First Interview Is the Only KPI That Matters!

First Interview Is the Only KPI That Matters! In recruitment, the only thing that really matters is that all-important end result. In short, it isn’t recruitment until your candidate is sat firmly in front of your client â€" and that’s the final word on the matter! But You’ve Got the Great Candidates, Right? You might have an astounding array of tempting vacancies, lined up like shiny pearls on your database. You may well have an endless queue of inspiring, genius-level candidates, tingling at the mere prospect of you finding them the dream job that you’ve just promised them. However, all of that is pretty useless unless you’re getting your candidates in front of your clients. Interviews are where the magic really happens. Without the first interview, there will never be a second. Without a second, you can guarantee there won’t be a job offer. And, you guessed it, without that offer, there’s no placement. Which means no real results for you, the super recruiter! Yikes! This is the time where you need to recognise an important fact. The phone is your best friend in recruitment. Unless your client is sat in front of you right now (we’re willing to bet they’re not) it’s the most effective way of reaching out and making contact. Go on, give that phone a pat, it deserves it. After all, it’s about to help you in big ways. Fast-Tracking to Interview Your goal as a recruiter is essentially a simple one. Create a situation where your client wants to hire one of your candidates. Simple. However, that can’t happen without an interview. So, what’s the best way to get one arranged? Firstly, you’ll need to tell your client all about your candidate. Then, shock horror, you’ll need to (wait for it) ask for an interview. And no, we don’t mean by email. Or by mailshot, CV portal submission platform or LinkedIn email. And please, if your fingers are hovering on your smartphone, don’t even think of sending a text. The best way of getting that interview is to ask for it personally, and that means making a phone call. The Power of a Phone Call When it comes to arranging interviews, you’ll need to remember the following mantra. Repeat after me: People buy from people. Not emails. You can’t build rapport in an email. An email will never, ever communicate how exciting this candidate is. Writing emails is a bit of a waste of time. Emails can be deleted in the tap of a finger. Emailing CVs without a phone call is LAZY! Trust me, taking the time to canvas / prospect / spec out your candidates by phone to your potential clients is the speediest route to an interview. However, this great way of getting results is becoming a lost art. We’re spending too much time hiding behind emails, and not enough time doing what we do best â€" talking to our clients! Remember, on a phone, you’ve got their complete attention. Which is a lot more than your email will have, whilst they’re also eating their lunch / chatting to someone else / checking the football scores on their phone. When you’re talking on the phone, they’re your captive audience. You’ve got centre stage, and you can immediately demonstrate your authority and credibility. You’re talking their language and you’re introducing a candidate that’s ideal for their business. So do not, we repeat, do not just send the CV over by email. Confident Conversing If you’ve done your research, and you know this is the perfect candidate for your client’s company, be confident! Also, make sure you specifically state that this particular candidate is working exclusively with you (if they are). This instantly sets you apart from the rest of the recruiting mob. Remember, you have what nobody else has â€" this amazing, talented, qualified candidate. This person could add huge value to your client’s business â€" you need to make sure they know it. Speak to the hiring manager, the MD, the decision maker â€" get in touch with the right person, and ask outright if they want to meet your candidate. Any other course of action is fairly pointless. We repeat (and we’ll keep saying this until you’re reciting it in your sleep) Do not just email the CV over. Nailing Client Calls If you’re already dialling the number â€" wait one second! We salute your enthusiasm, but this certainly isn’t the time to wing it, you need to prepare first. Have a plan ready. Rather than thinking like a recruiter, think like your client instead. What’s in it for them? What would make them leap out of their seats with excitement? What do you need to say to convince them? Your client’s time is precious, and if you don’t give them gold, you won’t be taken so seriously the next time you call. You’ll need to: Plan what you’re going to say Plan the benefit to the client â€" what value does this candidate offer? Plan what you want from the call Make the aim of the call to learn as much as you can (**listen to the client**) Keep records of your calls and make sure you have great notes Keep your word! If you arrange a call back at a specified time, make sure you follow through Don’t Be Afraid To Ask! Remember when you were a child, and you wrote to Santa, desperate for that amazing Lego set at Christmas? You weren’t afraid to ask then, and nor should you be now. Most people don’t get what they want, simply because they’re too nervous to ask. It’s time to lose that mindset, fast. Remember, this doesn’t just benefit you â€" this benefits the candidate and your client too. This is a win-win-win situation, and you don’t get many of them in life. Not sure what to ask? Try this. “If you think your company could benefit from his/her skills, I already have commitment from my candidate to arrange an interview with you, so what date works best for you? When are you free to meet my candidate?” And please, make sure you’re talking to the right person â€" the one who makes the decisions. Nigel the receptionist might be a complete legend, but he’s unlikely to be able to help you with this one, trust me. A Final Top Tip… If you have to send the CV over, the best thing to include is the interview confirmation. Do not be afraid to ask! As recruiters you will always be judged on your success. Success, quite simply, is a placement, nothing more, nothing less. That new first interview takes you one step closer to a deal!

