Tag Archives: technical recruiting companies

The Highly Competitive IT Staffing Industry

IT staffing is a very lucrative industry that gives IT recruiters the opportunity to make six figures + (most at a very young age).  Subsequently, there are thousands of IT recruiting companies and tens of thousands technical recruiters.  Therefore, IT staffing companies must find ways to differentiate themselves from the competition.  One of the ways to do so is to provide exceptional customer service.  No matter how many IT recruiting firms out there, client companies and candidates alike will gravitate towards the IT staffing agencies that treat them well.

Unfortunately, because of the abundance of IT recruiters Boston, coupled with their ability to produce significant returns, technical recruiters Boston have developed a bad name.  The consistent feedback is that IT recruiters San Diego will only call a candidate when they need them (ie when they can make money off of them).

Once again, IT staffing firms can differentiate themselves by providing better customer service.  Simply put, IT recruiters CA should treat candidates the way they would want to be treated in return.  This means, if an IT recruiter submits a candidate’s resume to any number of IT jobs, they should follow up with the candidate on a weekly basis at a minimum.  Even if technical recruiters have not received feedback from their client, they can simply pass along a message to the candidate that says they’re trying and that he or she hasn’t fallen through the cracks.

Ultimately, it doesn’t take much for IT recruiting agencies to separate themselves from other technical recruiting companies.  Their IT recruiters just need to provide better customer service than their competition.

IT Staffing Sales is Like Fishing

IT staffing sales can be like fishing.  Ultimately, the more lines that you cast in the water, the better your odds of catching that big fish (client).  From the perspective of IT recruiting companies, the more calls that their salespeople put out, the more clients….and ultimately IT jobs….they’ll likely receive.  While there are a number of important intangibles needed to be a successful salesperson in the technical recruiting industry, the one constant is activity.

If you’re considering working in a sales capacity for any of the local technical recruiting companies, you’ll have to understand that it takes heavy call volume to be successful.  However, while many of the calls to prospective information technology managers are cold, they don’t all have to be.  With the advent of Google and Linkedin, IT staffing salespeople can research the client company as well as the manager’s background before each call to try to find a commonality or value-add.  Maybe IT recruiting firms Boston worked with the company in the past or the hiring manager worked at a pervious client.  Whatever the reason, any knowledge can turn the call from cold to warm.

Not many IT recruiters truly like to cold call.  However, the most successful IT recruiting firms teach their salespeople that it is a means to the end.  It’s a means to make money.  Therefore, if you’re going to go fishing, cast as many lines in the water as possible.

Identifying Top IT Talent

There’s an old saying that the best candidates are typically working and that that has never been more true than it is today in the world of Information Technology.  With all of the gloom and doom that we are constantly being fed by the media about the economy, someone outside of the IT staffing industry would be forgiven for thinking that there would be an abundance of high tech candidates competing over a few IT job openings.  That couldn’t be further from the truth.  For that last few years as the economy as continued to falter, the demand for IT resources has increased at a rate that IT staffing companies and IT recruiting firms have struggled to keep pace with.  While you won’t find most technical staffing firms and technical recruiting companies complaining about being one of the few positive growth areas throughout the recession, it has provided the unexpected challenge of finding, then retaining, IT candidates for their clients.

While most IT staffing firms and IT recruiting agencies will still use the traditional methods of searching for candidates such as the job boards and their proprietary database, the lack of quality information technology talent has forced many of the successful companies to go back to their roots and harvest candidates like they had to in the pre-internet days by doing a better job with networking, asking for referrals, and mining passive candidates.  While some IT recruiters find some of these “old school” activities to be outside of their comfort zones, those IT recruiters Boston that have embraced these method have found themselves becoming increasingly successful.  Gone are the days where a recruiter could be successful with a Monster password alone, today’s technical recruiters have to be much more aggressive and proactive and truly think outside of the box.

Great candidates are out there, and they are likely working, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t be found or that they don’t want to be found.  The difference is how we have to search.

Evaluating IT Staffing Companies

When it comes to choosing the right IT recruiting firm (among hundreds of IT staffing companies) to represent you with your job search, there are many options.   A quick internet search for an IT staffing or IT recruiting company in any given location can yield overwhelming results.  This can be a particularly challenging issue for many IT job seekers as choosing the wrong company can make the difference between getting their ideal job, or getting the runaround.

