Top 10 Traits to Look for in the Perfect Recruitment Agency

Top 10 Traits to Look for in the Perfect Recruitment Agency Have you ever interacted with recruiters at various agencies and understood why their process benefits your business needs? Do you know their goals for your open roles? Have you seen an outline of goals from your agency so they can hit your targeted hiring dates? Do you trust them to the point of not worrying about their quality of candidates? If you can’t say “yes” to all of these questions then you really need to think about whether they are the right agency for your company. To have the right partnership in place, you need to know that they will be looking out for you, not forcing their people through the process that are not the right fit. This is a guide to help you see what you should be looking for in an agency as a partner to your business needs: 1. Knows your company: Good: Knows the industry and size of your company and will target the right candidate to make sure they will be the right fit theyll  vet the candidate appropriately. Bad: Hasn’t taken the time to meet with managers or get to know you or the company; they are too focused on getting the next candidate or client to partner with. 2. Understands your  business needs: Good: Understands where your business needs lay and is a true partner with what you are trying to accomplish. Bad: Doesn’t take the time to know what your business goals are and worries more about what they will receive in revenue than finding the right candidate. 3. Always trying to get better: Good: Takes time to meet with you to go over your needs and seeks feedback after interviews to ensure they are targeting the right pool of candidates. Bad: Puts the same type of candidate in front of you after you have said no and doesn’t understand why you continue to say no plus continuously has excuses on why things are not a success. RELATED: Agency Recruitment is Totally Screwed: Here’s Why! 4. They listen: Good: Takes time to hear what you want and need, doesn’t put pressure on you to make rash decisions but sets up timetables to get adequate feedback. Bad: Asks the same questions and will find short cuts on getting you the right candidate because they are pushing too many candidates to you that do not fit your needs. 5. Theyre an subject matter expert in their field: Good: Can speak about what  you need by knowing the industry you are in and can break down a position to find you the right candidate. Bad: Works across all skill sets and doesn’t really understand what they are recruiting on which in return will give you the wrong types of candidates. 6.  You can rely solely on them: Good: They will deliver the candidates in the timeframe they committed to and they know what you need as a business. Bad: They will waver in their commitments, they have erratic success with you and they rarely keep you up to date with their progress and results. 7. They will follow the process that was promised to you: Good: They will stick to their vetting process and will not skip steps which would lower the bar on the quality of candidate for you. Bad: They don’t meet with their candidates, they do not perform reference checks and they just send you a high volume amount of candidates so you can do the screening instead of them. 8. They separate themselves by supplying a higher caliber of candidates: Good: Always exceed your expectations on the candidates they supply. Bad: They are delivering the same candidates that have applied on their own or they supply candidates that you have already seen through recycling of candidates or through other agencies. 9. Theyre an ethical company: Good: The candidate that is supplied has the exact same experience as the resume advertises and they educate the candidate about your company to make sure they are walking into a role they really are excited about. Bad: They will misrepresent candidates by adding experience that is not accurate and they will coach the candidate to say things that are not accurate to their experience. 10. Persistence: Good: Is in contact with you the right amount of time but not disrespectful and annoying. Bad: Is too aggressive at the point of calling your managers 7 to 9 times a day to try to get more business or feedback. Author: Benjamin Sanborn is currently the Business Development Manager at Jobspring Partners, where he is responsible for facilitating relationships with companies in need of a contingent workforce. Previously, Ben successfully managed multiple teams for one of the largest staffing firms in North America.  

How to Attract the Best Recruiters on LinkedIn

How to Attract the Best Recruiters on LinkedIn Its more important than ever to maintain a good LinkedIn profile. 9/10 recruitment agents or employers check an individuals LinkedIn profile before they decide to contact a potential candidate. Make sure you get recruiters to see the best possible online profile. This useful infographic, provided by Armstrong Appointments and posted by Social Media Week, details ten essential steps to optimising your LinkedIn profile. Stand out, be active and youll be found by the best employers out there! Takeaways: Decide on what youre looking for, then youll attract the correct type of recruits. Use the summary box! This is your online personal elevator pitch. Think about what makes your different and keywords. If you use other social networks in conjunction with LinkedIn, keep a similar message on all of your profiles, as its likely that recruiters will look at more than just your LinkedIn. Update your profile frequently. Being active on LinkedIn can only be positive. Brag to listening employers your latest achievements or you can even tell them your career goals: Maybe the users listening are the key to them! RELATED: How to Create the Perfect LinkedIn Profile

