tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53065578945741901532024-03-13T17:19:46.868-04:00Pronexia's Blog - Your Peek Into The World of Recruitment!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-57318989856541412892014-12-30T10:04:00.000-05:002014-12-30T10:04:11.722-05:00Are You a “Dynamic Team-Player?” Let’s Hope Not.
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It’s long become a known fact that over half (yes, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">half)</i> of Canadians have pursued post-secondary education and, at
the very least, over 20% of the market is filled with university graduates (a
number that continues to rise daily).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Millennial (twenty-to-thirty-somethings) in particular are becoming
more specialized, more skilled, more available for positions in which
university-acquired proficiencies are considered imperative and
non-flexible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Basically, the Canadian job market has been slowly but surely filling
itself up with a smarter, more educated workforce who has finally begun to
catch up to the need the market has for their skills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well done, graduates!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The workforce has risen to the challenge
demanded by improving and increasingly-complex economic conditions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Grads have worked hard to specialize
themselves in one way or another, to become something different, to get that
degree alongside that internship (even if it sucked at the time), to stand out
from the grad next to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So once it’s
time to job-hunt in the “real” marketplace, do you really want to reduce
yourself to being a “dynamic team-player?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Graduates and seasoned workers alike, when it comes to identifying
yourself and separating yourself from the herd of hyper-educated Millennials
charging behind you in the rear-view mirror, you can do better.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Let me rephrase that; you <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">must </i>do better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And so, a few clichés to avoid (at
all costs – seriously):<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Dynamic”:</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Everyone is dynamic, especially when job-hunting, and if you’re not
dynamic, don’t bother leaving your couch for your next interview.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any contact you have with a company,
recruiter, or network contact should be infused with dynamism – your first
interview is that first impression, and it starts with a pleasant and
outgoing personality, smart conversation, and a humble yet interesting
display of your skills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know
how awesome you are, but *spoiler alert* the rest of the business world
doesn’t; it’s your job to prove to them, with every contact you have, that
you could easily become a part of their world without breaking a sweat,
like the boss you’ll surely be (eventually).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Confidence, anti-cliché, interesting:
there’s being dynamic for you.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Team-Player”:</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> Of course you are – you and I both know
that; would you be anything less?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Has there been evidence to prove that you are somehow in fact a
selfish egomaniac?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Announcing what
should be obvious often has a backward end-result, and people begin to question
things they might normally assume to be fact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s kind of like saying the phrase “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">To be honest</i>” at the beginning of
every sentence you speak: are you normally lying?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are you really being honest this time in
particular, as opposed to other times, hence the announcement?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The business world is, whether you like
it or not, a complex network of teams, and that “team-player” mentality
governs, bolsters, and allows businesses to operate on a daily basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s no “I” in team, but there is one
in “cliché” – don’t become one by calling yourself a “team-player” (just
don’t).<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“Hard-working”:</span></b><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> …seriously?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do I really have to explain this
one?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you’re not interested in
working hard, your career will hardly work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Work hard, work <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">always</i>: your career doesn’t end between jobs, or after you’ve
left the office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Improve your
skills, learn new ones, study, experiment with new projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People who are truly “hard-working”
don’t need to say it; their skills, their interests, their passions say it
for them.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ol>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Don’t have these exact words or phrases on your CV or cover letter?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well done!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are still <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">tons</i> of other
ways in which we regularly display our stale, uninspiring, unimaginative
conceptions of ourselves (without being conscious of it), even when we are, in
reality, the exact <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">opposite</i> of those
things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The point is, be mindful of it –
cliché is easy to slip into (hence, our natural attraction to it), and
especially easy to miss once it has made itself comfortable in our personal and
professional lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The landscape of the modern marketplace has changed, period.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s our job as employees and employers to
elevate the standard of expectations for the business world accordingly –
indeed, innovation is born out of a pressing-back against clichéd norms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re a good person, you worked hard, and
you deserve a fair chance at a promising career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t let bad rhetoric and even worse clichéd
practices take away that chance – that’s a shame if I ever heard one.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.25in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><em>Stefano Faustini - </em></span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><em>Headhunter, Pronexia Inc.</em></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-84700359723471711712014-10-23T16:49:00.002-04:002014-10-23T16:49:27.817-04:00Gangsterism and Recruitment at TruMontreal
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> As a fresh pair of eyes peering into the recruitment world, I was
excited to attend TruMontreal, an interesting “non-conference” conference on
recruitment in our beautiful city which took place last week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To be frank, I participated in much of the
standard conference-related stuff: listened intently on presentations,
card-exchanged with some connections, hung by the buffet table to sneak a
better look at a few notable-looking people in the industry while stuffing more
mini-croissants in my mouth than is probably appropriate, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The crowd was the first thing I noticed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eclectic, diverse in demographic, this was a
hodgepodge of strays who had fallen into the profession, much like myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ambiguous crowd reflected the recruitment
industry as a whole: fluid, unfixed, wide-opened and bursting at the seams with
potential for transformation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any sharp-minded
individual with drive, boldness and an innovative mind could wreak havoc on the
customs in the industry and take it by storm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The crowd and the field equally were ripe for the taking.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Enter Marina Byezhanova, Co-founder and Chief Headhunter of Pronexia
Inc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sure I had a bias to her authority:
she was my boss, in charge of my security, my success and, in truth, she scared
the hell out of me, in both good ways and bad ones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, I quickly realized that my judgment
wasn’t so subjective after all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Five
minutes spent among the conference buzz of chit-chat and coffee-sipping, it was
clear the room was hers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People knew
her, knew <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">of</i> her, admired her and
slightly loathed her simultaneously, and (if they were smart) feared her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She knew the highest members of the
inner-circle, the impressive ones and the ones supposed to be more impressive
than they actually were.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sitting in on
conference speeches and roundtable discussions, she easily challenged any
suit-and-tie bigshot with a counter-argument, her black-and-gold high-tops
strapped on tight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was a recruitment
gangster, through and through.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She
challenged her counterparts to doing things differently, to think outside of pre-established
expectations, to improve, to transform, to do <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">better</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was impressive to
watch from the sidelines.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was Biggie
Smalls, spitting fire and leaving people in a cloud of ash and awe, and I was
Puff Daddy, throwing in a word or two at the chorus in support, handing her a
water bottle on stage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was awesome.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">TruMontreal taught me something, but it unfortunately had nothing to do
with the conference itself, aside from providing a venue and some snacks for my
realization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recruitment needed a
gangster, someone with the audacity to question things, to crack open
old-school mentalities, to refute foregone practices, to re-prioritize, to
dismantle the machine entirely and build it back up differently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyone stands to benefit: job-seekers,
job-holders, the recruitment industry, both the business and the socio-cultural
world at large.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">People make or a break a company, bottom line – so shouldn’t we be doing
this hiring thing right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shouldn’t we be
finding the best people, for the best companies, in the best ways
possible?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our current “best” is not <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the </i>best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When things are not perfect, get gangster on
them: change, reconfigure, break them apart just to see what happens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remember, remember, remember: if you’re
getting complacent, and if you’re not thinking critically, then what exactly <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is it</i> that you’re doing?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Stefano Faustini<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Headhunter, Pronexia Inc.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-4366281307006218142014-10-20T12:38:00.002-04:002014-10-20T12:53:12.508-04:00Why a Globe and Mail article for women enraged me!<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">As a female business owner, I am
naturally passionate about women’s place on the business arena. When scrolling
through my Twitter feed, I always pause when my eye catches a post targeting
professional women. That is exactly what happened when I came across <a href="http://bit.ly/1zfWC8k" target="_blank">this article</a> posted on Globe and Mail’s website</span></strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"><strong><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.
I paused, clicked and started reading.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">As I was reading, I kept getting
confused (it was Friday evening, so my brain might have been in slow down
mode). Is this written for teenagers? Recent University grads? Students? Nope,
it is in the Small Business section and is called “</span></strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";">Ten ways
women can raise their professional profiles”. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41jVWKBMjXN5cAEdpLMgB2TzTs90rrAK0zaP5LMebgNxMCjPOE8vsblc5c3hDxo7Ig7elQL-zrbHpVEh1YLa_RiRsOpcLjtUwaAUaGrJrU10Gv1bTwaRUe44yEFbfQB9kUzqI4f4TZPw/s1600/iStock_000018317680Medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi41jVWKBMjXN5cAEdpLMgB2TzTs90rrAK0zaP5LMebgNxMCjPOE8vsblc5c3hDxo7Ig7elQL-zrbHpVEh1YLa_RiRsOpcLjtUwaAUaGrJrU10Gv1bTwaRUe44yEFbfQB9kUzqI4f4TZPw/s1600/iStock_000018317680Medium.jpg" height="320" width="232" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
quickly went from confusion to anger. When you work really hard on actually
raising your professional profile as a business woman, it is frustrating to
read pieces that seem to be written for little girls. Let me break it down for
you.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Everything
in bold is the advice from the original article and what follows is my
response.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";">Embrace
being a woman.</span></strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"> Thank you, but shouldn’t this have happened
years before I became a professional woman? I am teaching my 5 year old to love
her gender; I certainly wish and hope nobody will be empowering her to embrace
her womanhood when she is out of the sandbox and on the business playground. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";">Build
your brand consciously.</span></strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"> This point advises women to be conscious about
the way they dress. In addition to also being incredibly patronizing (as a
business woman – and an adult - I have somehow managed to figure out how to
dress myself), this advice is plain misguided. No one cares about company CEOs
wearing hoodies as they keynote large scale events - shout out to Gary
Vaynerchuk whose work I have been obsessing with lately, but I digress - and
you know what? No one cares when I wear sneakers to meetings. And you know what
I actually build consciously? My business! I wear what feels authentic and it
has zero impact on those around me. <strong><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";">Network,
network, network.</span></strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"> I personally hate the concept of “networking”,
but that’s my personal preference and I fully support everyone who enjoys the
process. That being said, this advice applies equally to men as it does to
women, so what irritates me the most is the unnecessary gender segregation. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div style="margin-left: 0.25in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Sidenote:</span><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"> if you do
hate networking, it is not a gender issue – it is a personality thing. You can
raise your professional profile without it. Reach out; I will gladly share
experience. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";">Be
open to opportunities.</span></strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Don’t
wait to be perfect before accepting or asking for an opportunity. Men don’t.
