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Overcoming Obstacles In The Hiring Process

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iStockphoto.com | WoodysPhotos

If you’ve ever watched Olympic track and field athletes race the 400-meter hurdles, you know how the typical job hiring process feels – a lap of obstacles while you run as fast as you can. You must stay in your lane and hope the other runners don’t clear a hurdle. In the end, only one person will be hired. You want it – you need it – to be you. 

Athletes train for years to run that lap and clear eleven hurdles, high and low. Nobody trains to look for a job. It’s something that’s done out of necessity and in intense bursts of activity. Then you land a job, settle in, and forget about how hard it was too until the next time you’re faced with unemployment or want to move onward and upward.  

During the hiring process, job seekers face a multitude of obstacles. Some are technical. Some are all too human. Here are some key examples and some tips to win the race. 

  • Obstacle #1: Companies use Automatic Tracing systems to screen candidates’ resumes and profiles. It is impossible to know the magic combination of keywords your resume must contain to slip past the machine wall. How do you overcome that? Battle tech with human intelligence. After you’ve applied online, use LinkedIn, or any other means at your disposal, to try to discover the job’s hiring manager – if you know who that is, you can get your resume directly to them. Be aware that you still need to follow the company’s online application process, but this can help put your candidacy over the top.

  •  Obstacle #2: You’re hot on a new job listing. Then you see what the role pays. It’s below market and not where you need it to be. Don’t panic. This high hurdle may not be as insurmountable as you believe. First, you need an interview before you start worrying about an offer. Second, if the application requires desired salary information, enter $0 if you can. This will allow your resume to make it through filters that try to weed out high salaries. Third, go on to PayScale.com and find out what the job should pay in your area. When salary negotiations begin, have the data and be ready to explain why you deserve your desired range.

  •  Obstacle #3: Not all job listings are created equal, and it’s hard to ascertain whether you are qualified. If a company asks for everything and the kitchen sink, read between the lines and figure out what the essential skills are. If you have a significant skill gap, you can close it with online classes during the hiring process. Be honest about your level, but you can improve your candidacy by proactively learning a required skill.

  •  Obstacle #4: One of the most frustrating aspects of a job search is an endless interview process. Time frames for how long a company takes to hire varies. Hiring a C-level executive (such as a CEO, COO, etc.) takes longer than an hourly employee for an entry-level job. However, there is such a thing as too long. If you find yourself mired in a lengthy hiring process, try contacting the company and tactfully push your candidacy along – tell the potential employer you are entertaining other offers but really, really want to work for them. They will potentially respond to this in a positive manner and get the gears in motion if they want you. If you get more stalling, it may be time to move on.

  •  Obstacle #5: Speaking of moving on, if there are too many obstacles, there are plenty of other jobs out there. A company’s hiring process says a lot about its culture. If the way a company conducts itself during an interview process rubs you the wrong way, there is good reason, though not certain, to believe that you may not be the right cultural fit for the job. Learn when to walk away!

  •  Obstacle #6: Don’t drop the ball on the basics. Proofread everything. Be on time. Dress appropriately. Be prepared with questions. You have enough hurdles to clear. Do not be your greatest obstacle.

Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

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How To Hire Quality Talent In Today's Crazy Labor Market

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iStockphoto.com | HABesen

 It’s a weird time to be hiring. Job seekers and employees have grievances that morphed into The Great Resignation, yet many companies haven’t adapted their hiring practices to the times. If you’re trying to hire a quality candidate to fill an open position, here’s eight factors to consider as you look at talent.

  1. It’s not 2008. Remember The Great Recession? Let’s think back. A housing crisis, failing banks, double-digit unemployment, the global economy teetering on the verge of collapse, and a thousand job applicants per job. 2021 isn’t 2008. It’s a seller’s market for labor. There are a lot of jobs. You will not be able to choose from an endless parade of candidates, and the ones you interview are more discriminating. They have the power. Prepare accordingly.

  2. Align your hiring expectations to what you really need. If you’re hiring someone to run the cash register, you don’t hire someone with a Ph.D. from Berkeley (see 2008). If you’re hiring someone to run the show, you don’t hire someone right out of college whose only previous job is “influencer.” Take the time to understand what you need, find candidates with the transferable skills to do the job, and be willing to train.

  3.  Treat people like people. The job process is impersonal and cold. It opens with labor-intensive online applications with multiple third-party operators (e.g., job boards/application administrators). Then candidates move on to applicant tracking systems designed to filter people out, followed by a phone screen, then maybe a Zoom. When a job candidate reaches a person, they feel like they’ve endured the longest deli line in history. The way you treat people during the hiring process matters.