There are many factors one should consider when reaching out to IT staffing agencies or technical recruiting companies but here are a couple of quick tell-tale signs that let you know if you are on the right track.  First off, doing a little research on a company can prove very revealing. Typically, where there’s smoke there’s fire so if you see a number of negative Google or Yelp reviews that should serve a good indicator for what you may be getting.  It takes time for someone to add a review (good or bad) so if someone has taken the time to share their experiences with others, they’ve typically felt pretty strongly about what happened to them.

Next, what happens when you finally connect with IT recruiters.  Do they seem genuinely interested in helping you with your career, by asking you questions about your past positions and experiences, in addition to your goals and aspirations moving forward.  Or do they seem more interested in the positions they are currently working on and if you’ll be a fit for any of those openings.  Reputable technical recruiters will want to spend a great deal of time getting to know you and what drives you, so they find the best opportunity for you.  If you’ve determined any follow-up steps after your initial call or meeting some IT headhunters, does the IT recruiter call and/or email as scheduled.  If they don’t do these basic things and appreciate and respect your time then there’s little chance that things will improve.  You only get one chance to make a first impression and if this is a snap shot of the recruiter at their best, then you wouldn’t want to see them at their worst.

Ultimately, it’s very important for a candidate to remember that while IT staffing firms will be evaluating them as they search for a new position, they should also be evaluating the IT staffing agency.  Making the wrong decision can seriously impact a candidates career.

IT Recruiters Should Prep Candidates For Counter Offers

Counter offers can be heartbreaking for IT recruiters.  After putting in countless hours into their IT search, meeting with prospective candidates, coordinating IT job interviews and helping streamline a new hire, having a candidate back out of a placement due to a counter offer can be very deflating.   To help ensure prospective candidates don’t blindside your technical recruiters, we suggest IT recruiting companies do the following:

1)  Provide training:  Teach your IT recruiters Boston how to properly roll out an offer.  Create a checklist that technical recruiters need ask a candidate when attempting to get their committment for a new IT job opportunity.

2) Be thorough:  When going through a “lock down” checklist, be as thorough as possible.  If they’re working, find out what their motivation is to leave?  Is it the commute?  People they work with?  Opportunity?  Financial stability of the company?  If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then even after a strong counter offer, the candidate’s situation will likely not change.

3)  Prep your candidates:  Every time IT headhunters roll out an offer to a candidate who is currently employed, be sure to prep them for a counter offer from their current client.

4)  Ask hypothetical questions:  IT recruiting agencies should make sure their technical recruiters ask hypothetical questions when preparing their candidates for counter IT job offers.  Examples of some hypothetical questions would be:  “What would you do if your company countered?”  “Is there anything your current company could do to keep you if you gave your notice?”  “Is there any financial number that would keep you from leaving?”

While prepping candidates for counter offers won’t guarantee the IT job seeker won’t turn down your opportunity after the fact, it certainly does help minimize the risk for technical recruiting companies.

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: Technology Made Simple for the Technical Recruiter

Technical Recruiters will find “Technology Made Simple for the Technical Recruiter: A Technical Skills Primer” by Obi Ogbanufe helpful for developing recruiting strategies and tech skills. AVID Staffing Firm employs IT Recruiting techniques covered by Ogbanufe in her book. Details she delves into include basic programming terms, networking tips, & operating system/network vocab. She even instructs on the art of knowing when a prospective candidate seems to be claiming levels of experience above what’s  present in their work background.

IT Staffing Agencies like AVID Technical Resources will do well to take note of Ogbanufe’s insight and advice. Her experience and familiarity with the topic can be of value to any technical recruiter looking to brush up on a rookie skillset, or polish a seasoned technical career. In an industry that changes at lightning speed, keeping on top of acronyms is key for technical recruiters, and they’ll find the latest and most thorough information in this book. Pick up a copy of ” Technology Made Simple for the Technical Recruiter: A Technical Skills Primer” today, and get smarter!

Are IT Recruiting Companies Using Twitter Properly?

IT staffing firms might be wondering what the purpose of using Twitter when their technical recruiters have Facebook or LinkedIn.  If they are actively using Twitter, are they maximizing its benefits to the full potential?  The IT recruiters of AVID Technical Resources are happy and willing to provide some valuable insight on how to make the best use of Twitter, especially for IT recruiting tactics!

Potential Clients

If IT headhunters are interested in working with a particular client company, get noticed by following them on Twitter.  The social media platform allows for quick response in real time.  News about upcoming layoffs, strategies, or budget expansion can also help to see potential growth and development for IT recruiting firms.  If they are having a difficult time getting in touch with companies, try tweeting at them.  For public relation purposes, companies are more willing to publicly respond to tweets versus emails.

