Pinnacle Placements

Why Aren't You Getting Offers On Jobs You Are Qualified For?

2011-09-06T07:40:00.000-07:00

It's a typical story I hear from security industry job seekers all the time. They are applying for a number of jobs and even getting interviews, but often not getting any further than a first interview. Oftentimes they come to the conclusion that they must not have been as qualified as others. Other times, they know you are very well qualified, so they wonder what gives. Why aren't I getting offers? While there are many factors that influence the hiring decision, it is a fact that sometimes less qualified candidates are chosen over more qualified candidates simply because they have stronger soft skills than their more qualified counterparts. Each company looks for a different mix of skills and experience depending on the business it's in. It's no longer enough to be functionally qualified in your particular niche within security. To complement your unique core competencies, there are certain "soft skills" every recruiter, hiring manager and company looks for in a potential new hire.

"Soft skills" refer to a cluster of personal qualities, habits, attitudes and social graces that make someone a good employee "fit" and compatible to work with for that particular organization. Companies value soft skills because research suggests and experience shows that they can be just as important an indicator of job performance as hard skills.

Today's global, service-oriented economy puts a new premium on people skills and relationship-building - especially within the security arena. Business moves at an increasingly fast pace, so employers place higher value in people who are agile, adaptable and creative at solving problems. Many companies have some ultra-skilled employees. Despite that, their managers are desperate to toss them overboard. Perhaps they are argumentative, unmotivated, or dishonest - or just have terrible attitudes. Regardless, they lack some critical soft skills that are not easy (and often impossible) to train. As a result, more and more employers are willing to train less qualified candidates when they find ones with outstanding soft skills.

All candidates -- especially those who aspire to security management positions need to get in touch with their softer sides and take inventory of their soft skills and learn how to highlight them in cover letters and interviews. For example, tell a story of how you successfully handled a crisis or challenge at your current company. Highlighting these key skills will go a long way towards making up for any hard skill deficiencies that you may have.

Some of the most common soft skills employers are looking for and will be assessing you on include:

1. Strong Work Ethic

Are you motivated and dedicated to getting the job done, no matter what? Will you be conscientious and do your best work?

2. Positive Attitude

Are you optimistic and upbeat? Will you generate good energy and good will?

3. Strong Communication Skills

Are you both verbally articulate and a good listener? Can you make your case and express your needs in a way that builds bridges with colleagues, customers and vendors?

4. Time Management Abilities

Do you know how to prioritize tasks and work on a number of different projects at once? Will you use your time on the job wisely?

5. Problem-Solving Skills

Are you resourceful and able to creatively solve problems that will inevitably arise? Will you take ownership of problems or leave them for someone else?

6. Acting as a Team Player

Will you work well in groups and teams? Will you be cooperative and take a leadership role when appropriate?

7. Self-Confidence

Do you truly believe you can do the job? Will you project a sense of calm and inspire confidence in others? Will you have the courage to ask questions that need to be asked and to freely contribute your ideas?

8. Ability to Accept and Learn From Criticism

Will you be able to handle criticism? Are you coachable and open to learning and growing as a person and as a security industry professional?

9. Flexibility/Adaptability

Are you able to adapt to new situations and challenges? Will you embrace change and be open to new ideas?

10. Working Well Under Pressure

Can you handle the stress that accompanies deadlines and crises? Will you be able to do your best work and come through in a pinch?

Remember, whether you are applying for mid-level or a senior management position, it's your combination of core and soft skills that will set you apart from the crowd!

Good Luck!

David Lammert

Using Social Media Effectively In Your Job Search

2011-08-02T18:48:00.000-07:00

Whether you are seeking a new security role or working on building a career, it's important to integrate social networking into your job search. Some of you might ask why I need to spend time on social networking other than purely to pursue social activities. Because employers and security headhunters are actively using social networking sites to recruit candidates for employment and they are also reviewing social media sites to check out applicants.

In fact, recent surveys show that almost 90% of companies are currently recruiting through social media and social media recruiting by employers and recruiters is only going to increase.

Be Social In Your Job Search
If you don't have a social media presence, you'll be at a distinct disadvantage in this competitive job market. A strong social presence can boost your candidacy and help ensure you will be found by security recruiters and hiring managers.

Conducting a job search using social media, in addition to traditional job searching using job search engines and job boards, and keeping your networking site profiles up-to-date will ensure that it's quick and easy for you to apply for jobs online and will promote your candidacy - and your expertise - to prospective employers.

Apply Directly
In addition, employers are increasingly accepting applications direction from networking sites. For example, you can apply for jobs on many company websites with your LinkedIn profile. Monster's Facebook App, BeKnown, enables job seekers to apply for jobs via Facebook using their BeKnown profile which is used as a resume.

Getting Started
If you haven't used social networking sites for anything other than connecting with your friends and family on Facebook, don't worry and don't try to create your social media presence all at once. Instead, do it one site at a time and take it a step at a time.

LinkedIn is the best site to start with because it's "the" go to site for professional networking.
You can then use your LinkedIn profile to build professional profiles on other sites. For example, copy the relevant information from your LinkedIn profile into your BeKnown profile.

One Step at a Time
As I mentioned, start with LinkedIn. Consider using BeKnown to create a professional profile on Facebook because it's totally separate from your personal Facebook. Then decide whether it's a good use of your time to use Twitter, Google+ and some of the other apps and networking sites for job searching.

Check out Google+. I think it is going to grow rapidly in popularity and practical application.
How much social networking you do depends on the time you have, the jobs you are interested in, and your career path in the security industry. Remember, you don't have to do everything just because it's there. The best plan is to balance your time so you're covering all the job search bases effectively.

Make Yourself Easy To Be Found
Given the instantaneous communications available online today, it's important to stay connected and to respond in a timely manner (within 24 hours, if possible) to inquiries and messages.

To be sure you are notified:

• Include your email address, phone number, and LinkedIn profile in your email signature and on your resume.
• Cross link your social networking profiles. For example, link your Twitter profile from your LinkedIn profile.
• Set your profiles so you're notified by email of new messages.
• Check your email frequently.
• Check your social networking sites regularly.
• Respond as soon as possible to inquiries from hiring managers and recruiters.
• If you have a smartphone, use it to manage your email and networking sites, so you don't have to get to your computer to check your mail.

I invite you to connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Thank you,
David Lammert

Avoid these 7 offer killing errors during your job search.

2011-07-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

Were you lucky enough to get an interview and now you are waiting by the phone to hear back from a recruiter or hiring manager?

Time to wake up! You’re sabotaging your own job search. Take a step back and ask yourself if you’ve committed any of these 7 offer killing mistakes during your search:

7) Do you have an unflattering Web presence? Come on - in this day and age? Get your Facebook and Twitter presence cleaned up. Get an email account with only your name and use it for professional purposes like your job search.

6) Do you have bad grammar or typos on your resume? It doesn’t matter if you’re a VP of Security or an entry level candidate, you’ll be judged by your writing competency. It’s not always a deal breaker, but you start the process with a strike against you if you're lucky enough to not be ruled out based on that alone. Glaring typos are a bad sign to see on your resume, cover letter, or thank you letter. Speaking of which…

5) Did you send a thank you letter? You need to after every interview. A quick email will suffice, but a personalized handwritten letter says a bit more. Aside from being professional it's an opportunity to set you apart from other candidates.

4) Did you inquire too early about how much the job pays? Compensation is a touchy subject. If you bring it up too soon, it’ll look like your priorities are misaligned. You’re saying you don’t care about the company, just the paycheck itself.

3) Did you send your resume directly to the CEO: This “advice” comes up now and again from those who think there’s a fast-track to the hiring process; if you follow this advice, you’ve been fed a lie. The CEO is too busy for your gimmicks. Follow the prescribed avenues first – then try going “out of the box” to get into the company.

2) Do you have a customized cover letter and resume? You should have at least 2 or more versions of your resume that can be customized for different jobs. Never lie about your skills, you’ll be found out – but you might want to highlight different aspects of your career (aside from your transferable skills across industries) and SHOW don’t TELL how you accomplished various goals.

1) You went on the interview – did you assume you’re all done? It's time to sit back and wait by the phone right? No. Keep applying to positions and going on interviews. Nothing is a done deal until you hear, “you’re hired.”

Job seeking is a full time job – one that you probably don’t want for long! Work smarter, not longer and you’ll have that handshake in no time.

Good luck!
David Lammert

Keys to identifying a career that suits you

2011-07-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

Finding the perfect career in security is no simple task. Some spend a lifetime without succeeding at this. There is no quick-fix or easy way to decide on the ideal career for you. It is a process - one that likely has many twists and turns and one that will require you to ask yourself many questions along the way.

Here are a few key considerations that will make the process a bit easier.

Determine Your Needs

This could be the toughest challenge of the process and one that will likely change as your career progresses. Ask yourself what you need from your work. Since there will be more than one thing on your list, you will have to prioritize.

Identify Your Values

Start by determining what you value in your career. Will it be income or growth potential, stability or something else? If your dream career in the security industry involves a lot of hours and travel, are you willing to make the sacrifice to have this job? If you are willing to make a personal sacrifice, how long are you willing to continue sacrificing?

Do Your Homework

Learn about the company before you join it. Research natural paths to other jobs within security from the one you are considering. What are the hard and soft skills necessary to succeed in the role? Network and talk with colleagues who have experience in a similar role.

Create a Formal Career Plan

Similar to a business plan, determine your short and long term goals and objectives. Use these to help you access if you are achieving your goals towards the career role you have identified. Use resources available such as career coaches, mentors and skills assessments. Revise your plan as needed.

You will know you are on the right career path when work doesn't feel like work anymore!

____________________________________________________________________________________

Good luck in finding the best career path for you!

David Lammert

4 Ways to Determine if Candidates Fit Your Culture

2011-06-13T12:34:00.000-07:00

Have you ever hired that dream candidate who met every criteria of the position, was coveted by you and others in the organization and who negotiated a huge salary and title only to crash and burn within a few months? I have heard hundreds of stories just like this; candidates with excellent work history and experience, skills and credentials, yet they fail miserably because they don’t match the company culture.

Today, a growing number of recruiters, hiring managers, and CEOs from successful organizations feel a large part of their success in finding the right people is due to finding the people who fit comfortably within their culture.

Ten years ago we didn’t hear very much about fit, although it has always been a concern and a part of the decision on whether to hire someone or not. Recently it has become one of the more important concerns, often overriding skills or experience. Finding people who get along with those already in place and who are successful within a company is essential to success in growing the organization. Growing in this manner allows you to keep harmony, build community, and create trust - all important ingredients for success in innovative global and competitive environments.

Personal fit should be an integral part of your candidate assessment process. Fitting into a culture, organization, team or job is not always easy. Some people feel more connected and more included than others, and those who feel the most connected and involved tend to be the ones who perform well and stay. People who feel that they belong to something important, something that engages and excites them, make organizations more successful.

Candidates experience the corporate culture almost from their first contact with the organization. They see it in how they are treated during the hiring process, how diligent and caring the employees are, and what the work environment is like. As soon as they meet the hiring manager, they are assessing his or her style and values. When these are in alignment, good performance follows. Likewise, recruiters and hiring managers are subconsciously assessing candidates from the moment they meet them.

Know Your Culture
The first step in more objectively assessing culture fit is to articulate what makes up the culture of your organization.

Most firms do a poor job of figuring out what makes up their culture and whether candidates would be comfortable in it or with a particular manager. Many factors make up the corporate culture. Some of those are as basic as work schedules and travel demands, but most significant are the ethics and values the organization believes in, the style of everyday management, and how communication takes place.

Take the time to understand what the true ingredients are of your true culture, not the ones you wish for, and then you will be able to assess candidates with far greater success.

Four Ways to Assess Fit
Here are four ways to determine whether or not a candidate fits your culture.

1. Realistic Job Descriptions
Some firms rely on realistic job descriptions, where candidates get a glimpse of what it would be like to actually do the work. These true previews allow candidates to determine potential fit and opt “out” of applying. If they do apply, testing and proper interview techniques will allow organizations to determine the potential quality of fit of a candidate. The truer the job description the more likely you are to attract the right candidate.

2. Use referrals and Internal Connections
Referrals can be a gold standard for cultural fit because current employees, or even those who may not be employees but know your organization well, typically choose to refer people who will fit the culture. You can simply ask employees to focus on people who would be a good fit, rather on people with high skills levels or experience. The downside of referrals is that you can overuse your network and run out of good candidates, and it is always hard to get referrals consistently. It often requires a “reward” to get people motivated and once the push or reward goes away, referrals falls back to low levels.

3. Use Social Networks
Social networks are a potentially highly effective way to determine cultural fit or at least to see whether or not a potential candidate communicates and interacts in a way that fits. By developing a Facebook or LinkedIn page and then engaging candidates in conversations, recruiters can learn a great deal about communication skills, language ability, and motivation. The downside is that these require time and effort; often, more than an average recruiter has available. However, it is probably true that candidates who have joined your network and participate in conversations at all are a better fit than those who do not.

4. Testing
There are many tests of cultural and personal fit that can streamline assessment and that add a quantitative dimension to the selection process. These tests have been around for decades and have a solid track record when used properly. Of course, the downside of testing is the candidate’s acceptance and the time needed on both the candidate side as well as on the hiring authority to interpret the results.

Whatever method or combination of methods you decide on, making sure candidates will be comfortable in their work environment and with their hiring manager should be a key consideration.

By getting candidates who are aligned to your culture, you will experience faster time to productivity, deeper involvement in problem solving, greater innovation, and less turnover.

Good Luck!
David Lammert

Is Your Organization Full of “A” Players? 8 Questions to Ask Yourself about how to Maximize Your Talent

2011-06-06T19:27:00.000-07:00

In a few short years we have gone from talking about how to recruit and keep top level talent in a competitive labor market to talking about how to find a job in this agonizingly slow economic recovery we are in. This is a rare opportunity for many firms, but one that many are failing to take advantage of due to their economic situation.

Few are talking about what needs to be done by companies to optimize their organization by hiring the highest number of “A” players possible. What percentage is possible? If done properly, 80-90% is a reasonable goal for “A” level talent over time. In our current economic climate it is especially important to move away from mediocrity in order to separate yourself from competitors, prepare for the future and hasten your firm’s recovery from the effects of the economic downturn.

The 80/20 rule is just not acceptable if you truly want to be successful in today’s market. For those who aren’t familiar with the 80/20 rule, it says that 20% or your sales organization will produce 80% of your revenue. What is your company is committed to? Consider the possibility of what your organization or security department would look like if everyone would achieve 80% of their productivity goals vs. 20-50%?

Optimization Checklist
Here are some questions you should be asking yourself. If you’re not asking these, you could be headed for mediocrity or possible failure.

* Have you calculated the costs of your hiring errors over the past two to five years? This is one of the best ways to know how many dollars you’ve lost by not committing to hire the best talent.

* Do you know what type of people you’re looking to hire? Have you created a specific and measurable job specification using your current and past A players as the benchmark? Is the executive team aligned with these goals and growth plans and how each department should be contributing to this plan?

* Have you clearly defined your corporate or department culture? Have you put a process in place to assess how candidates fit with this culture? Do not simply use past job performance as the only criteria.

* Do you have a plan in place to assess your current employees and remove all your under-performers? Don’t forget to also develop a timeline in which to complete this task.

* How are you identifying candidates? If you employ an internal recruiter, are they posting ads on job boards that typically attract lower level talent or are they actively searching out quality “A” level candidates? Are you using a recruiting firm that specializes in placing security professionals to supplement your own efforts?

* Are you paying your internal recruiters at the same level you pay your firms top professionals? If not, is it realistic to expect a mid-level recruiter to have the ability to find and attract “A” level talent?

* Do you have a plan to onboard and retain top talent?

* Have you created a list of questions, both open ended and closed, to qualify the competencies you require of your executives and security management?

Good luck –
David Lammert

How to search effectively for a new position

2011-05-23T09:10:00.000-07:00

I received a call the other day from a veteran security industry professional that was suddenly laid off and need the assistance of a security industry recruiter. He hadn't had to search for a job in quite some time. After sharing how he had been searching on his own, it became clear that he was not being effective with his efforts.

He told me hadn't spent much time during his career networking and that he didn’t have much of an online presence on LinkedIn or other social media sites. He figured he could find a job on the job boards.

He went on to say he didn't know of many resources to use to find out information about companies online - and he asked me if it was important to take the time to research companies that he might apply to or interview with. Instead he thought it might be best to just apply online to as many jobs as possible figuring the more positions he applied for, the more opportunities to interview and secure a new job.

Now, it's not his fault that he was making mistakes that could hinder his job search. Rather, he didn't have a clue how he could job search more effectively, because he hadn't been in the job market for many years and didn't know how much job searching has changed over the last several years.

So, let's talk about some of worst job search mistakes you can make. What are some of the major mistakes that can bring your job search to a screeching halt before it even gets going? There are also many smaller mistakes that, given a competitive job market, can be enough to knock you out of contention for a job. Be sure to avoid all of these job search mistakes so you maximize the time and effort you invest in the job search process.

The Shotgun Approach

I don't post online all of the job searches I conduct. Most of the time, I have a candidate already in my network or can quickly get a quality referral. However, for those searches where I do post the job online I am always surprised by the high number of unqualified candidates who take the time and effort to respond. There isn't any point wasting your time applying for jobs that you're not qualified for. It's a waste of time, energy, and effort. Instead, take the time to focus your job search and apply to jobs that are a match for your skills and experience. Then target your resume and cover letter to show the hiring manager why you're qualified at first glance.

Blowing the Interview

What shouldn't you do when interviewing? It's often the little things that trip you up in an interview. Spend time preparing to interview so these don't happen to you! Role play interviewing with a friend or family member. Contact us at Pinnacle Placement for a free guide to interview preparation.

Spellcheck and Proofread

Check your resume, your cover letter, and every single email you send for grammar and spelling - even if it's just a quick email or LinkedIn message to a networking contact. Use full sentences and paragraphs, regardless of how you are communicating. Writing job search correspondence that reads like a text message is a surefire way to knock you out of the running for a job.

Unorganized Job Search

Given how much email most of us get, it's really easy to miss a message or to forget to follow up in a timely manner. Taking a few minutes to organize your job search effort is a great way to get your job hunt off to a good start. There are free tools you can use to organize and track of all your job search activities. Take advantage of them and stay on top of your job search.
Failing to have an Online Presence

Most companies that are seriously interested in hiring you are going to use Google to find out as much as possible about you. If you don't take the time to create an online presence, you will come up short when measured against candidates who have taken the time to build a presence. At the minimum, you should have a LinkedIn Profile that's complete with your work history and some recommendations.

Neglecting to Research the Company

When you go into a job interview without having researched the company, you're not going to have a clue about what the company's goals are, how you can fit into the organization, and what you can offer the company. When you take the time to research companies, you will be able to find out everything you need to know about a company before you sit down for an interview. In addition, you will be a well-prepared candidate for the job.

Narrow Focus on Posted Jobs

Do you have a list of companies you would like to work for? If you do, use the Internet to discover information about the company, review open positions, and find connections and a recruiter to help you apply for jobs that may not have been advertised yet. If not, get started on tapping the hidden job market, which are the jobs that aren't advertised. A large number of jobs are never posted online and you'll have an edge if you can use a connection or security industry recruiter to help you find and apply for them.

Poor Attitude

Frustrated, discouraged, feeling like you'll never find the right job for you? Did you hate your last job? Was your boss a jerk? Keep it to yourself, or at least to yourself and your friends and family. Despite how hard it can be, it's important to stay positive when communicating with networking contacts, recruiters, and hiring managers. Nobody likes a complainer, even if your complaints are legitimate. So, do your best to come across as positive, especially when you're interviewing.

Good Luck!

David Lammert

Why do you work every day?

2011-05-13T09:36:00.000-07:00

What if our work wasn’t just a job? What if instead our work was a platform to live and share a bigger purpose? I don’t necessarily agree with the dominant perception in our society that in order to live a life of purpose we have to leave our jobs and go solve world famine, clothe the poor, move to foreign lands or start a charity foundation.

While these are all noble causes I support (and many are called to do these very things), for many of us our bigger purpose can be found in the here and now, in the jobs we have, right under our noses. When we find this purpose it will provide the ability to live a more meaningful life.

You may not build schools around the globe but you can find the bigger purpose in reading to your children. You may not feed the homeless every day but you can nourish your employees and customers with a smile, kind words and everyday actions that demonstrate you care about them beyond your 8 to 5 interactions. And while you may not start your own non-profit organization you can begin a charity initiative at work. You can make a difference every day and touch the lives of others you meet and some you will never meet.

While coworkers and customers may not be starving because of a lack of food, you can provide them with a different kind of nourishment, one that will feed their souls and feed your own in the process.

I am certain the members of Navy SEAL Team Six feel like they helped make the world a safer place by eliminating Osama bin Laden.

I met a school teacher who makes it his purpose to help kids stay away from gangs.

I know a corporate security director who believes it is his role to keep his firms employees safe and secure each and every day.

I talked with a man in banking who sees his career as a way to help create jobs for others by lending to businesses.

I know a Starbucks employee named Carol in San Francisco who greets hundreds of sleepy, grumpy people with a smile each day. The list goes on…

These are ordinary people living their lives at work with an extra-ordinary purpose.

In any job our purpose waits for us to find it and live it.

I don't know what your purpose should be but I can tell you that every one of us can find a bigger purpose in the job we have.

I can tell you that every job, no matter how exciting and busy it may seem, will get boring if we let it.

Don’t wait until you go to Haiti to start living with a mission. Don’t wait until the weekend to feed people who are hungry. Bring your mission to work, start working for a bigger purpose and nourish others in the process.

You will find it energizing and fulfilling on many levels…it might even save your current job.

The Culture Fit

2011-04-29T09:38:00.000-07:00

It's hard to imagine much worse than putting in all the time and effort it takes to find a new position, and then realizing too late that the organization is not a cultural fit for you. Each step of your job search process gives you the opportunity to confirm, then reconfirm your goals, and determine how your next role can fulfill them. With so much of your daily life spent at work, finding an environment that will best support your success is critical to career development, productivity and personal happiness.

To make sure you select the right culture, keep these simple checklists in mind in each stage of your search process:

1. As you begin
It’s important to ask yourself some tough questions as a first step so you have clear answers to guide your search.
Have a clear understanding of
• How do you work best?
• What are your values?
• What do you want to achieve from this position?
• How will a specific type of team/company structure/manager help you achieve that?

2. Reach out to your network
Once you have a clear understanding of what you want, reach out to your network to let them know you’re looking for new opportunities. While it’s important not to recycle your same message over and over, you should try to:
• Have a consistent message. Don’t be tempted to change your values just because a different opportunity comes up
• Contact people who understand your vision; their network will probably reflect their values.
• Show your value through actions, not words. Comment on relevant articles, attend events and share or create content that shows your expertise. Don’t just tell people you’re an expert – be one.

3. Interviewing
Once you’ve found a great company and begun the interview process, make sure they live up to your expectations. Don’t be afraid to ask specific questions about how each level of the company operates. You should leave the interview with a clear understanding of the cultural values of your manager, team and the organization as a whole. During the interview, take note of things like:
• How does your manager communicate?
• How does the team rally around actions and goals?
• How is success measured and communicated?
• What opportunities exist for you to participate in what is important to you?

By first identifying what’s most important to your success, and staying focused on how those elements surface in each stage of the job search, you can avoid the lure of an empty title or lofty salary, and make sure you choose the role that’s right for you.

The Hidden Values in Networking

2011-03-14T15:29:00.000-07:00

In my most recent blog I talked about the cost of a bad hiring decision for an employer. I touched upon some of the known costs and some of the hidden cost as well. Today, I want to emphasize the importance of networking and share some of the obvious reasons and some of the benefits we might not think about.

You attend an ASIS conference and meet some new contacts - at a friend’s birthday party and you meet someone who knows a colleague of yours - you’re in line at the grocery store and start conversing with someone and you end up talking about your work and you agree to exchange business cards. Whether you know it or not…you’re networking.

Networking is something that is always mentioned in conjunction with your career. And it’s often that networking will help you land your next job.

So let's examine a few reasons to take networking seriously:
1. Developing additional knowledge & skills: Meeting new people in your field helps you learn more about your industry. You’ll be exposed to different points of view and other people who have years of knowledge and experience. You may end up being a mentor to someone with less experience than you. That person will always be willing to be a resource for you in the future. Not to mention that a professional network is also a great source of feedback when you need advice.

Let others help you by listening and interacting with those in your network. Why not learn from others mistakes and successes?

2. Creating mutually beneficial relationships: Not only can networking help you gain valuable skills and knowledge, but you can help others as well. You should strive to help others by sharing your skills, expertise and knowledge with them, too.

These relationships are invaluable when you’re looking to make a job change, need feedback or advice, or just need to bounce ideas off of a fellow professional that you trust.

3. Additional sources of support and information: Networking contacts can be experienced professionals and have a wealth of knowledge that you may not have. They likely have had different experiences than you and can provide a unique point of view on issues you may have.

By building a strong network, you automatically have people “on your side” that are willing to help spread a good word about you—and who doesn’t want that?

4. Building and maintaining your personal brand: Networking helps you establish your personal brand online and in-person. People will get to know you and trust you and look to you for guidance and information. You can become the industry's "go-to, expert" for a particular issue.

5. Boosting your self-esteem: We naturally like to socialize and make new friends, and doing so in your career can help boost your self-esteem and make you feel like you’re well-respected and connected in your particular field. A healthy level of self-esteem can make you happy and provide other benefits knowing you have a full network of individuals that can help you out and vice versa. It can also help your personal brand to increase in value and your career to flourish.

I look forward to hearing from you regarding your personal experience of what you have gained out of networking relationships.

Thank you,
David Lammert

The cost and impact of bad hiring choices

2011-03-07T08:24:00.000-08:00

One of my recent search assignments was to find a replacement for someone who was about to be fired from their position. In talking with the hiring authority to gather the information I needed to present the most qualified candidates we talked about why this person was being let go. The VP told me it "wasn't what he did". The incumbent satisfied the basic requirements of the position and was a generally well liked person. It was more a matter of what he didn’t do. He was average in most performance measurements and could have done much more to help his part of the organization move forward to meet the established goals. This company realized that while they had a likeable person who was capable of producing in the role, they were being impacted in subtle less measurable, yet, very critical ways.

While there are many ways a poor hiring decision impacts a firm here are a few key ones and the serious rippling effects they can have on everyone in the organization.
It's also important not to forget that bad hiring decisions do happen from time to time.

Let's Take a Closer Look at Some of the Business Impacts of a Poor Hiring Choice
• Lost productivity — a new hire that is in the bottom quarter of employees in a position can produce between 25% and 600% less than a top performer. The quality of their work may even be lower than the volume of their output.
• Reduced revenue — if the new hire happens to be in a revenue-generating or revenue-impact position, the loss of revenue can be significant.
• Customer retention rates — customers know when they are dealing with a weak employee, so hiring a subpar employee into a role that interfaces with customers can measurably reduce sales, customer satisfaction, and increase customer turnover.
• Repeated Errors and mistakes – poor performers make many mistakes generating work that must be redone. Weak employees may also cause more accidents, hurting themselves and others thus putting you in a position of liability.
• Competitive disadvantage – hiring weak employees sends a message to competitors and customers that you are getting weak or some turmoil exists. This might encourage customers to leave and empower competitors to target your business.

