Recruiter Blog

The Role of Headhunters and their Importance to Sales Candidates

A headhunter is a professional who helps to match qualified and skilled individuals with corporate clients. While some headhunters contract their services independently, others work as part ofagencies where they often specialize within specific fields. These experts are highly skilled in placing candidates in positions that are ideal for them based on their knowledge, skill, expertise and interests. Moreover, they ensure that their corporate clients get the best candidates for positions within their organizations.

Importance of Headhunters:

1. To Corporations

By using a headhunter, the corporation no longer needs to place advertisements when sales positions become available within the company. As a result, they do not need to direct any resources towards sifting through the hundreds of applications that usually follow; most of which are sent by applicants who for one reason or other, are not a good fit for the company. Instead, the headhunter executes all the tedious work that is involved in finding good candidates for the position and in so doing, performs initial screening on behalf of the company.

2. To Sales Professionals Seeking Placement

Headhunters are in the business of establishing and fostering relationships. By consistently matching their corporate clients with top-tier candidates to fill sales positions, the recruiter establishes him/ herself as a trustworthy expert entrusted with this responsibility, every time they are sourcing for salespeople. On the other hand, the headhunter also establishes a relationship with the potential candidate. Candidates with qualifications and expertise in sales usually submit their resumes to the headhunter who then conducts interviews either over the phone, or face to face. This is done in order to get a better feel of the candidate not just professionally, but also with regard to his/ her personality, interests and needs.

Headhunters understand that determining whether or not a candidate is ideal for a certain position is not solely dependent on professional qualifications. A potential candidate may have exceptional qualifications, but their needs may also conflict with the organization’s structure. For instance, the company may require their salespeople to travel extensively; while the candidate, although qualified, may be unable to travel for one reason or other.

By working on behalf of candidates, headhunters have access to information regarding positions and opportunities that the candidate would otherwise miss. This therefore exposes the candidate to more opportunities while simultaneously saving him/ her legwork that would otherwise be necessary. Another benefit of using a headhunter for sales candidates is that they are able to recognize the candidate’s true potential and as such, are in a unique position to put in a good word on their behalf, even in instances where the initial interview with the corporation did not go very well. Additionally, finding work through a headhunter gives the job seeker access to a comprehensive network which in turn widens their net, in addition to giving the candidate guidelines and tips to brush up their resume or skills.

Create Realistic Requirements When Recruiting New Employees

Creating realistic recruiting requirements when you are looking for new talent can go a long way to aid in your search. They can help filter out unqualified candidates, give a sense of your companies culture, and help make the recruiting process more efficient. However don’t go too crazy as it may seem like you are promoting the “Job fro Hell” like this job posting for a farm-to-table restaurant in Bloomington, Indiana. This restaurant posted a job on Craigslist for a line cook position in a kitchen that sounds like it would be from hell.

Read more:
Restaurant posts line cook job with 44 over-the-top requirements.

Importance of CRM in Sales Recruitment

CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management and it is one of the most essential elements of any business; which in turn makes it an integral component of sales recruitment. However, for companies whose main business is sales, the importance of CRM is compounded. This is because for these companies, the customer relationship (or lack thereof) can either propel business to great heights, or plunge it into the depths of oblivion. During the process of recruiting salespeople therefore, it is necessary to clearly highlight the role that CRM plays within the business.

Understanding CRM

The Customer Relationship Management Strategy is designed to effectively manage any interactions that the company has with every individual client. Using this system, the salesperson is able to develop a more comprehensive understanding of their client, which in turn equips him/ her to effectively provide products and services that the customer actually wants. This way, the business positions itself as a problem solver, as opposed to an entity which seemingly pushes products onto their clients.

Importance of CRM in Sales
1. Converting Leads to Sales
The recruitment process for sales people aims at ultimately retaining candidates who will close transactions. To this end, Customer Relationship Management helps to boost the rate at which leads are converted into sales and then to repeat business. One of the ways in which CRM accomplishes this, is by enabling the sales team to focus on different aspects of selling; including initiating first-contact, follow-up, and closing deals.

CRM software in particular, identifies transactions that are still pending unclosed. Consequently, this prompts the salesperson to action, particularly on deals that may have otherwise fallen through the cracks. Additionally, the software helps the professional to develop clear strategies whose specific purpose is to reduce the time and other resources that are invested into the sales cycles.
2. Personalized Service
CRM makes it possible for the business to provide every client with custom-made services. For this reason, potential candidates for a during the recruitment process would need to demonstrate an understanding of Customer Relationship Management and how its use helps to differentiate one client’s needs from those of another.

For instance, a popular CRM strategy is to track the purchases of clients in order to monitor their needs and interests. Once the salesperson has this information, they are able to contact the client with discount and coupon offers based solely on the type of products or services that they have already demonstrated interest in; versus bombarding them with all the different offers that the company rolls out. The client feels that their needs are recognized, and that the company is truly putting his/ her interests first. Thus, in addition to closing the sale, the sales professional also helps the company to retain the clients for future business, because the customer-experience demonstrates that the company values them.

