Tag Archives: IT recruiting firms

Review: “Invaluable Knowledge: Securing Your Company’s Technical Expertise”

“Invaluable Knowledge: Securing Your Company’s Technical Expertise” focuses on the retention side of technical talent management. Any technical recruiter who has had the experience of placing a highly qualified technical candidate in a high-paying IT job, only to have the candidate leave the position prior to the contract end for a higher salary, more attractive benefits, or any other incentive elsewhere, knows the importance of talent retention. The skill and financial loss creates a void, and an IT staffer who can develop skills to prevent this scenario will have higher success rates than his or her peers in the recruiting industry.

According to Rothwell, one of the secrets to getting top talent in the first place is to agressively recruit from competitors. Once that process is underway or complete, the next essential step to ensure a placement in an IT job is careful candidate grooming. The technical candidate must be technically proficient at a minimum — the rest: killer interviewing skills, attention to dress code, culture fit, language use, and more are the responsibility of the technical recruiter’s coaching right up until the point a candidate enters an interview. Without thorough prepping, an IT staffing expert is setting up his or her candidate to either fail, or miss his or her potential by a slim margin. No technical staffer can afford either scenario, so a careful read of this book will equip the competitive IT staffer for top sales performance.

Technical Recruiters, Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

Pritchard’s “101 Strategies for Recruiting Success: Where, When, and How to Find the Right People Every Time” discusses the technical hiring process, and how best to manage the process of finding and keeping great technical candidates. Any technical headhunter knows that the longer a top technical candidate stays in a contract, the better it is for the IT staffing firm that handled the placement, so the skills to keeping skilled people happy in their position is key. Pritchard identifies two facets to this skillset: a common sense approach and a corporate one. Recruiting assignments can present challenges, and as a former recruiting professionals with over 20 years of experience, this book offers solutions for broaching them.

Topics covered include: techniques for attracting top technical talent, how to engage in proactive IT staffing, how to recruit with diversity in mind, how to match client company needs with technical candidate qualifications, and retention techniques. As noted in the book, retention involves the art of maintaining a strong relationship with a technical candidate throughout the full period of the contract. Allowing the relationship to slip once the contracts are in and the candidate has put in a first day or a first week could be the difference between keeping the candidate for the length of the contract and having them seek employment elsewhere. Learn about contentment in a technical candidate, and how to be instrumental in maintaining it in this insightful read.

Review:”Technical Recruiting Success for IT Firms”

AVID Technical Resources reviews “Technical Recruiting Success for IT Firms” by Dawson.  In the book, Dawson speaks from his high level of success in technical recruiting, and his perspective as a technical staffing consultant. His recruiting techniques involve IT staffing secrets he has identified and developed over time. His check lists offer ways to run through a list of tips, and apply them to each IT candidate, leading to higher placement rates and higher chances of turning technical candidates into working technical contractors.

One challenge a technical hiring manager may face is difficulties maintaining exclusivity. In the competitive IT recruiting industry, other IT staffing agencies may seek to interfere with a headhunter’s exclusive job coverage. Dawson reveals techniques for protecting those exclusive relationships, and turning them into solid placements for good IT professionals. He also covers the art of negotiating rates, a key factor for a technical candidate’s contentment and likelihood of staying in a role on a long-term contract. He closes with tips on managing references, and interview strategies. Pick up this book for a thorough look at a technical recruiters’ task list!

Review: “Secrets from a Body Broker: A Hiring Handbook for Managers, Recruiters, and Job Seekers”

Technical recruiters will find Rey’s book, Secrets from a Body Broker: A Hiring Handbook for Managers, Recruiters, and Job Seekers, packed with valuable tips for personnel management. She starts by revealing two secrets – Secret #1 is “Discrimination is the cornerstone of each and every hiring decision. This is because hiring decisions are personal decisions made by people, and people will discriminate, even at the most subconscious of levels”. Secret #2, she tells us, is “A large percentage of managers who are in charge of hiring have little or no formal training in interviewing and hiring process”. The takeaway for technical recruiters is that hiring decisions may not be based purely on technical credentials.

