My Odyssey Blog

Preparing to prepare the candidate - checklist (for recruiters)

1)    You know everything the candidate needs to know about the client & position

a)    You have read all available client information.

b)    You have thoroughly reviewed all pages of the client’s web site, annual report and any other available information.

c)     You understand the client’s interview style and interview expectations.

d)    You have bios or resumes of the interviewer(s)

e)     You clearly understand and can articulate the goals and objectives of the position as well as all duties and responsibilities.

2)    You have talked to all decision makers involved in the hiring process or at the very least all the interviewers and know what each looks for in the interview.

3)    You reviewed all of the candidate’s “conditions of acceptance”/criteria with the candidate when you presented the position and gained his/her agreement that the position fulfilled them.

4)    You re-confirmed the candidate’s compensation requirements when you presented the position.

5)    You have confirmed a follow up time with the client.

IT interview trap # 2 - Over selling technical skills, experience and abilities

(This will not make me many friends.)

I have interviewed thousands of candidates in many industries over the last 30 years and as a group Information Technology candidates exaggerate and expand their background more than any group. I am not saying that they lie but in the competitive environment of the last few years they have a need to cover every technology they have ever touched. In many cases the employer contributes to the problem by being unclear about the jobs requirements. They publish a list of requirements that is a Christmas wish list with everything they would like to have instead of the absolute requirements needed to successfully perform the duties of the job.

The results:The interviewer is overwhelmed with information they don’t want, need or in some cases may not understand. The candidate’s real strengths are lost in the mire of information that does not directly relate to the position they are interviewing for and does not really represent true expertise. The interviewer will feel confused indecisive and consequently will just not make a decision.

The solutions:

#1, Be absolutely honest about everything. I have seen candidates lie their way into a job and it always comes back to haunt them. They are fired or quit within a year. If you only take one piece of advice away from everything on this blog this is it.

#2, Learn through advance research and questions you ask the interviewer the critical needs / requirements for the position and focus on them. The rest is just fluff. Sell what you have that will bring immediate value. By sell I mean demonstrate through very specific examples of how you have used a skill or knowledge to bring value that you can document to a past employer. You can’t just say “I know how to do that” or “I have done that before” unless you follow those statement with proof sources. Be very specific; by the numbers.

#3, Close. Ask “Does that answer your question?” or “Is that how you would want it  done?” or “Will that solve your problem?” etc..etc..

IT interview traps -

Trap # 1, Interviewing over the interviewers head:

It is critical to present yourself according to the needs, objectives, position and technical understanding of the person interviewing you. At some point you will probably interview with someone from HR. The HR person is probably interviewing for multiple positions within the company. He/she will be interviewing you followed by an accountant and then a sales person. His job is to evaluate 1) Your personality; Does it fit with the other members of the team? 2) Your career aspirations and goals; Do they match with what the company offers? Will you be satisfied? 3) Your compensation requirements; You do not commit at this time but she will try.(See the money section of my article, “Ace the job interview”) 4) The stability of your work history, career progression and why you are looking. 5) Are you a team player and can you site examples?

 That is 95% of the HR interview. 5% will deal with technology yet technology is the core of the IT professional’s skills and experience so we want to talk about it. Our instinct is to talk about it a lot. The HR / generalist interviewer will ask very specific technical questions that he was given by the hiring manager. He has been told the answers to look for. Keep your answers short and direct. This is not the person with whom you spend fifteen minutes discussing Java concepts. After you answer a technical question ask if you satisfactorily answered the question or would he like more detail. NOTE: If you are working with an outside recruiter who has not prepared you for points 1-5 as they relate to what the interviewer is looking for, fire him. Do your homework. Ultimately it is your responsibility to learn something about the person you are interviewing with, the position and the company. TIP – Early in the interview it is appropriate to ask the interviewer about her technical background. This will tell you how much technical detail the interviewer can handle.

Check back for more traps

Scan down to "Ace the Job Interview"

Passive vs. Active Debate

For some time now a debate has been raging in the recruiting world over the value of the passive candidate vs. the active candidate. Many recruiters think it gives them a competitive advantage to say that they focus on the passive candidate. Unfortunately many employers have bought into this and tell recruiters not to bring candidates from Monster or CareerBuilder.