  4.  Respect a candidate’s time. The job hiring process best serves both parties when it’s respectful and fair. Job candidates go through a lot of trouble to be ready for interviews, and it’s a reasonable expectation that the interviewers are as well. Be on time and make the candidate feel valued for being there.

  5.  You’re not the only one hiring. Don’t expect a candidate to sell themselves if you’re not prepared to sell the company.  Hiring is a two-way street. Companies should express why someone should want to work for them. What does it mean to work at your company? What is the culture? What kind of personal and professional growth can a potential employee expect? Job seekers know when they’re getting a fair assessment and when they’re getting lip service.

  6.  Consider offering some variation of Work From Home (WFH). Is WFH really out of the question? Workers overwhelmingly want at least some WFH options, yet many companies want employees back in the office full time. Hybrid models may attract more and better candidates. Companies may want to roll WFH options into overall compensation packages or offer it as a company-wide perk. For example, say 25% of a company’s employees work remotely, but 100% have flexible schedules that include well-defined remote periods when kids are home for fall and winter break; or when a loved one needs medical care. That type of benefit may be a powerful recruiting tool.

  7. Look at the compensation you’re offering. No, really, look at it. Now add a pinch of inflation. Wait, no. Not a pinch. The worst inflation in thirty years. If your compensation hasn’t increased to match rising costs, your competitor’s compensation may be. If your company can’t afford the employees it needs in dollars and cents, selling candidates on deferred compensation may be more difficult these days.

  8.  Don’t wait around. Job seekers are fed-up with hiring processes that take months, and you don’t have the luxury to wait around. If your hiring process takes too long, quality candidates will lose interest. People make job decisions much faster, and you need to make faster hiring decisions.

Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

Resources for Your Job Search

iStockphoto.com | scanrail

Happy Holiday season! As a token of our appreciation, please accept this holiday gift bag of resources for your job search. It’s not easy to find a job, switch careers, or launch your own business. Hang in there!

1.     Payscale.com. It’s beneficial to know the average salary of your role in your region. For example, the average salary for a Project Manager in Monowi, Nebraska versus a Project Manager in Los Angeles, California. When you wind your way through the job process, it’s an advantage to have a clear understanding of your market worth.

 

2.     The Headshot Wizard. This is a great service for anybody with an existing photo that needs a professional touch before it's ready for prime time. A great profile photo on LinkedIn, and other job board profiles, enhance your professional brand.

 

3.     Photographers or Photography Services. For professionals who do not have a current or appropriate profile photo, many photographers would love to help. Here are a couple of links to get you started:

·      Headshot Photographers listed on LinkedIn

 

4.     Resume & Cover Letter Guides. Like it or not, finding a job is a game with rules. Learn how to build your resume and succeed in the search. Here are the books by some of the masters that demonstrate the essentials and give some great examples:

·      Louise Kursmark

·      Wendy Enelow

·      Rebecca Morgan

·      Michael Altshuler

 

5.     Job boards: Think visibility and automation. There are many job boards, and the majors continue to upgrade the job application process on their site. There is some upfront work involved in creating profiles on many job boards, but once you're up and running, it's a one or two-click process to submit your resume in many cases. Once your resume is out there, recruiters and hiring managers can find you. The majors (in alphabetical order):

·      Career Builder

·      Glassdoor

·      Indeed

·      LinkedIn

·      Monster

·      Zip Recruiter

6.     Clothes for your interview. Every gift you buy during the holidays doesn’t have to be for other people. Treat yourself to some top-notch threads for job interviews. For more on this subject, please check out, “The Best Outfits for Job Interviews.”

 

7.     Transportation to the interview: If you have transportation issues, plan. Uber  and Lyft are understaffed, and rides may take longer to get, but they are still great options. Schedule one in advance. If you use public transportation, make sure you have plenty of time to get to your interview on time.

 

8.     Resume Paper. At some point, you land an in-person interview. Inquire how many participants will be involved in the interview and bring the same number of hard copies of your resume. There are many types of resume paper available, but 32lbs, 75%-100% cotton, plain white or ivory, granite is classic and effective. A great resume paper is Southworth, available at Walmart, Target, Office Depot, Staples, Walgreens, and Amazon.

·      Southworth Resume Paper

Philip Roufail contributed to this article.

Scott Singer is the President and Founder of Insider Career Strategies Resume Writing & Career Coaching, a firm dedicated to guiding job seekers and companies through the job search and hiring process. Insider Career Strategies provides resume writing, LinkedIn profile development, career coaching services, and outplacement services. You can email Scott Singer at scott.singer@insidercs.com, or via the website, www.insidercs.com.

For a consultation or more information, click to email us or call us at 786-618-3067.

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