A technical recruiter specializing in headhunting may see a technical candidates’ resume as an ideal match for an open IT job he or she is trying to place, but the hiring manager may feel differently. Whether the IT position is a remote job, requires an in-person interview, or a series of phone interviews, fit matters. A technical hiring manager wants not just the skill-set, but also someone he or she can respect and work well with. Even for a remote IT job, communication between a hiring manager and technical candidate via email may still play a key part in the project completion process. A hiring manager’s priorities will be affected by bias — as Rey notes in secret number 1, and discrimination for some small imperfection in a technical recruiter’s mind, such as sub-par communication skills may be crucial for a hiring manager’s comfort levels when working with a technical candidate. For this reason, a marginally less-qualified technical candidate may be selected over a standout from a skill perspective, because there is more to the big picture in a role than simply qualifications.

It may seem frustrating to an IT staffer that predicting the success of candidates that seem qualified can seem as chancey as betting, but at the end of the day, that’s the game of the technical staffing industry, and IT recruiters just have to keep their batting averages as high as possible.

Review: “Smart and Gets Things Done: Joel Spolsky’s Concise Guide to Finding the Best Technical Talent”

In the Concise Guide to Finding the Best Technical Talent, Joel Spolsky details the steps that go into interviewing top technical talent, and into finding that quality of technical candidates in the first place. He goes into the technical hiring process, how to extract information from tech-savvy candidates on their potential technical efficiency levels. He reveals that top-tier software developers are ten times more productive than average ones– a fact that IT recruiters with great connections to good IT jobs should take careful note of. Recruiting companies and IT Staffing Firms would do well to train all of their technical recruiters in this knowledge. Speaking from his technical experience working for years at Microsoft, he instructs in how to hire great technical programmers.

Aside from the IT staffing and technical interviewing side of the business, technical hiring managers deal with, technical recruiters work in professional environments with a strong team element, and Spolsky offers valuable advice recruiting firms can use to build a stronger, more cohesive work environment. He speaks to problem-solving for recruiting teams that aren’t delivering up to potential, keeping technical recruiters up-to-date with the latest phone screen techniques, and tips on sorting technical resumes. One chapter IT recruiters won’t want to miss is “The Guerrilla Guide to Interviewing”! If your passion is technical recruiting, you’re new to the industry, or work for an IT staffing firm, pick up a copy today and treat yourself to Spolsky’s technical expertise.

Secrets for Making your Recruiter your Best Friend

In today’s job search environment, recruiters often play an instrumental role in a candidates job search, whether the job is in the medical, financial or technical industry, or the position sought is contract or permanent. The reason is that recruiters spend each work day doing for a living what candidates do only during periods of time when they’re on a job search – create relationships with hiring managers and their companies, keep abreast of the most current job openings available, and cruise job boards like Monster, Indeed, and Craigslist, as well as professional networking sites like Linkedin and Yammer. A job-seeker applying to jobs online may encounter at least one position of interest that has been posted by a recruiter. In contacting the recruiter, the prospective candidate for the position initiates a relationship with the recruiter to determine if he or she will be a good fit for the role.

Here’s a secret: cultivating a relationship your recruiter correctly can make him or her your best friend. Mainly because that person has the potential to get you a new job. What is the protocol for candidate-recruiter alliances? The golden rule is – Imagine they’re the boss. If you make contact with a recruiter over the phone, your confidence, ability to describe your past roles and the value you added persuasively and succinctly, and clarity when defining the type of role you want to be your next will be as impressive to the recruiter as it would be to a hiring manager. The type of candidate that impresses a hiring manager is the kind of person a recruiter wants to get in front of the manager. It’s a win-win for everybody.

So here’s the bottom line: when you speak to a recruiter about a role, handle it like in interview. If you meet with a recruiter face-to-face, dress to impress. If your recruiter requests that you send references, or stay in contact once a week, make it a priority to do so, just as you would if you were in long-term negotiations with a hiring manager. Recruiters operate in a fast-paced environment – they’re not going to eat up a lot of your time. An investment of a few minutes a week on the phone with a recruiter you’ve established a relationship with could be the difference between getting the salary and benefits you want in a company you want to work for, or having to settle for less.

