Everyone gets a big laugh when we see merchandising go wrong.  The retailer in the picture must be remarketing knives as pencil sharpeners, because right below the "Back to School" sign is a giant display of cutlery.  Many times the message gone wrong isn't so obvious to our staff, and isn't humorous.

In a dealership we feel this immediately with an advertised sale price on the web that doesn't match quotes inside the store.  Customer complains, sales staff apologizes, and hopefully we correct the price and sell a car.  While customer complaints like this are difficult to deal with, they at least help the dealership correct course.

There is a quieter place where advertising fails happen all the time, and no one ever hears about it: automotive employment ads.

• Income claims of $100,000 per year, when a showroom only has one salesperson out of 20 making six figures.
• Advertising friendly atmosphere, and flexible schedule.  When a candidate arrives they see managers browbeating salespeople about needing to work more hours.
• Stating that you need to hire someone that attends to clients promptly, and then having a person wait for over an hour to be interviewed.

These are just a handful of things we see and hear regularly when surveying the 1000's of applicants we send for interviews.  The shame is applicants almost never share why they either decided to miss an interview or turn down a job they are offered.  It centers around finding inconsistent information about the dealership either on the web, or in person.

Take a few minutes and make sure you are putting out the right message.

H Gregory Gershman - Managing Partner - Recruitment HQ

Everyone gets a big laugh when we see merchandising go wrong.  The retailer in the picture must be remarketing knives as pencil sharpeners, because right below the "Back to School" sign is a giant display of cutlery.  Many times the message gone wrong isn't so obvious to our staff, and isn't humorous.

In a dealership we feel this immediately with an advertised sale price on the web that doesn't match quotes inside the store.  Customer complains, sales staff apologizes, and hopefully we correct the price and sell a car.  While customer complaints like this are difficult to deal with, they at least help the dealership correct course.

There is a quieter place where advertising fails happen all the time, and no one ever hears about it: automotive employment ads.

• Income claims of $100,000 per year, when a showroom only has one salesperson out of 20 making six figures.
• Advertising friendly atmosphere, and flexible schedule.  When a candidate arrives they see managers browbeating salespeople about needing to work more hours.
• Stating that you need to hire someone that attends to clients promptly, and then having a person wait for over an hour to be interviewed.

These are just a handful of things we see and hear regularly when surveying the 1000's of applicants we send for interviews.  The shame is applicants almost never share why they either decided to miss an interview or turn down a job they are offered.  It centers around finding inconsistent information about the dealership either on the web, or in person.

Take a few minutes and make sure you are putting out the right message.

H Gregory Gershman - Managing Partner - Recruitment HQ

You scour the web, searching for anything that even remotely asks for a skill you have (probably some you don't fit).  Next is obsessing over your resume like considering a dress before the prom; rummaging through how to websites, aimlessly walking up and down the paper aisle in Staples looking for the resume paper color that will speak to interviewers, and finally the great font debate.  Really what font says, "I am super talented", without being too cocky?  (btw, my vote is for NY Times)

Waiting, waiting, waiting and finally an email back.  IT IS GO TIME!  Take the long shower and recite the affirmation statements you learned on some motivational site or another, "I am a winner", "People like me", "I will not trip or stumble walking in for the interview".  Dress and spit polish yourself, and you are off.

You get to the office for the interview and fill out more paper that has the same information you sent in online, and fidget in your seat while you await your time in the interviewers office.  Take that last look at your resume; was I right on the font?  does ecru coarse paper send the right message?  Your thoughts are interrupted and your are called in.

You are razor sharp!  It is almost like the interviewer is purposely asking the questions you prepared for, this is going great.  You get to ask the questions you had ready, everything is just as you planned.  Then there is some silence, while the interviewer seems to be considering some information, and finally you are told that you are a great candidate and will be hearing back soon.

Why don't you have the job, after all that?

Interviews are a selling opportunity, and you never asked for the sale!

