Tag Archives: IT headhunters

IT Recruiters: What Color is Your Mood?

Ever wonder how you choose your outfits in the morning?  You might prepare the night before or grab whatever is hanging in your closet, but often there is an algorithm to the process.  Next time you are in the IT recruiting office, take note of what colors your fellow technical recruiters are wearing to get an idea of their moods.

Responsible, Credible, and Confident

Patrons of IT recruiting firms who wear neutral colors such as grey, brown, and navy blue wish to be perceived as serious and trustworthy workers.  This explains why most potential candidates opt for a conservative color scheme for IT job interviews.   Though often perceived as bland, these colors work in favor of an IT recruiter for staying in style while also appropriate for most occasions.

Energy Drive

If a technical recruiter is feeling driven and ready for action, he might choose a red shirt or orange tie.  The red is attention grabbing, but beware if you find you are hungry throughout the day.  Red can also stimulate appetite!  The orange is a softer, soothing energy color compared to red and radiates positive energy throughout the day.

Cheerful

How can you tell IT headhunters are having a good morning?  The color yellow is a cheerful color for IT recruiting companies and sets a joyful feel.  Be careful though, too much yellow can cause agitation and irritability.

Relaxed

Green is the color of not only money, but also relaxation.  Those who wear green at IT staffing firms are sending off soothing signals of stress relief and calming vibes.  While white is a conservative color, it also signifies peace and ease.

Big Decisions and Projects

If you have a big decision to make or assignment to lead, you may need to throw on a purple tie or blouse.  Purple is known to stimulate the brain and drive inner creativity.  It also has been connected to one’s intuition, so it can help an IT headhunter follow his instinct.  If you cannot find a piece of purple garb, grab yellow!  Yellow has been coupled with intelligence and inspiration.

A Little Bit of Everything?

The most complex color seems to be everyone’s favorite, blue.  Blue is known to be stress relieving and calming, but it is also known to drive creativity.  Those who wear the color may feel cheery and uplifted, but darker shades can make you feel more upset when you are stressed.  A tip to those who are looking to shed a few, eat your meals around the color blue.  Blue is an appetite suppressant because no natural foods are blue in nature so the brain is turned off!

Next time you go to your closet you may have a change of heart about what you wear!

IT Recruiters: Food Survival Guide

IT staffing agencies can spend hours in the office chipping away at work and consistently achieving goals.  With their dedication, one may begin to wonder how recruiters find time to eat.  Here is a list of necessary food supplies for IT recruiters Boston to make it through a typical week.

Breakfast

Take a peek at a recruiter’s cube in the early morning hours.  You may find the IT staffing rep stirring up some oatmeal or nibbling a breakfast bar.  Some might change up their breakfast with a Chobani yogurt while others stick to a strict Pop-Tart routine.  On special occasions, there may be a trip to the local Bruegger’s or Dunkin Donuts for bagels and coffee.

Mid-morning Snack

Come ten o’clock, you will begin to hear stomachs grumble as IT staffing companies reach their mid-morning peak.  Some recruiters reach for their perfectly ripened banana while others grab a handful of nuts.  The more spontaneous recruiters take a trip for a donut or muffin along with a coffee to make it to noon.

Lunch

IT recruiting firms look forward to their lunch more than any meal of the day.  In technical recruiting offices, one will notice the noise level and productivity rise after a recruiter’s midday meal.  From grabbing a sandwich at the local deli to eating last night’s leftovers, these sources of energy send recruiters into overdrive and on a mission to round up potential candidates.  For tips on dining out, check the Phantom Gourmet or go with the suggestion of fellow technical recruiters.

Mid-afternoon Snack

At around two thirty or three o’clock, the lunch activity begins to die down and IT headhunters rise from their desk for an afternoon kick.  A trip to a local convenience store or CVS is in order for an energy drink as well as candy or healthy pretzels and humus.  These snacks will give recruiters a boost to make it through closing time while rounding up candidates and scheduling interviews.

Dinner

IT recruiting agencies may enjoy dinner together from time to time to discuss life outside the IT staffing industry.  These sit down meals can help to building networks while also establishing relationships out of the office.  If recruiters cannot commit to a full dinner, they can always grab drinks after work to celebrate a successful day!