IT Recruiters at AVID focus on maintaining relationships with IT candidates with technical backgrounds. As an IT staffing agency that is more specialized that an all-industry recruiting firm, AVID offers candidates recruiters who are experts in staffing for the tech industry, and are best equipped to assist IT candidates with their job search.

Technical Recruiting Companies Responding to Your Emails?

Do you fire off emails instantaneously and always provide an update?  I will let you in on a little secret: not everyone is as prompt and efficient as you.  It can be frustrating waiting around on a response from hiring managers or IT recruiting supervisors for the go on a project or decision.  Before technical recruiters and prospective candidates assume they are being ignored, here are some reasons why you may not be getting a prompt answer back.

Did You Hit Send?

Embarrassing as it is, sometimes IT recruiting companies make honest mistakes.  An email a technical recruiter thought he sent may be sitting in limbo within their draft folder.  Did the IT recruiter accidentally send the email to the wrong person?  If so, retract the error by apologizing to the accidental recipient and immediately send the email to the correct person.

Also, check the wording in messages.  IT staffing firms may have been vague in their requests or sent their emails to multiple recipients.  If this is the case, send a message defining the request and ask a specific person for an update.  Chances are the recipients are confused as to who should respond.

Busy Signal

The recipient could be buried in work and has not yet found time for email.  If they have, they may have read it and acknowledged it, but moved it off to the side for a higher priority.  When IT headhunters experience this situation themselves, they should try replying to IT consultants and acknowledge having received the message and will provide an update shortly.  This allows the sender to know that their request is in process and has not been lost in email clutter.

Forgot

Humans forget!  Sending a follow up messages is an excellent way to remind the recipients of a request while asking for an update.  Be mindful not to follow up too often, though.  Spamming your IT recruiting firms every hour or every day for an update is a sure way to get on the recipient’s bad side.

Not Important

Some email messages do not need responses and just add to the clutter.  Before hitting send, think if this email is important.  Try picking up the phone and giving the person a call, rather than cluttering their inbox.  They may appreciate a personal message more than another new message in their inbox!

Ignoring all messages is not only rude, but it is poor business.  Think of a time you could not reach a live person.  Wasn’t it was frustrating?! Manage your own company by providing the best customer service possible!

IT Recruiting Companies Working with White Noise

Do you work in an IT staffing environment that is cluttered with noise such as music, loud talking, or random distractions?  Perhaps you work in a dead silent area where you can hear a pin drop.  If you enjoy these conditions, by all means continue working!  If you find that you are having trouble focusing, the IT recruiters of AVID Technical Resources suggest white noise to help keep you on track.

Do You Hear That?

The funny thing about white noise is you typically do not realize it’s there until it’s turned off.  White noise helps to block out static noises that could otherwise disrupt your work.  Almost every college student has hit the library to study for finals or perfect their resume, only to be irritated by the dead silent air and frequent disruption of page turning, sneezes, or pencils dropping.  With background noise in smaller areas of IT recruiting firms, these distractions are instantly reduced.  This allows individuals to focus and gather their thoughts.

Less Distracting

There are plenty of ways for technical recruiters and hiring managers to distract themselves from different background noises, but often these distractions can cause noise clutter.  If one IT recruiter is listening to his music and another chooses to drone out the other’s music with a song of his own, soon there will be chaos.  Be mindful of others when choosing your selection and keep the volume low if you choose to do this.

Some can ignore the music and continue working, but when they hear a song they are sick of, they will keep changing the song until they find one they like.  Other IT headhunters may become hung up on lyrics and cannot think clearly.  The best thing about white noise is, there are no words and the music plays itself!

Where to Get It

Your white noise might be right in your IT recruiting office.  That fan, air conditioner, or vent can provide you with the right amount of white noise to cancel out the sounds of shuffling paper or opening and closing of doors.  If the volumes of distractions are too loud, consider buying your own white noise machine or playing music.

Everyone works differently, so be mindful of your habits!

