Harrison Barnes » recruiter jobs

Take Incremental Steps

Harrison Barnes — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 05:43:11 +0000

When I was around sixteen years old, growing up in Detroit, my mother’s boyfriend for several years was a tugboat (also known as a towboat) captain. Since the job was unionized, my mother was always trying to interest me in this as a good long-term career prospect. I did not grow up in the sort of environment wherein I was meeting and being introduced to attorneys, doctors, and so forth as role models; instead, I was meeting machine operators, towboat captains, and the like. My mother took me down to watch this man and his crew hooking up giant freighters to tow them out to the lakes and sometimes all the way out to sea. She used to talk about how I could get a journeyman’s card, working on these boats as a deck hand. Back then in Detroit, these sorts of jobs paid well, and people usually got them through people they knew. In fact, if you were from a middle-class family and got a job working on one of these boats in high school, you might seriously consider taking this job over going to college. You could make more money working on the boats as an 18-year-old than you might be making if you went to a decent college, graduated, and spent ten years working as a manager inside a big company. These towboats typically towed freighters that were loaded with steel, coal, and so forth to River Rouge and to other factories along the Detroit River. Towing the loads back and forth was big business and it looked like a lot of fun. Towboats on the Great Lakes in Michigan will sometimes tow vessels that are as long as a football field down a river and out to the lake. In fact, these towboats are so large that on some of them the crew rides from one part of the boat to another on ATVs. The freighters are often enormously heavy, and the towboats muscle them along at a few miles per hour. Years later, in thinking about the process that a towboat operator’s job entails, I realized that this method of work is a metaphor for really what makes job seekers, salespeople, and others successful in virtually any profession. In fact, a towboat can even be viewed as a metaphor for your entire career and life. In order for a tugboat to haul a giant freighter, it needs to be attached by a huge steel cable to the freighter. These cables are so large and heavy that you probably could not lift them if you tried. The process I have observed wherein a tugboat was attached to the freighter is a simple one:

First, the tugboat operator throws a thin rope to the crew of the freighter.
Attached to the thin rope is a heavier rope that the freighter crew pulls onboard.
Attached to the heavier rope is a still heavier rope that the freighter crew will pull onboard.
Attached to this heavier rope is a thin cable that the freighter crew will pull onboard.
Attached to the thin cable is another heavy cable that the freighter crew will pull onboard.
Attached to the heavier cable is an even heavier cable that the freighter crew will pull onboard.
Finally, the final cable (perhaps as thick as your arm) is attached to the freighter that is to be pulled down the river.

