In the spirit of this week’s holiday I wanted to share the top 10 things I am thankful for:

1. My family, who supports me and gives me unconditional love

10. My community – both online and off, provides me with so much support and encouragement

Have a wonderful Holiday!

We had a full week. It started for me on Saturday when I packed up the family and we headed to NYC for a long weekend. We had a great time walking around the city and taking in the sites and of course getting my Crumbs’ fix (only went there twice in 2 days: not that bad!)

So while the family took in the sites and a movie I went down to the Comix Café and attended the #socialrecuiting summit, where Laurie Ruettimann was the MC for the day’s festivities. It was great to see all my friends I have connected with on Twitter and take in the presentations of the day.

We heard from Fred Wilson who owns a VC firm behind many companies like Twitter and Indeed. He discussed how they leverage social media in finding talent for their organization. What Fred likes about social media is how it extends your message to the masses. Fred talked about how the business world is moving more towards a “personal brand” people centric culture. We are entering an age where the individual’s brand at a company is almost as important as the company’s brand.

His final thought was to encourage us take 3 things that we learned from the conference and start doing them immediately… build on what we learn.

I am still in the process of putting together my list, but I definitely have started using different tools that were mentioned at the conference to help me track my data better.

I took part in a great discussion on how to leverage our knowledge about social media and how to pass along that information to the job seeker. That session was hosted by Carmen Hudson from Tweet A Job (by the way, love the product). It was mentioned in the session that we are truly all job seekers because if a fabulous opportunity landed in our laps right now, how many of us would be able to turn that down? I also enjoyed learning about all the great programs that Monster has in place helping job seekers embrace the tools that are available and helping them stand out from the crowd.

Then Susan Burns hit the stage. What impressed me about her presentation is how she related social media and how people feel about it now to how organizations felt about the internet and career pages in the late 90’s. This really hit home to me. I remember wanting the company that I worked for at the time to do more with the internet and to leverage it for the candidates. I remember listening to how sure they were that a candidate was not going to apply on-line. Look how things have changed!

Finally it was great to hear Jessica Lee present. She was one of the first recruiters that I started to follow on Twitter, I love reading her posts both on her Blog as well as on FOT. I enjoyed how Jessica shared the successes as well as the challenges of leveraging social media from a recruiting perspective. She also mentioned that when you use these tools, you are in the “fish bowl.” Be sure to choose your content and messaging wisely!

All in all, it was a great day. I got my cupcake fix in, and I was able to learn how others in the industry are taking advantage of the technologies available to us. I enjoyed learning from these people and also reveled in the fact that our willingness to be early adopters positions us for much greater success moving forward!

See you at the next one!

In keeping with the football theme from last week’s post, not only did I marry a man who loves football, my Father also has a tremendous love of the game. My Dad played for the mighty undefeated Marcellus Mustangs in a suburb of Syracuse, NY in 1963. I can’t tell you how many stories I’ve heard about that team or how certain aspects of how that high school senior year season impacts my dad’s life. Since my dad grew up in the Syracuse area and went to SU, I love watching SU football and have heard the great stories of Jim Brown or when my Dad got to see Ernie Davis play a basketball game at his high school.
So when the movie The Express came out I was rather excited to see it.

You are probably wondering what this has to do with recruiting. I see many parallels in how a college team recruits and scouts for their talent and how businesses can and should scout for theirs.

When scouting season starts college football coaches across the country are putting together a list of key players that they would like to add to their team in order to make it better. They have already put together their hiring plan, they know where there gaps are for the next season and need to go out and recruit talent.

The first step is they research who are key players in high school at different positions that will address a current or future gap they need filled. Who can make an immediate impact to their organization in the coming year or with the proper coaching can become a star.

They also look at their competition to see who they are meeting with or who is interested in speaking with them. To be effective in step one and two the company or organization is constantly networking – talking to folks in the industry to leverage their success. Think of college football scouts and the similarities between that and IT team members from different companies at a networking event or employee referrals of talent.

Third, they start building a relationship with the high school player letting them know they are interested. Because college coaches know that the competition for the top talent in the nation is fierce, they devote a lot of time to this step. They work on their “pitch” to let that top player know why their university is better than the others. It is in this step that most businesses fail. They do not expend any time or energy on the “pitch” of their company. Many businesses just assume that this top talent would be lucky to work at their company. Businesses need to realize that the true top talent is constantly being scouted and recruited by the competition.

In order to make the best impression on this top player, the best coaches will take the time to get to know the person behind the athlete. They will learn what is important to that person other than football. What type of education are they interested in? How do they like to spend their free time? What other factors will they consider when making the decision of where they will play football in college? When I am building a relationship with a candidate I spend time learning what criteria they will use to make their career decision: is it the type of technology, size of company, industry etc…

The best coaches also know the importance of testimonials. They bring in their talent officer. In the movie The Express, Coach Schwartzwalder brought the already legendary Jim Brown to Elmira, NY to talk to Ernie Davis about his rewarding SU experience. Near the end of the film, Coach Schwartzwalder repeats the step by having the Heisman Trophy winning Davis come with him to recruit Floyd Little. SU Coach Schwartzwalder knew the importance of a good talent officer delivering a testimonial to a top talent recruit. Businesses need to pick a talent officer who can help to close that deal with a candidate on “why this business?”

