TIPS FOR NEGOTIATING SALARY FOR EMPLOYERS AND JOBSEEKERS - Lance Winsaft

TIPS FOR NEGOTIATING SALARY 

Today we’re sharing tips for both employers and jobseekers who are considering accepting or negotiating a salary offer.

You should know there are different strategies to take depending on your situation for both employers and jobseekers.

Your strategy depends on if you are negotiating with each other directly or if there is a recruiter who is negotiating on your behalf.

WORKING WITH A RECRUITER

If there is a recruiter in the mix, you need to be clear about how much you trust them to represent and negotiate for both parties.

There are a lot of different recruiters out there and many of them are good at negotiating and many aren’t.

If you’re working with someone, you want to be sure you can trust that they are going to be able to handle both parties interests.

FOR THE JOBSEEKER

If you’re a job seeker and working with a recruiter, you definitely want to take whatever advice that recruiter is giving you.

The recruiter is likely going to have your best interest in mind and do everything they can to negotiate the highest salary possible.

Recruiters’ commissions are going to be based off of your final salary, so it really is in their best interest to negotiate the best possible salary.

The thing to keep in mind is that often by the time you get an offer, the recruiter will have already done some significant negotiating on your end.

Although it may be the first time you’re seeing an offer, it’s likely not the first time that potential employer has been in the negotiation process.

So you want to keep the above in mind as you don’t want to be in a position to over negotiate.

BEING CLEAR, CONCISE AND PREPARED

The last thing that you want to do is go back-and-forth with your prospective employer too many times.

This can make you seem nit-picky and could just annoy and or upset at the situation.

One way to avoid this is when you do an initial review of your offer be sure that you collect any and all questions that you have.

Many jobseekers make the mistake of going back and forth finding concerns and asking questions.

This can get annoying and makes you seem unorganized.

COMMUNICATING SALARY EXPECTATIONS

When working with a recruiter, it’s also in your best interest to be upfront about your current salary.

Many states are now employing laws which make it illegal for recruiters or companies to ask candidates what your current salary is.

The purpose of these laws is to avoid gender discrimination, not so that people can hide their salary and try to get more money.

It will be obvious to the recruiter if you do this.

The truth of the matter is that nine time out of ten, being upfront about your current salary is your best ammunition.

If you’re being underpaid, you can use that as an argument for why you want an increase.

If you aren’t being underpaid you can use your current salary as a basis for a certain percentage of increase.

In other words, it’s better to have a stand off point in your argument for certain salary expectations.

You don’t want to have a certain salary expectation based off of nothing.

Most of the time this is going to help, especially if you are working with a recruiter.

A recruiter will be able to take that information and really frame it with their client to really sell you with your requested salary.

WHAT JOBSEEKERS CAN EXPECT

Also, be sure that you don’t get offended if your first number on the offer is a bit off.

Many companies tend to come in with a lowball offer at first.

This is fairly normal and you want to make sure that you don’t take something like this personally.

This can be a red flag in some situations, but normally it’s just a starting off point knowing that there’s going to be some back-and-forth.

Be professional about it and remind them what your expectations are and what your current salary is.

You can also remind them of your justifications and your logical case for the salary that you are expecting.

The more evidence and logic you’re able to bring to the situation about your salary expectation, the better.

SALARY IS NOT EVERYTHING

You want to make sure you get a clear picture of all the benefits that come with the role you’re negotiating for.

Things like bonuses, health insurance, life insurance, 401(k) and disability should all be considered.

There are many other perks that companies are now instituting like food perks, dry cleaning, vacation, paid days off, remote days, short days in the summer, and the list goes on.

Many of these bonuses, benefits and perks are difficult to monetize, but add up to a lot of money within any given year.

It’s very important that you keep all of this in mind as these things can have a major impact on your overall compensation.

These things also greatly impact the quality of your work and life balance.

So it’s very important that you take it all in a consideration and don’t get too stuck on a salary number.

We’ve seen many candidates get stuck on a salary number and miss out on a great opportunity.

You want to be sure you’re taking the whole picture into account.

FOR THE EMPLOYERS

It’s important that you avoid the aforementioned initial lowball offer.

Be up front with people and let them know what your ranges are early on in the process.

Get expectations from people early on in the process.

You can ask questions as to why they are expecting a certain salary.

Be sure yon’t break the law in your state if you’re not allowed to ask about their current salary.

