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Communication: the Key to Attracting Top Talent
(By Dan Simmons)

You know that your company is a great company to work for. You’ll get no argument from me. But the bottom line when it comes to attracting top talent in the marketplace is that it doesn’t matter if you know.

It matters if the talent knows.

In this increasingly candidate-driven market, it requires a strategic, detailed, and comprehensive plan of attack for companies to attract and hire the type of candidates they want, the type they need to take their business to the next level. While this plan can vary somewhat in timeframe and scope, there are certain criteria that must be focused on and met, and the central thread running through the plan is effective communication. If you can communicate exactly what you want to the candidate you’re interviewing and if you’re able to communicate so well that they see this position as the kind of exciting, career-advancing opportunity that you see it as, the chances that they’ll accept your offer will increase greatly.

It’s in the details
Every time you interact with a candidate, either verbally or non-verbally, you’re communicating with them. And sometimes, even when you’re not interacting with them, you’re still communicating, which means you could be inadvertently communicating the wrong things. This underscores the importance of paying attention to as many details as possible.

Below are some steps that you can take to communicate effectively with candidates and make yourself more attractive to top-notch talent:

 Understand how you’re perceived in the employment marketplace for each type of position you’re seeking to fill and also how to dispel negative misperceptions. This is going to require some research and some homework, but it will be well worth it. Some companies are clueless about why they’re not able to attract top candidates and also why they’re not able to retain those type of employees. Don’t be clueless. Be informed, and act accordingly.

 Create an outline of expectations of the first 100 days for all new employees, along with a solid orientation program. Communicating expectations is the first step toward making sure that those expectations are met—and hopefully exceeded.

 Construct an easily understood, concise, and timely process for screening candidates that is adhered to and decisive. Candidates can tell something about the company during the screening and interview process. In a way, you’re being interviewed, as well. Make sure that your process not only accomplishes everything you want it to, but that it also portrays an accurate and positive image of your company and its culture.

 Draft a well-defined value proposition; in other words, reasons why top candidates would leave your competitor and join your company. “We’re better” just isn’t going to cut it. Candidates want a detailed list of why they should join you and not Company X, and this list of reasons needs to be communicated to every prospect consistently. This will help to attract the candidates who share your company’s vision and values and will sometimes eliminate candidates who will not be an asset.

 Communicate a clear and universal understanding of the personality traits and skills necessary not only to be successful with your company overall, but also in the position for which the candidate is being recruited. This information needs to be communicated from the executive level down to the hiring level, and to be successful, it must also be shared with human resources and the recruiters who source the talent. The key is to be both thorough and specific. Miscommunication can occur anywhere along the line. It’s also important to create an atmosphere where the candidate is comfortable asking questions. If they’re not comfortable, they won’t ask.

 Utilize the budget and the means to attract and hire the best. If you’re communicating effectively, you also have to back up what you’re saying. Be prepared to offer A+ candidates what they’re looking for in terms of salary, benefits, opportunities for advancement, etc. You have to talk the talk and walk the walk.

Time and time again, companies have lost top talent because of their inability to effectively communicate to the candidate not only what they can offer, but also what the candidate can expect once they join the team. This needs to be communicated thoroughly, but equally important, it needs to be communicated in a timely manner, through a concise interview process.

The good news is that this is relatively easy to correct. Review or create your process. Make certain all participants in the hiring process adhere to the process, every time. Eliminate unnecessary steps. And of course, make sure that clear communication is a top priority.

If you have any questions or if you’d like more information, you can contact me at (888) 276-6789 or at dan@consearch.com.

The Phone Screen—a Crucial First Impression
(By Dan Simmons)

Has this ever happened to you?

You apply for a job and receive a call from somebody at the company. They want to conduct a preliminary interview over the telephone, i.e., a phone screen. So they ask you a few standard questions, and you give what you believe are good answers, answers that should definitely take you to the next level of the process. You hang up the phone, confident that you’re on your way. Except. . .you never receive another phone call from that person. Obviously, you failed the phone screen.

What went wrong? Probably a few things that you didn’t even recognize or notice while the phone call was happening. Unfortunately, many candidates take the phone screen for granted. They believe it’s merely a formality before the company calls them in for an interview. In fact, they almost treat the phone screen as though they’ll be called in during that telephone conversation. This is a crucial mistake. The phone screen is the first major step in the interview process, and it must be taken just as seriously as a face-to-face interview.

That’s because you’ll never make it to the face-to-face interview unless you make a positive impression on the phone. The tricky part is that the phone screen is not simply a streamlined version of a face-to-face interview. Since your objective (securing a face-to-face meeting) is different, the way in which you conduct yourself during the phone screen is different, as well. Below are some tips you should keep in mind:

1. Be enthusiastic and assertive. Sometimes it’s easy to forget, but the person on the other end of the line can’t see your facial expressions or make eye contact with you. As a result, they can’t fully or accurately gauge your level of excitement or interest in the position.

2. Stay focused and eliminate all distractions. Avoid speaking too fast, having music or other noises in the background, chewing or smoking, or speaking too close to the receiver—in other words, anything that may create an unpleasant image of yourself.

