LionSearch

Flexibility as a Key Hiring Strategy

2009-06-02T10:16:00.004-04:00

By Frazer Donaldson

After many interviews with mid and senior-level IT professionals who have been unemployed for more than a few months, it is clear that many are finding it difficult to re-position themselves in this new economy. In other words, to reconsider and seriously embrace where they may fit into a new organization chart in salary and responsibilities, etc.

For those IT professionals in the Chicagoland area who are still seeking permanent employment in this economy, here are some thoughts to consider in determining how "flexible" you really are.

Salary: Of course you are flexible to a lower salary and total compensation level in this economy, but how flexible? And although you say you are flexible, do you really mean it? Would you accept an offer that's twenty percent less than your previous base salary? Thirty percent?

With a glut of talented candidates available for each open position, unfortunately how serious you are about your salary requirements can knock you in or out of consideration. Make sure it is crystal clear to the recruiter or hiring manager that you have "run the numbers" and are perfectly comfortable accepting a base salary of X% below your previous level.

Title: If you were a VP of IT reporting directly to the CIO at a $2B company, would you consider a Manager of IT title at a similar-sized company? Related to this, if you managed 20 people at your last job would you consider a role managing 5 people?

When asked these questions in an introductory interview, recognize the fact that you are being "weeded out" based on your flexibility, and whether or not the interviewer actually believes you! It's not the title you should be concerned about, but the opportunity, compensation, and overall potential of the firm.

Responsibilities: In your previous role you had a huge impact on how the IT budget was spent and how IT drove certain areas of your firm, but what if your next opportunity has zero budgetary responsibilities? What if there are more management levels to go through in the next opportunity? Are you truly prepared to handle this?

Have a specific level of responsibility that you are open to, and include headcount, budget, and impact on the firm. Make sure you embrace this "new" and potentially lower level of responsibility, before you enter an interview.

How flexible you really are in these areas, coupled with a positive attitude, and a willingness to work your way back up the ladder again, can make a tremendous difference in securing your next offer of employment.

Hopefully you can receive an offer greater than or even equal to your previous compensation, but these points are important to consider, especially the longer you remain unemployed.

Job Search Tips for Chicagoland I.T. Professionals

2009-02-24T11:41:00.003-05:00

By Frazer Donaldson

Given the economy, we have unfortunately been receiving an increased amount of resumes and phone calls from laid off and soon-to-be-laid-off technology professionals, many with exceptional backgrounds and accomplishments. These individuals run the gamut in titles from V.P. of IT, to Senior Developer, to DBA, to CIO.

We are working hard to place as many as possible at LionSearch's clients, but for those we cannot help at this time, below are some basic job search tips, some of which may be obvious, and some brand new.

Job Boards: They are free to post your resume (except certain pay sites like "The Ladders"), and are still a viable tool in one's comprehensive job search. Make sure to 'refresh' your resume on a weekly basis to ensure it appears at the top of any search done by hiring firms. A short list includes Monster, Careerbuilder, Dice, and Craig's List.

And go beyond what you think are the only sites relevant to your job search. For example, if you are an accountant why not place your resume on Dice, typically a technology job board? Many accountants are tech-savvy and may even work with ERP systems such as Peoplesoft or Oracle Financials.

Resume: Everyone is a resume critic, so if you ask 10 people for their feedback, you'll get 10 different versions! The key is to recognize that this document will get you in the door, for either a phone interview or in-person interview, but it will not get you the job. Therefore page one needs to be very easy to read, succinct yet impressive, and ideally will be targeted to the job for which you are applying.

I once read that hiring managers spend an average of eight to twelve seconds reading each resume! If they don't see what they are looking for, the resume goes in the circular file (the trash can). Make your first page count; there is no second chance.

Networking Organizations: This week the Chicago Tribune's Local Edition ran a list of mostly free professional networking groups that meet in churches and community centers in the Chicago suburbs on a weekly and monthly basis (www.triblocal.com).

A group called TLA (www.techleaders.net) is a well-run, free organization with well-attended monthly meetings and interesting guest speakers, that targets more senior IT professionals who are in between jobs.

Linked In: A friend and I joke that whenever we receive a Linked In (LI) invitation, the sender is starting a job search! It's smart to increase your number of connections in Linked In, to beef up your job descriptions and accomplishments in your LI profile, and, most importantly, to use the search function. Many people don't realize this capability of LI but it can direct you to friends of friends in your target companies whom you can call or email directly about your job search.

The best approach in any job search is the 'shotgun approach'- hit multiple sources, firms, contacts, etc., all at once, and in rapid succession. Stay aggressive yet professional and you will see more job leads materialize.

Good luck and if we can help, please let us know.

What Should an I.T. Professional Do in this Economy?

2009-01-13T10:38:00.002-05:00

By Frazer Donaldson

You may have heard or read that we are in the midst of a down economy! But seriously though, what does this mean to an I.T. professional, and how should he or she react in this uncertain market (those who are currently employed)?