11 Things to Avoid on LinkedIn

11 Things to Avoid on LinkedIn LinkedIn is a social site â€" the more you put into it, the more you will get out of it.  Both job seekers and the gainfully employed  need to get  in the habit of using LinkedIn  on a regular basis to  make connections  and master its offerings.  Yet using the site incorrectly could generate lack-lustre results. 11 things to avoid  on LinkedIn include: 1. Don’t dismiss LinkedIn as Something Only for People Who Are Looking For a New Job. The best time to build your LinkedIn profile, connect with people, and participate on LinkedIn is before you need it. If you find yourself suddenly unemployed and decide that now is the time to start using LinkedIn, you’re going to be playing catch up. Instead, take the time to “dig your well before you’re thirsty,” as author Harvey Mackay says. 2.  Don’t “Set it and Forget It.” Your LinkedIn profile is an evolving snapshot of you. Update it regularly with new connections, status updates, and activity (within LinkedIn Groups in particular).   Keep your profile professionally polished and current.   If you get a new job, earn a new certificate, or secure a special award add it to your profile. 3.  Don’t Ignore It. Check in on LinkedIn regularly at least every other day if you are in active job search mode and at least once a week for passive jobseekers. Plan on adding one new status update each time you log in. 4.  Don’t Be A Wallflower. LinkedIn is most effective when you engage with it. Seek out opportunities to connect with thought leaders in your industry. Join 3 to 5 Groups and participate in conversations. Respond to, or ask, questions. Curate and share content well-aligned with your expertise. 5.  Don’t Be Selfish. You will get more out of LinkedIn if you focus on how you can help others, not how they can help you. Earn the respect of your peers and people of influence if you help others, encourage others, or offer your expertise. 6.  Don’t Wait For Others To Find You. Use the search function to look for people you know and invite them to connect with you. Reach out to people of interest, people youve worked with in the past, or people you admire. Create a custom invitation to improve the connection request. 7.  Don’t Forget to Explore the People Your Connections Know. One of the most powerful functions of LinkedIn is the ability to connect you with people who are connections of the people you know. Explore your 2nd and 3rd degree connections and reach out if reasoning allows. 8.  Don’t Indiscriminately Try to Connect With People. One of the strengths of LinkedIn is the connections you make, but it’s not a race to get to a certain number of  connections. Have a reason for each of the people you connect with â€" either it’s someone you already know, or someone it would be beneficial to connect with. If you don’t know someone, get to know them a bit before sending a personalized connection request. (You can do so by seeing who you have in common â€" or who they are connected to, checking out their LinkedIn summary and work history, visiting their website or blog, and seeing what Groups they belong to). 9.  Don’t Forget to Check Out The Newsfeed. On your homepage is a roundup of stories that LinkedIn thinks may interest you. Check out daily headlines and posts to stay abreast of important information in your industry. Share and comment on posts of interest to increase engagement. 10.  Don’t Forget to Give Recommendations. Acknowledge and recognize the contributions of people you know by providing unsolicited, genuine recommendations for them. Reach out and request recommendations of your own. 11.  Finally Don’t Restrict Your LinkedIn Networking to Online Only. Use LinkedIn to connect with people but request in-person get-togethers, when possible. Meet for coffee, or lunch, to catch up.  Need more tips on LinkedIn? Lets connect!  Send me a personalized invite and I will gladly accept.  I post daily articles and tips on the site and love to engage with job seekers. 11 Things to Avoid on LinkedIn LinkedIn is a social site â€" the more you put into it, the more you will get out of it.  Both job seekers and the gainfully employed  need to get  in the habit of using LinkedIn  on a regular basis to  make connections  and master its offerings.  Yet using the site incorrectly could generate lack-lustre results. 11 things to avoid  on LinkedIn include: 1. Don’t dismiss LinkedIn as Something Only for People Who Are Looking For a New Job. The best time to build your LinkedIn profile, connect with people, and participate on LinkedIn is before you need it. If you find yourself suddenly unemployed and decide that now is the time to start using LinkedIn, you’re going to be playing catch up. Instead, take the time to “dig your well before you’re thirsty,” as author Harvey Mackay says. 2.  Don’t “Set it and Forget It.” Your LinkedIn profile is an evolving snapshot of you. Update it regularly with new connections, status updates, and activity (within LinkedIn Groups in particular).   Keep your profile professionally polished and current.   If you get a new job, earn a new certificate, or secure a special award add it to your profile. 3.  Don’t Ignore It. Check in on LinkedIn regularly at least every other day if you are in active job search mode and at least once a week for passive jobseekers. Plan on adding one new status update each time you log in. 4.  Don’t Be A Wallflower. LinkedIn is most effective when you engage with it. Seek out opportunities to connect with thought leaders in your industry. Join 3 to 5 Groups and participate in conversations. Respond to, or ask, questions. Curate and share content well-aligned with your expertise. 5.  Don’t Be Selfish. You will get more out of LinkedIn if you focus on how you can help others, not how they can help you. Earn the respect of your peers and people of influence if you help others, encourage others, or offer your expertise. 6.  Don’t Wait For Others To Find You. Use the search function to look for people you know and invite them to connect with you. Reach out to people of interest, people youve worked with in the past, or people you admire. Create a custom invitation to improve the connection request. 7.  Don’t Forget to Explore the People Your Connections Know. One of the most powerful functions of LinkedIn is the ability to connect you with people who are connections of the people you know. Explore your 2nd and 3rd degree connections and reach out if reasoning allows. 8.  Don’t Indiscriminately Try to Connect With People. One of the strengths of LinkedIn is the connections you make, but it’s not a race to get to a certain number of  connections. Have a reason for each of the people you connect with â€" either it’s someone you already know, or someone it would be beneficial to connect with. If you don’t know someone, get to know them a bit before sending a personalized connection request. (You can do so by seeing who you have in common â€" or who they are connected to, checking out their LinkedIn summary and work history, visiting their website or blog, and seeing what Groups they belong to). 9.  Don’t Forget to Check Out The Newsfeed. On your homepage is a roundup of stories that LinkedIn thinks may interest you. Check out daily headlines and posts to stay abreast of important information in your industry. Share and comment on posts of interest to increase engagement. 10.  Don’t Forget to Give Recommendations. Acknowledge and recognize the contributions of people you know by providing unsolicited, genuine recommendations for them. Reach out and request recommendations of your own. 11.  Finally Don’t Restrict Your LinkedIn Networking to Online Only. Use LinkedIn to connect with people but request in-person get-togethers, when possible. Meet for coffee, or lunch, to catch up.  Need more tips on LinkedIn? Lets connect!  Send me a personalized invite and I will gladly accept.  I post daily articles and tips on the site and love to engage with job seekers.

