So maybe these aren't all new, but I thought they were cool and I'm always looking to "infuse" them into my everyday street conversations. 

I recently captured a quick video of "Honest Ava" who is 4 and caught red handed in a lie. 

Had I been better prepared I would have applied Behavioral Interviewing techniques to this conversation to see just how far she would have used the "creative" side of her brain. 

It was random and I quickly grabbed my beloved iphone and caught this.

Luckily after investigation there was no damage done as it was just a washable marker!

Ava and I are both left handed and those of us that are lefties know when we write we drag our hands across our writing and it makes our hands messy.

If you watch closely her eye's look to the right when she is "telling her story"....and as we know the right side of the brain is the "imaginative" side of the brain and NOT THE FACT-based side. 

My final comment of..."Let's go take a look downstairs" was the pivotal point of the "interview"....kind of like a realistic job preview....and Ava decided to opt out!

I think I'll mark this post under the "Reputation" category.

I'm tired of working in confined spaces where the walls feel like they are closing in on me. I think I can get some serious recruiting done here.

Casual interviews are all the rage with GEN Y anyway.

I have really been trying to learn how to leverage Twitter  for recruiting purposes as wel. I also know the impact that micro-blogging can have on your personal brand.

I have multiple Twitter accounts:

My 1st one was set up to just mess around with and learn the in's and out's of Twitter
2^nd one was more for personal branding and professional use which is @THEMichaelCain
3^rd is for a small community of folks a couple hundred miles away that I like to stay connected with.

 Using multiple Twitter accounts help me "feel" like I am not going to have my personal and professional worlds collide. This is important to me because I work in a very conservative industry and yet my friends aren’t all conservative. 

As I put my Twitter Strategy “Twittegy” together I began to see some connections between Twitter and the Old Skool CB radio ....The mind works in mysterious ways.

I was a raised with the 70’s & 80’s having an influence on me……and in the 70's and 80's the CB radio was "HAWT" and my grandparents had CB's and CB handles (Grandma was known as “Copy Cat” and Grandpa was “Blue-eyed Gypsy”) Grandpa lived in Columbus Ohio but commuted to Indianapolis weekly for work…for 20+ years!…so he was always traveling like a Gypsy. Grandma got her name…..well…who knows. They were pretty trendy for their age though! They used to take me to the CB Jamboree’s on weekends and wore name tags with their CB “Handles” so if you ran into "CB friends" they could put faces with Handles if they were all at the Jamboree’s.

It was like this underground club (Not like a RAVE club or anything, more like a country bar)…which reminds me of Twitter right now…not everyone uses it, but has at least heard of Twitter. I’ve had conversations with @HiimAllan on Twitter and really only know he lives somewhere around me. I’ve had conversations with @StaceyH007  about THE Ohio State University  and Ohio University, yet never met either of them in person.

So here are 5 reasons that Twitter is the new CB Radio (in my warped mind)

 

Twitter:                           Is like                          CB Radio:

1.    Smartphone                                                               CB Radio

2.    @THEMichaelCain                                                    Your Handle “Copy Cat”

3.    Social Media Conferences                                      Jamboree’s

4.    Retweet (RT)                                                              10-4 - Good Buddy

5.    Hashtag (#)                                                                 Smokey at mile marker 6

 

RT’s are a way of sharing info and saying – “I like this or you may like it”.

Hashtags help share info as well, but help you connect with topics you find relevant....kind of like if I were traveling on 71 north (Likely, headed to an OSU game) I would love it if someone would shout at me on the CB and say – “Dude, slow down there is a cop at mile marker 6”. Or in Tweet terms #COPon71Nmile6.

 
Am I crazy or do you have some other examples now that I explain it?

This is a quick read.....I promise!


What’s with the recent articles and buzz going around about passive candidates?

Seems that I have seen or read more articles recently about the ways “creative” organizations are going about building pipelines of candidates for roles they ANTICIPATE needs for.

 One article for instance talks about how PNC Bank has placed an HR person in each region and titles them a “Talent Scout ”. Their job is to always be networking and going to events where bankers would be. This Talent Scout then meets these people in a casual environment and starts to build a relationship and slowly builds rapport and a relationship with them. Meets them for lunch, coffee and just gets to know them over a period of time.

     While I don’t think this is a bad practice at all, I do know this is NOT A NEW CONCEPT!

I’d call this person the Social Butterfly…We knew them in High School as social butterflies and when they walked into a party they talked to everyone…..In College, we called them Rush Chairman, as adults we call them kickass recruiters.

Any good/natural recruiter has been doing this from day 1in their recruiting role….and here’s the real kicker, if you have the right organizational culture…this is NOT JUST HR doing this. In fact, it’s an expectation of every leader in the organization to be meeting talent and building rapport.

Having a culture that expects each leader to know their competition by name is a great deal more powerful than making it one persons job.

