Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom

New Study Shows What Successful Job Seekers Do Right

In late 2014, the Career Advisory Board’s Job Preparedness Indicator study revealed a startling fact: only 7 percent of hiring managers feel that most job seekers have the right combination of skills and traits needed to fill open positions. This means that while the market is robust and candidates are flooding pipelines, a company might interview 25 people and hire no one. It’s very rare that a candidate applies for whom hiring managers can check all the boxes.

In the interest of providing actionable advice to job seekers, we set out to discover what candidates who are perceived as the “complete package” are doing in order to secure a desirable job offer. In our new Successful Job Seekers research, we surveyed over 550 professionals of varying ages and in different roles and industries. Our respondents had one thing in common: they were either recruited by a desirable company and received an offer without having to search for a new job at all (referred to as passive job seekers), or they received an interview for a job they ultimately accepted less than six months after starting a search (referred to as active job seekers). 

Here, I highlight the results of the research, including that the most effective candidates target, customize, and are organized and realistic about their opportunities. 

Successful Job Seekers TARGET

A short and fruitful job search is apparently not the numbers game that many think it is. Active job seeker respondents, on the whole, did not apply to dozens of positions and hope to get lucky. Instead, they targeted individual companies and applied to open positions very selectively. Fifty-one percent of active job seekers applied to five or fewer positions and 66 percent applied to 10 or fewer. Ninety percent of active job seekers wanted to be at least 75 percent qualified before applying for a position, and 41 percent wanted to be more than 90 percent qualified before applying. This discerning attitude works, as nearly a third of active job seeker respondents received an interview for more than half the positions to which they applied. 

Successful Job Seekers CUSTOMIZE

An essential tool in our respondents’ arsenal was customization. Before applying, 67 percent of active job seeker respondents reached out to the contact person to inquire about the position, and 32 percent reached out to their network to get inside information on the role and company. Alongside their applications, 67 percent included a resume containing the keywords and skills listed in the job description, and 56 percent wrote an email or cover letter pertaining specifically to each open position. Once an interview had been secured, 84 percent of both active and passive job seekers updated or created a new resume for that opportunity. In preparing for individual interview conversations, 63 percent reviewed the company website, 52 percent Googled the company, 46 percent brainstormed concrete examples of how the job description matched their skill set, 28 percent talked to current employees at the company, and 26 percent Googled the interviewers.

Successful Job Seekers ORGANIZE

Organization is important to successful active job seekers: 73 percent kept files on each opportunity, 64 percent stuck to a weekly to do list, and over 50 percent used an online calendar or smartphone app to manage appointments. As one might expect, timely follow up was critical to securing an offer. Sixty-five percent of both active and passive respondents emailed thank you notes after an interview, 17 percent mailed hard copy thank you notes, and 16 percent called to thank the interviewer(s). They didn’t follow up too much, however. While 64 percent of respondents followed up after the interview at least once, only 6 percent followed up frequently. Finally, successful seekers managed their time carefully. Though many career advisers suggest treating a search like a full-time job, most of our respondents didn’t. Only 7 percent spent more than 3 hours a day on their search, 47 percent spent 1-3 hours a day, and 45 percent spent less than an hour each day.

Successful Job Seekers ARE REALISTIC

The most successful active and passive job seekers were willing to settle to some degree. Most accepted jobs that were superior in only a few ways (role, industry, company, geographic location). Sixty-three percent accepted roles they felt were desirable, 55 percent accepted a role at a desirable company, 51 percent accepted a role in a desirable location, and 46 percent accepted a role in a desirable industry. Only 21 percent felt they received an excellent offer, 61 percent thought the offer was good enough, and 19 percent thought the offer was not good, but they wanted the work. 

Have you been very successful on the job search? What made it possible for you?