When you walked into that interview it was a sale presentation, and you are selling yourself.  I see some many applicants nail the product presentation, and client questions, only to never actually ask for commitment.  This happens on the sales floor, and the interview room.  It is particularly tough for people that work in positions that have never had to sell to the public.  At the end of the interview (sales presentation) take the opportunity to ask if you earned the position.  It isn't too forward, and the worst that can happen is the interviewer tells you they have a longer process and more candidates to consider.  The upside is earning the position right there and then, because interviewers are looking to end their search, give them the excuse to say yes by asking.

Gregory Gershman - Managing Partner - Recruitment HQ

You scour the web, searching for anything that even remotely asks for a skill you have (probably some you don't fit).  Next is obsessing over your resume like considering a dress before the prom; rummaging through how to websites, aimlessly walking up and down the paper aisle in Staples looking for the resume paper color that will speak to interviewers, and finally the great font debate.  Really what font says, "I am super talented", without being too cocky?  (btw, my vote is for NY Times)

Waiting, waiting, waiting and finally an email back.  IT IS GO TIME!  Take the long shower and recite the affirmation statements you learned on some motivational site or another, "I am a winner", "People like me", "I will not trip or stumble walking in for the interview".  Dress and spit polish yourself, and you are off.

You get to the office for the interview and fill out more paper that has the same information you sent in online, and fidget in your seat while you await your time in the interviewers office.  Take that last look at your resume; was I right on the font?  does ecru coarse paper send the right message?  Your thoughts are interrupted and your are called in.

You are razor sharp!  It is almost like the interviewer is purposely asking the questions you prepared for, this is going great.  You get to ask the questions you had ready, everything is just as you planned.  Then there is some silence, while the interviewer seems to be considering some information, and finally you are told that you are a great candidate and will be hearing back soon.

Why don't you have the job, after all that?

Interviews are a selling opportunity, and you never asked for the sale!

When you walked into that interview it was a sale presentation, and you are selling yourself.  I see some many applicants nail the product presentation, and client questions, only to never actually ask for commitment.  This happens on the sales floor, and the interview room.  It is particularly tough for people that work in positions that have never had to sell to the public.  At the end of the interview (sales presentation) take the opportunity to ask if you earned the position.  It isn't too forward, and the worst that can happen is the interviewer tells you they have a longer process and more candidates to consider.  The upside is earning the position right there and then, because interviewers are looking to end their search, give them the excuse to say yes by asking.

Gregory Gershman - Managing Partner - Recruitment HQ

All over the web there are articles about being a new you for the New Year, but how can you do that without the benefit of a new perspective?  

Interviewing and hiring new employees is the perfect time to gain insight into your business.  The longer we are inside a company the harder it is to be able to step back and see possible opportunities and improvements.  Time gives us the ability to master a process and invests us in it.  This investment in the company and its processes shields us from being able to see things that run on other directions.

You can get all the information you need in two easy steps.  Prepare a questionnaire about opinions of your business.  Just four or five simple questions that can give you the view of your customers.  Ask if they considered employment at a competitor, and how they decided which job to pursue.  Find out about ease of finding information about your business.  Were they able to easily learn about who you are as a company?

The second step is to ask new employees to prepare a competitive analysis of your company and a competitor.  This is commonly done in the finance industry, it is a great practice and should be done by every company.  Give a set of comparison points to your new hire and challenge them with gaining as much information as possible.  This can include market data, documentation of process in your company and a competitor through visits, comparison of website interface, stocking levels, etc.  Be sure to encourage the new employee to give an opinion with their information as to areas of critical improvement.  Tell them to be as impartial as possible, to get the most honest feedback.

Remember new year, new insight.  Have a prosperous New Year!

Gregory Gershman - Managing Partner

All over the web there are articles about being a new you for the New Year, but how can you do that without the benefit of a new perspective?  

Interviewing and hiring new employees is the perfect time to gain insight into your business.  The longer we are inside a company the harder it is to be able to step back and see possible opportunities and improvements.  Time gives us the ability to master a process and invests us in it.  This investment in the company and its processes shields us from being able to see things that run on other directions.

You can get all the information you need in two easy steps.  Prepare a questionnaire about opinions of your business.  Just four or five simple questions that can give you the view of your customers.  Ask if they considered employment at a competitor, and how they decided which job to pursue.  Find out about ease of finding information about your business.  Were they able to easily learn about who you are as a company?

