The Recruiting Blog | People First Recruiting

This blog was written by Barbara Nordal, Annette Kohut & Pamela Habing - Talent Sourcers of People First HR's Talent Discovery Group.

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Every morning we walk into our office, sit down at our computer, take a look at our recruitment projects and off to the races we go.

We are Talent Sourcers and we partner with our Recruiters to ensure we are finding the best candidates for our clients.

But what is a Talent Sourcer you ask?

There is no one definition for what a Talent Sourcer is.  It varies from one company to another.  Even the titles can vary – what might be a Talent Sourcer at one company is a Talent Acquisition Specialist at another. What is the one constant? We all seek out and find candidates for our clients.

Our days consist of putting our heads down and finding the best talent the market has to offer.  We use every tool at our disposal including the internet, social media, online communities, associations, our own networks as well as those of our colleagues, and of course, the phone.  We conduct market and industry research to learn about positions, industries, companies and their people.  We ask ourselves “where would these candidates be?” and always do our best to put ourselves in their shoes.  The search is on and there is no challenge we aren’t willing to face.

As Talent Sourcers, we are often a candidate’s first point of contact, the person who ignites their curiosity and intrigues them about the possibilities out there for them.

Talent Sourcing is more than just name generation; to us it’s an art.  This art combines logic, problem solving and creativity.  The end result is the ideal pairing of employer and employee.  We love our jobs as a Talent Sourcers as it allows us to mix our passion for technology, research and our desire to help other people.  Helping others is what really motivates us around here.  

Talent Sourcing seems to be new and therefore a mystery within many industries.  In Winnipeg it is a fairly new term and an even newer career path.  The Talent Sourcing function combines research, technology, analysis, customer service and networking.  It takes a mix of commitment, problem solving and determination to develop a unique approach on where to find candidates. Every day is a learning experience for us.  

So what does a day in the life of a Talent Sourcer look like at People First?

• Every new project starts with identifying key information. It begins with a meeting between the Recruiter and Talent Sourcer who partner on recruitment searches. This meeting allows us to gather all the key information that we need to conduct our portion of search.
• The next step is to research, research and then do more research. Like any new project you do not jump right into the work. Take the time to learn about the role and the company. What is the current industry? Who are the other companies that have these qualified candidates and where would these qualified candidates be?
• Once the first two steps are completed then the fun begins. This involves developing a sourcing strategy and an advertising strategy. It is the point where we create our list of keywords, contact scripts and assessment questions.
• Now time to find the talent!

Talent Sourcing is so much more than finding that one candidate who can do the job.  It’s about finding that perfect candidate for that one job with the right company.  We love what we do because we get to work on a daily basis with people – our team, candidates, clients and the world of people is a fascinating one indeed.

You know what else we love?  That our team is growing and we are always looking for new Talent Sourcers.  You, or someone you know may be a Talent Sourcer and didn’t even know it!  

Have you ever wondered exactly what's in a recruitment fee? Download our latest whitepaper which demystifies recruitment fees and provides an overview of what you can expect with each type of fee.

This whitepaper explores the different fee structures including Contingent, Exclusive Contingent, Engagement Fees and Retained Searches and the pros and cons of each.

Click on the button below to download.
 

Attracting talent to meet today’s business needs is one of the top challenges organizations face.  So to help you get started in facing this challenge, here are a few helpful tips from Theresa Bolton, our Sales & Marketing Recruiter.  By keeping these best practices in mind, your business will be well on its way in attracting high quality individuals to meet your needs.

