hr from Red Canary

Are you reinvention ready?

Liana Bagworth — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 20:39:05 GMT

“And yet the true creator is necessity, which is the mother of invention” --
Aristotle (384 - 322 BC)

They say necessity is the mother of invention. Are you ready to reinvent your job or career at a moment’s notice?

Today’s economic climate may force you to be.

Are you prepared for sudden change?

Here are 3 simple steps that can help you make yourself “reinvention ready” at work.

Know the Playing Field

Before you can reinvent, you need to know what’s on the horizon for your employer. Their necessities may be the catalysts for your invention!

Jot down your first response to these questions:

What events would “change everything” for the company?

How is the local and global economy impacting your organization? How might it adapt?
What is your employer’s financial health?
How is the organization performing against its business plan? (projected sales, revenue growth, profit) How did it perform last year?
What factors have remained the same and what factors have changed in the competitive landscape over the past 12 months?
Who are the players calling the shots within the company?
What events would “change everything” for the company?

Balance this list with positive and negative outcomes.

Evaluate your Contribution

Psychologists agree that, in order to adapt to everyday life situations, we must know how to play different roles.

Challenge yourself to answer these questions:

What roles do I play at work?
How effective am I in these roles?
What skills do they require?
What responsibilities could I assume or skills would I need if the company was downsized?
What skills do I want to develop?
What is the status of your relationship with the decision-makers listed in step 1?

List your unique qualities, abilities and contributions at work.

This is not the time to be modest, you might be fighting for your workplace life.

Compare and Contrast

Compare your employer’s necessities to your current contributions and skills.

How aligned are you to the operation, success and agility of the company? Where are the gaps? How adaptable or skilled are you for the “change everything” scenario?

Being re-invention ready at work is about being aware of your company’s challenges and growth opportunities, and knowing how prepared, skilled and agile you are to tackle them.

Having a healthy awareness of your employer’s performance and how you fit into that picture helps you prepare, and taking a proactive rather than reactive approach to job or career change helps you seize opportunity and adapt to change.

Make yourself reinvention ready today.

You may discover your own necessity in the process.

I Do! Offers that Start a Good Sales Marriage

Lee Salz — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 17:36:03 GMT

When companies negotiate offers, while they may "win" the candidate, they damage the relationship. This person is on-boarded with the worst scar tissue of all, a lack of trust

After a lengthy screening process, the hiring committee feels they have found the right sales candidate for the company. Now comes the tricky part, how do you design an offer and go through the offer stage of the process without damaging the relationship with the candidate? Damaging? Many companies are not prepared to go through the offer step of the process and, due to that, damage the relationship with the candidate. This leads to one of two unfortunate conclusions. Either they lose the candidate or the candidate comes on-board, but with scar tissue. Applying some of the best practices from the sales world into a sales talent screening program helps to avoid that scenario. The offer stage of the hiring process parallels the proposal phase of sales. Best practices in sales say that you don't present a proposal until a thorough needs analysis has been completed. If a sales person is presenting a proposal to a prospect, he has acquired the information needed to design a solution, has discussed budget, has a full understanding of their solution requirements, and has set an expectation on pricing. This is certainly the case if the sales person is going to be successful in winning the account.

Many sales talent screening programs focus exclusively on screening the candidate for fit, but do not consider the needs for the offer phase of the process

Looking at this process in contrast to the offer stage of the sales talent screening program, many of the same best practices from sales hold true. During the screening program, information needs to be gathered from the candidate to determine their financial requirements. Unfortunately, many sales talent screening programs focus exclusively on screening the candidate for fit, but do not consider the needs for the offer phase of the process. This leads to a last minute scurry to mine the information from the candidate or they design the offer blindly. Neither of those are best practices for the offer stage. In sales, it is said that if you are going to lose, lose early. This prevents you from making a huge investment in a relationship that will not generate revenue. The parallel to screening sales talent is understanding the financial requirements of the candidate early enough to stop the process before over-investing in the relationship. There is no point in continuing a process with a candidate that requires a compensation level 25% above what you can offer. This probably seems logical, but hiring executives rarely focus on this as a de-selection element early in the process. Just like discussing pricing with a prospect, the financial needs discussion requires finesse. The candidate knows that you are asking questions about their financials, just like a prospect knows a sales person is fishing for budget information. The better-skilled sales people tell their prospects, "I don't want to waste your time by getting you excited about a solution that will not fit in your budget constraints…"

The compensation plan should be reviewed at the point where you have a genuine interest in pursuing the candidate and they have a complete enough understanding of the company that they will be able to comprehend it

In much the same way, this discussion can be had with the candidate, "I don't want to excite you about an opportunity that might not be a match for your financial needs. As you look at making a change in position, what thoughts have you given to your compensation requirements?" With continued finesse, you can dig further into the mix of salary versus commission. Some candidates may rebuff this discussion as they feel the information will be used against them. In some instances, they are justified for having that concern. Hopefully, that is not the case in your company. We'll come back to this point later. The bottom line is that the two goals of this phase are to gather information that allow you to formulate an offer and to de-select those candidates whose requirements exceed your financial package. In sales, the proposal phase should not be like a magic show. The prospect should not be shocked by what is included in the proposal. In essence, the proposal is the documentation of what has already been discussed. No surprises. The same holds true for candidates. The time to review the compensation plan details is not after they are hired, or even at the offer stage. The compensation plan should be reviewed at the point where you have a genuine interest in pursuing the candidate and they have a complete enough understanding of the company that they will be able to comprehend the compensation plan.