The Benefits of Self-Managed Teams

A topic that is close to our collective heart is the self-managed team. A self-managed team is a group of employees that's responsible and accountable for all or most aspects of producing a product or delivering a service, and according to the Houston Chronicle, 80 percent of Fortune 1000 companies use them in some capacity. Self-managed teams are licensed by a senior leader to operate independently and are given the resources necessary to meet pre-determined business objectives. Some of the benefits we've observed are as follows:

Streamlined Operations

One of the reasons workers like startups so much is that being on a smaller team means they have to cut through less red tape in order to do their jobs. Self-managed teams employ the same concept of team ownership (i.e. action can be taken without the extra step of seeking approval within a traditional hierarchy). Less bureaucracy means faster product or service delivery, which equals lower costs and increased profits. 

Clarity of Direction

Self-managed teams use regularly scheduled meetings to ensure that members are on the same page in terms of the best way to move forward. They gain consensus on a small scale and then quickly proceed, avoiding problematic situations like receiving conflicting marching orders from different executives and remaining in a holding pattern until some piece of essential communication trickles down the line. 

 

Could We Really Make One Day Hiring Work?

John Sullivan is one of the most respected HR thought leaders in the world. I have been reading and citing his ideas forever, and love getting his articles through my ERE.net subscription.  John tends to put forth ideas slightly before they catch on in the mainstream, and that’s why my interest was piqued when he introduced the single-day hiring process.

We all know that hiring takes too long. By the time your organization gets it together enough to make an offer, a top candidate has gone somewhere else.  Unemployment rates are dropping rapidly, and no one has the time to sit by the phone for months, waiting for the opportunity to interview with you for the third time.

Current Recruitment Processes Can’t Keep Up

Lengthy hiring processes are also outdated. SilkRoad and I have been talking about the future of talent acquisition a lot this quarter, and two things keep coming up over and over again: 1) Operating with open positons hemorrhages money and kills productivity, so we need a way to hire in as close to real-time as possible, and 2) The expectation that the best candidates will walk into your office for several in-person interviews at a moment’s notice is unrealistic.  Technology has facilitated an evolution in these areas, yet our processes lag behind. Enter John Sullivan’s one-day hiring idea.

Could Speed Recruiting Be the Answer?

One-day hiring is a condensed corporate process in which you complete all interviewing and reference checking and make an offer before the candidate leaves the building or finishes an initial digital interview. John provides a lot of helpful details on ERE.net, but there are two important things to keep in mind.  First, a great deal of assessment and vetting of the candidate must take place before the day in question so that you can ensure he is a good fit skills and culture wise. Secondly, one-day hiring should be reserved for the 5-20 percent of jobs that are hard to fill because most qualified candidates are off the market in days.

For more where this came from, take a look at the SilkRoad blog.

The Impact of the Internet of Things

The latest tech trend is the Internet of Things (IoT), and if you’re like me, you didn’t know what it meant until you were reading a blog post one day (possibly this one).

The IoT is what will happen when any device with an off/on switch can be connected to the Internet and to other devices. Technology analyst firm Gartner has predicted that in the very near future, there will be nearly 30 billion connected devices, forging complex relationships between people and things.

In his article for Forbes, Jacob Morgan says that IoT is becoming more of a thing (forgive the pun) now due to a confluence of factors including widely available broadband, decreasing connection and technology costs, smart phone penetration, and the creation of devices with built-in wi-fi censors.

Connected devices will be smarter devices because they will no longer operate in silos. Instead, a device will be able to communicate its activities to other devices and to the people who manage those devices. For instance, based on your daily routine, your smartphone will talk to your office printer, your home alarm system, and your favorite coffee shop about what you need and when you need it.

For the impact of IoT on HR, have a look at the full post on the SilkRoad blog.

Do You Reject Candidates Politely?

