By John Sacerdote, CPC/CTS

Circle the wagons, quickly!  We are all about to die, let alone go out of business!  Well, to continue the pun, let’s all just hold our horses.  I have been through a number of recessions since I started in this business in 1977.  While this is tougher than most, my best advice to you is to stop watching the television.  The doom and gloom makes for great ratings, but doesn’t do much for us.  Let’s just get back to work and start doing the things that made us so successful in the first place.  Forget what those things are?  Let’s refresh our collective memories.

3 weeks ago, I heard Dick Stewart, CPC, founder of RJS Associates (one of the largest search firms in Connecticut) and owner of Stewart Staffing (also in Connecticut) give a talk to CAPS members about “Leading in Tough Times.”  It was a great talk from an experienced owner who has lived thru several recessions.  While there were many dead-on points and take-aways, the main theme of Dick’s presentation was all about getting back to the basics and even spending more money on education and not less (most of us tend to close our wallets and see if we can outlast the problem).  Now is the time to do something to assist our recruiters, not later when times are good.

Today, we are talking about hiring an assistant.  The good news is that it will cost you nothing and they will never stop working, no interview is necessary and you’ve already checked their references.  We are, all kidding aside, talking about your ATS (Applicant Tracking System).  During Dick’s presentation (while I was jotting down a ton of notes), I was thinking, “What would I do if I were an owner, a manager or a recruiter as it relates to what I know. How can I put this to use?”

When I train people on ATS best practices, I always tell them that, first and foremost, this is a phone business – always was and always will be…so your most important tool is the phone!  But, the next most important tool that a recruiter has is their ATS.  The point being is that we need to tune it up a notch in terms of how we use it, especially now.

This is not without some investment in time, so be prepared.  This is all about prepping yourself so that you can spend more time on the phone during those critical hours, those “golden hours.”  The end game here is to create more daily pipeline activity with the same if not less effort.  It requires some set up at first, but once you’re ready, it’s off to the races!

What does an ATS actually do for us?  Really only a few things:

-          Track all conversations with people (Candidates, and contacts/hiring officials – and I mean no matter what stage of development they are in;  i.e. prospect to new lead to long time client to whatever.)

-          Search for things that you need (Jobs that fit that new super-candidate that has just walked in the door.  Conversely, candidates that fit the job order that you have just taken from that favorite client or that new client that you have been dying to work with for weeks, if not months).

-          Track activity with regard to the hiring cycle (log in those resumes that have been sent, the interviews that you have set up, offers and of course, those wonderful placements!) and then, as the coup de grace, I need to be able to draw relationships between them all….metrics!

Any ATS worth its salt will allow you to do all of the above and at a much greater level of detail….First, and in order that this “assistant” can get started working for us, we need to prep appropriately:

“Prep work” can be summarized with two quick questions: Are all of your candidates that you are actively working in the system?  Are all of your contacts and the job orders/requisitions that these contacts have given you that you are actively trying to fill, in the system?  If they are not, how can you expect to stay current with what is going on every day in your life?  Frankly you can’t, so the only pre-requisite to this is to be current and stay current with regard to ALL people.  Do this one thing and the rest will fall into place.

The best technique or habit that you can develop is the following: As I work my desk throughout the day, I want the record (or file) of every single person that I talk to up on the screen BEFORE I talk to them.  That means I need a fast find mechanism to call up that record in seconds.  I want that record in front of me EVERY TIME I talk to someone, so that I can first, talk to that person with intelligence, second, be ready to make changes to the record that affect my ability to make money, and third, be able to add a note that we talked as well as a reminder if I need to call them back for that job order that they just promised me for next week (as an example).  This all needs to happen to me while I am on the phone with that candidate or contact.  If my ATS cannot keep up with the way I work, I begin to lose faith in it and that’s the beginning of the end…I will not trust it and will eventually stop using it.  So, the first thing that my assistant must be able to provide me with is data, fast – on everyone that I speak to, every day, all day.  If that one basic truth cannot happen, I will fire my assistant!