3. Don’t ask questions that appear to be selfishly motivated. This is the most common mistake that people make during phone screens. You shouldn’t even bring up the subject of money or benefits. Remember, this phone call determines whether or not you’ll be having a face-to-face interview. Your only goal at this point should be to sell the company on your skills and experience. Be ready to showcase specific examples of projects and accomplishments that illustrate these things. Talking about money prematurely can only have a negative effect.

4. Be prepared for the following questions:

 Why are you leaving your present position? Have a positive reason for this move. Ripping on your current boss is not going to leave a favorable impression (even if you truly can’t stand the person). Emphasize your desire for professional growth and development.

 What are your strong/weak points? Be honest when answering this question. Trying to convince the interviewer that you have no weaknesses will uncover at least one weakness—dishonesty.

 What were your biggest accomplishments in your last position? This is another opportunity to showcase your skill level and experience. Make a detailed list of your accomplishments beforehand. You don’t want to come up short on this question.

 What contributions can you make to our company? This is the big question, the one that will either cement their interest in you or leave them with lingering doubts. The best way to answer it is to conduct thorough research on the company. Check out the company’s Web site, find out what they’re doing, and be prepared to point out how you can help them achieve their goals. As a parting comment, let the potential employer know that you are very interested in the position and why. Once again, let your enthusiasm show. It could be the deciding factor between you and another candidate.

If treated properly, the phone screen can help to set the tone for the entire interview process. It can make you look solid from beginning to end. The good news is that if you’ve read this article, you already have a jump on many candidates in the market right now, candidates you may be vying with for your next job. If you stick to the guidelines listed above, you’ll increase the chances that you’ll be moving on—and they’ll still be searching.

Required Reading for Your Career
(By Matt Deutsch)

Are you as smart as you think you are?

Did you have to hesitate before answering that question? Have you even answered it yet?

The fact of the matter is that most people believe they know more than they actually do, about a variety of topics that affect their life in some way or another. That’s simply human nature. And the business world is no exception. Yes, you’re good at what you do, and other people would undoubtedly back that up. But it’s one thing to be good at what you do, and it’s quite another thing to be great at what you do.

You’ve heard the old adage—knowledge is power. It’s been drilled into your head since elementary school, and while you may have dismissed it as an antiquated notion back then (or were too busy playing kickball), it has important implications for the future of your business and your career. No matter what industry you’re in, that industry is constantly moving forward and progressing, which means that the rules are changing as the business landscape changes. As a result, staying abreast of industry trends is necessary in order to ensure your future success.

But it’s not enough to simply research industry-specific topics. You also have to take a broader approach and start reading books that will enable you to enhance your overall skill set, a skill set that you can apply to almost any business or career situation. Success in business can be measured in inches. The difference between being somewhat successful and enjoying wild success may come down to one piece of information, one shred of data that somebody else knew and that you didn’t. You wouldn’t want to miss out on a mind-blowing opportunity simply because of that, would you? But the stark reality is that it happens all the time—but you can stop it from happening to you.

There are numerous career-enhancing books on the market, books that delve into topics such as leadership, management, successful habits, etc., etc. The list is almost endless. However, over the years a few select books have stood out from the crowd and have made a difference in enough people’s lives that they’ve reached a certain level of prominence. In other words, they’ve almost become required reading for those people who want to truly maximize the potential of their careers—for those people who want to make sure that they’re always a few inches ahead of everybody else.

Below is a list of some of those select books, along with a description of each.

 Good to Great by Jim Collins. Collins and a team of researchers studied over 1,400 companies, looking for those that made substantial improvements over time, or to be more succinct, went from “good to great.” Collins shares his research in this book, as well as stories and examples that illustrate his findings.

 Topgrading: How Leading Companies Win by Hiring, Coaching, and Keeping the Best People by Bradford Smart. According to Smart, “Simply put, topgrading is the practice of packing the team with A players and clearing out the C players.” Now who wouldn’t want to do that? Smart, an industrial psychologist and global consultant, explains the best ways to accomplish that goal.

 Hire with your Head by Lou Adler. This book’s power hiring methods are designed to help managers attract, assess, and recruit the best candidates through a dynamic combination of divergent methods.

 The 100 Simple Secrets of Successful People by David Niven, Ph.D. Scientists have already done the research. They know why successful people are successful. This book will present the results of over 1,000 studies, explaining the data in an easily understood fashion.

 The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. There’s a good chance you’ve already read this book or that you’ve heard of it. Why? It’s sold over 10 million copies. Published in 1990, it continues to be the standard against which other books of its type are measured. If you haven’t read it yet, make this the next book you pick up.

 The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness by Stephen R. Covey. Spurred in large part by the advent of the Information Age, this book revolves around achieving personal and organizational excellence. Topics include finding your voice, inspiring others, and establishing trust. It’s a fine complement to Covey’s runaway best seller.

So—are you as smart as you think you are? Or perhaps a better question would be this: “Are you as smart and as well-informed as your competitors?” Because in the final analysis, that’s what matters the most. Those individuals who are reaching their full potential as employees and employers have made the investment of time to accrue the knowledge they need to be successful. If you’ve read all the books above, I applaud you. If you haven’t, it’s time for a trip to the bookstore. Do the required reading for your career, because after all, you can’t afford to flunk the final.

If you have any suggestions for additional books that may be of interest to our readers, please email those suggestions to dan@consearch.com.