What leadership will look like when Generation Z takes over (and I love Pope Francis)

What leadership will look like when Generation Z takes over (and I love Pope Francis) If you want to understand Generation Z (born in the 200os), take a look at Pope Francis. He is not just a new pope. He is revolutionizing the Vatican in a way that generation Z is likely to revolutionize secular  institutions. For those of you who are not following Pope Francis, you should. He is so cool he makes me want to give money to the Catholic church. He is a Gen Z mascot. Francis  was not trained to be a powerful man. He is honest, for one thing, and no one trains for power through honesty.  But also, he wants simply to do good for people and keep the Church healthy and vibrant. He doesnt care about power. This is exactly how Generation Z will view power: something that distracts from the real work of helping people. Gen Z  will gain power by  restoring  beneficent institutions that hold our society together. Generation Z will shore up institutions. The history of civilization is cyclical. Generations build up institutions and later generations feel stifled by those institutions and tear them down. Generation Z is what comes after an era of destroying institutions. Generation Z are stabilizers. Want to know what that will look like? Gen Z will refuse  to engaging in polarizing  topics that have  no practical need for resolution. While Gen X is offending people and Gen Y is trying to build consensus, Gen Z  will see it all as a waste of time to discuss they want  people to put the needs of the cherished institutions before our own needs inside and outside of the church Pope Francis  models this behavior today when he tells everyone the church needs to stop focusing on fighting abortion and working against gay rights. Pope Francis  church is going back to the roots of Christianity: he is washing the feet of the destitute and leaving people alone in their bedrooms and clinics. For Generation Z, self-effacing action  is the new authenticity. Do you know how you can tell what age someone is online? Look at their domain name. Generation Y-ers are nuts about getting their namesake as their handle. How many women have said they are the next Oprah  or the next Martha Stewart?  Generation Z doesnt care. They just want to do what they do best. Pewdiepie  and  AntVennon  are post-Gen Y. They have huge web sites, but they are not  self-promoting  so much as promoting something bigger than themselves. This is how Pope Francis  sees himself   as part of world-wide Catholic organization that helps people. You dont need to be better than other people to help people. You dont need special recognition to help people. Pope Francis  is humbly human and refuses to be part of an elite, stand-offish culture that has come to plague the Vatican. The rise of Gen X coupled with the rise of the Internet ushered in  a new authenticity through transparency. Gen Y reframed that as packaged authenticity via Instagram and Facebook. So its no surprise that the Vatican of the last 20 years was one of religious veneer covering up sex predators, clerical orgies, and global racketeering. Pope Francis  does not care for covering up. He does not need to present anything except a Pope doing good deeds and installing other clergy who do good deeds. He let the Italian government tax $93 million away from the Vatican. He kicked out clergy who were judgmental and divisive, and he invited a new era of clergy that, like him, never expected power or prestige and spent their whole lives in service to others in need. Gen Z  are pragmatic and sensible no aspirations of stardom. As  Gen Y is the generation of reality TV, Gen Z is the generation of reality. In an era where institutions are crumbling around us, Gen Z has no time to shun conflict in favor of denial. Gen Z knows  the times are desperate. They were born into a world of terrorism, a crumbling middle class, and global warming. One of the reasons Gen Z has no sacred cows is that the Gen Xers who raised them have disdain for following rules. But the real reason Gen Z can look you in the eye and tell you the truth is that Gen Z feels a responsibility to shore up the mess other generations left behind. Pope Francis  is saving the church through an unrelenting determination to be a realist. He is saving the world in his own way, and modeling for a new generation what its like to be a rebuilder of institutions. How ironic it is that as  Pope Francis  implores Catholics to curtail  power-mongering within the Church, because he makes the Catholic church one of the most influential leaders of the  coming generation of institutional saviors.