How to Find Pain Points for a Cover Letter

How to Find Pain Points for a Cover Letter When writing a cover letter for a job application, are you focused on letting hiring managers know you can do the job? Or are you focused on making the lives of people at another company easier? Let hiring managers know you can do more than the job by finding the pain points of the company to address in your pain provoking cover letter. Here is how to do it.1. Do Some Digging on the Company and Hiring ManagerThe first step is to find out what you can about the problems the company is experiencing and who is doing the hiring. Sometimes, the job description holds the clues to let you know what pain points must be addressed. Maybe you have seen this in a job description:“We need to double our team in the next two months and are looking for a recruiter to lead the charge.” “We’re looking for a savvy growth hacker who can help us reach two million users.”Next, you can identify the hiring manager by the posting on LinkedIn or you can identify people from your own network who are connected to the hiring manager.2. Start Stalking (Not Really)You don't actually want to stalk anyone, but at times it may feel like you are stalking someone for a job on LinkedIn. Once you have figured who knows who and who you are connected to, reach out to them with a well-written LinkedIn message. If they are local to you, see if they would agree to have a quick coffee. If not, see if they will agree to a call.Let them know what you are applying for, the company, and most importantly:Ask how to tailor your cover letter and application. Ask for insight on what the company is really hoping for someone to focus on in this position.So, let’s say you have no one to stalk:Search for people who held similar roles at different companies. Ask what their biggest challenges were.You will get some noticeable themes to write about when addressing hiring managers in your cover letter.3. If All Else Fails in Your Pain Point SearchAll companies use social media, so check out customer complain ts, press releases, Glassdoor, or news from staff on LinkedIn. You can get an idea of the company’s pain points enough to address themes or issues you have read about.Find out if the company has had issues in the past with staffing, layoffs, market exposure, etc. See if the pain points apply to the very position you are applying for.When you do apply, your cover letter will show you did the research and work to prove the company is one you should be working at. And when you interview, you will be prepared to talk about the company like no other job candidate!

