recruiting

Thoughts from a Finance Recruiter

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One of my former CFO clients referred a local finance recruiter to me, suggesting it would be mutually beneficial for us to talk. I love when these kinds of collaborative relationships come together. Far too often they don’t. Recruiters seem to either love us and recognize the mutually-beneficial synergy that results … or they view us with disdain and no one wins. But I digress.

Here are some things he shared with me …

— The market is definitely moving. Still slow, but moving. Searches are still taking a long time, but companies are hiring. He said there are currently four simultaneous searches for PE-backed company CFOs in Tampa … something he’s never encountered in his 20 years of recruiting.

— He attributes “long, slow” searches to companies wanting the “right” candidate, not just any candidate. They are quite clear about what they want and are willing to wait … sans a solid networking introduction who can influence a company’s thinking.

— With so many Americans underwater in their mortgages, less and less companies are offering relo packages. He feels local candidates will become much more competitive if this trend continues. I heard this same information in a webinar last week.

— His preference is for passive candidates rather than unemployed candidates. The perception is that they are still working for a reason, despite the high unemployment rate.

In recruiting Chief Financial Officers, the more things change, the more they remain the same.

K.I.S. for CFO Branding

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When most of us think about Albert Einstein, we think about a man who was so incredibly intelligent that the average person could not hold a conversation with him, right? Well, apparently that’s not the case. He actually embraced the “KIS” philosophy – Keep It Simple. "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it.”

Nick Tubach blogged about this philosophy as it relates to recruiting, but I think it is particularly important for a Chief Financial Officer’s personal / professional marketing message. "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it.”

It’s easy to get lost in the details, particularly the “experience” details. After all, we own, with some amount of pride, everything that we’ve done. But there are a few important things to remember when crafting your executive resume and communication message.

— 3 is the new 30. The Internet has taken a 30-second TV ad and slashed that message to 3 seconds. Can you deliver your marketable value proposition (MVP) in 20 words or less?

— The Blackberry, iPhone, and Twitter have forever changed how we deliver and receive messages. The most high-value piece of resume real estate is the top half of the first page. Can yours stand alone? Is it powerful enough to motivate your target audience or a recruiter to take action?

— Clarity and brevity are king. If you don’t know your MVP, you can’t communicate it. And if you can’t articulate it briefly and powerfully, you can’t sell it. And if you don’t know who needs what you bring to the table, no transaction will take place. 

K.I.S. … it’s a powerful weapon in the world of finance executive branding and marketing. 

Superstar Executives

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An interesting article by John Hollon on ERE inspired my SmartBrief for CFOs poll last week on the quality of the last hire. The results of the poll … once again … triggered more questions on my end since of those polled, only 27% indicated their last hire was a superstar while almost 50% indicated their last hire was either safe or forgettable.

So I wonder, why make a mediocre hire instead of a superstar hire when the cost of recruiting that person is the same either way. The salary of a superstar shouldn’t cost more since he should be able to save or make a company more than the cost of his salary. 

Then I saw this article posted on Newsweek this morning with a subtitle that reads … “Despite record unemployment, recruiters are desperate for top talent.” 

Perhaps that answers at least one of my questions. Ho hum hires are made because the superstars can’t be found.  Which begs the question … “why” can’t they be found?

— Top talent doesn’t exist. 

— The message of superstar executives is not compelling, isn’t resonating with its target audience, or is completely mute.

— Recruiters aren’t looking for “unemployed” executives. It’s a sad reality and I’ve blogged about this many times. The moment you walk out the door on Friday afternoon with a big fat severance package in your pocket, you also wear the black mark of unemployment. Your marketability takes a hit despite the fact that your skill set and contributions remain the same.

Are you a superstar and are recruiters finding you? If so, you’re apparently in the minority and definitely a high-value target.

CFOs, Gen Y’s, and SMAGs

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There’s a fascinating (well at least I thought so) post on Antisocial Recruiter Networking by Michael Goldberg, a talent acquisition leader. His article is based on a New York Times article on the effects of social media on our kids.

What in the world does that have to do with you? Stay with me for a moment.

