Not finding the right employee for your business? Maybe it’s not them … maybe it’s you.
At Barfield Revenue Consulting, we work with a variety of managers who have an ideal vision of who they want for their key hire. And that’s fair. After all, you’re hiring someone to help your business grow and to be more productive, right? This is a critical decision. The wrong hire can cost a ton of money, impact company culture, and waste your most precious resource – time. But more often than not, you spend several weeks looking and screening and interviewing, yet you fail to find the right fit. What’s going on? Here are three reasons why you might not be finding the right employee.
Large corporations that hire people constantly are likely to have a repeatable process in place. Adding someone new to the team is regular practice and thus routine. But if you are a small, growing business – like the lion’s share of our clients – you can’t look at large employer “X” and recruit the way they do. For smaller and even mid-sized companies, hiring is not a weekly activity. When it’s time to hire, managers tend to look around and say, “Well, what did we do last time?” They’re dusting off whatever process they used and giving it another go. Posting a job online, seeing who applies, hoping the answer is in that initial pool, etc. Interestingly enough, that recruiting strategy is unlikely to work a majority of the time.
If your team is hiring, think about the following:
Position needs are another reason why companies struggle to find the right hire. There is the salary you want to pay for this new person, and then there is the salary you need to pay in order to land this new person. For example, we recently worked with a software startup that wanted to hire “Enterprise” salespeople. But as we discussed “Enterprise” folks and the salary level that title equated to, our customer realized he would need to recalibrate. He instead advertised externally for an “Account Executive.” What’s the impact? Well, there is a difference between the person our client is seeking and what his money will get him on the open market. He wants and needs a particular type of profile, but his budget is only going to align with a certain level of hire. The person he’s likely to land now will not have the ideal amount of experience closing enterprise-level deals, but this CEO realized quickly that he needed to adjust what he wanted and focus more on what he could afford to acquire.
If you’re not finding “the right” candidate for your job, take a look at your wants and needs versus what the market is providing. Are you willing to be flexible? How long can you afford to leave that job open (cost of the posting as well as the cost of that vacancy to the business)? Clients who are thoughtful and open-minded about the whole process have the greatest hiring success. Don’t pass on someone who checks eight of the 10 boxes on the job description while you wait for the purple-striped unicorn that checks all 10.
Before you hire, take a look around. What’s the market like right now? Are there people out of work in your niche and job searching with urgency? Or is it a candidates’ market, one with statistically-low unemployment, meaning employers are the ones feeling desperate?
Right now, it’s the latter for most industries. That means you need to consider everything you’re putting out there – your job write-up, overall compensation package, benefits offerings, remote flexibility, etc. It’s a lot harder right now to find viable folks, meaning you may have to compromise on certain experience, background, and ability expectation factors in order to get someone in the door.
Talk to your peers and other business owners in your industry. What has worked for them when recruiting? What hasn’t? Is your instinct about target salary matching up with what others are offering for like roles in the market? Does your job description match the skill sets of interested job seekers? Do free posting boards work for others in your field or are they going straight to paid resources? Doing this type of research will absolutely save you time, money, and headaches in the hiring process. Conversely, if you attack the market without working knowledge and/or an executable, proven strategy, you will get frustrated – and you will fail.
If you’re struggling to find sales and marketing employees for any reason, please contact us for help.
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Some studies say the hiring process takes an average of 23 business days. That’s far too long in our dynamic job market. In this episode, Will and George talk about why the long job process has some employers losing out.
Will also explains the ways employers can shorten the interview and hiring process — without removing steps in the process.
Looking for a sales job or searching for a new sales team member? Let’s do this! The new year is the start of a busy job hunting season in the sales world. With both sides playing musical chairs, it’s one of the most fruitful times of the year to find either a new job or a new salesperson.
Here are some key things to know about how to capitalize on this annual January to May job search season…
A few months ago, we talked about the fall sales job cycle. What’s different this time of year? Plenty!