Develop an offer based on what was learned from the candidate that represents the best offer you are willing to make

One of the core requirements associated with any process is that it is measurable. The offer phase of the sales talent screening program should be measured statistically to determine effectiveness. The key statistic is number of offers made versus ones that are accepted. If the acceptance level is less than 80%, the process should be reviewed by asking the following questions. 1. At what point of the process are the candidate's financial requirements reviewed? 2. When it is known that the candidate's financial requirements exceed the package, is the candidate removed from the process? 3. At what step is the compensation plan reviewed with the candidate? 4. In what level of detail is the compensation plan reviewed with the candidate? 5. How often is the initial offer to the candidate rejected, and subsequently, negotiated successfully? The last bullet in the list above ties back to my opening position about damaging the relationship. Again, this ties back to lessons that can be learned from sales. Many years ago, a procurement training specialist shared a pearl about the counsel he gives to sales people who ask about pricing strategy. He said, "Provide us with the best pricing that you feel comfortable providing and either way you are happy." This always puzzled sales people so he explained further. "If you provide your best pricing and are selected, you are happy because you won the account. If you are not selected because we found lower pricing elsewhere, you are happy because you would not have been happy at that price point. Again, either way you are happy." Consider this when making an offer to the sales candidate. Develop an offer based on what was learned from the candidate that represents the best offer you are willing to make. Early in the process, tell the candidate that you don't negotiate offers, but rather put your best offer on the table upfront. It demonstrates a professional message to the candidate and reduces their fear of attempts to lowball them. When companies negotiate offers, while they may "win" the candidate, they damage the relationship. This person is on-boarded with the worst scar tissue of all, a lack of trust. The sales person will always be on the look out for the company to try to cheat them. As with any component of the sales talent screening process, preparation is the key to success. Organize your team and design a process that achieves your desired results. This will allow you to create longlasting, fruitful sales marriages.

Lee B. Salz is a sales management guru who helps companies hire the right sales people, on-board them, and focus their sales activity using his sales architecture® methodology. He is the President of Sales Architects, the C.E.O. of Business Expert Webinars and author of “Soar Despite Your Dodo Sales Manager.”

Lee is an online columnist for Sales and Marketing Management Magazine, a print columnist for SalesforceXP Magazine, and the host of the Internet radio show, “Secrets of Business Gurus.” Look for Lee's new book in February 2009 titled, "The Sales Marriage” where he shares the secrets to hiring the right sales people. He is a passionate, dynamic speaker and a business consultant. Lee can be reached at lsalz@SalesArchitecture.com or 763.416.4321.

Developer Compensation: A New Reality?

Suzie Dingwall Williams — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 19:04:31 GMT

"Software developers are in the same position as automotive industry workers 20 years ago. They are frustrated that their skills no longer garner a premium, yet hamstrung by few options currently available."

Borrowed from the blog Venture Law Lines Suzanne is a partner at Venture Law Associates LLPThe compensation plans we have been designing for our later stage software clients have become increasingly light on employee retention and incentive features, such as stock option grants. The trend is an inexorable one, best explained by one client as follows: "Software engineering has evolved from being highly prized to being just another skill set, and compensation has been adjusted accordingly." In contrast to emerging industries like clean tech and biotech, the skills needed to scale a software business are widely available in many parts of the world. Recruiting employees is no longer driven by the need to attract specialists from a scarce candidate pool; now, it is largely driven by cost. (This is not great news for Canada, once the near-shoring alternative for the US, unless our dollar take a tumble). Where does that leave employees? One HR professional summed it up: "Software developers are in the same position as automotive industry workers 20 years ago. They are frustrated that their skills no longer garner a premium, yet hamstrung by few options currently available." In this new software reality, how SHOULD compensation schemes incent software employees? We're working on it.

The Hybrid Tech Worker: Must Have or Best Avoided?

Melanie Baker — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:44:57 GMT

When there's only a couple of people in a young company, employees often have a hybrid mix of roles and responsibilities. A blanket job title would be 'Jack or Jill of All Trades'. But as the company grows, is there still a need for those Jacks and Jills? Is the hybrid employee an asset, or does the saying "Jack of all trades, master of none" hold true? Young and flexible, old and arthritic? Tom Gross, VP, R&D at Covarity, feels that small companies' resource constraints make it necessary to find employees who both possess a mixture of skills and experience. "In an early stage company there is no question that hiring key individuals [who] can wear multiple hats is imperative. Economically, it's infeasible for a startup to cover off every function with one or more dedicated people." Dan Silivestru, a consultant who has been a hiring manager for several eBusiness teams, elaborates on the value of hybrid employees. "Knowing more than just what your core title says you should know tells me you have a curious nature and likely enjoy exploring more than the average person. Ultimately, those are the kinds of people I want to be working with." Dan notes that complementary skills can improve core skills. "Having hired and worked with individuals possessing mixed skills, those people bring more to the table. For example, having developers that also posses usability skills makes them, in my opinion, better developers, as they think of the user experience as they develop each piece of the solution."

"As a hiring manager I'm always interested in finding people that have a unique combination of skills and experience in order to round out my team, but in many cases depth is equally important as breadth."

