Current Search Update

Good Morning –

As February comes to a rapid close at the end of this week, I wanted to take a moment and let you know of a couple of high priority searches I am currently engaged in for my clients. The highest priority searches are:

Regional Operations Manager
General Manager, U.S. Operations
Branch Manager
Product Manager – Consumer Products

I am also working with a number of mid-management and Senior level executives who are in the process of transitioning their careers.

President – Consumer Products East Coast
Division Vice President of Sales Chicago but open to relocation
Director of Key National Accounts Chicago – no relocation
Director of Sales and Key Accounts Chicago – no relocation
Vice President Sales and Marketing Wisconsin

If you would be interested in any of the opportunities above, please give me a call or visit our company website at www.qworksgroup.com While visiting our company website, you may also view other opportunities some of the other recruiters in the office are currently working.

If you are interested in speaking with any of the above candidates or have a need within your organization, please give me a call at 803-548-8140 x30.

As always, please do not hesitate to give me a call or shoot me an email if I can be of any assistance to you personally, or your organization.


All The Best -

Signs Your Dream Job Isn't The Dream You Thought It Would Be

I hope your Monday morning is progressing well. I came across this article on CNN.com this morning and could not pass up the opportunity to share it with all of you. I hope you enjoy it!

Six signs your new job is lousy
Anthony Balderrama

Editor's note: CNN.com has a business partnership with CareerBuilder.com, which serves as the exclusive provider of job listings and services to CNN.com.

You put your best foot forward during your job interview. You wear a pressed suit and arrive 20 minutes early. Once you've been working at a place for a while, though, you get a little more comfortable. Maybe you scrounge through the hamper to find a shirt that's not too wrinkled and you slide into your chair just as the clock strikes eight.

Did it ever occur to you that employers might also be hiding their true colors during an interview? The dream job with the friendly boss who has an open-door policy might turn into a nightmare as soon as you sign the offer letter.

Here are six true-life signs that you shouldn't stick around at your new job.

1. 
   1. You ask your new boss for supplies and she hands you a No. 2 pencil and legal pad -- and nothing else. Not every company has the budget to give you an expense account, a BlackBerry and a cutting-edge laptop, but you should be equipped with the tools necessary to perform your job. A company experiencing financial troubles might be so stingy with supplies that you spend more time worrying about the company books than working.
2. 
   2. You were shown to a cubicle your first day of work, given a company manual and haven't spoken to anyone since. Any good employer trains new hires during their first few days on the job. Although you might have years of experience, each company has its own procedures and expectations that you won't magically know without some instruction. From the first day, your new employer should make it clear that you have a network of support ready to help you and answer any questions.
3. 
   3. You get the same reaction every time you tell someone about your new job and employer: Raised eyebrows and "Really? ... Good luck with that." You know better than to believe gossip, but sometimes a company's reputation speaks too loudly to ignore. If friends, colleagues and people in the industry consistently give negative feedback about the company, there's probably a legitimate reason. At the start of your job search, research which companies have the best reputations and which have the worst.
4. 
   4. After two weeks on the job, you are already halfway to becoming the employee with the most seniority. One of the reasons the country's top companies have employees who have been around for years is that people will stay where they're appreciated and treated well, and they'll leave when they're not. "I joined a firm in St. Louis and learned that the company had seven other employees come and go in the past year," says Sarah, a public relations executive. "What's worse is that it was only a five-person operation. That should have been the first sign that the company was not a great place to work."
5. 
   5. You answer the phone while the company's secretary is away from her desk and find that the voice at the other end is a collection agency calling for the third time that week. While this sounds unbelievable, this actually happened to one worker, who said other employees at the company were eventually instructed to not answer the phones. "It became a joke with all of us," she says. "We used to run out and cash our checks as soon as we got paid and were always afraid that they were going to bounce!" If you see any signs that your company is in real financial or legal trouble, don't wait for layoffs; get your résumé back out on the market.
6. 
   6. You notice that every day for the last week, at least one person has run crying from your boss's office. Not every boss is the kind of person you want to be best friends with, but you should show each other respect. If you can't have a conversation with your boss without being yelled at, don't feel obligated to stick around. A good company uses open communication, not fear and intimidation, to get results.

It may take a few days, weeks or even months to realize the new job isn't right for you. The key is to recognize the signs and leave when you can. If you have a bad gut feeling the first morning you report for work, listen to it. Better to move on than to find yourself still waiting for conditions to improve five years from now.