Thus, emphasizing the role that CRM plays in the business helps to streamline the recruitment process by narrowing down the field of potential candidates to a skilled few.

Crawford Thomas Top staffing Firms in Central Florida

We have been saying it for a while now, but now so is the Orlando Business Journal. Look at the snippet below from one of OBJ’s latest publications.

How a Competitive Sales Incentive System can Increase Revenue

In sales, the professional’s ability to perform highly is based on two main factors. These are: ability and motivation. More often than not, the process of recruitment focuses greatly on the candidate’s ability to perform his/ her responsibilities; without paying any consideration to the individual’s motivation. This is turn leads to the recruitment of highly qualified individuals; but since these salespeople are not properly motivated, they leave the company as soon as a better offer comes along, even when the difference is marginal.

Alternatively, the sales professional may stay with the company, but fail to invest their full potential into their responsibilities, which in turn means that the business ultimately loses money. The inter-relation between high qualifications and motivation is therefore clear in that, if the sales professional does not have enough incentive to fully invest him/ herself into the company, the business cannot benefit from his/her high qualifications. For this reason, a clear understanding of the company’s sales incentives system is an essential component of the recruitment process.

Importance of a Competitive Sales Incentive System

A sales incentives system refers to compensation that is offered to salespeople once they have reached certain pre-set goals in sales. For the system to be successful, it has to be well defined and concise, in order to clearly communicate it to candidates during the recruitment process.

A competitive sales incentives system is essential because it:

• Helps to stir the productivity levels of the sales team, which in turn helps to drive sales.
• Reduces the cost of making sales.
• Increases profits for the business.
• Facilitates the expansion of the business.
• Helps to establish better margins.
• Enables the business to attract the crème de la crème of sales candidates during the recruitment process.

Qualities of a Good Incentives System for Sales

1. Must be Aligned with the Company’s Objectives

When developing a sales incentives system, it is important to consider what is important for the success of the business. These elements vary from one business to another and range from gross revenue and margins, to controlling market share, and so on. It is also important to consider the business aspects that the company places most emphasis on. For instance, while some businesses place more value on acquiring new accounts, others are keener to nurture repeat business. As such, the incentives system needs to be developed around the company’s values.

2. Personalized

An effective incentives system may require a certain level of structure, but it is also important to personalize it for the different individuals in the sales team. An example of a great incentive for attaining a certain benchmark in sales could be a family getaway for rest, relaxation and bonding. It is a great way to appreciate the individual while also communicating that the business appreciates the fact that he/ she has a full life outside the office.

However, if the same incentive of a family vacation is offered to a single man or lady within the company, they are unlikely to feel motivated to put in any additional effort. This is because the package is not suited to their life, and they may feel that the company is taking them for granted and could have done better. They may actually prefer the less elaborate but effective bonus.

When outlining the sales incentives system to candidates therefore, it is important for the recruiter or headhunter, to clearly state the terms of the system: including eligibility criteria, time frame, targets and so on; while also making it clear that the remuneration package is personalized to each sales person.

Have Friends Get the Truth from Your References

We have all done it before, a recruiter ask you to update your resume and when you get to your references, you stop and ponder what these people mite have to say about you. Well stop questioning your choices and have a friend screen your references for you.

However, as Redditor Deactivation notes, you might want to have a friend call those references up to see what they really think about you first.

Have a Friend Help You Weed Out Bad References on Your Resume.

Sales Recruitment for B2B

Business-to-business sales (abbreviated B2B) are transactions that are carried out between companies, as opposed to business conducted between the company and consumer. The service-level of the companies involved varies from manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. B2B sales have the potential to exponentially increase the revenue of any business. This is mainly because unlike consumer transactions in which only the finished product is sold; in B2B sales there are several components along the supply chain. This in turn means that there are equally numerous opportunities to conduct sales.

Differences between B2B Sales and B2C Sales

In business-to-business sales, more money is at stake as compared to business-to-consumer transactions. In fact, since many of these contracts are designed for the long-term, tens of millions of dollars may be on the line. As such, the client company invests a great deal of time into assessing the deal, and evaluating how it relates to their company objectives. This time is also spent appraising various vendors to find the one that would be best suited to their needs, in addition to negotiating the best deals possible.

Qualities of Exceptional Candidates for B2B Sales

Successful B2B salespeople position themselves as solution providers. Rather than extol the virtues of the product that they are selling, they engage the company representatives in a discussion about the corporation’s objectives and goals, as well as any challenges that they may be facing. The salesperson is then able to demonstrate how forming a business relationship with the company that he/ she is representing would help the company to meet its objectives, and deal with the issues that they are facing. The focus therefore is not on making a sale but rather, making a difference and enabling the company to achieve its goals.