Next, my assistant must be able to get in touch with these folks fast and/or automatically.  For example, I want to be able to “point” to specific records or similar types of records and send them periodic messages, whether they are requests for an update of data, an “I’ve got a job or you” message or a marketing list of available, hot candidates that I can send to favorite contacts.  On occasion, I will need to be able to email all of them immediately, and I want that email to be personalized and further, I want that email that I am about to send to be stored in a library of pre-existing emails so that I never have to type a similar email over again, ever!  Using this one technique, I will be able to contact that many more people on a regular basis – just one way to keep my pipeline of activity full whiling taking no phone time away from me.

My assistant must next organize my life on a number of different levels.  With regard to searching the database, I want a list of my favorite searches already saved so that the next time I have a need, I can just run the search and have it check the database anytime I want…in real time, for that type of person or job.  There’s no way I have the time to enter that same set of criteria for that same type of person over and over again….my assistant can do that for me.   Further, when the latest results are presented, I want to be able to store selected lists of folks in the form of a “call list” so that I can check in on them whenever there is a need.  These saved lists can be candidates or contacts depending upon my project du jour.

Now, I’m getting smarter and more efficient, thanks to my assistant, in that I want to “chain” a bunch of the items previously mentioned together.  Consider this scenario as an example:  I talk to a hiring official who has a real (qualified) need for a Linux/Unix system administrator whose main app is Oracle.  I simply call up my list of “sys admin favs,” (that I have previously marked in the data base), select an item that says email to all of them, it grabs all their email addresses and puts me in outbound email. I call up my pre-stored email that explains “hey, have I got a job for you…call me…like, now” and I hit send.  In less than 10 seconds, I have sent out a personalized email to every single person that I have pre-qualified in the past as a great sys admin.  Since the list is pre-stored, I’ll give it a couple of hours or even a day and follow up with all of them, since the list also doubles as my call list….But, how many of them will call me?…think of all the phone activity you have generated by sending a targeted email, personalized, to a group of people that you have already coached and/or prequalified….nice!

What about all these “devices” (for lack of a better word – I’ve never been that technical!) that snoop around out there looking for passive candidates on the internet.  Wouldn’t it be nice if I can enter a job, point to the important specs for the job (all the “must haves”) and then tell it to go looking for candidates that fit the need….and get back to me when you have X number of candidates that might be right for that job.  Now, that really is like having someone searching the internet while you go about your daily recruiter work.  And, have your assistant link them to the job that you asked about (to keep my life even more organized) and one last thing, automatically email me when you have some candidates!

Finally, as a result of generating all this activity, some of it starts to pop!  That is, you have found people that are right for a job or conversely, you have located a job that is perfect for a candidate.  As a result, you need to start tracking activity.[1]  It must flow in a manner that works with the way I work.  That means if I am on a candidate record and I need to log that fact that this person is right for a particular job, then I need to be able to do that right from that candidate record.  Yet, the very next scenario might be that I am looking at a job and it dawns on me that a particular candidate is perfect for that job.  This means that I need to have that activity added directly from the job.  And, to top it all off, I need to then see that activity that I added, relative to all of the records involved, whenever I am on ANY of those records.  That means if I am looking at the candidate, I can see all the places that I thought this person is good for, including every place his resume was sent, everyplace he/she has interviewed, all offers and placements, etc.  I also will need to see that same info relative to the job, or the contact who gave me that job.  I may even need to see all the activity that has transacted at a company…AND EVEN MORE IMPORTANT, I must only enter that info ONCE and have it appear all over the place….now that’s an assistant!!!!

I can then take all of that activity that I enter through the normal course of my recruiter day and see how I am doing compared to my goals, see what my send-out to interview ratio is, see what my offer to placement ratio is and more.  And, I may want to do this several times throughout the day or week.  It’s the automatic accumulation of this data that will save me so much time….there’s no way I have the time to make tick marks on a daily planner to report how many cold calls, interviews, etc. that I worked on during the day…my new assistant will do that.  Besides, I need to stay on the phone!

To quickly summarize, there is so much more your ATS can and should be doing for you in addition to what has been discussed here.  Consider these as basic/beginning tasks that you can “teach’ your new assistant in order that you get through your day.  Get these beginning items down so that they become a regular part of your life and then we will talk about giving that assistant of yours a promotion!

You are in the best profession in the best in history! In order to take ownership and hold yourself accountable, the topic of attitude needs to be addressed as part of your Recruiting Training.