Eighteen months ago every recruiter in the business put the following statement on their website and in their sales pitch. “We/I do not depend on job boards or ads because we go after the passive candidate who is presently employed and productive. This candidate is far more valuable than the unemployed or about to be.” (They then went right too Monster or CareerBuilder to start their search.)

For the most part, today this statement is bunk and downright BS. Every recruiter who knows his trade and plies it honestly uses every source he can find including job boards. If an employer is presented with and hires the candidate who is ideal for him/her that is all that counts not the source.

A year or two ago there might have been some truth about the value of the passive candidate. Most of the top candidates were employed and most of the candidates on the job/resume boards were unemployed or about to be unemployed do to performance or the ubiquitous “mutual decision”. Today following massive cutbacks many of the most qualified, high achievers are unemployed for no reason of their own and are using the boards and responding to ads.

The bottom line is the search must focus on finding the candidate who is the ideal technical and cultural fit without regard for the source. Until the demand comes back and the best candidates are all snapped back up recruiters need to get past the idea that passive candidates are always better than the active ones. It is their responsibility to convince their clients not to hold the fact that a candidate is unemployed against them. As recruiters we have one responsibility. Find the most qualified candidate who fits within the organization.

Closing on the final number (for recruiters)

Discussing the Candidates Compensation

Requirements and desires

By

Mark Warren

Note: This will not be a productive conversation if you have not done an excellent job identifying and gaining complete commitment to the candidate's conditions of acceptance or his criteria for accepting an offer on the spot.(not to include money)

This is not badgering or hard closing your candidate. It is actually just the opposite. If done correctly the offer acceptance process goes smooth and possible friction with the new employer is avoided. You will also avoid the hated "I would like to think about it for a couple days" after the candidate gets an offer because every possible contingency has been covered before the offer.

The discussion/presentation starts like this;

“Mr. Candidate we now need to have the discussion that I know you are dreading. It’s time to talk about compensation. Please bear in mind as we talk about this that I am motivated to get the best package I can for you. The more I get for you, the more I get for me. My goal in this conversation is to determine exactly what you will accept if all your other requirements are met. For the purposes of this discussion I need to know what you think your lowest salary number is for the ideal position. When it comes time to get an offer I will try to move that number up but please understand there will only be one offer”.

“There will be no negotiating. I will make sure that my client makes the best offer he can the first time. The offer will be made to me and if I believe you will accept it I will extend it to you. I have promised my client that I will save them from the possible embarrassment of negotiating and I will protect him from a turndown. If for some reason you should turn down the first offer or attempt to counter, the process will end and there will be no further offers. Does this make sense? Do you understand why we do it this way”?

Explain why this process is in the candidate’s best interest. Negotiating is difficult and potentially embarrassing for both parties. It is NEVER the best way to start an employment relationship.

 Now briefly review all his COA’s (conditions of acceptance) and conclude by asking,” If all of these are met, if this is the ideal position, what will you accept”? You hope to get a number that is no more then 5% above his current compensation. No matter what number you get it probably will not really be the lowest acceptable amount. In order to determine this, rephrase the question and ask it again.” Lets assume for this exercise the candidate said his number was 50K. “Just to clarify my thinking and make sure we are on the same page, if after completing the interview process you are convinced the job meets or exceeds all your expectations as we have discussed them and my client offers you 48K, you are instructing me to turn it down for you.” If your candidate says “no” keep asking lower numbers until he says “yes, turn it down” If he said “yes”, you know you have his absolute bottom number. You are still not quite done because you have a turndown number but you are not sure that it is the same as his accept number. You need to take one more shot. “If I understand you correctly what you’re telling me is you will turndown below 48K and say yes to 48 and above is that correct?

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What do you do if your candidate goes way over the top and gives you a number that you know is unrealistic?

Before you can solve this you need to understand the thought process employers go through when making on an offer. The employer’s evaluation is processed using the following criteria in order of importance.

1)      Internal restrictions such as budget requirements, department parity issues, established pay bands (40%)

2)      The market value of the candidate as perceived by the employer, not the candidate (30%)

3)      The candidate’s current compensation and compensation history (20%)

4)      The candidate’s compensation needs (10%)

Feel free to share this with your candidate to help him/her understand how the process works then look him in the eye and ask him to justify his requirement. Usually all a candidate can say is “I just think I’m worth the increase” or I know people with my background and they got this much”. As you can see vary rarely if ever is the response logical. It is always emotional. Try the following approaches.

