Tag Archives: prospective candidates

IT Staffing: Seeing Candidates Through Rose Tinted Glasses

Most technical recruiters admit to having a choice contractor and play favorites whether it be their first placement or IT contractors with similar interests.  While it is great to find the good and positive in others, are some IT recruiting firms seeing candidates through rose tinted glasses?  Before a technical recruiter recommends him for other assignments, he should focus on the candidate’s actual work performance and goals.  They may be putting the contractor before more qualified individuals for open IT jobs.

Friendship

It is acceptable to have a friendly relationship with candidates, but IT recruiters should keep their work relationships professional.  IT staffing firms should not let their candidates take advantage of them based on friendships.  Treat contractors with the same amount of respect as any hiring managers or other clients and expect the same from him.  If he asks for honest feedback, avoid sugarcoating information by providing him with the truth, especially if he is unfit match for an open position.

Feedback

When a hiring manager makes suggestions for improvement in a candidate’s performance, do not take it personally or make excuses for him.  Technical recruiting companies should coach their candidates on ways to make the most of assignments and expand experience.  The more they learn, the more experienced they will be for potential, future placements.

Open to New Candidates

If candidates are more qualified than a favorite IT contractor, do not punish prospective candidates and hiring companies for a favorite.  Be open to networking and expanding client bases by meeting with new contractors.

IT recruiting requires mutual respect throughout the relationship.  By favoring another contractor over others, the IT recruiting company is not being fair to some who may be more qualified.  Rather than letting personal preference become involved, focus on the outcome of the placement.

IT Recruiting Firms Nix Monday Morning Blues

Good bye, weekend.  Hello, Monday morning.  If you are like most IT recruiters, you dread the inevitable return to work after a relaxing, or perhaps chaotic, break from IT staffing agencies.  How can you avoid the pangs or lessen the anxiety of an impending five day work week?  Read on for some tips to ease the transition from weekend to the start of a new week.

Finish Tasks on Friday

Come Friday afternoon, most technical recruiters are in a more casual, relaxed mood.  They may put off projects or wait to call prospective candidates until Monday.  Do not let this be you.  By tiding up your to-do list on Friday and staying organized, you can leave more desirable tasks for Monday morning.  Also, by procrastinating you are leaving yourself vulnerable to falling behind if other projects or open IT jobs arise.  Leave IT staffing companies feeling accomplished rather than apathetic.  You may find you enjoy your weekend even more!

Find Out What You Dread Most

Pinpoint what you are dreading most about your Mondays.  If it is a routine cumbersome project, break it up into sections and try to get a head start on Friday down time.  When you have to meet with IT staffing peers first thing, ask to move the meeting to a later time if possible.  You might be the source of your angst if you are repeatedly hitting the snooze button.  Instead, prepare the night before so you have time to sleep in or go to bed earlier on Sunday night.

Plan Something Fun

If you are still feeling the Monday morning slump at technical recruiting companies, turn Mondays into something to look forward to.  Treat yourself to an overly caffeinated and sugary coffee if that is your niche or splurge on a breakfast sandwich.  Schedule a lunch meeting with your favorite hiring managers or IT contractors.  After work, make plans with friends or take some personal time to recoup.

Avoid cramming all your non-work related tasks into the weekend by spreading them out during the week, leaving the weekend more enjoyable and less rushed.  You will return to the office feeling refreshed rather than overwhelmed!

Technical Recruiting Companies, Stop Second Guessing Yourself!

Making decisions can be a tricky situation, especially when IT recruiters or hiring managers are not one hundred percent on board with their choices.  Any small amount of doubt can set back a technical recruiter and impose regret even if it is a step in the right direction.  Here are some suggestions to put a stop to second guessing at IT recruiting firms.

Research

If technical recruiters or prospective candidates feel they do not have enough information to make a decision, they can do some homework.  The more educated they are about the matter, the more likely they will be to make a solid choice.  Try not to get too hung up on research by wasting time on irrelevant details.  Make a list of pros and cons and go with the best option and tweak along the way if necessary.

