Black Friday Search Syndrome

I have a theory that the majority of Black Friday shoppers actually lose money by hitting the stores early to get the “best” deals. I’d love to see a study reviewing lists of items shoppers go out with the intent to purchase with a comparison of the total cost of only those items before Black Friday, as well as the total cost of ALL items purchased during Black Friday shopping. I know, I sound Grinchy. I think all that beautiful marketing and crowd effect makes people forget if they even really want that thingamajig on the shelf.

This absolutely relates to job searches, by the way. During my first conversation with a candidate, I ask them what has prompted them to consider a new job and they always say something like growth opportunity, more stability, more interesting role, etc. I also ask them how much money they’re making now and what their expectations are regarding compensation if they get to the offer stage with my client. It’s amazing to me how many people will get an offer that meets their original compensation expectation (which is always more than they’re making currently) and offers some non-monetary incentive that they said they were seeking, but their primary reason for not accepting immediately is that they were hoping for MORE money.

I think this is Black Friday Search Syndrome. Sucked in by the glittering numbers and utilization gets completely ignored.

And I’ll be honest, we use it on the other side as recruiters too. I remind candidates that they’re not the only one who wants this job; there are other candidates pending. (Crowd Effect.) And if they didn’t get a big pay increase, I’ll try to show them how it might be recovered in other benefits. (Marketing Hand Trick.) Mostly, though, I try to remind them about what they wanted originally and how it matches up with the offer in-hand. If it doesn’t, we don’t usually get to the offer stage anyhow. (The Truth.)

Don’t wait until you get to an offer to tell me the only thing you care about is the money. Don’t get up at 3AM to buy crap you don’t need and didn’t want until you got there, then tell me you saved money. Both are silly.

Grinch out.

Timing, timing, timing!

If real estate has “location, location, location” then recruitment should certainly coin “timing, timing, timing” for our industry!

Once, I had a candidate in final stages with a client on a Friday. I was buzzing about my weekend happy as a bee. Monday morning, I learn the hiring manager went to lunch over the weekend and bumped into someone that used to work for them at a different company, but they hadn’t seen each other in 10 years. They got to talking about their current companies and decided the nearly-filled job was worth discussing with this person (who had also recently decided to consider new roles). After the hiring manager carefully considered some other recent staff transitions, he tweaked the parameters of the open job a little bit. Within 24 hours, they’d declined my candidate who was no longer completely qualified, and moved forward with an offer to the other person. HOW RANDOM IS THAT? A simple, chance meeting at lunch ON A WEEKEND changed the outcome of an entire search. TIMING, MUCH!?!?

I have often told outstanding candidates that sometimes they are the PERFECT candidate for a job, but timing gets in the way. If they are resume #104 and the recruiter closes the pool after reviewing 100, that company has never even seen their resume! And sadly for all, that company might hire a less qualified person as a result. The candidate shouldn’t feel disheartened that maybe they weren’t good enough for some reason, sometimes it really is just timing.

When was the job posted? How many internal candidates did they have before posting it to external candidates? Is this search extremely confidential or is it widely known that the job is available? How many candidates are currently in process and are they all at the same stage or varying stages of the interview process? What time of year is it? Holidays and vacations mean delays and these create missed opportunities in availability and interest from both a company and a candidate.

If I could offer any word of encouragement to a job-seeker, it would be to consider timing. Do what you can to eliminate delays. Be EXTREMELY quick to act on freshly posted positions – I mean apply that same day. If you hear a rumor about a job, learn who to contact in HR and contact them immediately! If you are getting declined for jobs or just never hearing back at all, remind yourself that timing was likely a huge factor in the decision. Beating yourself up over the jobs you didn’t get won’t leave you looking awesome for the next one.

Do you have any stories as a recruiter about how timing has impacted your searches? Or have you noticed as a job-seeker when timing was the reason for you getting (or not getting) a job?

Interviewing? Leave your friends/family/co-workers in the car.

I promise they will forgive you.

I wish I could go on interviews with our candidates so I could meet them outside the client’s building and collect all of their electronic devices before they step into the building. Even if your network is relatively drama-free, I can’t describe the incredible impact such small devices can have on your success.