Cost, growth, and change Finding and connecting with hybrid-skilled candidates, however, can be difficult. It can be hard to understand from a resume where a hybrid candidate's strengths and experience really lie, particularly when the role is senior. For those charged with putting hybrid job requirements into writing, it's not easy to standardize requirements that, by definition, don't easily fit a template. It's especially hard in large companies where job titles, duties, and salary bands are typically well defined. As Tom also explains, the cost of finding hybrid employees may not be worth it. "...as a company grows and the hiring rate increases, it becomes impractical to continue searching for truly multi-skilled candidates. These people are hard to find, hard to close, and generally have a harder time finding their niche in a larger organization where politics and policies can start getting in the way." When operations are standardized, Tom continues, experts become more valuable. "For most people in technical roles I believe it is better to develop depth in a few high demand disciplines rather than trying to develop too many. Most small to mid-sized companies have relatively homogeneous technical environments and processes and are looking for experts in these specific areas. Larger companies have broader demands but also have the resources necessary to hire experts in multiple areas." There is a general assumption that doing a variety of work and developing a variety of skills results in an employee who isn’t truly great at any of them. According to Tom, there is credibility behind this belief. "With today's technical rate of change, ever increasing complexity, and demanding business expectations, anybody spreading themselves too thin will start falling behind in their effectiveness compared to peers that have chosen to specialize to a greater extent." It's still not half-bad to be a hybrid Those who have hybrid skills and experience usually got that way with "just do it" initiative based on curiosity, ambition, or from working in an environment where things simply needed to get done. It's not really something taught in academia or written into corporate policy. Dan offers this advice for any tech employee: "Look around you and identify your primary contacts . . . the people you interact with on a daily or weekly basis. Your goal, in my opinion, is to pick up some of their skills." Perhaps that's the crux of the hybrid employee’s value: you don't get that way by accident or coercion. It requires sustained effort, the ability to turn obstacles into assets and ground-level dedication to what needs to get done. And really, shouldn’t companies want that in every employee?

It's not you, it's me: A blind date guide to job descriptions that don't suck

Trevor Stafford — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:06:54 GMT

This is a fabricated blind date between a job description (JD) and a potential candidate (TS). TS: Hi there! I'm Trevor, nice to meet you JD: Yes it is. Before you sit down I have a list of things you need to be able to do. TS: Sorry? (reads bulleted list of responsibilities) Uh, well I can do all of these things. I even... JD: Wonderful. As part of your dating obligations you'll be expected to take care of my essential needs -- creativity and innovation are important to me. You also need to work hard, because I'm the best date that you're going to find. I'm such a knockout that I don't even shave my legs. TS: So that's what was in my drink. You know, I'm really looking for a relationship where I can build on what I've learned and explore some new ideas with the right partner. JD: Don't worry, I'm incredibly dynamic, fast-paced and challenging. It says so right on my t-shirt. TS: You know, you remind me of an ex of mine... JD: That's hardly the positive attitude I'm looking for. This relationship requires a 'can-do' approach and great communications skills. You need to innovate and be creative while you work independently in a team. TS: You said some of that already. JD: It's important that you understand my needs. TS: Your needs sound like everyone else's. What about me? How will we grow and what will we share? JD: This isn't about you. I'm a stunning success story, haven't you heard? I just put out a press release! TS: That's great, but what are you like JD: Look, you'll love meeting my demands. Please show me your qualifications. TS: Oh hey! I forgot about my double root canal, I have to run. JD: When you come back we'll evaluate your suitability. Do you have strong problem-solving and communication skills? TS: Cheque please! (runs away) JD: Call me! (shouting) On second thought, just send an email to this generic address!

Sound familiar? It should, because 90% of technology job descriptions are a lot like a bad blind date. They say the same things -- in the same vaguely selfish way. In fact, the impression I get from most job descriptions is that I'd be joining a work gang in service of the great leader. My guess is that a parallel of this scenario plays out out on tech job boards and career pages across the country. Viewers click. They scan. They leave. It doesn't have to be this way.

Four ways to improve your job ads • Write down what your role offers the ideal person. Create a paragraph with that information and call it 'The opportunity' • Don't say what you want them to do. Say what they will get to do • Speak in second-person (you'll) so that they can visualize themselves in the role • Talk positively about your company and its recent wins or product developments

What HR can learn from Advertising There are headlines left, right and centre about Canada's technology talent shortage. So how do you succeed in a lean market? By differentiating. Most technology job descriptions do not differentiate, they ignore three golden rules of advertising: 1) Identify your ideal (target) candidate 2) Put yourself in their shoes 3) Speak to their specific needs and desires (make it more about them and less about you) And if I might add my own pet peeve: 4) Speak well But a job description isn't advertising! Yes, it is. Particularly when there's slim pickin's in them thar fields. A job description is the first (and usually only) contact between your company and your 'perfect' candidate. It's an advertisement for the position and indirectly for your entire company. If you were to have a conversation with a candidate, would you read a job description aloud to them? Of course not. You'd tell them what they'd be working on, introduce them to who they'd be working with, and generally try to help them feel positive about the role. Why don't job descriptions do that? Most technology jobs ads read like instructional movies from the 1950s. Just substitute a toothy 'hey, that's swell!' grin with 'we're fast-paced, dynamic and challenging', and add shiny phrases like 'problem-solving' and 'written and verbal communication' skills and you have half a tech description. How to turn what you've got into something they want You don't need to be a combination of Hemingway and Seth Godin (would that be Sethingway?) to write a good job description. I write 90% of the jobs you'll find on Red Canary and most of the time I'm able to excavate the interesting bits of a job from the sediment. Things get even easier when I know something about the company. My approach? Take that doughy, 'roles and goals' doublespeak and squeeze out the opportunity. Exhibit A Here's an example of a Senior Product Manager role for CiRBA. The original job description is actually pretty decent, I'm merely using it here as an example of how 'decent' can very quickly become 'compelling'. All it took was a visit to CiRBA's website and some interior decorating. Old Description

This privately held, VC-backed vendor of Systems Management solutions has a growing number of Global 3000 clients. Serving industries as diverse as Financial Services, Telecom, Oil & Gas, Technology and Managed Services, CiRBA enables cost-effective virtualization and consolidation. We are seeking a Product Manager to join the Product Management Team. As product manager, you will articulate product features from existing ideas, and help to develop new ideas based on your consolidation and virtualization industry experience, and your contact with partners, customers and prospects. You must possess a unique blend of business and technical savvy; a big-picture vision, and the drive to make that vision a reality.