In order to accomplish something meaningful, to get a job, or to do anything, you need to drop softly into a comfort zone. You cannot simply lay down roots instantly and get the result you want without taking many small steps to get there. The towboat is only able to attach its cable because it is progressively using a rope, then a cable, then a larger cable, and so forth. One of the most important things you can do to reach any goal you want, is to take very small, incremental steps and then build upon these. Setting up a routine, and making sure that you are approaching some target on an ongoing basis, ultimately ends up assisting you in reaching your goal. For example, if you were interested in running a marathon you would not start out by running 15 miles one day, 23 the next day, and then running the marathon. Instead, you would first run half a mile the first day, and you would probably be exhausted from this. You might do this for an entire week and then start running a mile five days a week. Then you might gradually move up to three miles, then four, then five, and so on. You would move incrementally toward your goal, and as you became more and more proficient along the way, you would put yourself in a better position to get to where you wanted to end up. However, if you had tried to run 15 miles on the first day you might have gotten so discouraged that you would have never tried running again; that would have been the end of it. Unfortunately, this is what most people do with their goals. So many goals and potential achievements are thrown away on the first try because people become incredibly frustrated when they do not reach their goal immediately. And then they simply give up. This is so common, it is difficult to believe. Your ability to move gradually toward a goal is something that can make a massive difference in your life and career. In the recruiting realm, for example, one of the most difficult things for recruiters to do is to track down candidates by calling them on the phone. The approach that 99% of all recruiters use is calling people in response to a job for which they are recruiting. Most of the people that they are speaking with, they have never spoken to before. Most of the people they are calling on the phone end up being suspicious, defensive, and so forth when the recruiter calls. The recruiter gets rejected a lot and may get frustrated because he or she is not making placements, getting enough candidates, and so forth. The reason the recruiter is getting rejected is that he or she is requesting an immediate commitment. The person is trying to attach a giant cable to the candidate and tow the candidate over to a new employer before the candidate has even gotten comfortable with moving forward. The very best recruiters spend the majority of their time not recruiting but, instead, creating mutual trust between themselves and numerous people out there whom they hope to work with in the future. This is a fun way to work because the recruiter is simply spending time developing relationships with various people, instead of constantly trying to sell something. Recruiters may incrementally build trust with at first a simple phone call introducing themselves as a recruiter who is available to provide information about jobs, and later, with more phone calls, sending over articles about industry trends and so forth. For the best recruiters, the job is not stressful at all because they are not trying to create “instant leads” and “instant sales” the moment they speak with someone. They are just making calls and “hanging out” with people. When prospective candidates do decide to look for a job, they are much more likely to use someone they trust, not someone who is approaching them out of the blue. All of the recruiters I know who follow this approach tend to do exceptionally well in the profession, regardless of the economic climate. The incremental approach also works with job searches. I believe that the best interviewers are the people who are able to connect and relate to employers and people inside the company. They do not go into interviews with the idea of “closing” and getting the job right away but, instead, go in with a mind-set that they are going there to build a long-term relationship. It is not all about an instant “score” or an instant “offer”; instead, their behavior revolves around a less threatening series of ongoing overtures and so forth to build a relationship. These kinds of people are more concerned about what they can do in the interview to show they will add value than about what the employer can give them, for example. Their primary interest is concentrated on making small connections, instead of trying to push interviewers over to their side. People never want to feel threatened, and they also do not like being in a position wherein they feel they are forced to commit to something. For several years, there have been numerous people who have called me once every several months to check in and see how I am doing, what I am up to, and so forth. These are various people I have met at business functions, who might have been looking for a job at one point or another. These people don’t call to ask me for anything, and they never have; however, people who stay in touch like this are often the first people that I think of when I have a job to fill or need to hire a company to do something. Software companies, copier companies, and others are masters at keeping in touch. They call and introduce themselves, and then ask to send information, just so you will know that they are around. Then they will schedule a time to meet with you and show you their product. Then they will call a few months later and see how you are doing. They may offer to do an analysis and see if you are spending more money than you should be on software, copiers, or other items. Then they will send an article about this or that. The point is that whenever I have purchased copiers, software, and the like, it has always been from the people who have taken months, or years, to build a relationship with me, not someone who just “cold called” me one time. Incremental movement, going forward in small steps, can work wonders for you in every area of your life. You start out small and build from there–but always build on what came before. This works with everything. You can learn a new language and do whatever you want to do by simply starting small. Watching real estate agents has always fascinated me. Where I live, in Malibu, California, there are some real estate agents who consistently make over $10 million a year. Some of them are so good at what they do, they have foundations and charities set up in their own names, which they are funding with all the money they are making selling real estate. This level of income truly boggles the mind. What makes it even more incredible is that many of these agents do not do things much different from other real estate agents. However, instead of looking at everyone out there in the market as a “sales prospect,” they look at their entire community as a group of friends. Whenever I go to decent-sized parties in Malibu I always see one of the area’s best real estate agents there. They are meeting people, hanging out, and having a good time. They are not there to sell anyone anything, yet people approach them to talk about real estate, among other things. The reason is that they are in an “nonthreatening environment,” and people who approach them are comfortable there. If the same real estate agent called these people on the phone without introductions and asked them to sell their house, the agent would get a different reaction from the people. You need to put yourself in a situation where you are consistently throwing out small lines and making greater and greater bonds with people over time. Keep in mind that you can only achieve your goals and reach your full potential if you are constantly building on a series of progressive steps. Most people fail to ever reach their potential because they believe everything should happen quickly and all at once. Success is about progressively building on what you have done before. The more you are able to build on what you have done before, the more you pull away from the “average” people in the world, who refuse to take a series of incremental steps before they demand greater results. THE LESSON The best way to attain your goal is through small, incremental steps on which you can build. Establish a routine, and make sure you are consistently working towards some kind of goal. Start small, and always build upon what you have done before. Most people fail to achieve their goals because they believe everything should happen quickly and at the same time, instead of progressively building upon their past achievements.