HAVING A SALARY AND BENEFITS PACKAGE

Have a really well thought-out and put-together benefits document showing as much as possible.

This will show the details of the monetary amount of your benefits package.

A well put together benefits package is really going to help supplement any salary offer that you make.

You’ll be able to justify a lower salary or market salary with candidates if you are also offering a competitive benefits package.

It’s important that you are clear with people throughout the process and you make sure they are clear with you about expectations.

You don’t want to waste your time getting all the way through your interview process with someone that you like, only to have a deal fall apart.

This can happen if you don’t communicate clearly and aren’t in the same ballpark when it comes to compensation.

It’s also not a good idea to come in with your first number as your maximum, unless of course this has been discussed with the candidate beforehand.

Most candidates are expecting to be able to negotiate or pushback on the salary at least once and get a little bit higher than the initial offer.

There is a very important emotional and psychological aspect of people accepting offers.

No one likes to just lay down and accept the first offer.

People want to feel like they pushed back and then someone gave in because they really like them.

The last thing you want is for someone to feel OK about accepting the offer and then to show up on day one feeling just OK having accepted the job.

You want people excited about the role and to feel wanted.

CONCLUSION

These are just a few tips you can take into consideration.

The tips in this blog can go a long way to getting the best offer for yourself and also for the company.

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How do you do it ALL? Here is a great list on managing your work-life balance! https://muse.cm/SyV3yC

Pros And Cons Of Posting On Job Boards - Lance Winsaft

NAVIGATING JOB BOARD OPTIONS By Lance Winsaft

Today we’re talking about posting on job boards and what posting on a job board is worth.

With so many choices available, there are pros and cons to using job boards and I want to go over some of those here in this post.

If you’re looking to hire talent, there are a lot of options to find potential candidates for open positions within your company.

It may seem overwhelming with so many job board options, artificial intelligence software, recruiters, staffing agencies, and more.

ARE JOB BOARDS WORTH IT?

The question is are companies like Monster, Careerbuilder, Zip Recruiter, Indeed, and other job boards worth spending the money on.

It’s very likely if you are looking to fill open positions at your company that you’re in one of a few different positions.

If you don’t have enough outbound recruiting man power you’re likely trying to find ways to passively attract talent to your company.

Job boards like mentioned above can seem like a good option.

Looking into options, you will notice they can be very expensive and it may be challenging to know which option to choose.

PICKING AND CHOOSING FOR YOUR NEEDS

The most important thing to understand is that job boards are good for certain positions only.

Job boards should be used primarily for low level entry level positions.

Ideally, roles that are administrative or don’t require a lot of specialized education or skills are best for job boards.

Job boards lose their effectiveness the more specialized you get with a position, especially with more senior roles.

Once you start to get to the manager, director, VP or above, job boards are going to become increasingly less effective.

QUANTITY OVER QUALITY

One way or another, with job boards, you’re going to have to allot time to sift through an abundance of resumes.

Job boards will get you a high quantity of resumes, but the quality of those resumes and candidates is going to be very low.

You will likely reject eight or nine out of every 10 resumes that come through for your position.

You or someone on your staff will need to sift through these initial resumes and weed out the ones that are simply junk.

Many job boards today allow candidates to apply to multiple positions at once.

Therefore candidates are not necessarily looking at job descriptions or job requirements.

Often candidates are just blasting their resume out to as many positions as possible hoping that something will stick.

This shotgun affect makes it a headache for anyone who has to sift through hundreds of resumes to find only a few potentials.

For certain roles this can be good, but for many roles it isn’t worth it.

You may not have the staff or the time to go through all these resumes, therefore this may not be a good option for you.

SIFTING THROUGH THE MESS

The other thing to consider is that for the most part, people who are applying on job boards are not currently working.

Candidates without jobs who are actively looking may not be where the best talent tends to lie.

You may want to consider talent that is not actively and aggressively looking for a new position, or maybe not looking at all.

People working effectively for your competition may have the time to find a new position.

With this in mind, you’re likely not going to be tapping into the passive job market.

So you are limiting yourself greatly to the pool of talent that are the active talent.

Don’t get me wrong, there are some good people out there applying on job boards, but they are the exception to the rule.

IS THE COST WORTH THE PAYOFF?

The other tricky aspect with job boards is that you never can know which is the best one for your market.

Unless you are in an extremely specialized field like healthcare, engineering or software development, you won’t know which job board is best.