Blogging about Technical Recruiting Companies

You had a rough day at the IT recruiting office.  Then you come home and are greeted by the blinding light of your laptop.  You open WordPress and immediately pour your heart out about the unfair raise other technical recruiters were rewarded while you were overlooked.  Or perhaps you go on a rant about the upcoming corporate layoffs or the latest gossip from the IT staffing rumor mill.  After about twenty minutes, you finally feel relief as you press publish and close your screen.

A number of IT recruiters enjoy blogging.  It’s a social media outlet that not only allows you to vent your frustrations, but it also lets your friends and followers get a peek at your daily life and thoughts.  However, this is where it becomes dangerous.  Without filters, you are setting yourself up to be stung.  Before you write your next post about the latest events at IT recruiting firms, here are reasons you should reconsider your topic.

Reminds You of Negativity

Unless you live in a world where everything goes right all the time, you are most likely blogging about the negative aspects of your life.  No one wants to hear about others’ misery, so stop yourself and do not give into the temptation.  Misery loves company, so the only followers you will have are those who do not enjoy their IT jobs as well.  If you do not enjoy your career, stop wasting both yours and your employer’s time.  Start looking for new opportunities.

By publicly announcing your faults with your current position, you are betraying your IT recruiting company.  Take your issues to your manager before you post them on the internet.  Things could get sticky if a coworker or supervisor discovers your blog.

Expose Company Secrets

Most hiring managers of IT staffing companies have their employees sign a form that reiterates their privacy policy.  Confidential leaked information is often from internal sources.  Before you begin to write about the rumored layoffs, company restructuring, or IT job interviews, get your fact straight.  Or better yet, do not write about it at all.

You most likely spend more time at your company than you do with your friends or family on weekly basis.  Do not burn bridges by violating their trust.  Protect your company and yourself by keeping tight lips about confidential matters.

Privacy Violation 

Imagine stumbling upon a co-worker’s blog and discovering they had written about you.  It feels as though you are on a secret camera show or someone is spying on you.  Suddenly, you feel violated.  No one enjoys that feeling.  Do not subject others to that position.

If it would make you feel uncomfortable that another co-worker wrote about you, do not do it to your peers.  Make sure anyone mentioned in your blog is aware so it does not come as a surprise either. 

Blogging is supposed to be fun and an excellent way to keep in touch with others about your life and experiences.  Do not extend your office hours by incessantly posting about work topics! 

Technical Recruiters, Are You Getting Enough Sleep?

Life is too short to sleep away nights and mornings, but if you do not get enough sleep you could be ending your life too soon.  IT headhunters often pride themselves on lack of sleep and view those who indulge in the recommended eight hours as lazy or incompetent.  Before you shave off that extra hour of sleep a night, think of the consequences listed below.  You may be doing more harm than good!

Physical Effects

IT recruiters who sleep less than the recommended seven to eight hours per night make take a hit in the waist line as they eat more during the hours they are awake.  They also are more prone to diseases and conditions such as diabetes, obesity, stroke, and heart attacks.  One hour less per night for a year adds up to three hundred and sixty five hours, which is more than two weeks worth of missed sleep!  Your immune system is bound to take a hit if you are neglecting adequate rest, which will affect your performance at IT staffing companies.

Mental

Ever have a poor night of sleep and can hardly think the next morning?  This is because your brain relies on sleep to retain memory and perform cognitive skills such as creating ideas, judgments, and rational decision making.  Your ability to respond and focus will be significantly affected, which is not only a concern at IT recruiting firms, but also a safety hazard.  Put the brain on hold and give it a rest!

Emotional

Anyone who has ever experienced lack of sleep can relate to the feeling of over sensitivity and moodiness.  You may become more irritable and pessimistic which not only affects your mood, but also affects hiring managers and IT professionals around you.  Stress from poor sleep habits unintentionally hurts relationships and can cause arguments that should have been avoided.  Rather than becoming cross with others, take priority of your needs and give yourself a well rested night.  You may return to the IT staffing office feeling like a new technical recruiter!

It takes about a week to adjust to a new sleep schedule, so make the commitment and the rest should take care of itself!