Category: Job Center

By Randy Wooden

I’m often asked questions about recruiters and the staffing industry, so I thought I’d take a few minutes to explain some of the various terms associated with them.

The generic term “recruiter” applies to a person who typically has first contact with you. They may work within a corporation, recruiting only positions for that company.  These are “in house” or “internal” recruiters. You may see their job title as “talent acquisition specialist” or “recruiter.” They often conduct the initial interview and then pass the top candidates on to a hiring manager for further discussion.

Recruiters could be employed by a staffing or recruiting firm. These are external recruiters or “headhunters.” They work to fill openings with any number of client corporations. Their role is to conduct the initial interview/screening and then pass qualified applicants on to the client company for further interviewing.

Let’s turn to how recruiting firms operate. In no case does the job seeker pay anything. For permanent placements – positions where the employee is a direct hire and immediately becomes employed (and paid) by the hiring company – there are two methods of payment, contingency and retainer.

Contingency searches typically occur from the manager level on down. The employer will usually allow several firms to work simultaneously on filling the opening. The search firm only makes a commission if  their candidate gets hired.

Retained searches typically occur at higher levels within an organization. An employer will retain the services of one search firm, typically paying a portion of the anticipated fee up front, another portion upon hire, and a final portion after the new hire has been on board for a short time.

If it helps you to understand better, think of how someone might hire an attorney. If you’ve been in an accident, most attorneys taking your case will work on a contingency basis. You only pay them if you win the case.

On the other hand, a corporation or an individual might hire an attorney on retainer. A lump sum is paid up front with the client and attorney settling up any remaining monies owed once the attorney’s work is complete.

The third way a staffing company is paid is by invoicing the employer based on the hours a person works. This arrangement, as you might expect, typically occurs with hourly workers where there is no direct hire. The worker is actually employed by the staffing company but shows up for work at the client corporation.

The client corporation and staffing company often have an arrangement whereby the client corporation can hire the worker after a certain number of hours have been worked. This allows the client to try the employee before they hire them. We’re seeing more of this arrangement than ever before.

I hope you now have a better understanding of the recruiting business. It serves a valuable role in helping corporations hire folks. Make recruiters aware of who you are and what skills you possess.  Good luck!

By Randy Wooden

Interviewing is an exchange of information. It is not enough to answer employer’s questions; top job candidates come up with good questions of their own. Today we’ll explore more of them in part two of this three-part blog series.

If they do not volunteer this information early in the conversation, consider asking why the position is open. Wait until about halfway through the interview to ask. Their response could take different paths.

They could say the position is newly-created. When a job is newly created, multiple people may have had input during that job’s formation. Try to understand what’s expected from each of those other employees.

They could say the last person was promoted. That’s great news! It shows they promote from within. That being the case, they may promote from within to fill this opening, too. You can ask how long the person who was in the position had been in the job before being promoted.

They could indicate the person who was in the position is no longer with the organization. Unless they volunteer more information, you don’t know whether or not they left on their own. You could ask some key areas they would like to see changed or improved in performance.

Training is another area to explore. If they do not share information about professional development and training, be sure to ask about it after you understand the job duties.

Lastly, let’s talk about how you would inquire about overtime, weekend work, shift work, and other schedule-related questions. Asking, “is there weekend work,” or, “is overtime required,” implies you would prefer to not work weekends or overtime. Rather than asking bluntly, you can ask them to talk you through a typical day or typical work week. This gives them the opportunity share information about scheduling. If they do not fully clarify, you can ask a follow up question to get more information. Tell them you are willing to work the needed schedule (if you are) and just want to understand what’s expected.

Next time, I will wrap up this series with more questions to help you determine whether the job is the one for you. Good luck!

By Randy Wooden

I’m often asked how to answer interview questions; it is just as important to know good questions to ask the employer since interviewing is a back and forth dialogue.

Today, in the first of a three-part blog series, I’ll provide some key questions along with why they’re important and what you could hope to learn from their answers.

At the beginning of an interview, an employer will often ask you to tell them about yourself and what you are seeking in a job. As you conclude your answer, you have an opportunity to learn more about what the interview is seeking. Perhaps, “I was excited to get to meet with you. Could you tell me a bit more about what you’re looking for?”

This question accomplishes a few things.  First, it prevents you from talking too much. When you’re not being interrupted – and are maybe nervous – you can tend to ramble. Asking a question allows the employer to talk.

It can also help establish a trend of productive back and forth dialogue.  You can potentially learn about the job’s education, skills and experience requirements and soft skills or character traits they’re seeking. Once you do, you can better tailor your responses to what you know for the employer wants.