New Description

Put your stamp on a sizzling product and company that isn’t simply leading its market, it's shaping it. This role blends long-term vision, strategic decision-making, and hands-on tactical savvy. Your industry experience will give you perspective; feedback from partners, customers and prospects will help turn perspective into ideas, and your expertise will turn ideas into well-executed success. It’s the kind of job that has you racing to work on a Monday morning. There are a dozen reasons why CiRBA has been recognized as the #1 virtualization vendor to watch in 2008. Your gusto, big-picture vision and tactical skill could be reason 13. About the Company Few companies are hotter than CiRBA right now. With another round of funding behind it and top-tier partners lined up alongside, this company is out-thinking and out-executing the competition. The executive team are proven veterans and the company expects to grow by almost 100% in 2008. Serving industries as diverse as Financial Services, Telecom, Oil & Gas, Technology and Managed Services, CiRBA’s cost-effective, optimized virtualization continues to attract global interest.

What changed? Where this job description said 'you must', I helped it say, 'you get to' at a company where 'you want to'. The old description told the candidate that they would be joining a team. The new one says they will be valued. I asked myself "what would the right candidate get, career-wise, from this job?". The answer: they get to take a young product to market for a hot company. If I was a product manager I'd be drooling. Why? Because this is the kind of role that would prep me for an even more senior or executive-level job. Bottom line: a description shouldn't hand the reader a ransom note with a list of demands. It should get them excited about the opportunity in front of them.

The single-best reason to write a good job description Chances are good (especially on Red Canary!) that the person reading your job ad is gainfully and even happily employed. Some of them will be 'A-league' talent that's not really looking, but might be curious if the job could improve their career or offered a challenge. Your description needs to be extra enticing if you're going to get even a glimmer of interest from what could be an excellent candidate.

The Counter-Argument Section But we'll be swamped with unqualified applications if we lower our standards! Just because you demonstrate why a job is great doesn't mean you can't also be stringent about what you're looking for. Good candidates want to know they will be challenged. If the job is technically demanding, say so! Besides, would you rather receive 50 resumes that are terrible and one that's perfect, or 10 resumes that hover between rotten and average? But this position is dull! So what! Is the company dull? Is the group dull? Are the customers dull? Is there no room for promotion or professional growth? There's always something about a job that's cool or promising. For example: • Would a junior find growth and professional development in this role? • How much responsibility and/or autonomy would they have? • Would a developer be building from scratch? Would a sales person benefit from a strong support team or good comp plan? Would a product manager get to own a roadmap? • Would they get to work with a particularly accomplished mentor? (Note that young musical prodigies are often described as having 'studied under Maestro so-and-so'.) • What's great about your team or product or methodology? • How is the company doing? Is there job security? • How many people have you hired recently? • Is there a good chance of promotion? • Do you have an example of someone who has moved up fast? Can they comment on the position? Are all jobs sexy? God no. Do all jobs have aspects that might tantalize the right candidate? Absolutely. I don't want people who think we owe them something It's possible that you think your company shouldn't have to write attractive, candidate-focused job descriptions. It's possible that you think people should earn their jobs and that applicants are lucky to be accepted as employees in the first place.

Don't let your job description grow up to be vapid and self-serving

Go ahead and feel that way. I'm challenging some fundamental assumptions about the nature of this whole work-for-pay thing, I admit that. I also think you're dangerously wrong. If you're saying 'but we're so-and-so company and everybody wants to work here' and your company name doesn't rhyme with frugal or dapple then I think you've been dipping into the company kool-aid.

It isn't difficult to re-write a job description. I can do it in less than an hour and my guess is that you could do a much better job with insider information. If that hour is the difference between a great candidate and one who thinks that your company is demanding and self-centred, then it is time well spent.

Job Offer Etiquette and Strategy

Mario Laudi — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 19:02:49 GMT

When it comes to hiring, it's wise to begin with the end in mind. Making an offer of employment is your first chance to motivate your soon-to-be employee.

If you don't have a lot of money at your disposal, manage this reality at the interview stage. Get it out in the open early with the candidates that intrigue you.

The trouble is that too many managers want to haggle as if they were browsing a flea market. It's one thing to get the best deal on a pashmina scarf; its quite another to bargain with a human being from whom you hope to get 110% effort and dedication. The scarf won't let you down. But a disgruntled employee might find a way to get even when you can least afford it. 'A' Players and 'B' Budgets When it's time to consummate the relationship with an offer, many employers think they should table as little as possible. 'A' players want to bring their passion to work, and you want them to do so. Just don't ask for a vow of poverty as well. If you're getting away with lowballing in this market, you're either hiring mediocrity or have truly exciting career opportunities. If it's the latter, you're on borrowed time until someone comes along with a comparable job for better money. If it's the former, you'll inevitably end up offsetting your team's lack of talent by having too many players instead. Its the penny-wise and pound foolish story.

More Offer Etiquette •Stay in touch with your preferred candidates throughout the selection process. • Share your timing and pro-actively communicate any changes • Before you make a formal written offer - do it verbally. • Confirm that the terms are acceptable - then put it in writing. • Be sure to put an expiry date in your employment offer.