Use Personal Stories to Connect with an Employer and Get a Job

Harrison Barnes — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 05:15:22 +0000

Whenever I meet a merchant, the biggest question I often have is how much something costs. Lots of merchants refuse to tell you how much something costs until they have shown you what they are selling and all of its various features. Many merchants also often want to tell you a quick story about the product they are selling. No one is more notorious for doing this than the merchants who sell rugs in the Middle East. I think Middle Eastern rug merchants are about the best salesmen there are. The way these merchants conduct their business is a huge story in itself, about using the power of storytelling to sell product. Storytelling connects the customer with the merchant and the product, creating a bond that often results in a sale and the customer’s appreciation of the rug for years to come. When you walk into a rug shop in the Middle East, the salesman will sit down and spend a lot of time with you, especially if he believes you are looking for something expensive. He will explain the story behind the rug you are interested in. You will learn about how the rug was made and the geographic area it came from. Different lights will be turned on to show you how the rug looks at various shades. You will be shown the rug from numerous angles. Many rug merchants keep a small loom in their shops, which enables you to see up close how the rug was made. You might be offered tea and perhaps even liquor, if it is legal in the country you are in. After an hour or two of discussing the one rug, you might even be offered a snack. The merchant will then proceed to tell you about himself and his family. He will tell you how well and where he lives. He will tell you about the books he likes and dislikes. The merchant will also ask you numerous questions to get to know you. After all this has occurred, you will eventually learn the price of the rug–if you did not ask earlier. I have witnessed this enough times in Turkey and other countries to know that storytelling is an important ritual in the sale of rugs. It is the sort of ritual that has been occurring probably for as long as rugs have been sold. Storytelling can be extremely relevant to your job search and how you market yourself. In fact, if you understand its significance, you are likely to have a great deal of ease getting employed. What the rug merchants are doing when they present you with so much information is telling you exactly what you are getting before they give you a price. What you are getting when you purchase a rug from them is not just a rug but also the tale of the rug, its history, the merchant who sold it to you, and how you came upon the rug shop in your travels. You become significantly connected to the rug you purchase. Many families have owned rugs for generations. They feel connected to these rugs, and a great deal of that has to do with the stories that go along with them. There is an emotional energy that is invested in the rug. I remember the first time I went into a rug shop in the Middle East: I was surprised by how much time the salespeople wanted to spend with me. The salespeople were really selling a connection more than simply a pile of colored wool. I was taken to a casino. I was taken to Turkish teashops to spend time with other customers of the rug sellers. I learned about merchants’ families. The stories that went along with the rugs (which I would tell again and again to friends) were really something special. They are why I cherish the rugs I bought there, to this day. How many times have you heard someone tell a story about why they bought something? When people talk about a purchase, they always seem to have a story to go along with the product. Take the purchase of a car, for example. There is always a story about the car, the deal that was gotten, and sometimes even the remarkable timing of events that led to the purchase of the car. So what does this mean for you? As a person seeking employment you are at first seen as a commodity, and when an employer is hiring you, they are making a purchase of sorts. The more information the employer has about you, and the more (positive) stories that they can associate with you after your interview, the more likely you are to receive a job offer. A story about you can create a positive, memorable connection between you and your prospective employer. The more engaging the story is, the more likely people are to pass it around. In marketing, there is also something known as an elevator pitch, which is relevant to your job search. An elevator pitch is a story that you can tell (and that can be told again) quickly, which is memorable and to the point. For example, most people know that Google was started by two students at Stanford. People know that Henry