Let’s face it……As a recruiter myself, I would like to think I am better at relationship building and better at finding potential candidates than any hiring manager, right??? In reality the hiring manger is who this person would potentially work for, not me….and people know what I want…it’s obvious…I get paid to find and hire people so being in HR we are not being sly by just doing coffee….smart people know why we are buying them coffee and it’s not because I need a friend…..I have 400 best friends on Facebook.

I’m not knocking this, I’m just saying it’s not a new idea or concept and the real power is to build a culture of leaders to do this, NOT specific jobs to do it. Set goals, track them and reward the behaviors!

 I guess if you don’t have this culture maybe this is where you start……I’m lucky enough to work for an organization that this is an expectation of all leaders and I’m lucky enough to be in a organization where I can say to my hiring managers…..”Who have you met, where is your pipeline of candidates?”  and not have the manager be offended and reply “It’s not my job, it’s yours!”

It’s a great place to work as a recruiter…….Social Butterflies, Rush Chairman and Talent Scouts should apply.  J

I'm changing the title.....I wasn't a Lab Rat.....I was A SPY!

So how does this topic relate to Recruiting? I think you’ll understand after reading this.

I think most of us have had a bad experience with service or a bad quality product in our lives. It makes us never want to go back to that store or be waited on by that person.

From a young age I’ve always been willing to wait a little longer or pay a little more for what I felt was the superior product or wait even longer to talk to the person that genuinely wanted to help me. 

My patience may be because my father wasn’t this way....he always looked to get the best...CHEAPEST price and was patient with poor service.....NOT ME! I have countless examples of good service and poor service........my most recent Genuine Service + Quality Product experience is with APPLE.

                  

I decided a while ago (before it even hit the shelves) to buy an iPad , and wasn’t going to just buy the WiFi model....I thought the WiFi + 3G was a much better match for my needs...ok wants!!...I mean, really...do any of us need that thing. The answer is NO. I work hard, long hours and I deserve it....so judge me if you want, but I don’t care.

I showed up at the Mall where our local APPLE Store is 45 minutes before the doors opened and was about 30th in line. I really can’t stand still for more than about 10 minutes so I wasn’t sure if I’d really wait 45 minutes or more for this hyped up iPad. 

As I stood in line, I watched the people begin to introduce themselves to each other and each pulled their iphone out and discussed various Applications...you know APP’s. Bonds began to form and even contact information exchanged by many....definitely a “cult-like” ..ok a “special club”, not a cult environment. Then out of nowhere the Apple folks wander around in the mall and begin talking to the people in line...at this point there were probably about 100+ in line. Then, the mall coffee store Tazza Mia starts at the beginning of the line with a cart stocked with bottled water, Carafes of fresh coffee and cookies and is giving the APPLE GEEKS waiting in line treats! First, I thought they were selling them, but nope...giving them away...or APPLE paid for it.....either way everyone in line was quite impressed with the small token appreciation/service.

Of course, I thought....the iPad is no less than $629 and could cost you up to $829 (before tax)....so I’m confident their profit margin covers a bottle of water and a cookie.

Still.....Its been a long time since anyone, let alone a  big, bad company took the time to provide service like that. I love Best Buy, but they don’t give me anything, but the “NEXT IN LINE” shout when I’m waiting!

APPLE opened the store promptly at 5pm and let a handful of people in at a time to purchase the “Magical and Revolutionary Product” known as the iPad. OK, now its my turn to enter the store and it’s only 5:10pm....The APPLE Genius greeted me with a smile (likely thinking...SUCKER!), but it he seemed genuine and asked me how I intended to use the iPad to ensure I got the right one, didn’t pressure sell and add-on accessories. 

It was a great experience, I got a nice product and have always been treated really well by APPLE....unlike my recent experiences with DELL.....as a matter a fact, I'm still so mad at DELL from the last experience I had I'm not even providing a hyperlink. 

I am probably a loyal APPLE customer and more because of the service, not really the product! 

So......get it?

See the connections to recruiting???

 

If I provide the candidates I am interviewing with GREAT SERVICE they will (hopefully) remember ME and the superior service I offered them. 

The candidate probably showed up to the interview nervous and really wanted the job, but I hope they walk away having a great experience. If they happen to get an offer from me.....I know they’ll accept. They came in for an interview for the job they wanted AND THEY HAD A GENUINE EXPERIENCE. If they don’t happen to be the “most qualified candidate” and don’t get the job offer I want them to always remember the experience and still consider doing business with us....and who knows, maybe I get another job in the future that they will be perfect for.....I just want to know I could call them back and they will remember me and agree to come back for another interview. 

When they candidate gets the job they want, have a genuinely great experience, they become LOYAL employee’s. LOYAL employee’s repeat great service to customers.....customers that experience this become LOYAL as well. Pretty Simple, huh!? You’d think so, but I end this with........

When was the last time you, as a customer, had a great experience that felt genuine and got a quality product? Are you a LOYAL customer? Are you a LOYAL EMPLOYEE?

Now this is a loyal customer! 