Issue 9 of Personal Branding Magazine With the Real Deal Evander Holyfield! - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Issue 9 of Personal Branding Magazine With the Real Deal Evander Holyfield! - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Personal Branding Magazine â€" Volume 3, Issue 1 Become the Heavyweight Champion of Your Niche! Summary Personal Branding Magazine Volume 3, Issue 1 is focused on helping you build a personal brand that owns a specific niche. With a very saturated market landscape, the only way to become known is to become both distinct and the master of your field. We want you to have the tools, knowledge and confidence that is necessary to take ownership of your domain, before someone else does. This issue contains an exclusive interview with Evander Holyfield, the only four-time boxing heavyweight champion of the world. You will learn how to become the best by learning from those who have already accomplished it in a variety of fields. Free sample issue available today! Enjoy eight articles in the free sample issue, which can be found on PersonalBrandingSample.com. You’ll hear partial interviews from Evander Holyfield, Abiola Abrams, Ken Blanchard, Melanie Notkin and Steve Strauss.     You’ll also see three great articles that will help you define yourself, become more consistent with your branding and rank high in search engines. Full issue available August 1st (paid subscribers only) The full issue will be out on August 1st, including complete interviews with major business celebrities and a combined 28 articles for your viewing pleasure. Be sure to subscribe before August 1st in order to receive this issue in your email inbox. More information can be found at PersonalBrandingMag.com. Features Exclusive interviews with: Evander Holyfield: A professional boxer from the United States and a multiple world champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, earning him the nickname The Real Deal. Holyfield won the bronze medal in the Light Heavyweight division at the 1984 Summer Olympics. He is the only boxer to win the heavyweight title four times. Abiola Abrams: An American TV host, art filmmaker, and author. She is currently the host of The Best Shorts, Black Entertainment Televisions (BET) indie film showcase and competition. She is the author of Dare, a retelling of Faust set in the hip hop world. Abiola also appears on My Two Cents, a panel-style show also on her networks BET J, formerly BET Jazz. In Spring 2009, she was featured as one of the eight women struggling to find love on VH1s reality television show Tough Love. Ken Blanchard: He is an American author and management expert. His book The One Minute Manager (co-authored with Spencer Johnson) has sold over 13 million copies and has been translated into 37 languages. He has coauthored over 30 other best-selling books. Among many accolades, Blanchard has been honored as one of the top 10 Leadership professionals in the international Leadership Gurus survey for 2007 and 2008. Blanchard is a Cornell University trustee emeritus and visiting professor at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. Melanie Notkin: Melanie is the founder and CEO of the 2009 Webby Award nominated SavvyAuntie.com, the first online community for cool aunts, great aunts, godmothers and all women who love kids. Before launching Savvy Auntie, Melanie was an interactive marketing and communications executive for global Fortune 500 companies, including New York Times Digital and American Express, as well as LOréal. Steve Strauss: Steven is the countrys leading small business expert. An internationally recognized lawyer, columnist, and speaker, Steve is also an author of 15 books. Steves highly syndicated business column, Ask an Expert, appears weekly at USATODAY.com He is also the small business columnist for Microsoft, and ATT who calls him Americas Small Business Expert. A highly sought after commentator and media guest, Steve has been featured on CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg Television, The OReilly Factor, and the BBC. He has been a regular guest on MSNBCs small business show, Your Business. Who contributed? Experts, authors, and bloggers such as: Katie Konrath, blogger Get Fresh Minds Mike Sansone, blogger, Converstations Louis Gray, blogger, LouisGray.com Angelika Blendstrup, author, They Made It!,how foreign entrepreneurs made it in Silicon Valley Glory Borgeson, author, Brand Yourself! for College Students Erin Doland, author, Unclutter Your Life in One week Aliza Sherman, blogger, Web Worker Daily and founder of Cybergrrl, Inc. Jason Falls, VP, Doe Anderson Advertising and blogger, Social Medai Explorer Craig and Jason Womack, consultants and speakers Lisa Orrell, author, Millennials Incorporated Greg Rollett, blogger, Gen-Y Marketing Nick Armstrong, blogger, I Am Nick Armstrong Special thanks to the staff: Miriam Salpeter and Jonathan Coffman are the editors Selina McCusker is the relationship director Columnists: Jay Deragon, Tiffany Monhollon, Rick Mahn, Liz Pabon, Maria Elena Duron, Vikram Rajan, Jack Humphrey, Georgina Taylor, Ivana Taylor, Silvana Avinami, Donna Fontenot and Jim Stroud. Join our Facebook fan page Thanks to our ten sponsors