Great question. Let's break the answer into sections:

Resume: Update it! Now. Technology professionals should have this document current in case of an unexpected layoff, or an unexpected call from a recruiter (yes, a lot of Chicago firms are still hiring!). This will also help the individual perform a self assessment upon reviewing their updated resume: are they up-to-date technology-wise; have they shown progression in their career; and how "marketable" are they versus their peers?

Personal and Professional Network: Maintain it, and make an effort to expand it. Stay in touch more regularly with people with whom you have had good relationships in your career, be they your former managers, your former team members, or technology-related professionals you have met but never worked with.

This will also help directly in keeping your professional references up to date.

Should these relationships be quid pro quo? Of course! Offer your assistance readily. Can you help them with their career in any way, or give advice on their resume or career path? To stay ahead of your peers in a down market, this is an excellent strategy that can only aid your cause.

Relationships with Recruiters: Make some! The smart I.T. professional will not fall into the common trap of only returning a recruiter's call or email if they have been downsized and need a new job immediately. The career-focused individual will already have a few technology recruiters with whom they have a good relationship.

Forging such relationships gives tremendous advantages in a few different ways. The selected recruiters will have an updated resume from that individual, and will already be keeping an eye out for potential job opportunities based on the individual's career goals, salary level, etc. Or if the individual is laid off suddenly, they will already have a few recruiters who know their strengths and skills, and who can begin working on their job search immediately.

The bottom line? Be proactive and not reactive. Take control of your job search before it even becomes a job search! Be ready for the unexpected.

And finally (and this can be difficult), try to recognize perceived weaknesses in your skills and experience, and make an effort to improve upon them. This will help both your resume and your in-person portrayal of your background and strengths in future interviews.

The Value of a Search Firm in a Down Economy

2008-10-23T09:58:00.004-04:00

By Frazer Donaldson

It's no surprise the current economy is causing headaches for employers and employees alike, with layoffs either in progress or looming, hiring budgets being frozen, and everyone concerned about their personal financial situation.

But how does all of this affect a company's relationship with their search firm?

The answer can be broken down into three parts - "image", "pipeline", and "flexibility".

Image: A valued search firm that has a true partnership with a client company is, in many ways, that company's voice on the street. Search executives have access to hiring authorities and information about a company that can paint an upbeat picture, especially in a down economy. What interesting IT projects are on the horizon? How does the company see its' IT group growing/excelling in the future?

Opportunistic search executives recognize that their job is to keep a client's value as an employer very high, to keep prospective candidate's interest high, and to do so must maintain, and "sell" the client as a whole, beyond the current economic situation.

Pipeline: A valued search firm will not only maintain, but will strengthen its pipeline of superior candidates in a down economy to be ready for their client's next hiring push. This does not mean the search firm will troll the job boards, not at all! It means search executives will increase their conversations with passive candidates, those not actively looking for a new role. It means search executives will continue to weed out average candidates from the best and the brightest, keep updated resumes in their database, and ensure that when the client calls, they are ready to deliver.

Flexibility: A valued search firm, when asked by a client company, should be prepared to offer some concessions should that client need to continue hiring, although operating under new budget constraints. For example, the search firm could defer billing for its search services until the next fiscal quarter. Or the search firm could offer a capped fee, or a slight discount in search fee, for an "impact" hire, that is essential to that client's continued success.

The point is, the search firm should recognize when a top client is in need of help, and be ready to present some options that allow that client to continue to benefit from the search firms' services despite the economy.

In conclusion, excellent talent does not disappear during a down economy! The best search firms stay in touch with that talent, continue to "champion" their client companies to that talent, and maintain both a positive attitude and a flexible nature to ensure the continuation of their mutually-beneficial relationship.

Search Firms and Job Boards: Friends Or Foes?

2008-06-25T16:06:00.005-04:00

By Frazer Donaldson

Most of LionSearch's client firms use both search firms and job boards to fill a wide variety of their permanent openings, but do these two entities compete? Complement one another? And will one eventually replace the other?

LionSearch does not use job boards as we do not feel our client firms should pay us to just post their jobs! We actively recruit passive candidates, those who are not out in the market seeking a new role. We cold call, network, and then identify the top talent for our client firm's specific open role, presenting those candidates, all of whom are very qualified for that specific role. This is what we do.

A job board is an excellent tool for recruiting, as long as it is managed well by a firm's human resources or recruiting group. If the posted jobs are well-written, accurate, and offer details as to why someone would want to work at the firm, and specifically in this role, then great. The challenge lies in processing all applicants for each posting in a timely manner to ensure the specific hiring manager receives the most qualified applicants quickly, and that the applicants do not lose interest in the role.

Most management-level and senior executives in technology we have spoken with recently have not had much success with job boards for many reasons - lack of postings at their level, incomplete job descriptions, or just that the job board process is "too public", impersonal, and doesn't allow for enough due diligence to qualify each role.