If your verbal offer will come up short on any parameter. Don't send an offer. Talk about the gaps in person. If you don't have a lot of money at your disposal, manage this reality at the interview stage. Get it out in the open early with the candidates that intrigue you. Don't let it rear its ugly head when you make the offer. Doing so will save everyone a lot of time, interviewing and anguish. When the recruit plays both sides: Candidates often have multiple offers. I love this part of the business. We get to see players weave and bob. Some give. Others take. One thing is certain: how they consummate their deal will have a major impact on their relationship. We'll take a look at this process next time around.

Three degrees of separation - Waterloo edition

Melanie Baker — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:40:51 GMT

The tech community of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) draws its talent from a population of over 5 million people, nearly half of whom were born outside of Canada. Silicon Valley draws its talent from a population of over 2 million, many of whom are originally from other countries, or just other places in the US. The tech community in Waterloo Region, on the other hand, draws its talent from a population of only around half a million. Many of those tech workers were born or went to school in the area. Community connections and home-grown talent This migration, or lack thereof, contributes to Waterloo Region's unique technology culture. A large percentage of the tech community grew up together, went to school together, work (or have worked) together, play together, and have survived the ups and downs of trying to change the world together. The result is a community where 'six degrees of separation' is closer to three. School days and power plays The region's professional networks often germinate in college or university, expand into the business world after graduation, and flower as entrepreneurial partnerships. Likewise, many of the Region's techies have worked together at more than one local firm, both in high tech and other industries. In addition to working and going to school together, extensive networking results from local professional and recreational organizations as well, like Entrepreneur Week and the Hi-Tech Hockey League. When everyone knows your name An environment with fewer degrees of separation offers considerable benefits. Job hunting, recruiting, vendor recommendations, competitor validation, business development, and entrepreneurial opportunities are examples of how it’s easier doing business when 'everyone knows everyone'. One former eBusiness manager commented, “Recently I left the corporate world and jumped into consulting. My current position is a direct result of the networking connections I've made. I got a call out of the blue and within a week I was working on a 3-month contract.” Some professionals employ a relationship-centric approach to network-building. One IT manager, also a U of W graduate, observed, “I don't like to use it for business development, but I know of a lot of deals that started with a business relationship or friendship.” She continued, “The best network extensions or connections happen organically and, for me, because I have a genuine interest in that person. I'm proud to say that I still keep in regular contact with a good number of people going back 10 years in the industry.” Chemistry and lasting relationships also develop as a result of the tech sector’s volatility, producing “comrades-in-arms”. One local veteran noted, “There can be a sense of shared history, even if you didn't actually work with that person before, because you know someone that they worked with, or know the story of their dot-com bust...” The caveat of these benefits is, of course, that they only available to those within the community. In a tight-knit community, reputation is sticky A small world means tech professionals are always building their personal brands, whether consciously or not. One executive observed: “The tech community [here] is small. If you're authentic and good at what you do, your reputation/personal brand will build. Conversely, if you're looking for the quick scam and are not professional, then word gets out and sooner or later, you won't get much further in the industry. Building your brand (not in an overly promotional way) will create opportunities for you.” Personal brands are built both inside and outside of the office. One proponent of tech events explained: “You get to work with like-minded individuals… and by the end, not only have you had a good time and hopefully developed something, but you've had the opportunity of seeing how those people work. You get great insight into work habits and the knowledge level of those individuals. Intense tech events really force you to put your skills where your mouth is.” It's a small (work) world... Of course, as anyone who grew up in a small town can tell you, it’s not always a good thing when everyone knows your business. Everyone interviewed commented that perceptions of people and companies stick around a long time. One C-level executive with a background at several local tech firms elaborated, “Some hiring managers within the community do not have the capacity to see beyond a candidate’s previous experience, and may discern that [the person is] unable to deal with the necessary corporate ambiguity or take on new market challenges with vigor... and ultimately will not hire them.” It isn’t only the locals who are exposed to the challenges of tight-knit culture. One Toronto-area IT manager looking to relocate to Kitchener-Waterloo commented, “I don't know anybody in KW that I've worked with. As somebody who has been a hiring manager, I've certainly placed more weight on an internal recommendation based on a past working relationship. My guess is other hiring managers do the same.” Who you know becomes ever more important the higher you go in corporate hierarchies. “I've noticed that in a lot of cases, management positions go to people who had a prior relationship with somebody senior in the organization. So as a non-local competing in a small job market, where I don't have a lot personal connections, I'm probably going to be at a disadvantage.” For companies, local candidates can be desirable for requiring less “ramp-up”, and being already somewhat familiar with the company’s business and culture. And there are no relocation costs if someone already lives here. ...and a small (personal) world Impressions of people based on past experience or hearsay aren’t limited to the professional sphere. With work and social connections often overlapping, it can be difficult to keep work life and personal life separate. One manager noted, “It's hard to have your private life (or your "I love kitties" blog) stay private. You can be sure that if there's a story about you, that it will be shared throughout the community.” One woman recalled local online dating discomfort. “On a few occasions, guys would almost immediately ask if I was that girl from the gym or if I worked at Company X. One guy I hadn’t even met in person asked a co-worker, with whom I happened to be acquainted, about me. Creepy!” Waterloo Region's population isn't going to hit 5 million in the near future. And our history of invention and entrepreneurship has a ways to go to catch up to Silicon Valley. However, the Region's unique, tight-knit culture, continued growth, and investment in future technologies and tech leaders make the tech community far greater than the sum of its parts.

Priming the Sales Applicant Pump

Lee Salz — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 18:12:03 GMT

Many confuse the purpose of a job advertisement with a job description. These are both valuable tools, but are not replacements for one another.