In these cases, it’s likely you will need memberships with multiple job boards which can get expensive.

The costs for membership and the time to speak to and sift through the high volume of resumes can be costly.

You’re likely better off hiring an internal headhunter or an external headhunting agency like us to do that work on your behalf.

HIRING A RECRUITER

One thing to keep in mind is to never hire a recruiting company that is going to post on job boards on your behalf.

Those are lazy recruiters and if you’re going to hire a recruiter they should be tapping into the passive market mentioned above.

A recruiter is likely going to be slightly more expensive, but you’re going to get much more bang for your buck.

Also your life is going to be a whole lot easier and your experience hiring will be much more streamlined.

IN CONCLUSION

Job boards can work, but they take a lot of work to manage and can end up being very expensive.

I recommend doing a cost-benefit analysis.

You really want to look and see what you’re going to get with a recruiter versus what you would get with the job boards.

You’ll certainly attract better candidates going with the recruiter.

In any case, find and do what works best for you and your business.

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Considering building an internal HR team? Here are some things to consider:

https://bit.ly/2JR2u3p

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RECRUITING MARKETING AND SALES CANDIDATES IN SAN DIEGO (SD) - Lance Winsaft

RECRUITING IN SAN DIEGO

Recruiting for marketing talent in San Diego can be very challenging.

There are a few important points to consider if you are committed to hiring the best talent in San Diego.

One of the good things is that it’s a small market with amazing companies, schools and talent right at your fingertips.

COST OF LIVING VS. SALARY

The tricky part is is that cost-of-living is very high in San Diego.

The cost of living is comparable to Orange County or Los Angeles, but the salary market in San Diego is lower.

This makes it challenging to relocate from those areas since they will be used to a similar cost of living with higher salaries.

You also run the risk of losing talent to Los Angeles or Orange County as people are attracted the higher salaries with similar cost-of-living.

DEFINING YOUR COMPANY CULTURE

San Diego has a lot to offer like less traffic, a more relaxed lifestyle, and an overall different culture than is found in Los Angeles or Orange County.

This is highly attractive to many people and it’s what brings many people to San Diego.

You must have a well-defined company culture that speaks to the things that matter most to people. Then you increase the likelihood of attracting the best candidates.

You can carve out a competitive niche for yourself by prioritizing work-life balance, health and other incentives for your employees.

RELOCATING CANDIDATES TO THE SAN DIEGO AREA

While it is challenging to relocate from Los Angeles or Orange County, this should still be a major strategy when it comes to talent acquisition.

There are many folks in Los Angeles or Orange County who won’t want to move to San Diego.

You want to find candidates who want to get out of the rat race of Los Angeles and be somewhere smaller like San Diego.

You must find a way to head those people and there is no way around the large amount of volume and reaching out that it takes.

HIRING A RECRUITER

Often times hiring a headhunter is the only way to reach enough people.

A head hunter can help to find the ones who are interested in coming to San Diego.

Having a good relocation package can go a long way for attracting people to San Diego.

Since San Diego is a smaller market you’ll want to leverage your employees to get the word out about open positions.

You can create incentives for employee referrals to drive your employees to reach into their networks and help find you good people.

A benefit in San Diego is that pretty much everybody knows everybody by a few degrees of relationship.

ESTABLISHING YOUR EMPLOYER BRAND

You can capitalize on networking with your employees and this is another place where your employer brand comes into play.

It’s very important to have a well-established employer brand that speaks to the value of your employees as well as potential employees.

IN CONCLUSION

San Diego is a small market that certainly has recruiting challenges, but has a lot going for it as well.

Some other smaller markets such as in the midwest or in the south have a lot more challenges.

The beautiful scenery and laid-back attitude are very appealing to many people, both in Southern California and around the country.

San Diego also has some of the best climate in the entire country which can play a role in attraction.

Leveraging the topics in this blog will get you off on a great start when recruiting in San Diego!

HOW TO BE A POWERFUL LEADER, CONSCIOUS LEADERSHIP - Lance Winsaft

ARCHETYPE

Archetype concepts are intriguing to me and I believe them to be extremely powerful in creating new realities. I was first exposed to the concept of archetypes when I was a very young girl.

My father taught me that if I wanted to live the life of an extraordinary human being, it was useful to create the “archetype” of what an extraordinary human being looks like.