Increased Management Costs Resulting From a Poor Hiring Decision
• More management time — weak hires are “high maintenance” requiring more coaching and hands-on attention. This time spent on weak employees can’t be spent on other management issues.
• Weak hires must be replaced — eventually these hires will have to be replaced. Unfortunately, weak hires have little chance of being recruited away or leaving of their own accord, so if your organization is reluctant to fire, they may stay with you forever.
• Performance management and termination costs — weak employees require frequent performance management, draining management/HR time and development resources.
Your Image as A Manager Is Tarnished
• Being branded as a “C” manager — a common perception is that weak managers routinely hire weak employees (C managers hire C players). Hiring weak employees will send a clear message to everyone in the organization validating that a manager has become a “C” manager.
• Loss of your colleagues’ respect — if you swing and miss on a few key hires you will likely lose the respect of others in your organization. This loss of respect may negatively impact their willingness to cooperate, to share ideas or work at a high level.
• Reduced bonus income — for managers who hire and retain a significant percentage of weak performers, performance bonus opportunities will be significantly reduced.
• Promote ability — hiring weak employees will be noticed by your superiors, which coupled with poor business results will limit chances of promotion. It may also lead to layoff, termination and limit your opportunities for jobs at other firms.

Team Impacts
• Resentment by co-workers — better-performing employees often resent being on the same team with “losers.” They may have to spend a significant portion of their time helping out or fixing the mistakes of weak employees, ultimately reducing their own productivity.
• Increased turnover — hiring and keeping weak employees may send a clear message to high-quality employees that standards are being reduced and performance is no longer important. This may cause them to transfer or to quit the organization altogether.
• Opportunity costs — every slot taken up by a weak employee can’t be filled with a great employee. Without as many great employees as possible, you won’t have an effective team that produces superior results.
• Negative impacts on hiring "A" players — when candidates meet and interact with weak employees, they may reconsider opportunities with your team.
• Legal issues increase — weak hires are much more likely to file formal complaints and grievances. In addition, they often require extensive discipline. If a lawsuit or government complaint results, the cost of making a bad hire will be significantly amplified.
• Longer ramp-up time — weak new hires will require more intense and time-consuming onboarding taking longer for them to reach minimum levels of productivity if even possible. As their salary will not be reduced during this time, your ROI will.
• A loss of competitive intelligence — new hires who come from direct competitors can provide you with intelligence and best practices. Non-impact players on your team deprive you of the opportunity to upgrade your staff.
• Non Productivity Costs — weak employees are more prone to absenteeism and tardiness, which will require more use of costly temporary workers to fill in or lost productivity.
Something to think about

While it is difficult to pinpoint the total cost of a bad hiring decision or the choice not to hire at all, most accepted assessments put the cost of a bad hire to be 150-300% of their annual salary each year they remain employed. As a business owner or security professional with hiring authority you have a responsibility to your entire organization to ensure that new hires not only perform at the highest level.

On the surface outsourcing the recruiting function to a third party might seem like an unnecessary expense, especially in today's economic climate where there is a perception that a large pool of talent fitting your exact needs is readily available. However, you may want to consider the cost to your organization and your personal future about bad hiring choices. Partnering with a professional recruiter, specialized in your hiring niche can not only save you money but also make you money in the long run.

Thanks for reading!
David Lammert

How to determine culture fit before you start your next job.

2011-02-16T12:00:00.000-08:00

If had a dollar for every time a candidate has told me that they left a job because "it just wasn't a good fit", I probably wouldn't be writing this blog today. How you may or may not fit at your job is becoming an increasingly more important aspect of consideration among candidates and employers. Therefore, it's important to remember when you’re going through the interview process, a recruiter or hiring manager has three possible contexts for evaluating you – resume, personality and ‘fit’. Just as you are being evaluated, you must evaluate each position. With that in mind I'd like to share these suggestions to help you determine the culture fit during your interview process.

Culture is perhaps the single most important way in which employees describe the environment where they work. It shapes their understanding of the employer’s business vision and helps employees orient themselves within the organization. I hear from and see plenty of company leaders who don’t realize that establishing a unique and supportive company culture will lead to success and increased levels of top employee retention. In addition to retaining talent, a positive culture helps to attract talent and this is what separates winning organizations from others.

A culture review will help you assess the culture that exists in a prospective employer’s company. This review can also help job seekers decide where to move next.

Complete a culture review on your prospective company during your next interview by using the following questions:
• Are employees at this company compensated fairly? Is the salary on par with competitors?
• Is the benefit program comparable to those of a company’s competitors?
• Does the company have programs in place that demonstrate they value your work? This can range from awards to bonuses, or even be as basic as regular performance appraisals.
• Does the company invest in training to ensure employee success? If so, what type of training is it and how frequently does it occur. Can you tailor it to your interest?
• Ask everyone you meet in the interview process to describe the company culture in their own words. Ask why they like working there. You might be surprised at what you hear or don't hear.
• Does management have an open door policy? Is there a good stream of employee communication in the company?
• Are employees challenged and given the resources to meet those challenges? Research this by looking on LinkedIn and make connections with people you know. Ask questions.
• Do your values match those of the company? This one can be answered – in small part – by reviewing a mission statement, but talking with several tiers of employees is the very best guide if you can. It might take some extra effort, but it's worth it. Never rely solely on a mission statement to determine culture fit.

These or similar questions are often asked in an exit interview. Don’t wait until you’re burned out or frustrated with your job – ask these questions first, before you invest time, energy and creativity in becoming a great employee.

Keep in mind that culture reviews can reveal both the good and bad – potential points of friction as well as opportunities for growth. The review should be a positive experience – after all you’re learning about the company’s culture and learning about yourself in the process…determining what's most important to you in your work environment. Self-assessment is a very important component to finding a satisfying career path.

Try this review on your next potential career prospect, and please tell us how it worked.

Good luck,
David Lammert

The Well-Rounded Network

2011-02-07T08:43:00.000-08:00

You already know it is important to have the 2 Q’s as you build your personal network: Quality and Quantity. But have you considered the importance of having a well-rounded network?

In our current world, having a strong network is critical to your professional survival. There are plenty of tips and articles on where to find people – whether Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter - and how and when to connect to them. There is even advice on what you need to say to attract and maintain your network.

This week, I want to share my ideas on who should be in your network.

Here are the top 10 people that should be part of your network:

1. The Mentor:
This is the person who has reached the level of success you aspire to achieve. Learn from their success, as well as their missteps. Seek their counsel. Heed their wisdom and experience. Ideally, this relationship delivers you a unique perspective because they have known you through the peaks and valleys in your life and watched you evolve.

2. The Coach:
The coach comes into play at different points in your life. They help with critical decisions and transitions and offer an objective perspective with no strings attached. They are eager to see you succeed and are someone you can always turn to. Expect some tough love from time to time.

3. The Industry Insider:
This is someone in your chosen field who has expert level information or access to it. This person will keep you informed of what’s happening now and what the next big thing is. It's a good idea to have more than one industry insider as part of your network.

4. The Trendsetter:
This is someone outside of your chosen industry that always has the latest buzz. It can be on any topic you find interesting. In today's world this might be someone knowledgeable about technology or social media. The goal in having this person in your network is to look for those connections that spark creativity in your thinking which you can apply to any part of your life.

5. The Connector:
This is a person who has access to people, resources and information. Often, when they come across something related to you, they are sending you an email or picking up the phone. Connectors are great at uncovering unique ways to make connections, finding resources and opportunities most people would not take the time to do on your behalf.

6. The Dreamer:
This is the person in your network you can dream with. No matter how “out there” your latest idea is, this is the person that will help you brainstorm ways to make it happen. Without judgment, they are focused on helping you flush out your dreams in high definition, even if you don’t have a solid plan yet on how to make it happen.

7. The Realist:
On the flip side you still need the person who will help you keep it real. This is the person who will give you the raised eyebrow when your expectations seem out of line with reality. These are not people who knock down your dreams; rather, they challenge you to actively make your dream come true.

8. The Visionary:
Visionary people inspire you by their own journey, even if it isn’t similar to yours. These folks are close to the Idealist, but the visionary can help you envision an actual plan to reach your goal. One personal encounter with this type of person can powerfully change the direction of your thinking and life.

9. The Partner:
You need to have someone who is in a similar place and on a similar path to share with. In fact, partners do a lot of sharing. This is a person you can share the wins and woes with. Partners will also share resources, opportunities and information.

10. The Wanna-be:
This is someone you can serve as a mentor to. They are someone you can help develop and shape based on your own experiences. One of the best ways to understand something is to be able to explain it to someone else. Sometimes one of the best motivators for pushing through obstacles and hardship is being aware that someone else is watching you.

Obviously you will strive to have more than 10 people in your network. The trick is to make sure you are building a diverse network by adding people from different industries, backgrounds, age groups, ethnic groups, etc… that fit into the roles listed above. Building a deep network by only including people from your current profession or business focus leaves too many stones unturned, limiting potential opportunities.

Get serious about building a strong professional network that can provide the leverage you need to make progress at work. Evaluate your current network and get started filling in the gaps.

Happy networking!
David Lammert

What the Super Bowl can teach us about job search.

2011-01-31T14:15:00.000-08:00

Those of you who know me well know that I am an avid football fan. Although I enjoy college football more than professional football, I am always excited about the Super Bowl. The playoffs this year saw lower seeded teams advance and now it's time for the champ to be crowned this coming weekend.

So you might be asking why is he writing about this on his career blog? If you will indulge me, you’ll see important parallels between what it takes to earn a Super Bowl ring and what it takes to land a coveted job in 2011.

#1: ATTITUDE – The first similarity is this: starting from the first day of training camp the goal of a true champion should not be to reach the playoffs or get to the coveted Super Bowl game. No, the only goal of every top caliber football player and coach is to WIN the Super Bowl; and to achieve this goal every player must be willing to keep their ego in check, be willing to make huge personal scarifies, and trust in their coaches and teammates.

For job hunters the attitude you must adopt is that there are no moral victories in the job hunt. Finishing #2 can't be the goal. Your goal shouldn't be how many interviews you get - your ONLY GOAL is to get a job offer with the terms you seek.

You must approach a job search with a high level of drive and desire, and they are not one and the same; and you must be positive, tenacious, focused, and determined to succeed in order to reach the ultimate goal. As a job seeker you can’t rest on past achievements or skills, can’t look for short cuts, and most of all you must be willing to put in the preparation needed to get the job offer.

Championship level teams prepare and practice each week for their upcoming opponent. You must do the same. You can't show up at a phone or job interview without practice and preparation beforehand and expect to succeed.

For some reason this is easier said than done. I know of many job seekers who get dejected easily or think they can breeze through a job interview without preparing beforehand. Successful job seekers go to interviews prepared to demonstrate to employers why they are a viable commodity in a competitive job market.

The job search rules changed as a result of the recession and no one can afford to have an attitude that says. “It is not my resume, career planning or interview presentation that is holding me back from securing a new career. What I’m doing worked perfectly well for me in the past so why should I change. It’s just that this time around I can’t seem to get that lucky break like I did in the past. If only I could get an interview I know I’ll get the job I want.” This mindset can be toxic to your career development. Be willing to examine and improve every part of your game in order to get to the championship.

# 2: COACHING –In football, more than in any other sport, coaching is more important than the talent level on the field. This is why great coaches like Vince Lombardi, Tom Landry, Bill Walsh, Jimmy Johnson and Bill Parcels not only reach the playoffs but have won the Super Bowl more consistently than their peers. The common thread among these coaches is the ability to motivate and get the most out of each member of the team; to devise and execute a game plan based as much on the knowledge of their opponent as it is on the strength of their team; to be open minded and make strategic changes midstream when the initial game plan is not working, and to think out of the box, do the unexpected, and make everything work.

This is why I recommend every job seeker consider working with an experienced Career Coach during their job search, and if possible throughout the entire search. A quality Career Coach knows the lay of the land and can collaborate with you to put together a game plan that takes into account your strengths and the values that employers desire the most. The coach will also help you understand the process and challenges you will face and prepare you for the ups and downs you are bound to encounter. A really good coach will be there with you every step of the way to encourage and motivate you to do what needs to be done until you reach your ultimate goal. Plus the right coaching can cut the time you remain unemployed by 15%-25% and maybe more.

Working with a coach may not seem so important when you are in years 2-5 of your career because these are the easiest times to find a new job. However if you are seeking a more senior or managerial position coaching can make the difference.

# 3: A GAME PLAN – When one playoff team upsets another team it is usually not the talent level that prevails. It is the game plan and the execution of that plan that causes them to come out on top. This happens every week in football and from personal experience I can tell you it happens 365 days a year in the job hunt. Being the most qualified candidate is no guarantee of getting a job offer, let alone a job interview. Proper planning and execution trumps skills and ability. Out think and out work your competition and you will increase your odds of getting the offer you desire.

The game plan for job hunters begins with setting a targeted goal in terms of what positions you will seek and determining how well qualified you are for them. Next you must determine what constitutes value for potential employers and find creative ways to showcase these values in your candidacy. Next on the list are the physical tools. A more senior level job seeker may need an entire portfolio of tools that include one or more resumes, a bio, cover letters and letters of introduction, a credible executive recruiter, social media profiles, several key endorsements, and a proper wardrobe. For younger job seekers looking for their first job one well written resume may be all you need.

For a vast majority of job seekers networking is how you get noticed, not job boards or online postings. So you need to prepare a game plan on how much time you will dedicate to networking and what tools you will use, how to get recommended, and how you intend to make yourself stand out from the crowd.

Finally, great football coaches have great staffs. They have coordinators for offense, defense and special teams to help them develop and execute the overall game plan, and so should every job seeker. Don’t go it alone. Get help from people who know you and have a track record of success. Remember success is contagious, as is a positive attitude.

So as we get ready for this weekend's Super Bowl in Dallas, review these ideas and pass them along to those you know who are looking for a new job. Here's to making 2011 a special year to remember.

Enjoy the game!

Do you have what it takes to be a good boss?

2011-01-18T14:29:00.000-08:00

If you are like me, you have had more than one boss during the course of your career…some were good, some were bad, some you’d like to forget and hopefully at least one was great.

What it takes to be a good boss is a moving target. One also has to admit that some of the challenges you face with a “bad” boss say as much about you as them.

With all this in mind I came up with this list of traits of my best bosses:

The best boss:
• is technologically savvy

• treats ever member of the team fairly

• leads by example

• understands that team members vary in ability, strengths, interest and motivation

• is more concerned with supporting the team than covering their backside

• sets realistic performance expectations

• is not afraid to make changes when needed

• is never critical of individual performance in public

• acknowledges their own mistakes

• sets clear expectations, provided the resources to succeed and got out of the way

• makes an effort to assist in my professional development

• is honest and ethical

• operates with integrity

• doesn’t ask their team to do things that they wouldn’t do

What traits do you value in a boss?

Enjoy!
David Lammert

Try These Tips to Avoid Career Unhappiness

2011-01-11T12:32:00.000-08:00

2011 is already showing signs of promise and improvement on the job front. In the coming months many people will begin to make the job changes that they have wanted to make since 2007. As companies begin to hire new people, other changes will take place as well. The pace of change will quicken. It will be very important to make thoughtful career decisions for the short, as well as the long term. Be sure to take the time to review your career goals and desires as well as determine what will make you happy in your work place.

Also important is avoiding those roads that will lead to inevitable career unhappiness. This can be tricky…sometimes, they’re hard to spot. But I’ve found these five clear, unmistakable danger zones. Take a look below and make every effort to avoid these traps.

1. “…but I’m good at what I do.”
So, it’s not something you want to do, it’s something you can do. I get it, taking advantage of your skills, but sooner or later, it wears thin. I see this quite often with mid-career professionals. They’ve been chugging right along, doing what they do, and suddenly they realize they’ve been discontent for some time. Don’t dedicate your energy to something just because you have the ability and have enjoyed some level of success at it. You deserve to be at least somewhat selective. If you desperately want to do something that you’re not naturally good at, you always have the power to grow your skills.

2. “…but I need the income now.”
It sounds like such an obviously bad idea and yet, so many people fall for this one. Money isn’t enough to keep you happy for long. Yes, we all have financial needs that must be met. But, if that’s the sole reason you’re in your career, prepare for misery. There are—literally—MILLIONS of ways to make money. Find something that offers another kind of satisfaction as well. Compensation comes in many forms and your paycheck is just one.

3. “I'm sure it will improve with time.”
Staying the course and hoping things get better is a sure-fire way to waste time and increase your frustration. If you’re in a career that’s making you miserable, it’s probably safe to say that things can’t change enough to make it worthwhile staying. I guess it’s possible your awful boss will retire, you’ll be promoted and the company will be purchased by Google. In case that doesn’t happen, I am a believer in being proactive and controlling what you can control. If you can’t improve the situation and things don’t change significantly and quickly, start the process of moving on. Don’t stick with it just because you feel invested. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that things will just magically get better with time. This rarely happens.

4. “I’m just not sure.”
Fear and uncertainty are natural. If this is holding you back, you’re not alone. This is the number one reason people stay in careers they don’t enjoy. The unknown path is always scary. Be honest with yourself - if you never confront your fear, you’ll never know what could have been. You don’t want to look back on your life and have regrets or questions. A few calculated risks lead to a life well-lived. Maybe not always an easy or expected life, but one you can be proud of.

5. “Nothing else would be any better.”
This is the kind of thinking that takes over when you’re unhappy. You just give up. You have to be positive and remind yourself that there are ways to find happiness at work which might mean finding a new place to work. No one is cursed with the miserable career plague. It’s a temporary state IF you are willing to do the work to change the status quo. Don’t ever believe you’re stuck.

The kind of thinking described above is normal and tempting. We all fall into these thought patterns on occasion. The good news is that you can snap yourself right out of it. Begin by changing your thinking habits and surrounding yourself with positive people and messages.

Don’t worry, be happy.
David Lammert

Form Your Own Dream Team for Success in 2011

2010-12-13T06:57:00.000-08:00

As we get close to the end of the year, many of us start thinking about what we can do to improve our personal or business productivity for the New Year. Maybe you are looking for a new job, ways to be better in your current job, or new team members to add to your organization? Or, maybe you are like me, a business owner and you reassess your overall goals.

Whatever your current circumstances, I am a strong advocate for developing your own personal dream team – the team that will bring you the greatest success. I have my own “success” team and I thought I'd share some suggestions for how to do the same.

I believe that an advisor is necessary as part of your team. This person might be a business mentor, a business/executive coach, or perhaps an image consultant or social media advisor. Your business mentor is the person to go to with specific questions about business and staying on track toward your goals. This should be someone you can communicate with several times a week if necessary. They are an individual you run strategies or questions by before you put them in place. They should be someone outside your current organization and without any personal agenda except, of course, your best interests.

Business/executive coaches typically act as a “keep me on track” person. They are tough and don’t let you off the hook once you commit to tasks and goals. They bring fresh perspective helping to see the forest because sometimes we are knee deep in the trees. The good ones are tough and sometimes we need others to give us tough love and tell you the things that others won’t say. A once or twice a month 30 to 60 minute call with a good coach is not that expensive and is an investment that will pay for itself many times over.

Another key team member to consider would be an image consultant, personal branding expert and social media guru. Image consultants can assist with a variety of very important career puzzle pieces. For example, they can help develop a professional image for you without making you look like a corporate clone; this can mean the difference between a low to mid-level career and an executive one.

Personal branding consultants can help to identify your strengths and assist in using those to your long term career advantage by teaching you how to market what you have to offer. It's those who standout that get noticed and advance. Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter...it's a lot of work. We have all heard the stories of someone misusing social media and how it can bring a promising career to a swift end. However, without the use of social media and having a networking presence, your career will likely never get off the ground.

In deciding who is best to add to your dream team, some questions to consider:
• Who do I regularly seek advice from? What kind of advice: career or business? Do you take away insights that you use frequently?
• Who serves as a tried and true sounding board for new or crazy ideas you may have?
• Who would endorse you without reservation to a new client or employer?
• Who do you turn to discuss extremely confidential information, business or career?

This is not an all or nothing proposition...you might decide to begin your dream team with a coach first, adding other team members as you go. The key is getting started right away. You don’t need many people on your dream team and having one may just give you that edge you need in either looking for that new job or building your business.

Please share your ideas for your dream team members with me.

Wishing you much success in 2011!
David Lammert

5 Steps to Help Your Job Hunt during the Holiday Season

2010-12-04T08:28:00.000-08:00

With the holidays just around the corner, now is the time to ramp up your job-search -- not shut it down.

While the holidays do cause business to slow, the truth is, employers are still interviewing and still hiring -- and deep into planning for next year. In other words, now is not the time to take your foot off the pedal. Between now and the New Year try implementing the following steps to help insure that you’re 2011 will be the best it can be career wise.

The first key step involves a change to your mindset -- both about job-hunting and about the holidays. You'll need to believe that you can have job-search success during the holidays, even fighting off the holiday blues when you have to. Make an action plan for the twenty or so business days between Thanksgiving and New Year's -- with a goal of accomplishing at least one job-search activity each day.

The second step is about reviewing your job-search materials and strategies. If you have not been successful obtaining interviews or attaining job offers, before ramping up your holiday job-hunting, consider getting an expert to review your methods. Often there are simple fixes to resumes and interviewing techniques that can quickly lead to success.

The third step focuses on taking advantage of the holidays for pushing your networking activities into a higher gear. With work slowing and people in a more festive mood, now is the time for job-seekers to request meetings, reconnect with people, attend holiday gatherings, and request informational interviews. Networking is always the best tool for uncovering job leads, and the holidays are the perfect opportunity to schedule meetings and make phone calls to those in your network.

The fourth step involves monitoring key employer career centers and niche and professional job boards. Even in December, new job opportunities will be posted by employers, so spend some of your time monitoring and applying for these positions.

An optional step, if you have the time and energy, is to volunteer. Charities and other organizations are often stressed to the limits trying to help people cope with the holidays. Besides the emotional and spiritual lift you'll receive from giving back, volunteering is an excellent way to meet new people to add to your network.

Seize the moment and have a happy holiday season.
David Lammert

Want to quit your job and can't? Try these 5 strategies to help you cope.

2010-11-10T07:32:00.001-08:00

You know the old saying “quitters never win”. Whoever said that must not have ever had a job that made them miserable. If you stick something out just because you’re afraid of giving up—and it’s something that no longer serves you—you’re wasting your time. In that case, you lose. Sure, you’re not a quitter…but you sure aren’t a winner either.

When it comes to work, quitting is sometimes the best and only move you can make. Often, it’s a necessary step for forward movement, growth, and pursuing your life’s purpose and career goals.

Still, as we all know, quitting sometimes isn’t an option. Not because it isn’t the right thing to do; but rather because you can’t feasibly move on. Maybe you can’t financially afford to leave your current job. Maybe the health insurance coverage isn’t something you can give up. Maybe the stress of leaving right now would be far worse than the stress of simply sticking it out for a while longer. These things happen, especially in today’s economy and reality.

You can’t always pick up and move on the moment you realize it’s the right thing to do. In fact, it’s rare a decision to quit can be acted on quickly. It takes time and preparation. So, if you know it’s time to quit but doing so right now simply isn’t possible, try the following:

1. Emotionally disconnect yourself.
Remember: It’s just work, it does not define YOU. Many people— including myself —think of work as an extension of their identity. If you’re in a job you hate, you can start to hate yourself. Now is the time to put the job in perspective. You are not your job. Your job is simply providing you with something—whatever that thing is that makes quitting impossible for the time being. Focus on that and break the emotional connection. Vow not to take problems and issues home with you.

2. Find a friend.
Happiness has a lot to do with relationships. Even if you’re ready to leave your job, you can still enjoy the social side of work. Find a person—just one is all it takes—who gets you. Having a friend at work makes every day easier.

3. Get away from it all.
Don’t just hang around in an environment that feels like it’s slowly draining you. Get out and breathe some fresh air. Take lunch out of the office, go on walks throughout the day, or just take a few minutes to sit outside instead of stewing in the frustration that surrounds you. The more perspective you can get, the more you’ll be able to deal with the current situation.

4. Eat the elephant one bite at a time.
It might not be feasible to quit right now, but circumstances will eventually change. Start saving money, learn new skills, broaden your network and make connections. Prepare yourself for a time when you can leave this job and find something more fulfilling…because it will happen sooner or later.

5. Stress less.
I call this “managing the inner game” and truly, this is the most critical point. Believe me, once you know quitting is what you’d like to do but it’s just not possible at the moment, your stress will increase. This is a natural result of feeling trapped. Every instinct in your body is screaming, “FIGHT OR FLIGHT!” It’s also a result of feeling stagnant. You want to move forward and yet, due to circumstances beyond your control, you’re standing still. Don’t ignore these emotions; manage them. Actively work to get your stress under control so you don’t end up making some irrational, emotional decision you’ll later regret.

These coping strategies will help you manage the situation until you are ready to make a change on your terms.

Thanks,
David Lammert

Seven Tips for Creating a Productive Team Culture

2010-10-24T18:31:00.000-07:00

Personal productivity is fantastic thing, but once you become a leader, productivity is no longer just a matter of being the best you can be, but rather of bringing out the best in others. This is a constant challenge! Priorities compete. Distractions abound. Some folks just won’t commit to being productive team members. So how do you create a productive team culture that contributes not only to individual productivity, but also to that of the group?

Here are seven tips:

1. Teach others that “not in their job description” is not acceptable in the new culture you are establishing.
Sometimes, employees are asked to do things outside of their normal duties. When it takes a team effort to get the job done, you want folks ready to happily roll up their sleeves and pitch in. Yes, in general, you want everyone to have their own defined responsibilities, but these well-defined boundaries can’t hold up 100 percent of the time.

Keep a positive attitude and reward your team for pulling together and getting things done. Create a culture where people jump at the chance to help others as opposed to standing back and reveling in the chaos as it unfolds.

2. Focus on the present. Fix problems later.
Imagine this scenario: there’s a big project on the line, and your team needs to pull together to pull it off one day before the deadline...a lot is riding on this project. You’re frustrated. You want to know how this happened. Who dropped the ball? Why didn’t they ask for help sooner? Where did the system break down?

Well, forget it—at least for now (at least until the project is complete). This is not the time for second guessing, finger pointing, or scapegoating; you can’t tolerate any of that from anyone on your team. You need everyone focused on meeting the deadline at hand.

At the outset of your work, let everyone know that problems will be addressed, but not until the crisis has passed. The first order of business it to pull together and finish the project with a positive attitude. Once the project is complete, you can figure out what happened and ensure that it never happens again. This way, cooler heads prevail, and the project won’t suffer because of internal strife and tension.

3. Maintain a unified front.
A reasonable amount of conflict is good. It can help stimulate ideas and bring out the best in people. But as a leader, your job is to have the final say. Your team might squabble and butt heads, but your job is to ensure that they all leave the table with a common purpose. “We can argue all we want behind closed doors, but when we put on our public face, our team must be in agreement externally.”

4. Establish (and manage) expectations.
As a leader, you set the collective tone, attitude, and work ethic of your team. Decide what is expected and make your thoughts known. Do you expect others to meet deadlines or to exceed them? Will you track everyone’s working hours or do you allow some flexibility? How informed should your direct reports keep you about the status of their projects—just the high points or do you prefer detail?

Your people are not mind readers! Make sure they know what you expect of them and what they can expect from you. Keep regular appointments to review each individual’s progress and to reinforce your expectations. As priorities conflict and you adjust expectations, share these changes with your team.

If someone needs to drop everything and focus on one problem or project, make sure he or she knows it. If you need to be kept more informed about a key initiative, make the person responsible aware by saying, “Please keep me posted on your progress and let me know if you run into problems.”

5. Don’t just make rules—build character.
You can set rules all day long, but what you want to do is help develop the character of your team. Character is what kicks in when the rules break down. It is also what helps your team get through tough, demanding times. A team with strong character requires much less management. People appreciate not being micromanaged and you’ll have more time to address your job duties. High productivity is based on a person’s values. If you employ someone who values hard work and honesty, that’s what you can expect from them when you’re not looking.

