that receive applications with subject lines that include the position name. Those getting a reference to the job ad as well should consider themselves twice as lucky.
Disagreed because the advice misses the reality check with the HR routine. A few beliefs:
* HR folk like any other people like to have it simple, informative and to the point.
* HR appreciates candidates who make their life easy. One of the recruiters job is to keep track of applications received and there is nothing more annoying than not instantly knowing what position a candidate is applying for.
*“Catchy” lines make recruiters job cumbersome and get the job seeker the wrong kind of attention. Super out-of-the-box applications also in terms of subject line are usually a turn-off.
* Efforts put in phrasing subject lines go unnoticed as long as e-mail-applications are printed which I believe is still a common practice in German SMEs.
The advice is also disconnected with the German culture. German job seekers still struggle to make good advertisement for themselves in cover letters or show their motivation to do the job for the employer in question. They are culturally not programmed to show self-confidence. Americans are. Yet, a quick review of career advice sites in English shows that the majority recommends to refrain from marketing-like subject lines. Instead, they promote simplicity: Name, Position, Job Ad ID.
Notably, candidate’s name in the subject line is particularly of benefit, when HR forwards the short-listed applications to the hiring managers electronically.
Next, some folk suggests trying to stand out in the crowd of applicants by adding one of the following besides Name, Position, Job Ad ID:
* Putting the addressee’s name at the beginning of the subject line.
* Adding credentials behind once name
* Adding total number of years of experience
* Adding very unique and specialized skill
Lastly, whether marketing-like phrases can add to the success of a job application probably depends on the industry, which the author did not give any consideration to. For application in ad agencies, some creativity is beneficial for sure. For more conservative industries, keeping it simple should remain the rule.
***
My research shows that out of 2000 recent applications received at my current employer, only one candidate utilized the wording “gesucht? gefunden!!!” in the subject line. Needless to say: She did not get the job.
This blog refers greatly to the comments left by LinkedIn members.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Firing at start-ups
Constantly under pressure to attract and recruit staff, performance oriented organizations such as start-ups fire without hesitation. Moreover, many exhibit „hire and fire” mentality.
Start-ups fire for many reasons:
The management strives for high performing teams and consequently penalizes every under-performance. At some companies, ranking talent in terms of performance becomes a weekly exercise. The tool supporting it is based on the traffic light system. Accordingly, staff receives red, yellow, or green mark based on their performance. Reds are fired at the next round, yellows are being observed closely, greens are on the safe side for the week. No doubt, start-ups are too lean to accommodate staff that does not create value as the business model and strategy evolve.
Hiring mistakes must be corrected. Young management teams are not versatile in assessing candidate’s experience, skills and aptitudes. Too frequently, they reference back to their intuition and sympathy that they develop to the candidatesd during the recruitment process. Leaders later discover that the company and the employee isn’t a good fit at all.
Objective talent needs may change as the understanding of value creation process improves and customers’ expectations mature. This constant refinement of an ideal candidate put employees who do not develop or adjust to the new requirements at risk.
Upgrading talent is a must. Sometimes, having a mediocre talent is better then having a vacant position. As start-ups struggle to attract top-notch talent they need to compromise their position requirements in the meantime. Under time pressure to fill-in the position, they make the selfish decision to hire people who only partially fulfill the job requirements and replacing them with better talent as they come into radar.
Dismissals are a quick fix of wrong management decisions. On one hand, I recognize that start-ups must invest in building internal capabilities and hire ahead of the revenue, profits, and market share. On another hand, I believe it is advisable to follow a conservative approach when it comes to hiring. A helpful metric is a ration of cost center and profit center staff and a rule of thumb that a headcount increase follows a sustainable revenue and profit increase. Unjustified over-investment or investment in wrong departments may only require restraining costs at some point in time. Ironically, such firing waves can be than labeled lay-offs due to bad business conditions.
Start-ups fire for many reasons:
The management strives for high performing teams and consequently penalizes every under-performance. At some companies, ranking talent in terms of performance becomes a weekly exercise. The tool supporting it is based on the traffic light system. Accordingly, staff receives red, yellow, or green mark based on their performance. Reds are fired at the next round, yellows are being observed closely, greens are on the safe side for the week. No doubt, start-ups are too lean to accommodate staff that does not create value as the business model and strategy evolve.
Hiring mistakes must be corrected. Young management teams are not versatile in assessing candidate’s experience, skills and aptitudes. Too frequently, they reference back to their intuition and sympathy that they develop to the candidatesd during the recruitment process. Leaders later discover that the company and the employee isn’t a good fit at all.
Objective talent needs may change as the understanding of value creation process improves and customers’ expectations mature. This constant refinement of an ideal candidate put employees who do not develop or adjust to the new requirements at risk.
Upgrading talent is a must. Sometimes, having a mediocre talent is better then having a vacant position. As start-ups struggle to attract top-notch talent they need to compromise their position requirements in the meantime. Under time pressure to fill-in the position, they make the selfish decision to hire people who only partially fulfill the job requirements and replacing them with better talent as they come into radar.
Dismissals are a quick fix of wrong management decisions. On one hand, I recognize that start-ups must invest in building internal capabilities and hire ahead of the revenue, profits, and market share. On another hand, I believe it is advisable to follow a conservative approach when it comes to hiring. A helpful metric is a ration of cost center and profit center staff and a rule of thumb that a headcount increase follows a sustainable revenue and profit increase. Unjustified over-investment or investment in wrong departments may only require restraining costs at some point in time. Ironically, such firing waves can be than labeled lay-offs due to bad business conditions.
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Marketing instrument by HR service provider, Randstad
As buyers of human resource services, human resource professionals are pampered with diverse give-away articles. Cups, pens, notepads, key rings and chocolates are the most frequent promotional items brought to business meetings by recruitment agencies’, hr software providers’ and other service companies’ representatives.
All those items are meant to deepen customer contact, combined with the aim to generate customer loyalty. They give not only eye contact with the service provider, but present something "tangible" in the hand.
Towards the end of the year, Randstad, the second largest HR services provider in the world, implements personalized calendars as their marketing instrument which reminds that b-2-b is done by individuals and not businesses. Check a few pages below:
This calendar definitely increased my attention far more than any other promotional item. And as a person making buying decisions, I am precisely the target group. Usability of calendar and maximum individuality is given. Furthermore, the calendar does not only become a possession but a memorable "gift" with a high potential to strengthen word of mouth. Randstad successfully conveyed the feeling of being cared for individually by their company as a customer.
Well done!
All those items are meant to deepen customer contact, combined with the aim to generate customer loyalty. They give not only eye contact with the service provider, but present something "tangible" in the hand.
Towards the end of the year, Randstad, the second largest HR services provider in the world, implements personalized calendars as their marketing instrument which reminds that b-2-b is done by individuals and not businesses. Check a few pages below:
This calendar definitely increased my attention far more than any other promotional item. And as a person making buying decisions, I am precisely the target group. Usability of calendar and maximum individuality is given. Furthermore, the calendar does not only become a possession but a memorable "gift" with a high potential to strengthen word of mouth. Randstad successfully conveyed the feeling of being cared for individually by their company as a customer.
Well done!
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