Tag Archives: IT recruitment

Technical Professionals Adjusting to a Project Management Role

Technical Professionals who have become experts in their chosen areas of technical talent may find their career trajectory leading them into a management role, and realizing, once in that role, that their job experience so far hasn’t prepared them for the pressures and challenges of IT management. Project management, a standard step in the promotion ladder in IT, is not only an advancement, it’s a major career shift with a new set of responsibilities and skills required. IT professionals who have become accustomed to a self-directed schedule now need to learn how to manage people, and integrate interactions with others into their daily schedule. Time management, while probably a skill many technical professionals are proficient in, becomes central.

IT recruiters placing seasoned technical consultants in a first project management role are in a position to prep technical talent for the IT job ahead. Technical professionals located on a wide range of the spectrum can qualify for a project management role after a certain number of years working as a successful technical contractor. IT staffing agencies will then see a technical candidate as a desirable placement for a project management role coming from a variety of technical jobs: information technology professionals, engineers, and even medical professionals. Working with IT staffing agencies to make the transition into the new job is a challenge IT headhunters can make easier for technical consultants through solid, targeted advice.

Review: “Talent Management Systems: Best Practices in Technology Solutions for Recruitment, Retention and Workforce Planning”

“Talent Management Systems: Best Practices in Technology Solutions for Recruitment, Retention and Workforce Planning” discusses how web-based applications have revolutionized the job search, talent acquisition process, and human capital management. Cutting-edge practices discussed in the book will assist IT recruiters and other proffessionals in the technical recruiting industry in using technogy to their advantage when pursuing potential candidates. IT staffers need to step up their web-based recruiting tactics in view of a continually advancing technological landscape.

Schweyer’s expertise in recruitment technology can benefit technical hiring managers working for an IT staffing firm in the technical recruiting industry. Best practices, according to him, include understanding that in a knowledge-based economy, what a technical employer values most in an IT candidate is the individual’s information reserves. A quality so qualitative cannot fully be captured on a resume, which is where an IT staffer’s specialized knowledge value comes into play: assessing those skills, and separating the technical candidate as a fully-rounded worker from his or her accomplishments. As professionals working in a fast-growing industry, IT headhunters can’t afford not to be up-to-date on the latest technological recruiting practices.

Should You Criticize Your IT Staffing Supervisor?

When your supervisor is slacking or not working efficiently, how do you handle the situation?  Some may take on additional workloads at IT recruiting companies while others openly vent their frustrations.  Before you begin cursing your boss with fellow technical recruiters, bite your tongue.  Here are some tips for making open suggestions and providing feedback to your manager.

Set Example

By bashing your supervisor with IT recruiters, you are not only being disloyal, but you are also making the problem worse.  The only accomplishment of focusing and sharing negatives will bring is a hit to the team moral.  Rather than pinpointing flaws, act as a leader by brainstorming and devising solutions to outstanding problems.

Approach in Private

Prior to your meeting, plan what you will say and how you will say it in the most tactful and respectable manner.  The goal is not to embarrass your IT recruiting manager, but to provide honest feedback from the field.  When the timing is right, ask to speak to your boss in private.  Try to avoid having the discussion around other IT professionals as it may make them feel uncomfortable.

Listen

Keep in mind that your boss is taking the time to listen to your suggestions so hear his reasoning.  You may not be seeing the whole picture from your point of view.  The suggestions you present may have been tried in the past or pose additional concerns.  You may leave the meeting with a more open mind and better idea of IT staffing company goals.

When an entire team of IT headhunters is having an issue with a supervisor who is not open to suggestions, it might be a good idea to approach a trusted manager.  The objective of your constructive criticism is to improve teamwork and technical recruiting output.  Keep the issues strictly IT recruitment related and leave personal matters at the door.

IT staffing firms are always seeking ways to differentiate themselves from competitors.  If you have either suggestions or criticisms, most managers are open to listening!

Sink or Swim—Welcome to the World of IT Recruiting

Starting a new IT recruiting role in a different company can be a stressful experience.  From unfamiliar fellow IT recruiters and shared work space to unusual IT staffing business practices and procedures, severe changes can send new technical recruiters running in the opposite direction.  Before you decide to call it quits or look into other IT recruitment positions, here are some suggestions to ease the transition process.

Cut Yourself Some Slack

When you start at a new company, there is a strong chance your expectations of yourself are higher than that of your IT recruiting manager.  Managers understand there is a learning curve with new IT recruiters and encourage that you ask questions when you do not understand or uncertain.   New tasks and responsibilities may seem hard at first, but gradually they will become easier as you learn.

Teamwork

IT recruiting firms may seem more competitive and self-driven in terms of work, but IT staffing agencies thrive off team work.  Building relationships and connections help keep the firm running, so do not be afraid to speak to other coworkers or ask questions.  Remember that your peer IT recruiters have been in your situation before and can provide the best, most helpful advice.