The second step is to ask new employees to prepare a competitive analysis of your company and a competitor.  This is commonly done in the finance industry, it is a great practice and should be done by every company.  Give a set of comparison points to your new hire and challenge them with gaining as much information as possible.  This can include market data, documentation of process in your company and a competitor through visits, comparison of website interface, stocking levels, etc.  Be sure to encourage the new employee to give an opinion with their information as to areas of critical improvement.  Tell them to be as impartial as possible, to get the most honest feedback.

Remember new year, new insight.  Have a prosperous New Year!

Gregory Gershman - Managing Partner

Time to start advertising for New Year staffing. Every year the period immediately after January 1st is a hiring frenzy. Do you have a plan for where to advertise?

This year commit to using PPC (pay per click) job board ads. The two largest job boards, Indeed & SimplyHired, use a system where you pay per applicant that clicks on your ad. This gives you complete control over your cost and number of resumes you receive. If an ad doesn't receive response, you don't have any expense. If you find the perfect hire early in the process simply cut the bid per click and your expense ends. Lastly if applicants pile up too fast to handle, just lower your bid per click and your ad will become less active and control the flow of inbound resumes.

The older model of flat fees for ads has a few disadvantages. First you have to pay a full amount even if an ad doesn't work, gaining little or no applicants. Next if you find your perfect hire in the beginning of a hiring campaign you are still stuck with paying for 30 days worth of advertisements. Lastly, if you are over-run with applications you cannot reduce your costs by cutting the ad.

As you get ready to place your ads, take a look at the pay per click method and get control of your employment spending.

Have a prosperous New Year :-)

Gregory Gershman - Managing Partner

http://RecruitmentHQ.com

Time to start advertising for New Year staffing. Every year the period immediately after January 1st is a hiring frenzy. Do you have a plan for where to advertise?

This year commit to using PPC (pay per click) job board ads. The two largest job boards, Indeed & SimplyHired, use a system where you pay per applicant that clicks on your ad. This gives you complete control over your cost and number of resumes you receive. If an ad doesn't receive response, you don't have any expense. If you find the perfect hire early in the process simply cut the bid per click and your expense ends. Lastly if applicants pile up too fast to handle, just lower your bid per click and your ad will become less active and control the flow of inbound resumes.

The older model of flat fees for ads has a few disadvantages. First you have to pay a full amount even if an ad doesn't work, gaining little or no applicants. Next if you find your perfect hire in the beginning of a hiring campaign you are still stuck with paying for 30 days worth of advertisements. Lastly, if you are over-run with applications you cannot reduce your costs by cutting the ad.

As you get ready to place your ads, take a look at the pay per click method and get control of your employment spending.

Have a prosperous New Year :-)

Gregory Gershman - Managing Partner

http://RecruitmentHQ.com

Fresh back from Florida watching our son graduate from college, and he is already on the job hunt. The thought of having to move back in with his parents in Nothingtodoville Upstate New York, might be motivating him slightly. I wanted to share some insights from his progress so far that can help some of my employer and applicant readers.

Be positive, but only cash the checks you have.

During our son's time at school he has accumulated a circle of connections in the business community, many alumni of his college. Each time he speaks to one, they have a sure-fire contact that will definitely want to hire him. Our son is smart, talented, and hard working, a catch for any employer. That being said, he is in a large city and there is a line of people with degrees, contacts, and work ethic. It is easy to count one of these referrals to a company like a guarantee, it is important to view it as only an opportunity for you to earn a position.

The vision of the future is as important as the job promised today.

While we were visiting, our son gave us the complete run down on his potential job opportunities. He is very detail oriented so we had the chance to get as much information as we could handle. This included the possible promotions, estimated time to move up the ladder, the income that comes with the higher level positions, and what he of course could spend the money on. Employers, the applicants reviewing your employment opportunities are not only considering the job you offer them now, but also what your company can do for them in the short and long term future. As part of your job marketing it is key to have information about about what an advanced career in your company looks like. Maybe a quote or two from some employees that have moved up the chain. You are selling the applicants that consider you a future, as well as a present.

