Beginning of a New Era

Guess what? I'm moving on up like George & Weezie! OK so I'm not moving to a deluxe apartment in the sky. But I am moving.

I've given this a lot of thought and it makes perfect business sense for me to make that move. From this point on, my blog will reside on the Hues Consulting website. While the site is still a work in progress, I thought it would be best to consolidate the brand and have everything under one roof.

Now, that doesn't mean that you can never ever grace this blog ever again. Quite the contrary. I will keep this blog up as an archive of my past posts. I love that you all appreciate my blogs and thoughts so I would never shut it down completely. All new content will now be seen on the website and you can use this one to find older (but still relevant) content. I promise to do a better job of updating my blog. So make sure you bookmark the new site. And you can always keep in touch via the Hues Consulting Facebook Page or my own Facebook Page.

A heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who has continued to support this blog and pass along my words.

See you in the new spot!

Til Next Time,

Adrienne Graham

I went --------------> That Way!

What's Your in YOUR Staffing Wallet?

We are in the midst of quite a complex time. The economy is showing signs of improvement, and unemployment numbers are (slowly) dropping. But it isn't necessarily translating into new hires. As expected, companies, especially small to mid sized businesses, are extra cautious in making decisions to expand their staff. One the one hand, many are dealing with over worked employees and they really need to hire to alleviate the added stress on their teams. On the other hand, because the economy is not solid yet, companies are scared to dip into their reserves to hire even if they really need the help. So what is a business owner to do?

Staffing planning is extremely vital regardless of what the economy looks like or the size of your company. Even the one man/woman shop needs to have a staffing plan in place. Clients have a way of showing up when you least expect them and you wouldn't want to get caught without an adequate team to handle the new work load or product demands. When your clients are ready on demand, you better be too. Keeping a staffing plan up to date is a smart business move. Here are some things to keep in mind when planning your staffing strategy.

1. Take an assessment of your company. Determine where you would like to see your growth in the next 18-24 months (in worse case economy and best case economy). Visualize how many new clients you wish to sign on, how many existing clients will continue to need your services or products, and how many clients may need to upgrade or increase. Decide if your current staff has the bandwidth to maintain their current workloads plus a little extra or if the extra work would be too much to handle effectively and efficiently. Talk with your team to see how they feel and what they can commit to. Remember, they are a valuable part of your team. Even though you're the boss, without them, you couldn't keep your business running.

2. Start building your pipeline early. Pipelining is what companies do to gather potential candidates before they are ready to hire. Do not confuse it with false advertising. You should never advertise jobs that aren't or won't ever be available just to build a database. Instead, figure out what jobs will need to be filled and in what timeline. Then start passively looking for candidates in those skill sets. Candidates expect there to be a long drawn out hiring process any way. So you can take your time, meet with and review candidates, and keep your notes on the ones you want to hire when you get the OK to hire.

3. Start evaluating recruitment firms. In worst case scenarios, you may need the assistance of an outside agency. While I believe in trying to keep most of recruiting in house, there is nothing wrong with having relationships in place to handle the hard to fills. If you don't have any service agreements in place with a recruitment firm, now is the time to start meeting with them. Research companies that specialize in your industry and positions and schedule time to have a conversation with them. The more complex or specialized you company, products or services, the more focused their specialty should be. Generalist firms are jacks of all trades, masters of none. Their strong suit is volume and not necessarily quality. Yes, even some of the big named firms. Also the type of firm you choose will be determined the type of positions you have. For more senior or specialized positions, you may need to go to a retained search firm.

4. Don't hand out contracts to a lot of different firms in hopes that one will strike gold. Here's a little secret for you. When recruiting firms say that have access to an "untapped market of passive candidates" it means that they are digging in the same wells as other agencies. And in this economy, candidates are going to every recruiting firm and job board they can. Recruiters are using job boards, Linked In, Facebook, etc (not necessarily the right way) to find talent. So chances are if you sign up with four different firms, you'll get pretty much the same candidates from all four firms. Narrow down your vendor's list to 2-3 really good firms.