Working with Third-Party Recruiters

I am very pleased to present today's article, as Tami Retzlaff has clearly and suscinctly articulated tips and strategies for working with Third-Party recruiters. While many companies view outside recruiters as strictly vendors, there are some who view us as strategic partners - linked towards achieving one unified goal. This is my goal for the companies and candidates I work with. I believe in taking a vested interest in the needs of those with which I work, so as to address that need as best I can. So without further commentary, let me thank Tami Retzlaff and ERE.net, and enjoy today's posting.

Tips on Working with a Third-Party Agency
Make the agency part of your team
Wednesday, February 13, 2008 by Tami Retzlaff

The decision of whether or not to hire additional recruiters can be a struggle. During hectic times, the workload can be overwhelming. It can seem like an easy solution to increase the flow of resumes by opening up positions to numerous agencies. However, it is important to educate these staffing firms on the details of the job, the process, and the environment. Without this knowledge, they won't have the information they need to deliver quality candidates. Using third parties can be a valuable strategy. But, being proactive and communicating with them every step of the way takes time. Without these extra conversations, positions won't necessarily be filled more quickly.

Traditional Staffing Firms

Working with a staffing service, particularly one that specializes in an industry, can be a vital resource for a company. An open door allowing them to talk with hiring managers about each job helps them understand your culture and company goals. Even if these solid relationships are built, turnover internally within a staffing firm can have an effect on timeliness and the understanding of your needs.

When dealing with a small talent pool, there can be plenty of debate over who owns a candidate and for how long. To eliminate issues in the future, make a few agreements with agencies in advance. Since they often use some of the same resources a company may already be paying for, be clear upfront about the sources from which candidates will be accepted. If two agencies present the same candidate, you may want to decide in advance who would get the fee. It could be the one to present the opportunity to the candidate for their approval first or the one to present the candidate to you first. Third parties also need to know if the organization is willing to consider paying a fee for a former employee. If your head spins thinking about the groundwork and ongoing issues, why not change the way you work with third parties?

Make Staffing Firms Part of the Team

Rather than only relying upon third parties as a resume supplier, use them as a trusted contract recruiter that enlarges the department without a permanent hire. As an employer working with third parties, Brown Shoe Company has built a unique partnership with The Grapevine Group. An offsite representative of Grapevine acts as a Brown Shoe recruiting team member in all aspects of the hiring cycle. This adopted team member is trained on the internal processes and has access to all our systems. Just like staff recruiters, this person does everything from open to close for assigned positions. Working with hiring managers, this representative learns the needed skills and the department fit. Job assignments are in all departments and levels within the organization.

In addition, Grapevine's staff completes various projects such as competitor organizational-chart building, sourcing for targeted searches, and scheduling interviews with downsizing companies. The amount of time this outside firm is used fluctuates based on recruiting needs. Grapevine employees have also conducted training at team meetings and have contributed ideas by providing a non-bias outside viewpoint.

Partnership Has Payoff

Your favorite staffing firm may be open to this model since an agreed upon, guaranteed hourly fee can be charged. To weigh the benefits of this type of relationship, determine the time and money spent within the traditional staffing firm model. Calculate the amount of hours your staff spends with agencies (they discuss the position details, your culture, and how your organization works, as well as communicate about resumes and serve as the go-between for scheduling and offers.) Add to this the 15% to 30% fee if someone hired was sourced by the agency. Compare this total to the hourly cost of a contract recruiter, who is actually filling positions without ongoing internal staff involvement.

There are additional benefits for the third party that include job satisfaction and retention within their own staff since they get to see the result of their work in a different way. They also get a true view of your company by being a relied-upon partner. Traditional third parties build and maintain strong pipelines and often have more time and experience with cold calling than many corporate recruiting teams. They succeed in filling difficult openings and can also do an outstanding job of being the go-between for the company and the candidate. However, there is no denying the extra time and communication needed to get everything scheduled, explain the process, and get to the offer stage.

At times, corporate recruiters need the extra help traditional staffing firms can provide by digging into the market for access to more candidates. But when you have an increase in workload, consider using third-party sources as an extension of your talent acquisition team.

Tami Retzlaff is the Global Training Strategist for the Talent Acquisition department at Brown Shoe Company.

Congratulations Jon Lande

I would like to take this opportunity to Congratulate Jon Lande on his new position as Operations Manager for one of my largest clients in New England.

I wish Jon all the best as he transitions his career into this exciting new role!

Congratulations Chris Johnson

I would like to take this opportunity to Congratulate Chris Johnson as he transitions his career and becomes Regional Commercial Sales Manager for New England for one of my clients.