In Recruiting your success depends:

• 10% on what happens to you
• 90% on how you react

You have 100% control over how you choose to react!

No one can upset you, disappoint you, ruin your day or month, or control your emotions unless you “Give Them Permission” to do so. No one can motivate you, it comes from within!

Do you know you deserve more, but settle for so much less?

Recruiting is a Sales Profession. Let’s discuss the meaning of sales?

The one-word meaning of sales: Work
The two-word meaning of sales: Work Harder

We all want to know the fastest, easiest best way to make a sale. One day I asked an audience of recruiters the following question:

“How many of you would like a list of Top Talent (100 names and contact information) in your most difficult area to find candidates?” Of course EVERYONE raised their hand. In reality, that list doesn’t exist. But don’t we all wish it did!

If you are going to take ownership of your career, you need to set achievable goals.

Ask yourself the following:

• Where will I be a year from now?
• What will I produce in sales?
• How will I achieve that goal?
• Are my real world goals established and written down?

The definition of a Goal: A dream with a plan and a deadline

Are you aware that 74% of adults don’t write down their goals!

If you tie in your Goals to your Dreams, you will hold yourself Accountable! Remember there are no limits in our profession!

There are steps to goal setting with an accountability factor:

STEP ONE: CLEARLY IDENTIFY WHAT YOU WANT
Write down exactly what you want to achieve, in as much detail as possible

STEP TWO: DATE YOUR GOALS
You need to indicate a start date and completion date for all goals. Unless you commit to a start and target end, your ability to hold yourself accountable is questionable.

STEP THREE: LIST THE OBSTACLES YOU WILL HAVE TO OVERCOME
We are in a sales profession and there will be obstacles along the way that try to prevent you from attaining the goals you have set. You need to identify them, up front.

STEP FOUR: LIST WHO WILL HELP YOU ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL
This could be your co-workers, manager, clients, candidates…

STEP FIVE: MAKE A LIST OF THE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE YOU NEED
Do you have these skills, or do you need to develop them? If you need to acquire new skills or knowledge, write down a specific plan to develop those areas – with a timeframe.

STEP SIX: COMPILE ACTION ITEMS
Write down exactly what actions you need to take for each goal. Know your:

• Numbers
• Ratios
• Minimum daily results you must achieve

Make a commitment to hit those numbers on a daily basis!

STEP SEVEN: LIST THE BENEFITS OF GOAL ACHIEVEMENT
This will address your WIIFM (What’s In It For Me) question if you achieve your goals. What is your incentive to do this? Is the incentive strong enough to ensure you will achieve this goal?

STEP EIGHT: TAKE ACTION EVERY DAY
Make a personal commitment to act on your goals, and live up to that commitment every single day.

ASK YOURSELF THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:
What price are you paying and what price are the people you love paying for you not becoming as successful as you should be.

Hold yourself accountable to a certain level of results every single day – no exceptions!

HOW DO YOU DO YOUR BEST EVERY DAY?
I’ve interviewed hundreds of outstanding Recruiters who have set hiring records year after year, to get their answers. Their responses are listed:

• Start your day EARLY. If you started one our early every day – think of the impact!

• Love what you do. Think of how you are changing peoples’ lives daily!

• Dedicate yourself to being a life-long learner. Replace one hour you spend reading the newspaper or watching TV with learning every day. That would give you fifteen, 24 hour days of learning. What would benefit you more?

• Convert anger to resolve. Remember you have 100% control over how you react.

• Convert barriers to breakthroughs. You’re in Sales, and will face barriers, objections, and rejection on a daily basis. Learn from the experience and grow!

• Tell yourself “You’re the best!” Self Talk creates Self Image which creates Real Performance.

• Understand the importance of establishing strong relationships with the clients and candidates you represent. Rainmakers are great Relationships Builders!

• Surround yourself with positive people. To have the greatest impact on your life, change the 5 people you hang around with most!

Remember, if you take ownership and hold yourself accountable – You truly will turn your dreams into reality!

These Steps are just the “Tip of the Iceberg” of the Information included in the Premiere Coaching Club. If you want to Differentiate Yourself, Continue Learning New Techniques and Hire Barb as your Coach and Mentor by investing in yourself. The Benefits of Membership in the Premiere Coaching Club are PRICELESS!

