Author Archives: Bruce Hurwitz

Bruce Hurwitz 6:09 am on April 26, 2024  

Prioritizing Quality Over Quantity in Candidate Submissions

This is the first in a series of eight articles geared towards recruiters, but which will provide important insights to job seekers.

Every candidate knows, or should know, that a job search is a numbers game.  The more applications submitted, the greater the chance of securing an interview.  The more interviews, the greater the chance of securing a job offer.  It’s not exactly quantity over quality; both are important.  Sometimes applying for a job on a lark, can result in a new career.

The same is true for recruiters.  If they submit a large quantity of candidates to an employer, regardless of quality, it can also result in a new career.  They won’t be a recruiter much longer!

No employer hires a recruiter to receive anything other than quality resumes.  Advertise a position and everyone knows that 90% will be, pardon my phraseology, garbage.  This does not mean 90% of the candidates are bad people or terrible employees.  All it means is that they are not right for the specific job the employer is looking to fill.

So, what’s a recruiter to do?  Their job!  They must screen all applicants.

The first phase in the process is simple.  A professional recruiter only needs about five seconds reading an applicant’s resume to eliminate non-qualified candidates.  They look at the requirements the employer has established for the position and then the simply check them off by comparing them to the resume.  Stayed a minimum of four years at most of their jobs (i.e., they have a stable work record)?  Check.  Master’s degree?  Check.  CPA?  Check.  Minimum 10 years’ experience?  Check.  Those that don’t check, get scanned because they may “check” for a future search.

Now comes the fun part.  The applicant has to be contacted for a phone telephone review.  They have probably applied for scores, even hundreds of jobs.  It is perfectly reasonable for them to ask for the job description to be emailed to them.  It will make their life easier, and the recruiter’s.  It simplifies the process when both parties are reviewing the same document.

The recruiter then confirms that they were correct in classifying the applicant as qualified.  Then the recruiter has to change their focus from qualifications to responsibilities, confirming that the applicant has done most, if not all, of the work previously.  Few applicants are perfect.  They may not have done one or two of the responsibilities of the job.  That should not disqualify them because they may have had other duties which will appeal to the employer.

Assuming the conversation, which should not take more than 10 minutes, goes well, the next step in the process is to have a video interview.  Conducting a video interview protects the recruiter from charges of unprofessional behavior, allows the recruiter to focus on the applicant and not on taking notes, and gives the employer a very good idea of not just the applicant’s qualifications, but their presentation skills and personality.

If all goes well, and in the opinion of the recruiter the applicant is qualified, they become an actual candidate.  This does not mean that the only candidates submitted are those who are close to, if not in fact, perfect.  The employer is hiring the recruiter not simply to avoid having to wade through a torrent of worthless resumes searching for the gems, but also for their opinion.  Sometimes a recruiter finds someone who is not a perfect match but is someone they feel the employer should meet.  If the recruiter has not wasted the employer’s time by prioritizing the quantity over the quality of candidates, they should have the credibility to get the employer to consider a non-traditional candidate. 

And that is the balance: low quantity and high quality.

While we work with everyone, our mission is to promote the hiring of veterans and first responders.  Please consider us for all your staffing, career counseling and professional writing needs.

I am delighted to be associated with SourceOwls. Have a challenging job to fill? Looking for a team of recruiters? Look no further. Click here!

ARE YOU AN EXPERT IN YOUR FIELD? THEN I INVITE YOU TO BE A GUEST ON MY INTERNATIONAL PODCAST, BRUCE HURWITZ PRESENTS: MEET THE EXPERTS. FOR COMPLETE DETAILS, TO APPLY AND TO SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW VISIT: https://hsstaffing.com/video-podcast

Future Articles:

  • Optimizing Candidate Submissions
  • The Resume as a First Impression
  • Strategic Approaches to Job Selection and Avoidance
  • The Crucial Role of Interview Preparation in Candidate Placement
  • Thoughtful Debriefing with Candidates
  • Cultivating Advisor Relationships with Premier Candidates
  • Efficient Candidate Vetting
  • References
  • You Accept One Job and Another is Offered
  • LinkedIn’s SSI
Bruce Hurwitz 8:56 am on April 18, 2024  

Think Like a Recruiter

This week’s article is an introduction to a series of eight articles primarily geared towards recruiters. (My thanks to Dean Garamella for suggesting the topics.) Job seekers are encouraged to read these articles to gain insights into the work of recruiters and their mindset.