Well it looks like a didn't eat enough groceries.  My local Bigg's grocery store is closing and that's disappointing.  There are only 2 grocery choices within 10 miles of my home -- Bigg's and Kroger.  The customer service at Bigg's is far superior to that of the Harrison Kroger.  The Bigg's employees smile, are friendly, and go out of their way to help you.  I'm only too happy to give them 95% of all our family purchases.  The Kroger employees seemingly avoid you, won't even look at you, and when they do address you it's with a low mumble that I struggle to understand.

.......I have been working on a fun experiment since early March, 2010.

Staffing Firm Confessions

 

My name is Deatra Terry, I’m the President of Rainmaker Resources.  I have been in staffing for over 5 years now and have had the pleasure of knowing Michael Cain my entire staffing career!  I’m honored to be a guest blogger sharing “Staffing Firm Confessions” – I’ll start out mild to not ruffle any feathers right off the bat!   J

Wanna hear it.. here it goes:

To best serve my candidates I consistently ask, “Have you worked with a staffing firm before?”.. and “What was your experience like?”  It’s important to know everyone’s perception prior to doing business.  This allows me to overcome objections and hopefully supersede existing expectations. Time and time again, I hear the same reply –  “I’ve met with staffing firms before and never heard from anyone again..” This is a common misunderstanding with candidates that should be nipped in the bud!  Staffing firms sometimes represent themselves as working FOR YOU. This is NOT the case!  

Candidates working with staffing firms have to understand, staffing is a commissioned business that is paid by the client. Client companies engage searches with firms to find them EXACTLY what they’re looking for.  Meeting with candidates is a part of that process.  If you’re not a “fit” for the specific position you were called for, in all honesty, you will NOT hear from that firm again until they have a position that IS a fit for you. 

 If you are a candidate that would like the undivided attention of a professional recruiter then my advice to you is to engage with one that will be working on YOUR behalf, not the client company.  This will of course cost you.  If you’re willing to pay a headhunting fee, you will have a professional designating their time and resources to your specific job search. 

So, when working with a firm keep in mind, while they would love to help you find your next career move, they HAVE to stay focused on who is paying their commissions – and that is the client company they are representing!!  Don’t get discouraged when you don’t hear back, you’re in their database. And, if/when they do have a client company engage in a search with them that IS a fit for you, they’ll be knocking your door down. Be patient and work with people you trust – You as a candidate are a very valuable commodity, make sure you’re treated as such and expectations are set for all involved! 

Corporate Buzz Words and Jargon that I think I'm tired of hearing.......(random order)

I was interviewing a candidate the other day and the candidate had a comment/answer to my question that irritated me.....so I thought I would make a list of situations I have encountered and then share them.

Of course, I ease into the more direct questions as the interview progress's..... so these aren't in any order.

I also thought I would add "how I respond" as well as how I'd "like to respond"

**Please remember.....I interview very tenured "professionals" that you'd THINK were savvy communicators.

My Question:
Me:
So now that you know a little more about our opening and what we are looking for, do you mind sharing your compensation history as well as your compensation expectations for a role like this one?

Irritating Candidate Response:
Well, I'm not sure you can afford me.

My actual response:
Oh, I'm confident your current salary or your expectations won't concern me...(Long Pause - to crate uncomfortable feeling).

How I'd like to respond:
Dude, seriously.....if we want you we can afford you, besides I have 5 other resumes on my PC that are likely smarter, better and less cocky than you......let me save us both some time and end this call now. Enjoy your current job (insert dial tone here).

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

My Question:
Tell me about some areas where you think you can improve: Time management, organization, product knowledge......

Irritating Candidate Response:
I'd really consider myself better than average at everything I do.

My actual response:
So there isn't an area in your past performance reviews your manager/leader hasn't suggested you focus on or attempt to improve?

How I'd like to respond:
Really?! I would tell you that you might want to consider improving your answers to the questions that I ask you...you might be a BIT OVER CONFIDENT and the responses to your answers could use some improvement......are you writing this down, because I'd like to send you home, let you practice and maybe I'll call you....UH NEVER!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

My Question:
Can you tell me about a time you encountered a difficult situation with a coworker or your manager?

Irritating Candidate Response:
Oh sure, my former boss was a woman and she was difficult to get along, I don't seem to work well with women.

My actual response:
Ok, Thank you. My next question is.....

How I'd like to respond:
Did you really just say that? Are you a complete moron????

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

My Question: Usually in the 2nd round of interviews when I have a good sense that we may end up offering the candidate a role.
OK, Look.....Our organization and our industry is a highly regulated one, so our background checks and such are quite intense and go back nearly to the day you were born.....is there ANYTHING at all you'd like to tell me now  since I am in HR and you don't report to me........something that you not have disclosed on the application and.....well, that quite honestly we WILL find out anyway before we hire you?

Best candidate response:
Nah, let's see how good you guys really are at background checks.

My actual response:
Great answer......I can't wait to talk with your ex-girlfriend(s).