Jumping through hoops is a circus trick, not an appropriate interview tactic.

One of the positions our son is applying for has been slow affair. He has a referral to the company, sent in an application, emails, and calls. Now that he is graduated there is a great urgency to start a career, and this seems a perfect fit. So why isn't the interview process moving forward? Our son got an answer from one of his other contacts. It seems this company uses a war of attrition to whittle down their applicant pool. They draw out the process and communicate just enough to keep the applicant involved, but force them to keep jumping through hoops. The company is trying to use this tactic to ensure they are getting to the person that wants to work for them the most.

There two giant flaws with this method for screening applicants. First, an unemployed applicant does not have the option of turning down opportunities to hold out for the position at your company. Second, using the able to hold out for this job longest theory only assures you the most motivated to accept your position, not the best able to perform the job. Most motivated can be attributed to a number of reasons such as; having a character flaw that has kept them from earning other positions once interviewed, being unmotivated enough to go through the work of interviewing at multiple companies and simply having the financial means to wait out your process, romanticizing your company to a point where they have an unrealistic view of the opportunity, and finally the one you are probably hoping for which is your job is their dream job.

As an applicant I would be very leery of a company that goes beyond doing their due diligence to completely know you, and simply moves into seeing how difficult they can make the process. It shows a lack of caring for applicants as individuals outside of their hiring process.

Hopefully there is a nugget or two here for you.

Have a prosperous day :-)

Fresh back from Florida watching our son graduate from college, and he is already on the job hunt. The thought of having to move back in with his parents in Nothingtodoville Upstate New York, might be motivating him slightly. I wanted to share some insights from his progress so far that can help some of my employer and applicant readers.

Be positive, but only cash the checks you have.

During our son's time at school he has accumulated a circle of connections in the business community, many alumni of his college. Each time he speaks to one, they have a sure-fire contact that will definitely want to hire him. Our son is smart, talented, and hard working, a catch for any employer. That being said, he is in a large city and there is a line of people with degrees, contacts, and work ethic. It is easy to count one of these referrals to a company like a guarantee, it is important to view it as only an opportunity for you to earn a position.

The vision of the future is as important as the job promised today.

While we were visiting, our son gave us the complete run down on his potential job opportunities. He is very detail oriented so we had the chance to get as much information as we could handle. This included the possible promotions, estimated time to move up the ladder, the income that comes with the higher level positions, and what he of course could spend the money on. Employers, the applicants reviewing your employment opportunities are not only considering the job you offer them now, but also what your company can do for them in the short and long term future. As part of your job marketing it is key to have information about about what an advanced career in your company looks like. Maybe a quote or two from some employees that have moved up the chain. You are selling the applicants that consider you a future, as well as a present.

Jumping through hoops is a circus trick, not an appropriate interview tactic.

One of the positions our son is applying for has been slow affair. He has a referral to the company, sent in an application, emails, and calls. Now that he is graduated there is a great urgency to start a career, and this seems a perfect fit. So why isn't the interview process moving forward? Our son got an answer from one of his other contacts. It seems this company uses a war of attrition to whittle down their applicant pool. They draw out the process and communicate just enough to keep the applicant involved, but force them to keep jumping through hoops. The company is trying to use this tactic to ensure they are getting to the person that wants to work for them the most.

There two giant flaws with this method for screening applicants. First, an unemployed applicant does not have the option of turning down opportunities to hold out for the position at your company. Second, using the able to hold out for this job longest theory only assures you the most motivated to accept your position, not the best able to perform the job. Most motivated can be attributed to a number of reasons such as; having a character flaw that has kept them from earning other positions once interviewed, being unmotivated enough to go through the work of interviewing at multiple companies and simply having the financial means to wait out your process, romanticizing your company to a point where they have an unrealistic view of the opportunity, and finally the one you are probably hoping for which is your job is their dream job.

As an applicant I would be very leery of a company that goes beyond doing their due diligence to completely know you, and simply moves into seeing how difficult they can make the process. It shows a lack of caring for applicants as individuals outside of their hiring process.

Hopefully there is a nugget or two here for you.

Have a prosperous day :-)