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.
I just finished reading Neal Lockhart’sarticle 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?
You have achieved a high level of career success in a world where integrity, confidentiality, clear value, and great service are expected, even demanded. You have succeeded because you understand the rules of the game and you are the best at what you do.
In the competitive world of top-talent and in-demand positioning, however, it’s a different game … the average tenure of a CFO is 3 years and the rules can seem vague and confusing.
Do you recognize that your market value is at its greatest when you are still employed?
Does your resume adhere to the Blackberry principle?
Is your value proposition branded, clear, and compelling?
You’ve worked hard to get to where you are in your job. Does it make sense to leave your next career move to chance?
At your level of achievement, you need more than generic answers and a quick-fix. You need a partner who takes your success as seriously as you do and will treat you and your objectives with the integrity, confidentiality, and great service that is a part of your daily world. You need a partner who understands how this game is played and can work with you to:
Define and leverage your unique brand as a key differentiator in the market
Align your career with your values, strengths, interests, and career goals
Gain visibility in the marketplace to win your next big opportunity
Move powerfully toward your next step up the ladder
Build an effective plan and strategy for long-term career management
Gain a competitive edge with a strategic partner you can trust … and become a champion of your career success!
As America’s leading Career and Personal Brand Strategist for the Corporate Finance Executives, Cindy Kraft understands your world. She brings more than 14 years of experience effectively positioning clients to understand their marketability, articulate their value, and position themselves as the clear and compelling choice.
Cindy has drawn on this insider knowledge to design a comprehensive portfolio of branding and career management services that empower high-achieving corporate finance executives, like you, to position themselves to win the opportunities they want.
Networking & Niche Marketing Expert for the Career Thought Leaders Consortium, a think-tank organization focused on best practices, benchmarks and trends for the careers industry
Cindy will be speaking at the Career Thought Leaders Conference in Baltimore, Maryland, March 22-24, 2009 on … Niching & Networking Your Way to Success, and Online Identity Management: Business-Building Tools and Strategies
Where You Can Find Me
Facebook Business Page for more insider’s career information specifically for senior finance executives
I just returned from the Kennedy Recruiting Conference in Orlando. This was a hotel full of “internal” recruiters … those folks who are employed in–house to source potential candidates for their companies. And the four words and two themes we heard over and over were …
–Passive Candidates –Social Networks
What internal recruiters want is the coveted A–player who is currently employed. Where they go to find them are social networking and job aggregator sites like Linked In, Ziggs, ZoomInfo, and Naymz.
If you want to play the game, you need to get in the game. If you aren’t where recruiters are looking, you won’t be found by them.
Email me with “Passively Social” in the subject line for a copy of my full article on this topic.