5. Determine if you need a recruitment team in place. If you are expecting high volume or growth over the next 18-24 months, I highly suggest you get an in house team in place if you don't have one. In the interim, you can hire a Recruiter and a Sourcer/Researcher. The maximum recommended workload for a (seasoned) Recruiter is 20 positions. It seems like a lot, but a well seasoned Recruiter can handle that in a crunch. Ideally you want to keep it manageable to about 10-12 positions per Recruiter. And make sure you provide them with the appropriate tools they need to do their job effectively. That includes an Applicant Tracking System to manage the candidates and interview processes, access to recruiting sites, and the branding materials they need to represent your company well. And make sure they are allowed to communicate directly with hiring managers.

6. Do not confuse HR with Recruiting. They are very different and come from different skill sets. Recruiting can be part of HR, but HR is NOT Recruiting. Your HR representatives have a lot on their plates. Benefits, compensation, training, EEOC, employee relations, compliance, and so on and so on. Don't add to their workload by making them also pick up recruiting. Recruiting is an intense process and sometimes can be a long process. Let your HR people be HR people and go hire some real recruiters for your team.

7. Design accurate and concise job descriptions. As a Recruiter, I've seen job descriptions change during the course of the hiring process. Be clear about what you want, absolutely need and added pluses that would translate into great candidates. Make sure your hiring managers and recruiters are on the same page.

8. Have someone help develop your employment brand. Many companies miss the mark on this. How people view your hiring process also affects your brand. It isn't just packaging, sleek marketing materials, logos and verbiage that makes a brand. Your employment brand will be discussed by candidates. You want to make the process smooth (and HUMAN) for them. They shouldn't be getting canned email responses or worse, silence, after submitting a resume. Treat your candidates like potential future customers and referral leads. Remember, we live in a world of social media. It is very public and people talk.

9. Pay attention to what the competition is doing. Are they hiring more? What kind of people are they hiring? Are they hiring the top talent who unfortunately were victims of the recession at lower rates? Where are they finding talent? Pay attention to their hiring patterns because they may be acing you out of the very talent you need.

10. Make it easy for candidates to find out about your opportunities. I'm not just talking about advertising or hiring a recruiting firm. Make sure everyone in your company knows to speak about the current opportunities. Make them your brand ambassadors. If it's in the budget, offer an employee referral reward. Get involved in the community or a cause. Those are perfect ways to build brand awareness and to share your company and opportunities with others. And don't forget about your social media messaging. Make sure you're building those communities and engaging people. Don't just throw up a Facebook page and call it your social media initiative.

Recruiting is not as simple as putting an ad on Craig's List. It is a process that when done correctly, can contribute to your company becoming an employer of choice. Sometimes applying for a job at your company is the first introduction someone has to your company. Make it a positive lasting first impression. Learn to get help when you need it. A CEO should not be doing his or her own hiring. Let the professionals do what they're best at. You focus on running your company, let them focus on building a great team.

Til next time.

Adrienne Graham

Top Talent Alert

Yes, this is an advertisement/announcement. After all, it is my blog!

Good morning business innovators and CEOs. I have some great executive and C Suite talent looking for a professional home. Are you interested?

I have the great pleasure and fortune of networking connecting with top talent in the industries I serve. These are organically developed relationships. I want to hear from fully funded start ups, and small and mid sized companies on a growth pattern that need top talent. As the economy shifts, companies are finding themselves on the upswing again and in need of play makers, deal makers, turn around specialists and innovators to help take their companies to the next level.

I have Executives, Directors, technology, engineering and managerial talent available. Some active, some passive, but looking nonetheless. If you are looking for the right people to add to you team email me ASAP. To learn more about our services, please visit our website or email us to request a corporate brochure and fee schedule.

Adrienne Graham

Hues Consulting & Management Inc

Are Recruiters to Blame for the Mood of the Job Market?

Well, are they?

Now hold on, before you go grabbing the pitch forks and torches, I'm not throwing my recruiting brethren under the bus. And I'm not blaming all recruiters. But I can't help but notice that recruiters aren't exactly trying to ease the market woes either.