Ford, the man behind the Ford Motor Company, developed the assembly line. You have a story too. That story can be useful to your employer if you develop it in your interview and application materials effectively. I will explain this further: As a recruiter, one of the primary jobs I do for candidates is to write a story describing their work and personal history. I then forward that to the prospective employer(s) along with the person’s application. I love writing these stories. I know that this document must thoroughly engross and draw in any employer who reads it. Throughout the years, I have realized that the better this story that I write is, the more likely the candidate is to get hired. In fact, developing a story for my candidates is one of the most important things that I can do for them. With very rare exceptions, every one of my successful candidate placements was due to the development of an outstanding story. There are some common characteristics of stories that get people hired, which I want to share with you so you can understand the entire process. The best stories typically revolve around the employee being very motivated to do a good job and continually wanting to improve in his or her employment. The person is generally portrayed as someone who works hard, has a positive attitude, is loyal, and, due to forces entirely outside his or her control, can no longer grow in his or her position or company. When the story is developed correctly, each job move is shown as part of this quest for continual self-improvement. A well-written story will also detail the candidate’s daily life. It will mention his or her family and friends, so that the prospective employer can come to identify with the candidate as a person. A good story requires a main character that has a positive attitude, who is trying to do well, but due to forces beyond his or her control, cannot. Think of the typical cops-and-robbers type movie or show. In these shows, the police officer is most often misunderstood while pursuing the bad guy. His boss thinks he is out of control and he receives frequent lectures about this. The cop is often so misunderstood that he is taken off the case. This story is incredibly popular and is so beloved that you can see it on probably any television set at any given time on any given day. When you think about why this story is so popular, it is pretty simple. It is about people trying to do good, putting in their best effort, and then being thwarted by various forces. In the process the people are often gravely misunderstood and may lose the respect of their peers. When we watch these types of shows, we almost want to scream at the television screen. We want to help the detective because we know he is in the right. When you are looking for a job, you need to think of the cops-and-robbers story and have a similar story that shows you are out there trying to do good. You want to present a story that is memorable and that sets the employer up to care about you to the degree that they feel like they are the good guy, intervening on your behalf to help you, and doing the right thing by offering you a job. The employer will also be more interested in you if you provide some personal information. Just like the police story shows you the personal life of the police officer, you too should give the employer a glimpse of your personal life. As a recruiter, I always ensure that I put information about my candidate’s personal life in the story so the employer can connect with the candidate. You want the employer to closely identify with you–the more the employer knows about you, the more you stand out, and the harder it is to reject you. I am not telling you to pour your heart out. Nor am I telling you to share everything about your personal life with the employer. But, if employers have a short story they can pass around about you, and if they can understand you personally, they will be more likely to hire you. In addition, if your candidacy is portrayed to the employer as something that furthers the cause of good, the employer will be much more likely to help you by offering you a job. People want to feel like they are doing something good when they are hiring someone. If you present your candidacy as a cause for good, the employer will remember that connection and will likely want to hire you. THE LESSON Marketing is crucial to your job search, because employers are essentially purchasing a product when hiring you. The more positive information your employer has about you, the more likely he or she is to hire you; personal stories create a connection between yourself and the employer. Stories that revolve around your motivation, dedication to your job, and drive for improvement will portray you as a hard worker with a positive attitude, who can longer grow in your current position for reasons outside of your control.