Use all available technology to land yourself an interview, but don’t take it with you into the building. That’s right. Don’t even take your smartphone out of the car. No matter how discreet you are about checking it while you’re waiting in the lobby or (even worse) in a conference room for your interviewer, it makes you look distracted at best and at worst it makes you look like you have somewhere more important to be. LEAVE IT IN THE CAR. If it’s a half-day or full-day interview, it’s likely they’ll give you a few breaks and you can walk out to your car to check for any new messages.

Leaving devices in the car makes a positive impression with your potential employer that you are attentive, but it also allows you to focus on the interview, instead of worrying about what’s happening back at the office or with friends, family. Job-seekers (and recruiters) are working hard to get to that interview stage these days, so grant yourself the time to focus your attention entirely on interviewing. You’ve worked hard for it!

What are your online profiles telling potential employers?

If you’re job searching, you’ve learned that it’s a much different process these days than it was even just three years ago. One of the major changes is that your online presence may have a significant impact on your ability to find and be selected for a job. Applicants are adding websites like LinkedIn and Facebook to their resumes, so some employers proactively check these sites to learn more about their potential candidates – even if you didn’t include them on YOUR resume. What are your online profiles saying about you as a potential employee?

Here are a few REALLY important things to keep in mind when reviewing your online profiles and preparing for a job search:

1. Watch your language. Don’t use foul language or speak negatively about former employers/employees/bosses. Assume that anything you post online is public information and could be seen by anyone. If you wouldn’t say it out-loud to the person you respect the most or a future employer, don’t say it online. Think about how what you say might be interpreted by a future boss – does it make it sound like you are late or miss work frequently? Or do you sound like you enjoy being successful?

2. Monitor your profiles. Consider removing the option for your Facebook friends to post messages on your Wall. They can still send you private emails and/or leave comments on your posts. This is especially handy if you have a Facebook friend who tends to leave a little more info than really needs to be widely known. Otherwise, monitor your profiles frequently and quickly delete any comments or notes which are inappropriate for public viewing.

3. Consider your audience. Use various social media sites appropriately, based on the most likely audience. Keep your LinkedIn profile strictly professional. It’s not necessary to post your birthday and special interests on that site. Facebook and Twitter are better places to discuss that new fiction book you’re reading or what you’re doing in your spare time that isn’t work-related.

I’m not encouraging people to hide who they really are from employers. Online profiles are a great place to showcase your unique qualities and interests, but consider how future employers may perceive your information. These profiles are an extension of who you are and they may “meet” a future employer before you do!

LinkedIn: Your Job Search Buddy

For me, LinkedIn is the ultimate source for finding new connections and new people. I also use it as a standard method for keeping track of the people I’ve connected with as they move around throughout their career.

There are a few things that I’m looking for when I’m searching LinkedIn to find candidates for great jobs with our clients. Hopefully, this will help you do a simple audit of your own profile to find ways to make it work more effectively for you!

1. Work History – Fill in your dates of employment and employers. I use this to see the progression of your work experience. It can also show some obvious trends in your tenure with each employer. If you have several jobs of short tenure due to situations out of your control, like downsizing, note that in the description!

2. Experience: Add details! – You don’t need to rewrite your job description, just tell me in your own words what you do. Note info about the types of customers you work with and/or your favorite projects. If there were any unique particulars about the job like working from a home office or doing a significant amount of travel, you should note that as well. These details give me a good idea of whether you’re likely to be successful (and happy!) with our client.

3. Websites - Include links to related websites about you or your work. If you have a blog or Twitter profile, include them. (But make sure these places are “safe for work” and represent you as a professional, yet unique individual!) I rarely look at “My Company” links unless I don’t understand the explanation of the product.

4. BE OPEN TO MESSAGES, CONNECTIONS AND/OR INMAIL. - Otherwise, delete your LinkedIn profile because you’re missing its purpose for connecting and communicating. If you’re concerned about receiving job opportunity emails to a work account, use a personal email account to receive messages and/or set-up a new email account specifically for LinkedIn.

Things that I think are unnecessary? Marital status and/or birthday. Be cautious with the information you’re making publicly available online. This info is not necessary for professional connections. People who know you well will already be aware of those details. Also, the interests section should also be limited to professional interests or simply left blank. You want to maximize your chances of someone reaching out to you.

If fully utilized, LinkedIn is a great tool that will work as a partner for you in your job search, even when you are sleeping at night! Keep it up-to-date and informative, then be open to conversations and connections. Good luck!