The ability to express oneself clearly is also essential for any salesperson. This is especially important for B2B sales because while business-to-consumer transactions are usually conducted with one or two people, the B2B salesperson would have to meet with a group of people from the company, usually a committee of people chosen from within the organization. These committees are generally set up due to the high risk involved in these sales. The challenge therefore, is to convince most (if not all) members of the representative committee that it is in the best interest of the company to conduct business with your company. The right candidate therefore needs to clearly and concisely make his presentation in a persuasive manner that prompts people to action.

In order to increase their sales, companies which mainly conduct B2B sales focus on networking as a means of getting new clients, as opposed to conducting direct sales. For this reason, the ideal B2B sales candidate is one who is not only engaging, but also demonstrates a high capacity for learning. This way, he/ she is able to assess him/ herself during the networking process and take self-correcting measures where necessary. Ultimately, these self-correcting measures are essential in developing their skills as salespeople, which in turn brings in more business for the company.

Contact Crawford Thomas Today, to find out how we can help you find the best Salesperson for your team.

Decline Unknown Calls While Being Recruited

Nothing good can come from answering a recruiters call during headhunting season. Calls out of the blue while you are actively searching for a job can do more harm then good.

Pretty much nothing can go well by getting caught off guard by a call from a potential employer.

read more Let Unknown Callers Go To Voicemail If You’re Applying For Jobs.

Recruitment, Social Media and the Internet

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) recently released a report on the use of social media by recruiters in 2012. The report revealed that 17% of recruiters use social media as one of their major sources of potential job candidates, although only about 3% use it as their primary source. An increasing number of firms now use social media to not only screen applicants who respond to job advertisements, but also search for passive candidates who might be a good fit with their organizations. In fact, SHRM says that about two-thirds of firms use social media to search for passive candidates. From these numbers, it’s quite clear that social media is already a significant part of the overall recruitment resources for many recruiters and organizations.

Social Media for Recruiters

Social networking sites have generally made it very easy for firms to interact with prospective candidates, so much so that it’s quite easy for an organization to dip their toes in without first considering how this resource fits in with their overall social marketing strategy. As a recruiter, it is important that you do some prior research about the social network that you intend to use, particularly if you are new to it. Not all platforms can work for you. You therefore need to find your best fit. As a recruiter, you also need to be very careful about the tone you set when searching for potential candidates on social sites. Recruiters are known to sometimes be overly aggressive, and this can work against them.

A recruiter can talk about their client’s organization as a subtle way of attracting prospects, advises Rachna Jain, a social media marketing consultant in Michigan. You can subtly publicize your hiring without necessarily inviting submission of resumes. To do this, you can use micro-blogging sites such as Plurk or Twitter to connect with members who do related keyword searches without appearing to be overtly promotional. Recruiters are also advised to exercise discretion about how they use information gleaned from social sites. Using private information such as a candidate’s age or marital status to discriminate against them could potentially attract a lawsuit.

According to a report by Jobvite released in 2012, 80% of recruiters favorably rate candidates who are affiliated to professional organizations. Sixty-six percent value volunteerism efforts in a candidate. Fifty-four percent of recruiters consider grammar and spelling mistakes very negatively, while about 74% consider any references to illicit drugs, posts with sexual overtones or alcohol use a definite “No-No” for potential candidates.

Social Media Use for Potential Candidates

People with active profiles on social networking sites can benefit from them when looking for a job. As a social media user, it is best to connect with people with whom you have something in common. You can connect with people from your professional association, college mates, people working in your industry and so on. Use several social media platforms such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter instead of relying on just one site. This can potentially increase your chances of connecting with people who are highly relevant to you. Build your networks over time and make sure you are pro-active in your communication. Caveat: be careful about what you post on social sites. Remember every single word you write on these sites can be accessed via Google. It might look like fun to rant about your boss to your friends on Facebook, but this might work against you when a potential recruiter stumbles upon it in your profile. Many people have discovered this when it was too late, after they had lost a potentially lucrative job. For really private communication, it’s better to use email.

The use of social media by firms and organizations is still relatively new, but is already an important part of the recruitment process. It is strongly advisable to keep yourself updated with any new developments on these sites since most are evolving rapidly.

References:

• http://business.time.com/2012/07/09/how-recruiters-use-social-networks-to-make-hiring-decisions-now/
• http://www.weknownext.com/trends/shrm-survey-few-employers-use-social-networks-to-screen-candidate

Recruiting: The 5 Hardest Jobs to Fill in 2013

If you are looking to fill some technology positions this year and have been hitting a wall in your talent search, then you are not alone. Big Data, Mobile, & Cloud Computing are some of the hardest positions to fill in 2013.

Fast-growing start-ups are waging a war for top talent. But among even the most difficult positions to slot, a few emerge as the most challenging of all.

via Hiring & Recruiting: The 5 Hardest Jobs to Fill in 2013 | Inc.com.