Last week’s poll in SmartBrief for CFOs was around using social media in the workplace. There was a 50 / 50 split between those who had a social media policy in place or were investigating one and those who had a firewall prohibiting it or were just clueless. 

There is so much to lose on both a personal and professional level for executives who choose not to embrace the power of Web 2.0 technology. Social media is here and it’s trending north. 

When kids get cell phones at the age of 8 and spend all day texting and FBing friends … recognize they are your potential hires when they graduate from college. Young adults are, and will be, more tech-savvy than any of us old-timers can ever hope to be. Will they want to work for an executive team that has a strict anti-social networking policy in place or is clueless about what engaging with the public and customers or clients through social media can do for the business? If you did manage to hire them, would you expect them to stay in a culture of dinosaurs for long? Recruiting is expensive. Recruiting top talent … and keeping them … is painful.

And for finance executives who still have years left to contribute to a brilliant career … will you ever be able to compete with a social media savvy 45-year old finance executive candidate when you are 55? I hear “age discrimination” bandied about frequently. No question it exists. Some of it though is brought about by a defiance around change. It’s not how I got to the top and I have no intention of learning/using/participating now. 

Isn’t it great that we have free will and free choice … accompanied, of course, by taking responsibility for our decisions! 

BTW, SMAG = Social Media Age Group

Lies, Resumes, & Linked In

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Fistful of Talent had a blog post last week entitled “LinkedIn Profiles – More Accurate than Resumes … Sad but True.” This quote came from Reid Hoffman, founder of Linked In, in a presentation made at the first Social Recruiting Summit in 2009 …

… people won't lie in public via LinkedIn.  With that in mind, the core elements at play in most LinkedIn profiles – the titles, the dates, etc. – are always going to be more accurate than the resume.

I’m hopeful that in this age of transparency, candidates have learned those hard lessons!

Telling is Jessica Lee’s statement that “if you're truly looking for ‘what's up’ with a candidate, you need to rely on the LinkedIn profile.” 

Web 2.0 as a recruiting strategy …

–is trending north. If you aren’t where recruiters are looking, you won’t be found. And no visibility can negatively impact credibility.

–forces transparency. Unless you are, perhaps, a well-entrenched politician, you cannot lie and get away with it. It is too easy today to dispel any misstatements, exaggerations, or untruths.

–allows even stronger positioning as a coveted high-value target. You can be “in the game” long before you “need” to be playing the game.

–fosters the candidate’s ability to position himself from his strengths, values, passions, and interests rather than forcing him to be all things to all people .

When CFOs choose to work with me, they have no choice but to create profiles on Linked In … it’s part of their success factor. And what is showing up on Linked In is exactly the same branded message a company, CEO, or Board member will find in his other marketing collateral. 

Transparency + Integrity is Critical!

Certified Social Sourcing Recruiter (CSSR)

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Did you know such a certification existed?  I didn’t …. but I’m not surprised. I’ve been saying for years that social networking is a career management strategy that is not only here, but critical to overall career success.

Here are a couple of quotes from an article I just read on Fistful of Talent that you might find interesting:

— … how can I use it [social networking] to effectively bring myself to people?

The old definition of networking is “who do I know.” Today, it has been redefined to “who knows about me” … or … “who needs to know about me.” Social networking ensures those people who need to know about you, do know about you.

–Not only did I learn how I can, indeed, use Twitter to actively source candidates, but we also played around in some tools that help you search.  

Twitter. To source candidates. Are you still avoiding Twitter?

–Also…have you ever considered X-raying Facebook? 

Now, I don’t know what “x-raying Facebook” is … and Jason Pankow doesn’t explain it, but I do know that being on Facebook expands your digital footprint so you can be found by those who are looking [the new definition of networking].

—Great class for people serious about social recruiting.

Finance executives who aren’t using social media to build a visible online presence risk extinction. Yes, it is that important!

Recruiting Top Talent

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I just finished reading Neal Lockhart’s article on recruiting top performers posted at ERE.net. You’all know I love getting into the minds of recruiters … it helps me help my clients. 

Lockhart talks about recruiting pearls, the prized candidates. You know who they are, right … someone who is highly esteemed or valued, and the most sought after. Wikipedia says, “the word pearl has become a metaphor for something very rare, very fine, very admirable, and very valuable."