Clearly state the productivity traits you want people to demonstrate, for example: integrity, accountability, punctuality, excellence, self-discipline, responsibility, and honesty. Post them on your wall. Repeat them often. Refer to your values when explaining your decisions. Ensure that your team knows what you stand for and what you expect from them.

6. Engage your team members.
Engaged employees enthusiastically contribute to both team and company success. They are proud of what they do and where they work. The leader makes the difference here; the relationship between employee and manager is an excellent gauge of the employee’s engagement level. Engaged employees are super competent: the type of people you count on to drive performance outcomes.

Engagement is driven by several factors, including employee confidence and autonomy, the nature and quality of the job, access to training and career development, opportunities for growth, ongoing communication and feedback, a clear grasp of the goals and why their contributions matter, trust in the leaders and their integrity, pride in the company and their place in it, relationships with team members and co-workers, and presence of a competent and supportive managers who foster an environment of excellence and motivate team members by walking the talk, making personal integrity clear.

7. Lead by example.
People might question what you say, but they can’t deny what they see you do. If you arrive late, miss deadlines, or settle for sloppy work, you signal that that this is acceptable. If you show a sincere commitment to following through on your promises, fulfilling your obligations, and behaving with integrity, you set a positive standard. Be consistent. Contradicting you one time can undo years of demonstrating good behavior. People tend to notice inconsistency in a heartbeat and have little patience for it. Hold your team to a high standard, but hold yourself to an even higher one.
Think of some immediate ways you can implement these ideas with your team.

Thanks,
David Lammert

Key Tips for Wise Career Choices

2010-10-06T13:20:00.000-07:00

Life is full of choices. Some require little thought or reflection—like the choice of what to eat for lunch— while others deserve serious debate. When it comes to your career, you’ve likely already made several difficult choices and you will undoubtedly face many more.

There is a natural back and forth in every decision. Usually, whenever something is gained, something else is sacrificed. In order to make informed choices, you must weigh the risks against the potential rewards. You must make assumptions and, at times, great leaps of faith. Choices are rarely ever black and white, all good or all bad, clearly right or clearly wrong. They are complicated and no two people will see them through the exact same lens.

As with most things in life, putting in the effort on the front end is the best way to reduce the potential for disappointing results on the back end. There is no guarantee, of course. Even the most thoughtful decisions have been known to backfire. A choice is, most often, nothing more than an educated guess—a hopeful step in a new direction.

So, when facing a career choice, whether big or small, how can you make sure you’re approaching the situation with the appropriate level of consideration? How can you ensure your “guess” is truly the best you can make? Below, I’ve outlined a few points to remember in your decision-making process.

Does the choice reflect who you are?
Your life is the result of your choices. Each decision outlines your reality and is a reflection of who you are, what you value and your priorities. Making choices that conflict with your underlying values inevitably leads to restlessness and dissatisfaction. If you aren’t happy with the choices you’ve made in the past, evaluate your values and what motivated your decision. More than likely, there is some sort of disconnect between the two.

The Emotional factor
Be sure to recognize the role emotions play in your decision-making process. Though it’s unrealistic—and unhealthy—to suppress emotions completely, it’s helpful to understand where they influence your behaviors. Look for the messages beneath the emotions; let your heart and your head work together to find the best solution for you.

Make time your ally
Anxiety and urgency almost always have a negative impact on decision-making. Don’t let a ticking clock push you into a choice you haven’t properly evaluated. Sure, you may face a deadline to reach your conclusion, but avoid placing unnecessary timelines on yourself. Be thorough and balance your desire for a resolution with your need for a well thought-out decision-making process.

NOT making a decision is still a decision
You can’t simply ignore that a decision has to be made and expect it to go away. Choosing not to choose is often the easiest way out, but it’s still a choice in its own special way. It’s the choice to observe rather than participate, which isn’t always a bad thing. There are times when you’re better off simply letting a situation run its course without attempting to steer it in any direction. Sit back, allow events to unfold, and let the decision to you.

Avoid framing it as an “either/or” choice
There are always more options. When you trap yourself into limited thinking, you fail to see all the potential options. Don’t place artificial restrictions on yourself or the possibilities in front of you. When you face an “either/or” dilemma, look for the grey space in between. Don't be tempted to view it as an empty void; it can be a deep well of potential.

Extend some trust
Trust in yourself, trust in others, trust in the Universe. Have a little faith that everything will work out well, whether or not the future looks exactly the way you had imagined it. Remember that change is constant and you have the resources to manage whatever comes along. Your choices have consequences that shape your reality; you always have the opportunity to make different choices in the future and create a new reality for yourself.

Remember that a well thought-out choice is never wrong, no matter what happens. It might be tempting to blame yourself when things don’t turn out the way you had anticipated, but this accomplishes nothing. Don’t dwell in regret. Simply accept the lesson and move on. Take what you’ve learned with you and use it the next time you face a difficult choice in your career or elsewhere in life.

I hope you find this helpful the next time you are confronted with a career choice.

Thanks,
David Lammert

Are your skills and experience overrated?

2010-09-27T16:41:00.000-07:00

Every day I talk to managers, senior executives, and other hiring authorities who all seem to say the same thing: they are not necessarily looking for advanced degrees or certifications in the new hires they want to attract. They seem to feel that it is more important that new hires are able to work effectively on the teams that are already in place, while also making their own specialized, individual contribution to the company.

Survey says: they are not alone
According to recent research by Right Management, more and more organizations prefer to hire employees who are a good cultural and motivational fit with their team. In the first quarter of 2010, Right Management surveyed more than 800 senior human resource professionals and other business leaders throughout North America to learn what contributes most to accelerated performance. The results?
• Organizational culture/motivational fit: 31%
• Interpersonal behaviors: 26%
• Critical reasoning/judgment: 21%
• Technical skills: 12%
• Relevant experience: 11%

“Immediate, on-the-job performance is so essential these days,” said Michael Haid, Senior Vice President of Global Solutions at Right Management. “New hires need to get up to speed fast and make a smooth transition into the new environment.”

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
The data proves that you could be the most qualified employee with the most impressive resume in the world, but if you’re unable to get along with your co-workers and perform well under pressure and in a way that the organization considers meaningful, it won’t matter. The trend that I (as a recruiter) have seen is more and more weight being given to "fit" becoming a hiring norm rather than a short-term fad.

Your first priority: build and maintain a quality reputation
If you want to assure your managers of your value, keep striving to reach your outlined performance goals and develop new skills. You should also place an emphasis on developing deep and positive relationships and look for opportunities to demonstrate that your values are aligned with those of your organization. Actively manage your reputation and don’t shy away from challenges, since as the survey results suggest, the mere act of using good judgment to address a problem may be more impactful than the result.

6 behaviors that will knock your career off track

2010-09-20T09:27:00.000-07:00

Getting bumped off the track on your way to the top of the ladder is every high-achiever's recurring nightmare. How can you be sure it doesn't happen to you? Review these six indicators of career derailment. If any of them describe you, you'll know what areas you need to work on:

1. Disagreements with Higher Management
Obviously, this is a no-no, even if your point of view is correct. Those who would rather be right than promoted almost always get their wish.

2. Problems with Team Building
You need to be good at spotting talent. Building diversity, developing the individuals who report to you and helping your people work together effectively are core capabilities that you can't do without for very long.

3. Problems Developing Working Relationships
If people don't want to be around you, your career is in trouble. Bullying, isolation and being out of the loop all torpedo corporate careers.

4. Lack of Follow-Through
When you consistently forget to follow up on promises and don't attend to important details, people notice and question the wisdom of handing you anything else to forget.

5. Difficulty Moving from a Technical to a Strategic Level
Here's where many people can stumble and find themselves unable to go beyond what they know in order to formulate more complex strategies. If you're on your way up the ladder from a more technical role, be sure to ask your boss for some feedback as to whether your strategic skills need honing.

6. Assuming Something (Or Someone) Other Than Your Own Hard Work Will Take You Where You Want to Go
Being overly dependent on a powerful boss or some other advocate, or even on your natural talent, sometimes causes high-potential people to get a little lazy. "I know I'll make VP this spring, because all the important people are on my side," a rising young star once said. Wrong -- he was passed on the inside lane by somebody who had just made a great presentation to the senior VP. The only person who can get you noticed and promoted is you.

***************************************************************************

Anything on that list sound familiar? If not, take a second look or consult a friend. Psychologists tell us that self-evaluation is a terrible indicator of performance. To be on the safe side, ask somebody who knows you well (and will tell you the truth) to have a look at the list and give you some objective feedback.

When it comes to keeping your career on track, what you don't know about yourself could definitely hurt you.

How to research a potential new employer on the Web

2010-09-13T07:55:00.000-07:00

You've scoured the job postings, revised your resume dozens of times, and composed cover letters that will impress even the most skeptical recruiter and hiring manager. If all your hard work pays off with an invitation to interview, don't squander the opportunity by failing to learn about your potential new employer before you get there. Researching a company requires more than reading the job description and looking them up in the phonebook to find out what they do. If you really want to knock their socks off, you need to go the extra mile; that’s what it takes today to separate yourself from other potential candidates.

Point and Click
Virtually all companies now have websites. I am sure the companies you've applied to have them as well and hopefully they're informative and easy to navigate. Look for the obvious, such as what they do and who they serve, but dive in and see if you can find out more. A good website probably includes:
• A mission statement which captures the philosophy of the company
• A description of the company's expertise
• A description or listing of the company's primary products and services and key staff members
• Advertising, press releases, or statements regarding the company's new product launches or joint ventures
• Current and archived newsletters and blogs. These can be a rich source of information you could not find elsewhere. Be sure to read these and use the information in your interview.

Dig, Dig, Dig
Some companies include separate areas for their corporate information as well as links to those areas aren't always obvious. Occasionally, they even maintain a separate site which keeps their company information separate from their consumer-facing sites. Look for small links which often sit at the top or bottom of their webpages, and check search engine results to see if more than one URL shows up relative to the company you're researching. You may be able to dig up more details which can help further your knowledge and understanding of a company, such as:
• The size of the company and its organizational culture
• Annual reports
• A history of how and why the company was formed, including biographies of its owners or founders

Explore
Once you've gleaned what you need from their own information, effective searching can really help you develop a bigger picture of the overall industry in which the company fits. Familiarize yourself with key events, legislation, competitors, or issues which may currently affect the company. Your questions or statements about such topics during an interview will demonstrate that you've really done your research and will hopefully leave the kind of impression that gives you an edge over others and ultimately gets you the job.

Good Luck!
David Lammert

Football vs. Corporate Recruitment - How to Get Your Best Team

2010-08-23T15:37:00.000-07:00

I have been a die-hard football fan all my life. I love the game and look forward to the start of the football season each year. I especially love watching college football every Saturday. I am a native Nebraskan (Go Big Red!) and huge fan of all things related to Nebraska football.

As a recruiter, I pay particular attention to the recruitment process that college as well as professional teams execute in order to achieve a championship caliber team. In a professional football organization, the recruitment process starts with a draft. The NFL draft process is an exciting journey for the teams and the draft picks alike. The teams spend a tremendous amount of time and energy putting together the potential list of players that they would like to draft to their team. The draft picks are recruited to specific teams for their specific top-notch skills which they can be bring to the game to make the overall team stronger.

In the business world, organizations put together a list of qualifications they need candidates to possess to become a stronger firm. What I think is the "teachable moment" about the football recruiting process at either the college or pro level is the organization understanding of the importance of proper recruiting. The energy and commitment that the organization puts forth throughout the whole recruiting process is indicative of the quality of team that they will end up with.

For draftees in the NFL, there are typically no job descriptions provided. They know what they’ve signed themselves up for. All that’s required of them is to continuously “bring it” every day on the field and keep up the appropriate attitude to support their level of play. They learn from their mistakes in past games and practices and then move to improve their small imperfections that have decreased their chances of winning, ending up leading their team to victory. They’ve been chosen as recruits for a particular reason - because they work hard, give their best, and continuously work to improve themselves above all others.

Along with recruiting the right skills for your business or team, trying to find that “perfect fit” within the culture is a definite must! With a strong focus on company and team culture, everyone can work together striving towards the same goal. No one will deviate away from the main goal and only focus on themselves. Both coaches and managers should prioritize building a close bond with prospective employees and then develop that loyalty once they are part of the team. Developing a strong trust will lead the employee to feel wanted and appreciated by the organization which in the end will make a productive team. This is what ultimately makes a championship caliber company!

I hope your team goes undefeated this season!

David Lammert

Conduct a Talent Assessment of your staff

2010-08-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

Today's business owners and managers are tasked with getting the greatest productivity out of their team - it’s all about leading, motivating and inspiring people to do their absolute best. A Talent Assessment is a tool that managers can employ to ensure that they’ve got the right people in the right jobs, and can really make a profound impact on performance when done correctly.

A Talent Assessment is a process by which a business owner or manager takes stock of their current staff by asking two simple questions:

1. Is there anyone on this team who is (or appears to be) struggling with consistently hitting their performance objectives?

2. Do I have the best possible hire in each position in my company or department?

Question #1 is fairly straightforward. Chances are, you can immediately think of one or more team members whom you know are not meeting expectations on a consistent basis. If that’s the case, you have an obligation to the business to take action. For many of us, the “not-so-fun” part of managing a team starts with telling someone that they aren’t performing at the level expected; so we avoid doing it. You don’t need my help to figure out what to do in this instance. Coach, and then monitor results. Make changes if the situation doesn’t improve.

Question #2 is much more complicated, but it’s where the real payoff lies if you can determine the right answer. Sometimes, the answer may be that you have a superstar employee, but you have them in the wrong role. Many managers are hesitant to move A-Player staff members because they’re worried about losing or offending that person. However, that’s simply counterproductive.

Think of it like the coach or manager of a sports team who takes a high-performing player and puts them into a different position on the team because it’s more suited to their skills - like a baseball manager who moves their leadoff batter into the second or third spot because such a move increases their chance of scoring runs. Done haphazardly, reactively, or without forethought and analysis such moves can be risky and even destructive to team production. Done well, however, and you can turn a good team into a World Series contender. Tweaking your lineup can help people from becoming static in their role and lets others know that you are watching and aren't willing to accept the status-quo.

The methodology for addressing the situation outlined above is a process I refer to as the Talent Assessment and it’s a tool that you should invest time and effort in. Simply put, the Talent Assessment is the process by which you analyze each position in the organization, asking the question, “Do I have the best possible hire in this position?” The process begins with reviewing the Job Profile for each position, and then scoring the team member currently in that role against the benchmark score for a “perfect hire” that’s contained in the job profile. The goal is to make an emotions-free assessment about whether or not it’s time to make personnel adjustments that will have a positive impact on team performance.

I advocate the continuous use of the Talent Assessment by owners and senior managers because performance is never static. It’s an especially important process to consider if any of the following are true:
• You’ve had the same team in place for longer than 12 months, with no adjustments to personnel. Time to look at that lineup.
• Your hiring process is ad hoc or you’re getting inconsistent results from your interviewing / hiring process. Time to validate your original decisions.
• Your business or team is not hitting the performance objectives that have been set. Time to analyze the problem at what is likely the root cause – the wrong people in the wrong jobs.
• You have high staff turnover. Time to find out if you have the wrong person managing staff.

Think of the Talent Assessment process like any other investment decision - by dedicating a little bit of time on the front end, you can dramatically cut your risks and improve results over the long run. Cutting risk and increasing reward - two no-brainer reasons to consider a Talent Assessment for your business or organization.

Four key follow up steps to the interview

2010-08-09T12:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, you have had your interview (and give yourself a high-five just for that in this economy). The interview seemed to go positively and you leave feeling hopeful. Now comes what is the single most agonizing part of the job hunt for most everyone: waiting for the hiring manager to call. Relax a bit; you do still have some control over the process from here. Try the following steps to maximize your chances for success.

* Send thank-you notes
Don't stress too much over whether they're emailed or handwritten. The most important thing is to send them. Even if you think the job is in the bag, there are some people who expect this important letter.

Your thank-you letter should contain three parts. Thank the interviewer, and then explain why you're a good fit. Close by saying you're looking forward to the next step.

* Breaking through the silence
The interviewer said she'd let you know by Tuesday if you made it to the next round of interviews. It's now Friday, and you haven't heard anything. It's possible you didn't make the cut. However, it’s also very possible that the interviewer just got busy.

What should you do next? Call or email. If you don't get a reply in a few days, try again. Yes, you might occasionally annoy a frazzled hiring manager. But as long as your messages are polite and brief, most interviewers are more likely to be impressed by your perseverance, communication skills, and interest in the job.

You should be most concerned about making people see how you can contribute to the organization. The key is to keep your messages positive - don't sound accusatory or indignant, just remind the interviewer of your conversation, say you enjoyed it, and ask for an update on the process. It may help you to prepare a script ahead of time.

* Correcting a bad first impression
Perhaps you feel that you didn't make the best impression in the interview. The follow-up is your chance to recover. Tell the interviewer you would like to provide them with some additional resources. If you can send documentation of your abilities--or even get references to send notes on your behalf--consider doing so.

If your reason for thinking you blew the interview is something minor (perhaps spilling your coffee) ignore it. Drawing attention to your embarrassment about little things might lead the person to think you're too insecure.

* Dealing with rejection
When you hear from an interviewer but the news is bad, what should you do?

First, thank the person for letting you know. Then ask if the interviewer would be willing to give you any feedback that you could use for future interviews. The answer will likely be no, but it demonstrates you are interested in improving.

Then keep networking with the interviewer, perhaps an occasional, well-chosen article related to your industry, for example, or by joining a group on LinkedIn. You never know when the position or a similar one might open.

******************************************************************
Before your interview, make sure you prepare, prepare some more and follow these follow up options and your chances of receiving an offer will dramatically improve.

Best wishes!
David Lammert

Is Your Potential New Boss the Right Fit for You?

2010-08-02T17:50:00.000-07:00

Are you interviewing for your next great position? Perhaps you've already considered the following:

1. What kind of company do you want to work for?
2. What is the product or service they provide?
3. Is the company financially solid?
4. Is the company growing?
5. What is the company culture like?
6. Do they have a strong executive leadership team?
7. Have the executives been with the organization for a long time?
8. Is the compensation and benefit package competitive?

However, before you accept a position, make sure you have given the proper thought to who you'll report to; no matter how great the company, the product, or the position, if you don't match well with your manager's style you're going to be starting with a considerable burden that you can’t likely overcome. How do you determine if a manager's a right fit for you? The list below includes some indicators to consider before you make your decision.

Before the interview:
Determine your work style and the type of manager that your style will match with. Go online and do a search for management styles to get more detailed descriptions. However, what you’re likely to find are these common management styles: Autocratic; Paternalistic; Democratic; and Laissez-fair.

Autocratic - the manager makes decisions unilaterally without much regard for his subordinates. He's operating only by what he thinks is best.

Paternalistic - this style is also dictatorial. However, they consider the best interests of the team and the business before making decisions.

Democratic - this manager allows his/her employees to participate in the decision-making process. Matters are decided by majority rule.

Laissez-faire- this manager does not communicate with his team and evades his/her management duties. Uncoordinated delegation occurs.

During the interview:
Ask about the manager's style of managing, leading and delegating. Today’s busy managers don't have the time to stand over your shoulder. Remember micro-managers never think they are micro-managers. If the manager mentions their style is hands-off and are available to the team when needed it's a good sign. Have an in-depth talk with them about their team. Try to ascertain if they're the type of manager who operates from a diplomatic and fair viewpoint. Are they friendly and open to answering your questions? Or is your gut telling you something different? Ask questions about staff problems or issues they've had to deal with. How was the problem resolved? Does the resolution seem logical and right or wrong to you? Answers to these questions will give some insight into how the manager thinks. Are there similarities in how you approach things or vast differences?

If a strong team atmosphere is promoted and you're offered a job without meeting the team, something might be off. If there's really a strong team culture you usually have a chance at some point to interview with other team members. This is an opportunity for the manager to show his team respect and get their buy in. For candidates it's the chance to find out important details about the team. How long have the team members been there? If they're long term employees it's another great sign. Be sure to explore how they feel about their manager and note the answers you receive.

Do your homework and use your social networks (like LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter). Ask friends, family and colleagues to see if anyone has any insight into the management or the company? Do some homework and see what you find. Lastly, evaluate the information you receive and trust your instincts. If something doesn't feel right, it usually isn't.

Best Questions to Ask (and Avoid) During a Job Interview

2010-07-26T15:49:00.000-07:00

In previous writings I have talked about how to answer the most common questions asked by a hiring manager. These blogs have led some to ask: “What are the best questions to ask during an interview?” So today I am going to help clarify the best questions to ask during a job interview.

We have grown up learning that there is no such thing as a “dumb” question. Although still true, in certain situations there are questions we can ask that reveal our level of competence on a specific subject. Therefore, it is important that when you ask a question you do so in a way that allows you to come across as well informed. Otherwise, you can easily be disqualified from consideration for not showing the right level of knowledge.

Remember, you might be the very top professional in your current position, but the interviewer does not know you. So every aspect of your interview is being dissected for clues into your skill level, personality and overall aptitude.

Experienced interviewers who have interviewed thousands of candidates can easily learn about what a person brings to the table by the questions they ask. As a result, I am going to show you how to formulate the best questions so you don’t lose a job opportunity for not knowing the difference between a good and not so good question.

There two types of questions that you will need to formulate and deliver during your job interview.

1) Predetermined questions that you bring with you to the interview

2) Questions that come to mind during an interview.

You should prepare between 4 and 8 predetermined questions to ask. You don’t want to have too few because the answers might naturally come up during the interview before you get a chance to ask them. If this happens, then you might as well have shown up to the interview without questions in the first place and this could be the end of your candidacy.

Another benefit to this preparation: good predetermined questions will open up dialogue and lead you to other topics of interest. The objective of all of this is to create a conversational tone between two professionals who understand each other.

*************************************************************************
Here are some examples of quality questions that you can ask:

1) How much entrepreneurial latitude will I have to meet the goals and objectives of the position?

A question such as the one above shows that you are thinking a few steps ahead. You are demonstrating that you are eager to contribute and may already have some ideas on how to do so. Using the word entrepreneurial will show that you see the position as your own business and are likely to be more passionate about than another candidate who sees it as just a “job”. This is also a good question to find out if this company is very narrow in how they want things done and don’t want someone who is willing to try unconventional methods.

2) What are the top two challenges that the selected candidate will need to overcome to succeed in this position?

When you take a consultative approach to the interview, it really sets you up for developing the 2nd type of questions that you need to as (“Questions that come up during the interview”). Consultative type questions help you uncover the x-factors that only surface once you drill down beyond the job description and really learn what the true needs are for this position.

Keep in mind every role has specific needs that don’t always show up clearly on the job description. It could be that the department already has a talented team, but is looking for someone with leadership and development skills. Perhaps they are looking for someone who is really strong in program design? These types of things are the x-factors that really can help differentiate you from equally experienced candidates and land that job if you hit the nail right on the head.

3) If the pending CFATS (Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards) legislation is passed, then what, if any impact do you think it will have on this organization and this position?

When you are a security professional who is aware of external factors impacting your work such as laws, regulations, competitor, etc… Then you demonstrate that you are a different caliber of professional. It takes someone with true passion about what they do to actually care about something like this.

You also demonstrate that you understand the industry well enough to know that certain regulatory measures can truly alter the scope of a position, department and company, so they need to be planned for.

This concept is not limited to a top level corporate security leader. Today we are seeing a significant increase in complex regulations and legislation being passed. This means that all industries and all levels of positions within the security industry are going to be affected. Learn what bills impact your position and find out how that might change the scope of the business and your role.

Keep in mind, when you are being interviewed; you are also interviewing the company. If they don’t show they have it all together, you might not want to work there. The deal is that you do your job as long as they do theirs. You need to make sure that they are as good at doing their job as you are at yours. Don’t ever feel hesitant to ask questions that help you learn if this is the right fit for you. Just don’t be brash or arrogant because no one likes that in any setting.

*************************************************************************

Let’s quickly look at some bad interview questions. I won’t elaborate too much because you should be able to see the stark contrast between the quality examples above vs. the low quality examples here:

1) How much training will I receive to help me do this job?

There are very few occasions where this question is valid. A question like this might work if you are recruited right out of college. Outside of that, just assume that there is some support system put in place to help you succeed. But for the most part, companies are hiring you to do a job you already know how to do. Hopefully you can do it better than they expect of you.

Very few companies want to train you to do your job beyond the basics of how they do business. They might train you once you are hired to do a more complex job as you grow into your career. But don’t go into a job hoping to be trained. Have confidence in what you can do and avoid asking this question during an interview.

It does nothing to demonstrate your strengths and record of achievement.

2) What are the advancement opportunities in this job / company?

A great professional who takes their career seriously knows that they will advance just on the merits of their accomplishments and track record of results. If they don’t advance in due time, they will change jobs.

When you ask then you might get a corporate sales pitch on advancement opportunities, but this question does not show the hiring manager that you can do the job. It shows that you are interested only in yourself, but have you proven you can do the job yet? Should they hire you because you are interested in a promotion before you even shown you are good at what you do?

When you ask questions, you want to raise eyebrows and draw attention to your greatest strengths. You want to take control of the interview and turn it into a conversation about what you can deliver to this organization. Not a Q & A session that is right out of a job interview text book.

3) What is the most important skill you are looking for?

When you ask a very direct question that may have an obvious answer, then you risk putting yourself in a bad spot. This sort of conversation is too elementary to win the intellectual chess match in an interview. Remember skill is needed to solve a problem. If you show that you can solve the problem and the interviewer will automatically assume you have the skill to do it.

Remember the earlier example: “What are the top two challenges that the selected candidate will need to overcome in order to succeed?” Once the interviewer answers and you respond with a potential solution, then you have shown you have the skills without ever needing to ask what they are. You are also communicating at a much higher level which is always a plus in an ideal candidate.

*************************************************************************

Hopefully these examples help identify the guidelines you can follow in composing your interview questions. Your questions are a window into your abilities, so only open the windows that you want the manager to look through.

If you get stumped and are going on an interview soon, then don’t hesitate to reach out to me and I will gladly help you.

Good Luck to you!
David Lammert

Tips for a successful phone interview

2010-07-18T16:53:00.000-07:00

Phone interviews are a commonly used tool for employers to narrow down a pool of candidates before they invite them for in-person interviews. The phone interview has many built-in potential challenges that you need to be aware of and plan for. With a bit of knowledge you can overcome potential pitfalls.

Review the tips below pull off your next phone interview without a hitch.

*Schedule the phone interview carefully
Clear the room. Be sure to schedule the phone interview for a time when you are unlikely to be interrupted. If you have school aged children, try to schedule the interview to start at least an hour before they come home. Even if you have warned them to come in quietly, most children will make some noise, wake up the cat or dog and generally cause at least a minor commotion. Turn off your call waiting, the TV and the radio and close the door.

*Prepare thoroughly
You need to prepare as thoroughly for a phone interview as for an in-person interview. You will want to research the company and their competitors. The interview will be focused on your previous experience. Read the job posting or description carefully and write down your experiences and skills that relate to each point in the job description. Check out the interviewer on LinkedIn and Google, and try to find things which you might have in common. Did you attend the same college, live in the same town, or share a common interest? Any kind of connections can be helpful in establishing rapport. Have a drink of water right before you begin your call.

*Consider Standing up to talk
Many people find standing will increase your energy and confidence while talking on the phone. I find it helps to pace. Practice answering sample interview questions while both standing and sitting in order to figure out what might work best for you. If you choose to sit during the conversation, tape your resume to the wall or computer monitor for reference. Also, take a few notes that you can refer to during the in-person interview.