It is a common occurence for job seekers to complain to me about the number of recruiters with whom they have engaged, and the fact that they have received few if any concrete leads. Their mistake is thinking that it is a recruiter’s job to find them employment. It is not. It is the recruiter’s job to find qualified candidates for their clients, employers looking to hire.

Of course, that is not a reason to be rude. I am very proud of the fact that I can honestly say that in the 20 years I have been a recruiter there is not a single candidate who did not hear from me about their status, as soon as I knew it. You do the math. If I have submitted an average of four candidates for every position, that means three candidates were rejected. I notified them all. Only in one case was someone rude to me.

Sadly, my following-up with all candidates is unique. Instead of complaining, they thank me and say that none of my competitors have ever reached out to them.

Let me explain the mentality: Once an employer, their client, rejects one of their candidates, the recruiter no longer needs that candidate so they consider it a waste of their time speaking with them when they could be searching for candidates who are more acceptable to their client. It’s logical, rude, but logical.

In any event, it has served me well. Rejected candidates, so to speak, when they finally got a new job, and their new employers were looking for a recruiter, would recommend me. Being polite is good business.

In any event, job seekers should think like recruiters. Read the job description carefully before submitting your candidacy. While you want the job, and think that you would be an ideal candidate, based on the qualifications for the position, can you honestly say that the employer would want you?

That said, if you see a job posted by a recruiter, by all means send in your resume. In your cover note, just say that you want them to keep your resume on file and contact you when they are working on a search for which they believe you will be qualified. They should appreciate it. And they won’t be upset with you for wasting their time applying for a job for which you are not qualified.

Allow me to wish one and all, despite the times, a Joyous Passover.

While we work with everyone, our mission is to promote the hiring of veterans and first responders.  Please consider us for all your staffing, career counseling and professional writing needs.

I am delighted to be associated with SourceOwls. Have a challenging job to fill? Looking for a team of recruiters? Look no further. Click here!

ARE YOU AN EXPERT IN YOUR FIELD? THEN I INVITE YOU TO BE A GUEST ON MY INTERNATIONAL PODCAST, BRUCE HURWITZ PRESENTS: MEET THE EXPERTS. FOR COMPLETE DETAILS, TO APPLY AND TO SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW VISIT: https://hsstaffing.com/video-podcast

Future Articles:

  • Prioritizing Quality Over Quantity in Candidate Submissions
  • Optimizing Candidate Submissions
  • The Resume as a First Impression
  • Strategic Approaches to Job Selection and Avoidance
  • The Crucial Role of Interview Preparation in Candidate Placement
  • Thoughtful Debriefing with Candidates
  • Cultivating Advisor Relationships with Premier Candidates
  • Efficient Candidate Vetting
  • References
  • You Accept One Job and Another is Offered
  • LinkedIn’s SSI
Bruce Hurwitz 5:57 am on April 12, 2024  

Sometimes it’s the Employer’s Fault

There are two instances when the employer, not the candidate, is under the microscope: The Hiring Process and The Employment Process. Let’s consider each:

The Hiring Process

The way an employer conducts a hiring tells candidates everything they need to know about the employer. Do they follow up as promised? For that matter, are they honest? Do they ask good questions? Do they give candidates a chance to ask questions and respond to them satisfactorily? Do they have copies of the candidate’s resume or do they have to ask the candidate for a copy? In other words, are they well organized and professional, or do they just bumble around through the process and hope everything works out for the best?

I remember, many years ago when I was looking for a job, I was in Jersey and the employer was in Chicago, where the job would have been. (I dodged a bullet both figuratively and literally!) We were to meet in a hotel in New York. I always arrive early, so I would always bring something to read. The book was good and the next thing I knew I had been reading for over an hour.

I went to the Reception Desk and asked if the executive director with whom I had the appointment had been looking for me. The receptionist assured me he had not. So I started to write a note when he showed up. He apologized and explained that he had run into an old friend and had lost track of time.

We then went to the bar where we were met by his colleague who had a huge chip on his shoulder. Long story short, I was not impressed and wanted nothing to do with either one of them. When I got home, I sent a short, but diplomatic, note saying I was withdrawing.