CANDIDATE ATTRACTION AND RECRUITMENT TIPS

By Theresa Bolton

1. Make sure you have an accurate and compelling job description. Clear and concise job descriptions can both attract candidates that are suitable for the job while simultaneously weeding out candidates who aren’t suitable.  Do you have a well written job description?  Is it compelling?  Can someone reading it easily see themselves in that role?  Get others to review it and get their opinion on the impact.
2. Develop a plan on how you are going to recruit. What’s your process for identifying a hiring need to then hiring the best employee possible?  How are you going to get the word out that your organization is hiring?  Through word of mouth, advertising (free or paid), using a career portal on your website, or hiring a Recruiter? 
3. Respect your candidates.  Every candidate is connected and even if they are not the right candidate for this job, they have a network that may contain candidates suitable for your organization. Treat the candidate with respect, no different than how you would treat a customer.  Word of mouth is a powerful tool and people won't hesitate in sharing their experiences with your organization should someone ask.
4. Limit the number of interviews. You will know after the first interview whether or not this candidate has the skills, qualifications, and potentially the work ethic and personality required to fit into your organization.  After that first interview, if you need additional information from the candidate schedule a second interview to explore further. If possible, have another person sit in on the interview to provide additional perspective.  Your time is just as important as the candidate you are interviewing, so respect it. 
5. Don’t lose momentum.  The war for talent is real.  If you have a great candidate you are considering for a role, don't wait too long.  Other companies can recognize talent too and your great candidate won’t be on the market for long.  If you don’t “make” the time to respond quickly you risk losing the candidate, leading to an even longer and more costly process.
6. Demonstrate a rich corporate culture.  Be aware that a good candidate will be evaluating your organization as a fit for them, just as much as you are evaluating whether they are right for you. You need to demonstrate why your organization is a great place to work. What sets you apart from the competition? 
7. Ensure the total compensation package is competitive.  A compensation package isn’t just the base salary, it also includes bonuses, employee benefits, vacation and other perks.  Do you know if your compensation is aligned with industry standards?  Do you know how your benefits compare with other organizations?  Candidates consider Employee Benefits to be almost as important as the compensation itself.  Not only does it provide them with piece of mind to having access should they need it, it creates a feeling that their employer truly cares about them and their family.  Set yourself apart from your competitors and differentiate yourself as an employer by offering varied and comprehensive benefits.  Don’t forget about the non-monetary benefits like technology, the opportunity to work from home, and the flexibility to attend personal functions like your children’s activities.

Today's blog post is brought to you by our Information Technology Recruiter, Marny Barnes.

I am sure you have heard the cliché, “War for Talent”. I hate to give wind to that sail but it is true. There is a war for talent and in the growing world of information technology it is made even harder by this digital, web-connected world we live in.

There are LOTS of recruiters out there doing the same thing I am doing day in and day out - directly headhunting potential technologically talented candidates straight off the internet.  I have heard from many of these candidates that they get a number of calls on a daily basis.  What I don’t hear often is that the calls are relevant or anything less than a nuisance.  Not only are they receiving multiple calls weekly and even daily, they are receiving calls that are sometimes not appropriate to what they are currently doing. Too often I hear that the roles are way too junior, too senior and in some cases, not related to their current job description at all! I have been told by these same candidates that they have minimized their online presence to be “harder to find” specifically to reduce the number of calls from recruiters.  So how could I be different?

Four years ago when I first started recruiting for Information Technology, I realized just how important it was to make sure I had a strong online brand and presence.  I knew that I wanted to be the recruiter that my candidates and clients could trust, engage with, relate to and “know” before we have even met.  I was in a meeting with a client that had gone pretty well but it was not outstanding by any means.  At the end of the meeting the client asked if I was the photographer by the same name that he had found online.  I hesitantly confirmed that this was true.  The client smiled and started asking all kinds of technically related questions; what camera did I use, how did I come up with this or that idea.  The conversation went on for about another half hour and at the end I felt we had truly connected – and I left with a new IT search.

The situation with the client above helped me come to the realization that in order to best connect with the IT community, I needed to be where they were.  They are online and so I need to be too.  Why shouldn’t I be giving them the opportunity to get to know me before I need them and more importantly before they need me?  It was very apparent that I needed to focus on building a transparent brand that allowed my network to really understand what I do and to share with them just how excited I am to work with them. One of the most important parts of being a recruiter is getting talented candidates to open up so I can help them find the right job FOR THEM. Building a strong online presence as an IT Recruiter became a priority.  I wanted to offer others the opportunity to learn enough about me, to talk with me, so that when we sat down in an interview, there was already a relationship formed.  I wanted to offer common ground, similar interests and a relaxed open atmosphere.