In college football we see that the scouting and recruiting process is an ongoing event. It is not viewed as a one and done activity. Although attrition in business does not happen with the same 4 or 5 year clockwork that presides over college football, we know that the talent at our company WILL turn over, and turn over often. Businesses need to have the same perspective on the scouting and recruiting process as these universities. They need to leverage the networking tools at their disposal to ensure they gain intelligence on who is the top talent, and devise a strategy on how they will “pitch” their company to that talent. Maybe my husband is right, “You can learn a lot from college football!”

Photo credit Syracuse Blog

Whiting Consulting is looking for a Sales Manager for our client in the New York City area. Heading up the Sales team, this individual will take full responsibility for the ‘functional sell’ of our client’s main product systems and modules to new and existing Company clients.

Responsibilities

Skills and Requirements

Whiting Consulting is looking for a high-calibre Marketing Manager with a strong international business orientation and experience in integrated B-t-B marketing and communications to increase the branding of our client’s flagship product. The product is a scalable and modular STP front-to-back enterprise system for the global investment management industry that enables institutions to mitigate risk and reduce cost while enabling growth. Our client is responsible for the distribution, implementation, and maintenance of the product in the U.S.A. and Canada. Due to continuous expansion and an increased focus on marketing and communication, our client is seeking a Marketing Manager for a new position with a direct reporting line to the Vice President of Sales & Marketing.

Responsibilities

Experience

Whiting Consulting is looking for a Chief Product Officer (CPO) for our client. This person would be responsible for product vision and strategy, product design and development, and product marketing and management within a fast growing, innovative company serving Fortune 500, consumer-focused marketers.

Responsibilities

Qualifications and Skills

Whiting Consulting is looking for an Art Director and Designer for our client. As Art Director/Designer, you will be responsible for conceiving and designing all the event communications including host acquisition ads, landing pages, emails, and various promotional media that will successfully market our sponsors products or services. You will also enhance the company’s host and guests’ online experiences. You’ll be a part an event team and collaborate with sales, producers, and copywriters to make the company’s events a success for both their clients and the hosts.

Responsibilities

• Actively participate in event creative, production and client meetings.
• Conceive and create all the marketing elements of company events using client and outside resources.
• Dev-prep all Landing Pages and Emails
• Effectively communicate client/brand marketing messaging to the event hosts and guests.
• Present, clearly explain, and defend event deliverables/concepts to clients and team members.
• Innovate. Consistently push the creative envelope of all our event communications.
• Obsess about the overall look, feel and flow of our sponsor’s marketing messages.
• Facilitate collaboration. Actively participate with sales and producers to help bridge would be gaps between great events and client demands.

Education

• BA or BS degree.

Experience

• 3 + years experience working in advertising, promotion, and interactive design.
• Proven success creating memorable, distinctive and effective marketing communications for the web and other media using Adobe CS, Flash and AfterEffects.
• Online Portfolio of Ads, Promotions, Landing Pages, Emails, Banner ads, etc.

Required Skills

• Advertising, promotion, marketing and problem solving skills.
• Strong desire to work as a key player to a fun, cross-functional and growing team.
• Passion for solving client and user problems in new and interesting ways.
• Eagerness to learn, share and apply new skills and trends.
• Insatiable thirst for staying on top of design trends and emerging technology.
• Thoroughness and a belief that there is greatness in the details.
• Good written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to analyze, define and complete tasks with minimal direction/supervision.
• Mastery of design software — Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Flash, AfterEffects, etc.
• Dev prep technical experience.
• Preferred Skills
• Zest for social media marketing.
• Sense of humor and irony.

As a full fledged football widow, I hear those words screamed by Hank Williams Jr and my husband every Monday night during the season. Married to a dedicated Buffalo Bills fan, football is religion and our weekend activities are planned around what games are on TV. It’s a phenomenon that I do not really appreciate, and count down the weeks to our freedom. What I do appreciate is the amount of time and energy coaches and the players put forth in preparation for a game from week to week.

If you look at their model it is one we should embrace from a hiring perspective. These coaches and players, week in and week out, review countless hours of game film. They study the competition, know their every move, put together an extensive game plan and communicate it to the whole organization so when they are on the field on game day they know how to execute. They are as proactive as possible to win. Most importantly, they ensure they have their BEST PLAYERS on the field and have a plan to put those players in a position to succeed versus the competition.

When it comes to hiring within organizations, I think companies are more on the defensive than the offensive. They are reactive vs. proactive. They do not have a game plan when it comes to hiring. They go out and start recruiting without taking a step back and thinking about what needs to happen.

I encourage my clients to be as proactive as possible when it comes to hiring. Companies will yield a better hire to meet their overall career goals if they have a clear, thought-out game plan. What can we do to be more proactive?