They accept the opportunity and figure out how to make it work as they go
along.</b> Umm, no. No! Many men <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do</i>
wait before accepting or asking for an opportunity. Some of the male
consultants on my team at Pronexia know I am virtually pointing at them with
this one. Women don’t need labels but neither do men; there are different
people who, regardless of their gender, act and react differently. What a
notion, I know!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";">Be
kind.</span></strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";">
Can we have a campaign to ban this word for women actually? Let’s start when
they are young. If I get a dollar every time my 5 year old is advised to ‘be
kind’ when she shows even one degree of personality deviating from ‘mild’… . It
makes my blood boil. And now that I am an adult, I am in even less of a need to
be advised to be kind, nice, sweet, – well, you get my point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";">Welcome
feedback.</span></strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"> Great advice! For any human being. Why is it more pertinent
to professional women? I don’t know. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";">Take
up space</span></strong><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">.</span></strong><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"> Be aware of your body language. Stand tall,
speak clearly and project confidence, even if you don’t always feel that way</span></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";">. Great tips
for anyone looking to project more authority, but ironically this is something
I (a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">female</i> professional) coach my <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">male</i> consultants on. Again, not a gender
issue.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";">Don’t
be afraid to be different.</span></strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"> I feel very different reading this post.
Right now, at this particular moment, I feel different and not the good kind. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";">If
you choose to be a leader, lead.</span></strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"> And if you choose to be
a manager, manage? And if you choose to be a teacher, teach? And if you choose
to be a programmer, then program? Got it. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";">Recognize
that men can and should help.</span></strong><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"> No comment. I typed and erased my
response to this, but – no. Just no comment.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This
is why:<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";">Gender equity will not happen without
men’s support and attention, and substantial change must be generated from the
very top of organizations</span></b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";">.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This
goes to the core of the problem I have with this piece. Substantial change must
not be generated from the very top of organizations. It should be generated
from within each one of us. We need more women to get enraged at the suggestion
that building their professional profile requires them to ‘be kind’. We need
more women ready to step away from the tired gender stereotypes of grouping all
men into one category and all women into another one. We need to talk about
building our confidence, finding a voice (a loud one works well but is optional!)
and releasing the guilt that might be the bottleneck of our potential success.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In
short, if you gain absolutely nothing else from my post, I implore you to at
the very least dress in whatever the heck you want. Whether you are a man or a
woman, give it a shot. I promise - it will be liberating! Send me pictures.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<em>by Marina Byezhanova</em><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN-CA" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-37635164825062205922014-10-16T15:33:00.003-04:002014-10-16T15:33:50.302-04:00I just checked out your Facebook page!Yep. You sent me your résumé earlier today to apply for a position I am advertising and before calling you (or actually <em><span>not</span></em><span>) I Googled your name and checked out your ‘digital footprint’. </span><br />
<span></span><br />
<span><span>I know that it sounds stalker-like and I used to scoff at the idea of looking up job seekers’ personal pages online. However, that was until one of my clients did and came up with an obscene video of a candidate of mine they were about to hire. </span><span>And then another client Facebooked a candidate and found stuff that was far from inappropriate but was enough for them to decide not to interview the person in question. And then another one, and another one… </span><span>It was time to realize that it was no longer a fad or a temporary trend, but was rather a new permanent part of the hiring process.</span></span><br />
<span><span></span></span><br />
<span>As you are preparing for your next interview, you might be researching how to best dress, what to bring with you, what information not to divulge. But why waste all that time if I Google you and come up with the most inappropriate images, quotes about you hating your job and other not-so-flattering stuff? Yes, in theory the interview process should be fully objective and void of any emotion. I have read countless books and articles about that. Yet, in reality, we base our perceptions and decisions involving others on all of the information they provide to us. </span><br />
<span></span><br />
<span>I am using Facebook as an example, but any other social media sites that leave a trail also have an impact on your chances of being hired. If you are constantly grumpy and negative on your Twitter, the hiring manager will question how pleasant you will be to have on the team. If your Instagram is full of pictures of you dancing on top of tables and chugging alcohol, think of an impact it might have on that application you submitted for a managerial position. </span><br />
<span></span><br />
<span>“Wait a second”, you might say. “But why should my personal life have any bearing on my career? </span><span>The two are separate and I am fully capable of being professional during the office hours”. You are right and so here comes my advice:</span><br />
<ul>
<li>Set your Twitter to private or use a nickname</li>
<li>Set your Facebook to private or use a nickname</li>
<li>Set your Instagram to private or use a nickname</li>
<li>Etc.</li>
</ul>
<span>If, however, you are leading a fully authentic life and want to be seen exactly for who you are, then go ahead and keep your social media as transparent as it is right now. I support both privacy and transparency as it is a deeply personal choice. </span><br />
<span></span><br />
<span>I am just Googling you to learn more, that’s all!</span><br />
<span></span><br />
<span>Marina Byezhanova, </span><br />
<span>Director of Candidate Experience </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-38361410489712149732014-05-27T10:30:00.000-04:002014-05-27T13:53:45.338-04:003 Things that make your Manager Cringe <span style="font-family: inherit;">When discussing a new opening with a hiring manager, recruiters usually zero in on personality traits a potential hire must demonstrate. Many tend to be fairly cliché – autonomous, cooperative, pleasant, friendly, and so on. I like asking something different: “What makes it difficult for you to manage someone? What makes an employee average?” I have heard very different answers throughout the years, all depending on the personality of each particular hiring manager. Yet, three commonalities have emerged. <br /><br /><strong>1. Lack of passion (aka enthusiasm)</strong>. Think back to your last meeting and analyze what you must have looked like to others. Extraverts and introverts tend to emote and express themselves differently, but did you find a way to express your engagement regardless of your personality type? What was your body language like? If you feel that you went generally unnoticed, here is the bad news – your manager did notice you but not in a positive light.<br /><br /><strong> 2. Inability to take criticism</strong>. Unless you work for a self-saboteur, in which case you should stop reading this post and start looking for a new job, your manager wants to see you succeed. In order for you to learn and grow, you are bound to make mistakes as you learn. It is your manager’s job to tell you when something in your work needs to change and to coach you accordingly. The worst thing you can do is take the situation personally and dwell on it. The best thing? Listen, discuss (disagree if need be) but then … move on! Constructive criticism is not meant to negate all of the great work you do and is not a personal attack, so take it in stride and don’t let it be a stumbling block.<br /><br /><strong> 3. Lack of self-motivation</strong>. A great many books and articles have been written on managing employees. Companies are realizing the importance of employee experience and are implementing creative programs to enhance it. Yet, as adults we hold the responsibility of finding our own ways to stay motivated and engaged. Yes, Millennials, this advice applies to you too! When you require constant appreciation, encouragement and a celebration of each minor accomplishment, you inevitably drain more than you contribute.<br /><br />If you find it difficult to stay motivated in your job and feel constantly on the defensive, there are two ways to look at your situation. The first obvious conclusion is that it might be time to look for another company and perhaps a completely different set of tasks. But before you do that, dig deep – is this feeling a trend in a few jobs you have had? Is it possible that it is time for some self-awareness before you jump into another job where yet again you will fail to feel fulfilled? Certainly, it takes a lot more to be considered a top performer than being energetic, motivated and open to feedback. However, the three traits outlined above are sure to negate any amazing work you might be doing. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-47670521304774944152014-05-20T10:30:00.000-04:002014-05-20T10:30:01.248-04:00Should you hide your criminal record?<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">Years ago I met a candidate who was in the running for the position of Executive Assistant. She came across as polished, professional and demure throughout all of my conversations with her, including of course an in-person interview. My client, President of a Montreal-based distribution company, interviewed his prospective assistant twice and was eager to have her join his organization. At his request, I informed the applicant that we were in the final stage of the hiring process – checking her references and conducting a criminal background check. My soft-spoken candidate suddenly became uncomfortable and shared that she had indeed been convicted of a crime a few years prior. She had been charged with an assault with a deadly weapon. She was willing to share the details of the case with my client, if he was still open to considering her for the position. Well, he was, and after the conversation they had, she was hired and spent years working at my client’s firm!<br /><br />Here is another story. A job seeker I had in the running for a different company and a different position successful nailed every part of the interview process, until it was time for references and background verification part of the process. She filled out an authorization form indicating that she had no criminal record, but we soon found out that the information was not truthful. Her criminal record was due to reasons much more benign than those of the 1st story, yet she was quickly dropped from the running for the coveted position. Not because of her record, but because of dishonesty.<br /><br />So, what can you do if your criminal record is not spotless? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">- <strong>Select which positions you target</strong>. Most companies cannot discriminate against applicants with a criminal record unless your conviction comes into a direct conflict of interest with duties that are part of the job description. For example, if you were convicted of financial fraud, you should avoid applying for positions with financial institutions. If your criminal record prevents you from crossing the border, then you should abstain from jobs that require travel. It seems evident, but we have witnessed both numerous times.<br /><br />-<strong> Don’t volunteer your criminal record (or your credit situation) with a hiring manager unless prompted</strong>. My colleague was on the receiving end of an interviewee’s long and detailed story about a crime he had convicted in his youth. It had no bearing on the position of Software Developer he was targeting, but his desire to share all the details within the first 10 minutes of the interview showed poor judgement and put a strain on the rest of the interview.<br /><br />- <strong>If directly asked whether you have a criminal record, be honest</strong>. Whether you are asked on a form you are filling out, by a recruiter or a direct hiring manager, be candid. If you do not feel comfortable divulging personal information and feel that it has no impact on the job you targeted, inquire about the reason behind the background check. You may be well within your rights to refuse or better off simply walking away, but dishonesty will surely impact your chances of landing the position.<br /><br />- <strong>Get the offence removed from your record!</strong> I once met a candidate who had been convicted of a DUI 20 years prior to our interview. Yes, 20 years! My client was uncomfortable hiring him for a position that required extensive travel, including extensive driving, unless the charge was removed. It took my candidate a few days to clean up his record and the job was his! Had he done it prior to the interview process, it would have also saved him numerous uncomfortable conversations.<br /><br />Many hiring managers are tolerant of criminal record, but hardly any are accepting of dishonesty. Be transparent and it will lower your chances of missing out on a coveted position. </span><br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-58216900623766597332014-05-13T10:30:00.000-04:002014-05-15T16:02:09.663-04:00Ditching résumés from the interview process!<span style="font-family: inherit;">How surprised would you be to walk into an interview with a
recruiter who does not have your CV? No, not because he expected you to bring
a copy, but because of the new trend - resumes banned from interview rooms.