Travel Observations to Ponder for Business - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Travel Observations to Ponder for Business - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career A long awaited two-day outing, away from the computer, finally arrived. I had the opportunity to observe life in New York in its many forms. 1. Your personal brand remains with you for the long-term All of your unique traits including how you serve others defines you and your personal brand. The question is how do you wish people to speak of you today and remember you tomorrow? As we walked toward Times Square, we were entertained on the street.   Elmo, Mickey Mouse and Mr. Peanut greeted those walking by.   But admittedly, the most intriguing, given the cold weather, was seeing the “Naked Cowboy” with guitar.   He was wearing briefs and boots but that was it.   A few yards away were women painted to represent the American Flag directly onto their skin; you get where I’m going with this… The conclusion being there is entertainment for every age, and a personal brand of many types, on the streets of New York. 2. Strategically Plan Your Day Drawn in by friends along with overhearing strangers talk about the play, Kinky Boots, had us prepared to purchase tickets. The very long wait for discounted tickets at the Time Square box office had us research online for a similar outlet in another part of town. To our delight, here was only one person ahead of us. We quickly purchased tickets allowing for the remainder of the day to be enjoyed. An historic neighborhood was in the vicinity. The exteriors of the buildings are preserved while the interiors are being updated to become a very trendy neighborhood, and near to Wall Street. Some of the placards on the buildings date back to over 250 years. For a former Californian, that’s history! 3. Plan B Is Often A Blessing In Disguise Upon researching how to obtain tickets to visit the Statue of Liberty museum we learned that reservations are needed a month ahead. Time was instead spent walking over to see the new World Trade Center Tower, and the memorial built to remember those we lost in 9/11. It was a moving experience. The Tower itself is exquisite and an architectural masterpiece. Later that night, the news revealed there was a bomb scare at the Statue of Liberty earlier that day. 4. The Joy of Kinky Boots To my surprise, not knowing much about it, the theme was centered on a business that has gone out of favor. Not wanting to ruin the surprise of seeing it, I’ll just add that there are so many wonderful business questions and answers presented in the script in addition to the joy-filled singing and dancing. The last number brought not one, but two standing ovations. Further Lessons for Business 1. Planning your day to maximize efficiencies is key for obtaining your goals. 2. Having a Plan B is always a good idea. 3. Business is built about delivering excellence.  Establishing good word of mouth based upon a thoughtful branding effort will bring larger followings and many types of audiences per the referrals for Kinky Boots. Correlating all we observe with business enables us to find the Smooth Sale!

Should You Staple a Resume?

Should You Staple a Resume?Staple a resume should you really be doing so? The question has been debated for many years. Some employers say that if you staple a resume the chances of a job offer will increase. Others say that you should be removing any staples and leaving the resume intact.I often ask my clients if they are going to staple their resume before they send it in. Many say no, and you can see why. It takes a long time to do this and they don't want to waste valuable time fixing anything that's wrong with the resume.However, there are those who say that in most cases, not all is lost. If you take the time to stapling a resume, you should be able to save your employer a lot of time when you go to interview. So, let's look at the pros and cons.One of the most obvious reasons to staple a resume is that you don't have to deal with a ton of staples in the mail. You can always send out a pre-stamped resume. However, this would take a few days. A batch of resumes sent out to all o f the employers can be many weeks in the future.Also, if you just plain mail the resume, you are at risk of a rejection or some other major setback. This will just make it more difficult for you to get an interview.But if you don't staple your resume, then you will be able to save yourself some time and have a chance to make your resume look good and get an interview. This will also give you a chance to send the resume in without any stapling needed.Keep in mind that your resume isn't sent from the company to the person. You still need to write a great cover letter and submit that as well.When you have all of the information together in one place, you should be able to have an interview almost immediately, without needing to waste your time with a formal interview. Using this method you will get your dream job in no time!