Technical Recruiters Warn LinkedIn Don’ts: Part II

Last week, the IT recruiters of AVID Technical Resources expressed their opinion on the don’ts of LinkedIn.  If you are a prospective candidate or technical recruiter and remain unconvinced, you may need more reasoning to see the points.   Here are some reality checks to keep both IT headhunters and potential candidates in line on their usage of the professional networking site.

Your Profile Picture

It might be tempting to use that photo of you from five years ago, but if you’re not using current photos, it could be difficult for your IT recruiter or client to identify you when you first meet.  Save family and vacation photos for your desk.  Choose a photo that displays your confidence and professionalism.  If you use an inappropriate photo, technical recruiting firms might weed you out of their prospective candidate pool.

Keep It Objective

Imagine calling a client and running through your introduction spiel, then going to add them on LinkedIn.  As you do so, you realize you have already added them.  This not only shows that you do not manage your account, but it also appears unprofessional and a poor reflection on behalf of IT staffing firms.  Worse, if you are just adding random connections, these people can click the “I don’t know this person” button.  If a certain number of people deem you unknown, you will be booted from the site.

Maintain Your Profile

If you start following competitors or random IT recruiting companies, your LinkedIn account will be filled with clutter and could put you on your company’s radar for questionable activity.  Be mindful of where you choose to link your profile and which IT jobs you follow.  Keep your positions and titles up to date so your profile accurately reflects your current standing.

LinkedIn profiles are excellent resources for IT professionals, so do not abuse this privilege!

IT Staffing Woes: The Language Barrier

Working in the IT recruiting industry, technical recruiters are bound to face the near inevitable.  You discover resumes of the most talented candidates with the near perfect background and experience and reach for the phone.  You begin to explain why you are calling, talking about a potential IT job, when the person on the other end begins to speak, but you cannot understand them.  What do you do?

Be Patient

If it’s hard for IT recruiters to understand the candidate, chances are, candidates are having difficulty understanding the recruiters as well.  Speak slowly and clearly by carefully enunciating words.  It’s also important to avoid mumbling and rushing through sentences.  After prospective candidates have spoken, IT headhunters should reiterate what they have heard.  It might seem rude or annoying during the first few times, but it is best if both parties know the game plan.

Be Specific

Avoid colloquial phrases and abbreviations whenever possible, as this might add to the confusion.  Be mindful of cultural differences and time zones as well.  When technical recruiting companies plan to meet with clients or schedule phone calls, send an appointment reminder and meeting agenda if necessary.

Follow Up

The key to communicating when there is a language barrier is not just following up, but having multiple sources of contact within IT staffing agencies.  Sending a follow up email to recap your discussion and plans may just be important as the initial communication.  If there is any misunderstanding, the client or the technical recruiter can address it immediately.  Also, some candidates might prefer to be contacted through email versus phone or vice versa.

At first it might troublesome for an IT recruiter to discuss business when there is an impediment such as language and accents.  The more you do it, the easier it should become!  With the advances in technology and a degree of patience, hardships such as communication will eventually be eliminated.

The Foul Mouthed Technical Recruiter

What is a candidate’s first thought when he steps into an IT recruiting company and technical recruiters are tossing swears back and forth?  Is he impressed?  Does he join in?  While it might all seem in good banter to causally throw out a few expletives, one must keep in mind the consequences of his actions while working with technical recruiting companies.

Beats Stress

Swearing at IT recruiting firms might seem like a way to vent, but there are more professional ways to de-stress.  Instead of rattling off a few curses, take a breath or remove yourself from work.  Refocus your frustration to improve on your weak areas.

Seems Laid Back

Cursing during your conversation with an IT recruiter will be more casual, but this could back fire.  When you start using unprofessional language with technical recruiting agencies, they will reconsider you for their IT jobs.  Recruiters do not want their candidates to make poor impressions regarding their work.

More Persuasive

IT recruiters can seem more persuasive if they throw in a few swears in their spiel.  Remove swears and you have the same content.  There is no need to inflate dialogue with words that have no meaning.  Instead, enhance your vocabulary while impressing others.  Not only will you sound more intelligent, your language will be more tasteful, too.

Boosts Team Morale

Most IT staffing firms have some sort of rally or team pep talks to encourage IT headhunters to achieve their goals.  Adding swears can make these talks seem more serious and passionate, but in reality it sounds trashy.  Keep it professional and remember team objectives.