Accept Mistakes

No one is perfect or always right despite how hard they may try in the IT recruiting industry.  With that in mind, let intuition guide IT staffing firms to the right path.  Worst case scenario, mistakes are generally reversible and provide a valuable lesson for the future. Also, try not to focus too much on the past especially if it is not too important.  IT recruiting companies will end up experiencing unnecessary anxiety and doubt if they are too hard on themselves.

Be Confident

Most people fear the unknown and steer away from change.  Trying new methods or experiences for the first time brings a new level of confidence and knowledge.  Finally, when a decision is made, stick with the choice and try to not play into doubt.  If problems arise along the way, IT staffing agencies will be ready to approach the situation only now with a better degree of assurance.

Some decisions do not require in depth analysis so avoid the stress and just make a choice.  When time calls for a complicated choice, do not procrastinate and face the problem head on!

IT Recruiting: What Does Your Handwriting Say About You?

Technical recruiters typically take notes during phone conversations with prospective candidates and hiring managers.  The writing may be scribbles with some mark ups such as doodles on the margin or perfectly neat and aligned.  Ever wonder what the penmanship of IT recruiters says about their personality or mood?  Continue reading for some insight on everyday calligraphy.

Slant

Take note of the degree in slant for handwriting.  If it is leaning to the right, the IT recruiter may be more of a social butterfly and enjoy working with others.  When writing slants more to the left, the technical recruiter typically prefers working alone, focuses on attention to detail, and does not appreciate others trying to trump him with authority.  When recruiters of IT staffing companies have penmanship that seems to have no slant, they may be more rational decision makers and tend to let their emotions guide them.

Size

When handwriting is large it means technical recruiting companies have confidence coupled with outgoing personalities… think John Hancock, they want to be noticed!  If penmanship is small, recruiters prefer to be focused or working in the background and may also be shy and thoughtful.  Those with average sized handwriting are considered easy going and well adjusted to different situations within the IT staffing industry.

Loops

Scrutinize loops if the handwriting is in cursive.  If loops tend to be closed, consider one’s mood.  Are they feeling agitated or easily annoyed?  Closed loops signify that one is unconvinced and discouraged while wider loops indicate an adventurous personality and expression of oneself.

Other Things to Think About…

Is the penmanship half cursive half print?  Some believe these may be the most intelligent workers of IT recruiting firms because the brain is working faster than the hand in these instances.  If words are rounder, this person may be a people pleaser and avoid confrontation.  Pointier letters indicate one is focused on his own wants and needs at the technical recruiting firm.  People who doodle in the margins tend to be the creative thinkers while those with neat notes have more organized thoughts.

All of these indications are up for debate, but fun to think about.  Next time you are on the phone with a client or taking notes at a presentation, take note of your handwriting.  It may be telling you more than you think!

Should Pets Be Allowed at IT Recruiting Companies?

When an IT recruiter leaves home to go to work, do they feel guilty about leaving their pet at home?  Do they think about what their buddy is doing or what trouble it is causing throughout the day?  Some technical recruiters wish they could have their furry companion by their side and, according to APPMA and St. Petersburg Times, nearly twenty percent of companies allow dogs and cats in the office as business become more lenient on animal policies. Before IT recruiting firms follow suit, here are some thoughts to consider.

The Pros

Bringing pets to work has been linked to improving workers’ moods and performance.  Employees are less likely to be absent and productivity levels increase with more satisfying working conditions.  Pets in IT recruiting offices allow bonding between co-workers who share a love for animals and bring out different personalities of a technical recruiter from the everyday office life.

The Cons

Unfortunately, not everyone is an animal lover.  Those who choose to bring their pet to work must be mindful of other IT recruiters.  Some employees might find animals in the office to be unsanitary or distracting while others might feel uncomfortable.  Managers must be weary of potential damage and accidents that could occur while pets are exposed to the office as they pose a liability.  Also, bringing a pet to work might create a domino effect and cross the line, for example an employee brings his dog , the next a cat, and the next a bird.  Most importantly, what would hiring managers or prospective candidates think if they came to an IT staffing office and there were animals running around?