If you read any of the articles that talk about job search, job market, unemployment, etc, you'll see various comments (ranging from disillusioned to angry) about how a person's experience is going with their job search. There's an air of frustration, and rightfully so. Recruiters aren't getting back to candidates to close the loop. Applicants are submitting resumes into the black hole we call an applicant tracking system. Companies spend thousands of dollars to make their websites look pretty and reach out (and I use that term loosely) to candidates via social media to say "hey come work for us". But through it all, whether or not they even get a phone call, rarely do people hear back from recruiters after that initial contact (unless they are lucky enough to get called in for an interview with the hiring manager).

I've said it time and time again, this is a business of communication and branding. I know we get inundated with resumes on a daily basis. But we are the first representation of a company that candidates see. I'm not perfect, and it often takes me a while to get back to people. But I do try. I don't always 100% deliver but I do try. I'm woman enough to admit that publicly. It doesn't matter if an applicant is applying for a Janitor of VP position, they deserve the courtesy of a follow up. And, no, a canned email is not enough. People want to feel acknowledged, human. It's hard enough for someone who has been out of work for an extended amount of time to go through the humiliation of deafening silence, especially when they know they're a fit. And even if they aren't, don't you owe it to them to let them know they're not and why? I think so.

It's bad enough that people are bombarded 24/7 by the media, Internet, bloggers, etc with the message of gloomy unemployment numbers and stories of company after company laying off by the hundreds (in some cases thousands). But recruiters shouldn't be adding to that anxiety. If you can't help a candidate, at least give them the courtesy of telling them so and why you can't help. In the grand scheme of things ignoring them doesn't make you look as bad as it makes your company look. I've heard stories from candidates who have applied to major companies and never hear a peep. They automatically associate the recruiters non-responsiveness with the overall brand of the company and say "well I don't want to work for them anyway". Then they tell two friends, who'll tell two friends, and so on. Then we come to the point where companies are whining because they can't find good talent. Well, of course you can't! Your non-responsive recruiters turned them off!

I don't say this to bash my fellow recruiters. I say this to get you to open up your eyes and ears. YOU are the front line, the first contact many candidates have with a company. It is your job not just to fill the positions but to make sure each and every person walks away with a great brand experience whether they were hired or not. With the economy being the way it is and people's emotions, patience and tempers heightened, this is not the time to have closed communication. Remember, people are talking, and they're doing it very publicly! Companies (including their recruiters) need to be actively working towards being part of the solution to the job market. It's about creating jobs and putting people back to work, but it's also about how you communicate during the process.

So are you a helper to your employer brand, or a hindrance? While you as a recruiter are not the blame, you're lack of communication is definitely part of the bigger problem. Think on that.

Til next time.

Adrienne Graham

Money, Position, Respect

A few months back I wrote a post about how employers are taking advantage of the job market in order to get talent on the cheap. The problem with getting talent on the "cheap" is that you end up with cheap talent, or should I say workers. Everyone wants to talk about how this bad economy eaves the talent market ripe for the pickings because people will accept just about anything you throw at them just so they'll get a paycheck. But I'm noticing a slowly changing tide here.

Yesterday I read an article on the Wall Street Journal "Talent War Crunches Start-Ups". The gist of the article was how companies like Facebook, Zynga and Twitter are swiping up all the top talent, leaving smaller start ups to struggle to compete. You see, they actually get it. They know that right now, they cannot afford to offer packages at the levels of Facebook and Twitter, but they have the potential. They have resorted to invest more into recruiting and tried to remain as competitive as possible. They have created financial incentives that they are hoping will lure candidates to their young companies instead of their giant competitors. Now don't get it wrong, Facebook et al are offering some pretty competitive salaries and incentives. So they obviously get it. My angst or rather disappointment is towards the rest of you (companies).

I can't tell you how many times I've had a hiring manager tell me that candidates should be happy that they're even being considered and how they should accept whatever is offered and be grateful. HAH! That's a whole lot of nerve. You see, these same hiring managers are also the ones to get their draws in a knot when those very same candidates take a job, get bored or are unfulfilled and head for greener pastures at competitors or other companies. Then we're back to square one with hiring managers whining how they can't seem to find top talent. Talented people are an integral part of your growth strategy. It's time you start acknowledging and accepting that. If they are worth their salt, the returns they bring to the business will far exceed how much you pay out in salary. Makes perfect sense to me! I'll take a fattened bottom line over a safe budget any day.