If you are worth this much why isn’t your current employer who knows you best paying that much and if he isn’t, why would a new employer?

We have carefully reviewed each of your career needs but now it sounds like compensation might be more important then the opportunity. Is that the case? If it is that is obviously your decision I just want to make sure I clearly understand your goals.

In the rare case where the candidate just will not be reasonable and you feel they are an ideal candidate we may just tell the employer about the candidate’s requirements when we make a submittal and let him make the final call.

A word of Caution

If much of this is new to you don’t try it until you review it with your manager or somebody with a lot more experience. If not handled exactly right some of these approaches and techniques can be perceived by the candidate as to “pushy” and in rare cases disrespectful yet it must be done so seek help.

Best training / learning resource for recruiters & job hunters

In my thirty years as a recruiter, manager & owner this link is the best educational resource I have ever seen. If you are a candidate, recruiter or employer anything you need to know about the recruitment process can be found here.

http://www.net-temps.com/recruiters/infocus/archive.htm

The perfect Resume

 

What is its purpose?

A resume has only one purpose and that is to get you an interview. It should not be written to provide a complete history of everything you have ever done, everything you have learned and everything that in your opinion you are good at. If the resume answers everything about you an employer has no need to meet you. He may make incorrect assessments and decisions. Your resume should only wet an employer’s appetite not give him everything he thinks he need for an interview decision.

Basic Resume Rules

1) A resume should look clean and uncluttered with plenty of white spaces. Use only two font sizes preferably .11 & .12. The first place an employer wants to go is “work history”. Make it easy to get to. Don’t create an obstacle path of useless information. (see #4)

2) A resume should never be longer then one page for a beginner to intermediate candidate and never longer then two pages for the most advanced. Under no circumstance should a resume be longer then two pages. Anything beyond two pages will not be read. If you can’t sum up your qualifications in two pages it sends a message that you lack focus and are disorganized.

3) The resume must have accurate and consistent employment dates. It must detail months of employment not just years. Make sure that it is in chronological order. Account for and be able to explain gaps in employment longer then two months. Account for all your jobs.

4) Sections containing “career objective”, “career summary” and list of strengths and skills should be eliminated for the simple reasons that they are usually fluff, personal opinions not based on facts, do not relate specifically to the job being interviewed for and frankly employers do not read them.

Avoid generic objectives like...“I’m looking for a position that will allow me to make significant contributions to a growing company and provide long-term career stability”. This is pure B.S. and an instant turn off for any employer reading it. If an objective does not specifically focus on the position you are applying for, nobody cares.

Do not start your resume with a lengthy summary of your career, skills and accomplishments that is nothing more than patting yourself on the back.
It is unsubstantiated self aggrandizement that nobody is interested in. Best case it will never be read. Worst case it will be the end of your application. If you feel you must have this or you just paid some resume “expert” $600 to be told you needed it, you must write it around the specific needs of the employer but even then it will probably not be read because the first thing an employer looks for is work experience, ignoring everything that comes before it.

If you include a list of skills and abilities to help with employer key word searches include them with the job where they were actually used.

5) All certifications, licenses and special training should be listed following “education” and should only be included if they relate to the position you are applying for.

6) Each position in the employment history section should be formatted as follows.

* Start with the Company name followed by title and dates.

* A one or two sentence description of the company and its business

* A brief statement of duties and responsibilities (a mini position description)

* A list of 3 – 5 action bullets describing specific and accurate achievements. If possible these

should demonstrate leadership and personal accomplishments not just participation or

simply doing the job.

* A short list of technical skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties.

7) Never include compensation information/requirements

Ace the job interview

Interview Preparation

by

Mark Warren

You have an interview coming up and it may just be one of the most important events of your life. To treat it as anything less could be a grave mistake. A great interview is like a perfectly played football game with you not the interviewer as the quarterback. If you direct the course of the play successfully you will win even if you are less qualified then your competition. Our vast experience tells us that rarely does the most qualified candidate get the job. It almost always goes to the person who had the best interview. If you learn the following tips and strategies you will be the one who has the best interview.

Before the Interview

Plenty of advanced preparation is needed to have a great interview.  Preparing for an interview takes time and work. If you think you want the job it is worth the work.

1) Go to the company web site and read every page carefully. Pay particular attention to the     mission and value statements, company history and press releases.