Then, when I was a teenager, he insisted that I create the archetype of the “ideal woman,” a blueprint if you will, of the kind of woman I could aspire to become.

There were many conversations about archetypes while I was growing up, including the archetype of the “ideal man,” designed to help me manifest a husband with “superior” qualities.

I wish I’d paid closer attention to these teachings when I was younger and put them into practice with more fervor.

Fortunately, I did eventually catch on and I’ve used the powerful tool of creating archetypes in many areas of my life, especially in creating my businesses.

Etymologically speaking, an archetype is an “original pattern from which copies are made,” and derives from the Latin noun archetypum.

The adjective form is archétupos, which means “first-molded,” a compound of archḗ, “beginning, origin,” and tupos, “pattern,” “model,” or “type.”

The word “archetype” has been written about and used by scientists, psychologists, philosophers, artists, writers and many others in different ways and with varying purposes.

This fascinates me!

ARCHETYPE AS A BLUEPRINT

The way I want to use it in this text is somewhat synonymous with the word “blueprint,” which is a design that serves as a mold, model or a template.

If you were going to build a house, you would not even attempt to do so without a blueprint.

Likewise, if we are going to design the model for entrepreneurial or corporate leadership in the 22nd Century, we need to start with a blueprint, a planned design.

I am calling this The 22nd Century Leadership ArchetypeTM.

Moments after I sat down to write this piece a knot formed in my throat.

MOVING TO CONSCIOUS LEADERSHIP

That is how moved I am about the concept of what conscious leadership could represent for humanity as a whole. I literally wanted to cry.

Tears actually did form at the edges of my eyes when I got present to how much work there is for us to do.

While I am inspired by the many corporations that are paving the way towards conscious leadership, as I observe our political landscape (where the solution to violence in our schools is arming teachers) and to what some companies are doing to make a profit no matter the cost to human dignity and life itself I can’t help but know in my heart that there must be a better way.

In just the last 2 decades we have made so many advances in science and technology that I do believe we are more connected than ever with what it will take for us as a “collective” to move into total homeostasis as a species…a species that thrives all the while bringing harmony, balance and serenity to all living beings sharing this beautiful planet with us.

With this in mind I am suggesting we, the community of small business leaders and entrepreneurs, come forth with an archetype for the corporate leadership we want our great grandchildren to experience.

If this is to be, we must begin to design the blueprint for it now, today.

THE 22ND CENTURY

The 22nd Century is only 82 years away. You and I will be gone. And so will our children, most likely. But our grandchildren will be here and our great grandchildren will definitely be here. What is the world we want them to inherit?

Think about this for a moment. What is the experience of our world that you want your grandchildren and great grandchildren to have?

Given that corporations pretty much run the world, doesn’t it make sense for them to be led by individuals that are highly aware and conscious?

Doesn’t it make sense for corporations to lead humanity into a world equipped to foster wellness for all human beings?

I believe wholeheartedly in the power of corporate leadership. And I am committed to playing a role in creating a world where corporations lead humanity to a higher state of consciousness, a world where we can all thrive, a world where no one is judged or discarded. What do you want?

The following is a starter list of qualities that comprise an archetype of the ideal corporate leader.

10 EXAMPLES OF THE 22ND CENTURY LEADERSHIP ARCHETYPETM:

1.  Discerns that which is not good or right for the whole of humanity and declines to engage in that which is not.

2.  Leads through example, no kidding, consistently and always.

3.  Emulates compassion, forgiveness and comprehension at all levels.

4.  Understands without reservation that we are all connected in every way; that without exception what we experience as an individual is experienced by all. Executes based on this principle.

5.  Courageous at a level where fear of personal retribution is non-existent and steps into full authenticity with zero regard for “looking good.”

6.  Complete trust in profitability through absolute integrity.

7.  Generates abundance and prosperity effortlessly and in alignment with good will for all.

8.  Replaces ego and personality based choices with those that arrive from an Inner Knowing that is clearly aligned with the higher purpose to serve all of humanity.

9.  Understands through clair cognizance that when a conflict shows up it does so to teach or remind us of something we need to recognize about ourselves so we can shift it and transform it within.

10.   Naturally sees, recognizes and deeply appreciates the inherent and profound value in all human beings regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, religious affiliation, country of origin, or any other “label” that might mask this truth.