A job description is the spec sheet for the job. There is no flair, just information. A job advertisement should primarily be flair!

I spend much of my time working with companies to help them identify and hire the right sales talent for their company. One of the biggest frustrations that I hear from my clients is that they struggle to get people to apply for their jobs. Thus, they feel they have to settle for the few candidates they get and make a hiring decision. In essence, they risk hiring the wrong person for the wrong reason. From the client's perspective, they see no other choice. They have a seat to fill and must select from the small pool of sales candidates. When I hear this, I ask to see the ad that they are using on the job boards and in print. And, oh my! The root cause of the problem is quickly exposed. Somewhere along the way, a practice has been developed of using a job description as a job advertisement. Sadly, these are not synonyms, nor are they designed for the same purpose. This is the equivalent of trying to hammer a screw into a wall. It's not the right tool for the job. A job description is the spec sheet for the job. There is no flair, just information. A job advertisement should primarily be flair! I came across a sales job advertisement that said that accurate forecasting was required. I can appreciate the importance of accurate forecasting, but is that going to entice someone to send in a resume? I highly doubt it. Then, why do I see that in job ads all over the Net? Not only is it superfluous, but it could create a negative impression on a potential sales candidate such as the illusion of there being much sales administrivia, a bugaboo among sales professionals. As a result, they don't apply for your job.

One industry that can teach you how to recruit semi-passive candidates is supermarket retailers. They have it down to a science! Everything you see on the shelves has been placed with the consult of psychologists.

My favorite non-sense expression in a job ad is "other duties as assigned." Again, I understand the importance of having that identified in a job description as an all encompassing expression, but in an ad? I know when I've looked for a job I couldn't wait to apply for the ones that offered that as a benefit. The bottom line is that the sole purpose of a job advertisement is to attract people to apply for the job. I know that seems obvious, but many miss that point. Since that is the sole purpose, then the ad should be structured in a way to accomplish that objective. There is an old expression in sales that says "sell the sizzle, not the steak". It means to focus the discussion on the benefits, not the features of the product. When designing a job advertisement, it means that the ad should excite, not completely inform.

Where do you start when developing your ad to attract these "semi-passive" sales people to apply to your company? For starters, how about interviewing your current sales team members? Ask them what attracted them to the company and what keeps them there

In sales industries where leads are generated for sales people, the lead is structured to provide just enough information for a prospect to call a sales person. The ad does not include all of the information so that the person can make a buy/no buy decision without making the call. The same holds true for recruiting. The ad should attract candidates to apply. The resume review and interview process screens out the undesired candidates. In some respects, this issue is about control. Not to belabor the contrast with sales, but sales people are trained to control the buying process. They learn to facilitate buying discussions with potential buyers and control when and how information is shared. When advertizing a job, the more information that is placed in the ad, the more control the candidate has to make an apply/no apply decision without ever talking with your company. Thus, you want enough information in the ad to entice them to apply for the job, nothing more. Once you have the application, you are then in control of the process and get to make the pursue/no pursue decision. Three Kinds of Sales Candidates In my mind, there are three types of candidates out there. There are those that apply for every sales job they can find. Chances are these are not your rock stars. They just want a job, not your job. There are those that are what I refer to as "semi-passive." These are sales people that have their pinky toe in the "new job opportunity waters." They haven't made the definitive decision to pursue another opportunity, but would be receptive if they came across one to their liking. The third are the passive candidates, those that are not even thinking about another opportunity at this time.

Visit with your marketing department and ask for their assistance in designing an ad that will attract sales candidates to apply

Thus, the ad should be designed to attract the semi-passive candidates. The passive ones probably won't see the ad because they aren't looking for a job. One industry that you can learn much about recruiting semi-passive candidates is supermarket retailers. Man, they have it down to a science! Everything that you see on the shelves has been placed there with the consult of psychologists. They have gotten inside the minds of buyers and structured the store so that they increase their average check out order. For example, milk is almost always in the very back of the store because it is a necessity. You are going to buy it because you need it. Other items are placed strategically around the store so a semi-passive buyer will be enticed to pick it up and put it in their cart. How often do you go to the market and buy only what you intended to buy? Rarely. With that in mind, where do you start when developing your ad to attract these "semi-passive" sales people to apply to your company? For starters, how about interviewing your current sales team members? Ask them what attracted them to the company and what keeps them there. You will be surprised by the valuable information you will learn. With that information, visit with your marketing department and ask for their assistance in designing an ad that will attract sales candidates to apply. If you can provide them with the mission of the program and the data learned from the sales organization discussions, I'll bet that they can develop an ad with super sizzle! Remember, this is a marketing person's area of expertise so leverage it. The goal of this exercise is to grow your candidate pool so you don't have to settle for the wrong candidates just to fill a seat.

1943 Guide to Hiring Women

Fri, 18 Jan 2008 21:06:49 GMT

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5 Reasons why part-time HR leaders make sense for growing companies

Sachi Kittur — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 21:55:17 GMT

Sachi Kittur, Founder, Kompass Solutions

You’ve spent the last year establishing your organization as a force in your industry. Recent wins and opportunities in the pipeline demand that you prepare for aggressive hiring and your company’s next stage of growth. But as CEO, you need to stay focused on your company’s strategic business goals. Talent acquisition requires time, planning, resources and expertise that you may not have. You don’t want the expense and paperwork of an HR department, but it’s a talent jungle out there. Hiring an experienced, part-time HR leader has proven to be an effective solution for many growing technology companies.