*End strong
Many interviewers often seem to rush towards the end of the interview. They generally allot a certain amount of time for each phone interview based on their standard list of questions, and may not have a lot of time for answering your questions. However, make sure you have some questions to ask just in case there is an opening for questions or you are asked if you have any. Be certain that you mention how interested you are in the job, and ask what the next step is in their interview process. If you were not able to find out the interviewer’s email in your research, ask for it now so you can send a thank you.

*During the Phone Interview
- Don’t eat, pour yourself a beverage, smoke or chew gum
- Smile, Smile, Smile - it will project a positive image…even over the phone
- Maintain good posture
- Don’t interrupt the interviewer. This can be a real deal breaker for some
- Give 30 to 90 second answers
- Listen carefully to the questions as they are asked and answer them directly

Follow these simple tips and you’re likely to ace your phone interview. Good luck!

Thanks,
David Lammert

Using these words will help you get your next job!

2010-06-23T09:05:00.000-07:00

With so many people still out of work I am surprised by the number of resumes I receive that are poorly written. It seems to me that many have not taken the opportunity to review their resume and to do what is needed to improve it in order to get a better chance of receiving a call to interview. There is tremendous competition for each job available and your resume is just one more tool employers and recruiters use to screen you out. You might be the best security professional in the industry; however, if your resume does not properly reflect your accomplishments and achievements (or is too wordy) you will likely be eliminated without even knowing it.

When writing your resume, your goal is to present your skill set and accomplishments in the best light possible. One of the best ways to do this is by honing your job descriptions using powerful verbs. By reading this part of your resume, recruiters should be able to get a firm grasp on the work you’ve done as well as the work you are capable of completing for them. By choosing the right verbs, you can help the reader to visualize you at their job!

As a first step, go through your resume and look at the verbs you are using now. Don’t have any? Consider turning short phrases like “increased efficiency” into statements like "improved efficiency resulting in a $75,000 savings." Or "manage staff" to “manage a staff of 5 direct reports and 110 indirect reports”. Are the verbs you are using descriptive? If not, use a thesaurus or brainstorm to find better word choices. Instead of “provide weekly reports to senior management team,” try “compiled and analyzed incident reports and presented recommendations to senior management staff.”

However, don’t overload or embellish your resume with action verbs. Instead, use them to highlight your biggest achievements and most valuable skills. Below is a list of some top action verbs that can help you start! Looking it over might even help you to remember other responsibilities that you have not already listed.

Accelerated
Empowered
Motivated
Accomplished
Enabled
Negotiated
Achieved
Encouraged
Obtained
Acted
Engineered
Operated
Adapted
Enhanced
Orchestrated
Administered
Enlisted
Organized
Allocated
Established
Originated
***The list above is abbreviated. If you would like a complete list of 100 descriptive verbs, feel free to email me at: david@pinnacleplacement.com

Grab your resume and see how many of these words (or similar ones) are on it. This should give you a pretty good idea if you need a major overhaul.

Good luck.
David Lammert

10 Keys to Acing Your Interview with Human Resources

2010-06-16T07:55:00.000-07:00

Most companies will expect you to meet with their Human Resources department at an early stage in the interview process. The traits HR professionals are looking for can be far different from the hiring manager; however, don't underestimate the power of the HR staff to influence the hiring decision. The hiring manager will be more interested in your skill set as it relates to their specific position, but winning the approval of HR is critical.

Here are 10 key tips for a successful interview with the HR professionals:

* Never throw anything or anyone under the bus (no matter how much they may deserve it). This applies to your former employer, coworkers, or Osama bin Laden. HR is seeking to screen out whiners and troublemakers. Be kind and positive about everything and everyone.
* Make sure your appearance is in order. Fair or not, you are judged based on how you look. Clothes must be pressed and on the conservative side. Give your shoes a fresh polish. Don’t wear cologne or perfume. Leave your bling at home.
* Don’t smoke before the interview. There is an unconscious bias against smokers, even from other smokers. Smokers are also more expensive to insure.
* Avoid being cocky and telling them how incredible you are. You got the interview didn't you? Let your results sell you. A little humility will go a long way with Human Resources professionals. This is near the top of complaint list from HR managers.
* Don’t share your life story. Although HR team members tend to be very friendly and excellent listeners, don't confuse Human Resources with your mother or your best friend. Confine your answers to business topics.
* Don’t expect HR to have a timeline for the hiring process. Ideally, they want to fill the opening tomorrow so they can move on to filling other roles. However, the process has many uncontrollable variables. Realistically, it will probably take a few months.
* Be prepared to talk about your strengths and weaknesses. Avoid standard answers like: you struggle to delegate or you care too much. An interview is a conversation, not a bad Match.com profile. Show some self-awareness and ability to improve weaknesses.
* When you walk through your resume, don’t gloss over any career mistakes. It is positive to share a slightly negative experience that taught you something. It shows character. Tell them how you learned something from the experience.
* Connect with them. They may represent a multi-billion dollar company, but, they are human beings, too. Scan their offices (or LinkedIn profile if it's a phone interview) and look for awards, photos, or something noteworthy. Make a connection. This is what salespeople do, and it works. They will remember you for it.
Make it easy for them to hire you. Site examples and tell stories during the interview process, frame those examples and stories in a way that relates to the job description, the issues in the industry, or the company’s mission. Be relevant and you will be remembered.

It doesn’t take a box of donuts or a cheesy line (chances are they have heard them before) to capture the memory of an HR professional. Be honest, tell your story, and try to relax. There’s no magic formula to acing your interview, but there are plenty of ways to put your foot in your mouth and sabotage your chances for success.

Good luck!
David Lammert

The Handshake

2010-06-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

The handshake sets the tone for most interviews so, be sure to get off to a solid start with a confident, professional introduction. Research shows that a handshake can establish the same level of rapport that it would take three hours of face-to-face conversation to achieve.

With that in mind, let's review some tips for shaking your way to a job offer or solid business relationship.

1) Be first out of the gate.
When the interviewer approaches you, be the first to extend your hand. It shows an openness and proactive nature. Both are qualities all employers desire.

2) What's your slant?
Begin with your hand slightly angled...your palm should not be completely facing the ground. A sideways slant allows for a better lock between hands.

3) The palms hold the key.
Palm-to-palm contact is most important element of the handshake. The palm-to-palm contact is symbolic and shows you are fully engaged and connected.

4) The eyes have it.
Making eye contact is a no-brainer. It is essential to taking the connection to the next level and to demonstrate confidence.

5) Under pressure.
Here is where you take your cue from the interviewer, and apply no more pressure than about two levels above the pressure they are exerting. Whatever you do, avoid the extremes of too much or too little pressure.

Many of you might think this is an elementary topic to cover. However, I can tell you of several candidates I know who lost an opportunity simply with poor “handshake” technique. The interviewer was so put off by the candidates introduction that they told me "it didn't matter" what the candidate said after that because "the interview was already over."

Shake the hand of someone you know and trust and obtain their feedback. It might just help you get a job.

Thanks,
David Lammert

Do I Need a Cover Letter with My Resume?

2010-05-31T16:55:00.000-07:00

Today, many job seekers feel their resumes seem to disappear into a “black hole” after applying for a position. This has many wondering if there is any point in sending a cover letter with their resume. That answer is absolutely yes! While a cover letter won't get you the job, it will give you a greater chance to be noticed among other applicants. Standing out can lead to an interview which is the only way you will get the opportunity to win the job.

An effective cover letter communicates so much to a recruiter and potential employer, specifically; from why you are interested in the open position to what relevant skills and experience you have to offer. With so many unqualified job seekers indiscriminately applying for hundreds of jobs, your resume will automatically stand out if you can demonstrate that you truly have a personal interest in a particular position and the qualifications and achievements to match.

Effectively explaining why you want the job requires you to cite those qualities and skills that personally make you a good candidate. Generally speaking, the likelihood that you would be a good fit for the position is directly related to your relevant experience and education; for example, a CPP could likely perform security management duties for a number of companies. However, telling an organization that you’ve “considered” obtaining a master’s degree in business administration makes your interest in the job personal, rather than objective and professional.

In an attempt to personalize their cover letters, job seekers often research a company by examining their website. While it’s good to know things such as what a manufacturing company makes or the volume of business a firm does annually, including facts like these in a cover letter is counterproductive. Hiring managers and recruiters already know all about their own company; what they don’t know is why you’d be an asset. Use the cover letter as an opportunity to sell your skills and ability. Save the facts and figures about the company for the interview. That's where you want to use them.

Your willingness to write a cover letter confirms for the employer that you have a serious interest in a specific position. However, to be effective a cover letter should demonstrate your knowledge of the company by relating your personal achievements and qualities to that specific business or role. The people reading your resume or application don’t know anything about you. Your cover letter needs to sell you as a candidate, while your resume supports your assertions with specific details.

So, brush up that resume with specific achievements and accomplishments from each of your previous positions and then write a tailored covered letter before you hit the send key.

Common Hiring Errors and How to Fix Them

2010-05-24T07:49:00.000-07:00

Let's begin by defining a hiring error: if your standards are on the lower end of the scale, a hiring error is selecting someone who then gets terminated or quits during the first 6 months on the job. If you have higher standards, it’s someone who isn’t an achiever (an “achiever” would typically be a B+ or better person - in other words, someone who delivers high-quality results on a consistent basis, deals effectively with all types of people, can take on bigger tasks, and gets promoted into larger positions).

To me, not hiring an achiever is a mistake, regardless of the role. For more common rank-and-file positions, not hiring someone who performs as well as those already in the top-third of your work-force is also an error.

Not making these common hiring errors is sure to improve your company’s overall talent levels. Using this perspective, there are some common hiring mistakes that can be reduced and virtually eliminated with some basic processes, focus and effort.

Below, I have outlined some of the most frequent errors, along with some solutions.

Common Hiring Errors and Solutions
1. Not enough quality candidates to consider. On one level this is a sourcing issue as it clearly falls in the lap of the recruiting department to find enough applicants to make an appropriate hiring decision. On the other hand, if the company has weak leadership, a non-competitive compensation plan and/or a bad reputation, it’s unlikely it will see enough good people, regardless of the strength of the recruiting department. However, if the company’s resources are reasonable, then the recruiting effort might just needs fine-tuning. You need to have a strong sourcing and recruiting strategy that drives enough top talent to the organization in order to hire enough of them to fit your needs. When the supply of talent exceeds demand, this is easy to do, but won’t be once the recovery begins. Start your future recruiting efforts now!

2. We didn't hire the best candidate. This is a frequent hiring error that usually falls at the feet of the hiring manager. In this case, you never know about this mistake, so assigning blame for something that didn’t happen is tough to do. Perhaps it is the process used to compare candidates that is at fault. This problem is often enhanced by the informal decision-making process managers use to decide whom to hire among competing candidates. A candidate profile and candidate assessment will reduce the likelihood of this error. It is a great solution for using evidence vs. feelings to make the assessment.

3. A strong person was hired, but isn’t working out for a variety of reasons. This is a major disappointment, but usually attributed to hiring an achiever for the wrong job or lack of fit with the hiring manager. Other reasons include an inability to work with the team or some type of personality and culture clash. The job fit mistake is largely caused by not clarifying job expectations before the person was hired, resulting in selecting someone who is competent, but not motivated to do the work required. This is a serious mistake and fault should be assigned to the hiring authority. The good news is, it’s easily corrected with a little discipline. Require managers to prepare a candidate/ performance (not a job description) before beginning the hiring process. This profile summarizes the performance requirements of the job, not the skills required to do the work. Many of these can address the team, culture, and managerial fit issues, minimizing these types of mistakes, as well.

4. The position was a lateral move for the candidate. This is a variation of the “good person, wrong job” problem above, but with a different solution. During an economic slowdown, the best people aren’t looking, and those that are have lowered their acceptance standards. During a recovery, the best people are all looking for career moves, but are often swayed by a big jump in compensation or a “grass is greener” promise. Once on the job, however, sometimes the grass turns out to be just another shade of green. Formally implementing a career decision process for candidates to use when comparing their opportunities can ensure that the person is evaluating your position as a real career move. This will not only prevent the lateral move problem, but also allow you to hire more top people for the right reasons, not compensation and other promises.

5. A weak candidate was hired due to an improper assessment. Sometimes weak people get hired because there was no one else available at the time. More often a bottom-half person gets hired because the selection process was flawed. This is attributed to three fundamental causes. One, a decision was quickly made based on first impressions, intuition, or gut feelings. Two, managers overvalued certain skills at the expense of delivering results on a consistent basis. Three, managers and those on the hiring team made a flawed judgment based on their personal needs and biases in combination with a mix of unreliable interviewing techniques.

6. Weak managers don't hire strong candidates. Top people don’t want to work for someone who isn’t a leader or can’t be a mentor. Top candidates recognize the lack of these skills in managers from far away and are very likely to turn-down any offer your firm might make. This is another case where a candidate profile and formal assessment process can help. Also consider adding senior managers to the hiring process to elevate the weaker managers hiring skills. In this team-based style a weaker hiring managers aren’t making the decision on whom to hire alone, and the candidate has other people to seek out for career advice.

If you have more than two or three of these problems, the root cause is probably the lack of a cohesive end-to-end hiring process. In this case, implementing some of the ideas mentioned like a candidate/performance profile and a formal assessment process will have an enormous impact on improving your company’s ability to consistently hire top people across the board. Following are the steps involved.

Most are common sense. As you review the list you’ll discover that none of the ideas are profound or hard to implement. What’s hard to do is getting every manager to do them every time.

1. Don’t rely totally on skills-based job descriptions. Instead, have managers clearly define what the person will be doing on the job before the hiring process begins. As part of this include how the person’s performance will be measured.

2. Use the assessment to determine if the person has performed the tasks at the standards described. If you do this, you’ll discover that the person has exactly the skills and experience needed to be successful. This will be slightly different for everyone.

3. Don’t use job descriptions to write recruiting advertising. It’s better if you prepare career-oriented ads that focus on what the person can learn, do, and become.

4. Provide candidates with a decision tool to compare jobs based on their short- and long-term merits (e.g., job stretch, growth, team, comp, work/life balance, etc.). If you give this to them right after the phone screen, they can use it to ask questions and gather the right information to make a reasoned career decision.

5. Systematize the evaluation and comparison among candidates by using a formal evidence-based assessment process based on all job factors (e.g., technical, team, motivation, growth trend, consistency of results, problem-solving, fit, etc.). As part of this eliminate yes/no voting with a requirement that evidence is shared in an open forum.

While this list of hiring errors is not complete and the solutions proposed certainly aren’t the the only ones available, the idea of focusing on eliminating mistakes can have a profound impact on overall hiring results. If you'd like some free samples of these assessments please contact me david@pinnacleplacement.com.

Thank you!
David Lammert

Five qualities you must show in an interview

2010-05-17T19:07:00.000-07:00

Try to picture yourself in the interviewer’s shoes and you should be able to gain a better understanding of how a potential employer thinks when conducting an interview. This is crucial in order to turn this critical meeting into a job offer. There certainly is a lot more to convey than just covering that you can do the job.

No matter what your profession, skill level, or current place in the professional world, every job interviewer will be evaluating you against the same basic set of criteria. Master how you present yourself against these five main points will dramatically improve your odds at receiving an offer.

The First Key: Capability and Chemistry
Successful candidates who receive job offers are always the ones who prove themselves capable and suitable to the environment; capable in that they can do the job, and suitable in that they understand the individual role their position plays in making a contribution to the overall bottom line. Each of us, as working professionals has a combination of skills that broadly defines our capability and personality traits and determines the work environment in which we best excel. It is useful to itemize your technical and professional skills and personality traits in relation to the requirements of a job, then to recall incidents that profile each of these skills and traits. These day-to-day illustrations of you at work, doing the job successfully, allow the interviewer to picture you behaving in the same way on his or her team.

The Second Key: Think of yourself as a problem-solver
Jobs do not get created for the sake of it; rather positions are created when the job will somehow help contribute to the profitability of a company. Another way of looking at this is to say that people get hired to prevent problems from occurring within their particular area of influence, through their professionalism and industry knowledge, and to solve them when they do occur. In reality, this is the first and most important part of the unwritten job description for any job. A simple illustration we can all relate to would be the receptionist: without them, calls would go unanswered and that company's business would slowly grind to a halt. So regardless of job or profession, we are all, at some level, problem solvers.

Think of your job in terms of its problem-solving role and responsibilities. By identifying the particular problem-solving role you are in, you will have gone a long way toward isolating what the interviewer will want to talk about. You might identify the typical issues you handle on a daily basis. Come up with plenty of specific examples and recall how you solved them. These steps can help you to develop useful problem-solving examples from all areas of your responsibility.
*State a problem or situation you typically face in your job that required your special efforts.
*Share relevant background information and the tasks' needed to resolve the challenge.
*List the actions and professional behaviors that you employed to provide a solution.
*Outline and quantify the results in terms of impact to the organizations bottom line, such as, money earned, money or time saved.

With plenty of these types of examples at hand, you can use them to effectively illustrate your answers to those tough interview questions. Additionally, when you ask about the initial tasks that will need your immediate attention in the early months of the job, you show that you are focused on the problem solving elements of the job. This type of question will also get you the information necessary to give answers more carefully tailored to the employer's immediate concerns.

The Third Key: Your Professional Conduct
You've seen the t-shirt or sign before that read: YOUR MOTHER DOESN'T WORK HERE, PICK UP AFTER YOURSELF. It's a reminder that in order to succeed, it's necessary to have and develop a whole set of professional behaviors. Making employers aware of behaviors that make you effective in your work, like time management, communication and analytical skills increase your odds of receiving a job offer. However, simple statements don't leave a lasting impression; illustrations that show you employ these professional behaviors in the work environment do leave that lasting impression.

The Fourth Key: Show Motivation
In a tightly run job race, when there is little separating the two top candidates, the offer will always go to the most motivated.

When you communicate that you want the job, demonstrate that you can do it and show your enthusiasm for that job and the company. You make the hiring decision that much easier, because the interviewer will correctly surmise that a more motivated employee will turn in a better performance.

The Fifth Key: Manageability and Teamwork
Avoiding nightmare employees is a major concern for employers. They are looking for any little sign of it during the interview process. Being "manageable" and a team player is defined in different ways: the ability to work alone; the ability to work with others; the ability to take direction and criticism when it is carefully and considerately given; and the ability to take direction when it isn't carefully and considerately given.

Show yourself as a team player with your every word and action. Make sure to identify your role as a team member when you answer interview questions. Don’t forget to insert the pronoun "we" when appropriate. If you are asked how you handle criticism, explain that you listen, confirm understanding and agree on a course of action and follow-through on it.

Another aspect of teamwork is the ability to work well with a diverse workforce in terms of their sex, age, religion, appearance, disabilities or ethnicity. Don't bring up these issues during a job interview. Even the most casual reference to such topics demonstrates insensitivity to the rights of others and will likely put a question mark to your candidacy.

With knowledge of these five tips you have the needed secrets to take to the interview. Mesh this knowledge into how you prepare for and answer questions, and you will reap the rewards of a polished interview performance.

Good luck!
David Lammert

Does your organization’s top talent have one foot out the door?

2010-05-11T07:18:00.000-07:00

While unemployment continues to hover around the 10% mark and most of us find ourselves reeling from the deepest recession since the great depression, the idea of a blog on "Talent Wars" may seem like a strange topic for me to be talking about. However, savvy employers should ready themselves for the coming battle.

As people, especially the most talented people, prepare themselves mentally and reassess their professional positions, there will be a significant shift in their thinking. They will actively be seeking new positions to make up for lost earnings and a fresh new beginning. Because many organizations eliminated pay raises and reduced or eliminated bonus payouts (except Wall Street) many people feel pressure to stabilize their financial situation and rebuild their family’s financial future.

We live in a new reality as a result of the economic decline and the evaporation of much of the wealth across our country. People have new priorities. There is less certainty around holding high paying jobs into your mid 50's, let alone to retirement at 65. This will create pressure to earn more right now, which will lead to changing employers as soon as possible in order to increase earning potential.

Define Talent
It is important to note the difference between the demand for talent and the demand for people. I like to think of talent as the top 20% of performers in the labor pool. There is a large labor pool - many who are out of work - but, there is a limited supply of really talented people.

The top performers are those who generate a greater amount of output. They know they generate a disproportionate amount of the workload compared to co-workers, and they will demand to be rewarded as the economy grows. When they don't receive those rewards from their current employer they will basically declare themselves free agents and begin, passively and/or actively seeking new job opportunities. In fact, this is probably well underway right now.

Reward Talent
Rewarding your talent will pose a challenge for traditional business practices and policy that they are not designed to address. Most organizations have a narrow range of compensation with very little difference between the average producer and the top performers.

Here are some thoughts and ideas for your consideration:
*Great people deserve income and recognition more than average performers.
*Redesign your compensation plan. If performance is not the same, rewards should not be the same. Build in compensation that rewards the success of the organization and outstanding individual results. * Make sure your top talent is working for your best bosses. Perhaps you have heard the saying that people join organizations but, quit bosses. As a recruiter I can vouch for that. Don't let a bad boss drive today’s talent and future leaders to your competitor. Top talent will not tolerate incompetent or abusive leadership for long.
*Be sure your top talent is working on your organizations most important work. This way, you are maximizing your return on your investment. Top talent wants to feel empowered and to face challenging work.
*Provide your best employees the resources to stay current and develop professionally. They will reward you with loyalty.

Act now! Don't wait till your top performers begin to leave.
David Lammert

5 tips to help you identify and define your personal leadership brand

2010-05-03T16:05:00.000-07:00

The fact that we all have our own personal brand is not a new trend. However, understanding the importance and actively managing that personal brand is of new importance. Since you probably already have a personal leadership brand, the more important question is, do you have the right one?

While some might dismiss the importance of this, the question is not trivial to your career. A personal leadership brand conveys your identity as a leader. It communicates the value you offer those around you. If you have the wrong leadership brand for the position you have, or the position you desire, then your efforts are not having the impact you might hope or expect. A strong personal leadership brand allows all that's powerful and effective about you to become known to your colleagues and subordinates, enabling you to generate maximum value.

On top of that, choosing a leadership brand can help give you focus. When you clearly identify what you want to be known for, it is easier to let go of the tasks and projects that do not help you deliver on that. Instead, you can concentrate on the activities that do.

So how do you build a leadership brand? Let’s consider these 5 tips.

1. Identify the results do you want to achieve.
Begin by asking yourself, "Over the course of the next 6 to 12 months, what are the major results I want to deliver at work?" You might want to consider the interests of important groups such as:
* Customers
* Boss
* Shareholders
* Employees
* The Organization
Remember, a leadership brand is outwardly focused. It is about delivering results. While identifying innate strengths is an important part of defining your leadership brand, the starting point is clarifying what is expected of you.

2. What do you want to be known for?
If you are policy oriented and hardworking, you may come across as somewhat aloof. These traits add up to a leadership brand that would not take you very far in more interactive role.
With that in mind, pick descriptors that balance the qualities that came naturally to you and that would be critical in more interactive position. Test your choices by sharing them with your boss, peers, and some of your most trusted allies. Ask them, "Are these the traits that someone in this general role should exhibit?" Their responses can help you to refine your list. It might include some of the following traits:
* Collaborative
* Good Listener
* Deliberate
* Independent
* Innovative
* Results-Oriented
* Strategic
A key is not to get too many words or your message becomes difficult to define.

3. Define your identity
The next step is to combine these words into two or three word phrases that reflect your desired identity. This exercise allows you to build a deeper, more complex description: not only what you want to be known for, but how you will probably have to act to get there. For example, calmly driven differs from tirelessly driven. Experimenting with the many combinations that you can make from your chosen words helps you crystallize your personal leadership brand.

4. Write your leadership brand statement and then test it.
Pull everything together in a leadership brand statement that makes a "so that" connection between what you want to be known for (Steps 2 and 3) and your desired results (Step 1).

Fill in the blanks:
"I want to be known for being ______________ so that I can deliver __________."
Your leadership brand statement might read: "I want to be known for being independently innovative, deliberately collaborative and strategically results-oriented so that I can deliver superior financial outcomes for my business."

Next, ask the following three questions to see if it needs to be refined:
* Is this the brand identity that best represents who I am and what I can do?
* Is this brand identity something that creates value in the eyes of my organization and key people around me?
* What risks am I taking by selecting this brand? Can I deliver on this brand?
After going through this exercise, you should be fully satisfied that you have crafted a personal leadership brand that is appropriate to your role and within your power to deliver.

5. Make your brand identity real
If you fail to live up to your personal leadership brand it will create cynicism around you because you do not deliver what you promised. To ensure that the brand you advertise is embodied in your day-to-day work, check in with those around you. After you identify and define your personal leadership brand, share it with others. Let them know what you brand is and invite their feedback.

The exercise of forging a leadership brand and the day-to-day discipline of making it real will help you stay focused on the most important challenges of your role.

To be sure, your leadership brand is keeping up with the times, it should evolve in response to the different expectations you face at different times in your career. Try this and see if it helps your awareness and your long-term success.

Isn't "Mature and Overqualified" exactly the candidate you really should hire?

2010-04-26T06:44:00.000-07:00

I know many candidates hear these words when being told why an employer ruled them out as new hire. However, I believe these might be the exact candidates business may want to hire as they emerge from the recession.

During the downturn, companies slashed headcounts deeply, cutting long-time performers, highly talented individuals with little regard to the impact it would have on the organization other than reducing payroll. Firms hit the panic button to stabilize losses and preserve cash flow and we all know the result of the staggering layoffs.

As we emerge from the dark days, companies have a new set of challenges in the current job market. Gone are the old reliable sign-on bonuses and high salaries to attract top performers. With a few more fish in the talent pool, some organizations will give in to the temptation to cast aside that "overqualified" resume thinking the candidate doesn't have anything to offer or isn't affordable with today’s shrunken pay structure and possible lack of perks. Instead of thinking you can't afford to hire them, ask yourself, can you afford not to?

Organizations that are smart will be positioning themselves now for the recovery and growth that are underway. These firms are uniquely positioned to get a jump start on acquiring the best talent available. It's truly a unique opportunity that will likely not present itself again for a very long time.

So, before you discard a candidate as being "to mature" or "over qualified," consider this:
1) They are very well networked - a great benefit for your company and your bottom line.
2) They have been there and done that. They bring experience to your team. It's invaluable to have staff members who know what works and what doesn’t. Increased efficiency = increased profit.
3) These individuals are mature, stable and often have a proven track record of results. They hustle and produce results quickly.
4) They take pride in their performance. It's likely they will increase the level of competition within your team (that's never a bad thing).
5) They aren't likely to demand more compensation than the market will bear right now. They are fine with fair pay based upon performance. They make money if you do. Plus, they will likely require less training.

So, before you pass over that resume, make certain you have considered all the alternatives. Investing in mature and highly experienced candidates will result in increased productivity, as well as quicker growth for your organization.

Please contact us if you need help in identifying and attracting top-level talent for your team.

Thank you,
David Lammert

Give Them What They Want (Part 2)

2010-04-19T09:22:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back I shared some familiar themes which I hear from candidates. There are candidates that are both happily employed and otherwise, and all have strong opinions about what they seek from leadership in the workplace environment.

As promised then, today I want to share common themes and feedback I receive from hiring authorities and Human Resource Professionals about what successful candidates do and say in interviews.

1) Show up well prepared.
Who do you think get's more job offers, better qualified candidates or better prepared candidates? Candidates who come prepared for an interview, that have completed research, rehearsed questions and responses and can articulate themselves, will beat out a well qualified candidate who has not done their homework every time.