Current Clients

Follow your current customers as a heads up for any unexpected changes or just to see how companies or IT consultants are doing.  If a prospective candidate is vocalizing his disappointment with technical recruiting companies, immediately follow up to see if you can help to satisfy both parties.  When IT contractors praise your company, retweet your well deserved compliment!  You can also use Twitter for referrals to expand your network and build your client base.

Increase SEO

Twitter allows SEO for growing companies.  By keeping your Twitter account public, your corporate account will appear in searches such as Google and Bing.  Posting links or tweeting trends also helps to get your business’ name on the internet.  Tweet relevant information to your company or interesting news to drive discussion, too.

The best part of Twitter is it only allows 140 characters per tweet, eliminating clutter and noise while getting to the point.  In today’s world, too much information is just as bad as too little, so keep it short and simple with your tweets!

What Not to Wear to IT Job Interviews

You have heard it before: it matters deeply what you wear to an interview.  Now that you have your outfit together, are you breaking one of the interviewing apparel taboos?  Take a second look at your outfit and accessories. Make sure you aren’t sending some inappropriate messages with your choices!

Head

Unless you are trying out for the Red Sox, avoid any head gear.  For the ladies, put away your flashy earrings and tone down the makeup.  Plan out your hair style the night before the interview.  It might sound crazy, but what could take you only five minutes of styling may trip you up if you try something different.   

Shoulders

Get that suit tailored!  Nothing looks worse than an ill fitting outfit.  It can also affect your confidence.  You do not need to buy a whole new wardrobe!  Look to your closet and touch up some of your business clothes.  You will have a new look and feel more comfortable with clothes that fit well.

Cover up those shoulders, too.  Often, some interviewers mistake clubbing attire for business professional apparel.  If you have to question it, put it back.  The same goes with any type of sweat shirt material.

Knees

Skirts that are too short belong in the club, not the IT recruiting office.  Wear nylons with your skirt.  A brand new pair is recommended to avoid runs or embarrassing holes.  Never wear lounge pants, no matter how laid back IT recruiting companies may seem.  Jeans are also a taboo when interviewing.  Remember, you always want to dress a bit more professionally than how you perceive hiring companies.  This will save you and IT staffing companies any potential embarrassment or mistakes.

Toes

Flip flops are never socially acceptable when interviewing with technical recruiting companies.  Wear closed toe dress shoes or pumps, not sneakers.  If you feel uncomfortable in high heels, do not wear them.   Dressy flats are fine. Your feet will also thank you later!

Other

Leave the backpack at home and pick up a briefcase to carry your portfolio.  Be mindful of your perfume and cologne, as the technical recruiters and hiring managers may have sensitive noses.  You do not want to be known as the smelly interviewer, either, so practice good hygiene!

IT Recruiters Take Mental Health Days!

Have you ever felt so overwhelmed at IT staffing firms that you just could not stay on task nor did you care to finish your IT recruiting work?  You may have been lashing out at family members, candidates, and friends, losing sleep, or simply not caring about any of your interests that were important to you.  These are telltale indicators that you are in dire need of a mental health day.  Before technical recruiters begin to feel guilt about playing hooky for one day, here are some reasons it may actually improve their performance.

Fizzle Out

Eventually, you will burn yourself out if you continuously work without taking a break to recharge your batteries.  Soon, you will not begin to care about your performance and quality of output at technical recruiting companies.  This fizzle could overflow from IT staffing work into your personal life, affecting activities you once took interest in or putting unnecessary stress on relationships.  Put a stop to the problem before it begins by cutting yourself some slack.  You will return to IT recruiting firms feeling better prepared and ready to take on lingering tasks.

Tackle Other Projects

If you have been neglecting your own work or taking a break from your personal activities, use this time wisely to catch up in other areas.  By doing things you enjoy or crossing off tasks on your to do list, you will be diverting your attention away from tedious office work and feedback from hiring managers while refocusing your attitude.  You may actually be stressed from not accomplishing your own tasks!

Silence is Golden

Turn off your cell phone and computer while warning others ahead of time.  Provide an alternative contact in the event of an emergency at IT recruiting companies.  You might feel that you are being lazy, but this mental health day is your own holiday in recognition of your hard work and dedication.  Live it up!

IT professionals often feel that they must finish as many tasks in as little time as possible.  This is when stress peaks are at their greatest.  While it is admirable to meet and exceed expectations, go at a workable pace or create a schedule rather than struggling to meet unrealistic deadlines or taking on more work than necessary.  You may find you are better at staying at task and accomplishing work by setting goals than charging through project after project.