According to <span id="goog_1824999422"></span></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Anna Lambert</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span id="goog_1824999423"></span>from </span><a href="http://www.shopify.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Shopify</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, Ottawa-based high tech success story, this
innovative approach is at the core of the company’s recruitment methodology. Laval’s
mega retailer </span><a href="http://www.sail.ca/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">SAIL Plein Air</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> takes it a step further – no CV necessary to even apply!
The company invites job seekers to submit a compelling story instead. You can
read more about it </span><a href="http://careers.sail.ca/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Anna shared the idea behind Shopify’s approach at our
</span><a href="http://www.pronexia.com/conference" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">#NewSchoolHiring event</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> and it resonated with many of the guests in the
audience. Shopify’s recruitment team simply does not believe in trying to stump
you, their applicant, make you uncomfortable, zone into something on your CV
and dig relentlessly. They believe in having a two-way discussion between two
equals, a genuine conversation aimed at discovering if there is a potential fit
between the company and you. Fit trumps skill and although many may disagree
with this approach, Shopify’s low turnover rates are the best metric of its
success.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So what does this mean to you? Shopify’s and SAIL’s unique
style will probably not become a standard, but the tendency of leveling the
playing field between you and a hiring manager is prominent. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Here is what you
can expect to see more frequently during your job search process:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Informal
conversation-style interviews</b>. Companies are realizing that an interview is
a two-way dialogue and that candidates need to be impressed and engaged. Expect
more hiring managers to take the time to make your comfortable prior to the
interview and to tone down the formality of the overall process.</span></li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Less behavioural
style questions</b>. All those advice books on answering questions of the “When
was the last time you had a conflict and how did you handle it?” variety are
quickly becoming obsolete. Recruiters are realizing that rehearsed answers
serve no purpose and that trumping a candidate does nothing for building
rapport. Instead of answering useless questions expect to spend more time
discussing projects you have worked on.</span></li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<ul><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Say “adios”
to riddles, brain teasers and puzzles</b>. As headhunters, we always shuddered
when hearing our clients say that they were going to hire like Google. We knew
that what it meant was having you tortured with such questions as: “How many
golf balls can fit into a bus?” What did it ever do to predict on-the-job
success? Nothing! And Google</span><a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2013/06/google-finally-admits-that-its-infamous-brainteasers-were-completely-useless-for-hiring/277053/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> finally admitted it</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> last year – let’s breathe a
sigh of relief.</span></li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<ul><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Your “chemistry”
with the hiring manager is taking precedence over your experience and skill set</b>.
This one is tricky. You want to work for a company whose mission and values are
aligned with yours, yet you get frustrated when not retained for a position
that matches your skill set perfectly on paper. This is a big topic and we will
address it more in a future post, but companies that hire based on fit between
you and the company culture do report lower turnover rates and happier, more
engaged, employees.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">All of this is major bad news to old school recruiters and
hiring managers who enjoy the power trip of riding into an interview on a proverbial
high horse, making you feel uncomfortable and inadequate and then disappearing
into oblivion unless your candidacy is retained. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">For you, this is great news! Next time you leave an
interview disappointed and doubting yourself, remember this post and rest
assured – you don’t want to join a company that still has not realized the core
importance of candidate experience. And when you walk away energized and
feeling that the person you met took the time to make you comfortable and truly
listen to you, it is a very good indication of a company worth considering!</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-43666592496740024112014-05-05T10:00:00.000-04:002014-05-05T10:00:03.408-04:00Recruiters, enough with misguided and self-serving advice!<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">Long gone
are the days when supply outweighed demand and job seekers had to go an extra
mile to stand out and appease recruiters and hiring managers. While top
headhunting firms are now recognizing the need to differentiate in order to
engage potential candidates, outdated advice to job seekers still abounds. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">Let’s take
for example an </span><a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/how-recruiters-screen-you-on-linkedin-2014-05-02" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">article</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">that
recently ran on </span><a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Market Watch</span></a><span style="font-size: large;">, an online financial news resource</span></span><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">, a
subsidiary of Dow Jones, along with the Wall Street Journal no less. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">In its attempt to provide advice to job
seekers on how to better optimize a LinkedIn profile, this article is the
epitome of all that is wrong with the recruitment industry.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">ADVICE
#1:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Rule
No. 1: “Your LinkedIn profile should be public”</span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">. </span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">How
interesting and self-serving (not for you of course; the priority here is to
make a recruiter’s life easier). Rule #1 for you to be found is not to focus on
optimizing your career, not to build an impressive portfolio of achievements,
but to publicize a LinkedIn page. It will come as a surprise then that some top
professionals do not even have a LinkedIn page (gasp!). How do they even manage
to “score the next great gig”?<i><o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">ADVICE
#2:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Most
people spend so much time crafting their pitch, they forget about how they
appear in a search result. “It’s the first thing that recruiters look at”</span></i></b><b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">. </span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you
choose to have a social media presence, as most of us do in one form of
another, it is certainly important to be mindful of its impact on your job
search. That aside, don’t worry about missing out on recruiters who put looking
at your social media profiles as first task. If a recruiter’s number one focus
is not on your experience and accomplishments, it is a predictor of the lack of
focus you will receive thereon after. <b><i><o:p></o:p></i></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">ADVICE
#3:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">The title
should be razor-sharp. “Don’t write senior analyst at Ernst & Young, write
hedge fund financial analyst at Ernst & Young”.</span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">One of the
world’s top travel companies called </span><a href="http://www.gadventures.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">G Adventures</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> uses the title of “CEO” for
its </span><a href="https://www.gadventures.com/careers/tour-guide/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">tour guides</span></a><span style="font-size: large;">. And you know what? True headhunters who operate in that space
will know that, as will the true headhunters who operate in yours. You do not
need to customize your title for uninformed recruiters – you are better off
flying under their radars.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">There were
numerous other gems about recruiters punching in keywords, recoiling at
buzzwords, “looking for reasons not to court you” and getting nervous over
parts of your LinkedIn profile. There was also advice dedicated to older job
seekers (anything from over 10 years ago is a no-no on your CV, unless you are
applying for a job of Chief Executive Officer!). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dear recruiters whose views were
well-represented throughout the Market Watch article, the days of your reign
are fortunately coming to an end. You make it difficult for recruiters who work
tirelessly on self-improvement (not candidate optimization, believe it or
not!). Yet, your old school ways and inability to perfect the recruitment craft
are catching up with you and job seekers are taking note.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dear candidates, please know that the views
represented in the article quoted throughout this post are not representative
of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all </i>recruiters. You do not need to
change your profile to be more searchable and your experience and career path
should definitely not be reduced to a bunch of standard keywords. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><o:p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">Personally, I would not want to be spammed by
individuals who believe that </span></span><span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Most hiring managers don’t want to hire someone
who’s smarter than them”, would you?</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-60297093681986114922014-04-30T12:26:00.001-04:002014-04-30T12:26:23.105-04:00HR is rarely the best Messenger for your Recruitment Campaigns!Have you noticed that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find and retain candidates for your most important positions? Has it become challenging to even quickly fill roles that used to receive dozens of qualified CVs in response to your ads?<br /><br />Congratulations! You are ahead of many others who still fail to recognize that the job market has turned and the decision making scale has tipped in favor of job seekers. Posting a bland job description on the same job board you have been using for the past decade, listing 20 requirements and conducting an authoritative interview that sends you on a power trip no longer works. So what to do?<br /><br />Fiona Buell from Aldo Group joined us at the <a href="http://www.pronexia.com/conference" target="_blank">#NewSchoolHiring event</a> to share Aldo’s innovative approach to using storytelling to engage potential candidates. According to her, HR is rarely the best messenger for your recruitment campaigns. Who is? Your employees!<br /><br />Let me ask you a question. Who represents your company at job fairs, open houses and during on-campus recruitment campaigns? My guess would be it is your Talent Acquisition Team. Well, Aldo Group takes a different approach. Placing key importance on matching the message with the messenger, they walk the walk and engage their staff in representing Aldo to potential job seekers. When looking for interns, they let one of their former interns whose position grew into a permanent role do the speaking. When hiring for the Marketing team during an on-campus campaign, they bring an employee who is a former grad from that particular university to speak about his or her experience. Tasked with the ongoing challenge of mass recruitment for their retail locations, Aldo launched a competition that had their employees upload self-made videos on social media essentially “selling” the company’s employer brand. After Fiona played one such video, the audience erupted in applause. Profoundly effective and all she did was let someone else do the talking!<br /><br />As Fiona said: “We need to start treating our candidates as we do our customers”. Your marketing department reaches customers via storytelling, media campaigns and the use of testimonials. Your HR team needs to take a step back, craft a strategic campaign and choose the best media to deliver your employer branding message to reach your candidates. Are you ready to relinquish the power and let someone else be the messenger?<br /><br /> Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-74654387046662259082014-04-23T12:58:00.001-04:002014-04-23T12:58:13.847-04:00#NewSchoolHiring