Thanks to the online community I have been connecting with, my network of IT candidates is thriving.  I love finally meeting clients that I have been conversing with online and I enjoy meeting IT candidates that know as much about me as I know about them.  I am excited to be a part of the way we do business in this ever changing market.  What makes my job incredible is the opportunity to share what I love about technology with these candidates and more importantly to learn as much as I can about what makes them tick!  What are they passionate and excited about?  What about their jobs makes and keeps them happy?  As a recruiter, it is so important to me that both candidates and clients get exactly what they are looking for out of working with me; “The Perfect Fit”!  I love my job and I want to help you love your job too.

This network is also a huge benefit to my clients.  When I advertise a new career opportunity, my network has been integral to helping me spread the word.  Twitter retweets and LinkedIn shares have brought me some of the most amazing clients and candidates I’ve had the pleasure of working with. From Skullspace to the Secret Handshake Society, Twitter to LinkedIn, I have been learning the best places where I can contribute and make connections.  I understand the power of targeted recruiting but I now also understand the power of being visible, of sharing information, of engaging in conversations and the power of digital relationships.

There is no one magic formula to recruiting.  It is a constantly changing recipe of targeted calls, networking and just being present in all the right places; physical or virtual.  And speaking of virtual, feel free to drop me a line on Twitter @MarnyBarnes or LinkedIn.

~ Marny Barnes

It’s funny how time flies when you’re having fun.  It was 5 years ago this August when I accepted my position with People First Recruitment & Executive Search, starting out as an Administrative Assistant in the Executive Search division. I remember waiting on pins and needles for the job offer to come through and how excited I was about joining such a respected and well-known employer. A lot of exciting things have happened over the past five years.  Little did I know then where my path would lead me!

Fast forward five years and today I’m a Talent Sourcer, supporting our Recruitment professionals and our Talent Sourcing & Consulting division.  People First invested in my learning and development and as a result I’m now professionally accredited and part of an elite team of specialized researchers (we call ourselves Talent Sourcers!), the first of its kind here in Winnipeg.  Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined my career choices leading me here – especially because I didn’t know a role like a Talent Sourcer even existed – but here I am today working in the most rewarding career of my life and absolutely loving it.

The best part is that I also get to flex my creative muscles by leading our division’s marketing efforts.  My past training in graphic design and experience with HTML has really come in handy when tasked with designing materials and deploying various marketing campaigns.  I enjoy the change in pace this aspect of my job affords me, as well as the creative control and responsibility I’ve been given. Learning how to navigate the social media landscape with LinkedIn and Twitter (I tweet as the Purple Squirrel) has been a challenging learning curve for me but at the same time it’s been fun learning something new!

Proposal writing is another aspect of my job that is very rewarding to me.  Both my sourcing and marketing hats have given me strong insight into our business, I know our team and our abilities inside and out.  I help write our responses to various RFPs, RFSO’s and other requests for information and nothing can beat the feeling you get when you find out a proposal you’ve worked long and hard on, together with the rest of your team, has been successful.  It’s a huge adrenaline rush.

I would be remiss not to mention the team I am lucky to work with.  Our team is made up of extremely talented and professional individuals who contribute to my job satisfaction in a big way.  It’s the reason why I love my job so much to be honest.  Never before have I been surrounded by mentors of this calibre, people who truly are the best at what they do. We’re like a family and celebrate our successes and challenges, always having a lot of fun along the way.  The opportunities for learning and advancement have been limitless and I’m so thankful for the growth I’ve experienced over the past 5 years.

It’s always been important to me that my employer have a vested interest in the community I live in.  I’m proud to say that People First is 100% committed to giving back and has been a strong supporter of the United Way for over 10 years.  I even had the opportunity to be part of the United Way fundraising committee for the past 3 years. We’ve been involved in numerous other fundraising initiatives that matter to me too, things like the Christmas Cheer Board and the Dragon Boat Races.  It feels good to work for an employer who really does care about giving back.

