Being a mid-level financial manager looking for work in this market is still tough. It has been for a while. When we have heart to heart discussions with these capable people, we hear many complaints. Here are some of them.
Complaints about Companies:
Companies are low-balling: Candidates feel that companies are taking advantage, and paying less for positions that should have a higher salary. One candidate we spoke with believes that companies are offering salaries that are 15-20% less then they feel they should be paid for the level of work required. Job seekers are frustrated with this price differential.
“I would rather work with an external recruiter”: Some candidates have told us that they would prefer to work with a recruiter they trust, rather than work directly with the hiring company. They feel they get more complete and reliable information in the search from an external recruiter.
Companies are taking too long to make a decision: During the height of the recession this was the most difficult issue with companies that were looking to hire. Now that we are passed those lows and on the way to recovery, companies are still taking too long to make decisions. Not only does time make it more difficult for companies to hire the best people (because the best candidates will not wait for them), companies are not helping their market reputation.
Getting stuck in HR Hell: The job-seeker hears about a job that sounds ideal for them. They send their resume in, because that is what they believe they are supposed to do. And then they wait. And wait. They wait for whoever is in charge of the company resume inbox to actually read their resume, understand what they do, and put them to the top of the pile. Good luck – you have now entered HR Hell. Most of the time, the person clearing the inbox and doing the initial assessment has no real clue as to what to look for in the resume. At best, they are working off a key word list.
Complaints about Recruiters:
Job seekers are not only frustrated with companies; they are frustrated with some recruiters too. Job seekers we have spoken with generally like recruiters, but not all of them. Here are some of their complaints.
Recruiters that don’t understand what I do: “When I have to explain what I do to a recruiter who doesn’t understand what I do, how can I be sure that she is representing me properly to the company?”
Recruiters that blast me: “I can’t stand when a recruiter presents me to a company that I did not give them permission to do so.”
Recruiters that don’t understand my market: “When I see area code XXX on my call display, I cringe. Those [Unnamed Large City] recruiters are the worst. They don’t have a clue about the market I live in.”
Recruiters that call me for roles that I said I wasn’t interested in: “I told the recruiter I was not interested in an internal audit position. Why do they keep calling me about internal audit roles?”
On the positive side, most of the job seekers we spoke with said that their complaints about recruiters are limited to a small number of them. Most recruiters, they feel, are reputable and provide quality service.
When I asked one job seeker whether he dealt with recruiters he would prefer not to deal with, he said: “I’m actively looking for a job. If a recruiter I don’t like to work with has a job opportunity for me, how can I pass up working with them? I need a job. I just hold my nose.”
Showing posts with label Interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Interview. Show all posts
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Why companies have unfilled jobs
My fellow blogger, Cindy Kraft of CFO-Coach, was kind enough to ask me my thoughts on this topic, which she blogged about.
Her starting point was a recent SmartBrief poll, in which 72.5% of surveyed companies indicated they had unfilled openings.
My first impression on seeing the poll was that companies that are looking to hire will have unfilled job openings. Only those companies that are not hiring will not have unfilled jobs, because they are not hiring. I believe the poll would be more effective asking: "How long does it take to fill your open job positions?"
Cindy brings up a great point in saying that she believes the hiring process is broken. I agree. Many companies are not properly going about a recruitment process that works.
For a hiring process to be effective, it needs to have the following elements:
Outreach – Many companies have recognized the importance of building stronger corporate recruitment strategies, and they are doing so. However, even with these stronger tactics, organizations cannot properly reach the candidates needed. Search firms are able to fill positions because they are able to outreach to the right candidate pool. This outreach component is a necessary element to a successful search.
Sales – The company AND the job needs to be sold. Many employers make the poor assumption that the company and the job sell themselves. Potential candidates for any job need to truly understand the value of the company and job and how it fits into their life and career.
Match – Matching a candidate to a job and a company is not an easy task, yet many employers use gut feel and resume key word matching to the job description to assess appropriateness of a candidate for a job. Many companies focus on assessing the candidate for how they match the company, and not assessing how the company matches to the candidate’s needs and values.
Offer – We consistently see this area as the place where the wheels fall off. Regardless how effective the rest of the recruitment process is, being successful at the offer stage gets you the placement. The pieces necessary for a successful accepted offer need to begin at the beginning of the process, not at the end. Acceptance of an offer is much more than just about salary.
Companies wishing to ensure a more successful hiring process need to ensure they have these four elements. Using an experienced internal or external search partner can improve the process. However, it is the ultimate responsibility of the hiring authority to ensure that the process is effective.
(I would like to thank my colleague Bethany LaMorre for her valuable input in preparing this blog).
Her starting point was a recent SmartBrief poll, in which 72.5% of surveyed companies indicated they had unfilled openings.