WHAT QUESTIONS TO ASK DURING MY INTERVIEW - Lance Winsaft

So you are going to interview for that great job you found – but what are the best questions to ask to determine if it’s a fit for you? You may only get to ask a couple, so make them count! This is a major opportunity to interview the interviewer. You want to take advantage of whatever chance you can to determine early on if this is the right company for you.

Interviewing is a way to not only have employers ask questions to see if you are the right fit for their company, but also vice versa. It is always important to ask yourself if you can see yourself working for the company you are interviewing for. Asking a variety of questions that really gives you good insight on if the job opportunity is going to be a good match is vital. This is easier said than done, so we have some tips for you.

CULTURE IS CRITICAL

Your skill set may be a match but what about culture? Ask questions that really give you a good sense about what people at that company are like. Ask about company outings, dress code, benefits and wellness. These types of details are extremely important to see if you would be a good match to the company. 

You want to also already be clear about what YOU are looking for in culture. Do you value work life balance? Maybe a close knit culture is important to you. Work hard play hard may be up your alley. Perhaps a lot of structure, or a little structure is important. The point is that you have a good picture of what you value so you can compare what you hear.

Really honing in on what a person in the position you are interviewing for needs to address or do in the role in order to be successful are good questions to ask as well. Assuming you are talking to the direct hiring manager, find out what they expect a successful person in the role to accomplish. You will want to get in their head. Could you really do the job? Are their expectations realistic?

Below are three very good and important questions to ask during a interview that we read in an article called, “Three Interview Questions To Test If An Employer Is Right For You”. 

1.) WHAT CHARACTER TRAITS DO PEOPLE DEMONSTRATE THAT SUCCEED IN THIS ROLE AND COMPANY? 

A question like this really will give you insight on if this role is a good personality fit for you and if you will be capable of being successful by how your traits and habits are. You will know right away of those traits are describing you or not.

2.) WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT WORKING AT THIS COMPANY? 

Learning about why your interviewers like to work at the company you are interviewing for is a question that really determines the culture of the business. If you can gauge if they truly enjoy their job and work culture it will give you an idea of how everyone feels about the company. It is important to work somewhere that your co workers enjoy working at because it creates good relationships amongst each other.  You can even ask what are some of the things they dislike about the company. It’s natural and healthy for there to be likes and dislikes. No company is perfect and you should never expect that. What they dislike will still be very insightful.

3.) WHAT CHALLENGES HAS YOUR TEAM FACED IN THE LAST YEAR? WHAT ARE YOUR TEAM’S GOALS FOR THE NEXT YEAR? 

Asking a question in regards to what challenges the department or company you will work for gives you realistic goals that soon will be on your plate. Seeing what goals they are trying to accomplish will give you an overview of what your job will entail.

CONCLUSION

Asking the right questions at a job interview really will give you a good idea if it will be the right fit. Don’t take a job just because it looks good on your resume or because of money. We see way too many people get caught up in money and wanting to make a move try to get ahead. Chose a job that you will be a good fit for you both skill wise and personality. 

You have to be smart about making a move, your resume needs to show stability. Our clients are constantly turning down resumes because people look like job hoppers. Often times those people left their jobs because they ended up not being a good cultural fit. This is understandable. But if they had done a better job of looking at this before accepting an offer, they wouldn’t be stuck in this sticky situation. 

The last thing you want is to be stuck at a company because you didn’t do your due diligence. Or you have to jump from a couple jobs and now you look unstable. There is a lot of risk in not asking the right questions during your interview.

Make the most of your career and your life! Aldebaran Recruiting is here to coach our candidates throughout the entire recruitment process making sure our candidates and clients have the right fit. 

HOW TO HIRE THE BEST TALENT AND CANDIDATES - LANCE WINSAFT

The market is competitive and it’s critical you do whatever is needed to get a competitive edge. 

1) Clarity, 2) Culture, 3) Speed – The top 3 things you need to have FLAT if you are serious about hiring the best talent.

*CLARITY – You need to be clear about what you need in the role, what the person will do, what their personality will be like, and what you will expect of them.

*CULTURE – Your company and team should have a defined culture that you can speak to and get people excited about. Find out ways to interview for culture.

*SPEED – In this market, there is no time for drawn out interview processes. Don’t compromise on what you need to do to hire the right people and be sure to move fast with the people you like – they are most likely being courted by other companies! 

Are You Missing Out?

We see too many clients miss out on great talent because of missing one more of the above  items. When you miss out on that great candidate, guess what? They are going to your competition! That is usually not a good thing. Every industry and vertical is competitive, you can’t afford to lose talent to your competitors.