5 years ago I didn’t know what lay ahead and never could have predicted the phenomenal change and growth our company has gone through. Perhaps the most important piece was joining the People Corporation family. We’re now part of one of the fastest growing companies in Canada – something that really appeals to my entrepreneurial streak!  One of my fondest recent memories which really drove home how much we’ve grown happened during our annual company gathering.  Our CEO asked everyone who had joined the company during the past year to stand up.  I couldn’t believe the numbers – we had almost doubled in size. How exciting is that?!

There is nothing better than working with talented and professional people within a company that is growing at such a dynamic rate.  Thanks for the past 5 years People First, it’s been a memorable and truly remarkable ride. One that I hope continues for another 5 years! 

~written by Pamela Habing, Talent Sourcer and Creative wiz extraordinaire

Recruiting great staff is a very difficult process and there are big steps you must take along the way.  Sometimes you get it right (hopefully most times) and sometimes you get it wrong.  After completing that long walk, and finding that perfect person, you want to take a big sigh of relief and hope that you made the right decision.  Years later they are still with your organization and the right hire was made - you retained them, they are so very successful and they love their job.

It’s a great day at People First Recruitment and Executive Search.  We have added a new member to our growing team and we are celebrating a milestone for another.

Today marks the 5 year anniversary for Marny Barnes our IT Recruitment Practice Leader.  Congratulations Marny and thank you for all of your hard work and dedication.  You are a gem, a true team player and a fabulous contributor to People First HR.

We are also celebrating our new team member Linda Chammartin, who now leads our Accounting & Finance Recruitment Practice. 

A great start to 2013!

Marny Barnes                              Linda Chammartin

IT Recruitment                            Accounting & Finance Recruitment

A colleague of mine tweeted this article yesterday: “Recruiters: Your Days are Numbered” and when I read it my first inclination was to re-tweet it.  The only problem was that I was limited by the number of characters and I wouldn’t be able to clearly express how I felt about this article concerning the “future of Recruiters.”

I know why she tweeted it.  She was equally disturbed by the fact that a blog could be written about a career she so passionately and firmly believes in and that the success of an entire profession which is built around people (and the relationships you develop with these people) can be thought to be replaced by technology.

So often you read, regardless of the position or industry, that eventually a company or a function will no longer be relevant because technology will replace it.  Don’t get me wrong; we here at People First Recruiting completely support and embrace technology – in fact I love it and would like to have more of it.  What was shocking to me about this article is how recruiting can be boiled down to “3 critical ingredients” - sourcing, screening and verifying.

Boy, if only it were that simple. 

Any recruiter, one paid by a company like us here at People First Recruiting or one who works internally for a company, knows that recruiting is just not that simple – an industry focused on people never is. 

What’s interesting about this article is that it refers to technologies that only cover a small piece of the world of recruiting.  Recruiting isn’t just about finding 'key words' that match a job profile – it is about finding the right person for the role.  Sure, technology can run 24/7 - sweeping LinkedIn and/or the online world to hone in on the right keywords – but can technology then call that person up? Talk to them? Get a sense of whether or not they are truly happy doing what they are doing?   Analyze the actual fit between employer and employee, culture and personality?  Needs versus desires?

While we do embrace technology and look at technology as a partner in our business to help round out our skills, we still ensure we invest in our people.  An example is adding and training people to join our Talent Discovery Group; individuals who everyday utilize research techniques, social channels, and networks.  They turn to their existing relationships to reach out and engage with potential candidates to inform them of some of the incredible opportunities we have with Canadian businesses. 

When our clients come to us they need 3 things:

• find me the best candidate
• within a reasonable amount of time
• for a fair fee

Never do they ask what specific technological tools we used to find that person.  Instead they ask us how we will go about our search.  Where will we focus?  Have we filled a position like this before?  Do we understand the role we are filling on their behalf?  Once they are satisfied we then use a proven methodology and approach to finding them candidates.  The next questions our clients ask us are: What is our screening process?  Do we know how to interview for these roles?  How do we assess candidates?  And so on.