Once your first choice has accepted the job, how do you close the loop with the other candidates who have interviewed?  My first piece of advice is to contact them and let them know of your decision.  This may sound obvious, but it’s shocking how many organizations don’t do it and just leave candidates hanging.  If a candidate takes the time to interview with you, you at least owe her the courtesy of a phone call or email.  Here are some general best practices:

Err on the side of overcommunicating

You can get things off on the right foot by explaining your selection process before or during an interview.  When you provide this information, the candidate will know exactly when they can expect communication from you and will be less likely to check in repeatedly about offer status (or sit and stew about why they haven’t heard from you).

Yes, you must use a phone

Now that most organizations have an applicant tracking system and/or career portal that can send automated emails to candidates at various stages of the recruitment process, there’s no excuse for allowing a rejected candidate to disappear into a black hole.  However, if they went through the trouble of coming in for an interview, you should really call them as soon as you’ve given an offer to someone else – if not sooner.  You’d be surprised how fast word gets around in local job hunting circles.  If your call gets sent to voicemail, leave one.  They might be one of those non-checkers, but that’s not your problem.  A voicemail is better than no call at all.

For the rest of my tips, head over to the SilkRoad blog.

Long-Term Planning Strategies for the Small Business

Ideally, every small-business owner would focus on the long view. We would always be purposeful of how, when and where we could expect growth and would set and achieve a series of goals to get to a certain desired point. 

According to the Alternative Board’s survey, small-business owners with a strategic plan they consider “excellent” or “good” are much more likely to project a sharp increase in profits and sales revenue than owners without a strategic plan.

Sometimes, though, the real world gets in the way. We are pulled in too many directions and, before we know it, the year is half over. A volatile market requires a change in direction.

I wanted to know how successful small-business owners balance future planning with immediate priorities, so I talked to Jon Izenstark, co-founder of HR consulting firm Culture Factors in Chicago; Laura Land, CEO of cell phone accessory companyEmpire in Riverside, California; and Rachel Rodgers, founder ofRachel Rodgers Law Office in Tenafly, New Jersey.

How did you get to where you are today? In what way was it a result of long-range planning?

Jon Izenstark: It was a fairly quick gut decision. I was working in a sales role for a management consulting firm with some really prominent industrial psychologists who helped me to develop a passion for the field and business. When the firm was sold, my partner and I stuck around for a while, but this just seemed like the next logical move.

Rachel Rodgers: In the beginning, I would put together an annual plan for the year and usually accomplish a good portion of that list. In the past two years, however, I have been working with an executive coach/business advisor with whom I have created a long-term plan. We are slowly but surely executing on each piece of the plan. We are definitely playing the long game now. 

Can your business be successful if you don’t take the long view?

Laura Land: Yes, some industries require adaptability. Over the last 12 years, our business has transformed about every six months. Staying relevant is most important.

Izenstark: That depends on your definition of success and your business plan. There are lots of successful businesses that have a finite lifespan for a product or solution. They make money for the principals for two to three years and then close the doors. Our business model from the onset was designed to be sustainable long term and needs long-term planning as a core competency. 

Rodgers: I think you can have some success, but you eventually have to have an overall vision to remain successful. Even if you are lucky enough to become an “overnight sensation,” you still have to make long-term plans to determine how to maintain that level of success.

For the rest of the interview, check out the full post at the AMEX Open Forum.

Essentials for Getting Repeat Business

Here is the story of two companies.  I bought a ton of products from both this year.  Company 1’s offerings were stellar, but had a laissez-faire attitude toward the significant hurdles I faced during the procurement process. Company 2’s product line was less impressive, but the folks there jumped through hoops to ensure that I was happy and satisfied with my purchases.

Which company am I more likely to buy from again?

In the small business world, everything is personal. You can have the most incredible product or service the customer has ever seen, but if she doesn’t like you, it won’t matter. Quality is important, of course, but trust trumps it every time. The way Company 2 treated me makes me want to give its offerings another shot, and it makes me want to recommend it to others.

I’m not the first person to say that it’s much easier to sell to an existing customer than to get a new customer. However, despite the fact this idea is almost a cliché, small business owners continually expend more effort marketing to strangers than taking care of the people who are right under their noses.  Once you’ve gone to all the trouble to seal the initial deal, here are five things you must do to get repeat business from your customers.