2) Try to learn about the person who will be interviewing you. Find a coach who will share this info with you. You can find somebody on LinkedIn, Google, resume searches etc... If you are working with a recruiting firm it is their responsibility to provide this information.

3) Make sure you understand the details of the position you are interviewing for. Your recruiter should be able to answer every question and provide a detailed position description. If you were called directly by the employer ask them for all the details available. Once you have the information study it. Draw a line down the center of a legal pad. On the left side write down all the requirements and job duties. To the right of each one write down your skills and experience that relate specifically to the employers needs. This process will help you evaluate your qualifications and remember everything you need to address in the interview.

4) Prepare a written list of the questions you want to ask the interviewer. These questions should be designed to accomplish two goals. Uncover all the employers’ needs so you can address them in the interview and give you the information you will need to determine if you really want the job. Make a good list. You don’t want to run out of questions in the interview. I will cover this in more detail and provide some examples later.

5) Prepare an inventory of your skills, abilities, strengths, accomplishments and anything that makes you unique and separates you from the average person doing your job. Write them down and rehears them.

6) Unless you were instructed to come in business casual make sure you have a cleaned & pressed dark suit, white shirt, conservative tie and well shined shoes.

7) Make sure you have two copies of a resume you are proud of and a prepared list of references. There may be people involved in the hiring process who will not meet you and they should be impressed with your resume.

Do’s and Don’ts 

 

Do’s

Arrive at least ten minutes early. If you are not positive about the location of the interview drive by the building the night before.

Greet the receptionist and or secretary with a big friendly smile and the utmost courtesy. Get her name and use it. When the interviewer picks you up thank the receptionist by name and do it again before you leave the building. We know of many situations where a candidate was rejected because of a receptionist’s or secretary’s negative comments.

Come prepared: Discussed earlier.

Dress for success: Discussed earlier.

Maintain steady, direct eye contact. Poor eye contact shows a lack of confidence and can be interpreted as a sign of dishonesty. If you struggle with this, look at the spot between the interviewer’s eyes. He won’t know. If there is more than one person in the room share your eye contact equally around the room even if the other people in the room are not talking or asking questions.

Greet the interviewer with a firm handshake and a bright smile. Nothing destroys the beginning of an interview like a soft, weak handshake. You will not recover from it.

Sell yourself with enthusiasm and confidence. An interview is no place for modesty. As long as you are discussing facts that you can document you are not bragging. No matter who you are or what you do you have accomplishments that you can be proud of. Talk about them but be honest.

                                                                     Don’ts

 Don’t be late. If you absolutely can’t avoid it call the interviewer before your scheduled interview time, apologize and ask if it is convenient to come ahead or would he like to reschedule.

If you smoke DON’T smoke in the car on the way to the interview.

Do not ask questions about money, benefits or vacation. These are not relevant until you get an offer. We will discuss later how to respond if you are asked about money.

Do not speak negatively about a past employer. If you do, the person conducting the interview will assume that you will do the same if you leave his company.

When asked why you are looking or why did you leave, relate only to career goals. Show gratitude for what you have learned and the opportunity you were given but in order to continue the advancement of your career and find new challenges it is time to move on.

Do not generalize or exaggerate. Only talk about abilities and accomplishments that you can back up with specifics. Use numbers, ratios and dates when possible. It does no good to say “I can do that” If you can’t give specific examples of when you have done it.

Do not act or talk like you need a job. Don’t talk about how rough it has been being unemployed. It makes a poor impression and you will lose your room to negotiate for the best offer if the interviewer thinks you will be easy to get. You want to show enthusiasm but you also want them to think they might have to work a little to get you.

The Money Hurdle

Before we start with the beginning of the interview we should cover the topic of how to handle the compensation question or discussion since this could come up at anytime. In an interview or any negotiation the first person who mentions a dollar amount looses. If you mention a dollar figure you will price yourself out of a good opportunity or sell yourself cheap and leave money on the table. These are the only possible results. If you are asked how much you are looking for there is only one answer that will work every time. “I am here to evaluate the opportunity. If it is everything I want and I meet all of your needs I am sure money will not be an issue.” Normally that will be the end of it. If the interviewer will not let the subject go, give a range starting at 5% below your current salary and ending 15% above. Then state that of course it depends on the opportunity. This leaves plenty of wiggle room once an offer is actually made. This rule also applies to the application. If the application asked for a “salary requirement” you write “open” or “TBD”.