2) Ask great questions!
Be prepared to ask focused, intelligent, and compelling questions. You must go beyond the basic, and instead ask important questions like “why is the position available”? Identify issues and problems that need to be solved and present well-thought out solutions after you have gained the necessary information. Don't fall victim to your preconceived notions about the job.

3) Visualize yourself as part of the team during the interview.
No need to share proprietary information: just engage as though you are already collaborating to solve challenges. This can be effectively done in one-on-one interviews as well as panel interviews. Inquiring about what issues need your immediate attention after hiring is a great way to do this.

4) Be willing to tell your interviewer..."I don't know but, I am willing to learn".
Red flags go up and sirens go off when a candidate can not admit or identify weaknesses. We all have strengths and areas of weakness. Your potential employer just wants to know what yours are going in. You will gain respect, more often than not, if you can identify yours and cite examples of your effort to correct or improve it.

5) Answer all questions as directly as possible.
One of the quickest ways to be eliminated from consideration is to avoid answering questions. If needed, ask for clarification. Then, provide an answer to the question. This goes back to my original point of practice and preparation. The more preparation you do, the less likely you will be asked a question that you will have trouble answering.

I hope you will find this feedback helpful the next time you have an interview.

Good luck!
David Lammert

Build a Stronger Team

2010-03-29T16:16:00.000-07:00

Use these 10 action steps to build a stronger team:

1) Communicate clearly and frequently.
Few things are more demoralizing to a staff than mixed messages or lack of communication. The good news is it's not difficult to communicate effectively; it does not have to be complicated to outline exactly what is expected of your team daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly.

2) Motivate your current team with incentives, rewards and most importantly, acknowledgements of a job well done. In many of my interviews with dissatisfied professionals, one of the first things they mention is the fact that their achievements were not noticed nor seem to matter.

3) Praise in public, criticize in private.

4) Promote from within when it makes sense. Nothing motivates current team members more than knowing they, too, can be promoted when they prove themselves worthy. They will strive harder to achieve when they see the rewards of success.

5) Be accessible and available. Having a manager actually listen and be available may make the difference between a successful hire and a failed one.

6) Assign mentors to new hires. The earlier a new team memeber is attached to your organization the quicker you will see results. The mentoring process can help the new hire avoid rookie mistakes and accelerate his/her ramp-up time.

7) Consistently offer training opportunities throughout the year to your staff. Top level performers enjoy challenge and the opportunity to sharpen existing skills and develop new ones. It helps to avoid job burnout and stagnation.

8) Offer the option of a book of the month that those who are interested can read and discuss. Hundreds of excellent books exist that relate to business success and personal professional development. (Contact me for a list of top books if you'd like). This is an excellent and inexpensive way to offer your staff members an opportunity to interact and strengthen their individual performance level.

9) Build your bench. If you see top talent from your competitors in the field, begin a relationship with them so you can contact them when you have an opening. It's not IF you will have an opening; it's when. If you are not doing the all the things noted so far, chances are you are experiencing a talent drain in your organization right now.

10) Establish and continue your relationship with an external recruiter. When all internal efforts are exhausted, or you need professional help hiring top talent, you'll have an ally ready to go to work for you.

This blog has moved

2010-03-25T09:27:00.001-07:00

This blog is now located at http://pinnacleplacement.blogspot.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://pinnacleplacement.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

5 Tips for Overcoming Job Search Rejection

2010-03-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

There is not much that is better than the feeling of success when searching for a new job. Let face it, it makes us feel good about ourselves on many levels. It validates us as a person and allows us to move forward in life, giving us the opportunity to contribute to a profession and to achieve our own individual goals. We all want it and strive for it.

Nevertheless, for most job seekers, success is infrequent. Each moment of success is sandwiched between mountains of indifference, rejection and apparent failure. If you've been hunting for a job very long, like many others, you know what I'm talking about. The entire job search process is one big exercise in rejection until you win that job you've been striving for.

So, what can you do to ease the sting of rejection?

Here are five survival tips for dealing with the weight of rejection and failure that dampen the success that we all seek:

Remind yourself that you will find another job
Look at the situation from a big picture perspective; yes, you may feel pressure and anxiety as the process draws out and you may feel isolated and begin to question yourself. Remember that this search process will eventually come to an end. You will find employment that's right for you.

Accept that you are in a process, and allow yourself to feel some uncertainty. One day the answers will reveal themselves to you, and you will find the right job.

Go into sales mode
Successful sales professionals will tell you that success is a numbers game. Salespeople know that every rejection is just one step closer to success. With this attitude, you know that rejection leads to success, and you can put rejection into perspective. Just keep going. Count those rejections, and know that you're one step closer to success -- and a good job offer.

Be careful what you wish for
Often times, when you lose out on a job opportunity, it is because it truly wasn't the right job for you. You do not want to win a job that is wrong for you and then have to repeat the process of finding another job. Personally, I can think of at least four jobs that I was rejected from in my own past - I remember feeling dejected and depressed at the time because I felt each one was the "perfect opportunity" for me. As I look back on them now, I am thankful things worked they way they did.

Stay active and positive
Do something every day to further your search and your professional skill set. Positive action diminishes anxiety and other negative feelings. To prevail in today's competitive job search process, you must have a cast iron will and determination that you will win out. Remind yourself daily that you are one day closer to succeeding at this challenge.

Keep in mind that is also important to keep yourself fresh in the search process by not letting it consume you mentally or physically. Stay balanced by getting regular exercise or doing volunteer work as I mentioned in a recent blog.
Avoid desperation
Good recruiters, HR professionals and hiring authorities can sense this miles away. Lose the emotions, tone and body language of "desperation" and "defeat" in your interviews. Sure, you may come across a particular opportunity that sounds great going in, but remind yourself this: Your world won't come to an end if you don't get this job.

I encourage candidates to think of the interview as two professionals having a conversation about a problem. Think of the interview as a problem-solving opportunity with this hiring manager. It allows you to focus on what the employer needs, not your needs. Now you're able to sell yourself demonstrating the many specific ways you can help solve their problem. That's what it really comes down to.

Once you've determined if you are the candidate best suited to solve the employer’s issue, you will be better prepared to gain their attention, respect and desire to know more about you. You can't get there by walking in defeated and lacking in confidence, showing your anxiety and desperation.

If you recently found a new job after a lengthy process, please let me know what you did to combat any rejection you encountered. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks for your time and happy hunting!
David Lammert

Give Them What They Want

2010-03-15T07:15:00.000-07:00

As a recruiter, I have the unique perspective of hearing not only about what employees seek in the workplace, but also about what employers are looking for from successful employees.

Managing and directing a team of people is a large task that takes enormous time and energy from leaders and managers. At times the role of juggling the needs, feelings and actions of employees can be overwhelming. After talking with thousands of candidates I have found that there are some common themes about what they need to be happiest in the work place. These ideas are shared by those who are happily employed and those who are open to or seeking new opportunity.

Attention to the basics listed below can dramatically improve your employees’ morale as well as increasing your employee retention rate and therefore your company’s profit margins.

Here is the list of what I consistently hear that employees are looking for from their leadership.

1. Provide an explanation of the employees role, what they are supposed to do, and what the rules are. Don't mistake this for micromanaging – rather its managing expectations. Give them parameters so they can work within broad outlines. Then, empower them to do what you've asked.

2. Hold everyone equally responsible for their actions. Often times I hear, "I wish my boss would tell Mike that this is just unacceptable." Hold people accountable in a way that is fair but makes everyone aware of what is and isn't acceptable.

3. Keep them excited. Keep them excited about the company, about the service, about the job, or about a project. Let your positive energy rub off on them.

4. Don't forget to recognize effort. Negative reinforcement is everywhere. Motivate employees by leveraging their strengths, not harping on their weaknesses. Make it a point to praise someone everyday. Employees begin to look elsewhere when they feel unappreciated.

5. Don't disrespect an employee. Don't lose your temper because your staff didn't meet your expectations. It's not productive. Fairness and consistency are important mainstays. If you have to discipline someone that's okay, but do it in a dignified manner.

6. Show leadership. Strong leaders impress those that work for them in a variety of ways. This can be through examples of sound management, whether you are a bold and courageous leader or your style is more of a visionary. Strong leaders bring strength to an organization by providing a characteristic that others don't have and the company sorely needs.

7. Give me some space. Give them something interesting and challenging to work on. Trust them with opportunity and decisions. Encourage and be a part of their professional growth and development. You will be rewarded.

8. Put me in a position to win. Nobody wants to fail or perform poorly. Indecisive leaders keep people in the wrong roles, set unrealistic goals, keep unproductive team members, or change direction unfairly. These behaviors just frustrate everybody and make people feel defeated.

Your job is to make it practical for people to succeed. When you do this, everybody wins.

In the future I will share the common themes I hear from employers about what they seek from employees.

Thanks,
David Lammert

When Networking isn't Working for You

2010-03-07T21:02:00.000-08:00

Networking is important; you hear it all the time, especially when you are looking for a job. To do it effectively, it is not only time consuming but for some people it’s downright uncomfortable. You might also ask yourself: if everyone is doing it, where's the competitive advantage for me?

Here's the secret: Most everyone is doing a poor job of it. If you are able to network well (even if you do dislike it) you’ll be well ahead of the pack.

For most people networking is a big drag - something they do only when forced to. There's that luck-of-the-draw feeling about it, especially when you hear stories about how someone was at the right place at the right time. You tell yourself: if you're not a golfer or a regular at happy hour, you're doomed. You'd rather be at home with a book than out there schmoozing strangers who would otherwise bore you; wouldn't time pass more quickly on your couch? At least you're less likely to spend money when you're at home.

Still, despite your preferences, you find yourself out there. But this networking thing's not working for you. Let's look at some possible reasons why and what to do about it.

1. Attending industry and networking events ranks right up there with a visit to the dentist.
Are you more than a little tired of seeing the same familiar faces month in and month out? You feel networking events are a great opportunity to meet people who don't have jobs. But they're terrible for meeting people with jobs. (If you were happily employed, would you hang out with this crowd?)

Your fix: Connections and courage. Make connections beyond these networking-only events. Have the courage to ask for introductions to leaders and experts in your field, to your counterparts in other companies (even your former competitors). Go to conferences and receptions. Go to every event you're invited to. Volunteer to serve on committees.

2. Your calls to friends always end up in voice mail.
You might have burned out your relationships by being so focused on your frustrations in finding a job. Think about your recent conversations. Are you just hearing the sound of your own voice in your memory's ear? Can you even name your best friend's kids anymore?

Your fix: Mind your manners. It's natural to use your friends and industry colleagues as a safe place to vent. But if you just use them as immediate connections to your next job opportunity, you're going to burn out these relationships quickly. Definitely let them know that you're looking for work -- there's no shame there at all. Ask them for introductions to people they might know who would be able to move your search forward (a co-worker, for example, might know someone who knows someone). Don't put them on the spot of always having to say no when you ask them, "Do you know of any jobs out there?" Remember one of the key principles in networking is to give something first. Find a way to give something of value to that person whose assistance you are seeking.

Word to wise: When you are introduced to people, remember to thank your friends (thank all of your networking partners, for that matter) with e-mail updates, even formal, handwritten notes from time to time. Everyone likes to see their friends make progress out of a life crisis, and everyone likes to feel appreciated for the part they played in your journey to better times.

3. You just can't seem to squeeze in the time necessary for networking.
You may be tempted to focus your time on activities you feel will bring a more certain conclusion and that will give you the satisfaction of feeling immediate progress. Yes, you deserve those gratifications of jobs well done -- or, well, at least done. Yet somehow, you just never get around to making those phone calls.

Your fix: Commitment. For starters, commit yourself to a goal. Begin with five phone calls a day. Make it easy on yourself: If you need to, have scripts ready to work off of, so you don't have to start cold with each phone call. Be comfortable (in your desk chair, not your couch). Commit yourself to filling your "funnel" of contacts and leads, just like salespeople do. With every "no" you hear, you still have plenty more phone calls to make and conversations to follow up on ... and no single rejection is ever the end of the world.

4. You're doing everything right and your networking still isn't working.
How do you know it's not working? OK, so the obvious is indisputable: You still don't have a job. But with enthusiastic networking filled with a variety of contacts and introductions, you've set events in motion that you might not even be aware of: People may be talking about you and brainstorming with each other about whom else to introduce you to; someone might be checking with HR right this very minute to see how a position can be created for you.

Your fix: Patience. These things take time. Yes, the mortgage is due. But your alternative, which is to not network at all, will get you nowhere. Keep up your commitment. Keep growing your connections. Remember to be courteous to your friends and expanding your networks.

And the right job will come.

Identifying Resume Fraud

2010-03-01T07:20:00.000-08:00

Resume fraud, or an applicant replacing factual information with “a little white lie” is not new problem. Although the economic downturn may have increased applicant desperation and fabrication, this problem has been around for years and occurs at all levels.

You may recall the well-publicized resume fraud case in 2001 of newly hired Notre Dame Football Coach George O’Leary. O’Leary lost his job within days when it was revealed that his resume contained serious inaccuracies, including claims of a Master’s Degree from what turned out to be a non-existent institution. In the late 1980’s, the Port Authority of New York took out want ads soliciting resumes from electricians with experience using Sontag Conductors. Nearly a third of the respondents said they had experience with Sontag’s. The problem: There is no such thing.

Executive and managerial resumes face tighter scrutiny today than ever, but regardless, some applicants will always feel the need to embellish credentials and accomplishments.

Here are some of the more common deceitful tactics:

1. Fudging Employment Dates
This is the most common practice and is usually done to cover gaps in employment. Be sure to verify dates when confirming employment and make sure application dates match those listed on the resume.

2. Fabricating Past Accomplishments
It is sometimes difficult to confirm inflated claims of achievement. However, ask for specific examples of how these achievements where attained and if the numbers don’t add up, probe further. Speak to references and former managers and try to verify all possible information.

3. Exaggerated Degrees and Education
There are many high-profile examples besides Coach O’Leary which have made the news over the past several years. Be sure to verify the educational institution existence and accreditation online and over the phone when checking an applicant’s claim.

Other areas to pay close attention to:
*Omitting past employers from resumes
*Falsifying the reasons for leaving a previous job
*The Inflation of job titles and responsibilities

Fortunately, there are many different ways to detect and prevent resume fraud, but all require an investment of various resources. Recruiters, HR professionals and hiring authorities are generally less concerned with punishment than with preventing these dishonest individuals from joining their organization. Of course, employees can expect to be terminated when the fraudulent activity come to light. A few states do have criminal codes on the books to punish the abusers which utilize false resume information, but most states do not.

I hope this information will help you when reviewing candidates.

Thanks,
David Lammert

NonVerbal Communication

2010-02-22T12:52:00.000-08:00

Today, with competition at an all time high among job seekers, reading and understanding body language is critical to your success in a job interview. Nonverbal communication equips you to understand what interviewers are thinking, helping you tweak your body language to get them to connect with you ... and offer you the job!

1. The All Important Handshake

The handshake reveals a story about each of us. Do you shake hands softly? Do you come in from the top and deliver a "bone crusher"? Body language experts tell us that aggressive people have firm handshakes; those with low self-esteem have limp, "wet fish" handshakes.

A great handshake is an easy three-step process:

· Make sure your hands are clean and adequately manicured.

· Ensure hands are warm but free of perspiration.

· Execute your handshake professionally and politely, with a firm grip and a warm smile.

Ask a friend or family member to critique your handshake.

2. Seeing Eye to Eye

What's considered an appropriate amount of eye contact may vary in different countries. In North America, 60 percent eye contact is a safe and appropriate amount. Too much or too little eye contact can make hiring managers uncomfortable. Too much eye contact and you may seem too intense; not enough and you risk appearing uninterested.

Eye-contact tips:

· When you meet the interviewer, look her right in the eyes, then think to yourself, "Wow, so great to finally meet you!" This will make you smile, and she'll pick up on your positive mood. When we look at someone we find interesting, our pupils dilate, a phenomenon the other person instinctively picks up on.

· During a job interview, keep your eye contact in the upside-down triangle area of your interviewer's face: from the left eyebrow, to the nose, back up to the right eyebrow.

Warning: Staring at a person's lips is considered sexual, while looking at their forehead is considered condescending.

3. Get it Straight

Posture is a critical thing to master on an interview: Get your posture straight and your confidence will rise with it. Next time you notice you are feeling a bit down, pay attention to how you are sitting or standing. Chances are you'll be slouched over with your shoulders drooping down and inward. This collapses the chest and inhibits breathing, which can make you feel nervous or uncomfortable. Keep your shoulders back and your chest forward. Practice this and notice the difference in how you feel.

Don't stand with your hands in your pockets.

4. Get a "Head" of the Game

When you want to feel confident and self-assured during an interview, keep your head level, both horizontally and vertically. Also assume this position when your goal is to be taken seriously. Conversely, when you want to be friendly and in the listening, receptive mode, tilt your head just a little to one side or the other, nod slightly to reinforce this.

5. Arms Lend a Hand, Too

Arms offer clues as to how open and receptive we are, so keep your arms to the side of your body. This shows you are not scared to take on whatever challenges come your way.

Quieter people tend to move their arms away from their body less often than outgoing people, who use their arms with big movements. Keep gestures within the frame of your body, or you'll risk being seen as out of control. Avoid the negative/defensive action of crossing your arms during the interview.

Here are two common perceptions of hand gestures:

· Palms slightly up and outward: open and friendly

· Palm-down gestures: dominant and possibly aggressive

6. Get a Leg up on the Competition

Our legs tend to move around a lot more than normal when we are nervous, stressed or being deceptive. As a result, try to keep them as still as possible during the interview. You should not cross your legs during a job interview, as it creates a barrier between you and the interviewer and may lead to fidgeting. When you cross your ankle at the knee, this is known as the "figure four," and is generally perceived as the most defensive leg cross.

7. Navel Intelligence

Keep your belly-button in-line with the belly-button of the person you are speaking with (in other words, make sure you are facing them at all times). Doing otherwise suggests you are not fully engaged and perhaps looking for a way out of the conversation.

Increase your awareness of the body language of those around you and your own. It will pay dividends.

Does your Company Value Candidates?

2010-02-15T14:19:00.000-08:00

As a kid I always looked forward to buying fireworks around the Fourth of July. Back in those days, sometimes the fuse would light right away and provide an instant boom. Other times, the fuse would sputter before really igniting into the big flash...much like our economy these days. We know it is getting ready to sizzle, but we must endure the sputtering sparks before full ignition.

Recently, I was conducting a search for a client and for a variety of reasons the client took some time to get back with the candidate at a critical stage in the process. The amount of time without feedback, updates or a brief email or courtesy call had this candidate asking questions:”Do I really want to work for this company? Is this how they treat the people who are working for them now?” and "Will it be like this when I need information from my boss?” Professional treatment is a two-way street. Even if a company does not choose a candidate it is in their best interest to leave them with a good feeling about the process. All companies should certainly leave all their applicants with the sense that they value them for wanting to interview and join their team. Not only will this leave the applicant with a good feeling towards the company, but also imagine what this does for the organizations branding image.

One of the hiring authorities who I have worked with on several occasions summed it up well. ”David, if we do not select a particular candidate to join the team I want them to at least go away from the process knowing we are a decent caring company, especially if they work in our industry. We know that they will likely share their experience with friends, family, colleagues and others, particularly, if we aren't respectful and professional in the hiring process."

Quality recruiters shy away from working with a company when they have a bad reputation in the market for how they treat their people, candidates and customers. The hiring process is certainly challenging, it will have delays, and that’s part of the process. However, your communication (or lack there of) during that process that can certainly affect the outcome.

A good thought for the hiring authority is to treat the candidate with the same care they use with the organizations external customers. It's a simple way to turn a potential negative for the candidate who is not chosen into a positive and defines your company as a great place to work at the same time!

Expand Your Network and Feel Good about Yourself

2010-02-08T06:47:00.000-08:00

When you are in immersed in the process of a job search it is difficult to think of anything else. It seems your days are spent submitting resumes, conducting research on the internet, posting your resumes on job boards, preparing for interviews, contacting those already in your network and attempting to expand it.

It's exhausting, not to mention depressing at times.

One way to expand your own personal development and network is almost always “overlooked”. This rewarding and beneficial task is: Volunteering. It is amazing how many contacts you can make and how many people you can meet while you are helping those less fortunate than you! However, this is not the reason to volunteer - it is just one of the subtle benefits of interacting with individuals who believe in giving back. After all, those who volunteer are people who want to help others.

We all need to give back and when you are in a job search you often have more flexibility than when you are employed in a demanding career. Not to mention it can be a good distraction from the rigors of the process. Take your mind off the search and help others. You certainly have nothing to lose and a lot to gain.

The next time you hear about a “worthy cause” rather than focus only on your needs - give back to others and your efforts will be rewarded.

Enjoy!
David Lammert

Increase Your Employee Retention without Spending a Dime

2010-02-01T08:26:00.000-08:00

In today’s economy, coming up with funding for new programs or anything other than the bare essentials is nearly impossible. However, it is possible to increase your employee retention without spending a dime. All it will cost you is a little brain power.

Almost everyone is feeling the pressure, stress and increased anxiety as the economy takes baby steps towards recovery - owners, managers, and spouses - even the stock market is jittery. As your employees are inundated with negative news, it is important to recognize the pressure they are under. If you simply stick with the attitude: “they should be happy they have a job” you might just end up with lower productivity and a mass exodus as the economy improves and new jobs become available.

You must also be careful that the timing of your actions is in sync with the employees and keeps their feeling in mind. For example, a simple redistribution of salary dollars can cause a negative ripple effect. If you make a strategic move, like hiring more sales people to show you are committed to improving revenues, but have recently laid off other employees, the negativity that is created with the remaining staff can completely negate any positive impact.

So, what can you do to increase short term morale and long term retention without spending money?

* Offer new or extra incentives for measurable increases in productivity, revenue or in cost savings. A simple move like this can potentially get your team to stop thinking negatively and to focus on creativity and competition. Competition makes us all better at what we do. Although there is a possible payout, increased revenue and/or decreased spending will offset this expense.

* Take time to meet with your staff weekly. Take a few minutes to sit with your staff with no particular agenda. Let them share ideas, vent or talk about their kids. You will be surprised at what this will do for their morale and what you might learn about them that will help you head off problems in your company or department.

* Allow more flex-time with your employees work schedules. The total hours your employees work will be the same, but some flexibility may allow for increased production overall.

* Consider an upgrade in title. Chances are in the last 12 to 18 months you have increased your employees’ workload and they have seen no pay increase. So, make them feel good about themselves and that you recognize the value of their contributions by upgrading titles to Manager, Senior Manager, or Director.

Small changes like those listed about will likely pay you back many times over. Let me know what decide to do in your firm.

David Lammert

Why You Aren’t Getting Interviews

2010-01-25T06:46:00.000-08:00

This first step of the hiring process can be a difficult and frustrating one. Many times a candidate will tell me they came across a perfect job, submitted a resume and cover letter and never heard from anyone. This unfortunate series of events happens to almost everyone at some point in their job search.

If you find this happening to you repeatedly it could be for a variety of reasons, some of which are listed below. Appropriate changes to your process could illicit different and more positive results.

1. You’re Not Being Realistic
You may not be as qualified as you think. Recruiters and hiring managers have specific criteria they are looking for from candidates. Just because you have held a position with the same job title does not mean you are necessarily qualified for this particular position. There are many factors considered in the selection of a candidate including length of experience as well as the size and scope of the roles you’ve held. All positions are not created equal.

2. You Have Too Limited of a Focus for Your Search
Large companies and industry leaders are great to work for. That being said, it needs to be understood that there is a tremendous amount of competition for their jobs. I am not suggesting you don’t include there types of organizations in your search, however, try not to limit yourself to only the big players. Most of the businesses in our country are small to mid-size and they have difficulty finding good candidates.

One more tip: If you have submitted your resume on-line to a company once, they have you in their system. Don’t keep applying for different jobs on the company website, and certainly don’t reapply for the same job more than once. If they are interested in you they will contact you.

3. Your Cover Letter and Resume Don’t Set You Apart
Make sure your cover letter is specific to the job you are applying for. Avoid a cookie cutter approach. Reference specific qualities and talents you have and how they fit this particular job. Let the reader know how you can benefit them.

Customize your resume to highlight your experience and your achievements which match the job you are applying for. You may need to have more than one resume. In today’s marketplace, if your resume doesn't highlight your measurable achievements, you will get very little traction.

Lastly, proofread, proofread and then proofread again.

4. Your Approach is Unmotivated or Lazy
Follow directions to the letter. Companies are very particular about how you submit resumes and fill out applications. If you cut corners, you will dramatically reduce your chances for consideration.

5. You aren’t using the Correct Keywords
The words you use in your objective statement need to be both relevant and current. Companies and sites like Monster.Com use software that scans your resume for keywords to help determine which candidates to contact. Even hiring authorities and recruiters who review your resume will be searching for keywords relevant to the job and the candidate they seek. Make sure your resume contains the words which are pertinent to your experience and skills.

6. You haven't used Your Network to Help You
One of the best ways to set yourself apart from other candidates is to get someone from your professional network to help you identify the correct contact within the company you wish to work for. A common contact between you and someone in the organization greatly increases your chance to be noticed. This also gives you a point of contact to follow up with after you apply. Do not overlook the importance of who you know.

The steps above should dramatically improve your chances of landing an interview – a first, but critical point in the process of landing a job.

Thanks for reading!
David Lammert

Top 5 Career Ending Miscues

2010-01-18T07:37:00.000-08:00

We are all human, and humans are prone to error making. Although an error here or there is to be expected, I am often amazed at the amount of avoidable career mistakes people make. Unfortunately it’s usually these mistakes which can have the most dramatic impact on your life and career. Our careers are like a sporting event; those who make the fewest mistakes usually win the game. Talent alone is not enough to ensure the “W”.

Here are some of the top career mistakes that can and should be avoided:

1) Get Real

In today’s world - everyone is expendable. Take your ego and pride out of the assessment and look at your overall performance and contribution. If others at your level are succeeding and you are not, find ways to improve. Do not spend time moping about or complaining about what you need in order to complete your tasks and do better overall at the job.

If your approach isn't working change what you are doing. Ask peers around you for an honest assessment of how you could improve.

Simply put: Find a way to make it happen.

2) Don’t simply show up

Ask yourself: Why do organized sports teams practice? They want to optimize their performance during game time. They want to make sure that they are prepared to cover contingencies.

The same principles apply to the workplace. You should be at the top of your game; know the details of your work assignments and make sure you understand your P and L statement and the needs of your sales accounts. Keep current, don't miss deadlines and be proactive.

3) Take responsibility for you actions (or lack of)

Sometimes the mistake is not what you did, but what you didn't do. While you can't control everything, admit miscues within reason, mitigate the damage and share problems as they occur. Come up with solutions to go with the issues that arise. Use what you learn from the experience to insure that mistakes are not repeated.

4) Make yourself valuable

As I said earlier, everyone is expendable. However it is possible to provide more value to your organization than others and see benefits from doing so.

First, concentrate on your direct responsibility. If you are meeting all of your objectives, go to your boss and offer to take on additional assignments.

5) Identify your skills and improve them.

We work in the world of “what have you done for me lately”. Yesterday's achievements have to be duplicated and improved upon in order to succeed.

Take advantage of the resources at your fingertips to improve your knowledge, your skill set and your learning ability. In addition to having technical skills you must have some political savvy and ability to influence others in order to maintain and improve your career path.

Avoiding these errors will go along way toward ensuring a stable career.