Insert Yourself

Small businesses are often appealing because customers like to support the local guy (or gal) who is just like them. As your business grows, you might lose the intimate bond you have with your customers, and that’s dangerous. If you want to make a terrific impression, owners should connect one-on-one with customers whenever possible and especially if there has been a snafu and the customer is angry. If a customer understands that you are there for him personally, he will be more likely to give your company the benefit of the doubt.

Give Them Something Special

Reward programs are a no brainer – it costs virtually nothing to design a simple repeat visitor card. And if you have the choice of getting your morning latte from Starbucks or the neighborhood joint and the neighborhood joint is giving you a free scone on your next visit, you’re going there. Also, give existing customers a sneak peek at new products or services and give them freebies or deep discounts in exchange for feedback.

For more ideas, check out the full post at the AMEX Open Forum.

 

Do Your People Speak Your Language?

In building a new house, one has the opportunity to interact with a lot of contracting businesses. Most of these are small and locally owned. Usually, the business owner wins over the customer by being knowledgeable and friendly, and by making promises about his firm’s reliable, punctual and detail-oriented culture.

Once the project begins, however, the customer may not see the owner again. You're dealing with a project manager and a series of vendors (heating, electrical, plumbing, paint, interior design, etc.) who may not fully understand how the owner’s business is supposed to operate, or the customer’s expectations.

This is when things start to fall apart. The owner built a terrific business based on an appealing culture, but that culture isn’t translating in everyday customer interactions. The individual employees and vendors have their own ways of doing things. The right hand on the project doesn’t know what the left hand is doing. Chaos and misunderstandings ensue. The customer is disappointed and does not recommend the business again.

When any small business starts to grow and additional people must be engaged, owners must be strategic about their process. Here are five tips to move in the right direction.

1. Consider cultural fit. Small-business owners tend to hire people purely based on expertise and whether they are experienced in a particular industry. But just because someone is a talented carpenter, for instance, does not mean she prides herself on solving a problem without being asked or taking that extra step to ensure the best quality. If you want your business to be perceived as doing these things, you must screen for them during the interview process.

2. Develop an onboarding program. Whether it’s personally training everyone who works on your behalf or developing standard materials for all new people to review, make sure that all new full-time and contracted hires receive the same message about your culture, philosophy and processes. If a partner refuses to comply with your values, find another who will.

For more suggestions, head over to the full article at the AMEX Open Forum.

How to Revamp a Boring Culture

In an earlier article, I discussed how to build a culture of innovation. Some of the tips included avoiding micromanagement, keeping stress level to a minimum, and encouraging your people to take risks. These methods can definitely re-energize a stale culture, but there are other avenues you might try as well. The end of the year is the perfect time to put some of these ideas into effect for a fresh start in January.

Get Your Games On

When most people think about gamification, they picture sophisticated software programs featuring elaborate plots and characters. But gamification is simply taking the essence of games—fun, play, transparency, design and challenge—and applying it to real-world objectives rather than pure entertainment. In her recent article for Inc., Ekaterina Walter featured social solutions company Sprinklr. In the “Sprinklr Assassins” game, everyone in the office gets assigned another employee as a target and the goal is to be the last person standing. The competition is fun, of course, but it also helps the business by promoting cohesiveness and relationship building.

Institutionalize Intrapreneurship

Intrapreneurship is the practice of entrepreneurship within the context of an established organization, by leveraging the resources of that organization. Intrapreneurship sounds great on paper, but if you leave it to chance, it will lose out to everyday business fires every time. If your culture is getting stale, consider building intrapreneurial projects into employee performance objectives and setting aside time each week for employees to pursue innovative personal projects that will take your business to the next level. Decide on the projects that will receive significant organizational resources by establishing a formal innovation committee to vet ideas.

For the rest of my ideas, take a look at the full post at the AMEX Open Forum.