The executive director then emailed me wanting to know if it was because he had kept me waiting and that his colleague was rude. I simply replied that I did not think it would be a good match and wished him well. A few days later, he called, apologizing again and saying that he guaranteed I would never have to interact with his colleague (who, by the way, was fired a week later). I told him I was already offered another job, wished him well, and that was it.

It was also the truth. It was also a smart decision on my part. I occasionally checked up on the organization and it was not exactly prospering.

In this case, the candidate (granted I’m prejudiced) did nothing wrong. It was totally the employer’s fault.

The Employment Process

So, you got the job. Congratulations! And you have been hard at work. And you have had a number of successes of which you are proud. Great! And then the boss calls you into their office and sort of, kind of, explains that due to this, that and the other thing, with regret, that have to let you go. But you did a good job, and they will be happy to provide you with a reference.

All you heard was that you no longer have a job. From the emotional standpoint, laid off or fired, who cares?

Well, there is a big difference. If you were fired, it is doubtful that you would be able to collect Unemployment. Since you were laid off, you should be able to collect Unemployment. That helps a little, but you still have bills to pay, are worried about your health insurance, etc., etc., etc.

Not that it will make you feel any better at first, but it should when you start interviewing, because when someone is laid off it is rare that the employer tells them why. So, in answer to the question, “Why did you leave your last job?” many people say, “I was laid off and really don’t know why.” There is no reason for the interviewer not to believe them, as long as they can list a number of successes they had with that employer.

The important point, which every employer knows, is that a lay-off is the fault of the employer, not the employee. So, you, the candidate, have nothing of which to be ashamed and have no need to be defensive. You did nothing wrong; the employer did!

While we work with everyone, our mission is to promote the hiring of veterans and first responders.  Please consider us for all your staffing, career counseling and professional writing needs.

I am delighted to be associated with SourceOwls. Have a challenging job to fill? Looking for a team of recruiters? Look no further. Click here!

ARE YOU AN EXPERT IN YOUR FIELD? THEN I INVITE YOU TO BE A GUEST ON MY INTERNATIONAL PODCAST, BRUCE HURWITZ PRESENTS: MEET THE EXPERTS. FOR COMPLETE DETAILS, TO APPLY AND TO SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW VISIT: https://hsstaffing.com/video-podcast

Future Articles:

  • Think Like a Recruiter
  • Prioritizing Quality Over Quantity in Candidate Submissions
  • Optimizing Candidate Submissions
  • The Resume as a First Impression
  • Strategic Approaches to Job Selection and Avoidance
  • The Crucial Role of Interview Preparation in Candidate Placement
  • Thoughtful Debriefing with Candidates
  • Cultivating Advisor Relationships with Premier Candidates
  • Efficient Candidate Vetting
  • References
  • You Accept One Job and Another is Offered
  • LinkedIn’s SSI
Bruce Hurwitz 7:35 am on April 4, 2024  

The Thank-You Email and the Most Important Question to Ask in a Job Interview

It is funny the things we remember seeing on television when we were children. For example, I remember a Nobel Prize laureate being asked, “To whom do you credit your success?” He replied, “My mother. When my friends returned home from school, their moms would ask them if they had given the teacher good answers to her questions, my mom would ask if I asked any good questions.”

It is my firm and sincere belief that the questions you ask in a job interview are actually more important than the answers you give. When you ask a question, it is an opportunity to show how well you prepare for meetings and, specifically, how well you have researched the employer and the interviewers.

The most important question you can ask is focused on the after-interview phases of the hiring process: the thank-you email. A good thank-you can rescue a fair interview; a bad thank-you can ruin a good interview.

Here’s the question: If I were to get the job, what would I be able to do to make your life easier? Ask every interviewer and write down their answer. This also means that at the start of an interview you need to get the email address of all the interviewers. (If someone says, “Just write to so-and-so,” then that’s what you do. But let’s assume that everyone provides their email.)

The thank-you email tells a great deal about the candidate. It shows if they were listening during the interview, and whether or not they understood what they were told. It also shows if they are able to send unique thank-yous to everyone and not some generic letter that could relate to interviewing for literally any job. Lastly, it is proof that they can actually write a professional letter.