First, it’s tradition here in American culture that a new year brings a fresh start. New Year’s Resolutions, right? A lot of people resolve to get a new job or to make a career change at the beginning of a new year. That means there are a bundle of new candidates on the look in the market — and that also means a potential surge of unanticipated position openings for employers.
Next, the majority of companies set their new year headcount budgets back in the fall. Now, it’s time to execute on recruiting for many of those planned hires. Managers are activating budgeted money and are ready to get new folks in the door. As we discussed back in the fall, sometimes, people get Q4 approval for Q1 and then hire before the start of the next year in order to get a jumpstart on training as well as the ramp to productivity. But most often, January is when the majority of managers are starting to get all-in on finding new employees.
Another reason for a busy new year hiring season is the “Black Monday” effect. Just as NFL owners fire poor-performing head coaches at the close of an unsatisfactory season, sales managers often have little choice but to release underperforming salespeople in Q1 due to a poor Q4 or a poor prior year sales-wise. As a result, January can be a time when a significant number of sales jobs open up as a result of terminations. 
If you’re looking for a new sales job, hit it now. Activity is some of the hottest it’s going to be all year in the first quarter. Sure, things remain active in April and May (unfilled jobs from Q1, attrition-impacted openings still reverberating through the market, etc.), but after Memorial Day, things will hit a marked slowdown. Grills have been pulled out and Summer is almost here! People who are in hiring capacities start to take vacations, and so do HR staffers and recruiters and decision-making executives. Folks out of the office more frequently makes it far more challenging to get all of the key players lined up for interviews, offer approvals, etc. Right now, while the year is new and the weather is still cold, everyone is in the office, focused on work, and keyed up to hire.
One major benefit of hiring at this time of year is that job seekers are far more intentional. Of course, throughout the year, you’ll always find a handful of people who absolutely must find a new job and who are totally serious about seeking a change. But with our cultural tradition of New Year’s Resolutions comes a stronger overall and more far-reaching determination. It’s a group mind think that has no other seasonal equal. Our recruiting team hears from more unsolicited candidates annually during January-March than at any other period in the year. If you’re looking to fill a job, now is an excellent time to land highly-motivated and active candidates.
If you’re searching for a new job or a new hire, give us a shout.
The job market is in candidates’ favor right now, making hiring someone tricky for HR and managers. Job candidates are passively seeking, meaning they have time and plenty of options.
In this episode, Will talks about how to win the talent war with the right job offer. Will explains the priority order in which most people rank job benefits, from salary and health insurance to 401(k) matches, beer on tap, and gym memberships. What matters and what doesn’t when it comes to luring talent?
Outsourcing some or all aspects of recruiting makes excellent sense in certain situations — and in others, it does not. We get asked quite frequently, “Why should I pay a fee to a recruiter instead of handling the hiring myself?” Fair question. Honestly, what it most often comes down to is the monetary value of time.
Cost: Money vs. Time
What is the best use of your workplace time, and what is the financial impact of your time on your business/company? These are critical questions to answer when it comes to any decision related to outsourcing. If your role directly impacts company revenue, or if you are a high-level company executive — is your time best spent working on tasks that take you away from the thing(s) that the business truly needs you to be doing daily? Should you use work time — or even worse, precious personal time — doing something you could outsource? What is the cost of your lost time on the company’s business development and growth goals?
When it comes to recruiting, the role of hiring often falls to a manager/leader who has plenty of urgent and business-critical things to do — things that help the company generate more revenue, operate more effectively, etc. Hiring is going to cost you, no matter what. Time is money, regardless of how you slice it. So is it a better use of time and money to keep everything in house, or does it make more sense to outsource recruiting support, either occasionally or entirely? 
Let’s think about:
When it comes to the decision to outsource recruiting, needs and utilization certainly differ depending on company size.
Large Companies — 500+
Companies with 500 plus employees certainly have an internal Human Resources team and often a Talent Acquisition team as well. When it comes to companies and hiring-related staff headcounts of this size, the decision to outsource recruiting remains a cost vs. time analysis. On the cost side of things, an HR and TA team of five or more people might have close to a $500,000 payroll impact on a company per year. So why would an organization then agree to take on additional recruiting expenses?