5 ways that part-time HR leadership makes a difference

1. Same budget, better results: Typically, the first HR resource that an emerging company hires is a junior-level generalist whose experience limits them -- and limits you. With a seasoned, part-time HR leader, you add a balanced resource that can collaborate with the executive team and pro-actively drive strategies while still managing and building an effective HR operation. 2. Recruitment costs are reduced by 25-40%: Recruitment and Retention – an organization’s investment in these important ‘people pillars’ will determine its ability to grow. An experienced HR leader will be able to develop a solid recruitment program that leverages diverse sourcing strategies. Hiring better resources and decreasing the reliance on external staffing firms will bring significant savings to your organization’s bottom line. 3. Happy employees = stable company: A savvy HR leader brings a proactive approach to retention, which means significant cost savings and avoidance of the typical pain points of fast-growth organizations. 4. Become an Employer of Choice: Recognition as an “Employer of Choice” serves both retention and recruiting purposes. A seasoned HR leader knows how apply focus, innovation, and employee engagement to realize this goal. 5. Linking people strategies to ROI: Most experienced HR leaders today recognize the importance in linking talent management initiatives to ROI. There are a number of creative tools available to assess the progress and contributions of your people function, beyond the standard turnover and cost per hire metrics. A strategic HR leader will ensure that they are continuously measuring and linking their people initiatives to the bottom line. This will ensure that shareholder value is maximized with every people dollar that you invest: a well-rounded HR leader that can strategize one minute and solve a payroll issue another is the perfect solution to maximizing the return of your investment in an HR resource. As your company prepares to take itself to the next level, take a moment to think about the talent management support that is going to help you get there! Sachi Kittur is the founder of Kompass Solutions, an organization that helps emerging technology companies develop people management solutions that support their next phase of business. Maximizing the efficiency of both time and resources is at the forefront of Kompass’s solutions.

Job jumping - How it looks to a recruiting professional

Robin Dube — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:25:36 GMT

In the "old days”, you took a job for life. Today's thinking (and employment reality) seems to support the opposite: many jobs of relatively short tenures. But is job hopping good or bad? What's a 'good' job transition pattern look like to a hiring professional? How short is too short and how long is too long? Red Canary asked Heather Holmes, recruitment manager at The Laudi Group a firm that specializes in recruiting for fast-growth technology companies, to share how she evaluates the hundreds of resumes that cross her desk.

Hitting the tech career sweet spot

Underachievers on Workopolis?
An online study by Red Canary found that the average job tenure for technology resumes found on Workopolis was only 2.6 years.

“Across the board, you generally want to spend three to five years at a company,” says Holmes. This timeline gives someone the chance to be successful and “grow through the ranks”, which makes them attractive without being stale. Sales professionals, for example, are judged on tenure and numbers. “It’s difficult to have good numbers if you only stay at a job for a year.” *Tips for Juniors* For people just coming out of school, more frequent job jumping makes sense. “They should be spending time at different places expanding their knowledge,” says Holmes. Junior people get an idea of what type of career and company they want by switching jobs, as well as rapidly gaining skills. “But you don’t want to do that for too long,” says Holmes. “There’s something you take away from spending three years at a company. It shows you’re reliable and dependable, so you can take it to the next level. If you’re good, people will see that and you get more flexibility to run with ideas because you’ve proven yourself.” On the other end of the scale, senior people know that leaving a job too quickly means they have wasted months of relationship building. Holmes encounters executives that will say, “I’ve been here for 15 months. For me to leave, it wouldn’t make sense.” They are just getting ready to capitalize on the groundwork they have laid. Holmes advises someone who does have a history of frequent jumps to identify the company that he or she has the most industry knowledge in and go for roles that are a little bit junior to get into the organization. “If you get in and you’re committed, you’re going to grow your career.”

When the job leaves you

Even the best people can encounter bad luck. Downsizing or a failed start-up can add a cringe factor to any resume. Holmes advises being straightforward and putting a one-line note in the resume, such as “Start-up did not receive funding” or “Laid off because of restructuring”. “In the tech sector specifically, between 1999 and 2001, a lot of people have choppy backgrounds, so we have to take that into consideration.” If you do have a short stay at one job, about three to four months, and are not just starting your career, you can leave it off your resume, says Holmes. But she recommends always bringing it up in the first conversation with an employer or recruiter. “Hiding something raises red flags,”. Saying that a job fit just didn’t work out, you didn’t get the resources needed to do the job, or that the job didn’t match what you were hired to do are all reasonable explanations for a short stint.

Long tenures: The 'expert' kiss of death?

Holmes says she has seen people with long experience at a lone (even blue-chip) company have difficulty breaking into something new. Growing their careers in a single company strangled their chances at the early- to mid-stage technology companies that she works with. “From my standpoint as a headhunter, the longer someone is at a company, the more difficult it is to sell someone into another organization.” Someone who has been at one employer for 20 years “becomes an expert at that company, that technology and that industry. It’s difficult to transfer those skills unless they move to a direct competitor.” Brendan Courtney posts an argument to that theory on The Big Time blog, stating that “staying with one employer for a long period of time can also be the best non-move of your career ... if you receive steady increases in job title and salary, and have shaped your skills and developed a specialty, then there is no need to move on.” "If you decide to move on after a long time at one company, then you may be limited in the companies you can jump to", says Holmes. “A person working for a large enterprise for a long period of time is not always appealing for a startup. They are looking for a certain type of DNA that thrives in a fast-paced and forever changing environment. In this situation, a larger company may be more willing to look at someone with longer tenures."

Move smart and make more?
In 2006, Chicago-based outplacement firm Challenger Gray & Christmas surveyed 3,000 managers and found that 92% won equivalent or better salaries, benefits, and titles after jumping to a new job.