For more information call 219.663.9609

Your site mentions, “Job seekers can learn about open positions and opportunities within the ‘hidden job market’.” What percentage of jobs is filled on the hidden job market?

The “Hidden Job Market,” represents job openings that are not advertised through sites such as Monster, Career Builder, Hot Jobs, as well as newspaper advertising. These positions within the “Hidden Job Market” are often given to recruiters to work on due to confidentiality issues, unique qualifications, etc. Job seekers just need to “tap into” the recruiters listed on Recruiters Connection to discover the possibilities in the “Hidden Job Market.” The percentage of jobs filled through the “Hidden Job Market,” is difficult to estimate, but what we do know is that only a small percentage of open jobs are advertised.

Read the entire article here

The internet provides many popular social networking choices today, such as Youtube, MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook, to name a few, but if you are not careful, what you put out there about yourself can harm your chances of getting that dream job. 

Aside from customary reference checks of previous jobs, prospective employers are increasingly using these common internet sites as a means to quietly and informally investigate your background and discretely probe into your private life.  Whether this is intentional or not, the fact remains that a future employer can and will use the internet to Google your name and visit these sites in order to check your past, which may reveal a concern to them.  For example, for those job seekers who still have not cleaned up their MySpace or Facebook page, you are only decreasing your chances of obtaining a job.  With the job market as tight as it is today, employers are not impressed with your pictures of last night’s crazy party pictures or that wild weekend with friends.  That said, what you do in your private life is your business.  However, what you enter on MySpace.com, YouTube.com, or Twitter, will be exposed to the world.

In going forward, consider the following suggestions on what you can do to help make your social networking page “employer friendly.” 

·         Do not post photos or videos that you feel would potentially shock an employer.

·         Do not write anything that you feel would be too personal and/or embarrassing for an employer to read.

·         Be mindful of what you post in general.

If you are going to use social networking sites as a means to enhance your background, do not post anything offensive or embarrassing which could hinder your job search. 

Wendy Oliveras is a search consultant and career planning and development advisor.  She can be reached at (201) 947-6662 or by email at wo@oliverascoinc.com.  For further information visit www.oliverascoinc.com.

The feedback we receive after interviews from our clients and candidates provides us with inside information that can help us excel at our profession. It’s important to say both to the client and candidate that you “take your direction” from them. This empowers them and will result in you receiving accurate information.

BENEFITS OF A PROPER DEBRIEF
• A thorough debrief leads to a proper prep
• This process helps you identify the top priorities of your client and candidate
• This information helps you fine tune your search process
• You will eliminate surprises

The information you receive from your debrief of candidates and clients should help you complete the information on your prep form. Even the newest recruiter in your office should be able to prep their candidates for one of your clients by reading the information on your prep forms.

WHO DO YOU DEBRIEF FIRST?
For years we were taught to debrief the candidate first. It is most effective to debrief the person who is most interested first, whether it is the client or candidate. You want information from the most interested party so you have pertinent information to share with the other party.

BENEFITS OF A PROPER PREP
The prep you conduct for your candidates and clients can separate you from your competition and will result in you making more placements.

THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF PREPS:

GENERAL - New client – first interview
SPECIFIC Utilizing information gained from debriefs on prior candidates
The more you work with a client, the more precise the prep.

THERE ARE TWO PARTS TO A PREP:

PART 1 – JOB SPECIFICS
a. Candidate is given the basic information: company address, contact name, directions, etc.
b. Review duties of the job one by one. After each duty, ask the following three questions:
1. “Have you done this before?”
2. “What experience do you have that qualifies you for this responsibility?”
3. “Would you enjoy this as a function of your position?”

c. Once you have reviewed the responsibilities of the job, ask your candidate if they have any concerns or questions. It is better to uncover “RED FLAGS” prior to the interview. “Questions” often reveal “concerns”.

YOU THEN ASK THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION OF PART 1:
“Does this sound like a position you would accept today, if an offer would be extended to you?”

COMMON ANSWERS: “I need to discuss this with”…”It depends on the offer”…”I have to meet the person”…

THE HARD PART – now you must keep quiet and wait for their answer. If it is any answer but YES, go back and deal with the problems and/or issues. If there are sound reasons they would not accept an offer, save yourself the grief and cancel the interview!