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">This month
marked <a href="http://www.pronexia.com/" target="_blank">Pronexia</a>’s biggest milestone so far – a high profile <a href="http://www.pronexia.com/conference" target="_blank">event</a> we
hosted on April 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup> on the topic of Employer Branding. Our
co-founder <a href="http://www.pronexia.com/our_story_brains_moranne.html" target="_blank">Moranne Elarar</a> summed up the end result perfectly: “It was more than
we ever expected but exactly what we had envisioned”.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">We had set
off to put together a unique event for Montreal’s hiring managers and HR
professionals and were thrilled to have met and surpassed our speakers’ and
delegates’ expectations. The venue was buzzing with excitement, and by
noon #NewSchoolHiring was the #1 trending topic in Montreal on Twitter! It was
thrilling to see so much engagement not only from 100 of our guests, but even
from people who were not in attendance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">We have many
posts coming up to summarize the various topics discussed and to highlight the
most memorable talks. Yet, we are compelled to start off by thanking everyone
who made this important day for the Montreal HR community such a success. We
are immensely grateful to all of our speakers who believed in our vision and agreed
to share their behind-the-scenes stories and practical advice. We are humbled
to have received overwhelmingly rewarding feedback from our delegates. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Here are a
few of the comments sent to us in the days following the conference:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b><i><span style="color: #c45911; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">“</span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #c45911; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">The speakers were
enlightening and allowed me to think about some changes that I can do to run a
more efficient operation and create a really interesting culture.” </span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">–
Director, Customer Service – Industrial Distribution<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<b><i><span style="color: #c45911; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">“I have many takeaways to share with my group here and if
there is another event like this planned, I would definitely love to be there!”
</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">– Director, Operations – Consumer Goods<b> <o:p></o:p></b></span></i><br />
<u1:p></u1:p><br />
<u1:p>
<b><i><span style="color: #c45911; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">“FANTASTIC job
on the event! It was great, heard some wonderful speakers and it definitely
energized me to start shaking things up around here!” </span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">– Manager,
Administration – Digital Marketing<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b><i><span style="color: #c45911; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">“It was energizing and I learned so
much. I was happy to discover how companies are doing things differently to
attract and retain talent. It is rather refreshing compared to what I have experienced
myself in the past.”</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> – <i>President
- Consulting Services<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<b><i><span style="color: #c45911; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;"></span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="color: #c45911; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">“The feedback from other attendees that you had organised a
Montreal conference that had a "soul" was amazing!”</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> – Director, HR – Consumer Goods<o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #c45911; font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">“I
was extremely happy with the conference: amazing topics and speakers, inspiring
and challenging visions. Being able to connect with various talented
individuals was also amazing – plus the great food and venue! I think Pronexia
really put together a new, different and much more enriching type of event.
Thank you for having me there! I hope you’ll have other events on other HR
topics and it brings new dynamics to the Montreal HR Scene.”</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: HE; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"> Director, HR - Retail<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">And finally,
we could not be more proud of the incredible team we have at Pronexia. Employer
branding was a topic we wanted to tackle not only because it is important to
our clients, but also to us internally. As a young company, we have been and
will continue innovating to attract and keep the city’s top talent – people who
will help us drive change and revolutionize the face of our industry!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri Light","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">Stay tuned
as we formulate an answer to the now most frequently asked question: “When is
Pronexia hosting the next event and on which topic?” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</u1:p><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-9902345203898563302014-03-04T10:04:00.000-05:002014-03-04T10:04:22.337-05:00What is your Reputation as an Employer?
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On April 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup>, Pronexia will be hosting our first
ever <a href="http://www.pronexia.com/conference" target="_blank">Employer Branding Event</a>. We are honored to have confirmed an unbelievable
line up of speakers, all responsible for Montreal-based talent. The feedback we
have received from the local business community has been truly humbling.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As always, our blog aims to bring you an inside scoop into
all that we do and the reasons we do it!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you have ever collaborated with Pronexia, then you must
be aware of the core importance we place on our clients’ commitment to candidate
and employee experience. We partner up solely with companies we are proud to
represent and would happily work for personally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All that equals to employer branding, a
company’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">reputation</i> as an employer.
We thought that it would be incredibly exciting to bring together HR
professionals and business owners from companies that truly <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">care </i>about the most important
contributor to their success – you, their People. We aimed to put together an
<a href="http://www.pronexia.com/conference/speakers.html" target="_blank">unparalleled line up of speakers</a>, all of whom are responsible for hiring or
managing teams based in Montreal, and all of whom are choice employers.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We kept the event by-invitation only, staying true to our
corporate value of “fit above all”, which translates into our relentless
commitment to placing “quality’ above “quantity”. The intimate setting will
allow for full candor and frank experience sharing. This will be a day full of
information exchange, with no tradeshow booths or sales pitches. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Most high caliber events of this nature happen in stuffy hotel
conference rooms that tend to limit the inspiration and interaction. Employer
Branding 360° will take place at the visually stunning state-of-the-art <a href="https://phi-centre.com/en/spaces/mission.sn" target="_blank">PhiCentre</a>, located in the historical Old Montreal. </span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yet, the main reason we decided to undertake this ambitious
project lies at the core of Pronexia’s mission – to refute old school
recruitment practices and to change the face of our industry! We are proud to
be hosting this event and to be facilitators of the change-inducing
conversations that will be taking place on April 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup>.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And the hashtag of our event? #NewSchoolHiring of course.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-82747807576876732492014-01-28T17:06:00.000-05:002014-01-28T17:06:19.044-05:00Introducing our new Manager, Client Strategy
<br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pronexia’s
2014 started off with a few exciting initiatives and changes, one of which was
the promotion of <a href="http://ca.linkedin.com/in/greenbergjordan" target="_blank">Jordan Greenberg</a> into the newly created
role of Manager, Client Strategy. </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In 2011,
when Pronexia was barely a few months old we decided to host our first Open
house. As we were organizing the event and looking to “wow” our clients by
adding an educational component to the evening, we had the idea of inviting a
guest speaker to host a presentation on Social Media and its impact on
recruitment. Through extensive research we came across Jordan Greenberg,
founder of a Montreal-based company called Social Media Boy. Intrigued by the
catchy copy on his website and impressed with the very cool avatars on it (true
story!), we gave Jordan a call. </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">From our
first meeting to his presentation at our Open house, Jordan did not stop
impressing us. So, a couple of months later, when we sat down to write up a job
ad describing our ideal next hire for the position of Client Strategist, we
wrote it with him in mind. And as is frequently said, timing is everything. Our
first applicant to the ad was … Jordan! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fast
forward a year, our team grew, we moved into a beautiful office in Outremont,
expanded, renovated, grew some more. Throughout every change, every new and
crazy endeavor, Jordan has positioned himself as Pronexia’s “rock” – a
relentless evangelist of our brand, passionate relationship builder and a
teammate you can count on with your eyes closed.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jordan’s
promotion into the new role – catalyst of change and optimization for our
corporate clients – was a natural decision. His ability to connect with people
both externally and internally is innate and his potential to achieve greatness
is exciting for us to see. We are thrilled to watch him cultivate and carve out
his new path with Pronexia and we are eager to see how 2014 unfolds. Congrats
Jordan - cheers to a kickass year!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><i>Marina Byezhanova & Moranne Elarar</i></b><i>,
your secret admirers <o:p></o:p></i></span><br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-49576566789035838012013-12-10T22:29:00.002-05:002013-12-10T22:29:55.254-05:00Three recruiters contacted me for the same job via LinkedIN! Is this normal?