How to Do Your Own Mid-Year Review

How to Do Your Own Mid-Year Review Welcome to the start of the second half of the year. Do you know where you stand? Are you on track to accomplish what you want and need? Whether or not your company does a mid-year review of your progress, it makes sense to conduct one for yourself. That’s because your company sees things from their perspective. It’s valuable feedback and you want to embrace it. But it doesn't substitute for doing one of your own. Why your personal mid-year review matters The beauty of this time of year is that you’ve got the summer to take a step back and assess where you are, and still have time to make adjustments to ensure you stay on track. This is a golden time when it’s not too late. There’s still time to make changes and make this year fabulous, but only if you grab this opportunity right now and make the most of it. Unless you’re vigilant, everyday busy-ness can pull you off course. It’s like the undercurrent in the ocean that can cause you to drift further and further off course if you’re not paying attention. It’s up to you to make sure you’re still on course. No one else can do it because only you know what you want to accomplish. Only you have your very best interests at heart. Even the most well-meaning people around you will have their own biases on what they think you should do. And that puts you at risk of marching to someone else’s drumbeat. So, doing your own mid-year review is essential. How to do your own mid-year review The good news is that it’s simple to do. All you need is to carve out some time â€" even an hour or two will do â€" and ask yourself these three questions. 1. Where am I now? This is about taking stock of how far you’ve come. Start by listing out all your accomplishments for the year, personal and professional. No accomplishment is too small (or too big â€" this is your chance to brag and take credit). For example, my list includes changing my non-refundable flights to be able to watch my husband’s basketball team compete in and win the WBBL finals at the O2 Arena. And that sits alongside running a totally badass, first-time, flagship event for my business. Then write down all the things you’ve learned. Both the things that went poorly and the things that went well. From my experience, the things that don’t go as we wanted are ripe for lessons learned, and the best way to get those mistakes out of your head is to extract the lessons. It’s the single best way I’ve found to help myself move forward despite making errors. The best way to get mistakes out of your head is to extract the lessons and move forward. A great way to do this that’s energizing rather than a downer is to do what one of my mentors and coaches, Jeff Walker, calls “WWDD”. This stands for “working well, do differently”, and you ask yourself, “What’s working well, and what do I want to do differently?” 2. Where am I going? Next, take a look at your goals. The ones you set for the year and the goals you want to achieve in the longer term. This matters because goals can change. You’re always evolving and growing, so the goals you’ve set in the past may not be relevant anymore. Or at least they might need some adjustment. The more personal and professional growth you’ve experienced, the more careful you’ll want to be about whether the goals you set as your Old Self are still the ones you want to have as your New Self. Or maybe you’ve made so much progress that you need a new point on the horizon to strive for. Either way, you’ll appreciate getting clarity on your goals so you can set the right priorities and commit to actions that will get you there. Getting clarity on your goals helps you set the right priorities and commit to actions to achieve them. 3. What mid-course corrections do I want to make? Having reviewed your goals and assessed your current status, you’re ready to decide what mid-course adjustments you want to make. If you’re exactly on track, then it’s more a matter of making minor enhancements now that you’re another 6 months more experienced. For the rest of us, it may require a little more action. A good way to get this down to some actionable items is to list out the following. Decision-making: How are you making decisions about what to take on and what to say “no” to, and does this still serve you well? This is about adjusting your decision-making criteria so that your actions match your priorities. Key projects: What are the focal point projects you want to get done by the end of the year? How does this align with your priorities, and what do you need to move these forward? Looking ahead: What do you need to do this year to set yourself up for a great year next year? Action steps: What do you want to start doing, stop doing, and keep doing? You’ll always be triangulating between long-term goals and near-term actions. It’s like the concept of tacking in sailing â€" making lots of mid-course adjustments to reach the destination. Given the unpredictable elements of nature, sailors can’t just “set and forget” when it comes to the ocean. And the same is true of your career. In sailing, you have to make mid-course adjustments. The same is true of your career. My mid-year review For me, I had a busy first half. In fact it was downright full-on, and my team and I hardly had a moment to think. We held the popular Career Mastery Kickstart in January, launched a new course (Next Level Network) and a new product (Networking Toolkit), put on a live event, and ran a number of workshops for companies and organizations. Now that we finally have some blank space in the calendar to stop and breathe, the plan is to take a few weeks to reflect on our goals and the next steps to take. For me, it will focus on: Building a foundation for the future through more speaking engagements, articles, and webinars so we can reach a larger audience and help more people. Investing time to understand what people really want and need so we can provide that support and make a bigger difference. Planning ahead for 2018 so that we’re not so “last minute dot com” as we’ve been this year. This includes identifying and laying the groundwork for next year’s initiatives, like Career Mastery Kickstart 2018, a mastermind group, and a live event. Building relationships with others in my space so we can collaborate to provide more value to you. Benefits from the mid-year review If my experience is a guide, then you’ll feel great when you have clarity on what your plan is for the rest of the year. And if you have a team around you, it will help them immensely too. You’ll have everyone pulling in the same direction and you can hold each other accountable. That clarity leads to confidence that you can handle whatever comes up, and respond in a way that honors your goals and commitments. Clarity on your goals helps your team pull in the same direction. Here’s your challenge It’s time to carve out some time to reflect. Whether it’s an hour or two, or a day or two, go ahead and clear your mind, step back and assess the bigger picture. Ask yourself the three questions and chart your course for the rest of the year: Where am I now? Where am I going? What mid-course corrections do I want to make? So, what will you do at the start of this second half to make this a great year? Or to use a basketball analogy, what’s your half-time locker room huddle going to be about? Leave me a comment to let me know two things: What accomplishments in the last six months are you most proud of? Go ahead and brag a little (or a lot!) â€" I’d love to know. What mid-course corrections do you think you need to make so you can finish the rest of the year strong?