The thank-you, which must be sent within a couple of hours of the interview, should be relatively short and go something like this:

Thank you for interviewing me this morning for the XYZ position. [Now you are going to remind them of why you are the premier candidate for the position.] Having done X, Y and Z, after hearing your insights, I am even more confident now that I will be able to not only fulfill your expectations for the position, but exceed them.

That paragraph will be relatively the same for everyone. Here’s where the uniqueness comes in:

I heard you when you said that you need me to do X. I understand that that will help you with Y. Just to remind you, as I said during the interview, I have no problem in that regard because…

Then a generic ending on the lines of, Thank you again for having taken the time to interview me. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely… will suffice.

The “I heard you” paragraph shows that you were listening, understood, and are onboard to be the interviewers’ partner to help them achieve their goals. Who would not want a new hire like that?

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While we work with everyone, our mission is to promote the hiring of veterans and first responders.  Please consider us for all your staffing, career counseling and professional writing needs.

I am delighted to be associated with SourceOwls. Have a challenging job to fill? Looking for a team of recruiters? Look no further. Click here!

ARE YOU AN EXPERT IN YOUR FIELD? THEN I INVITE YOU TO BE A GUEST ON MY INTERNATIONAL PODCAST, BRUCE HURWITZ PRESENTS: MEET THE EXPERTS. FOR COMPLETE DETAILS, TO APPLY AND TO SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW VISIT: https://hsstaffing.com/video-podcast

Future Articles:

  • Sometimes it’s the Employer’s Fault
  • Think Like a Recruiter
  • Prioritizing Quality Over Quantity in Candidate Submissions
  • Optimizing Candidate Submissions
  • The Resume as a First Impression
  • Strategic Approaches to Job Selection and Avoidance
  • The Crucial Role of Interview Preparation in Candidate Placement
  • Thoughtful Debriefing with Candidates
  • Cultivating Advisor Relationships with Premier Candidates
  • Efficient Candidate Vetting
  • Recommendations
Bruce Hurwitz 8:00 am on March 29, 2024  

Get Out of Your Head!

I truly believe that sometimes we are our own worst enemies. I see it all the time. A career counseling client, who finally starts getting interviews, is now panicking, not because they are not interviewing, but because they are.

They keep asking themselves, and me, “What do I say if they ask me about…?” The “about” is always something negative. They are so focused on these negatives that they ignore the positives, the reasons that they are being interviewed, and obsess about the negatives. Not a good mindset to have when interviewing for a job!

In such cases I ask a series of questions:

How will they know? If they don’t know, they can’t ask any questions about it. So, if you don’t tell them, they won’t know. If they do a Google search of your name will it come up?

Are you worried that one of your references will tell them? Yes. Well, that could be, but probably won’t. You consider it a big deal, but do they?

I also tell them that if they honestly believe it is likely the interviewers will learn about the incident, they should bring it up themselves. Use it to reply to a question where, “Let me tell you about a mistake I made/failure I had that informs your question.” I advise them not to focus on the incident but on what they learned from it. Now, since they raised it, it is no longer a big deal and, since they “framed” it as a learning experience, it is not a negative, but a positive.

And, yes, this works even if the “about” was being fired for doing something really stupid.

Best wishes to my subscribers and readers for a Happy Easter.

IIIIIIIII

While we work with everyone, our mission is to promote the hiring of veterans and first responders.  Please consider us for all your staffing, career counseling and professional writing needs.

I am delighted to be associated with SourceOwls. Have a challenging job to fill? Looking for a team of recruiters? Look no further. Click here!

ARE YOU AN EXPERT IN YOUR FIELD? THEN I INVITE YOU TO BE A GUEST ON MY INTERNATIONAL PODCAST, BRUCE HURWITZ PRESENTS: MEET THE EXPERTS. FOR COMPLETE DETAILS, TO APPLY AND TO SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW VISIT: https://hsstaffing.com/video-podcast

Future Articles:

  • The Thank-You Email
  • Sometimes it’s the Employer’s Fault
  • Think Like a Recruiter
  • Prioritizing Quality Over Quantity in Candidate Submissions
  • Optimizing Candidate Submissions
  • The Resume as a First Impression
  • Strategic Approaches to Job Selection and Avoidance
  • The Crucial Role of Interview Preparation in Candidate Placement
  • Thoughtful Debriefing with Candidates
  • Cultivating Advisor Relationships with Premier Candidates
  • Efficient Candidate Vetting
  • References
  • You Accept One Job and Another is Offered
  • LinkedIn’s SSI
Bruce Hurwitz 8:48 am on March 22, 2024  