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #343434; font-family: "Georgia","serif";">Could you share your
opinion about the following situation: in the last two days, I have been
contacted by three distinct recruiters via LinkedIn. They sent me the very same
job description. It's unlikely that the employer hired three HHs to fill in a
single position, so it looks like they simply took it from the employer's
website. I searched and found the job description on beyond.com<br />
<br />
Could you explain what happened? If the opening is publicly available, to me it
means the employer didn't want to involve HHs at all. Then why those three guys
decided to get involved?<br />
</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #343434; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;"><br />
</span></i><span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are two possible answers to your questions, but unfortunately
neither will paint these “recruiters” in a favorable light.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #343434; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Possibility #1:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The client did indeed give out the mandate to three
different firms, in addition to posting the ad for the position on various
sites. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Some clients do this in hope of getting a wider reach by tapping
into as many possible candidate sources as possible. What they sometimes don’t
realize is that most recruiters do not even take the time to re-write the job
description and come up with their own creative ad. They copy & paste it
onto the same job boards and spam all candidates matching certain keywords on
LinkedIn. The savviest of candidates will do exactly what you did – search the
description on Google and find out which company is hiring. Unfortunately most
get turned off by being bombarded with the same job offer and end up not moving
forward at all. These lazy and unprofessional practices certainly don’t help
anyone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I feel compelled to share an anecdote. Recently we came
across one of such copy & pasted ads a well-known Montreal-based
recruitment firm was running. They replaced the client’s name with the word “Company”
throughout the ad, which resulted in the following sentence: “To find out more
about Company, please visit our website: </span><a href="http://www.company.com/aboutus"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri;">http://www.Company.com/aboutus</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">. “<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Possibility #2:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You might very well be right in that the hiring company in
question did not even mandate any of these recruiters to assist with the
search. Recruiters sending out a job description they pull from a website is
becoming a widespread practice. It is a desperate move but undoubtedly one we
have heard about from clients on numerous occasions. A job ad gets blasted out
and if a potentially suitable candidate “bites”, the recruiter will take the
resume, remove all identifying information and “market” the profile to the
prospective client. A client of ours told us that one recruitment firm in
particular sends him upwards of 100 resumes on a monthly basis. They never met
and never mandated the firm with a single search, yet the influx of resumes is
never ending.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">On a separate note, I have to clarify that inMail spamming
is not headhunting. LinkedIn offers extensive training to hiring managers and
recruiters on crafting these inMails and sending them out en masse. This is
nothing more than an equivalent of an email campaign. True headhunters build
their reputation on relationship building – we pick up the phone and reach out
to prospective candidates, we network actively and we conduct thorough in-person
interviews. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hope this helps shed some light!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-36476305506736453332013-11-27T12:01:00.001-05:002013-11-27T12:01:49.753-05:00My Journey from Leaving Pronexia to Back Again!
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I started with Pronexia Inc three years ago
when they were just starting out in the basement of a Westmount office. As
Pronexia's first ever employee, I worked closely with the two founders - two
young women like myself - who had taken a risk to leave their steady careers
and open up their own business. In the year and half I was there, I was able to
learn about an industry I knew nothing about, feel like I was part of growing a
business.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Witnessing such enthusiastic entrepreneurs do
their thing with such passion, actually gave me the courage to reach out and
pursue my own dreams! Which is why I left the company last year, to go to
school in New York and train in an acting & musical theatre program and
pursue art as my career path. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Last week I was called by the Pronexia team to
help them out with a client event, and because they wanted to know all about my
New York experience. After so many laughs and memories about my time there, I
couldn't help saying to myself just how much I really missed these people! <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After a further meeting this week, it has been
decided that I am coming back to the Pronexia team as Office Manager! I feel SO
blessed to be surrounded by creative individuals who BELIEVE in me and INSPIRE
me to pursue my passions and allow me the flexibility to run off to auditions.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I think it takes people with creativity themselves
to be so open and push others to strive and grow and gain success in whatever
they choose! <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I usually don't write big things like this on social
media but I am feeling lucky and blessed, and excited. Always surround yourself
with people who will lift you up in life and believe in your potential. Part of
me having the courage to go out there and be an artist - regardless of the
struggle - was because these people actually told me I can! <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">They looked me in the eye before I left a
while back and said: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lanisa, you can be
whoever you want to be and you truly need to believe that. It stuck with me and
honestly affected me to the core. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">With that ... I introduce our team! We're young,
quirky, out of the box thinkers on a mission to REVOLUTIONIZE THE FACE OF
RECRUITMENT!!! <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXDbFqI6hq6cTMYdo6yr8CHQIuJxDFPoUjFJ2uK3Es4xjC86qNYJ2mjCOwPr8JknyLWUMZfoXoFwPGrz8t5mYLqX_x9roYQHczQuvglRUpNbkH1hElJwfMTqsb9gtEXHPOhgn6wVdbFU/s1600/Movember.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirXDbFqI6hq6cTMYdo6yr8CHQIuJxDFPoUjFJ2uK3Es4xjC86qNYJ2mjCOwPr8JknyLWUMZfoXoFwPGrz8t5mYLqX_x9roYQHczQuvglRUpNbkH1hElJwfMTqsb9gtEXHPOhgn6wVdbFU/s320/Movember.jpg" width="228" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">HAPPY MOVEMBER ;)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<i><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Lanisa
Farnsworth<o:p></o:p></span></span></i><br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-18480020470720500452013-11-26T13:49:00.001-05:002013-11-26T13:56:31.809-05:00Tips on Concocting a LinkedIn InMail… or Why Recruiters get what they Deserve<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Recruiters
tend to have a bad rep. Many wear it as a badge of honor and take pride in the
monetary gains that are still associated with outdated sales practices. Others
lament the lack of respect they receive from the business community, yet don’t
do much to change the face of our industry.</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I recently
came across an article that is so unfortunate and sadly typical in our field
that it compelled me to reply. The article advises Recruiters who are not
capable of building valuable professional connections via a direct approach to
concoct dishonest inMail messages to spam prospective job seekers (you can read
the full piece here: </span></span><a href="http://www.recruitingblogs.com/profiles/blogs/writing-a-compelling-linkedin-inmail"><span style="font-family: "Garamond Premr Pro","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi;"><span style="color: blue;">http://www.recruitingblogs.com/profiles/blogs/writing-a-compelling-linkedin-inmail</span></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">.