The point I am trying to make is that leaders of companies are not looking for a person to just fill a role, they want the whole package.  They want to partner with experts who use the best processes to find the right candidates; experts with the strongest experience and knowledge to assess the fit and qualifications of candidates.  Companies want to be assured that the person we find for them will be that right fit so that they can retain that individual and remain free to focus on their business.

If you are a Recruiter right now and you believe your job is to simply source, screen and verify then you are missing out on what is the most fulfilling and rewarding part of your job as a Recruiter.  We have the privilege of meeting new people who are making important career decisions every day.  We get to learn about great companies and meet great leaders and then we get to bring the two of them together in what is hopefully a perfect match.  That cohesion is what gets us excited around here.

In an industry that is all about people, technology can never be, and will never be an aspect that will replace the human touch.

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If you haven't figured it out, I am pretty passionate about recruiting, as is the team that I work with.  Because we love what we do and because we are growing - we are looking for more Recruiters to join our team here in Winnipeg.  Never considered recruiting before?  Take a look at our 10 Reasons You May be a Recruiter...and not even know it.  If you identify with these 10 reasons...drop us a line.

~Karin Pooley

I am still very surprised to come across people tasked with hiring and recruiting who have not caught on to how beneficial the social media world is to recruit talent from and to promote a company brand through.  We have been using LinkedIn for the last 6 years and have been more active in other social media platforms for about a year and a half now and I can comfortably say we are realizing our return on investment.

This next comment will come as no surprise to many of the companies that I have had the opportunity to work with – traditional recruitment methods no longer work.  On their own. 

Yes, paper advertising still has its place, as do online job boards, but if you are not using tools liked LinkedIn then you are missing out on a very affordable and highly effective method of social recruitment.

How do I define social recruitment?  It is many things.  It’s candidate attraction, it’s brand awareness and it’s listening.  Social recruiting isn’t just about reaching out to candidates and recruiting them.  It’s where you can literally spend about an hour a day promoting why your organization is a great place to work or to promote the new job opportunities you have.  The reality is social recruiting takes patience and effort and is not an immediate result type investment.  It takes time to build awareness in the online social world but eventually you will start to see more people visiting your web or career site, or reaching out to you and asking questions.

Another fabulous tool in our social recruiting arsenal, (of which there really is an art to) is the position job profiles – the ones you write up and publish to the world.  When we create a job profile for our clients, we tell them that this is our attraction tool.  It is the marketing piece we use to excite candidates about that amazing career opportunity. It’s not enough to get them to stop for just a second to click open that document and read it.  They need to understand what’s in it for them, they need to get excited about the role and so if you can get as clear and creative as possible in your job profiles, then you will have a better chance at attracting the right type of candidates. 

The job profile serves another purpose though. Think of how you may go about purchasing a new appliance or finding that four star hotel for your next vacation.  Many of us will go right to the internet and enter a string of words, perhaps like this:  ’I want a four star hotel in Barbados’.  What comes up?  A set of fine tuned results.  Now translate that to a candidate searching for a new job.  They will do the same thing when it comes to job hunting online. ’HR Manager jobs in Winnipeg’ might be the words they use.  The more relevant keywords you have in your job profile and the more places online that you have it posted, the more likely that profile will show up in their search results.  A well written job profile is absolutely essential to a well executed recruitment.  Again, it isn’t enough to post a job to a job board with a paragraph that simply says, ‘Looking for a new HR Manager’ and then follow it up with terminology that is only specific to your business.  If someone isn’t familiar with your business, they certainly won’t be familiar with your terminology.  Think about the candidate and put yourself in their shoes.

Social Recruiting is more than just using social media to find candidates, it is about showing why a candidate should work for you in the first place.  Why you are different.  I am not claiming for a second that social media in itself is the end all and be all of recruiting nor have we, ourselves mastered the techniques of recruiting or the art of job profiles.  It is a learning process every moment.  But a couple years ago, after much consideration and discussion, we took the leap into putting our time into social media and thought it was either going to be successful or not.  The results are paying off. 