Empower yourself to succeed!
David Lammert

Employers Need to Brace for Change

2010-01-11T07:12:00.000-08:00

Last week The Conference Board released its most recent survey (www.conference-board.org) regarding U.S. employee satisfaction levels. The results are alarming. At a time when you might think that most people would be happy just to have a job, a clear majority (54%) are unhappy with their current job. If this wasn't disturbing enough, two more statistics add to the alarming news. The first, dissatisfaction is not isolated to one age group or income level but can be found across a variety of age groups and income levels. Secondly, nearly 25% of those polled expect to be in a different job next year.

Employers need to act simultaneously and rapidly in two key areas. First, employers need to improve the work place experience beginning with the onboarding or orientation process. From the very first day on the job, the overall impression an employer gives, as well as the tools and information provided to an employee can help determine the overall experience a new employee will have. Onboarding programs are not only vital to the efficiency with which employees will perform, they also improve retention rates.

Secondly, employers must be proactive with their hiring process in case the statistics above prove true. With an improving economy and increasing confidence, employees may begin to switch jobs before you are ready for them to. You don’t want your company stuck picking from the players nobody else wanted. Identify your organizations needs now and start brining those people on to your team now.

Thanks and Happy New Year!

David Lammert

Be your own best friend, not your own worst enemy

2010-01-04T11:17:00.000-08:00

It's safe to say that everyone looks for a fresh start around New Year’s. It’s a time to take the lessons learned from a challenging 2009 and move forward with a renewed mental vigor. It’s a time to show our resilience and use our individual gifts to make valuable contributions for the world around us.

It’s a time to reflect and whether you are an employer, a candidate (or both!) you should take a moment to look back at 2009 before moving ahead in 2010.

Employers - it's important to realize that while we have a high level of unemployment, top notch talent is still hard to find. Even in today’s market, it’s as difficult as ever to find those employees who turn out to be gems. Don't fall prey to the idea that it is a buyer’s market when hiring. Yes, you will have more overall candidates to choose from, but many may fall short of the "A" player level you expect.

Candidates, in the current economic climate many employers have the mindset that top level talent is easily had when they are ready to hire. Because the bar is set higher than usual in the employers mind, you had better be prepared to exceed these incredibly high expectations at every phase of the hiring process. From properly formatted, error free resumes to applications filled out neatly and completely along with finely tuned interviews skills. These are just the very basics. Much more goes into what can make or break you as a candidate.

I look forward to working with you all in 2010 and to continue providing organizations the top level candidates they need in order to achieve and surpass their business goals.

Being the Best Leader You Can Be

2009-11-23T12:56:00.000-08:00

While the challenges of the past year have been many, the topic of leadership and what it takes to be a leader in the current environment is one that needs further examination. Many organizations have not spent an adequate amount of time examining the minefield of maintaining proper leadership in business today. Leadership in my mind includes: hiring, directing, guiding and developing your team or organization.

While this is too large and exhausting a topic to fully cover in a single blog, I’d like to share some of the characteristics I feel are important to have as a leader. I have gathered these from countless conversations with Owners, CEO's, President's, Mangers and staff personnel. Several themes are consistent regardless of the level of individual I hear from.

Whether you are an individual contributor or manage many, take some time to reflect on your leadership style and think about ways to improve in the coming year.

Below are some of the qualities I feel are more important than ever to have as a successful leader:

1) Accept your Role
Employees are looking for leadership and for someone to advise them on how to be most successful in an organization. People are hungry for direction and a leader to communicate this to them. Commit yourself to studying the dynamics of successful leadership as much as you do to the day to day aspects of specific job. If you are a successful leader business success will follow.

2) Be Proactive
Don’t lead from a reactionary mode – anyone can do that. Get ahead of the curve. Understand the difference between tactics and strategy and plan for both the long-term and short-term future. Consistently reassess your plans and strategy to make sure they are still on point and that your goals and direction are still applicable.

3) Drive Change
Your competitors’ leaders are always looking for a way to do things differently. If you aren't willing to change they will pass right by you. Don't fear the failure that may come with change. Accept that as part of leading. People aren't looking for perfection from their leaders, just answers.

4) Be Human
Create commitment from others by recognizing them, communicating honestly and rewarding them.

5) Be a Sponge
I know the information age seems overwhelming at times. However, we must take advantage of it. Learn new business and technical skills. Are you using social media to your advantage??? LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are only the beginning. We must use the resources around us.

We must ask ourselves:
*What are we doing to develop and improve our leadership skills?
*Are we doing enough to help those around us improve their leadership abilities?
*If we are taking some steps, what more can we do?

I hope you have found some items to reflect upon as we approach 2010.

Enjoy the Holidays!
David Lammert

Keeping Motivated During Your Job Search

2009-11-11T10:22:00.000-08:00

It can be difficult to stay focused and motivated if you are out of work and are seeking a new opportunity. During the transition period between jobs there is typically an abundance of free time. Managing this “found” time can have a tremendous impact on your mental well being, as well as your ability to find new opportunities.

This blog is dedicated to providing you tips to staying fresh and motivated:

1) Stay Focused
This is not the time to become a cable news junkie, reality TV junky, or to start your Netflix account. Finding a new job is a full-time job all on its own. The time and investment it will take to become employed once more will likely be far more extensive than you might expect. Today, the average job search takes from 4.5 to 14 weeks. The higher you have been and are looking to be on the food chain, the longer it will take. Plan accordingly.

2) Polish Yourself
Rejection will be plentiful. My recommendation is to find an activity where you know you can achieve success and better yourself at the same time. Spend some time in the gym or acquire a new skill that will be relevant to your career. Surround yourself with positive people and activity.

3) Stay Current
Keeping in tune with events within your industry is extremely important. Attend ASIS meetings, reconnect with industry colleagues, and study new trends in your industry. Stay connected to avoid feelings of isolation and to remain relevant.

4) Identify Your Specialty
The work place is becoming more and more specialized. Do you know what you are really good at? If you don't, how can you market yourself to recruiters and employers? Many on-line self-assessments can help you identify your talents. One of my favorite experts on this subject is Markus Buckingham. Check out the book by he and Donald Clifton titled “Now, Go Discover your Strengths”.

5) Find balance
This is a stressful time. Do your best to find balance between activity related to finding your next position and taking some time for yourself and allowing yourself some moments of mini- vacation.

I look forward to your feedback and hearing what you or someone you know has done to help get through a job transition. Please send me an email at david@pinnacleplacement.com with your tips and suggestions.

More to come!
David Lammert

Ten Keys to the Correct Hire

2009-11-04T10:05:00.000-08:00

Okay Mr. Employer, you have identified a candidate who has the basics skill set and qualifications you are seeking to hire. Now it's time to delve a bit deeper. Have you done all the due diligence necessary to insure that this will be a good hire? What else should you look for to help you select the proper candidate?

After a week off on vacation and week off of blogging, this week’s blog will spend some time looking into key areas of concern to make sure that this candidate is the right candidate.

1) Problem Solving Skills
Let's face it, no matter what the job title says, problem solving is a key role of every position. You need players who can adapt on the fly to the constantly changing parameters and challenges of customer needs, competitors practices or organizational changes. Those who are resistant or slow to react will keep you from achieving your goals.

Ask candidates to identify specific situations of how they solved a work-related challenge. Allow them to explain the details of their response to a crisis and how their response assisted the organization they were working for.

2) Overall Contribution
Plain and simple, you hire employees to increase revenues or to decrease costs. Identify the metrics which you will use to determine success of the employee. This is easier for some positions than others, but, it can be done for all positions.

Once you have the metrics in place, do your best to select a candidate who has produced similar results. Ask the candidates to explain the metrics for which they were measured in previous roles. If they weren't measured by their supervisor, it is a great indicator of their self awareness and motivation to see if they measured their own success.

3) Previous Work History
Few organizations have the luxury of comprehensive training programs. For this reason, make sure candidates have enough relevant work experience for your position so that they can hit the ground with a running start. Transitioning from similar size organizations and similar cultures will increase the likelihood of success.

Ask candidates to describe the kind of atmosphere in which they do best. Ask them to go beyond generic descriptions such as "it was a team environment" in order to really determine the culture they worked in and whether they will fit into your environment.

4) Enthusiasm and Motivation
Those with sincere drive and initiative will quickly rise to the top of your team. Generally, these individual raise the level of play of those around them making all the members of your team better.

Ask each candidate what motivates them; you might be surprised by some answers. It is desirable for your team members to be motivated by differing elements. Some seek external gratification such as peer recognition or compensation. Others are driven by family motivation or internal fulfillment. Enthusiasm is contagious. Make sure your team has it.

Ask candidates to tell you about a time when they went above and beyond the minimum requirements of their job and make sure to ask what reward they find the most gratifying.

5) Ability to Work as an Individual and on a Team
You are looking for candidates who are able to self motivate and produce on their own as well as being successful working in tandem. We all have experienced the loner at work, as well as someone who cannot get anything done without the help of co-workers. Seek those who have the ability to do both.

Ask which way they prefer to work - alone or as part of a group. Lean towards those who are comfortable in both settings, or at least make sure that your total team has an balance of both.

6) Jugglers
In this day and age when everyone is required to do more with less, target candidates who are eager to learn new things and enjoy variety in the work they perform. Chances are they ambitious and inquisitive. These two qualities generally rank high among successful individuals. Multi-tasking is essential.

Make sure to ask the candidate to cite examples of effectively managing a variety of tasks simultaneously.

7) Cultural Fit
First, make sure you have an accurate perception of the culture of your organization. Then seek to determine if this candidate is an automatic fit, or has the ability to adapt quickly.

Have the candidate describe the ideal cultural fit for them; for example "a company that offers work-life balance" or "a team oriented atmosphere". Ask them to explain and expand on how they would specifically measure that. These terms can mean completely different things from one person to the next.

8) Professional Resume
This is a candidate’s personal brochure and marketing plan. It is a reflection of that individual and it will tell you much more about them then their work history. In my years of recruiting I have found a correlation between the quality of the person and the quality of the resume.

Those who take the time and effort to research, format, and style their resume to convey its intended message will also likely invest the same pride in the work they do on your behalf.

9) Internet Identity
Aside from the background checks and skills testing you may perform on a potential candidate, also take the time to check the social networking sites. You can learn a lot to confirm or deny your instincts about the candidate by what their Facebook picture shows or what they last tweeted.

10) Staying power
If you are investing the resources to successfully hire and on-board candidates from outside your organization make sure they are interested in staying long enough to make it worth your investment in them. Determine their short and long-term career path goals.

Make sure they ask questions during the interview that demonstrate an interest in growing with the company and that their goals are compatible with advancement opportunities in your organization. You do not want them to feel boxed in after a relatively short period of time and then likely to look elsewhere for growth.

Enjoy!
David Lammert

Are you readying your firm for the coming generation gap?

2009-10-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

American Firms have certainly faced some challenges as of late; a recession is no easy fete to survive. However, another challenge looms just ahead. With the economy seeming to be in recovery, the Dow once again hovering around 10,000 and your 401k inching towards its pre-recession balance, the baby boomers are also nearing their retirement age creating a potential mass exodus from the workforce.

Many experts believe that the baby boomers lead approximately 80% of American firms and that the mass retirement of so many senior level individuals in the same general time period will lead to one of the largest talent shortfalls of all time. Of course, waiting anxiously in the wings are the young “up and comers” from Generation X and Generation Y.

It’s not just the population numbers you must consider (both Generation X and Generation Y are smaller than the Baby Boomers Generation); there are distinct generational differences of the future workforce for your company. As you prepare your organization for the future, you must consider these differences and the affect they could have on the culture of your company. In particular, the difference between the Baby Boomers and Generation Y workers (also known as the Millenials or the Echo Boomers) are substantial. Traditional recruiting methods, values and norms will need to be revamped as your workforce changes.

One example, job hopping – thought to be a negative indicator in the baby boomer generation, job hopping is considered the norm for the younger worker and is not necessarily an indicator of concern.

As you prepare for the next generation, I thought it might be helpful to outline a few other characteristics of the fastest growing segment of today’s workforce, Generation Y:

* They seek challenge, diversity and creativity in the workplace. If any of these characteristics are lacking they will not hesitate to seek a new employer.

* The fast-track and desire to work your up within an organization is not a priority - work-life balance is.

* There is an ability and desire to work hard, but in return, there is an extremely high expectation for the employer. In most cases, what the worker has as an expectation of for the return on their investment of time is higher than what employers are currently offering.

According to a Lee Hect Harrison Survey I recently reviewed, with the inter-generational differences that exist, as many as 60% of American Companies will experience tension in the workplace. It is my suggestion that a wise organization needs to begin bridging the generation gap now.

More to come!
David Lammert

How Effective is Your Sales Team?

2009-10-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

As a Recruiter who specializes in the Security Industry, one observation I've made is that a large portion of our customer base has a significant sales staff to promote and sell their products or services. In difficult economic times, like we have been recently, these same organizations typically turn to the sales department to increase revenues. If an organization did not utilize a sales staff, some firms even create a sales team when they previously haven't had one.

In either case, I think there are some very important questions you need to ask yourself to assess the effectiveness of your sales team. Some of these questions can even be applied to the security department within your company.

1.) Have a clear and precise answer to the question of why your customer should buy from you.

Some would call this the value proposition - elemental, yes. However, many times organizations and sales people grapple to present the basic idea of a value proposition in a compelling fashion. In some cases, this is the fault of the company leadership for failing to identify it. Knowing who you are within an organization is a key to future success. Make sure you have solid story that is easily told. If you already have a value proposition, re-examine it now.

The landscape has changed within the past two years, not just for your organization, but also for your potential customers. What they need now is different from what they needed even a year ago. Along with this, your value proposition may need to be tweaked.

Within your security department, you need to be able to articulate what the value proposition is that you contribute to your organization. It serves as a great way to assist in justifying expenditures, and can assist with your overall job security.

2.) Have a plan in place to measure the effectiveness of your sales (or security department) effort.

Do you have a plan already? If so, what are the elements? Have you compared them to industry standards? Are your expectations realistic? Be careful not to set yourself up for failure.

3.) Take advantage of all the tools at your disposal.

I know many are tired of hearing about social media; however, its impact on us is undeniable. Are you using a combination of these tools? All though some of these sites do have a fee, many are free and can drive traffic and increase awareness to your customer base. Learn about them - because they aren't going away. Experiment and take educated risks.

4.) Have the right people with the right skill sets on your team.

Have you established the criteria you will use to identify and select the sales staff or are you playing it by gut feel? What works for you--hunters, farmers, telemarketers, a national sales force or a combination?

5.) Have a compensation plan that is going to inspire your sales team to produce the results you want.

Is there an appropriate level of shared risk? All levels of the organization should be asking this question - CEO'S, sales management, operational team members, and sales people. Make sure you are ahead of the curve. Sales people are motivated financially in almost every case - yes, it's a stereo type, but for good reason. If you want stellar performance from your business development team, make sure they are able to be financially rewarded for their successes, and have clear goals so they can be held accountable.

ASIS 2009

2009-09-28T09:22:00.000-07:00

For those of you who were able to join in on the ASIS festivities last week, I hope you found the trip as rewarding as I did. I felt Anaheim was a good venue (and who can complain about that sunny Southern California weather!) with plenty of hotels in close proximity to the convention center, which was ideal with three compact levels allowing for easy manuevering between sessions, the exibit floor and meeting rooms.

I believe that this years ASIS conference was a great success. While attendance my have been down slightly from years past, it seems as though everyone who was able to attend seemed to have a sense of purpose in being there. Those I spoke with shared a dedication to Security Industry and a hope of learning the latest and greatest and improving their personal and professional offerings.

The industry's future is bright - I saw a nice mixture of experienced individuals as well as eager up and comers. Professionalism continues to rise as does passion for personal development. I felt that the show offered a reassurance that security professionals are begining to see themselves in a broader scope - as team members who have many skills to contribribute and a business approach to their discipline.

In talking with employers, many are already making plans to add staff in 2010 and some are begining that process now. The pent-up demand I have refered to before is definitely in force. Organizations who do not remain ahead of the curve have the potential to lose key staff members and could quite possibly be forced into a reactive hiring position. This, of course, has the potential to further delay their economic recovery. In other words, I believe the war for talent is on.

I look forward to sharing more information in the next few weeks about what I leared in the several seminars I attended, from my conversations last week and what's ahead.

Make your plans now for ASIS 2010 in Dallas (October 12-15, 2010).

Thanks for reading,
David Lammert

2009-09-18T07:27:00.000-07:00

I am packing my bags and heading to Anaheim for the ASIS Seminar and Exhibits and hope to get the chance to meet with you.

I would enjoy discussing what career opportunities might be available to you or to see if I have the ideal candidate for your current opening. Please contact me to set-up an appointment time.

I look forward to meeting with you!

David Lammert
Direct: 415-495-7170
Email: david@pinnacleplacement.com

For more information on the show: http://www.asisonline.org/

2009-09-08T07:19:00.000-07:00

The ASIS International 55th Annual Seminar and Exhibits starts on September 21 in Anaheim, CA.

For more information on the show: http://www.asisonline.org/

I will be attending the show and would look forward to meeting with you to discuss your career and how I can assist you with your personal and professional advancement or to see if I might assist you with filling your openings and planning for future growth and openings within your organization.

Please contact me to set-up and appointment time.

I look forward to meeting with you!
David Lammert

Direct: 415-495-7170

Email: david@pinnacleplacement.com

Last Chance to Make a First Impression

2009-09-03T11:19:00.000-07:00

As we have discussed in previous blogs, as the economy shifts in a positive direction there may be more of an opportunity to select new individuals to join our team, both due to potential expansion and growth, or the attrition on current employees.

Be prepared, you only have one chance at a positive first impression for these new hires and, to be honest, you might be a bit out of practice for how to orientate and acclimate a new employee to your company.

I found the attached interesting and hope you do as well.

Enjoy!
David Lammert

Employee Onboarding: One Chance for a Positive New Employee Experience
Abridged: www.about.com; By: Brian Platz

In the talent management universe, the new employee orientation and mainstreaming process is known as “employee onboarding.” Keeping in mind that you never get a second chance to make a first impression, your business should make absolutely sure that new hires feel welcomed, valued, and prepared for what lies ahead during your new employee orientation or onboarding process.
The following four key points will help you get your newest team members on track, up to speed and “on board” so they can start contributing to your success as soon as possible.

Familiarity Breeds Contentment
A friend recently married into a large family and was overwhelmed with the sea of new faces, names and relationships. To ease her transition, a well-meaning uncle prepared a set of flashcards, complete with photos, names, hometowns and professions. Thanks to his efforts, she knew that the woman making the tearful toast at the wedding was her mother-in-law’s first cousin.

A similar approach will help familiarize new hires with the corporate family tree and could help avert embarrassing situations such as the new hire who asks a stranger for help with the fax machine, only to discover later that he was the CFO.

Rather than flashcards, a “who’s who” area with photos, names and titles on your company Intranet will do the trick. Offline, a simple bulletin board with staff pictures, names, and positions will get the job done.

Let New Employee Orientation Be Simple and Interesting
The employee onboarding period can be quite complex and uncertain. Consider the experience from the employee’s perspective, and then make an effort to make it fun, interesting, exciting, painless, and as simple as possible. If you do, you will make your new team member feel valued, wanted, interested and excited. By engendering these positive emotions from the word go, you make the new employee want to do great work and add great value to your organization.

One easy solution is to post new employee orientation schedules, materials, benefits forms, and an extensive FAQ about the company on an Intranet that is accessible to new hires fom a link in a welcome email before their first day on the job. By providing some information in advance, you eliminate a common source of new hire angst and give them a better chance to start off on the right foot.

Don’t Make New Employees Learn “The Hard Way”
Every workplace comes with its own set of rules and regulations, benefits and bonuses, nuances and traditions. Don’t make your new employees learn these things the hard way. If your company observes a “casual Friday” rule, make sure all new employees know this before they show up at the office on their first Friday in a neatly-pressed suit.

Every company offers a range of benefits and perks. They’ll seem even more valuable if you make sure your new employees know about them from the onset. Give new employees an easy way to keep track of exactly what they’re eligible for, and how they can take advantage of these benefits.

This applies to social functions as well as benefits packages. If your company plays in a corporate softball league, let the new guy know right away. Welcoming the whole person, rather than just a set of job functions, will help new hires more quickly assimilate to your corporate culture. And you never know – maybe that unassuming new financial analyst will be the secret weapon that your team needs to shut out your fiercest rival.

Again, post policies and procedures in writing somewhere convenient. Verbal mentions during a marathon new employee orientation session can easily go unheard, especially on a new hire’s first day in the office. Similarly, a stack of papers and reminders can easily get lost in the shuffle. An online resource that is regularly updated, and always accessible, is the best practice when it comes to information sharing.

Make New Employee Orientation Personal
Don’t make day one all about paperwork. Instead, prioritize interpersonal relationships with key colleagues. Consider assigning welcome mentors to each new hire, so they can immediately get a feel for the personality of your organization. This day of first impressions will have an enormous impact on the employee experience, so make it a good one.

Of course, some paperwork must be handled on or before the start date. Keep in mind that when your new hire goes home to tell his family about his first day on the job, he would rather have something more exciting to report than, “I filled out over 30 forms.”

When it comes to documentation, get the key documentation on file in advance or as quickly as you can on day one. For everything else, create an online hub where new hires can find materials as they need them. Once they’ve settled into their new job, send a reminder email that certain materials are available online, and encourage them to frequently visit the Intranet for information.

When it comes to onboarding new talent at your company, the Internet is the most powerful tool in your toolbox. A web-based employee onboarding system will let you standardize, streamline, track, and coordinate every step of the process, all while making your company’s most recent hires feel valued and supported.

It’s been proven that happy employees are more productive employees. So, if you’re looking to drive bottom line results with state of the art talent management tactics, it’s time to get “onboard.”

Focus on the Positive

2009-08-27T14:32:00.000-07:00

Although it seems like it would be common sense, focusing on the positive rather than the negative is not always as easy as it sounds. It takes a deliberate attempt and focus to not only gain insight into your employees primary strengths, but also to spend as much if not more energy on improving these skill sets rather than only investing time, energy and training on the areas where they struggle.

I am not advocating ignoring the areas that need improvement, certainly, this is also an important point to focus on however, and if your employees’ strengths are heightened they have the potential to be even better contributors to the organization and to your team.

Enjoy!
David Lammert

Help Develop Employee Strengths - Not Weaknesses
Abridged: www.about.com; By Susan M. Heathfield

A management philosophy, that flies in the face of conventional thinking, compels you to help employees develop their strengths by deliberate practice. This is a substitute for helping employees develop their weaknesses, a concept more traditional in management thinking.

This theory was proposed by Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman in in First, Break All The Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do Differently as a result of the Gallup organization's interviews with 80,000 effective managers.

On top of trying to complete their daily work and achieving their annual goals, employees have a finite amount of time for development. Spend the time on what matters. Develop employee strengths - not weaknesses, and in the process, train your management philosophy and company culture.

Using myself as an example, I'm good with people and good at conveying common sense, applicable information. I'm not very good with mathematical story problems though I can add columns of numbers like a speed demon. No matter what, I will never be good at solving complex mathematical problems. Could I get better? Probably. But, why not spend my time honing my strengths? I'll bet you have a parallel in your life?

Yet, the traditional approach to developing employees, one of the critical factors in employee motivation, has been to identify weaknesses, often during an annual performance appraisal meeting. The employee is then sent to training or just told to "get better" at whatever his or her weak area is. Now, if the area of weakness is critical to the employee's job success, developing the weaker area might make sense. But, more likely, the employee is in the wrong job. Consider matching the employee's best skills to your company needs in a different job.

In another personal example, I have always been a good writer. But, strengthening that skill over the past eight years, writing online and for publications, has made me a better writer and a faster writer. Writing is definitely a skill that can be developed if you approach it with deliberate practice.

Once I started writing every single day, with hours of practice and a deliberate commitment to growth, I continued to develop the strength. I still work on my writing every day. I'm sure you have a parallel in your life - or you could. What skill should you develop daily for your own career and your employer's needs?

Raise the Bar

2009-08-21T07:01:00.000-07:00

One of the keys to long-term success in business is constant improvement. We’ve discussed in several blogs lately the need to continually access your skills set and to be objective about your place within the organization for which you work.

Here is an additional article with some great tips and recommendations for how to allow continual improvement in the workplace. Hope you enjoy!
David Lammert

Keep Raising the Bar
Abridged: www.wallstreetjournal.com; By: Alexandra Levit

As a society, we're obsessed with achievement. But what happens once you're considered objectively successful, with a great salary and a job that energizes you? It's easy to rest on your accomplishments and your way of getting work done, perhaps even feeling there's not much left to learn.

But in this economy, you can't afford to sit back -- even though it might be tempting.
"Successful people fall into the trap of thinking they don't need to change anything because their behavior is working for them," says Marshall Goldsmith, author of "What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful." "Every time they get promoted...they get positive reinforcement even when certain skills are lacking."

Know Your Weaknesses
But examining where you might have shortcomings can make or break a career.

David Hale of Columbia, S.C., quickly rose to the top of the military police force and was granted the highly sought-after position of polygraph examiner with the Army Criminal Investigation Command.
"I was my own biggest fan, and being cocky, I would try to force confessions from suspects either prior to or based on their exams," he says. But he didn't take the time to understand that criminals are more likely to confess to people they like and trust. "My results fell way below other examiners," Mr. Hale says.

Mr. Hale didn't realize he needed to change until his boss transferred him and said that if his confession rate didn't increase, he would be fired. He studied forensic interviewing, worked on relating to subjects on an emotional level, and pursued courses in leadership, counseling and psychology. Eventually, Mr. Hale began to rise again in his career, and he became known as one of the top polygraph examiners anywhere.

Necessary Skills
Becoming as successful as you can be -- after you've already climbed part of the ladder -- means you need two things.

For starters, you need outstanding people skills: Listen carefully, think before you speak, reciprocate favors and manage conflicts diplomatically.

Second, you must regularly take a hard look at yourself and address your weak points. For example, if you have a communication issue with one person or a group of people, step away from the blame game and ask yourself, "How can I be better?" Make sure people are honest with you by requesting feedback anonymously and confidentially.

If you're employed by a large organization, consider contacting human resources to see what training is available. You may have the opportunity to take leadership-development courses online or in-person for free.

But the most important thing to keep in mind is that just because you're skilled or talented in a particular area doesn't mean you should simply pass go and collect your $200.

I, for instance, was hesitant to work with a speaking coach because my audience evaluations didn't mandate it, but once I learned that the top speakers in the world -- from Tony Robbins to President Barack Obama -- have worked with coaches, I changed my mind.

How to Stay on Top

2009-08-14T06:57:00.000-07:00

A wise person once told me that “offense is the best defense”. Being aware of your standing in the work environment is as critical now as ever; however, being cognoscente of some of the major pitfalls that could encourage your demise in the work place may even be more important.

Part of the plan to stay employed: be aware of all the things you are doing well and improve upon those areas where you provide less than stellar results. Being honest with yourself and candid about where you exceed (and where you miss!) expectations will ensure a lengthier tenure.

Below is an article discussing the “10 Ways to Damage Your Career”. I hope it begins a journey of potential self-discovery or confirms that you are on the right track for a solid employment future.

Enjoy!
David Lammert

10 Ways to Damage Your Career
Abridged: www.careerbuilder.com, by: Rachel Zupek

All workers share the common fear of getting fired. Today, people are not only scared of being fired; they fear getting laid off from their jobs. Neither is a situation any worker wants to face. What's worse, many factors that play a huge role in making these decisions are out of your control, such as the economy, performance and longevity in the company. To best avoid being faced with a pink slip of any kind, employees should make sure they aren't doing anything to themselves that might affect this decision.