Mid-sized Companies — 50-500
Companies more in the medium size range, especially those on the smaller end of the scale, may only have one or a few HR professionals on staff, and little to no dedicated talent acquisition personnel. Generally, these mid-sized company recruiting teams do not have enough bandwidth to manage all components of HR while also overseeing recruiting effectively. There is only so much time in a day.
Small Companies — <50
Small companies typically don’t have any internal HR or TA, leaving hiring on the plates of managers who very definitely have other essential, “best” use of time responsibilities.
Pain Drives Change
Regardless of time or cost, pain is what ultimately drives change. This is very true when it comes to the dynamic of outsourced recruiting.
A critical open position remaining unfilled causes pain. An unmet hiring deadline causes pain. An internal recruiting staff that is not equipped to satisfy company talent acquisition requirements causes pain. Wasting money causes pain. That’s when external recruiting can step in, save time, end pain, and make sure that everyone involved is spending money effectively and focusing on what they do “best.”
If you are having recruiting-related pain, contact us to quickly and effectively connect with your next incredible hire.
In a candidate’s market, how can you compete with a healthy job offer? Will and George talk about what matters when you’re trying to pull candidates from another job.
Read more about winning the talent war with your offer.
In all seriousness, the dynamics of employment have changed dramatically over the last several years. Present-day employees are more likely to have a “free agent” mentality about changing jobs and their associated personal career ascension. Meanwhile, employers seem to be more frequently tackling challenging business dynamics like acquisitions, offshoring, reorganizations, and the like.
Where can all of this change and turmoil lead? Movement and turnover. And turnover impacts resumes. And sometimes – maybe many times – candidates are unfairly labeled “job hoppers” when resumes have what could be perceived as a few too many short-term stays on them.
Is “job hopping” a thing?
Yes. If you’ve had 10 jobs in 10 years, there’s probably a pattern and a theme there, and a potential employer is going to shoot up red flags galore. However, most of the time, there are legitimate and reasonable stories behind your more run-of-the-mill resume movement.
How can you counteract a resume that looks “job hoppy?”
Be open and honest on your resume. Answer questions with written explanations before they are asked. We all know that companies lay people off. Startups lose funding. Contract positions end abruptly. People follow their spouses’ careers. Family members in poor health need care. A dream job pops up when you least expect it. A million things can impact a career track, and the majority of them are not because someone has performance issues or cannot get along with management.
Include on your resume the reasons for movement and employment gaps. Be transparent. If a potential hiring manager encounters a resume with a smattering (or more) of shorter work periods, she or he is going to assume the worst first and ask questions later. Therefore, you should:
Add a line to experience sections where appropriate to address the reasons for turnover:
During a period of unemployment, format this section just as you would any other job experience, and address the reason for the gap:
Without helpful explanations like these, your resume may get eliminated from consideration. In the absence of explanatory details, it’s just easier to assume someone is a “job hopper.”
Do employers “get it?”
Truth be told, the modern employment marketplace is becoming more comfortable with shorter-term stays. Aside from all of the turnover factors we’ve noted above, employees just tend to change jobs more frequently. A year here, two there, three here, six months there – that is the new normal. Resumes with those sorts of interruptions are not going to raise many eyebrows amongst savvy recruiters and hiring managers. But if you have a collection of consecutive positions where you worked less than a year, or if you have a noticeable employment gap along with a handful of brief tenures, you can very easily get labeled as a “job hopper.”
Don’t let that happen. Troubleshoot the resume first so that you actually will get a chance to tell the full story in your interview.
If you have questions about building a better resume or finding a revenue-related job in the Triangle and beyond, please contact us.
Image by Gerd Altmann
Employers know that any standard job ad posted online will result in many (many!) resumes from people who aren’t appropriately qualified for the role. Nature of the job board beast. Yet, if you write a job posting that’s too specific and narrow, you may not find enough (or any!) candidates. As we all know, there are very few unicorns wandering around in the recruiting forest.