On this same note, the above points apply to current employees as well. Employees stay with companies that have a clear vision, companies that move fast, and companies with a well defined culture. 

If you are able to retain the talent you currently have while also attracting and retaining other top talent, you will have an undeniable edge over your competition. The slightest edge in any game is what separates the winners from the losers.

You Are Being Interviewed As Well!

Every candidate you interview is also interviewing you and your company – and remember, if they are good, they aren’t desperate, and someone else is likely after them as well!! It’s so critical you find ways to sell both the opportunity of the role and the opportunity of joining your team and company.  Putting even a little bit more effort into candidate experience can have big payoffs in terms of giving you a competitive edge.

Top talent must be hunted in this current market. If you are serious about adding the best people to your team, you can’t rely on them finding you in time. If you are unable to hire a headhunter, find a way to hunt the talent on your own. This can be tricky but must be done! The best talent is waiting for you to find them and court them.  

This holds true the most if you are hiring executives or upper management – especially if they are currently working with one of your competitors. It isn’t enough to “build it and they will come.” So you have a great product or service, a great future for the company ahead of you, that is great, but not enough to lure over the superstars.

Be Willing To Court Them

Superstars need a little coaxing. Add in a dinner as part of your interview process, make your interview process is slick with very high communication. Your internal HR teams should be on the spot with scheduling and communicating with these folks. Give them a great tour of the office, sell them on your vision the perks, etcetera. Find out what really matters to them, what are their motivations, why are they interested. More importantly, find out their concerns!

Too many employers avoid asking what the candidates concerns are and therefore they never get addressed. Only when you find out what they are concerned about can you dress it. This is a critical interview strategy that most employers miss. What happens then is the candidate has a concern, they make things up in their head about the concern, it never gets addressed, and then they make a decision based on the made up thoughts they have about the concern! Most of the time the concern was something easy to address that likely would have resulted in a positive outcome. Don’t fall in to this trap.

Never stop improving your process. The way you find talent and retain them should be ever evolving. Outside recruiters are an amazing resource because we work with many different clients and we see what works and what doesn’t work. We strive to be that sort of partner for our clients – not just a talent mill.

Recruiters also help to manage those communications and set expectations. The last thing you want is to leave a candidate “hanging” out there at any point in the process. This happens WAY too much! Especially if they are hot, you can’t leave them on hold. Recruiters are great for setting expectations and taking that load away from you.

Conclusion

There are many ways to give yourself a competitive edge to attract and retain the top talent in the market. You owe it to yourself to invest in HR and recruiters. Invest in have a great candidate experience that motivates and inspires candidates. Court the people you really like, make them feel special, make them feel wanted, and keep this up for all employees. Millennials especially want to contribute and be apart of something. Give your employees that chance! 

Feel free to reach out to us if you want to improve in any of these areas. We are a true business partner and can provide you with not only the top talent but also insight and advice into your process. To attract the best you have to be the best and work with the best. If you offer peanuts you get monkeys. or if you do the bare minimum with candidates and think they should be happy to be interviewing with you, you will get mediocre talent. You have an amazing company, an amazing product/service, now do whatever it takes to have the best people.

Happy Hunting!

WHY CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY MATTERS TO ALDEBARAN RECRUITING - Lance Winsaft

Turnover is known to be the biggest expense to companies throughout the nation. At Aldebaran Recruiting we have one of the highest retention rates you will ever come across for when placing candidates. What’s our secret you may ask? It simple. We listen to our candidates. Money is not the only motivating factor for a lot of the workforce nowadays. 

Companies have been making it a point to work on their “Corporate Sustainability”. Corporate Sustainability is a strategy that takes into account how a business operates ethically, socially, environmentally and economically. Successfully working on corporate culture and making a conscious adoption of a company mission make your company appealing to workforces world wide.

Becoming apart of a company that makes a difference and has a reputation of having Corporate Sustainability is what millenials today are looking for. By 2025, millennials will make up three-quarters of the workforce so the needs what they are looking for is important to understand. There has been skyrocketing statics that prove millenials are not motivated by money anymore, they are motivated by culture and change.

What we do here as recruiters at Aldebaran is understand the wants and needs from our candidates and clients, then make the match. There is a shift in what the workforce looks for in a company to work for. When shifts happen we adjust and learn new wants and needs.

