Great Interview, No Call. Why?

So, you were in an interview the other day and walked away feeling great about it. You had finally managed to meet with the regional director, the person making the final decision. You know it’s down to you and just three others. You talked about how you are an innovator, and how you can bring new ideas to the organization that will lead to bottom line results. Everything went off exactly as you would have liked, but no call came.

Be the CEO of Your Career

Your organization’s success depends upon its people and effectively utilizing human capital. Aligning competencies, culture, and direction is everyone’s responsibility.

Last week I facilitated a workshop titled, “Be the CEO of Your Career”. The audience was predominately senior level developers who are navigating through the expert career ladder versus the management career ladder. It’s my belief that all technical professionals, including accounting / finance, IT / IS, sales, marketing, HR, etc. are confronted with the technical versus management dilemma. How do you know which is right for you?

Tips for Dealing with Work Jerks

In my last blog spot, I examined the criteria Robert Sutton outlines in his book, The No Asshole Rule, which helps one identify certifiable a-holes in the workplace. We’ve all dealt with them before and there’s a strong likelihood we’ll cross paths with more of them in the future, as much as it pains me to admit. If only the workplace jerk was a species on the verge of extinction….

Work Jerks — Are You One?

I just started reading “The No Asshole Rule,” by Robert Sutton. The title immediately captured my attention. Even in my 30s, an unexpectedly placed swearword makes me laugh. As silly as the title might seem, the content of this book is incredible!

Let’s think about this for a moment. All of us have had experiences working with people who are, for lack of a better phrase, A-holes. Now, dig a little deeper with me? What did these A-holes have in common?

TEAM BUILDING: Is it Worth Your Time?

Sometimes team building exercises are a success and others are a huge waste of time. The key is to choose the right game or exercise that aligns with your objectives. If done correctly, professional development, clear role clarification, improved collaboration, or better communication are a few benefits that you may achieve.

The place to start in choosing a team building exercise is to undertake an evaluation. If there are problems, you need to determine the causes. If there are no problems, you should identify how best to maintain or improve performance. A poorly chosen exercise can actually waste everyone’s time and have a negative effect.

Top 5 Reasons Your Offers Get Turned Down

Nothing in my job is more deflating than to deliver an offer to a candidate, only to have it turned down. The worst part, I almost always know it’s going to happen before it does. In sports terms, it’s like tripping and breaking your leg 100 meters from the end of a mile long race. Uggh! Painful indeed.

Most of my clients tell me that the hiring process, especially at the strategic levels, is painful enough. Finding a candidate you like, and feeling like you are closing in on bringing them aboard, only to have the rug swept out from under your feet has to be terrible. Point being, as a recruiter, I empathize with your pain when this happens. Great news though! All of it is 100 percent avoidable.

Got Talent? Why It’s Important to Build Bench Strength

Recently, I’ve been asked to discuss “bench strength” with a few organizations. All companies need to develop the next generation of leaders if they want to survive, let alone thrive. Unfortunately, few companies master succession management. In a study by the Corporate Leadership Council, 72 percent of companies predict they’ll have an increasing number of leadership vacancies during the next few years. At the same time, 76 percent are “less than confident” in their abilities to adequately staff these positions.

The few companies that apply rigor to identifying and grooming their top players enjoy retention and increased bottom lines. So let’s discuss the practices of an effective succession process. There are three initial steps:

Professional Sector Staffing Shifts into High Gear

We have a “spring” in our step! The professional sector of the staffing industry is experiencing a significant uptick. On a whole, the economy gained 216,000 jobs in March, according to a recent CNNMoney.com article, and the unemployment rate continues to drop now at 8.8%, the lowest level since March 2009.

As a thermometer of the local economy, Aureus Group has good news to share as well. Year-to-date we have obtained 22% more search assignments and special project “temp” orders than in 2010. Our contingent workforce is up 42% and we have already placed 32% more people in full-time positions than in 2010.

Aureus Group Annual Hiring Trends Survey

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in January that job gains exceeded job losses for the first time since December 2007. In fact, job losses have steadily decreased from a high of 8.5 million in December 2008 to the lowest level since the series began in 1992. Is this a sure sign the economy is on a steady uphill climb? With unemployment stubbornly planted at 9% according to the most recent BLS report, 2011 hiring is on the minds of many.

The Power of Fear in Making Career Decisions

Nothing plays so strongly as the element of fear in any important decision. This is really evident when making any kind of expensive purchase. I had a guy in my house recently hawking a machine that is guaranteed to remove all allergenic and pollutant particles from the air in my home.

I was intrigued with the product, but the only reason he made it in the door was the free mp3 player. What can I say? Mine recently broke and I needed a new one. That being said, I do suffer from allergies, and the product seemed to be a good one. So, I watched in feigned amazement as this self anointed “best in-home sales professional in the U.S.” worked his way through his schtick. All the way asking me questions like, “How important is the health of you and your family?” And, “If you could improve the health of your children, would you?”