The first step is to put together a hiring plan that can evolve over time. Look 3 to 6 months out at your business plan. Determine if you have the right resources in place to meet your deliverable to your clients. If not, then determine the gaps. Can you move resources around within the company? If not, determine where you need to hire. Once the need is identified, think about what this person needs to accomplish to be successful, talk to people within your organization to make sure you are all on the same page and then put together a complete job description. I know what you’re thinking, but candidates actually read these! This might seem like it will take more time, but will yield significant time and savings when it comes to avoiding hiring the wrong person for the job.

There have been many times when I have been called to help an organization with a hiring need and they do not have this game plan in place, we spend several days or sometimes weeks looking for the wrong candidate or resource. The impacts of this are far-reaching indeed: Hiring the wrong resource, lost productivity, lost revenue, wasted time interviewing the wrong candidates that would not fit the role if hired, etc. I read in a recent study that 59% of the managers surveyed believed that less than half of all candidates they interviewed were qualified for the job (eBullpen, LLC).

So the next time you have a hiring need:
1) Put together a strategy – look at the skills needed, and first determine who in your current talent pool might have those skills.
2) Put together a resources plan for the next 3 to 6 months so you have a funnel of candidates for your upcoming positions and you can be more proactive vs reactive in hiring.
3) Develop a complete job description for the skills that you need, make sure everyone is on board the first time around.
4) Communicate to your company what you are looking for so you can encourage employee referrals and ensure that the interview team knows what to look for when they meet with a candidate.
5) Execute the plan by engaging a person that specializes in hiring so you can target the right resource.

Companies need to remember that people are their best resources. Hiring top performers can increase revenue and productivity by 40 to 67% over an average performer (McKinsey & Co). Having the wrong person in place can jeopardize your ability to maximize your success and reach your goals. Ask yourself: Are You Ready For Some Hiring?

Is The Customer Experience Dead?

When is the last time you made a purchase or had a business interaction and you were blown away? We as a culture are more apt to talk about what went wrong with a purchase or dealings with a company than what went right.

As companies continue to cut costs and employees get added responsibilities, there is the possibility that the customer experience will suffer.

I love to shop. It’s my biggest vice. Before the recession when I went into a store no one said “Hi” and you would practically have to stand on your head to get attention. Now, since retail sales are so low that experience has changed. Sales associates flock to me like moths to the flame. But, is it genuine? Will it endure when the economy turns around? We’ll see.

Several weeks ago I was invited for a lunch lesson on cosmetics; another one of my vices! It took place at my friend’s day spa, Waterlily, www.waterlilybeauty.com. The owners, Beth and Craig Gamble, spend a tremendous amount of time working with their staff on the customer experience. Not a single need goes unsatisfied when you are there. They make you feel like a queen and they ensure you leave with an experience that will bring you back for more.

I ask myself, “How do they do this so well?” I think the answer lies in the Gambles teaching their employees to be genuine. It is prevalent with every employee and every interaction; whether it’s being greeted by Brie when you walk in the front door or when you are being escorted into the calming quiet room for a bit of mental down time. I cannot help but feel that these employees truly care about my experience. That type of care comes from the top and comes with constant reinforcement.

I have learned a lot from Beth and Craig over the years about how to make the customer experience a top priority for my company, and it starts by being genuine. They also talk about “Rolling out the Red Carpet” for their customers. In doing research for this blog I came across a Blogger by the name of Bruce Temkin, he is a Researcher for Forrester. His blog is called Experience Matters, www.experiencematters.wordpress.com . He has great stats about how organizations that embrace a positive customer experience yield more revenue as well as more loyal customers.

Take a moment and walk in your client’s shoes. How do they feel the moment they start an interaction with your organization through completion of the sales cycle? Are their needs met before they ask? Do they feel like a king or queen when they leave the building or hang up the phone? As Bruce states: “Customer service attracts loyal customers.”

If you are ever in Rochester, NY check out Waterlily or see them on line at www.waterlilybeauty.com and walk their red carpet.

When your company is hiring you have an opportunity to meet and exchange information with many people about your organization. In many ways this can be considered another marketing channel for your business. Have you ever taken a step back and thought about a potential employee’s experience with your company based on their perceptions from the interviewing process? This can be a VERY valuable exercise.

Often times, candidates are frustrated by the “black hole” of applying for positions or going in for an interview and never hearing back. Think about the last interview you went on when that happened to you. How did that make you feel?

I was reading a great article in The New York Times called Be Nice to Job Seekers. (They’re Shoppers, Too.) Preoccupations – Be Nice to Job Candidates. (They’re Also Consumers.) – NYTimes.com. The article spoke about two very well known brands that had made recent changes to their recruitment process. Both Southwest Airlines and Nabisco identified that they needed to treat candidates rather special because in the case of Nabisco, “Everyone eats cookies.”

When looking at your recruitment process you need to consider it as another channel to push your brand out into the marketplace. Companies that can identify this and make slight changes in the process will see many benefits in the long run.

Find a way to take that extra time and respond to that candidate and provide feedback. Going that extra mile will stand out in that person’s mind and you will never know when they could be your next client.

I know first hand that this process does work, I have been fortunate to have candidate’s become clients and it is a very rewarding experience.