Another question to ask at the beginning of the interview is for the employer to describe the position in greater detail. Just as you come prepared with your work history on a resume and/or application, the employer will often ask you to articulate what you’ve done on those jobs. Be sure to have the employer describe the position, ideally prioritizing the duties for you.

The employer is analyzing you on competency and culture fit. They are trying to learn whether you have the skills, education, personality and desire to do the job well.

At the same time, you are determining whether the opportunity is something you can perform well and whether it’s a company with which you want to work.

To help your thought process, it can be beneficial to ask questions about the goals or objectives for the position.

• How does the employer judge success in this role?
• What obstacles might you encounter to accomplishing those goals?
• Are the goals realistic?

You could also ask about the resources available to achieve the goals. The interview is an exchange of information. Asking thoughtful questions is a great way to determine whether you really want the job.  Good luck!

By Randy Wooden

Job hunting can be a daunting task for many of us, but if it’s your first time looking for work, it can really present some challenges. Today, let’s explore five tips for landing that first job.

#1.  Be realistic. Your first job might not be your dream job but it is a fantastic way to gain experience. You might want to think about whether you’d prefer working with the public (retail, restaurants, etcetera) or whether you’d prefer working away from the public (factories, warehouses, physical labor, etcetera)

#2.  Networking. You’ll learn soon enough that relationships matter, including when companies make hiring decisions. Enlist the help of friends, neighbors, friends of your parents, etcetera. Employers appreciate it when someone they know can recommend you.

#3.  Resume. If you don’t have paid work to show, include your volunteer or extra-curricular activities. List some of your soft skills, qualities or traits. For example, are you a fast learner, dependable, collaborative? If possible, provide brief examples of those traits on the resume and be prepared to discuss them in greater detail during your interview.

#4.  Your appearance. Studies have shown that 55 percent of interpersonal communication is body language, 38 percent is your tone of voice, and your actual words only 7 percent. What does this mean? People form opinions about you based on how you look, how you act and how you sound.

Dress appropriately. You don’t want your appearance to distract from your personal qualities and skills. For most positions, you would not wear flip flops, shorts and a t-shirt. For some positions, you might want to cover tattoos and remove your piercings.

#5.  Show up in person. Most companies will want you to complete an online application or apply at an in-store kiosk; go the extra mile by showing up at their place of business.Bring a resume, dress appropriately, and be prepared with an enthusiastic smile and firm handshake.

If you’re looking for an entry level job, the main criteria are things like dependability, honesty, and enthusiasm rather than highly technical skills or management experience. Demonstrating initiative by walking in helps you stand out in a large online applicant pool.

Another way to show initiative is to follow up on your interviews with a thank you email and, ideally, a hand-written thank you note. Be sure to call to follow up on your interview with friendly persistence and enthusiasm. Often, entry level jobs go to those who appear to want it more.  Be that person.

Good luck!

By Randy Wooden

You’ve accepted a new job. You’re in the idle time before your first day on the job or possibly in your first few weeks of new employment. Then it happens. Another company calls you to set up an interview. What do you do?

Each of us has our own moral compass. So do organizations. Some companies rescind accepted offers or decide they really didn’t need the position after all – even after the new hire showed up.

While you must make the decision you feel is right, I would discourage you from going on the interview for several reasons.

Reasons for turning down the interview:

#1. You gave your word that you’d accept the job at a mutually-agreed upon rate of pay. No one forced you to say yes.

#2. You would permanently burn bridges, and word gets around. To protect your reputation, think long and hard about seeing whether you can earn a few extra dollars elsewhere.

#3. Give the new job some time, especially if this new interview would be held during that idle time before you actually show up for work. The grass may not end up being greener with that new interview, so you’ll have not only jumped from the frying pan into the fire, but you’ll have burned bridges. (See #2)

#4.  If you did go on the interview, how would you respond when asked about where you last worked? To be transparent, you have to mention the new job you’d just accepted.

#5.  If word about your interview gets back to your new employer, how do you think it would make the hiring official feel about your conducting interviews? Not the best way to start a new job.

In rare occasions, one might accept another interview.

#1.  The job you took was a temporary assignment with no guarantee of it being a permanent hire. That’s a big downside, particularly if the temporary job isn’t a full-time role with benefits.

#2.  If you started the job and were misled about job duties or if the work culture is highly toxic, you might want to consider another interview.

While accepting an interview doesn’t equate to accepting a new job, your decision has potential downside. Think it through carefully. Good luck.