PART 2 – HOW TO INTERVIEW TO GET THE OFFER
An interview is an audition; not a fact finding mission! Teach your candidates not to attempt to decide if they want the position DURING the interview. They must put what THEY CAN OFFER on the table.

a. Review the entire process, application form, how many people, how many interviews, etc.
b. Role play – ask specific questions – listen to the answers and modify where necessary
c. Always review reasons for leaving positions
d. Close on money
e. Assist them with 5 related questions
f. Inform them of the HOT BUTTONS of your client
g. Stress the importance of feedback

WHY PREP CLIENTS?
a. Often the client is more interested than the candidate
b. Too often clients don’t “sell” the opportunity or their company
c. It’s important for them to know the Hot Buttons of your candidate

BENEFITS OF A CLIENT PREP:
a. They realize there is competition for top talent which helps the interviewing process
b. The interview can focus on what is important to your candidate
c. The client appreciates the additional information prior to the interview therefore helping establish Client Rapport
d. It helps them “sell” their opportunity and company resulting in more offers
e. It eliminates most surprises during the interview
f. It gets them very focused on the possibility of “hiring” your candidate!

Learn the “tricks of the trade” of a proper debrief and prep and you will make more placements and increase your income.

If you would like to review a way to help 100% of your candidate flow, go to www.candidatenextstep.com. This tool provides all the FREE resources they will need when conducting their search while you earn Passive Income on some of their activities. You will also QUIT wasting your time on candidates you can’t place. Currently as a profession, we place less than 5% of our candidate flow. Now you can help 100% of them which will greatly improve word of mouth advertising and increase referrals to your firm! Questions? Call us at 219.663.9609!

In a recent article provided by the Consumer Affairs Department, Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett is quoted as stating “Falling for Internet job schemes can be a double threat – leaving victims unemployed and struggling to untangle a web of financial problems caused by identity theft.”  Corbert also stated that “con artists are using Internet postings and email messages to circulate ads for high paying part-time work as personal assistants, check processors and a variety of other work-at-home positions.”  Keep in mind that the actual language used in these scams vary greatly, but they all seem to have common terms and phrases such as (a) offering easy and fast money for little work; (b) work from home offers; (c) an indication that you are unable to meet your employer in-person usually because they are out of town or are based overseas; and (d) a request for you to reply quickly or within a short period of time.  Whether or not you are a student seeking summer work, graduates hoping to land their first job, or older job seekers looking for part-time work or new careers, just be aware that offers that seem “too good to be true” are not.  Look out for those job offers which ask for detailed personal information because they are most likely scams.

Another con that is practiced by scammers are fake website links that are put in their email messages which tend to send you to look-alike websites that can be used to electronically steal your personal information.  Remember that a legitimate company that needs to obtain your credit report as a part of its screening and/or hiring process can get this information directly from the three major credit bureaus.  Therefore, personal information does not need to be requested nor given via email.

In summary, I strongly urge you to be cautious in providing personal and/or credit information to prospective employers.  More particularly, if you are applying to online jobs, note that these are a great avenue for scammers to target you as the job-seeker, since you are more likely to provide requested information.  It is one thing to be flexible about different job openings, but there are some clear red flags that jump out at you, and if you do not pay close attention to the information being requested, you can find yourself a “victim” of a scam. 

My general advice is as follows:

1.       Always research the company you are applying to and make sure it is a legitimate company.

2.       Stay vigilant regarding your online job search and monitor what information is being requested.

3.       Avoid any type of online offer that involves a request to wire-transfer money to someone you do not know.  (This is another common scam whereby job seekers are provided with checks and are asked to wire-transfer money to other people believing that they are paying bills for the employers, processing checks, handling payments for an overseas business or dealing with depositing counterfeit checks or money orders into their bank accounts and then wire-transferring that money to scam artists overseas.  What transpires as a result is that fake checks will eventually be returned and banks will require you to repay any funds they withdrew.)

4.       If you are unsure about something, then do not go forward.  Think before you act.

            Wendy Oliveras is a search consultant and career planning and development advisor.  She can be reached at (201) 947-6662 or by email at wo@oliverascoinc.com.  For further information please visit www.oliverascoinc.com.