That said, how can you write a job posting that will attract the right people without either opening the floodgates or unintentionally turning away some potentially solid prospects? It’s a delicate art.
The Headline
The headline is the first thing people see, and it’s critical, so spend some time crafting it. You’ve got to convey a message that will set the hook and pull people in. “Account Executive – lucrative commissions!” Try several options, because you must select something that will grab someone’s attention as they’re speedily scrolling through dozens of listings on a web page.
Admittedly, we’re fond of using the job title followed by a long hyphen and then an exciting, enticing descriptor of some sort. You might also toss in an exclamation point or some other typographical character that makes the posting stand out. #$&!
The Introduction
Start your job post with information about who your company is and what you do. Weave in language about your organization’s mission, values, culture, etc. What makes you special? Why will people LOVE working for/with you?
Finding the words shouldn’t be difficult – it’s your company’s DNA. This verbiage is what I often refer to as an organization’s “love language.” It’s on your website and in your brochures. It’s the elevator pitch when you meet someone new and tell them what you do. It’s what you feel compelled to say about yourselves at the start of every candidate interview.
Just be careful not to stuff too much content in there. If you create a blocky, chunky, oversized paragraph, job seekers will just skip right over it.
The Job Details
After the introduction, you need to explain the job, including the basic scope of work and the key responsibilities. A good rule of thumb is 10 bullet points total here. More than that amount will likely be overwhelming, and you could end up impacting your reader’s interest level. Like a resume, a job posting is not supposed to tell the entire tale. Instead, it’s intended to provide an overview so that readers can gather a general and accurate sense of what you need and expect – and whether or not they might be a fit.
Next, you can list the minimum desired requirements you have for applicants, and this section should be about five bullets or so. If you’ve got more than five lines of content and just have to share, it’s probably time to break this into two sections of no more than five bullets each and then delineate between “must-have” items and “nice-to-haves.”
Closing the Job Ad
End your job posting with specific information about how you want people to apply. You might list an email address, an upload link, and required items (PDF copy of the resume, writing samples, etc.).
Also, you should let people know what to expect next. Most applicants assume if they don’t hear back, their application was lost in the mysterious electronic void.
Be Prepared to Post
Don’t set yourself up to “ghost” your candidates. Before you post anything, have a process in place so that you can respond effectively, even if it’s just an automated “Thank you for your application.” You can use job posting and/or applicant tracking system software tools to help with this part of the equation. Or you can elect to send messages manually. Either way, send something. Failure to respond at all will lead to a negative candidate experience, and that will come back to haunt you.
Where to Post Your Job Ad
Use the job boards that are most likely to be frequented by the traffic you want to attract. Study the market – look at boards to see where postings similar to yours are appearing. Ask your peers where they post like roles. If you’re posting to more than one site, consider whether they may overlap with regard to the audience demographic. Don’t spend twice as much money to get the same applicants. Speaking of $$$, watch the cost. Some job posting sites charge by the click-through as opposed to by the week/month. Lots of applicant traffic can get expensive quickly in the pay-per-click scenario, and it can also be quite irritating when heavy, pricey flow is producing a pile of unusable profiles.
Start with your company’s “Careers” page, and please make sure it’s attractive, up to date, and easy to use. Candidates should have a lovely experience when visiting your website, just like guests should have a lovely time when visiting your home. Make them glad that they came and eager to stay/return.
You can do all of these things above really, really well, and still end up with more than a fair share of off-target applicants. But that comes with playing this game. Understand that going in, and focus on creating the best job posting possible. You never know when that unicorn will wander by.
If you need help with navigating the hiring process, reach out to our team for help with pipeline management, recruiting training, and access to top talent.
Image by Mohamed Hassan
Job interview processes are stressful, and we field a lot of questions about the best ways to prepare for — and to execute — an interview. Most people have never received any sort of interview training, and if they are employed on a consistent basis, chances are that they don’t have a plethora of opportunities to practice. As a result, even with senior-level candidates, I often see a shortfall in the interview performance department.