How to Choose a Recruiter Based on Recruiting Style

Harrison Barnes — Tue, 24 May 2011 05:18:26 +0000

Every recruiter’s individual style has certain merits. However, there are recruiters who are truly exceptional at what they do. Choosing an exceptional recruiter is even more important in a bad market because the methods he or she uses determines if a candidate will find employment. As the CEO of a recruiting company, I am constantly astonished by the methods many recruiters use. We train our recruiters very carefully to recruit in a certain way and we are always very aware of how they are performing. I have been in the recruiting industry for a long time and I have certainly come to appreciate all recruiting styles. One thing I would suggest you do when choosing a recruiter is take time to really understand how he or she works. Below, I discuss some of the most common recruiting styles and the merits of each, as well as the bearing their methods may have on your search for employment. 1. The Cougar: The Cougar lies in wait, seeking out ideal job candidates–or sometimes hunting them down. They know the exact jobs to submit the candidate for and the best candidates likely to fill those jobs. The Cougar’s method of recruiting and placement is based on the idea that (1) he knows the jobs that he is placing very well, and where a candidate is likely to get placed; and (2) by having a very highly developed sense of the market he is likely to get his candidates the best interviews. Under the Cougar’s method of recruiting and placement, the recruiter spends a great deal of time thinking about firms and potential candidates for those firms. Very few candidates may be represented by the Cougar at one time; however, each candidate represented is likely to get interviews. A candidate may be submitted to as few as one or two firms. In addition, the recruiter tends to form very close relationships with a limited number of firms. This, in turn, results in the recruiter’s candidates being looked at quite closely. This type of recruiter also forms an excellent and very close, trusting relationship with each candidate he represents. In situations where there are as many as 10 potential opportunities in the market for the candidate (i.e., 10 active jobs), the recruiter may submit a candidate to as few as two or three jobs under the belief the candidate is most likely to be the best fit at those specific firms. Cougars know their market. The Cougar’s method of recruiting and placement is based on having a very strong focus. It bears noting this is the most typical method of recruiting and placement among recruiters nationally, and it can be quite effective. It is not necessarily the primary method advocated by me. However, the effectiveness of this method cannot be disputed. The advantages of the Cougar’s method of recruiting and placement are (1) they form close relationships with law firms, which helps them make placements other recruiters would likely not make (because they often learn about the available jobs before everyone else does); (2) they have a very good understanding of the types of candidates firms are likely to hire; (3) their candidates typically get a high number of interviews vis-à-vis the number of submissions made, and (4) a close, trusting relationship is formed with the candidate. The disadvantages of the Cougar’s method of recruiting and placement are that (1) by taking on so few candidates, they miss numerous opportunities to make placements; (2) they develop fewer new jobs and less of an in-depth understanding of their markets through proactive marketing of candidates, and (3) their candidates are not exposed to the highest number of potential opportunities (i.e., possible fits) in the market. 2. The Market Penetrator: This style of recruiter believes (1) each respective candidate’s goal is to get the best job possible, and (2) candidates need to be aggressively marketed because (a) they will find a job (through the recruiter or otherwise) and (b) the recruiter should be the one who gets them that job. This method is also based on the belief that the recruiter cannot possibly know everything that is going on in her market and therefore must constantly be pushing to market the candidate to new opportunities matching the candidate’s interest. The Market Penetrator’s method of recruiting and placement is based on sheer force and aggressiveness. The recruiter will seek to represent a high number of candidates under the belief that she is constantly taking the pulse of the market (through submissions) to see where the opportunities are most likely to be. This, in turn, enables the recruiter to make choices about proper submissions due to the constant feedback the market provides. The Market Penetrator typically takes candidates and researches (1) their current jobs, (2) their past jobs, and (3) all potential jobs. First, the recruiter will examine the current jobs where the candidate is or is not a good fit, and she will then compare these jobs to a list of active jobs in the database. Second, the recruiter will look at the candidate’s past jobs, and depending on the candidate’s practice area or the strength of a given market, the recruiter will select a