Obviously, the answer is YES! 

There is always room for improvement, regardless of your current level of production and success.  Success is not a destination, it is a journey.  If you become satisfied, you quit growing.  Too often, the habits you’ve established at work prevent you from attaining a new level of success.  I don’t know an owner in the Staffing and Recruiting Profession who doesn’t feel their sales team could produce more - but will you?

If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll never get there!  You need to know your numbers and commit to minimum results each and every day.  You also need to commit to a lifetime of training.  In addition to recruiting fundamentals, you need to study negotiating, networking, sales, time management and other topics that will enhance your knowledge.

Imagine for a moment that you are sitting in a boat in the middle of the ocean.  The sun is shining, the water is as smooth as glass and you’re enjoying the day.  This is a great comparison of how business has been for the past few years.  Business was fun, it was smooth, it was easy to bill big numbers and margins were healthy.  You were in that boat and it was smooth sailing.

Now imagine that you are in that same boat, but the winds are blowing at 50 mph, eight foot waves surround you, a storm is overhead, the boat is taking in water, your motor is dead and you have no oars.  Do you ever feel that way at work?

1. Segment your day and stop multi-tasking
2. Don’t answer emails or take incoming calls between 9:00 – 11:30 am, make 70% of your outgoing calls before noon
3. Make marketing and recruiting presentations daily
4. Market candidates because it works
5. Repeat the orders you have filled because that is the quickest way to your next placement
6. Only work on the hottest job orders in house
7. Don’t waste time on candidates you know you cannot place.  Provide them with referrals and resources they can use
8. Figure out what you want out of life, create a dream board and realize this profession can help you attain those dreams

You need to develop strong work habits, focus and the tenacity to do what you have to do, to consistently succeed, REGARDLESS of conditions around you!

There are NO LIMITS to what you can produce.  Get out of your own way, set your goals high and then commit to doing what you have to do on a daily basis.

• Don’t focus on problems, instantly revert to solutions.
• Don’t focus on the news, make your own NEWS!
• Don’t envy top producers, join their ranks

“Every Master Was Once a Disaster!”  However, they set their sights high and never accepted failure as an option.  Master the skills of recruiting and you can enjoy the lifestyle, income and security most people can’t even imagine!

Recruiter Training, sign up for her No BS Newsletter and receive two FREE training articles each month.

In today’s tense job market, things can be so overwhelming.  You may either be unemployed, a young adult seeking to enter the work force for the first time, or thinking about making a new career change.  Regardless of your current job situation, it is perfectly okay not to know what you want to do.  For many people, being stuck in a position just to earn a paycheck or having a dead end job with no growth potential is an unfortunate reality and not a healthy alternative.  Eventually, for those workers who are in unhappy job dilemmas, frustration and dissatisfaction in their positions can cause physical illness.  Job stress and anxiety can be promoted by the work involved or the people they work with.  Some people simply feel trapped and have no vision of what their future could be like.  They cannot see past their current situation nor take the time to explore what other career options exist for them.    
 

The good news is that there are hundreds of career options out there.  The tricky part is being able to figure out which career is right for you and what makes you truly happy.  If you invest the appropriate amount of time and effort it takes to prepare for a career change, then it is worth the sacrifice in the end.  Potential employers do not knock on your door and offer you a great job opportunity.  No, you have to plan, prepare, train, and go out into the world and make it happen for yourself.  If you do not know where to start, perhaps seek the advice of a career counselor or a career development professional that can guide you in the right direction.  The point here is that only you are in charge of your career destiny. 

With this in mind, the following is an eight point guide that will help you to stay focused in your quest to choosing a career.

1. Like anything else, you have to start somewhere.  So, why not begin by assessing yourself.  What are your values, interests, and skill sets?  What do you like to do?  Do you have a hobby or are you really good at something naturally?  These aspects and/or attributes about yourself are important to recognize because they are the building blocks for your new career.  If you require further self-assessment tools, then I recommend you take career tests that will help to organize your information, narrow the occupations that you are a good fit for, and help you discover your interests and capabilities further.  There are many free career tests on the internet.       
2. List the jobs of interest to you.
3. Conduct due diligence and explore these jobs.
4. Network with persons who are actually in these occupations and get their first-hand knowledge, thoughts, and experience about these positions.
5. Narrow down your list of jobs and make a short list.
6. Begin to actually set your goals.  At this point you should have chosen a career.
7. Make a list of how you are to reach your goals and create a career action plan.
8. If necessary, begin your training for your newly chosen career.