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“While each person won't be a
slam dunk for the position at hand, you will have impressed them with your
style enough to rise above the recruiter fray” – promises the author. Intrigued
to find out more about the superior writing style? I was too, so let’s take a
look! </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tip #1: The Subject</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The author
of the memorable piece suggests spending time on crafting the subject of your
message. He recommends going with something catchy, but not “flowery” (not sure
what that means either, so please don’t ask). He suggests “Poised for Greatness”
which is so high on my personal scale of “flowery” (still not sure I know what
it means though), that this imaginary inMail would automatically go straight
into my Trash folder.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><b>Tip #2: The Opening Line</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Curiously, the suggestion here is to <b><u>always</u></b> start
with the same line of “Impressive Background!”, yet Tip #3 is to ensure that
each inMail makes the candidate feel exclusive. Well, nothing would make me
feel more exclusive than knowing that a message I received is nearly identical
to the one sent to a hundred others.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Tip #3: </span></b><strong><span style="background: white; border: 1pt windowtext; font-family: "Garamond Premr Pro","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">The Grabber- Make it Exclusive (see, I told you!)</span></strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt windowtext; font-family: "Garamond Premr Pro","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">"I'm reaching out to a few choice profiles before I
launch a full search...</span></em><span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; word-spacing: 0px;">"</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In other words, lying is a
fully acceptable practice and there is no shame in it whatsoever – it is proudly
placed at the core of this post. Although perhaps the author is being honest
here and he spams a few “choice” profiles before embarking on a real search.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<strong><span style="background: white; border: 1pt windowtext; font-family: "Garamond Premr Pro","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Tip #4: The Content</span></strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ironically,
not much attention is given to the actual content of your spam email. Advice here
is to leave some “mystery” and to let your prospect do their own clicking to
look at your company and gather additional info. No need to introduce yourself
either – let them do their own clicking to find out!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<strong><span style="background: white; border: 1pt windowtext; font-family: "Garamond Premr Pro","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Tip #5: The Close</span></strong></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<i><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">“</span><span style="background: white;">Be bold! One line I use is "</span></span></i><em style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; outline: 0px; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background: white; border: 1pt windowtext; font-family: "Garamond Premr Pro","serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Keeping in mind that most successful people find opportunity
not when they're looking but when it knocks, how's my timing?” </span></em><em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt windowtext; font-family: "Garamond Premr Pro","serif"; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Enough
said.</span></em></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt windowtext; font-family: "Garamond Premr Pro","serif"; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">Recruiters, the time has come to put an end
to cheesy one liners, dishonest claims about selective searches and allusions
of exclusivity. Your prospective candidates can see through it and end up
associating all recruiters with these unattractive practices. </span></em></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<em><span style="background: white; border: 1pt windowtext; font-family: "Garamond Premr Pro","serif"; font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: major-bidi; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">There is no magic email and no magic phone script
for you to use. Work on developing your own style and put honesty and
transparency at the core of it. Professionals you reach out to do not want
mystery and they do not want you to stroke their ego when you actually do not
mean what you say. What they want is for you to take an actual interest in
their professional background and career path, and guess what?.. If you do
that, they just might take an interest in your client’s job offer. </span></em></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-77522969360476473842013-11-19T16:16:00.002-05:002013-11-19T16:16:40.498-05:00
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 1.5pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">“Firing” a Client is painful but inevitable for
your Reputation<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 1.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">And here are some anecdotes from our short, yet seemingly long, company
history to illustrate the point made in the last blog entitled “Pronexia’s 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup>
Year Anniversary and the Key to our Success” (you can find it here: </span></span><a href="http://bit.ly/1gugFWa"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://bit.ly/1gugFWa</span></span></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> ).<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 1.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In our first year of operation, we landed a highly coveted contract that
gave us numerous mandates and would allow for fast growth. As we were patting
ourselves on the back after filling four of their mandates within the first
month, we received a call from a placed candidate. She had been fired earlier
that morning and it was done in a truly humiliating manner. We quickly found out
that it was a common way the director of the department disposed of her
staff.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This company hired quickly and
fired even quicker. When choosing between easy financial gain and Pronexia’s future
reputation, we chose the latter and parted ways with this company. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 1.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A few months ago, we visited a prospective client whose office was in an
almost shocking disarray. Employees were sitting so close to each other that
their elbows were practically touching. To make the situation worse, the
company president shared with us his views on employees being greedy and
overpaid in the job market. Needless to say, we politely disengaged from the
prospective partnership even though he was ready to sign the agreement.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 1.5pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Another client meeting that stood out was a memorable experience shared by
two of our consultants. During an almost 3-hour marathon meeting with a
prospective customer, they were both offered jobs, found out that the hiring
manager does not mind hiring candidate with drinking problems but would not
stand gamblers, listened to a long rant about the vices of all 3<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">rd</span></sup>
party recruitment firms but got a signed contract. They walked out exhausted
but relieved that they did not have to collaborate with this company ever
again. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Firing an
account or disengaging from a potential partnership is never easy. Yet, the
benefit is the luxury of enjoying your work by partnering up with companies
that align with your beliefs and allow you to build your reputation in full
accordance with your vision. Fortunately, leaders who believe in building a
strong employer brand with commitment to employee engagement and internal appreciation
far supercede the few that don’t. And as suppliers, if we all commit to only
servicing the companies built on values of honesty and integrity, the job
market will become a better place for all. </span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-55623746797231137642013-11-07T12:47:00.002-05:002013-11-07T12:47:44.580-05:00Pronexia’s 3rd year anniversary and the key to our success!
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pronexia has recently celebrated its 3rd year
anniversary. The date was a significant milestone considering the less than
impressive statistics of our booming industry. According to numerous studies,
50% of recruitment start ups in North America do not survive their one year
anniversary and 80% do not make it to the two year mark. Celebrating our
anniversary with newly hired consultants in our newly expanded office space was
certainly rewarding.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our success can be attributed to a variety of factors, at
the core of which were the corporate values selected by our two founding
partners in 2010. These values are:</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">- Fit comes first</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">- Exceptional client & candidate experience</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">- Integrity & transparency at every level</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We differentiate ourselves by applying these to every
step of the recruitment cycle, from initial client and candidate engagement
through to the after-sale process. Utilizing these for our Internal Branding is
seamless, yet the challenge arises when we partner up with clients whose values
are strikingly different.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Early on we realized that our clients had an immediate
impact on Pronexia’s reputation. For that reason, we are increasingly cautious
about the clients we partner up with and the candidates we represent. Our
commitment to each client is to treat them as though they are the only account
we have and to provide our unwavering attention and impeccable service. We have
parted ways with a number of companies in Montreal simply because their
internal culture did not align with ours and would prevent us from excelling in
the service we provide to both parties. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here are some of the criteria we use when signing on a
new account:</span></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Work environment</strong>. We visit every single potential client
before starting a search. We get infused with energy and inspiration when
visiting a company whose decision makers make a clear commitment to creating a
comfortable and appealing work space. </span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Inspiring leadership</strong>. In addition to visiting every
client, we ensure that we meet the actual hiring manager – the person to whom
our candidate would report if hired. We put ourselves in our candidates’ shoes
and envision what it would feel like to work for the person in front of us.
This makes the decision for a potential partnership fairly easy to make.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Fair market compensation</strong>. Our client roster includes many
small businesses and even start ups. They sometimes find it difficult to
compete with salaries offered by international conglomerates. That being said,
companies committed to a strong Employer Brand offer an array of perks and
other intangible benefits to compensate. If a prospective client offers a
salary that is lower than the going market rate, yet is flexible with work
hours, offers telecommuting arrangements, company shares or any other similar
things, it makes them an attractive employer. </span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong>Ability to make a decision</strong>. Statistically our clients
hire 1 out of 3 candidates they interview through Pronexia, which an unusually
impressive success rate in our industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The reason for this success is our thorough and meticulous recruitment
process. We are even more selective than most of our clients and commit to only
presenting the top talent that can be found on the market. As part of our
commitment to the candidates to provide them with quick feedback and to be a
true partner in their search, we simply cannot work with clients who require
dozens of resumes and interviews just to fill an internal quota. </span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To summarize, our success can be attributed to a variety
of factors: a strong internal brand, commitment to presenting our clients only
with the strongest candidates on the market, corporate values at the core of
everything we do and … perhaps most importantly – our ability to fire a client
who does not align with all of the above.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><em>Stay tuned</em></strong> for the next blog post where we will share
anecdotes about some of our client experiences that led us to disengage from
current or potential partnerships! <strong><em>Share below</em> </strong>– do you take on each and every client
you can? If not, what are your criteria when deciding to disengage? </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-41696912653547660832013-11-04T13:18:00.000-05:002013-11-04T13:18:21.385-05:00Is your CV helping your job search?<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As a job
seeker, your CV is almost always going to be the first impression you make to
any prospective employer. And you surely know, you never get a second chance to
make a good first impression - so it's essential that your CV represents you in
the best possible light.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">As
professional recruiters, we're pickier than most - we screen hundreds of CV's a
day in order to ensure our clients only meet with the very best candidates for
their open positions. Unfortunately, so many times we're forced to discard a
potential candidate for their CV alone; if our client is looking for a
candidate with good attention to detail (and trust me, almost all employers
look for this skill) we're not going to suggest they hire a candidate whose CV
was full of errors.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The same
goes for cover letters. I'll let you in on a secret; I almost always go
straight to the CV first. If your CV is great, I won't even need to look at the
cover letter before calling you - you've already won me over. If you're applying
for a role where writing skills are essential, a good cover letter can make you
really stand out from the pack - but a bad, poorly written one can almost undo
your chances. If you don't have the time to tailor your cover letter and ensure
it's impeccable, don't include it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Not sure if
your CV is helping your job search? Here's a handy checklist to make sure you
impress us:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><strong>Format and
Length</strong>: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Your CV
should be anywhere from 1-4 pages in length; 2 pages is best, 1 page is perfect
for recent graduates/entry level, and 4 pages should be reserved for more
