Look for Empathy in Your Future Leaders

Almost every organization I work with is trying to hire better leaders than the ones they have right now. I say almost every one, because they all say that they do, but some act in completely opposite ways. The battlefield for acquiring true leaders is ferocious as we head into the back half of the Gen X era leading this country. Here is the problem I see. Again, every company wants better leaders, but most can’t understand what a leader even is. That is why there are so few transcendent organizations, and elite levels of success are so hard to come by. We often get seduced by sexy dollar signs when trying to define leadership. I can say this forthcoming statement with 100% conviction. The very best organizations I work with do not try to train people into leaders. They identify leaders, and help develop them into greater leaders.

‘Show Me The Money’: How to Answer the Money Question in an Interview

Money is and always will be a touchy subject. In my years doing recruitment, I have seen people handle this topic in a wide variety of ways. Some choose to be direct and honest, some are evasive and indirect, while others are flat out confused and awkward. If you fumble the money question in an interview, you could knock yourself out of the process for a position that you desire, so it must be handled cogently and with confidence. I have outlined below how I would suggest handling the money question in a few different situations. Hopefully this will help you to maintain your market value and keep yourself in consideration for a great position.

Interviewing Pitfalls, Part 1: Handling Tough Questions About Your Past

The old adage of “you are what you are” is really very true. What happens in the past is written into history in ink and cannot be erased. We remember fondly the great times, and tend to flush away the painful memories. There is nothing wrong with that necessarily, it’s just that, a first interview is typically a screening out process, and certain questions are posed in order to aid this process. Answering technical questions is likely going to be the easy part of an interview. It’s the stuff about our imperfect selves that is really hard answer for most of us. Here are some common landmines to step around.

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.

Baird Holm Forum Raffle Winners Announced

Aureus Group and Celebrity Staff were excited to participate in the 2011 Baird Holm Labor Law Forum as exhibitors with parent company C&A Industries, Inc. The team raffled off two $50 Visa gift cards to conference attendees who visited the C&A booth. Find out who won our raffle, here.

Tips for Finding a Rock-Star Recruiter

If you have been cold called by an executive recruiter in your career, it likely comes as no surprise that the recruiter’s goal in the initial call with you is to come to two conclusions. First of all, they want to determine if you are open to exploring new opportunities. Secondly, they are judging you on your communication skills and professional exposures.

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:

The Dating Game of Job Hunting

Searching for a new job opportunity can be a lot like dating. The candidate is “playing the field,” trying to determine what opportunity is going to be the best match. The hiring manager is trying to “woo” the candidate by showing all the perceived benefits of stepping into this position and joining their team. Both parties often conduct research on one another, trying to gather insights on what it would really be like to engage in a full-blown working relationship.