While a swearing taboo sounds outdated, it is the most professional way to conduct business.  IT professionals want to work with the most skilled, confident, and trustworthy recruiters, win clients over with your class, manners, and skill!

Trying too Hard in the IT Staffing Industry

IT recruiters must have amicable personalities when working with different clients and candidates.  Adapting to meet one’s needs and personality is necessary when conducting business, but it is important to remain professional while respecting oneself.  Here are some tips to stay friendly without trying too hard.

Overly Flexible

Whether you are new to IT recruiting companies or a veteran, it is important to refrain from being the doormat.  It may be hard to say no in fear you will be disliked, but always take care of yourself before you help others.  Those who choose to take on more work than they can handle are the ones who cannot say no and feel their time is not as valuable as their peers’.  Set boundaries and limits early on as it may be difficult to set matters straight while progressing within IT recruiting agencies.

Too Personal

Nothing is more uncomfortable than overbearing technical recruiters who want every intimate detail of your life.  Being friendly is encouraged, but try to maintain a business oriented relationship.  Clients might not be willing to share a relationship beyond business and a technical recruiter should abide by their wishes.

Talking too much and always butting into others’ private matters is a severe offense.  Rather than prying for details, let the other party open to an IT recruiter before trying to start a conversation about their weekend or significant other.  Likewise, limit yourself from spilling all the details of your personal life to your candidate.  It might make you seem like an inviting person, but could also creep out the client and come off as a braggart.

Too Pushy

When a contractor is uneasy about a commitment, pushing them will only make them feel more uncomfortable.  IT headhunters will then become upset if the contractor backs out of his contract.  Rather than persuading the candidate to make an ill fated choice, allow him to time to think it over and make decisions with his best wishes while providing support if he has questions or concerns.

Jeopardizing the technical recruiting company and your reputation to close one deal is not worth the risks.  Keep working conditions comfortable by staying consistent and professional.  The contractor may refer you to others, providing you the opportunity build your network.

IT Recruiters Learn to Say No

Most technical recruiters avoid the two letter word like the plague.  Whether it is fear of burning bridges, appearing rude and causing conflict, or losing opportunities, saying no is one of the most difficult aspects of technical recruiting.  Before stretching oneself too thin, here are some suggestions so one does not feel guilty when he must turn down others.

Taking Care of Yourself

When working at IT staffing firms, recruiters want to be accommodating for others.  Revising schedules is one thing, but nixing plans and time with family is on another level.  When others’ work begins to affect personal lives and responsibilities, it is time to respect and enforce limits.

At IT recruiting agencies, one must maintain a list of projects in order of priority to have a better idea if he can take on more work before giving a direct no.  Also, ask for an estimated amount of time the project or request would entail.  If the recruiter cannot provide help, at least he will have other priorities as reasoning and can direct the requester in the right direction.

Ways to Say No

Ask Me Later

If a recruiter is feeling overwhelmed, asking the person to follow up later is a way of saying no for now, but possibly in the future.  IT staffing representatives should use this rebuttal if and only if they are uncertain if they can and will provide assistance.  The last thing anyone wants is to be strung along.

I can’t help you with this, but ____ might be able to…

When something is not one’s responsibility or he does not have time, pass the job off to the right person within the technical recruiting agencies.  It might sound bad to volunteer someone else for a task, but chances are the other person can provide more accurate information or do a better job if they are not busy.  Be respectful when doing so and the other party should understand.

Simply No

Often people let emotions and fear of conflict control their actions.  Explaining oneself too much can be unnecessary when a simple no is needed.  Put feelings aside and stay firm with an answer.  IT headhunters will be more in control of their responsibilities if they do not load up with tasks accepted in guilt.

No one wants to let others down and always saying yes seems like the way to go, but not following through is much worse than saying no.  Do not be the person who constantly forgets, runs late, makes mistakes, and has no personal time.  Work toward establishing personal goals first and then extend a helping hand.

What Workspace Says About Technical Recruiters

Take a glimpse at the desks of IT recruiters.  Is there paperwork and clutter filling every inch, or is it neatly organized with all files properly labeled and in order?  Some believe workspace does not reflect the quality of one’s work, while others feel there is a direct correlation.  Next time a technical recruiter sits at his desk, he should use these cues to see which vibes he is sending others.

Come on over!