A responsive and effective search firm should be able to bridge this gap by educating the candidate on the role (pros and cons, career path, culture, etc.) as well as the client firm about the candidate. Search firms should be able to not only speed up the recruiting process by finding qualified talent quickly, but should also add tremendous value to both sides involved, thereby ensuring a mutually-beneficial hire.

A search firm used in conjunction with a job board is an excellent strategy for any mid-to-large sized firm with a wide variety of open roles at various levels.

And setting accurate expectations for both yourself as the hiring authority, and for the search firm and job board is very important to your success for filling your open roles. Job boards have limitations in reaching certain specific skill sets or levels of talent, and that's where a search firm can step in and help you complete a successful search.

Interviewing Improvements: Most Common Areas In Need Of Improvement

2008-05-16T15:49:00.000-04:00

By Frazer Donaldson

Candidates often ask us at LionSearch in which areas can they improve their interviewing skills. We have prepared a few documents (see the "Tips" page on our website) we are happy to share with our candidates that offer both phone interview and in-person interview tips.

Overall, I feel the areas listed below fall into the category of those in most need of improvement. These are based on many years of discussions with our client firms about LionSearch candidates just after they have interviewed.

1. First impression - From a sharp outfit, to a nice smile, to a firm handshake, to polished shoes, these seemingly obvious areas sometimes fall to the bottom of a candidate's priority list, and client firms do take notice. This area also includes eye contact (maintain eye contact without staring shows you are interested and paying attention), and volume of your voice (speaking in a slightly-above normal volume to make sure you are heard clearly).

2. Depth of answers - This area can run the gamut from lack of depth, such as only giving yes/no answers to questions, or too much depth, such as giving the entire software development life cycle, when all the interviewer asked for was your team's development methodology! It is important to answer questions in enough detail that the interviewer is satisfied.

3. Soft skills - Can you carry on a conversation about your plans for the weekend or your most recent vacation? Do you appear at ease, friendly, and easy to work with? Do you fit into the firm's culture? Are you a little arrogant about your skills or experiences? This area can often outweigh technical skills during the hiring decision-making process!

4. Technical assessment - (for Developers, Admins, etc.) This area can be tricky and really requires a good gauge of how much technical detail the interviewer really wants. There's nothing wrong with asking the interviewer to clarify how much information they are seeking. Would they like you to draw a diagram, to lay out specific code, or do they really just want the overall functionality of the system you were developing?

5. Selling yourself - Candidates often say that the interviewer never asked about a specific key experience or skillset listed on their resume, or that the interviewer only brushed over those subjects. It is extremely important to be cognizant of the fact that your job during the interview is to "sell" yourself, your skills, your experiences, etc. You must point out key skills/experiences you possess that are essential to the role for which you are interviewing, and cannot rely upon the interviewer to specifically ask you if you have them or not.

Paying strong attention to these five areas before going to an interview should greatly enhance your chance of success, and ultimately, receiving an offer of employment.

Why Should Companies Hire A Search Firm

2008-05-08T10:52:00.000-04:00

By Frazer Donaldson

Why use a search firm? Why pay search fees when you can find candidates on your own? Why listen to the owner of a search firm about this subject?!

After being a technical recruiter for private search firms for 12 years, and spending most of 2000 to 2001 in charge of the I.T. hiring for a local upstart, I have seen both sides of the hiring desk from negotiating fee structures, to managing the interviewing process, to building teams of I.T. professionals.

A search firm should be an effective partner for a company's hiring efforts when faced with a tough role to fill, a role that needs to be filled extremely quickly, or if there's tremendous growth at your company.

Before deciding whether or not to use a search firm, ask yourself the following questions:

How well do you know the department with the open position(s)? Its leaders, its responsibilities within the company, its strengths and weaknesses?

How familiar are you with the skills and experiences needed in the ideal candidate? Are you able to interview candidates for these skills?

Will you run an ad in a paper, on your website, a jobboard, or send e-mails to contacts or networking groups? Do you have the time to analyze the many resumes you will receive?

Will you conduct phone screens first, or bring qualified candidates in right away? Will you check the candidates' references before hiring them?

If you have the time and energy to handle all of these tasks to fill an open position, fantastic! However, if you need help, especially if you are responsible for multiple openings, you may want to consider a search firm to complement your activities. Then ask the following questions for the search firm:

Will they interview qualified candidates face-to-face? How quickly can they turn around a job request with quality candidates?

Do they know your company well enough that they almost seem like they're on the "inside"? How well do they understand your business and the details of the job?

Will they work with you on fee structure? For example, will they accept payment in two parts, or lower their fee if you give them multiple openings to fill?

The keys are that time is money, and quality candidates are always in demand. If you have a search firm that you can trust to quickly find excellent candidates, you can stay ahead of your competition in the ongoing battle for top talent.