The most appealing job patterns to employers

An ideal resume demonstrates that a person is constantly growing and succeeding. Brazen Careerist Blogger and author Penelope Trunk has this to say about the subject: “You will experience more personal growth from changing jobs frequently than staying in one job for extended periods of time. And if you change jobs frequently you build an adaptable skill set and a wide network -- which are the keys to being able to find a job whenever you need to.” That kind of movement looks good to a headhunter, says Heather. “You look at the company, their tenure, their title, and their duties,” says Holmes. “If you’re seeing someone move, did they move to a company in a similar space? Typically, you want to see them moving for a step up—more senior, more money, more responsibility and greater career growth. Those are the good ones.”

Canada's technology job market: hungry stomachs, empty larders

Trevor Stafford — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 15:22:00 GMT

Obvious statement of the day: the Canadian tech sector is long on job openings and short on people to fill them. Thanks to CATA, we have a better idea which professional larders are most bare. CATA reports that its Advanced Technology Employment Index (ATEI), which measures job searches and recruiting activity across multiple online job sites, reached a record high in Q2, 2007. Of 21 occupational categories, 10 saw growth. Notably, energy/utilities jobs grew by 30% from Q1, 2007. Growth was also strong in IT and computer services.

	Most Frequent Job Searches		Top Job Postings
1	Information Technology	1	Information Technology
2	Computer Software	2	Engineering
3	Engineering	3	Computer Software
4	Computer Hardware	4	Energy/Utilities
5	Telecommunications	5	Consulting Services

According to CATA, 10 categories saw decreased activity, led by Engineering and followed by Internet/E-Commerce, Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare - Radiology/Imaging; Computer Software and Electronics. A caveat: these numbers are gleaned solely from online job sites (CATA works with Monster.ca) and so do not encompass the fractured recruiting spectrum of emerging tech companies. Consider this -- a Red Canary study in early 2007 showed that only 25% of 150 emerging technology companies posted their current job openings on Workopolis. *Bottom line for emerging tech:* the Canadian tech sector is growing, the supply of talent is not. Roll up your sleeves. For the complete press release, including provincial results, go here.

One Red Question - Why won't tech professionals change cities?

Trevor Stafford — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 18:49:39 GMT

This question was sparked by a conversation with an HR professional at a medium-sized software company in Toronto. Her complaint was that she couldn't get Waterloo (or Tech Triangle) professionals to come and work for her in The Big Smoke. I explained to her that the problem was reversed in Waterloo, where even the best and most deep-pocketed companies struggle to lure urban professionals. I have my theories on why this is, but I'd rather hear from you.

Would you invest a million dollars to find the talent you need?

Mario Laudi — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 04:00:00 GMT

It seems another software company emerges every day. And with every new arrival, Canada’s talent supply shrinks. Software CEOs know that their success depends on people. But what do you do when conventional hiring channels can’t find the good ones? Do you putter along with what you’ve got, or do you swing for the fences? The tech bull market of the 90s might hold some answers. How Descartes won big in a bull market Swinging for the fences is exactly what Descartes CEO, Peter Schwartz did in the late 90s. His company invested nearly $3 million in headhunting fees – in a job market that looked like this one. You may question his spending, but you can’t deny that Descartes did what most Canadian tech companies haven’t done – an IPO on the NASDAQ. Some will argue that the stock market was drunk on greed at the time. But every other tech company had the same opportunity. Did Descartes spend more money on recruiting than most tech companies? Yes. But, they also hit the proverbial home run and a multi- billion-dollar market cap. Not many Canadians tech companies have done better. Headhunting in motion Between 2000 and 2001, my previous company served an emerging tech company that invested close to $1 million in recruiting its North American sales force alone. The company could have posted ads on the Internet and in newspapers and saved money. But they didn’t. They moved fast and smart. Today, Research in Motion is a global success story. I’m not suggesting that headhunters are the end all and be all for hiring. Workbrain (TSX:WB) and Redknee (AIM:RKN) rarely used headhunters and still managed to IPO. But they grew at a time when talent was abundant and good people were actually looking for work. Yesterday’s movers and shakers are older and happily employed at profitable companies today. Could these two great companies have been as successful before 9-11? I don’t know. You tell me. If I were a software CEO right now, I’d be changing my game plan. I’d give my people raises before my competition does. Then, I’d ask a good headhunter to bring me the best players from companies that haven’t realized that we’re heading for 1999 all over again.

Talent and the domino effect

Mario Laudi — Wed, 23 May 2007 04:00:00 GMT

In a recent search for a Professional Services VP, we spoke to dozens of qualified people and all of them had a common perspective: running a successful service function, at any level, hinges on the ability to secure top talent.

The next time you're hiring, you should explore this issue in your interviews. You want leaders who have brought colleagues with them in the past. It's a good sign when ex-employees will come back and work for an old boss. If few have come back for a second tour of duty...well.

But just don't take it from me, see what CEO Kevin Dwyer says about his one-two punch for finding talent.

If you're hiring someone to build a team, ask candidates how they staffed-up in the past; did they do it themselves?

Did they use corporate recruiters or headhunters? How were recruiting costs reflected on the P&L?

On the flip side, if you're thinking of making a career move to a new company, find out how a prospective employer will help you staff your team. If the CEO expects you to do it all yourself, you will probably fail in today's talent-starved market. (see how our online study points to a shortage of tech talent in middle management.)

Understand the extra value you have if you can bring in talented ex-colleagues. But keep in mind that if your team is going to thrive, you will need to see a real budget for headhunting fees. At the end of the day, a leader is only as good as his or her team.