How to Debate at Work

It seems that everything today is a debate. In the workplace, if you want to try something new, or, for that matter, try to not change a thing, you can’t discuss it, you have to debate it. Few, especially younger workers, know how to debate since they were “educated” at “schools” with “safe spaces” where any disagreement, not to mention an “inappropriate” word, was a punishable offense. If there is a way to complain, these people will find it. And since all they know how to do is yell, volume is their preferred way to “win” an argument.

But there are ways to debate and bosses, sadly, have to teach them:

Authoritative. Guess what! (By the way, “guess what” is NOT a question!) The boss is the boss and therefore can settle any issue. A good boss will seek advice, explain why he decided what he decided (oops, I wrote “he” and now I’m going to be yelled at!) and that will end the matter. That’s the job of the boss – to make the hard decisions. So there really is no debate. The boss gathers information and based on that, she (now they won’t yell at me!) decides.

Emotional. In some cases, a topic can be emotional, and emotion works well to convince some people to support a project. I wanted to start a program to deal with victims of elder abuse. It was not going to be a revenue stream (although, with the grants I secured, it wasn’t going to be an expense). I won the powers-to-be over by telling them things I had discovered about elder abuse. (Don’t ask. You don’t want to know.)

Factual. If you want to convince me of something, you have to have facts to back it up. When someone argues with me online, my response is usually, “What are your sources?” They usually disappear. Another word for “factual” is “logical.” Logic convinces.

Socratic. My favorite way to debate is to take the Socratic approach. This means asking questions. It also means doing your homework and understanding the ramifications of what your “opponent” is trying to do. You have to know the answers to your questions because that is how you know that you will win the debate. If the person answers the questions correctly, you win. If they don’t have the answers, since you do, you win. They might be angry with you, but they will not be insulted. It’s not your fault they did not know the answers or understand the ramifications of their recommendation.

Ignoring. Ignorance may be bliss, but ignoring someone is ruthless. If someone proposes something, or says something, and you choose not to respond, it is infuriating to them. When I do it, and you may use this, I say it’s NWTS. (I’ll give you a minute.) Minute’s up. Not Worth The Saliva. In other words, what the person wants or says is simply not important and not worth my time. They become furious, are seen as being irrational, and, at least in my experience, look foolish while I look great. But beware: You do not want to make an enemy out of a colleague who may have a future at the company. So be certain the person has little chance of advancing anywhere other than out the door.

One final point, never insult. The minute you insult your “opponent” they win and you lose. It truly is “just business, not personal.” The bosses will take note about how you behave under stress, debating. Do well and you will go far. Do poorly and you’ll join the previously mentioned protagonist out the door!

While we work with everyone, our mission is to promote the hiring of veterans and first responders.  Please consider us for all your staffing, career counseling and professional writing needs.

I am delighted to be associated with SourceOwls. Have a challenging job to fill? Looking for a team of recruiters? Look no further. Click here!

ARE YOU AN EXPERT IN YOUR FIELD? THEN I INVITE YOU TO BE A GUEST ON MY INTERNATIONAL PODCAST, BRUCE HURWITZ PRESENTS: MEET THE EXPERTS. FOR COMPLETE DETAILS, TO APPLY AND TO SCHEDULE AN INTERVIEW VISIT: https://hsstaffing.com/video-podcast

Future Articles:

  • Get Out of Your Head!
  • The Thank-You Email
  • Sometimes it’s the Employer’s Fault
  • Think Like a Recruiter
  • Prioritizing Quality Over Quantity in Candidate Submissions
  • Optimizing Candidate Submissions
  • The Resume as a First Impression
  • Strategic Approaches to Job Selection and Avoidance
  • The Crucial Role of Interview Preparation in Candidate Placement
  • Thoughtful Debriefing with Candidates
  • Cultivating Advisor Relationships with Premier Candidates
  • Efficient Candidate Vetting
  • References
  • You Accept One Job and Another is Offered
  • LinkedIn’s SSI