Avoiding self-destructive habits at work seems like common sense, but reasonable thinking is sometimes forgotten when employees try to stand out or learn new habits, styles and techniques in order to stay afloat in their lines of business.

To avoid your own career self-destruction, avoid these 10 habits:

1. Not keeping track of your accomplishments
Let's say the boss is deciding whether to keep you or your co-worker on board. He sits you down and asks, "Why should I keep you?" If you have nothing to show or tell to prove your case, chances are, you'll be the one getting the boot. Additionally, it's good to keep a running list of awards, promotions and accomplishments to showcase when it comes time for annual performance reviews or when asking for a pay increase. Plus, you never know when you'll end up looking for new work. If you don't keep track of all the good you've done, you might not remember them when it's time to update your résumé.

2. Not keeping your skill set current
The business landscape is ever-changing, as exemplified by this tough economy. Right now, you're just trying to keep your job and the best way to do that is to show your employer they are getting the maximum return on their investment: you. Keeping your skill set current, along with expanding it, will show your employer you're worth their money, especially when companies are looking for ways to reduce expenses.

3. Not delivering results
Common sense will tell you that business is about accountability. If you don't contribute to the bottom line, if you cost money instead of make money or if you harbor a sense of entitlement for simply having put forth effort, you are guaranteed to fall by the wayside.

4. Efficient does not equal effective
Those who think that communicating via e-mail, because it's faster than actually talking with people, fail to recognize the importance of personally connecting with others in today's highly automated, technological and competitive environment. One thing that will keep you afloat in this economy is your relationships with people, and those relations can't be grown through e-mails, text messages or BlackBerry chats.

5. Thinking you're irreplaceable
There is no room for "divas" in the workplace. There are millions of people looking for work right now and, chances are, more than a few of them could do your job. As soon as you convince yourself that you and only you can do the job "right," your star will surely start to fall.

6. Knowing all the answers
Knowledge is power. Professing to know it all, however, will stall your career as it shows that you're uninterested in learning about new ideas and approaches. To stay afloat in today's job market, workers need to ask questions, stay current and listen to new ideas.

7. Surrounding yourself with "brownnosers"
The old adage remains true: You are the company you keep. If you associate with brownnosers, it's most likely because you like having others boost your confidence. This fact will not be lost on those around you. Managers and other professionals will have no problem replacing you with someone who accepts and encourages intelligence and creativity in others.

8. Taking all the credit
Give credit where credit is due. Most managers are smart enough to realize when you inappropriately take full credit for positive outcomes despite the help or input received by others. If you credit other people where they deserve it, you'll be seen as team player, a key element to any successful group. Plus, you'll probably find that you start seeing the same acknowledgement from your co-workers.

9. Not tooting your own horn
Chances are your boss doesn't have time to keep a running tab on each of his employees, so how else will your boss know how valuable you are to the company unless you tell him? Bragging is one thing, but letting colleagues in your industry know of your success through case studies, promotion bulletins or other such tools is another. It's important to recognize the value of letting others know about your accomplishments as long as you go about it in the right way.

10. Losing perspective
Those who fail to recognize their shortcomings are destined for the unemployment line.
Intuitive business people recognize that, despite their best attempts to do everything right, they may sometimes approach roadblocks and need to seek the advice and perspective of a respected friend, colleague or even a business coach. Acknowledging that you aren't perfect will earn you respect in the office.

Stuck in Your Job?

2009-08-06T18:54:00.000-07:00

71% of 18-29 year olds say that they are likely to look for new jobs once the economy turns. Are you one of those prospective candidates who are in a job you dislike but unable or unwilling to take a chance on looking for a new opportunity? Or as an employer, should you be looking to the staff you have left and try to secure them in their positions for the future?

I found this article interesting and hope you do as well. It certainly does get you to think about the possibilities for the near future. With so many people hunkering down in their current position, even though they are not satisfied, what will happen when opportunities start to open up? Will the vast amounts of employees leaving positions for new opportunities hurt a rebounding economy or help it? Will the learning curve of new employees hurt your organization or will fresh ideas and energy only help?

Enjoy!
David Lammert

Stuck in a crappy job - tough
With few new jobs openings, those who haven't been laid off are staying put.

Abridged: www.cnnmoney.com; By: Jessica Dickler

The recession has left a lot of people out of a job, but many of those still employed aren't very happy at the office. That's because layoff survivors are often stuck with increased workloads, fewer benefits and even less pay. But they're staying put -- at least for now.

Fifty-four percent of employed Americans plan to look for a new job once the economy rebounds, according to a survey from Adecco Group North America.

The sentiment is even stronger among younger workers. Of those ages 18-29, 71% say they are likely to look for new jobs once the economy turns around, the survey said.

"In times of uncertainly people tend to hunker down and protect their turf, as a result of that they are staying in their current positions," explained Gautam Godhwani, CEO of job search site Simply Hired.

Waiting on a rebound
Lois DiTommaso, 28, is frustrated with her current situation, even though she has remained fully employed as a trim assistant, responsible for details like buttons and zippers, at a well established fashion label over the last year and a half.

Layoffs at her office have left her with more responsibility, longer hours and no annual salary increase.

Despite growing dissatisfaction at work, "no one is going to quit," she said of herself and her coworkers. "There's nowhere for me to go, I need my job," she explained.

"I can't wait for the job market to improve," DiTommaso said in anticipation of finding another position in her industry.

She is also realistic about the competitive pool of applicants she will face, including those with greater skills and experience willing to take a paycut and demotion. "Some of the people that got laid off are higher up and I'm not as competitive," she admitted.

Laura Wheeler Todd, 35, has already started looking for a new job, with no success. She is an accountant at an adolescent rehabilitation center in Alabama, but layoffs at the facility have left her in charge of medical billing and insurance coding as well.

"I'm doing two people's jobs right now," she said, which means late nights and often taking work home. "If there was more stuff out there I would absolutely quit."

Now, Todd says she is considering jobs outside her field as well -- even waiting tables like she did in college -- if it means a fresh start.

Making lemonade
Disgruntled workers shouldn't necessarily switch jobs the first chance they get, said Joanie Ruge, senior vice president of Adecco Group North America. Before jumping ship, Ruge recommends that workers approach their employers first. "If you're feeling a little bit burnt out you should talk to your employer about flexibility or working from home," she said.

As conditions improve, business owners may be willing to offer flexible work hours, telecommuting or other perks to hold on to their top talent.

In the meantime, "try to play chess when the world is handing you checkers," suggests Rusty Rueff, career and workplace expert for Glassdoor.com. Workers struggling with increased workloads can take this opportunity to partner with their coworkers, become a team leader, take on more responsibility at a higher level and expand their skill set.

"This is a tremendous time to experiment in the jobs they are in," Rueff said. "Make the most out of it."

(Professional) Twitter Tips

2009-07-31T06:58:00.000-07:00

If you are like me, you understand the basic concept of Twitter, a posting site that allows users to essentially post a short message on any subject from “where they are” to “who they are with” or “what they are doing at that very moment”. It can seem that Twitter is nothing more than individuals recording and posting their every move, from “Drinking a cup of coffee” to “ugh –going to work” and it might therefore be hard to imagine more professional applications. I was pleasantly surprised when I came across this article highlighting just that, business uses for this amazingly popular website which should not be underestimated in either its amazing reach or its potential capabilities.

I hope you enjoy and can find some useful items to “Tweet”.
David Lammert

5 Twitter tips for your company
Abridged: www.cnnmoney.com, By Kim Thai

For anyone who’s wondered what ‘tweeting’ can do for business, here are the keys to using Twitter.
Thousands of companies have hopped onto the Twitter bandwagon, trying to find a way to bring in business (and hopefully, revenue) one tweet at a time. But it isn’t as easy to Twitter — especially for companies — as one might think.

For those who don’t know: Twitter’s a micro-blogging site that allows users to communicate with each other in 140 characters or less. Think of each “tweet” as a text or instant message — not really directed at anyone but visible to everyone. And those who want to follow particular people’s tweets can simply subscribe to their feed for real-time updates.

But don’t mistake it for a fluke: In the last year, Twitter traffic has multiplied almost 15 times over, with more than 37.3 million unique global visitors in May, according to comScore. And as tweeting becomes hotter, companies feel more pressure to join the social-networking tool in order to stay competitive. But many are struggling to understand Twitter culture and, as a result, their tweets can come off as desperate or inadvertently turn away potential customers.

So to help you avoid any Twitter faux pas and maximize your tweeting potential, here are five rules for using this social networking tool that’ll keep your company ahead of the competition.

1. It’s a two-way conversation
Know those annoying people who always talk about themselves and don’t listen to others? Well, don’t let that persona take over your Twitter feed. Remember to listen. Too many businesses are just blasting out press releases over and over again — or worse, have an automated tweeting system and wind up ignoring communication from their followers.

That’s the worst mistake you can make on Twitter, says Julio Ojeda-Zapata, social media expert and author of Twitter Means Business: How microblogging can help or hurt your company. “It’s like these companies are standing out on a mountaintop with a megaphone broadcasting how wonderful they are, but Twitter is an intercom, not a megaphone.”

To avoid this common mistake, use Twitter regularly, and consider assigning a specific person to tweet on a daily basis. This way, companies can follow users who mention their business, engage users through direct messages, and actually build relationships with followers, rather than inundate them with information.

2. Your Twitter and company voice should sound the same
Twitter may be a casual medium, but that doesn’t mean your company has to be casual about it. Businesses should do what makes the most sense for their brands, experts say.

The key? Make sure that your Twitter voice reflects your company culture, says Joel Comm, CEO of InfoMedia. For example, Zappos — a fast-growing, lighthearted online company that sells shoes and other merchandise — recently tweeted a quote from Pooh’s Little Instruction Book. Whereas for Discover Twitter came in most handy for posts on consumer spending and financial resources for customers.

Twitter is all about transparency, so it’s important to be authentic when you tweet so that your company’s personality — whatever it is — comes through clearly. Comm likens the Twitter experience to a water-cooler conversation: Being relatable and fun is crucial, but staying true to your company’s core values matters most.

3. Tweet to attract and retain customers
Twitter can boost customer service to a new level, as Comcast found when it established a Twitter account specifically to handle Internet complaints and other technical service problems. In a recent correspondence with a customer on Twitter, Comcast tweeted the same questions a representative would ask on a technical support hotline and received answers via Twitter. But instead of leaving the customer on hold for hours, Comcast was able to identify the problem immediately and send out a technician.

Consumers are impressed — and often surprised — by a company that openly and directly addresses customer-service problems. Twitter allows businesses, big and small, to take that extra step whether it’s about complaints or simple product queries. For example, Take Zettler Hardware, the oldest hardware store in Columbus, Ohio, which fields questions on common plumbing problems on Twitter, often responding to photos uploaded on Twitter and replies with recommendations for replacement parts and repair strategies.

This kind of instant and robust customer service builds loyalty that’s hard to come by through traditional methods, says Rodney Rumford, co-founder of TweetPhoto. “The biggest sin,” he says, “is being silent.”

4. Twitter’s just the first step
While Twitter should be part of any savvy company’s daily marketing, it’s only the beginning of a successful social-networking strategy. “Twitter is a way to get your foot in the door,” Rumford says. “It’s the start to building a relationship.”

For business-to-business companies, Twitter’s a great way to network. Author Ojeda-Zapata gave the example of Mark Palony, a marketing manager at the software company SoftBrands, who was looking to collaborate with German software giant SAP. Palony searched Twitter for SAP mentions and began following an SAP worker near his area. He initiated some sports small talk through tweets and — with continual contact — moved on to actual meetings. Palony now calls it his “single best use of Twitter.”

Tweeting, Ojeda-Zapata says, is like having drinks online. It can easily lead to drinks in real life, formal business meetings — and eventually, company growth.

5. Have fun and be creative
The very nature of Twitter — from its 140-character limit to its fervent followers — attracts users with a short-attention span, so the best tweets keep users coming back. Interactivity can be a great way to do that: Auntie Anne’s and Dairy Queen ask customers about their favorite pretzel dips or Blizzard flavors through tweets, while at Home Depot, confused shoppers can tweet for help as they search the aisles for particular products.

Twitter’s GPS function can also point businesses in the right direction. Cupcake Stop, a New York cupcake truck company, tweets its location to customers as it moves throughout Manhattan, and Union Pacific lets fans track a historic steam engine road-trip across America.

The experts agree there’s no right way to use Twitter, but with these strategies, you won’t tweet the wrong way. Time to start the conversation.

Ace the Interview

2009-07-24T07:12:00.000-07:00

It’s been some time since we had a blog that involved interviewing, and since it’s such an important topic, I wanted to briefly revisit the subject from a slightly different angle.

Hopefully you enjoy this lighthearted reminder of things to be aware of and items to stay away from while trying to secure the job you desire. In a labor market where the employer can choose from more potential applicants than he or she can imagine, small mistakes will not be overlooked – not when there are 20 more applicants waiting in the lobby with equal (if not better) qualifications.

Enjoy and Good Luck!
David Lammert

Ace the Interview
Abridged: www.harvardbusiness.org, By: David Silverman

Through a combination of skill, perseverance, and luck, you've landed the interview. In short order, you'll be alone in front of a gauntlet of interviewers with no recourse to the backspace key to fix any verbal gaffes. Now what?

Number one, understand that you are applying for a job someone needs doing and they're trying to figure out if you're the person. And to do that, the interviewer will rely on their perceptions and beliefs about interviewing.

For example, I like to know that an employee has a desire to get promoted and move ahead. My reasoning is that an employee who mentions promotion in the interview will work harder on the job.
But other interviewers may have had a bad experience with an employee focusing on advancement to the exclusion of finishing the job they were hired to do. If you're not sensitive to that manager's fears, and continue talking about how you're getting your MBA at night, you won't get that job.
So with that thought in your pocket — that you need to listen and react to the person in the room with you, not slavishly follow any list of rules — I present to you my list of rules for interviewing:

1. Dress appropriately. If you're going to Amalgamated Ginormous Finance, Inc., a business suit is appropriate. If you're a man, wear a tie. Even in California.

2. Shut up. Did I tell you about the time someone came and told me his life story for 45 minutes and then allowed me 10 minutes to explain the job? I think you know how that story ends.

3. Listen. The most useful skill in sales is listening — and in an interview, you're selling yourself. If you say, "I think the best computers in the world are PCs and people who use Macs have more style than substance" after the interviewer mentions his iPhone, you could be left with your opinion and no paycheck.

4. Ask questions. You can avoid the problem above by responding to the question, "Do you think we should scrap all the PCs here and buy Macs?" by saying, "That depends on lots of factors. What would your requirements be?"

5. Show interest. This could also be called "sucking up." When an interviewee doesn't ask me anything about myself, she's not just saying "I've got pride in my accomplishments and don't need to pander to you." She's also showing me that she isn't good at showing interest in other people. This means she’s going to have a hard time politically in the company. And since that's going to reflect badly on me...no job for her.

6. Do your research. Some people find being Googled creepy. But if you do it carefully, you can show the hiring manager that you took the time to learn something about them. Feel free to quote what they said in CIO Magazine about the challenges of technology in the office. Just don't mention the size of their swimming pool as viewed through Google Earth.7. Answer the question you wish they'd asked. Robert McNamara said the about dealing with the press, but it's also very good advice for interviewees. How many times have you left the interview thinking, "I never got a chance to tell them about my Nobel Prize in possum research?" Don't wait for the question. Answer "What did you do at your last job?" with "Actually, it was my work on possums two jobs ago that you might find most relevant." (Well, maybe for you it wasn't specifically a Nobel or about possums, but you get the idea.)

Quiz

2009-07-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

The below has been sent to me several times from different sources, so I apologize that I cannot attribute it to any one source. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope you do as well. If nothing else, I think it will provide a few minutes of enjoyment and thought in the course of a busy day.

Enjoy!
David Lammert

THE QUIZ BELOW WAS DEVELOPED BY A PSYCHOLOGIST FOR HUMAN RESOURCE OR BUSINESS MANAGERS TO USE AS A TEST TO DETERMINE A NEW EMPLOYEE’S ETHICS & MORALS DURING THE INTERVIEW PROCESS.

You are driving down the road in your car on a wild, stormy night, when you pass by a bus stop and you see three people waiting for the bus:
1) An elderly lady who looks as if she is about to die.
2) An old friend who once saved your life.
3) The perfect partner you have been dreaming about.

Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing that there can only be one passenger fit into your vehicle?

You could pick up the ELDERLY LADY, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first. Or, you could take the OLD FRIEND because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back. However, you may never be able to find your PERFECT MATE again.

The right answer that human resources and business managers want to hear is as follows: “I would give the car keys to my old friend and let him take the lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the partner of my dreams”.

The Importance of Retention

2009-07-10T13:45:00.000-07:00

I have always said that as important as selecting the right person for a job is making sure that they are retained once they are on board. Sometimes, after months of effort in the search process, perhaps the cost of a recruiter, applications, interviews, and background checks, once the employee is on board, the level of effort seems to come to a standstill. The effect of the time, energy and expenditures on a company for a loss of personnel can add up, and in today’s economy, where every penny counts, it is an area that should be paid attention to. I am of course not talking about the employee who is not doing their job or is a poor reflection on the organization that they work for, but rather the good, and solid employee that does their work, doesn’t make waves and for the most part goes unnoticed that is lured away by the promise of greater reward (financial or emotional).

The attached article describes the effect that poor retention can have on a company.

Enjoy!
David Lammert

Retention Still Goes Mostly Unmeasured
Abridged: www.staffing.org, By: David Earle

Poor retention is expensive and that expense is most often unrecognized and understated. Few companies measure either the causes or effects in a systematic way. A best practices program here needs at least six elements: on-boarding interviews, comprehensive employee satisfaction interviews, general worker environment surveys, exit interviews, a calculation of turnover costs and a demonstrated link to the strategic and tactical business discussions of senior management and the corporate board.

On-Boarding Interviews
The first of two measurements that help assess the quality of the candidates recruited and the efficiency of the on-boarding process. Are we bringing 1000 people (@ $1800 each) through the funnel only to lose 15% of them (a waste of $270,000) within 90 days?

Employee Satisfaction Surveys
Call this what you will – follow ups, evaluations, reviews, assessments or surveys – these tell you how employees feel about their workplace. For new employees this is especially critical because 86% of them decide whether or not to stay with the firm within their first six months. As a general rule, the longer people stay with a company the less apt they are to leave, but there are some important caveats: 1) the more senior they are, the more expertise, experience and institutional wisdom they take with them if they do leave; and 2) regardless of what they say in surveys, our research shows that half the currently employed workforce is looking at job opportunities on the Internet and almost everyone will consider a new job if the benefits are great enough. As we have reported elsewhere, the social contracts binding employer and employee are a shadow of what they used to be. Very few employees any more, no matter how tenured, are locked in for life.

Worker Environment Surveys
Less personal than satisfaction surveys, these measure structural and process issues that need reassessment or improvement. Regardless of how much it affects them personally, people like being able to point out a problem and see it fixed. They dislike not having that input and seeing the status quo drag on indefinitely. These surveys can also be used to inform future actions such as changes in benefit plans or pending corporate mergers and acquisitions.

Exit Interviews
If you can’t save an unexpected and inconvenient run of voluntary terminations, at least you can, and need to, find out why the people left. A certain number will be unavoidable but what’s that number? Are you losing people for avoidable reasons, reasons that can be fixed? A systematic debriefing program will provide that information. A general, fill-in-the-blanks survey will not help very much. People on their way out the door have little investment in their answers and will seldom say what’s really on their minds, which is precisely what you need to hear. Do as many actual interviews as you can afford and have pros handle these. If you don’t have pros on staff, contract the work out.

Employee Turnover Costs
If it doesn’t increase or decrease the bottom line, senior management isn’t going to pay much attention. So make the case that’s there to be made. Most companies, if they measure turnover costs at all (and the chart shows it’s not all that many), only measure the direct costs to recruit a new employee (marketing, vetting, interviewing, transportation, relocation, etc). But that’s not where the big money is for most positions; instead, it’s in lost productivity and opportunity costs. These can be calculated. There are a number of benchmarks for vacancy costs. One we published in 2007 put the average for employees in the $40,000-$60,000 range at 150% of salary. If you want management to pay attention to your focus on turnover, put the proper cost on it.

Management Compensation Tied to Turnover
Nothing quite focuses the mind of a manager like a target linked to his performance review, advancement prospects and compensation. A goal that isn’t linked is just “nice to do,” while one that is linked becomes a “must do.” Best practice retention programs almost all establish that link. If managing a firm’s human capital is truly important, the firm’s core management initiatives must support it.

Links to Tactical and Strategic Corporate Plans
Best Practice turnover initiatives have executive support. They have that support because they link to the priorities of the company as a whole. They are not good to have because HR says so, but because the company understands that it can’t get where it wants to go unless it factors turnover/retention into meeting its objectives.

Final Note
Some amount of employee turnover is inevitable. There are three kinds: turnover you desire and precipitate (layoffs, underperformance); turnover you can’t avoid (death, retirement, changes in family status); and turnover you wish you could prevent (competitor poaching, compensation, advancement, boredom, burn out, management conflicts). Best in class companies do a much better job with the third kind than their peers. FORTUNE magazine’s annual list of Best Companies to Work For cites these standouts as well as some of the specific programs they use.
It is clear that these companies, for their overall variety in addition to their different approaches and different programs, share a common perspective: that hiring good people, engaging them, developing them and retaining them is good, bottom-line business. Any extra resources it takes to accomplish this are well spent.

Turnover is one of the valuable markers of workforce health. Like high blood pressure, high cholesterol or insomnia it is an indicator. Ignoring it has consequences, negative ones. Heeding it has demonstrable benefits.

Hanging Tough

2009-07-02T12:32:00.000-07:00

How are you and your company responding to the recession? As we learned in grade school, you have to learn from your past in order to form your future – and how companies responded during the Great Depression gives us cause to pause and consider if we are responding appropriately in today’s economy.

I hope you enjoy the following.
David Lammert

Hanging Tough
Abridged: The New Yorker, By: James Surowiecki

In the late nineteen-twenties, two companies—Kellogg and Post—dominated the market for packaged cereal. It was still a relatively new market: ready-to-eat cereal had been around for decades, but Americans didn’t see it as a real alternative to oatmeal or cream of wheat until the twenties. So, when the Depression hit, no one knew what would happen to consumer demand. Post did the predictable thing: it reined in expenses and cut back on advertising. But Kellogg doubled its ad budget, moved aggressively into radio advertising, and heavily pushed its new cereal, Rice Krispies. (Snap, Crackle, and Pop first appeared in the thirties.) By 1933, even as the economy cratered, Kellogg’s profits had risen almost thirty per cent and it had become what it remains today: the industry’s dominant player.

You’d think that everyone would want to emulate Kellogg’s success, but, when hard times hit, most companies end up behaving more like Post. They hunker down, cut spending, and wait for good times to return. They make fewer acquisitions, even though prices are cheaper. They cut advertising budgets. And often they invest less in research and development. They do all this to preserve what they have. But there’s a trade-off: numerous studies have shown that companies that keep spending on acquisition, advertising, and R. & D. during recessions do significantly better than those which make big cuts. In 1927, the economist Roland Vaile found that firms that kept ad spending stable or increased it during the recession of 1921-22 saw their sales hold up significantly better than those which didn’t. A study of advertising during the 1981-82 recession found that sales at firms that increased advertising or held steady grew precipitously in the next three years, compared with only slight increases at firms that had slashed their budgets. And a McKinsey study of the 1990-91 recession found that companies that remained market leaders or became serious challengers during the downturn had increased their acquisition, R. & D., and ad budgets, while companies at the bottom of the pile had reduced them.

One way to read these studies is simply that recessions make the strong stronger and the weak weaker, since the strong can afford to keep investing while the weak have to devote all their energies to staying afloat. But although deep pockets help in a downturn, recessions nonetheless create more opportunity for challengers, not less. When everyone is advertising, for instance, it’s hard to separate yourself from the pack; when ads are scarcer, the returns on investment seem to rise. That may be why during the 1990-91 recession, according to a Bain & Company study, twice as many companies leaped from the bottom of their industries to the top as did so in the years before and after.

Chrysler’s fortunes in the Great Depression are a classic instance of this. Chrysler had been the third player in the U.S. auto industry, behind G.M. and Ford. But early in the downturn it gave a big push to a new brand—Plymouth—targeted at the low end of the market, and by 1933 it had surpassed Ford to become North America’s second-biggest automaker. On a smaller scale, Hyundai has made huge gains in market share this year, thanks to a hefty advertising budget and a guarantee to take back cars from owners who have lost their jobs. Those gains may turn out to be temporary, but in fact the benefits from recession investment are often surprisingly long-lived, with companies maintaining their gains in market share and sales well into economic recovery.

Why, then, are companies so quick to cut back when trouble hits? The answer has something to do with a famous distinction that the economist Frank Knight made between risk and uncertainty. Risk describes a situation where you have a sense of the range and likelihood of possible outcomes. Uncertainty describes a situation where it’s not even clear what might happen, let alone how likely the possible outcomes are. Uncertainty is always a part of business, but in a recession it dominates everything else: no one’s sure how long the downturn will last, how shoppers will react, whether we’ll go back to the way things were before or see permanent changes in consumer behavior. So it’s natural to focus on what you can control: minimizing losses and improving short-term results. And cutting spending is a good way of doing this; a major study, by the Strategic Planning Institute, of corporate behavior during the past thirty years found that reducing ad spending during recessions did improve companies’ return on capital. It also meant, though, that they grew less quickly in the years following recessions than more free-spending competitors did. But for many companies recessions are a time when short-term considerations trump long-term potential.

This is not irrational. It’s true that the uncertainty of recessions creates an opportunity for serious profits, and the historical record is full of companies that made successful gambles in hard times: Kraft introduced Miracle Whip in 1933 and saw it become America’s best-selling dressing in six months; Texas Instruments brought out the transistor radio in the 1954 recession; Apple launched the iPod in 2001. Then again, the record is also full of forgotten companies that gambled and failed. The academics Peter Dickson and Joseph Giglierano have argued that companies have to worry about two kinds of failure: “sinking the boat” (wrecking the company by making a bad bet) or “missing the boat” (letting a great opportunity pass). Today, most companies are far more worried about sinking the boat than about missing it. That’s why the opportunity to do what Kellogg did exists. That’s also why it’s so nerve-racking to try it.

Exceeding Clients’ Expectations

2009-06-26T08:45:00.000-07:00

As important in today’s economy as ever: taking care of the clients that you have and retaining their business for the future. Now that companies are forced to be as fiscally conservative as they ever have, if service and follow up are not at an all time high, why wouldn’t they look for a more affordable solution to whatever good or service you might be providing?

I found this article on exceeding expectations that serves as a quick refresher on ways to do just that. We all need a gentle reminder of simple solutions to this all important requirement.

Enjoy!
David Lammert

Four Ways to Exceed Clients' Expectations
www.harvardbusiness.org, by: Steve DeMaio

When it comes to pleasing clients, there's no substitute for high-quality work and a cooperative attitude. After all, that's what you're being paid for. But everyone knows that's not the whole story.

Here are a few secrets to surpassing clients' expectations that have worked for me:

1. Agree to a deadline you know you can beat. Clients nearly always appreciate when good work arrives before the due date, because it affords them flexibility. Plus, it shows that you are both efficient and customer-focused. Of course, you shouldn't nudge clients to begrudgingly accept deadlines that don't suit them just so that you can exceed expectations later. But the surprise of early delivery is more memorable than an up-front offer to beat a client's proposed due date.