A Creative Way to Use Twitter Lists to Get Hired

A Creative Way to Use Twitter Lists to Get Hired 51 Flares 51 Flares There are many creative ways job seekers gain attention from recruiters and hiring managers on Twitter.  Weve seen seekers create catchy Twitter handles that clearly state their job search intentions.  Weve also seen folks with extremely nifty Twitter backgrounds that get the point across well.  Another popular route is joining Twitter chats like #JobHuntChat to engage with the hiring community.  All of these are great, but until last night, I havent seen anyone find a way to use Twitter lists creatively. Last night after #JobHuntChat, I checked the lists that @CornOnTheJob was recently added onto.  I smiled as I caught notice of a new list from @oliviaccheung that featured me and some others.  The list name is hire-me. So simple, yet so effective. Olivias list description is good, but it may need some work.   I need a job, it says.  Ill add in my recommendations towards the bottom. Olivia then added several recruiters and bloggers that shes found helpful.  Then being that shes from San Francisco, she tossed some SF career resources on there as well.  I have some improvements for this section as well, which Ill talk about shortly. Kudos to Olivia for the brilliant idea, but I do have some thoughts for her and others thinking of doing something similar. Be Specific Dont just say, I need a job, in their description.  State exactly what you want.  I need a job in Accounting in San Francisco, would be perfect Create a Big List A big list will grab the attention of many.  Right now Olivias list just has 7 Twitter handles attached to it.  Scope out tons of recruiters in the San Francisco area that can be helpful to you.  Then target career bloggers and career coachs that may or may not be in your geographic location.  Lastly, find the Twitter handle for the Careers/Recruiters of companies you want to work for.  An example would be @Unisys_Careers Their recruiters definitely pay attention to that handle. Connect/Engage This is the most important piece.  This is your money maker.  Shout out to the folks youve added.  Make sure they know youve added them, and see if they engage back with you.  Maybe theyll take notice and do this on their own, but maybe not.  Start the conversation and let the sparks fly! Thanks to Olivia Cheung for the inspiration.  Follow her lead, and create your own Twitter list.  Look for ways to make it your own, and employers will take notice! What else would you add in?  Have you seen any other creative ways to use Twitter lists?