senior candidates. If this is proving tricky, look over your formatting: make
columns and bullet points your friend.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><strong>Contact
Information</strong>:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">This should
always be easily found at the top of your CV. Include your first and last name,
phone number, email and physical address. No need to over share: we don't need
to know how old you are, your marital status, or how many pets you have.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><strong>Previous
Employment</strong>:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">We are not
fans of the skills-based resume - please list your previous employment in
chronological order. When it's not in order, we're either going to have to ask
you to re-do your CV, or (and this happens VERY rarely), kindly re-do it for
you ourselves. Always start from your most recent employment and go backwards -
if you do it in reverse, it's confusing and at first glance it looks like you
haven't worked since the end date of your first job.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><strong>References</strong>:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Include this
information if you have space to spare, but it really isn't necessary: we will
always ask you if we need this information. A written reference letter included
in your application can give entry-level candidates an edge, but otherwise,
this isn't needed either.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Sometimes
I'll have candidates act surprised when we ask for references. If you are in
final stages of the interview process with one of our clients, you will need to
provide two professional references, no exceptions. These references will need
to be colleagues you have reported to previously. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><strong>Spell Check</strong>:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">There is no
excuse for typos in your CV. None at all. Double check, triple check your CV
and then have someone else look over it. A fresh pair of eyes will pick up
mistakes much more easily than you - especially if you've been writing it in
the middle of the night, in a hurry.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><strong>Please do
not</strong>:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Highlight
random aspects of your CV. I frequently receive applications where some parts
of sentences are highlighted in yellow. Unless you're highlighting information
that shows you meet the job requirements, please don't do this. It creates
unnecessary mystery. No need to include track changes either. And no need to
use coloured paper - white is perfectly fine, thank you.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Use
CAPSLOCK. WRITING IN UPPERCASE GIVES THE IMPRESSION THAT YOU ARE VERY
AGGRESSIVE OR ANGRY. IT'S AS IF YOU'RE SHOUTING AT US. We don't want to be
yelled at, so please stick to lower case.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Lie on your
CV. We interview all candidates thoroughly. For some clients we also do testing
- technical tests, grammar tests, etc. We also perform background checks and we
always perform reference checks. Lying on your CV is a waste of your time and
ours. If you haven't used a certain technology is over 5 years and wouldn't
feel comfortable using it again - leave it off the CV.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">It's always
such a thrill to receive applications from great candidates. When we see a CV
that really stands out, we will always hold on to your information and give you
a call, even if we don't have a suitable position for you right now. Following
our advice will help you improve your first impression. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Want to hear
from us? Send us your CV!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-20443980436582098732013-10-11T10:42:00.000-04:002013-10-11T10:42:50.944-04:00Hiring Managers – The Importance of Booking an Interview<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">There is no
doubt about it, these days we are all extremely busy with our day-to-day
grind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things come up, presentations are
due and invoices need to be sent out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But when you decide that it is time to make a new hire, you need to be
sure that you can set aside a specific amount of time to meet candidates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once you have begun the process, there are a
number of reasons why it is so important to conduct an interview sooner rather
than later.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">If too much time passes, we all look
bad.</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Depending on where you are at with the
process, candidates might already know your company name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if you are Google, the longer they have
to wait, the sooner they will start thinking that you are not interested in
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">It would be a shame to lose an all-star candidate because they took
another opportunity!</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They also might
loose faith in the recruiter that has presented their profile and will question
whether the position that they were headhunted for even exists.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">They are active in their search.</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When a candidate decides to make the next
move in their career, they will often explore multiple options.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even candidates that were specifically
headhunted for a role (and might not be looking) will begin to explore other
options - especially if the recruiter has sparked the “new opportunity” bug in
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some candidates might have other
potential offers and will consider them even if your company is at the top of
their list (people will often make the mistake of settling for the next best
thing).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">We lose the “buzz factor".</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The longer the process takes, the sooner the
excitement will fizzle out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
recruiters, it is part of our job to make sure candidates are well informed,
interested and excited about the opportunities we have for them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is even more important when it comes to
headhunting since the candidate probably wasn’t thinking about making a move
until they were presented with a specific opportunity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">In the end,
the process of bringing on the right talent consists of each side playing a
crucial part.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the recruiter, it’s
presenting a hiring manager with candidates that meet and even supersede all
expectations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the hiring manager,
it’s about meeting those individual as soon as possible to show that not only
are you interested, but you recognize that the candidate’s time is equally as
precious. <o:p></o:p></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-77528141076145873022013-10-07T11:05:00.002-04:002013-10-11T10:43:44.133-04:00The Follow Up: Making Yourself Memorable<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span></span></b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">
If you are wondering whether or not to follow up with your recruiter after your
interview, the answer is yes! It's important to maintain contact if you are
truly serious about the position you interviewed for. But there's more to know,
so now let's discuss why and how to follow up with your recruiter.<br />
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Why?</i> I learned my first week in the
recruitment industry that this is a intense work environment. There is a lot of
effort that goes into finding the right individual for a position, and
everything we do is treated with urgency. I would tell you that "the
interview is only beginning", but in reality, by the time you find
yourself sitting across the table from the recruiter, they may have already
been working on this position for several days, weeks, or even months!<br />
<br />
What does this mean for you? Last week we talked about </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #e36c0a; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="http://pronexia.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-ideal-candidate-making-yourself.html?spref=tw" target="_blank">being memorable</a></span></span></b><span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> by asking your recruiter good
questions. The follow up is just as important. This is your chance to keep that
memory alive and elongate the impression you made during your interview. It
shows an extra level of seriousness, and it's also a kind and professional
gesture appreciated by recruiters (at least the ones I work with). You can be sure
that this gesture is taken into account when trying to find the right candidate
for a position.<br />
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">How?</i> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This requires a bit of finesse on your part.
Remember, recruitment firms are constantly on overload. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The best, most convenient way to follow up with your recruiter is to
send an email</b>. Your email should be short, polite, and memorable. You can
organize just what you want to write, and you can guarantee that your recruiter
will see it, whereas if you call the recruiter might be in a meeting or
juggling various other activities. If you are truly interested in the position,
indicate a specific detail of the job description discussed during your
interview the day before.<br />
<br />
You can do as much harm as you can do good. It's important to make sure that
there are no typos or errors. Even more importantly, keep in mind that your
purpose is to be memorable, not to find out if you are getting the job. If you contact
your recruiter less than 24 hours after your interview with your recruiter to
find out if you are going to have an interview with our client, it is not
likely that we will have any news. If you try to contact the recruiter several
times in the days following your interview, you risk seeming less than
professional and a bit too eager.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-family: Tahoma; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The follow up is an important step in
your job hunt, but it is both easy to overlook and easy to make the wrong
impression. It's important to know the purpose of a follow up and the guidelines
about correctly executing a follow up that leaves a lasting, positive impact.</span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-44661388734515120142013-09-30T14:44:00.000-04:002013-09-30T14:44:59.721-04:00The Ideal Candidate: Making Yourself Memorable <span style="font-family: Calibri;">Being prepared for an interview is, without a doubt,
imperative to successfully finding employment. The more prepared you are, the
easier it is to navigate through what can be a stressful undertaking.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you have ever looked up interview prep material you
will notice that a key component to a successful meeting is to ask the employer
good and relevant questions about the position as well as the company as a
whole. Employers appreciate that the candidate is noticeably showing a keen
interest in the position and take their career seriously.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I have also noticed as a recruiter in a headhunting firm that
a majority of the candidates will not ask me those same questions. The most
common question asked is the company name. This is a missed opportunity for job
seekers! The company name is a basic question, and much more information could
be found out by asking the recruiter a small handful of intelligent questions.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I realized this recently when I interviewed a junior
candidate and was pleasantly surprised by her line of questioning. She asked me
about company structure, culture, who she would be reporting to, first year
expectations in the role among other questions. Her curiosity and the quality
of her questions left a lasting impression, which should be your goal when
interviewing. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was more than happy to answer her questions and left
the interview feeling that perhaps she was too inexperienced for the position
we discussed, but would be someone I would definitely market to other clients
for better suited opportunities.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Being engaged also allows us to know more about your
personality and level of interest in the position. We put great emphasis on
culture fit and can determine what kind of work environment you would be best
suited for.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The impression you leave on an agency recruiter should
not be underestimated. Recruiters appreciate well-rounded, engaging candidates
and will be able to present them to clients with more confidence and in greater
detail. Find out more about <a href="http://pronexia.blogspot.ca/2013/08/interviewing-bring-your-own-questions.html?spref=tw" target="_blank"><span style="color: orange;"><strong>bringing your own questions to the table</strong></span></a>, and make
yourself memorable at your next interview!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-85277326457924054682013-09-17T09:54:00.000-04:002013-09-17T09:54:54.134-04:00Out with the Old, In with the New
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">No matter what the issue, it is always a
fascinating conversation when comparing relevant, present day topics to prior
generations. That can be said for any subject from sports to politics to global
affairs, and in this specific overview, to recruitment. For both the recruiter and
the job seeker, the same basic mentality is used when conducting their respected
searches compared to 30 years ago. The process and approach is one that must be
proactive, persistent and hardworking, but the actual methodology behind the
process, has clearly evolved. The biggest change within recruitment and job
seeking, are the tools used in searching for prospective candidates and
employment opportunities.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Old
School vs. New School<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Within recruitment, and the same can be
said for sales, the old school generation started with using a very basic, but
hardworking method: the phone book, a phone and a desk. Eventually, those tools
are expanded to a rolodex, a fax machine, a calendar and posts in a news paper.
Thirty years ago, job seekers relied heavily on employment opportunities being
posted in various forms of printed ads. Today, the concept of job posting
hasn’t changed, but the medium has…</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fast forward to 2013, and the tools
available to each party have come light years from where they used to be. With
the global community being linked by the wondrous and ever growing Internet,
new methods of seeking employment seems to expand on a yearly basis, and it
only appears to be getting faster. At this point, the key is to just keep up!