Tips

When you choose to bring your dog or cat to work, always check with co-workers beforehand and let others know the office will have a guest.  Make sure your pet is completely housebroken, trained, and healthy, especially if it will be around other animals.  If you find your work is being distracted by your friend, you might want to consider leaving him at home next time.  Flipside if you are being distracted by a co-workers dog or have allergies, speak up before the problem escalates.

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.

How to Gain Experience with New Technologies

With so many software and hardware systems on the market today, IT job seekers need to stay current with new technologies.  If you feel like you are falling behind on your skills, then look to take on a contract position to gain exposure to specific technologies.

Additionally, look to take classes.  There are free classes and networking events that hold lessons on new protocols and software.  The government is also funding training programs for the unemployed.  Take the time, do some research and take advantage of these offerings.

Finally, although typically among the most expensive resources, look to become certified in new technologies.  IT recruiters will tell you that employers often look for IT professionals with certifications.

Privacy

In the IT Recruitment Industry, there are stipulations when it comes to teaming up with a well known IT staffing company.  Depending on the type of position, and situation, most clients expect IT staffing firms to maintain some level of confidentiality when it comes to filling one of their IT jobs. There are a number of reasons for this, there might be someone currently in the role that is being replaced (due to performance, attitude, etc) or the client might simply not want people to know they are actively hiring.

On the other side of the hiring process are the candidates.  Many IT recruiting companies keep the name of their end client confidential to prospective candidates.  The reason IT staffing firms do this is to eliminate the risk of a candidate just submitting him or herself directly immediately after they get off the phone with the IT recruiter.  Although most people who never do this (ultimately it would likely just hurt their chance of landing the opportunity), IT staffing companies protect themselves just in case.

Not many job seekers go straight to IT staffing agencies and a good portion of them may not even know these companies are even out there.  Therefore, the IT staffing industry as a whole needs to collectively educate job seekers to reinforce the facet that IT recruiting agencies are seen as a viable means to land their next IT job.

How to market yourself during an IT Job interview

IT recruiters are constantly selling positions to prospective candidates.  Each IT recruiter knows that their job needs to appeal to what the prospective candidate is looking for, so they “sell” the opportunity (while obviously keeping the candidate’s best interests first).  Candidates should do the same in return.

Recently, we asked a handful of IT recruiters to make a list of additional recommendations.  Here are some of the responses:

  • Look presentable:  As much as a hiring manager may not care about looks, they are not going to hire someone who is dressed sloppily or comes to work late.  The impression they will get from that is that your work is sloppy and assignments might not be completed on time.
  • Show off:  During an interview you have to make yourself look good.  Show off the work you have accomplished in the past.   If you did a great job on a project tell the hiring manager about the time and effort you put into it.  It will show your dedication to completing an assignment.
  • Confidence:  The most important factor in marketing yourself is having confidence.  Have confidence in yourself and let it show during the IT job interview.  Confidence is extremely important especially in the IT staffing industry.  Having an IT job requires knowledge of technical aspects that other workers may not be aware of.  If something goes wrong, they want to know that you’ll be able to speak up about it and feel comfortable working through a problem

So remember to think like a salesperson and sell yourself!  You will see much better results with various IT staffing agencies and direct clients as well.

Networking & Remaining Organized

IT staffing is a very fast paced industry.  IT recruiters meet and speak with prospective candidates everyday.  They tell you about their family, work, and sometimes their hobbies. Business cards and phone numbers are constantly given out.  In addition, there are always new companies and technologies that IT recruiters need to keep up with in order to identify the right candidates for the IT jobs.  Technical recruiters also need to make sure their candidates have the proper certifications.   Now how do you keep up with all of these people?

From IT recruiters to prospective candidates, networking is essential.  However, it doesn’t do you any good if you continue to network, yet fail to remain organized or follow up with the people you meet. If the person gives you a business card, make sure you jot down a few notes after they walk away so that when you pick up that card again you’ll know what you discussed when you first met.  Another good idea is to keep a list on your computer of all the people you have met.  Some examples of information you should note are where and when you met, as well as a few interesting topics you discussed.

So make sure that once you take note of the person and have their contact information, that you send them an email periodically in regards to their industry or a hobby they told you they were interested in.  Just by checking in on them every once in awhile without referring to work could eventually land you a job that normally would have been hard to find.