Dream job opportunity Protect our planet from aliens

Dream job opportunity Protect our planet from aliens Is there really life on Mars? Do aliens exist? Well NASA must think so, as theyre recruiting a new Planetary Protection Officer. You could get paid upwards of £100k to protect earth from alien life forms, as well as to protect other planets from our contamination. The new recruit will be working alongside some of the smartest minds in space exploration, developing ideas on how we can explore other planets without interfering with their biospheres. For example, when sending rovers to Mars, they need to be thoroughly sterilised to ensure no cross contamination of organisms between the two planets. Were not alone Catherine Conley, who previously held the role, was interviewed for Scientific American in 2014, and discussed the problems that arise when planning potential human habitation of Mars. Will the humans be alive by the time they get to Mars? If they die on Mars, are they then contaminating the surface? All fascinating stuff. While its a hefty responsibility, you will be rewarded generously for your efforts. The salary is a whopping  $124,406 $187,000. Blast off So channel your inner  Sigourney Weaver, have an Alien movie marathon and youre all set to apply for a job with the most interesting job title weve heard in a long time. So if youre ready for a job that is simply out of this world, click here to apply. Or if youre looking for a job a bit more down to earth, head over to the Debut app to view the latest opportunities we have available. Download the app for free from the App Store or Google Play today. Connect with Debut on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for more careers insights.

Write tight for smart phones - Sterling Career Concepts

Write tight for smart phones Write tight for smart phones This shouldnt come as a surprise, but Irecently read in website magazine thatanalysts are predicting that smart phones will go mainstream in the U.S. this year. Website magazine reported that market research firmAsymco predicts that 50% of the U.S. population will be using smart phones by the end of this year, an increase from 30% and 18% at the end of 2010 and 2009, respectively. What does this mean for job seekers?Itincreases the odds that your job search correspondence, be ita cover,thank you,networking, or follow up letter,will be read on a smart phone screen. Why does that make a difference?A smart phone screen is awhole lot smaller than a computer screen.Youhave that much less space to capture your readers attention and get your point across before they click off or worse yet delete your email. Here are three ways to make sure yourletterissmart phone-savvy: Write tight and concise. Theres no better time or reasonfor short paragraphs comprised of short, to the point sentences. Use bullet formatting as appropriate as well. Visualize your letter appearing on the smart phone screen. Space is at a premium! Contact info at the end. Save any header information for your signature line â€" email, phone number, address, branding statement. Dont waste valuable real estatein the first few lines of youremail body to mimic the top of a cover letter because it only forces your readerto scroll down just to read your first paragraph. Maximize your subject line. Include detail, punch, andwhen appropriate, a call to action in the subject line of youremailso thatyour recipientknows what the emailisand what you expect of them. Equally critical is to lead with your strongest point so that it doesn’t get cut off on the screen if the full subject line isnt visible. Keep these suggestions in mind and your job search correspondence will have an advantage no matter where its read.

Tips on How to Write a Resume That is Placed High on the Rankings

Tips on How to Write a Resume That is Placed High on the RankingsWriting a resume is actually a quite simple task that anyone can do. The basic ideas of writing a resume are to keep it short and to be complete and informative. This makes it easier for the employer to read your resume and choose the best candidate for a job. Here are some tips on how to write a resume.The first thing you need to do is to find out the format you would like to use for your resume. Yahoo! requires different formats and therefore you should check this before you begin writing.After selecting a format, the next step is to start writing your resume. Make sure that your resume is complete. Be careful when you go through the resume as mistakes can have an adverse effect on your chances of getting hired.One common mistake that people make is to use the same template for all their resumes. Yahoo! does not recommend this practice since you will only end up wasting more time on rewriting it as every time the empl oyer changes the resume he may alter it, making the template obsolete.However, you can choose from a variety of templates and choose the one that best suits your resume. A resume template can also be a great resource for your career progress since it will help you avoid common mistakes and provide you with a clearer understanding of the job you want to do.There are several job applications available in Yahoo. The applications are divided into different categories, which can help you understand the kind of jobs you need to apply for. The jobs that are related to the particular category also correspond to the categories and so you should look for these jobs so that you are not wasting your time trying to figure out which category to apply for.The popular applications include My Career Manager, My Next Move, Yahoo Job Link and My College Specialist. They offer various jobs in the different industries. In My Next Move you can manage your career in your own way, which helps you focus on the field you want to pursue, providing you the opportunity to earn a lot of money in a short period of time.Yahoo! offers numerous resources for students as well as professionals.