The Opening

Most interviewers are not well trained or skilled at interviewing. They are just as

uncomfortable as the candidate. They will start with the most common and dreaded interview question that is easy for them but very awkward for you. It goes like this. “Tell me a little about yourself”. Or “Tell me about your experience as an …….” If you launch into an answer as most people do, you will ramble, give way to much information and not provide what the interviewer is looking for. This happens because the interviewer gave you no direction, focus or guidance as to what he is looking for.

The only response that works is to answer his inquiry with a question. “I’m afraid I could sit here for an hour responding to that question but I know we don’t have that much time. Specifically what part of my background and experience would you like me to address” His answer will tell you exactly what he wants to know and that is all you talk about. This is how you can respond to any vague question.

 Don’t wait for the interviewer to keep the interview moving. The most successful interview is one where the candidate controls the focus and direction while letting the interviewer think he is doing it. You keep the body of the interview focused through the use of good, intelligent, direct questions. Here are some good examples.

What are the primary challenges I will face in this position?

What will you want me to accomplish in the first month? Second month?

How can I contribute to the success of the department?

What is the department’s primary mission?

What did the last person in the job do well?

What did he struggle with?

My favorite question:

Let’s assume that I have been in the job for a year. Today you are giving me

an outstanding review. What have I accomplished to deserve such a great

review.  

These questions are all designed to get the interviewer to tell you exactly what he is looking for. Once you know that, all you need to do is relate your background using specific examples of accomplishments, and relating skills, knowledge and abilities to his needs. Here is a simple formula to do just that. This is the most important interview advice you will ever receive. If you follow this every time you hear a need , problem  or challenge faced by the employer or that he thinks you will face you will have a great interview

.

Acknowledge the need (Make sure you understood him)

“I can do that”

“I have done it before”(when)

This is how I did it. (specifics)

These were the results (specifics)

Will that work here? or, Will that take care of the problem? or, Is that how you need it done?

If the answer to (f) is a firm “yes” you can move on. If you get an answer that sounds less than positive you need to flush out his concerns or doubts by asking another question. “What else can I tell you about how I would handle that”? or “How would you like that handled?

 

The hanging negative

Beware of leaving negatives hanging. If you are asked a question about skills, experience or abilities that you must answer with “no” or “I have not done that before”, you have just sent up a big red flag that you must pull down before moving on.

For example if you are asked if you have worked with a system that is used by the employer and you have to say “no” immediately follow up with something like “Twice before in my career I have had to adjust to a new system and it did not pose a problem. I am a very fast study”. Now give details.

Strengths and Weaknesses

At some point in the interview you will be asked to describe your strengths and weaknesses. You want to talk about as many strengths as possible but only those that relate specifically to the position you are interviewing for and as always respond honestly and do not exaggerate your strengths.

 Most of us do not have a problem talking about our good points but we struggle with discussing weaknesses. When asked about weaknesses a response like I can’t think of any will probably result in being rejected. The interviewer will assume you are not honest or you just don’t know yourself. Just remember that as was the case with hanging negatives you must qualify your weaknesses, For example when you mention a weakness follow up with “I have recognized this as a weakness and therefore I focus on it every day as to make sure it does not affect my work”.

 

The close

When the interviewer brings the interview to a close it signals the last chance for the candidate to seal the deal which means get an offer or get to the next step. This is the most difficult part of the interview for most candidates to handle. At the end of the interview most people thank the interviewer for his time and say they look forward to hearing from him.

The smart candidate takes a minute to briefly and succinctly sum up the interviewer's needs, tell why he feels his qualifications are a good fit and express sincere interest in moving forward. Ask what will be the next step and ask if the interviewer is comfortable moving  the candidate to that step? Then the candidate ends with the hardest and most important question in the interview. “Do you have any concerns or see any reason why I would not be a good fit for the position?” This is the last chance to deal with any deal breakers so you might as well ask if there are any.

If this is the final interview, tell the interviewer you are ready to join the team and ask for the job.

Follow up

Immediately send a thank you/follow up email. The email should briefly sum up the needs of the interviewer and list skills and abilities that will satisfy those needs. Express a sincere interest in the company, the opportunity and moving on to the next step.