My first impression on seeing the poll was that companies that are looking to hire will have unfilled job openings. Only those companies that are not hiring will not have unfilled jobs, because they are not hiring. I believe the poll would be more effective asking: "How long does it take to fill your open job positions?"
Cindy brings up a great point in saying that she believes the hiring process is broken. I agree. Many companies are not properly going about a recruitment process that works.
For a hiring process to be effective, it needs to have the following elements:
Outreach – Many companies have recognized the importance of building stronger corporate recruitment strategies, and they are doing so. However, even with these stronger tactics, organizations cannot properly reach the candidates needed. Search firms are able to fill positions because they are able to outreach to the right candidate pool. This outreach component is a necessary element to a successful search.
Sales – The company AND the job needs to be sold. Many employers make the poor assumption that the company and the job sell themselves. Potential candidates for any job need to truly understand the value of the company and job and how it fits into their life and career.
Match – Matching a candidate to a job and a company is not an easy task, yet many employers use gut feel and resume key word matching to the job description to assess appropriateness of a candidate for a job. Many companies focus on assessing the candidate for how they match the company, and not assessing how the company matches to the candidate’s needs and values.
Offer – We consistently see this area as the place where the wheels fall off. Regardless how effective the rest of the recruitment process is, being successful at the offer stage gets you the placement. The pieces necessary for a successful accepted offer need to begin at the beginning of the process, not at the end. Acceptance of an offer is much more than just about salary.
Companies wishing to ensure a more successful hiring process need to ensure they have these four elements. Using an experienced internal or external search partner can improve the process. However, it is the ultimate responsibility of the hiring authority to ensure that the process is effective.
(I would like to thank my colleague Bethany LaMorre for her valuable input in preparing this blog).
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
CFOs: Don't leave home without...
On first impression, the title of this blog can make you think of many things not to leave home without.
My version is: Don't leave home without your business cards. Actually, I recommend you always carry your work business cards and personal business cards.
Carrying your work business cards should be obvious. However, too many times when I meet CFOs in a non-interview context, they do not have a business card on them.
As I have recommended previously (read Network for Work), part of your career path development requires that you network constantly and consistently.
Why should you have personal business cards?
Having a professionally designed and well branded personal business card is an effective way to allow those who you would like to stay in touch with to do so. You never know when a golden opportunity could have your name on it, and the person who thinks about you can't find you because you no longer work at the company on the card.
A personal business card is especially useful during a career transition. It can certainly help you stand out from the competition during the interview process.
For those receivers of your card who are more old school, chances are they will file it properly in their business card organizer (which usually means a pile on their desk). They might not be on LinkedIn (yet), but they do keep track of their business cards. Give your personal business card out selectively to those who you would like to stay in contact with beyond your current role.
Making the investment in personal business cards and remembering not to leave home without them can pay huge dividends.
My version is: Don't leave home without your business cards. Actually, I recommend you always carry your work business cards and personal business cards.
Carrying your work business cards should be obvious. However, too many times when I meet CFOs in a non-interview context, they do not have a business card on them.
As I have recommended previously (read Network for Work), part of your career path development requires that you network constantly and consistently.
Why should you have personal business cards?
Having a professionally designed and well branded personal business card is an effective way to allow those who you would like to stay in touch with to do so. You never know when a golden opportunity could have your name on it, and the person who thinks about you can't find you because you no longer work at the company on the card.
A personal business card is especially useful during a career transition. It can certainly help you stand out from the competition during the interview process.
For those receivers of your card who are more old school, chances are they will file it properly in their business card organizer (which usually means a pile on their desk). They might not be on LinkedIn (yet), but they do keep track of their business cards. Give your personal business card out selectively to those who you would like to stay in contact with beyond your current role.
Making the investment in personal business cards and remembering not to leave home without them can pay huge dividends.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Pearl of Wisdom: It's so simple.
One of the things I truly enjoy about what i do is that I meet with intelligent, capable, and personable people. Daily.
Yesterday I interviewed an experienced financial professional that was coming off a difficult mandate with a company that was going through a restructuring. He said:
"It's so simple. When a company's financial systems don't work, it is hard to see where the problems are. And once you clean it up, it is usually too late.
In all my experience, I have never seen a company in financial difficulty that had the information they needed to make good business decisions."
Lessons Learned:
- Implement a financial system properly, the first time.
- If you have problems with your financial system, fix them before it's too late.
It really is so simple.
Yesterday I interviewed an experienced financial professional that was coming off a difficult mandate with a company that was going through a restructuring. He said:
"It's so simple. When a company's financial systems don't work, it is hard to see where the problems are. And once you clean it up, it is usually too late.
In all my experience, I have never seen a company in financial difficulty that had the information they needed to make good business decisions."
Lessons Learned:
- Implement a financial system properly, the first time.
- If you have problems with your financial system, fix them before it's too late.
It really is so simple.
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