Listen, I understand that budgets have to be trimmed and sacrifices need to be made. But cutting or undervaluing your talent is a fatal mistake. When the chips are down, you want people who are going to be loyal and be motivated to give their all to contribute to the success of their employer. It all begins with the recruiting process. When you're evaluating your talent needs, you have to decide what takes precedence...salary or skill. As a business owner I'm going to go with skill. When you have great talent, people who want to be a part of your success, that's worth more than any salary you will ever pay. Look at it this way. If you pay peanuts for candidates and they keep deciding this is not for them and it's a revolving door to fill the position, you end up wasting more time and money with really nothing to show for it. Have you ever sat down and calculator the cost per hire? It's not pretty...especially so the higher up the position.

So I ask you, who are you to call talent cheap? Who are you to dictate that candidates should be grateful for whatever crumbs when you have companies like young start ups with phenomenal potential vying for the very talent you take for granted? Remember, at one time Facebook was a nothing business that nobody thought would have any future. Now it's valued at a $400 billion company...that's snatching up all the top talent. Are you prepared to lose out on good people to your would be competition? Or are you ready to give people what they're worth?

Til next time.

Adrienne Graham

Hues Consulting Bridges Communication Gap Between Employers & Job Seekers

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Company Name: Hues Consulting & Management Inc
Phone Number: 866.779.4830 FAX Number: 253.559.4028
Email Address: info@huesconsulting.com
Website URL: http://www.huesconsulting.com

Hues Consulting Bridges Communication Gap Between Employers & Job Seekers

Atlanta, GA – January 28, 2011 – Job Seekers are mad as hell and they’re not going to take it any more!

With the state of the current job market, you are lucky if a company sends an automated “we received your resume” email acknowledgment when you apply. It’s the only communication some people ever get from a company. Others only get total silence. It’s even worse for candidates who have gone through the interview process and receive nothing for their time other than a counter letter telling them they didn’t make the cut. Just take a look at any of the comments left by frustrated job seekers on career articles on blogs and news sites and you will see that people are fed up with the (lack of) communication. They feel disrespected and ignored. It seems companies are forgetting that human element in recruiting.

Hues Consulting & Management Inc, a recruitment consulting firm based in Atlanta, has created a solution…the Recruiter Response Team™. Companies outsource their candidate response obligations to the Hues Consulting to close the gap in communication AND preserve their employment brand. Response Agents provide feedback and close the loop with candidates about the disposition of their candidacy. They give the much needed personal touch that busy recruiters can't give and candidates long for. It takes the burden of closing the loop off of recruiters' plate and gives candidates closure (along with respect and dignity) so they know not only when it's time to move on, but what they can do better going forward with other interviews. It also helps build and strengthen the employment brand and builds (good) relationships with candidates (and possibly turn them into a source for referrals).

“Communication still remains the biggest issue for job seekers. As a recruiter, I see the struggles that recruiters have in maintaining communication with the enormous amount of candidates that apply for open positions daily. Most positions get at least 50-100 applicants within the first day of posting a job! That number goes up the longer a position is left posted” says Adrienne Graham, Founder & CEO of Hues Consulting, and author of the blog Corporate Recruiting Diva. “Over worked recruiters have a high number of openings they work on at any given time. They don't always have the luxury of being able to respond to each and every candidate. But that’s no excuse. Lack of communication can damage an employer’s brand and candidates become disillusioned with the recruiting process”.

For more information please visit www.huesconsulting.com.

Hello, Employers, Please Stop Faking the Funk. Candidates Are On to You!

Ah technology. You've got to love the flexibility and freedom of it all. It's supposed to make life easier for everyone. For Recruiters, job boards, social media, applicant tracking systems and fancy "upgraded interactive" websites are supposed to make it easier for you to manage the recruiting process, keep track of all the wonderful candidates and build brand awareness for your company. For applicants, it's supposed to make a seamless virtual process for you to apply from the comfort of your home and avoid traveling, burning gas, postage, and the cleaning bill that comes with maintaining the fine business wear you own. But guess what folks. All of that is pure grade garbage.