Now I will finish with some shameless self promotion. On October 23rd and 24th we will be at Connect 2012, The Degree of Difference conference held by the Human Resource Management Association of Manitoba (HRMAM).  It is a two day conference where we have been invited to discuss and share with the members and guests our experience with social recruiting; the ups, the downs and the how to’s.  If you are going to be attending, we would love to share more with you so stop by The Social Recruiting Lounge (booth 36) in the exhibit hall and let’s talk!

And if you can’t be there then talk to us through Twitter with the hashtag #HRConnect2012.

Last week I was having lunch with a long term client and the topic of recruiter ethics came up.  More specifically it was the "rules" surrounding placement of a candidate and headhunting.  (Headhunting is a recruiting term and is generally defined as proactively contacting candidates who are employed in another company.) 

Not surprisingly this is a subject that comes up frequently.

A few weeks ago I was interviewed by Sheryl Smolkin who had come across our whitepaper on Maximizing Your Recruiter Relationship.  She was writing an article for The Toronto Star about working with recruiters. She asked me a question about soliciting placed employees for future recruitments and was citing examples of how this may occur.  It was her article on working with recruiters which prompted me to write more about this subject.

This is a difficult and sensitive issue so I am going to do my best to provide some clarity to this topic with the following considerations:

• Most Recruitment and Executive Search firms should have a "no solicit” or “hands off" policy. It generally means once a candidate is placed in ABC Company by the recruiter, there will be no further direct solicitation of employees from ABC Company, including the placed candidate. 
• The criteria, so to speak, for becoming a no solicit client will vary greatly from one recruiting firm to the next.  What generally ensures you are on their no solicit list is that you are a company who has paid for their recruitment services.
• The length of time you are a 'no solicit' client is where it starts to get a little grey depending on the recruitment firm.  For example, one year ago you may have hired a full time candidate through a recruiting firm but their no solicit policy may only be for six months in length.  If you haven't used their recruiting services since that placement one year ago, then you may no longer be on their no solicit list.
• If you work with a recruiting firm who does temporary placements on your behalf, their policy may apply to permanent placements only.

What is most important is to understand what a recruiter's no solicit policy actually is. For us it means we will not intentionally pursue employees of our clients for the purpose of engaging them in other employment opportunities.  In terms of placed candidates, same ethical rules and principles apply.  This however does not preclude recruiters from working with potential candidates of their clients completely.  An example is if a candidate that happens to be an employee of Client A solicits a recruiter or applies for a job ad directly. 

This sensitive issue is not only about company policy or industry protocol it is primarily about personal and business ethics to both the company and the candidate. In the end the recruiter knows if they have crossed a line and that the results will be costly; personally or professionally.

My best advice is to get clarity at the beginning of any recruiting partnership.  Ask your recruiter about their no solicit policy and their personal view on solicitation of candidates.

We Recruiters really want to know one thing when it comes to candidates: “Are you the ideal candidate for our client?”  However the answer isn’t a simple yes or no as there are many layers that Recruiters consider.

• Do you have the right skill set and education that is necessary for the role?
• Do you come from a similar industry to that of our client?
• What type of environment are you going to thrive in? (After all, we do want you to succeed!)
• Are you motivated for a new career for the right reasons?  (Hint: money shouldn’t be the first one because it takes more than money to support your success).
• And finally, are you excited about the opportunity?

Why do you need to consider these questions?  Because it will save you and your Recruiter a whole lot of time and energy.  You are the only one who knows yourself well enough to know whether an opportunity is the right one for you.  Is it in an industry you love or always wanted to try and work in?  Is it a role that intrigues you, excites you and captivates you?  Is it with a company that you admire or that you heard has an excellent culture? 

It is one thing to hear us out about the newest Marketing Manager role or that sought after Web Developer position, but it’s an entirely different thing to be honest about whether or not you truly have the skills (and desire) to knock it out of the park.  This is probably the biggest frustration for us Recruiters; candidates applying for a job that doesn’t match their experience or skill set in anyway.  So save you and your Recruiter time - know thyself. 

If you are on the job search and are considering working with a recruiter, download our whitepaper to get some more insight on the recruiter/candidate relationship.