            Choosing a career is a challenge, but not an impossible goal to achieve.  Life is what you make out of it, so do not put it off any longer.  If you feel you need to change your career, then go for it!  Be brave and believe in yourself.  Best of luck!      

            Wendy Oliveras is a search consultant and career planning and development advisor.  She can be reached at (201) 947-6662 or by email at wo@oliverascoinc.com.  For further information please visit www.oliverascoinc.com.

About a month ago I entered into a retained relationship with my client. Monthly retainer fee + placement fees per placement, on a six-month contract. We have been working on their behalf since then. Today I was informed that the President of the company has decided to unilaterally end the relationship. The reason given is that they have decided not to go on the aggressive hiring plan that they engaged our firm to assist them with. When I originally met with the company, I met with the Chairman of the company, along with the Managing Director of Human Resources. The Managing Director of Human Resources, who called me today to tell me that they were not honoring the agreement did, in fact, say that he was very happy with our performance and that we had met all of their expectations. They have offered to pay just one month retainer fee. I do not feel this is adequate compensation for the fact that we have dedicated a great many of our resources solely to working on their behalf and have a six-month contract. There was no out clause in our agreement and, as of this writing, I have not agreed to any type of settlement. Any suggestions?

Danny’s response:
Well I won’t beat you up with the obvious, you now know it’s crazy not to have a clause that determines what monies are paid should either of you end the agreement.

What to do now is determined by 1) how good a client they might be in the future 2) how much money and time you feel you lost 3) how good a poker player you are.

Since the HR person seems like an ally who knows you did a good job, I’d start there. And I would say you have done some “due diligence” as to costs you incurred in recruiter’s salaries, research allocated, and man hours interviewing and qualifying candidates, and a month’s retainer is insufficient. (This is important, you can’t just cry, “not fair”, you have to show actual damage. I would offer this option:

One half of the original agreement, and you will also agree, though you have no ethical obligation, but to make it feel like a win-win, to maintain the “retained client’s protection policy” for the entire 6 months. This means you will not recruit or accept resumes from any of their employees for the entire time, even though they are only honoring half of the commitment. (This will, if done, right, make them feel they are getting a value add, and subtly let them know if they stiff you they become a target…which they should)

Now, the above is a bluff. If they paid the retainer and you have no out clause it is not worth a legal pursuit. To quote Jon Stewart, “you got nothing.” But that doesn’t mean you can’t pull this off. Just make sure you do it on the phone and not in email. Guilt doesn’t translate in email, and that is what you’re selling.

Danny’s response:
So am I to understand the only things certain in life are taxes, death and your company’s guarantees? Your client is essentially asking you to consider “the worst case scenario”, to guarantee your guarantee.

In the two decades I’ve been running my firm, I can’t recall a time when it took us 90 days to replace a person. Ironically, recruiters are capable of immense and debilitating guilt and I have often wondered why we can’t work as hard to fill jobs as we work to re fill. Your client has to understand that you know you will never get any business from them if you do not replace the person and stand by your guarantee. They have to appreciate that you are not going to burn them for ONE deal. You want all their business on an ongoing basis. A certain amount of trust is involved in all relationships, regardless of how specific the contract. I would also point out that you too are operating in good faith. The only times we have had issues in refilling is when we kill ourselves to find back up candidates and suddenly the client has lost interest, doesn’t avail themselves to interviews, becomes non communicative, and then decides to not refill or to replace internally. Yes, we have been paid, but we have done twice the work for one fee.

All successful relationships are the same. They have an independence that is equal, a dependence that is mutual, and an obligation that is reciprocal. If you don’t fill the job in 90 days and the client is truly willing to hire, then you have proven yourself unworthy of their business and they should work with other vendors, and you are willing to take that risk.

I wouldn’t give them any more comfort than that. And I certainly wouldn’t promise any other financial consideration or refund option. The 90 days you have given them is one third longer than the industry average, so they already have a good deal.

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