2. Be an astute questioner, not a silent sage. People often overestimate the value clients place on not being bothered while their work is with a contractor. In fact, asking pointed, proactive questions during the process demonstrates your genuine interest and focus. That doesn't mean nickel-and-diming clients so that they suspect you have obsessive-compulsive disorder. But follow-up that proves you have foresight and a knack for process efficiency sends the reassuring message that while the work is in your hands, there's no need to worry about it. Silence, in contrast, can generate unease. Besides, the occasional question is a pinprick compared with the laceration that a wholesale misinterpretation can later prove to be.

3. Be collegial. "Duh," you're probably thinking. "I'm obviously not going to be rude." But collegiality is less about politeness than about your level of deference. Too much deference, which is what most contractors’ show, makes you seem merely like the hired help rather than a capable complement to the internal staff — and that doesn't inspire confidence. Most clients would rather work with an equal (i.e., a colleague) than a lackey, especially if you're providing expertise. That said: acting like a know-it-all obviously isn't collegial either.

4. Offer constructive suggestions at the end. Every process can be improved, and who better to provide insights than someone who just went through it? If you focus solely on the merits, not on how you would benefit, your ideas for improvement won't sound presumptuous or like complaints. A truly useful suggestion, offered in good faith and with great tact, is one that the client will want to implement, probably with you. Of course, making suggestions as an outsider is a delicate endeavor that requires appropriate circumstances and good social skills. But if you've got both on your side, the payoff can be big.

Be a “F.R.E.A.K.”

2009-06-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

I found this fantastic and motivational mantra that I thoroughly enjoyed and wanted to share with you.

Sometimes we get into such a routine that we need to self-motivate in order to achieve outstanding results and maintain our enthusiasm – not just on the job, but in our personal lives as well.
I hope you enjoy the attached and get in touch with your inner FREAK as well.

David Lammert

Wanna be a F.R.E.A.K.?
By: Doyle Slayton @ http://www.salesblogcast.com/

Focus - I have the ability to relentlessly pursue my goals without distraction. It is a laser like focus that launches me to the top of the stack rankings; when negative forces tug at me, my will breaks through.

Results - I produce results that are so extraordinary, it makes others say things like… “How does (s)he do it,” “I’ve never seen anything like it,” “It’s unbelievable!”

Excellence - Let’s pause midway through to make a point. I don’t care how “freaky” I am, if I am not living a life of excellence. Being a superstar means doing the right things. I choose to be a person of high moral standards and integrity.

Activity - The thing that separates me as the best-of-the-best is that I don’t have a stop button. When it’s time to work, I work, and when others need a break… I drive on. I produce freakish results because I am willing to work smarter and harder than everyone else.

Karma - I always have deals just falling in my lap. Every action I take results in a positive reaction. Good things happen to me because it is my assignment to be great. It is my destiny!

Online Resumes?

2009-06-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

Traditional resumes are still as necessary as ever, and we’ve dedicated both a section on our website as well as several blogs to this important topic – but with hiring freezes and limited positions available, utilizing technology becomes newly important and can serve as good differentiator and an excellent source of personal branding.

One new technological trend is the “visual curriculum vitae” or Visual CV. Most resumes include a section where the applicant summarizes their experience. A visual CV is a summary of these experiences in visual form via an internet web site (a recording of their work, activities and other events that they believe would be important to a potential employer). Along with this visual section, a text based accompaniment would be placed on a web page for marketing oneself to all potential employers.

There are several web sites that allow individuals to post their information. Some require payment and provide assistance in publishing your information, others are free of charge and with a moderate amount of technological experience, and the average computer user can post the information themselves.

Attached is an article I found of interest on the subject. Enjoy!

David Lammert

Visual Resumes - Do You Have Yours?
Abridged: www.careeralley.com

The job hunting world is continually changing, driven primarily by advancements in technology and leveraging the Internet. We’ve seen the world of snail mail and “pounding the pavement” replaced by emails, job boards and hundreds of job posting sites. One of the more recent additions to the job search world is the introduction of “visual resumes”. This relatively new twist on job search is still in its infancy and it’s not clear yet how popular this trend will become, but time will tell.

So what is a visual resume? It is an online professional marketing brochure or “personal web-based brand”. Rather than sending your Word or text resume to potential employers, you would direct them to your web-based resume. This is a new wild card and those who are creative are likely to create the most “eye catching” resumes. For those who are ready to give this a try, there are a few of options available. Today’s post will review some visual resume sites and resources.

VisualCV - We can’t cover this topic without reviewing VisualcCV.com which, as best I can tell, is the best known visual resume site. The site offers a tour as well as examples. The tour gives an overview of how to create your visual resume and what is generally included. You can embed almost any type of media as well as hyperlinks to your personal website or social site profile (like LinkedIn). The service is free. It is worth looking at the examples before creating your own visual resume as they will give you some ideas as to what might work best for you.

NavAgility - This site helps you create a social timeline which, in today’s example, would be a resume timeline. The site provides background on “What’s in it for me” and “How does it Work” as well as providing an example of a CareerPath Timeline (resume timeline). The look and feel of NavAgility’s CareerPath Timeline is more graphical and less of an online marketing brochure. Using the example provided, you view a career timeline and can click through the details to see additional information. It’s an interesting format, although my personal preference is the format used by VisualCV.

Visual Resume - This site was created on Ning.com and provides an alternative way to create a visual resume. Basically, you create a visual resume using slideshare.net and use this site to embed your virtual resume. Since Ning.com enables the creation of your own social network, my assumption is that this site will become a repository for visual resumes and another visual resume alternative.

Prepare to Hire

2009-06-05T08:35:00.000-07:00

Things seem to be looking up (at least the economists seem to believe so) and it appears that consumer confidence is gaining steam. May’s consumer confidence index was as its highest level since September 2008. With that in mind, I wanted to spend a moment discussing the pent up demand in the labor market – people out there who have been looking to make a change, are unhappy with their current position, but have not been willing to take any risks amidst the recession. As we turn the financial corner in our economy, companies who have personnel needs and have put them off due to hiring freezes will need to become prepared so they can take advantage of the top players who will suddenly be willing to make a change and leap at the right opportunity.

I found the attached article very interesting and hope that you do as well.

Enjoy!
David Lammert

Sign of Economic Recovery: Businesses That Are Restless to Hire
Abridged CIO, By: Meridith Levinson

Business demand for new talent will rebound before consumer and business demand for goods and services, says executive recruiter Chuck Pappalardo. He expects companies to get restless for new talent (and new business) by the end of the year.

Everyone wants the recession to be over, but we all know our economic troubles aren't going to pass anytime soon. Pappalardo has experienced several economic boom-and-bust cycles during his 25 year career in the search business. As such, he gets wind of indicators that signal immanent economic recovery before the rest of us.

Pappalardo thinks we could start seeing signs of an economic recovery by the end of 2009. The indication will be companies that are once again ready to fill strategic positions. Demand for people will bounce back before consumer and business demand for goods and services, he says.

"Businesses really can't go long periods of time without new people," says Pappalardo. "A year is really stretching it. Businesses get old and stale if there aren't people turning, if there aren't new ideas."

In other words, businesses are going to get cabin fever from having hunkered down so long. They're going to get restless to start making money again. Pappalardo says these companies will realize that they need to hire people—particularly in sales, marketing and possibly also R&D—to move forward and win new customers. (The new hires in IT won't happen until the new people in sales, marketing and R&D starting making demands for technology, he says, and supply chain is likely to be the first area in IT that gets a boost.)

I'm aware that Pappalardo's theory on economic recovery sounds like a pitch for executive search services, but his ideas about hiring as a leading economic indicator are based on businesses' behavior during previous downturns:

"2003 was a very difficult year in executive search," says Pappalardo. "At the end of the first quarter and beginning of the second quarter in 2004, we saw a significant amount of search activity—a lot in sales. Businesses began to feel in 2004 like there might be some progression if they could hire, so they did, and we took on a bunch of [search] projects around sales and marketing. Then it seemed like nothing else [went on] for the rest of the year. Companies were forming a [hiring] base to move forward… 2005 was a much better year." When companies begin making and implementing hiring plans, it demonstrates their confidence that things are getting better and their desire to make money. And by making money, businesses help improve the economy.

Appraising Employee Performance in a Downsized Organization

2009-05-29T09:10:00.000-07:00

In today’s economy, scaling back and working towards finding economies of scale within an organization have become requirements. Along with this responsibility comes an obligation to accurately appraise your current employees and to reassign duties and workflow with fewer staff members. Doing this efficiently and effectively can also reinforce morale and keep motivation at appropriate levels.

Additionally, some of your best employees can become disenchanted if their interests have changed and their current position doesn’t relate to these new passions. Assigning them new tasks which relate to their current interests can assist in keeping them happily entrenched within your organization.

A current employee appraisal during the course of their career is also important to ensure that additional training is not required for these individuals. Skills and aptitudes change over time and long tenured employees are often overlooked for additional training and/or assessments. An employee’s growth could have taken them in an entirely new path – deficient skills need to be identified so that these areas can be enhanced in order to make every employee more effective for the future.

I found the attached article to be of great relevance and hope that you do as well.

Enjoy!
David Lammert

Appraising Employee Performance in a Downsized Organization
Abridged Harvard Business Publishing, By: Tom Krattenmaker

The experts call it "ghost work"; it's what's left for the survivors to do when layoffs have cut an organization's staff to a bare-bones minimum. Work that still has to get done is reassigned to people who may not have the skills — and certainly don't have the time — to do it.

Even though managers may be tempted to avoid performance appraisals, it's no time to back away. Done right, performance appraisals can give employees a better understanding of the new and different demands of their jobs in the context of the company's changing needs. Don't duck the tough issues, say the experts, but don't overlook the opportunity to emphasize the future, either. The performance appraisal is a great opportunity to emphasize that employees have a stake in reengineering work processes and helping the company stay competitive in tough times.

No matter what challenges confront the company or the business unit, a manager must avoid the temptation to give all her reports a good review.

Performance appraisals strengthen the organization In a downturn, employees' concern about their own performance is greater than ever, even among the star performers, says Lila Booth, a Philadelphia-area management consultant. In the face of silence about performance, she warns, people are apt to think, "I'm next in line for the ax." Employees need ongoing feedback on performance and on the financial state of the company, she says, to avoid "the fear and fury" such anxiety can cause.

Make the bottom line clear Furtwengler stresses the need for managers to set expectations about raises and bonuses long before appraisal time. If a company's financial picture has darkened, he suggests senior management get a notification out as quickly as possible, describing the potential lost raises and bonuses. Establishing this context can make all the difference in how a high-performing employee interprets a below-average raise.

Say an employee typically has received 4% raises in years past, but this year is getting only a 2% raise. "An employee's interpretation of a 2% raise is going to be different with the information that most employees are getting no raises and only those doing very well get 2%," says Lynn Oppenheim, president of CFAR. Similarly, if employees hear that raises are being reduced so that jobs can be saved until demand in their industry increases, "no one will be happy about this, but it may serve to limit the damage."

Spend compensation dollars wisely Judicious use of what money is available for raises is key, experts say. Some managers admit to giving all their people a standard raise just so they can avoid having to explain subpar pay increases to underachievers. While the approach may succeed as a strategy for avoiding conflict, think of the cost to an organization. Not only has the manager undermined the effectiveness of compensation as a means of rewarding and motivating, but he has probably stirred resentments among the high achievers, who are left to feel as through their initiative and hard work have been in vain.

Reshaping after downsizingWhat about employees who are struggling with new work responsibilities in the wake of a layoff? How should managers answer those employees who protest, "This isn't what I signed up for"?

Furtwengler suggests that the manager and the employee evaluate the new responsibilities together to determine which aspects of the "new job" interest the employee and which do not, which work is a "must have" from the manager's perspective and which is just a "nice to have."

"Reevaluating work, especially if done jointly with the employee, will help [her] find effective ways to deal with the new workload," he says, and discover efficiencies. "Because we are all creatures of habit and comfort, we no longer question the usefulness of what we're doing or whether there are better ways to accomplish the task. That's why a joint reevaluation of the work will often diminish the workload and allow the employee to become more interested in the 'new job.'"

A problem of skill or will?And what happens with an employee who is in a "reshaped" job and not performing up to standard? Managers need to determine first if the poor performance is a "skill" or "will" issue. In the first case, the employee feels he doesn't have the skills needed: "I've got to maintain this database, but I don't have enough background." In the second case, the employee simply dislikes the new chore: "I hate all the detail work I have to do now."

"Reshaping of jobs is very common — the appraisal is an opportunity to listen if the particular shape of a job fits the employee," she says. Sometimes the performance appraisal forces the manager to face a harsh reality: that the employee just isn't a good match for the company anymore.

In a time of layoffs and restructuring, performance appraisals bring challenges to both parties in the conversation. The employee confronts the task of adapting to a changed role in a changed context. The manager has to determine how best to support the development and morale of the employee in that changed role, while recalibrating performance expectations.

Did you know?

2009-05-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

Did you know? That the top 10 in demand jobs in 2010 did not exist in 2004?

Did you know? That the US Department of Labor estimates today’s learner will have 10-14 jobs by the age of 38?

Did you know? That there are over 200 million registered users on MySpace? And that is these users made up a county they would form the 5th largest?

Did you know? That the number of internet devices in:
1984 = 1000
1992 = 1,000,000
2008 = 1,000,000,000

A corporation developed this video and played it at their annual conference. I found it fascinating and hope that you do as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cL9Wu2kWwSY

What does it all mean? For each of us, I believe it is a reminder that we cannot ignore technology or a desire and effort to improve and enhance our educational process. We all need to keep learning in order to remain active and current in these amazing times.

I look forward to the opportunity to help you with suggestions on ways which you can remain current and progressive in our specialty of security and assist you with not being left behind in the career growth and opportunities that are available.

Enjoy!
David Lammert

Business Continuity

2009-05-11T07:40:00.000-07:00

I am sure most everyone is tired of this topic, I know that I am. However, I do think that the recent H1N1 health scare (more widely publicized as swine flu) serves as an important reminder of the importance for business continuity planning in the event of health crisis or natural disasters. Though most businesses today seem to have their priorities squarely set on the bottom line, this event underscores the importance of remembering the need to prioritize a company’s most important asset, its people.

Below are some links to a variety of planning guides that may assist you in your business continuity efforts. Hope you find them helpful.

David Lammert

Business Continuity Guidance for Swine Flu
By Kevin M. Nixon, Information-Security-Resources.com Security Editor
Abridged

“Business continuity and disaster recovery are crucial parts of sound corporate governance - for industries like the financial sector and the nation’s critical infrastructure, there are mandates. Organizations that fail to plan and prepare for events like public health emergencies, natural disasters, and man-made disruptions face loss of business and potential corporate exposure if they fail in these obligations. It is time to get serious about earlier and better handling of risk issues.” Laura Wilson, Information-Security-Resources.com Corporate Liability Editor

Corporations, businesses, and employers who have not already done so should immediately consider developing their Continuity of Business plans. To help organize the effort, the government has established a website to assist in the quick development of plans. The website is www.pandemicflu.gov and provides templates and guidelines. The place to start is the Business Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist.

Resources Available to Provide Quick Plan Development:
Planning Guide for U.S. Businesses with Overseas Operations
Planning Guide for Businesses and other Employers
Planning Guide for Childcare Programs
Planning Guide for Elementary and Secondary Schools
Planning Guide for Colleges and Universities
Planning Guide for Faith-Based and Community Organizations
Planning Guide for Individuals and Families

How to Nail an Interview

2009-05-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

This week, a lighthearted look at interview mistakes: www.howtonailaninterview.com.

Yes, all the video clips are real people, who really did make these blunders. I am also sure that they left the interview feeling that they did well and answered appropriately.

We’ve posted a lot of information on interviewing and this is a great illustration as to why – again, we recommend practice, practice, and practice – have a friend ask you tough questions and give honest feedback on your responses.

I hope you enjoy!

David Lammert

Free Copies and Faxes

2009-04-29T22:17:00.000-07:00

Office Depot is helping customers take care of business by offering customers free copies of resumes and free faxing from April 19 to May 30, 2009.

Customers will be able to participate in this special offer by visiting the Design, Print, & Ship Depot center in any one of the more than 1,100 Office Depot retail store locations nationwide. Office Depot is providing free copies of resumes, up to 25 single-sided pages, as well as free faxing to five different domestic numbers, up to 25 pages in total.

Customers can choose to upgrade their resume paper selection to a color or premium paper from Southworth for a nominal fee.

For more information, please visit your local Office Depot retail store location or www.officedepot.com.

First Impression, Lasting Impression?

2009-04-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

I recently joined the millions of people who are enthralled with Susan Boyle. I headed to You Tube, and watched, completely transfixed, the 7 minute+ video of Susan and her awkward, somewhat spinsterish presence belt out a tune that left me speechless. The judges’ comments were appropriate, shocked but compelled, and extremely enthusiastic.

Susan Boyle is a great illustration of not being able to judge a book by its cover; first impressions in this case were not at all lasting, fortunately for Susan. However, in an interview situation, can we expect the same?

I would hope that employers keep Susan in mind as they begin an interview process. Having a visual standard for a position is certainly normal, appropriate, and to be expected. However, if a judgment had been made solely based on appearances, we would have never heard Susan sing.

Again, having standards for appearance, style and delivery is expected and required. I do feel strongly however that during the interview process, it is important to minimize emotions and judgments in order to concentrate on a candidate’s results. Some potential employees will be unconventional in one way or another. Some don’t interview well. However, if there is a track record along with current references to suggest this is a super star, you should avoid the temptation to eliminate, just as the judges did with Susan Boyle.

Simply put: make decisions based on a candidate’s results and overall performance. One well known consultant suggests an interview style which truly embraces this philosophy – he recommends only asking one question during an interview to obtain all of the information required: “what was your greatest achievement in the course of your career?” (For more information on the one-question interview, please feel free to contact me).

To check out Susan’s performance, feel free to use the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPZh4AnWyk

Applicant Mistakes with Twitter, Facebook and MySpace

2009-04-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

In the past mistakes with technology were limited to things like pressing “reply all” instead of “forward” and mistakenly sending personal messages to more than the intended recipient. Today, with people sharing everything from what they ordered as their morning coffee to how their date went last night, it is much easier to have the wrong information arrive in the hands of a potential or current boss.

I recently read an article about a job applicant who completed a first interview at a major corporation. She left the meeting and proceeded to post a response on Twitter that essentially explained that although a job offer was expected she would really have to evaluate whether she would want to take a job where she hated the work (and listed the company name). An employee of the corporation read her “Tweet” and proceeded to not only investigate who the hiring manager was, but posted the candidate’s personal information on the web for all to see. One innocent “Tweet” and in an economy where all opportunities should be cherished, those who are well versed in the web essentially black balled the candidate.

Another story of interest: many of you have probably seen the You Tube video of David – the boy who went to the dentist and woke up under some serious medication. His father taped the boy in order to show his mother who could not be there, and eventually decided to post the video on You Tube for a few other family members to view. Never having used the site before, they did not click the correct options and allowed anyone who had an interest to see the video. Who knew poor David would be viral sensation? With millions of hits and plenty of parenting groups involved, a somewhat innocent video has caused an investigation and a lot of unwanted attention.

People’s personal lives now seem to be on display in a way that they never have before. Along with this open forum, many corporations have shared that they now make a routine check of sites like Twitter, Facebook and My Space as a part of the screening process – from those applying to college, to those applying for a promotion, what you post can be an important factor in the total package of who an organization selects.

I am not suggesting that you don’t participate in the streaming technology of the present and have stuck my little toe into the pool with LinkedIn and a new Twitter account. However, I strongly caution those participating to heed the advice of my mother and remember “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all”. On top of that age old wisdom, I would suggest that you double check the privacy settings on all of your accounts – if not properly set, anyone can see your post and those of your friends. Try to look at your accounts with fresh eyes and ask yourself if you were applying for a job, would you hire yourself as you are represented on the site?

Twitter

2009-04-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

This week I’ll dive a bit deeper into Twitter as I continue my personal decision process as to the benefits versus the time investment of the new (to me) information streaming technology.

I am looking to support and expand my business as the primary result of the sites (rather than personal gain) and so I enjoyed this article on How to Generate Contacts, Leads and New Clients. I hope you do as well.

Enjoy!
David Lammert

Twitter: How to Generate Contacts, Leads and New Clients
Abridged: Community Marketing Blog, By: Andrew Ballenthin and Leesa Barnes

We’ve been asked by numerous professionals, “Can you actually get new leads and a payback by using Twitter?” It’s a fair question, especially during tight economic times when any sales and marketing effort has to survive and thrive for the efforts invested. The following tips are based on feedback from professionals who have participated in emails, blog comments and various professional online Group discussions who have gained real leads and new clients as a result of working with twitter.First, Get To Know The Culture Of This Unique Social NetworkFirst and foremost keep in mind that the majority of rules for effective networking, lead generation, relationship building, and branding apply to twitter. In addition, twitter has a number of its own cultural norms that if not followed will work against your efforts and result in a waste of time and potentially leave you with a bad reputation.

Some of twitter’s important cultural norms are:
* Do Not Push A Sale – Follow the golden rule, “do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.
* Don’t Do Pushy Welcomes – When thanking someone for following don’t hard sell, just be polite.
* Have A Consistent Brand – Don’t be too diverse, too controversial or too personal unless you are going to consistently portray this brand image. Stay within your company's culture.
* Do Ask For Help – Ask your base for feedback and how to do it better.
* Don’t Say Things You Can’t Take Back – Count to 10 or you could regret the damage you do to yourself.

The Good Stuff, How to Generate Leads and Potentially New Clients
Based on feedback from numerous professionals who generated leads and new clients here are some of the things they did that worked. In all cases theses professionals piqued a follower’s interest through a variety of approaches which lead to contact and actual business activity that followed. Like any new relationship, don’t expect results overnight.

Be ready to invest weeks or months at this process the same way you would invest in offline networking or industry events. The good news is, just like offline networking, sometimes great things can happen unexpectedly.

Tweet about what you’re working on
* People are interested in what has your attention.
* Share the projects you're working on and the tools you're using.
* You'll find that people are eager to share the tools they have found useful or may ask you for your recommendation.
* This helps build relationships.

Tweet on interesting industry information
* Be the first to share interesting industry news. Over time, if done consistently, it will help you stand out in your industry as a valuable resource.
* Share useful trivia – for example a blog post, an article, a recently released report.
* Share the URL with others so they can read it.
TIP: shorten the URL so it fits in your tweet, use twitpwr.com or budurl.com as they both track clicks.

Include your twitter URL on marketing communications
* You want your following to be composed of people that want your information.
* Add your twitter address to emails and online and offline marketing materials.
* If twitter is going to be a key way to let people know about your business, promote it heavily.
* Let your offline networks know you’re on twitter. It gives them a way to get to know you and build relationships.
* Prospects can get valuable updates and may build trust due to shared insights/news.
* Many companies use twitter for news releases, research, building relationships and more.

Put energy into building relationships
* Find ways to help others get what they want, practice good networking skills.
* Respond to other’s tweets if there is a common interest. Do it consistently for them to get to know you.
* Send DM’s (Direct Messages) when the information is more personal.
* Follow natural relationship building rules you would apply with any new contact.
* Retweet valuable information to help a follower achieve their goals.

Promote your product/services in the context of your followers
The general rule is: you get leads and sales by doing all the other points in this article effectively.

* Talk about projects you work on, trade shows, campaigns, challenges your company faces.
* Share new valuable applications for your products and service.
* Don’t push credibility by over blowing the real value of what you have.
* If you have followers that are looking for deals twitter is great for getting the word out.
BUT – if you’re brand isn’t about using twitter as a sales generation channel you can risk turning followers off when you do try to sell as you may be contradicting your prior brand image.
If you push too hard you’ll know, followers will drop off or you simply won’t see any results.

Retweet other people's tweets
* Similar to an email forward, if you like the tweet, retweet it.
To do so, just put RT: @username in front of the contents of the tweet.
* Ideas become viral, products/services don't.
TIP: use retweetist.com to track how many times a tweet has been retweeted
* Create relationship value by helping others solve problems or find solutions.

Share your lifestyle
Most overlooked, share a part of who you are. Just like offline talk, people want to know who you are.
* People want to see how your successes match up with your lifestyle.
* If you're a self made millionaire, share info on the holidays you're taking.
* If you're an up and coming expert, go to events and tell people about the celebrity experts you met.
* If you believe in a 4-hr workweek, share details about your outsourced life.
* Results sell, you don't have to.
* Make your comments relevant to your brand otherwise it can cause confusion and put people off.
* One of the biggest musts of social media is build trust by being genuine.

Facebook vs. Twitter

2009-04-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

If you are like me, the thought of investing the time and energy into another networking site seems daunting. I am a loyal user of LinkedIn and enjoy the professional networking of this site, but everyday I seem to receive a new request to engage myself on Twitter or Facebook, hear another news item on the power of either of these mediums, and wonder if I am really missing something.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll spend some time discussing these platforms as I continue my own personal journey as to which one or whether to engage. I hope you find the discussion and articles helpful.

Enjoy!
David Lammert

Facebook vs. Twitter: How will you stream your world?
Abridged: Cnet News, By: Caroline McCarthy

The future will be streamed.

Earlier this week, Facebook unveiled a few notable product revamps: "fan pages" for brands that look and act more like regular member profiles, and a redesigned home page that emphasizes a real-time version of the site's iconic news feed. The keyword here is "streaming," encouraging an even more extensive flow of information with a status update prompt that asks, "What's on your mind?"

Needless to say, "What's on your mind"--which also allows the posting of links, videos, and other content to news feeds--bears quite a bit of resemblance to Twitter's "What are you doing?" prompt. So, especially in light of more rumors and reports about Facebook's spurned attempt to acquire Twitter, expect comparisons between the two services as means of ultra-customized media consumption to escalate.

When Facebook unveiled its redesign I predicted that we'd hear a lot more about the news feed as the new personal portal. That's sort of what many prolific Twitter users have turned the service into, too. Our Twitter feeds, after all, deliver a whole lot more than updates about what kind of beers our friends just ordered at happy hour: Depending on what you subscribe to, you can get ski reports, links to news headlines and blog feeds, mini-recipes, and celebrity stalking.

But for all the talk about brands building presences on Twitter, Facebook may have gained a slight lead here. I spoke on Thursday to Dan Hart, senior vice president and general manager of MTV Digital, about how the Viacom-owned entertainment brand is using the new Pages to push out more content to members' news feeds. For the first time, brands using Fan Pages can set "status" messages, too, which MTV plans to use for news and updates.

"The status update function is effectively becoming a publish function, and that publish function is text, photos, video, a variety of media," Hart said, "and that media is experienced more as a real-time stream by a Facebook user, and the Facebook user has more control over what occurs in that stream."
That's basically what media companies do with Twitter accounts. And Hart said that MTV has no plans to abandon its presence on Twitter. "I don't think it's a zero-sum choice at all," he said. "We've done really interesting things on Twitter."

But Facebook's advantage is that the revamped news feed can handle different types of content, too: it'll have actual photos and event listings instead of TwitPic and TinyURL links. Filtering controls won't require a third-party app like TweetDeck. On the other hand, Twitter is obviously more open-ended. The messages on it are public and accessible, rather than hidden behind a log-in wall. As useful and innovative as the Facebook news feed may be, it's not searchable--and Twitter clearly hopes that its search feature, which it built in with the acquisition of Summize last year, will be a sort of secret sauce. (Maybe it'll even make money with it.)

Honestly, though, with the amount of buzz about both Facebook and Twitter as the future of real-time information, I give the advantage to whichever one can make all this content less of a mess.