To learn more about Company Sustainability, check out this great article Why Corporate Sustainability Should Matter to Recruiters. 

LANCE WINSAFT ON WHAT TO DO WHEN A RECRUITER IS BEING UNRESPONSIVE

Did a recruiter suddenly stop responding to your emails? Are they not responding to you after you went to multiple interviews? Have you sent them polite emails and multiple phone calls for a month, but they’re still not getting back to you? Then you have been ‘ghosted.’

Ghosting is a pretty common occurrence not only in recruiting, but also in life. It’s when the other party ‘slowly fades away.’ If you find yourself being ghosted in the hiring process, here’s what you should do.

1. Mourn About It

Let it all out. Cry on your bed. Punch your pillows. It’s ok to feel upset. You have every right to feel that way. However, it’s important to do this privately. Share your pain and frustration with your closest friends and family, but don’t bring it to your social media. Venting through your social media is not the best option. It will demonstrate a lack of emotional control to your future employers and ruin your chances in the job hunt.

2a. Send a Firm Email Saying That This is Not Ok

Ghosting is an unprofessional business practice. Sending a firm email may not get you the job, but it might make you feel better. Recruiter Jane Ashen Turkewitz from .comrecruiting suggests sending an email like this:

“I would like to thank you for the opportunity to interview for the role of X. I was surprised, after my 7 rounds of interviews, to not hear anything regardless of my attempts to stay engaged.

Due to the lack of response, it’s a fair assumption that you have decided to move in another direction.  While I am disappointed, I certainly respect if someone more qualified entered the picture.

That said, isn’t it common courtesy to let a candidate know where he stands in the process, even if it’s a difficult conversation? A rejection is disappointing but ghosting shows a lack of leadership and empathy.

I hope one day, if you are in my shoes, interviewing for a new, exciting job, that you are not treated in such an unkind manner. Wishing you and yours continued success as I find success elsewhere.”

Be cautious about sending a firm email. Remember, send it only when you’re ready to move on from the job. Also, it’s best not to be too firm when you’ve only been to only one interview with them. Instead, you can them a small and polite note.

2b. You Can Also Not Do Anything

Please don’t go assuming that recruiters are evil. Not all of us are like this. Sometimes recruiters have no control over this. Sometimes being unresponsive can be a part of the recruiter’s job. Some companies have a “no feedback” policy. By not doing anything, you won’t be burning any bridges. It’s a good way to keep your options open with this company, especially if it’s a big company. 

3. Don’t Let It Affect Your Other Applications

Don’t start becoming impatient and keep asking questions to future recruiters. It’s best to always present your best self. Getting ghosted sucks, but it’s best to let it go. Yes, we realize that it’s much, much harder than it sounds. Every recruiting process is different. It’s best to simply learn from this experience to be prepared for when a recruiter ghosts you again.

Don’t be discouraged when you’re being ghosted. It happens more often than you’d think, but not all recruiters are like this. It doesn’t always mean that they’re not interested in you either. Getting ghosted can be very upsetting, but worst case scenario: You won’t end up in a company that lacks proper etiquette. If they’re treating you poorly from the start, who knows what else they would do to you.

LANCE WINSAFT - WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN AN “INEXPERIENCED” CANDIDATE

Everyone is unique. Each one of us have our own strengths and weaknesses. We’ve all lead different paths in life. In truth, no one can be said to be actually “inexperienced.” Whether an applicant is fresh out of college or looking for a career change, you shouldn’t be worried about them being inexperienced. There are many opportunities for them to shine. So what should you look for in a good candidate?

Answer: Soft Skills

According to the Oxford Dictionary, soft skills are defined as the “Personal attributes that enable someone to interact effectively and harmoniously with other people.” While technical ability can be taught, soft skills are much harder to instill in a person. Employees that lack soft skills can undermine your company’s success. On the other hand, soft skills that complement hard skills are what makes an applicant truly valuable.

Here are some skills that you should consider looking for in candidates:

• Communication skills
• Ability to work in a team
• Dependability and reliability
• Problem-solving and critical thinking
• Initiative
• Adaptability
• Good business ethics
• Innovative spirit
• Willingness to learn

Where to Look for Soft Skills

Now that we know what to look for in a candidate, there are several methods to assess whether a candidate will make a good employee.

