Posts Tagged ‘Hiring practices’

Job Search Tips: 6 Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make

April 28th, 2010
Job Hunting in the Great Recession

By Dr. Paul Powers

Dr. Paul PowersIn any economic climate job hunting is nobody’s idea of fun.  And with the growing number of folks hitting the bricks these days it seems the task is getting even harder.  But that’s not precisely true because the actual job-hunting strategies and techniques required of the professional job changer remain the same in any climate.  What is bothersome, however, is that the process is quite likely to take longer.  This leads to increased stress: financial stress, physical stress, emotional stress and family stress.

Most people do not perform at their best in stressful situations.  They get tired more quickly, they get frustrated, and run out of patience, and they make mistakes.  Here are six of job-hunting mistakes frequently made during a recession.

Mistake #1: Feeling Entitled.

In the new economy your stellar background, great track record, prestigious degree and glowing references guarantee you nothing.  The new employment paradigm is “what have you done for me lately?” » Read more: Job Search Tips: 6 Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make

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Q & A: Economic Impact on Hiring Practices

March 25th, 2010

By Joe Redshaw

Joe Redshaw

How is the economy affecting your hiring process?

Personally, for me here at Gomez, it hasn’t impacted me much at all.  We are still growing and hiring.  But that is not the case in all companies.  In this economy there are typically many more candidates, so it takes us longer to look at all the candidates for a position.  Many times people are desperate and just send their resume to any and all positions, which slows the process down.

Do you see hiring practices changing?

The core hiring practices will not really change, but I do see the tools changing.  One day all resumes could be via a short video.

Do you see any changes happening once the job market gets better?  Will there be a backlash?

When the job market gets better the top employees in companies could look.  In a down economy people typically stay put.  Once things start to get better, employees may often keep their eyes and ears open.

About Joe Redshaw

Joe Redshaw is the Corporate Recruiter for Gomez, the Web Performance Division of Compuware.  He has been a recruiter for almost 10 years and has experience on the agency and corporate side. Joe has screened thousands of candidates and has agreed to provide NEJS his perspective on HR/Recruiter practices.

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Q & A: After the Interview

March 16th, 2010

By Joe Redshaw

Joe Redshaw

How long should you wait after a phone screen and/or an in-person interview to follow up with the company – 1 week, 2 weeks, before calling or emailing again?

No more than 24 hours!

If I get off the phone with a candidate after screening them and I don’t get at least a quick e-mail saying thank you, it is a Red Flag.  And this is even more important with an interview.  I would say no later than the following day.

But that is the easy part.  What is a more difficult question is… “After I sent my thank you letter, how long should I wait to follow up?”.  This one is trickier.

I would say that in the phone screen or interview, you should be asking about the hiring process.  Depending on what they say should answer how long after the thank you letter you should follow up.  The general rule is if you haven’t heard back after about 3-5 days I would follow up.  This would be a time to write how interested you are and why you are such a fit.   And ask if you could get an update regarding the process.  You could call or e-mail.  Or you can e-mail and say you will be following up with a call in the next day or so.   You have to walk the fine line of being a pest and seeming like you don’t care, or don’t want the job.

But most importantly ask the hiring manager what the hiring process looks like, when they want to fill the job, how many » Read more: Q & A: After the Interview

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