Last week, we wrote about closing your interviews with a strong message of interest. But that part happens at the end. There are MANY steps along the way that you can take to stand out as a candidate. Several of these may seem almost elementary, yet many people don’t take the time to do them — or to do them well.
Step One: Do your research and come with questions.
Thoroughly look into the company and your interviewer. And read the job description several times. With all of the online tools available at your fingertips, there is no excuse for not being incredibly prepared on the research side. What’s the company’s mission? Where did your interviewer go to college? Which of the job responsibilities did you CRUSH in your most recent role? Come ready to show that you know your stuff and that you are super relatable.
During the course of your research and your job description scrubbing, questions inevitably will pop into your head. Write them down. Or note them on your iPad or tablet or phone. Interviewers really appreciate it when candidates come to the party with thoughtful questions. It exhibits interest, preparedness, and a desire to win the interview.
Step Two: Prepare to be on time.
Whether it’s the first phone screen or an in-person interview, you must be timely. If you are the one calling, do not be late. If you are supposed to call at 2:00, call at 2:00. If it looks like you might be running late, reach out ahead of time via email and/or text and explain why. And please don’t call early. It’s not impressive to be early to a phone interview. It’s actually irritating. Most interviewers are heading into your call straight from another commitment, so calling early is an inconvenience.
Speaking of being inconvenient, don’t be super early for a face-to-face interview. Your goal should be to arrive five minutes early. Do not arrive 15 or more minutes early, it’s discourteous. Your interviewer should not have to worry about you sitting in the lobby for 15 minutes with time to kill. Plus, you could cross paths with other candidates, which can be awkward and is certainly not the interviewer’s intention.
As part of your in-person interview preparation, make the trek to the site on a prior day and do so during the same time of day. See how long it takes you to make the trip so you can get an accurate sense of the amount of time needed, traffic included. You do not want to run the risk of being late or sliding in right at the scheduled time.
Step Three: Prepare your look/attire.
Work attire has changed a lot over the years. If you aren’t sure what clothing will be appropriate for the interview (video or on-site), ask in advance. You don’t want to be overdressed or underdressed. You don’t want to fail to fit correctly with either the company vibe or the interviewer’s expectations. Inquire ahead of time, and your point of contact will appreciate that you want to get it right. It’s definitely not cool to don a suit for a “T-shirt and jeans” setting.
Step Four: Print and bring with you copies of your resume.
Yes, many people prefer an electronic format and may have your resume on their screen during the meeting. But you don’t know for sure, and you want to be prepared. Additionally, bring one more copy with you than you think you’ll need. If the exchange is going well, the person with whom you are meeting might grab a colleague and ask her or him to join. Stay one step ahead by having a spare copy.
Step Five: Bring something to write with and something to write on.
Please have what you need in order to take notes, whether it’s an in-person interview or a phone call. You’re not sending the right message otherwise. There’s no reason to step into an interview situation without a pen or a pad or a device you can use to take notes. Period. Ever. Interviewers like to see that you are taking notes and highlighting key points. And if it’s a phone call, some of the factors you jot down will be great to bring up later in the conversation as thoughtful questions.
Step Six: Convey energy, engagement, and enthusiasm (3 Es).
These points apply to both phone or face-to-face communication, whether via video or in person.
Step Seven: Make eye contact.
You would be surprised at how few people do this well and how much it matters. Making eye contact can be difficult and uncomfortable for some, particularly when meeting a person for the first time, or if they are feeling nervous or anxious. Nonetheless, it’s critical in interviews, whether in person or via video. Interviewers are looking to make a connection.
Hiring is not just about skills and abilities, it’s also about fit and feel. A lot of decisions are made about a candidate during those moments of direct eye contact. Have a smile on your face, fabulous posture, and look ‘em straight in the eye. When it comes to video interviews, make a point of looking at the camera when your talking or when you’re processing a question from the interviewer. It’s not easy, but it’s very impactful.