I've been noticing how employers are investing lots of money and manpower in upgrading their websites, getting people involved in expanding the company brand through social media and trying to figure a way to accommodate the overwhelming influx of applicants (thanks to the economy) and make life easier for recruiters. Well you can't without there being some collateral damage. And in most cases that collateral damage is the applicants. Really, who are you fooling with the brand new social image? Social media is...well....SOCIAL. It demands that you interact with candidates. Not, collect their data for your loathsome reporting requirements and quotas you impose on your recruiters, but to engage. A lot of you are missing the mark dramatically and candidates are moving on.

You see, there comes a point when all employers start looking the same. Yes, you have people on Twitter and Facebook. You've created your company Linked In page. You've even put up video on Youtube and Vimeo (and even your own site) showing people how wonderful it is to work for you. But almost EVERYONE else is doing that. It's just another flashier filter between recruiters and applicants. It screams "look at us! We're are the best to work for and all of our people are happy". But are you hearing the applicants? Are you answering their questions? Are you ACKNOWLEDGING them? Wait don't answer, I'll do it for you. That's a big fat NO. So tell me, why as an applicant would I give your company any real consideration, when I can't even find contact information to a real person? Submit Resume buttons and careers@mycompany.com don't count. Oh wait, that's right. you don't want them to be able to connect with them directly. I got it. Please, spare me the excuse that recruiters are overloaded. Their job is to connect with and assess people for jobs that you need them to fill. So why the barriers under the guise of keeping up with the times? Do you realize how much great talent you pass up with this insane "logic"? It has to stop.

I read an article over at the Huffington Post that had me quite perplexed. No, let me say what I really was...Pissed Off. The cliff notes version is there was a recruiter who boldly stated (no doubt he knew this would be made public) that if a candidate has been unemployed for a long length of time, they shouldn't bother to apply because they look desperate. Now, I'll rip into this in another blog post. But if companies are allowing their representatives (recruiters) to say things like this, coupled with the fact that even with all the cutesy bells and whistles of social media and new websites, they are STILL not making themselves accessible to applicants, then Houston, we have a problem. It's no wonder there is an overly negative tone about the job market. We are in one of the worst economies I've seen in my 41 years of life. Technology is supposed to make life better, not harder.

Believe me, as a recruiter I truly understand the protocol and data capture aspect. I get it, I live it. BUT people are human beings. They deserve acknowledgment and I don't mean that canned bullshit auto email they get when they apply. It takes you a minute to put together an email acknowledging that you received their resume but they are not a fit. You let them know so they don't continue with false hope or worse dead silence. People want to be acknowledged. And before some smart ass recruiter comes in here and starts to squawk about how much work they have and how little time they have, save it. I've been recruiting for over 17 years (and in a lot of cases with a very heavy req load). So put on the big girl/boy draws, man/woman up and do your job.

But back to companies. If you are going to invest time in social media and fancy "interactive" websites, you better be prepared to do it all the way. That includes having people to man these mediums. Think it can't be done? Take a look at ADP. Now, I don't point them out because they are a former client of mines (well yes that's part of it). I use them as an example because they actually get it. They have LIVE chats, podcasts, an active Facebook Page (that they actually answer people on), and they combine these with real life recruiting AND networking events. They really get it. ADP knows how to build an employer brand that doesn't treat candidates like words on a screen. What can you learn from them? They stay active and they interact with applicants. Even if the applicant isn't a fit, they don't feel dismissed and even feel obliged to refer others. THAT ladies and gentlemen, is how you build an employment brand. I like to think I was the catalyst for what they have become (in the social media landscape). Great job guys!

Employers I would venture to say that you've wasted valuable time and money. Yes your site is pretty and flashy and you're "down" with all the latest social media sites and tools. But you've missed an opportunity to connect with candidates. Posting job openings and links to apply online is not engaging. Putting up blogs, fan pages and videos is one sided conversation at best if you are not taking the time to engage people in conversation. You have violated all the rules and it has resulted in an epic FAIL. Yes, applications are up. You're getting tons of resumes. But are you getting tons of PEOPLE who are willing to champion your company whether or not they receive a job offer? Think on that as you contemplate your next move. You're really not fooling anyone. Hope you wake up in the new year. You've got work to do.

Til next time.

Adrienne Graham