4 Lessons to Learn as a New Staffing Professional

4 Lessons to Learn as a New Staffing ProfessionalUltimately, everybody should seek to learn mora from their mistakes. Its how we grow and develop professionally and personally. This is especially true in complicated fields like staffing. In the first few years as a staffing professional, youre likely to make the most mistakes of your career. But the knowledge you gain in these early stages helps you better find and evaluate candidates as you grow in experience. Youll refine your communication skills to better engage with clients. And you could even develop a trick or two no one else has tried. Overall, starting your career as a staffing professional is an exciting time.Its nice to learn the lessons of some common staffing mistakes without committing them. Knowing how others have failed will put you ahead of the learning curve. Here are four lessons staffing experts had to learn the hard way, but you can use to improve your staffing process now1. Sometimes, its better to veer off the traditional path.I wish I had been encouraged to explore my creativity more, especially in terms of advertising positions. Thinking back on it, I wasted a lot of time on passive techniques that did leid yield much quality return. If I had been thinking more creatively, I would have been better able to focus on attracting quality candidates. I actually ended up losing my first client because my chosen candidate did not last very long and the client was not impressed with my approach. For the next client, I decided to host a speed-interviewing event, similar to speed dating. I partnered with local professional organizations and a bar to find a pool of candidates and a venue. I set up 15-minute appointments and met with people for four hours. The face-to-face connection with candidates really helped build trust and give me a sense of whether or not the candidate should come in for a full interview. With just a little bit of creative marketing, I found a lot more quality candidates than my wait-and-see approach. Matt Dodgson, Director of Market Recruitment If traditional staffing strategies arent working, dont be afraid to get creative.Click To Tweet2. The fastest way to make poor decisions is lacking balance.Any outreach to attract applicants needs to strike the appropriate balance to capture qualified individuals attention without listing every single desirable trait. Most applicants wont possess everything and if theres too much detail, it may actually prevent strong candidates from applying. Conversely, too little detail will result in a deluge of unqualified hopefuls. Each communication should be thoughtfully crafted and appropriate for the position and target audience.The same can be said of how wide you cast your net. Some new staffing professionals get caught in a trap of using the same recruitment methods regardless of whether their ideal candidates are likely to be identified via these sources. Seasoned staffing professionals utilize a wide variety of co mmunications to put their vacancies in front of large groups of people. Successful hiring comes from choosing the best-qualified applicant from a large pool of candidates, not lowering your standard by selecting the best of the worst from a small response.Susan Hosage, senior consultant at OneSource HR SolutionTo attract special candidates, you need to create job postings that are thoughtful and targeted. staffingClick To Tweet3. Thinking you know best will cause you to falter.In my first year staffing, I had a candidate a very bright software engineer interviewing with a client of mine who was struggling to find someone to fill a very senior-level need. I truly believed this candidate was the right fit for the role, he had all the skills and work history. The client expressed some reservations about the candidates fit in the environment. The candidate voiced similar opinions, but I knew the technical match was there. I convinced both to move forward. Low-and-behold, a couple of m onths later they both agreed that it wasnt the right fit and they both had to start their search over. Ive learned since then that regardless of what I think, its not about me. The company culture, and the candidates emotional state and desires are equally, if not more important, than simply making a match. Mike Batman Cohen, founder of Wayne Technologies, Inc.Being a staffing expert doesnt mean you know better than your clients.Click To Tweet4. Staffing isnt the place for banking on instant success.Many underestimate the amount of work that goes into making that placement the numbers of candidates you have to source and screen, the long call sheet. This is not a one and done industry. You have to be patient, tenacious, and pragmatic. You get what you put into it. You have to hunker down and be in it for the long haul. I know I pushed candidates to hiring managers that werent stellar. They might have had most of the must haves but there was just a little something that was off. When you do that, you run the risk of poisoning your reputation with a hiring manager.If you are looking for instant gratification, find another career. The highs are great when you seal the deal. But the lows can be a real bummer when you get a turndown or your candidate bails before your guarantee period closes.Jan Hudson, Partner at Surf SearchStaffing isnt always easy. You have to be willing to put in the hard work to find the right candidate.Click To Tweet

Tips on Finding Startup Jobs

Tips on Finding Startup JobsTips on Finding Startup JobsThis article was updated from the original on July 27, 2017When it comes to big career steps, sometimes you have to move out of your comfort zone and into the fast lane in order to achieve the greatest results. Everyone loves working for the tried and true big name company, but landing a gig at a startup can be just the thing to launch your career down new and lucrative paths. Sure, there can be drawbacks and uncertainties, but with a healthy dose of good judgment and a little bit of hard work working for a startup can also return exponential rewards. Deciding you want to work for a startup is one thing, but locating open positions at behauptung cinderella-come-latelys is an entirely other proposition. So, how do you identify openings at startup companies, much less get your foot in the door? Weve got a few pointers on doing just that.Do What You LoveAs the old saying goes, if your career and passions are in line work is less of an effort and more of a daily affirmation. As an initial step, consider what motivates and drives you on a daily basis. Have a passion for cooking? Perhaps a new food related venture would be up your alley. Maybe you voraciously peruse the latest tech news before saying hello to your spouse every morning. If so, perhaps an application or software development startup is for you. Narrowing down your desired field is the first step to landing that startup job of your dreams.Change of Scenery?After identifying a field, its time to decide whether youre willing to pick up and go in order to chase your startup career dreams. Since these companies are fewer in number, chances are you may need to relocate in order to find that just-right goldilocks style fit. Many companies are willing to consider telecommuting or other remote work arrangements, so consider pitching this idea as a temporary or permanent arrangement to save on physical office space costs if you find a job in a locale thats j ust too far out of your physical comfort zone.Assess Your Tolerance for RiskAnother threshold consideration before stepping onto the startup field is how much, or little, risk are you willing to assume in order to follow your work-related dreams? Startups in generally tend to be less stable with shorter track records. Working for one of these companies means that youll be forging a path along with the company and your prospects depend on their ability to execute.In addition, certain startup fields are more proven than others. Emerging industries may see you needing to take an initial pay cut in exchange for long term potential rewards. A little bit of research into similar companies in your field can help reduce your liability, but a certain appetite for risk will always be needed in order to make it big with a startup.Watch Those Trending MarketsSpeaking of research, identifying a startup field that might be in demand and have a greater chance at success will be a much easier prosp ect if you follow emerging business and industry trends. Online publications and prime time business shows are great sources of information. Dont lose site of big picture considerations, however. Keep an eye out for industries, products and services that are in demand and then follow the breadcrumbs back to startup companies looking to capitalize off the popularity. Network, Network, NetworkFinally, since startup companies tend to be smaller and more fluid businesses, you wont usually find job listings circulated in mass HR mailers or in a quick google search. Specialty job search boards, such as Simply Hired, are great places to start the job search but shouldnt be the only tool in your career bag. Use your current connections to ask about potential opportunities. Attending mixers, lectures and other events in your field is also a great idea for identifying a company that may be looking to hire someone with your skills. Put in the leg work over a cocktail or hors doeuvre and you ju st may find that startup job of your dreams falling right into your lap.