Prized candidates are not commodities … after all, there is only one pearl per oyster shell. In the game of top talent, there is little competition at the top and each of those candidates has, and can articulate, a clear and compelling value proposition.

So, read the article or not … but here’s a quick take-away. Three questions you should ask a recruiter when he calls you about potential opportunities. 

– Why should I listen to you?

– Why should I be interested in the opportunity?

– Why would I want to work there?

Are you the “pearl” recruiters are competing for … and are you making it easy for them to find you? 

More from the Kennedy Conference

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Thanksgiving was here and gone and it’s already December. Only 3 weeks & 2 days until Christmas, and then we will speed right into the New Year. Are you already thinking about your New Year’s resolutions? Dreaming about what you would like to be different next year. Thinking and doing are two different things.

As you think, and plan to do, here are a few more gems tweeted from the Kennedy Conference that might help you in your planning.

––36% of CEO's lack confidence in their own company's recruiting department (Steve Lowisz, CEO of Qualigence)

It seems inconceivable that CFO–types would actually want to be going through HR to secure their next position. But, when you play the Internet job search/job posting game, that is exactly what you get … unless it is a specific TPR (third party recruiting) listing, and those are rare.

Sitting in front of a computer searching for posted positions on public job sites is safe, and a HUGE timewaster, because it is ineffective and keeps you from doing the things that are effective and will move you towards that next position. Remember the old cliché, “if it looks too good to be true it probably is.” It’s true.

HR is a screen designed to filter out candidates who do not meet the list of requirements. They have no decision–making authority. Great candidates rarely succeed in this process. Even if they meet all the skill requirements there is still culture fit, work ethic, and track record of bottom line impact to consider. Bypassing HR gives great candidates a fighting chance.

–– Elements of a killer brand: Choice and expectation. Every choice that will be made will be based on expectation. (Steve Bonomo and Steve Fogarty, Adidas)

Expectation – People make decisions in life – and in the hiring process – based on emotion. And decisions about the brands with which we choose to associate are incredibly emotional. An assessment about you is typically made within the first 3-5 minutes of an interview. Think of the power your brand brings into that interview. They probably already like you based on the connection they feel – which is based on who they believe you to already be. Set the expectation.

Choice – The candidate gets to choose where he wants to go rather than accepting whatever is offered. What is different and unique about what you’ve done in your finance career that will position you from a place of power rather than commodity, and shift the paradigm to choice … yours?

Top Recruiting Tools

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Recruiting Guru Kevin Wheeler lists the top four required tools for recruiting in his latest article, and they are …

Facebook and/or My Space
Linked In
Personal Blog
Twitter

Last year, 44% of unique visitors to Facebook were people over the age of 35 and 48% of the over-35 crowd visited MySpace. Linked In is the #1 business network. Twitter, a microblogging platform, gives recruiters (and others) a 360-snapshot of potential prospects. Because Twitter is relatively new, there are great opportunities for savvy candidates to get on the radar screen of those people who make recruiting (and hiring) decisions. And a personal blog can intentionally build credibility and positioning as a thought leader within your target audience.

At the risk of being redundant, whether you are a current or future candidate, creating a visible online presence is a “must-do” strategy for top-talent executives.

Hunted!

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David Perry, Super Executive Recruiting Sleuth and author of Guerilla Marketing for Job Hunters, may be hiding in a café near you … with the opportunity of a lifetime! Wouldn’t it be great to carry a reputation that was distinctive enough to bring top-notch recruiters out of the woodwork in hot pursuit of you with great, new opportunities?

While not every C-level candidate may be able to cause this type of frenetic activity, and yes it’s true not every recruiter would go to the extremes of the Super Recruiting Sleuth; with a visible, branded marketable value proposition you CAN get on the radar screen of those recruiters who need to know about you and who have the opportunities you want.

That means moving beyond the commodity positioning of responsibilities and repackaging and positioning yourself as the most desirable candidate among all of your competition. How have you delivered compelling value over the years that would incite companies to fight for you to join them? Easy? No. Worthwhile? I’m sure many of David's prospective candidates would offer a resounding yes!

I’m still waiting to see the picture of David in a hairnet and apron!