Time Management

When you are feeling overwhelmed with tasks, write out each task in no particular order.  Once you have completed your list, rank each task in order of time sensitivity and priority, then tackle the list.  If you cannot commit enough time to thoroughly finish each task, express this concern.  IT staffing managers would rather hear you cannot commit to something than disappoint them later or let something slip through the cracks.

Keep a planner handy so you know when you will be busy or free for appointments.  If you forget to check your planner or fear you will lose it, set alarms for reminders.

Planning Goals

Setting up goals and creating plans can help you prepare for new IT recruiting tasks or responsibilities.  Maintain a positive attitude and recognize each time you accomplish one of your goals.  These goals are telltale signs that you are learning and progressing with the transition.

It might seem hard to catch on right away with some responsibilities or duties, but do not be afraid to ask questions.  Take notes and refer to them whenever possible.  It is when you do not address your concerns that you will be in over your head…

Listening to Music at Work in Your IT Recruiting Office

Look around today and you will see a majority of your IT recruitment peers plugged in.  You might even be plugged in while reading this.  What does this say about work ethic, or does it have an influence on efficiency?  Do technical recruiters plug in to escape or to focus?

It’s common to walk into an IT staffing office and see almost every cubicle dweller anchored to an iPod or streaming music on the web.  Listening to music at work has been the heart of studies for years, but none seem to produce consistent results in terms of work behavior.

Supporters of tunes in the workplace claim music creates an escape from background noise that otherwise might be distracting.  Other IT recruiters listen to make the day go faster while they try to match candidates with IT jobs.  Those against the office music movement claim employees get distracted by lyrics in the music or that traveling noises affects others’ work.  Despite the opposing views, studies found that listening to music prior to beginning a task allows the employee to maintain focus and improve one’s mood.

Here are some tips if you choose to plug in on the clock:

  • Check with your manager before you crank your favorite tunes.  Not all IT staffing firms and offices are music friendly, this can save you the embarrassment of having your headphones revoked.
  • Be respectful to your fellow IT recruiters.  If music is allowed, it’s guaranteed not everyone shares your tastes.  Do not take offense, just pop your headphones in and keep it at a low volume.
  • IT staffing salespeople and technical recruiters are typically glued to their headsets and phones.  Maintain your volume at a low setting so important calls are not missed.

Do not use your headphones as a way to avoid people, remember to be personable at your.  People often hide behind objects in uncomfortable situations.  Building a relationship with coworkers and your technical recruiter is a way to make work more enjoyable.

The Key to Being Successful in the IT Recruiting Industry

The key to being successful in the IT staffing industry is building a strong relationship with your client. A lot of people think that as an IT recruiter you are just responsible to find candidates to fill the open IT jobs. But how do we as teams get these open jobs? By building strong relationships with our clients.

Key attributes to being well rounded IT Recruiters:

We need to know what the product is. The product is your client. IT recruiters Boston need to get to know the client and the IT job before being able to help them. Technical recruiters need to know the service they client provides, their background and anything else that will help them identify the right candidate. This is an important piece of the IT recruiting firm’s ability to successfully service their client.

Being a good listener is also an important trait for IT recruiters. Thinking you know what your client wants and really knowing what their wants and needs come from listening. As a technical recruiter you need to be able to stand back and just listen and know the right questions to ask to get more information to better be able to understand what the client is looking for in a candidate.

Timely feedback is an important step in the IT recruitment process so everyone is on the same page as to the status of the candidate and assignment. You want to provide your candidates with immediate feedback so nobody is left in the dark.

Don’t promise anything you can’t deliver. It’s important for IT recruiters to land the deal but keeping your credibility is more important. Be honest with people about the standings and not telling them what you think they want to hear might get you further.

Another thing that plays a key role in an IT recruiter is their attitude. Attitude can really make or break someone. Having a bad attitude is not a good thing in the IT recruiting industry. You need to always be positive. You want to be your client’s solution not a problem to them.

To be a successful technical recruiter all of these aforementioned attributes are key, but wanting to be successful is important too. You have to want it and want to work at it every day to really be good at what you do. The IT staffing industry changes all the time and you have to be able to change with it and understand why it is changing the way it is.

Is Cold Calling a Dying Art with IT Staffing Salespeople?

When I first started in the IT recruiting industry fourteen years ago, there were no resume databases, no job boards, no social media and no professional networking websites.  In fact, email was something still pretty new that we didn’t utilize on a daily basis.  As an IT staffing salesperson, I was set up with a phone and call sheets.  Smile and dial, cold call until your fingers got tired or your mouth went dry.

While it’s still critical to get an IT manager on the phone to build a relationship, IT staffing salespeople rely far more heavily on email.  Whether it’s right or wrong, good or bad, email is pushing the art of cold calling into extinction.

Regardless of your career, if you stop practicing, you get rusty.  Cold calling is no different.  The more you cold call, the better you’re able to hone your skills.  The more you cold call, the better you’re able to rebut objections, nudge a client into taking the time to meet with you or even convince an IT manager to give you a chance to fill his/her open hiring need.