Step Eight: Give answers that provide depth and value.
Do not answer even the shortest and most simple of questions with a reflexively short answer. “Yes/no” questions absolutely cannot receive a “yes/no” response. Respond thoughtfully, showing a depth of processing. Add value to the interview exchange by offering up insightful commentary.
However, on the flip side, be careful not to get too verbose. When we are nervous, it’s easy to overtalk/overshare in order to compensate for our anxiousness. A good rule of thumb is to keep an answer to 30 seconds or so, unless it’s clear that the interviewer has teed you up for a very detailed response that could take a minute or more. Don’t meander off track, either. If you end up in long-winded rambles too frequently during the conversation, your interviewer is going to disengage, and your odds at landing the job are going to get much worse.
Step Nine: Close strong.
We covered more on this one in our last blog post, so check that out.
Step Ten: Follow up.
Writing a “thank you” note has become a lost art. Help us bring it back. Whether it’s via email or snail mail, DO IT. The follow-up thank you note should be considered an extension of the interview process. When you craft yours, demonstrate that you were fully engaged in the exchange. Include a sentence or two that bring up critical points made by the interviewer, and tie those back to you strengths as a candidate. Convey your gratitude for the interviewer’s time, and close the note with a reaffirmation of your interest in the job.
Of course, re-read what you’ve written (multiple times), making sure it looks nice, has correct spelling and grammar, and sounds smooth and professional. Thank you notes are like post-interview cover letters. They provide you with a chance to exhibit your writing skills and to show that you are a well-rounded, top-notch candidate.
Final Note
While job interviews are stressful, if you approach them with the proper amount of preparation and dedication, you will have no trouble standing out from your interview competition.
Reach out to us for help finding your next revenue-generating sales or marketing job. We’ve done a few interviews in our day!
Well … Regardless of whether you’re looking to work in sales or not, you are selling yourself at every stage of the job acquisition process. What is an interview, really? It’s your sales pitch to someone saying, “Here’s why you should hire me.” There aren’t many instances where you walk into a hiring manager conversation knowing you already have the position. A salesperson needs to have a strong close to her/his pitch to land the deal; you need to have a strong interview close to land the offer.
Picture this: you’re all done, and the interviewer explains what’s going to happen next, how long it will take, and that she/he will “be in touch.” Then that person asks, “Do you have any more questions?”
Close the Interview with the Right Question
Most people know that they should bring thoughtful questions to an interview. If you do your research, read up on the company and the interviewer(s), and study the job description, you certainly should have questions to ask. But you should always keep the most critical question for the very end: “Is there any reason not to move forward here? I want this job.”
Deliver this closing in your own way, of course. There’s no perfect final question, and you have to go with something that sounds natural and feels comfortable. In fact, you should practice beforehand, either alone or with someone else, so that you can find the language that suits you best.
The ultimate goal when closing the interview is not just to demonstrate your significant interest in the position. What you are truly doing here is making a strategic move to garner some control during the interview process. If you let the interviewer tell you what’s going to happen next and how long you might be waiting, and then let that person say to you that she/he will be in touch, you are relinquishing 100% of the control in the process to the interviewer. By closing the interview at the end and posing a question back to the interviewer, you are capturing some of the control in this dynamic, and you are compelling an answer (and some action) from the person who very well may determine whether or not you get hired.
Therefore, you might say something like, “Yes, I do have one more question. Now that I’ve interviewed with you, I am even more interested in this job. What do I need to do to be the person who lands this offer?”
The interviewer may give you a non-committal answer. The company may have other candidates remaining in the pipeline and more interviews to execute. But you can be confident that your closing question will stand out in her/his mind when it comes time to make THE decision, and you can rest assured that you are likely the only person in consideration who CLOSED.
Closing an interview occurs at the end. But there’s a lot more that goes into setting yourself up for a great interview. Read our post next week to learn more.
Or, contact us for help finding your next job and preparing for it like a pro.