Reviews from Contacts

What better way to assess a candidate’s personal qualities than to ask someone who knows them? Talk to their previous employers and find out about the candidate’s work ethics. Were they responsive? Were they able to communicate well with their coworkers? You can also give a call to their friends or relatives, but there’s a good chance that they have biased opinions. So communicating with a candidate’s previous work contacts is the best option.

Previous Experiences

Mark Murphy, the founder of Leadership IQ and a NY Times bestselling author, found that “high performers … are naturally wired to put others’ needs ahead of their own.” Whereas low performers will get their job done, they’re only doing it because they’re told to do so. On the other hand, high performers go above and beyond because they “find passion working toward something bigger than themselves.” They have what Mark calls the “helper” attitude. A good way for a candidate to demonstrate the “helper” attitude is if they find volunteer experiences truly rewarding.

Preparation in Recruiting Process

Lastly, a good way to judge a candidate’s personality is through how prepared they are during the application process. A candidate who’s not afraid to take the initiative to ask questions and comes well prepared to the interviews is very likely to help your company succeed.

LANCE WINSAFT - 3 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD IMPROVE YOUR CANDIDATE EXPERIENCE

What is candidate experience?

Candidate experience is how a job seeker reacts to a company’s recruiting process. There are hundreds of articles out there on how to improve candidate experience. It’s a topic that’s been gaining much popularity in the recruiting world, but why does it matter? There are billions of people out there looking for jobs. Surely, companies will eventually find one that qualifies for the job, right? Not so fast! Here are 3 reasons why you should treat your candidates as valuable as your customers.

Candidate experience > Employment brand 

All companies strive to improve their brand reputation. However, your reputation as employers should not be overlooked. A company cannot build a strong brand reputation if the people, including your valued customers, learns that its employees and candidates are not treated right. A poor candidate experience will set back your efforts on building that solid brand reputation. Creating a strong reputation starts from giving a delightful candidate experience.

Attract top talent

Improving your candidate experience builds a strong employment brand. In turn, a strong employment brand attracts talented candidates. Candidates have worked very hard to earn their degrees and gain valuable work experiences. They don’t deserve to be left in the dark or given vague responses. Talented candidates know their value and want to be treated right. Giving candidates a pleasant experience allow them to shine. They’ll be better able to show their strengths and you’ll be better able to pick the right candidates.

Attract more customers

Yes, you read it right. Candidates who’ve enjoyed their application process will share their positive experiences. This is an opportunity to build a positive image for your company to attract more customers. Kevin W. Grossman, vice president of Talent Board, has spent many years in the world of talent management. He found that having a positive candidate experience can positively impact the direct revenue for consumer-based businesses.

Treating your candidates right will not only build a strong employment brand, it will also help you attract more valuable candidates. Furthermore, it helps you attract more customers, thus increasing your company’s revenue. Start improving your candidate experience. What’s there to lose?

LANCE WINSAFT - HOW TO RETAIN NEW EMPLOYEES BY GIVING ORIENTATIONS – ALDEBARAN RECRUITING

Retaining employees can have a huge impact on your company. Dr. John Sullivan from San Francisco State University have found that employee retention can lead to huge changes to your turnover. As we all know, turnover is a huge issue and the ability to impact turnover is a key to increase stability, growth, and success. However, few employers have invested enough time and effort into retaining their employees. 

Neglecting employee retention will result in numerous negative impacts. When an employee leaves a position vacant, their work is either pushed onto their coworkers or left uncompleted, which results in the loss of productivity within the company. This also costs employers a significant amount of time as there will be paperwork to finish, exit interviews to execute, and tasks to reallocate. Furthermore, if a key employee were to leave your company, others might follow. It is also difficult to replace key employees. Click on here to learn more about the effects of retaining employees on your company’s turnovers. 

One of the most neglected activities in companies is giving new employee orientations. However, did you know that giving orientations is the first step to increasing your employee retention rate? Day one orientation is your company’s first true impression on a new employee. They may have gotten to know you a bit via interviews but it is on Day one that they get a feel for your business the first time. 

New employee orientations will not only reduce their anxiety, it will also save supervisors valuable time. New employees who have been properly introduced to their new jobs will be less likely to seek help while still producing quality results. Orientations also help set proper expectations for new employees and introduce them to the values and culture of the organization. Most importantly, orientations will make employees feel more valued by their employers. Take advantage of this opportunity and it will go a long way!  Click here   to learn more on how to give effective employee orientations.

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