What print media did for recruitment 30 years ago, online job boards does for
this generation’s job seeking community. Clearly the presence of social media
has created a new medium for recruiters to find candidates, and for job seekers
to find the next best employment opportunity. This online resource is
essentially where employers and job seekers begin their first interactions with
one another.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What’s
stayed the same?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Though many of the resources in the job
seeking community have changed, there are aspects which have stood the test of
time… for now. It is safe to say that e-mail has become a mainstay as a primary
method of communication, not only in the corporate world but even for friends
& family maintaining relationships across different cities, countries and
continents. However, there is a personal touch that is lost in digital
communication. This is something that cannot replace picking up a phone and
having a one on one conversation. Not only can you convey your intentions with
more detail, but you can give a better sense into your personality and
character. </span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Networking! Whether it is online or offline,
social or professional, use your network to your advantage. This is a concept
in the job hunt that has never changed. One of the most powerful tools at your
disposal is networking, and the goal of expanding your network. Meeting with a
recruiter (especially at Pronexia!) is a great way to broaden you network.
Though the perfect opportunity may not be available immediately, who’s to say
that one might not be available in the near future? This can be a vital
resource which a recruiter can provide a job seeker. Again, it is essential for
job seekers to maintain momentum, stay motivated and remain persistent in your
goal of finding your ideal job.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Bringing
in the New<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When looking at new school techniques,
Pronexia is driven to be at the forefront of the newest, leading edge
techniques to provide candidates with their ideal jobs. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The idea is to utilize these new school
methodologies such as social networking, and add a personal touch of getting to
know the candidates and discover exactly what they’re seeking. Finding the
perfect fit for both candidate and client is absolutely necessary, and this way
of thinking can get lost in the old school mentality. We want to bring in the
new, and for you to be a part of it!</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-71715704179042111232013-09-13T13:18:00.000-04:002013-09-13T13:18:13.296-04:00Dealing with pre-interview nerves?
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So, you've written what seems to be millions of cover
letters, your CV has been reformatted and re-worked in every way possible, and
you have finally got what you've been waiting for--the phone call from the
hiring company to schedule an interview!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you are like me, your excitement quickly turns to panic.
Suddenly, everything in your wardrobe doesn't seem professional enough for the
appointment, you're worried that you will be asked questions that are too
technical for you to impress the interviewer, or maybe the interview will be in
a language that you struggle with.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nearly everyone gets nervous to some degree before an
interview. Some of us are on the job hunt for the first time, others for the
first time in years, and some of us simply feel <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a lot of pressure when sitting across the
table from the interviewer. Whatever your situation, there are many ways to
deal with pre-interview jitters.</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Prepare</i>:
Before your appointment, go over the job description of the position you will
interview for. What are the key components? What experience and skills do you
have that make you a good contender for the job? What is not included in the
job description that you want to and should know (last month we wrote about <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #e36c0a; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"><a href="http://pronexia.blogspot.com/2013/08/interviewing-bring-your-own-questions.html?spref=tw" target="_blank">bringing your own questions</a></span></b> to the
table)? Do you have any recommendation letters or work reference contact
information that you can have prepared and printed at the time of the
interview? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Prepare
even more</i>: The night before the interview you should know the location of
the interview, how to get there, how long it takes to arrive, what the parking
situation will be like, the clothes you plan to wear, is the hiring company's
phone number saved in your phone in the case of an unforeseen problem making
you late? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Yes, you should absolutely call
if you will be late</i>.</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Consider
your personal comfort: </i>Some seasoned interviewees advise to dress
appropriately for the interview, avoiding uncomfortable clothes and shoes. The
Undercover Recruiter suggests that you listen to inspiring or relaxing <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #e36c0a; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"><a href="http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/nervous-wreck-5-ways-shake-your-job-interview-anxiety/" target="_blank">music</a></span></b> before your interview. Some have
an on-call friend whom they can call in stressful moments like an interview and
who always has the right, encouraging thing to say. It's also suggested to sit
or stand using a <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #e36c0a; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"><a href="http://www.learnvest.com/2012/06/the-2-minute-secret-to-acing-that-interview/" target="_blank">posture</a></span></b> that
helps build confidence and self-assuredness. You can also be honest with the
interviewer, explaining that you are nervous about the interview. </span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you struggle with anxiety, the best remedy is preventing mistakes,
mishaps and uncertainty through rigorous preparation--leave nothing to chance! If
you still can't help feeling nervous, find what works for you to feel
comfortable, confident, and relaxed. This is a necessary step in the process of
making your next career move, so take advantage of the opportunity to make as
good of an impression as possible, to find out the maximum amount of
information about the hiring company and position, and to learn through
experience for future interviews you may have.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-43751447137296719492013-09-05T13:21:00.001-04:002013-09-05T13:33:16.999-04:00A Fresh Start<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Here at Pronexia, we like to post on our blog regularly--at
the very least once or twice per week--but you may have noticed that you
haven't heard from us in more than two weeks. The reason for this short hiatus is
that we have undergone a major office expansion project. We're very happy with
the added space, the new office layout, and, of course, our signature "Pronexia
orange" paint (pictures can be found on our <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #e36c0a; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"><a href="https://twitter.com/get_jobLinked" target="_blank"><span style="color: orange;">twitter</span></a></span></b>
page). But we have found another benefit to this project, more important than
our stylish, new furniture:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The opportunity to re-examine our business with a fresh
perspective!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We have channeled our excitement for this expansion into
excitement for the company's short and long term future. We have reassessed
such things as organization, internal relations, and day-to-day tasks on every
level. We've set higher goals, created more efficient processes to attaining
such goals, and intensified our attention to detail. We are already seeing some
positive results, and expect to continue to reap the benefits of our re-vamped
efforts.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Now, what about you? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have you found yourself fruitlessly applying to jobs all summer
long, becoming more and more frustrated with your job search? The good news is
that most people have returned from their summer vacations, including hiring managers.
While summer hiring tends to advance slowly, September is when the hiring
process seems to revive itself. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To press the reset button on your efforts, consider why you
have not yet successfully found a new job--does your CV look professional? Are
you sending brief, yet tailored cover letters to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">each</i> employer? Are you calling too aggressively, turning off the
hiring company's interest, or are you not following up on any of your sent CVs?
Are you applying to the right jobs...are you networking and connecting with
professionals in your field? You get the idea. After considering these things,
create a new plan of attack, consulting others for new tips and ideas that your
earlier attempts may have been lacking.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Whether you have been trying all summer long to find a new
job or you have taken some time off from the job search, the summer lull is
over and you have an opportunity for a fresh coat of paint. Take the time to
re-evaluate you current employment situation, re-assess your goals, and create
the path you need to take in order to become the professional self that you
wish to be. If you are in need of further inspiration, take a look at our <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #e36c0a; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;"><a href="https://twitter.com/get_jobLinked" target="_blank"><span style="color: orange;">expansion project photos on twitter</span></a></span></b>, as
well as current job openings and job hunt advice!</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306557894574190153.post-91836373260833531572013-08-19T12:13:00.001-04:002013-08-19T12:14:41.221-04:00Do you know what you're looking for?<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">"Why are you looking for a job?" and "What
are you looking for?" are two of the most basic questions a recruiter can
ask, yet often they can be the most enlightening. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As recruiters, we speak with many job seekers during the
course of the day, and you'd be surprised at how quickly these two simple
questions can leave candidates stumped.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When an already-employed candidate applies for a job, it is
important for us to know the reason they are looking to leave their current
employment. The same goes for candidates who we have headhunted; frequently
we'll get the response "I'm not looking, but I'm always open to hearing
about new opportunities." </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Believe it or not, this isn't the response we want to
hear. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you're currently employed, you should have a clear reason
for why you're seeking something different. If you're always open to new
opportunities, it's concerning. Is there nothing an employer can do to
keep you loyal? </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Quality candidates will have clear, valid reasons for why
they are looking for new employment. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Usually, they'll have already spoken with their current
employer about potential changes to their current role, possible career
advancement within the company, and other issues that have left them
considering greener pastures. When we ask them the question "why are you
looking for a job?", they're able to quickly list a number of valid reasons
that show they are serious in their job search and haven't made the decision
lightly.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Compared with candidates who can't give a reason other than
that "they're curious" or "always open to new
opportunities" or "want more vacation days", it isn't difficult
to identify which candidate is worth our time. We're interested in speaking
with candidates who have carefully considered their current situation and have
really thought about what their next career step should look like. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Which leads into the next question: "What are you
looking for?"</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It's always a great pleasure to speak with candidates who
know exactly what they're looking for, or at least, can provide us with a clear
picture of what they would consider to be a real step-up from their current
employment. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Not surprisingly, candidates who struggled with answering
"why are you looking?", also struggle with "what are you
looking for?" and typically, what they're looking for is not related to
the job and role itself, but rather the compensation package.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Candidates who are looking for "anything" also
leave us less than inspired.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As a recruiter, <strong>our job is most rewarding when we can place
candidates in roles that meet their career aspirations</strong>, that provide them with
real opportunities for advancement, with interesting challenges and exciting
projects that we know they'll excel at. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We're not in the business of finding candidates a
$5,000 raise. Certainly not when there's a good chance that, 3 months
later, they leave that opportunity for another.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Looking for a job? We look forward to helping you find that
next opportunity - but help us help you by knowing what that opportunity should
look like.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0