While cold calling might be a dying art with salespeople in the technical recruiting industry, it’s still a constant in the world of technical recruiters.  Regardless of whether an IT recruiter initiates contact with a prospective candidate via email, it is virtually impossible, or more accurately, virtually scary to think of a technical recruiter never speaking with a candidate live before sending his or her resume to a client.  There are so many nuances to a typical IT recruitment.  There are so many questions that could only be answered in a live conversation in which the technical recruiter can analyze a candidate’s response.  The slightest hesitations, changes in pitch or tone can tip off any astute IT recruiters who are used to picking up on subtle signs that ultimately lead to the truth.

How To Find The IT Recruiting Job That is Right For You

There are so numerous IT recruiting  jobs out there.  The problem for many IT recruiters is that they may not know they’re value or level of experience in comparison to other technical recruiters.  Therefore, here are a few ways to navigate the IT recruitment industry and find the right job for you.

Try taking on new projects within your current IT staffing company. This will allow you to venture into other parts of the recruiting industry without having to switch careers.  During these projects you may meet new people within the company and learn about the kinds of tasks they do in their technical recruiting job.

Read blogs that pertain to the IT recruitment industry.  Many IT recruiting companies have blogs that are saturated with industry information and technical chatter.  Learn about other recruiting professionals and what they are doing for a living.  You can research the companies they work for and the opportunities they have access to.  This will allow you to see what IT recruiters MA are up to and what you can potentially do in the future.

If there is something you think might interest you, try presenting a project to your boss that will allow you to try out them out.  Trying out new roles will help you decide whether it is the right thing for you.

Also contact one of the many IT staffing firms local to you.  Build a relationship with a handful of headunters (based on their credibility, responsiveness and other factors that separate them from the thousands of recruiters out there).  Research local IT recruiting agencies.  Find which specialize in information technology, then read the reviews about each company.  Narrow your search to the best of the best as this is your career you’re putting in their hands.

In the end, the more you try out and explore other roles or companies, the more you’ll be able to identify what it is you want to do within the information technology recruiting industry…..and what company you want to work for.  Activity is king, sitting back and doing nothing will get you nowhere.

How to overcome your fear of Public Speaking

As an IT staffing salesperson, you will have to meet with hiring managers of all levels in the information technology industry. From Director-level to VP to CTO, you are constantly making presentations for individuals or groups. If you have a fear of public speaking, you may become anxious or even avoid these types of meetings that could ultimately drive revenue for you and the IT recruiting firm that you work for. This anxiety may also prohibit you from attending networking events or any other social networking function that could produce big returns.

If you find it hard to approach new people or strike up a conversation with fellow IT recruiters, you need to practice speaking with others. A good way to practice is with friends. You can head out with friends and make an attempt to meet a new person every time you go somewhere. This will help you get over the fear of speaking with someone new while having an initial security blanket. Take note of what they say and make an attempt to show a keen interest in what they are talking about.

One other thing you can do is practice what you are going to say during your IT staffing presentation. You do not need to memorize things exactly, but rehearse your pitch and prepare answers to typical question that IT managers may ask. The more prepared you are for a meeting the more confidence you will have. As a salesperson in the IT recruiting industry, public speaking is not only a tool that will help you network, it will ultimately put money in your pocket.

If you plan on advancing in your IT recruitment career, you will eventually be giving presentations and speaking to managers and executives in your technical recruiting company. Therefore, practice your public speaking. It will give you the confidence you need and help you in various aspects of your life.

How to Solve Work-related Problems at IT Staffing Companies

Problems will arise from time to time in any industry including IT staffing.  Of course some issues are smaller than others and may not really affect your IT recruiting job.  However, sometimes you will come across a problem that will affect your IT recruitment job.  Therefore, how should you handle the problems that arise?

First, go right to the source.  Ask the IT recruiter or IT recruiters, to sit down and discuss the matter. If that doesn’t resolve the problem, have a meeting with your boss.  Whether he or she is your IT recruiting manager or the director of the IT staffing office, tell him or her about the problems that you’re facing.  It is better to discuss these when they arise.  Your IT recruiting Boston job could be at risk if it is affecting your productivity.  You may start to lose interest in technical recruiting which in turn will affect your work.

Next discuss how you would like the problem to end.  Let them know the solution you want achieved.  It’s better to get it all out in the open rather than keep it to yourself. Figure out what needs to be done and ask your boss what he/she thinks is the appropriate action to achieve that solution.  Getting an opinion outside of the situation will help get some fresh plan of actions.

Lastly, make sure you to some action as soon as possible.  When a problem affects your incentive to work, then it needs to be solved immediately.  If there seems to be no solution to your problem then it may be time to consider a new IT staffing firm.  Maybe you can even transfer out of the IT recruiting department and get away from the issues you may be dealing with there.