certain type and number of prospective jobs for the candidate. Third, the recruiter will use reference sources and knowledge of the market, gained from periodicals and so forth, to develop a potential list of firms to “hit” with the candidate’s materials, in order to see if the firm has any interest. In some instances, the firms the recruiter “hits” will be firms the recruiter and/or recruiting firm has not dealt with in the past, some of which may not even have any immediate openings. The advantages of the Market Penetrator’s method of recruiting and placement are that (1) she is likely to cover a substantial number of the places where a candidate is likely to work, (2) she is constantly turning up new jobs at firms she may approach (i.e., firms with inactive jobs or no jobs at all) that express interest in her candidates (a Market Penetrator may sometimes get a new fee contract from a law firm every week); (3) she gives the candidate the broadest possible choice of opportunities to make an educated decision about where the candidate may work; and (4) the recruiter approaches firms that other recruiters do not approach, and therefore her candidates have a better opportunity for employment, due to less competition. The disadvantages of the Market Penetrator’s method of recruiting and placement are that (1) it takes a lot of work and time in terms of research, (2) it emphasizes the candidate’s interests over strong relationships with individual law firms, (3) it generally results in a lower percentage of interviews vis-à-vis submissions as compared to other recruiting methods, and (4) firms may become annoyed because they are receiving unsolicited résumés. 3. The Database Lover: This style of recruiter relies principally on the use of the recruiting firm’s database to make placements. Candidates are sent to firms with active openings in the database. (Incidentally, this is where your résumé typically ends up when you email it to any established recruiting firm.) This recruiting method is based on the belief that (1) if there is a real job, the candidate should be marketed to it, (2) the most likely source of a placement is with an available job, and (3) firms should be treated with respect and should therefore only be shown candidates when they have made it known that they have a specific opening. Under the Database Lover’s method of recruiting and placement, the recruiter will monitor active jobs closely and watch for candidates matching those jobs. Here, the recruiter will typically submit candidates to active jobs both within and outside of his territory. The main advantages of the Database Lover’s method of recruiting and placement are (1) he is able to provide firms with candidates matching their openings on an ongoing basis (and not upset firms with unsolicited résumés in the process); and (2) if he is aggressive, he can “hit” openings in odd areas (e.g., Maine, Sacramento, Indiana, Saudi Arabia) with appropriate candidates who are likely to be direct hits. The Database Lover can be an extremely effective recruiter. The disadvantages of the Database Lover’s method of recruiting and placement are that (1) he does not necessarily get thorough market coverage because he mostly only responds to current openings; (2) he may not take on candidates when there are no actual openings; and (3) his candidates are competing with every other candidate in the market that is being submitted by a recruiter to the same firms. While there are many more types of recruiters, I believe the above characterizations show three key types of recruiting techniques. Make no mistake about it: the Cougars think they do the best work, just as the Database Lovers and the Market Penetrators believe they do the best work. The fact that there is tension between competing methods is a sign of a healthy organization. No method is wrong. Instead, I believe that a combination of each style leads to the best recruiting system. Personally, I believe I am too much of a Market Penetrator and would likely be an even better recruiter were I more of a Database Lover or Cougar. Ideally, you should be working with a recruiter who understands all three methods of recruiting. I call this type of recruiter a Parthenon Recruiter. When you see pictures of the Parthenon in Greece, you can see it has lasted for thousands of years, partly because it’s supported by so many columns. If one column fails, the Parthenon will remain standing. While using an ancient temple as an analogy may seem strange, the fact is your career needs to be supported by more than one type of job search style. Use multiple methods in your job search, and find a recruiter who supports your efforts on multiple fronts. This will make for a stronger job search, and likely one that is very successful. THE LESSON Recruiters use a variety of approaches, each of which has its merits; the best recruiters, however, use a combination of established methods. You need to work with a recruiter who understands these various methods, and supports your job search on multiple fronts. Exceptional recruiters are even more valuable in a bad job market, as their approach or combination of approaches will make the difference in whether or not you find employment.