Choosing to adorn a desk with pictures of friends, family, or hobbies, candy dishes, and plants are excellent conversation pieces.  These items show one wishes to personalize his space, make his work environment more comfortable and thus improve his mood and productivity.  An IT recruiter can also network with those who share his interests.  When a candy tray is refilled or a new picture hung, take note of those who stop by more often to have a quick chat.

I’m strictly business…

IT recruiting agencies who do not decorate their workspace are viewed as serious workers.  They prefer to keep business and personal lives separate and focus on work in the office.  If their work area is organized, they might have more time on their hands or think more clearly in these conditions.

Multitasker versus Disaster

Everyone has experienced or seen a messy cubicle.  There are food wrappers, crumpled papers, and documents littered everywhere.  At first glance, one might think these IT headhunters are slobs and can hardly function in these conditions.  Disorganization and messiness are generally red flags that a person’s thoughts are not in order.  Co-workers may fear projects with this person or not trust them handling their material.

However, consider that these messy employees may be a multitaskers who prefers to keep all projects open and in view.  They could have a systematic approach to dealing with multiple tasks, which is not clear to the outside viewer.  These messy desk dwellers just might be the most productive employees in IT staffing firms.

These characteristics will not always apply to all or any employees within IT staffing agencies.  Whether messy, organized, or personalized, it is important to maintain a profession work space.  Keep work areas tidy for hygiene purposes and non-distracting or offensive in respect to neighbors.  Before decorating, always check with management to see what is considered acceptable.

Have a Good IT Recruiting Experience? Tell me about it…

Every technical recruiter knows word of mouth is the most powerful way of achieving fame in the IT staffing industry.  When you have an outstanding experience you typically tell friends or family, but what if your feedback could influence others?  Consumers are now utilizing social media platforms such as Yelp, Facebook, and Twitter to sing their praises.

Honesty

When technical recruiters work face to face with clients or over the phone, it might be difficult for the client to provide honest feedback.  Sites such as Google and Yelp allow the client to bluntly review their experience with IT recruiting firms without embarrassing or hurting anyone’s feelings.  The reviews are also a tangible piece of evaluation for technical staffing agencies, allowing them to acknowledge strengths and address weaknesses.

Take Pride

IT recruiters know they are doing a good job when consultants are buzzing about them.  These positive reviews will help drive traffic to sites of the IT staffing agencies.  Prospective clients may request to work with specific IT headhunters.  Try to not get upset if you do not have many reviews, as you should focus on quality versus quantity.

Address Problem

Yelp allows businesses to address customers’ complaints and concerns directly on its site.  The customer can then follow up with how the problem was fixed.  Technical recruiting firms can also use the site as a form of constructive feedback and pinpoint where they will need to refocus.

The best type of promotion is FREE so IT staffing firms should take advantage of this buzz marketing while they have this opportunity!

Making the Most of Your IT Recruiting Internship

The best way to subsidize a college career is with real world experience in the IT staffing world.  An internship provides skills and knowledge within the information technology industry that one cannot learn in a classroom without having to commit to a full time IT job.  They also allow students and prospective technical recruiters the opportunity to challenge themselves and discover a potential career path.  Here are some tips for making the most of an internship for IT headhunters.

Being Professional

Just because a technical recruiting internship is not a full time position does not mean it shouldn’t be treated like one.  Interns should anticipate arriving on time daily, maintaining an upbeat attitude, and eagerly accepting any task that is at hand.  Be respectful to others and try to mirror other employees’ dress and work demeanor.  Remember outside of the office interns still represent the IT staffing firms so be mindful of actions.

Work Ethic

Some interns feel because their position is temporary that they only need to complete assigned work.  Technical recruiting firms seek interns who meet and exceed expectations whenever possible.  When an assignment is complete, an intern should maintain focus and ask for additional challenges.  Setting goals and working on multiple projects provides more exposure which will spruce up the intern’s resume and provide discussion for future interviews.

IT recruiting companies would rather see their intern succeed than struggle, so never sacrifice quality for quantity.  Take notes and ask questions if directions are not clear. Hard work and thinking outside of the box sets others apart, but never trump others to make it to the top.

Ending an Internship

The best part of internships is the networking within technical staffing agencies.  Connect with IT recruiters on LinkedIn.  Do not be afraid to ask for recommendations.  If possible, make a portfolio of the accomplished work or a book of achievements.  Stay in touch with a manager and view them as a mentor for the future.

An internship might not guarantee a full time perm position, but it is a step in the right direction!