IF YOU DON'T KNOW "WHAT" … "WHO" CAN'T HELP YOU
Have you ever been referred for a job by an employee of a company ... only to be turned down?
Have you ever referred someone for an opening at your company? ... but they were not hired.
Almost half of all open positions are filled through referrals, mostly employee referrals. To be exact, 46% of job openings are filled through some kind of a referral, connection or networking. It's the easiest, safest, cheapest, time and cost savings method for recruiting great talent.
Employee referrals clearly have the edge over the competition but the truth is, MOST referrals are not hired.
Why, you might wonder?
"WHO" you know can only help IF you know "WHAT".
I teach "WHAT" you need to know.
Early in my career, like most job seekers, I would apply for jobs I was highly qualified for. I met all the qualifications. As a Corporate Staffing professional, I interviewed people everyday. So, I quickly learned job interview preparation, what to do and say and how to dress for success. I saw what impressed hiring managers and what didn't impress them. I believed I was well prepared for the job interview.
But in the beginning of my career and the few years following college graduation, I would go on interviews and never hear back. I sent out tons of resumes. I made phone calls and networked. I worked hard and made every effort to get invited in for an interview. I received very few responses and consequently felt rejected. So, what went wrong?
Needless to say, this was stressful. It slowly began to chip away at my confidence and self esteem. Either I would never hear back from an Employer regarding my resume OR I would be invited in for an interview but not receive the job offer. Four to five interviews resulted in only one job offer. It took many months to secure those interviews. Even by the time I had several years of both job interviewing and actual hands-on work experience, this was still happening.
Here I was, degreed in Human Resources AND working in a Staffing capacity no less … and I was still turned down. I couldn't believe it. I thought how could I be turned down for jobs. I'm a Staffing professional. I work in the HR Department. I'm supposed to be the expert and know how it works. If I'm turned down, what are job candidates who are not part of the HR Staffing community experiencing?
When I spoke to my colleagues, Staffing friends and HR business contacts they said they usually had the same negative and frustrating experiences when job seeking and interviewing. We talked about the available interviewing guides and books. We researched and reviewed many. We also attended job seminars.
The conclusion was that job seeking and interviewing books and guides were authored by people who did not have long term experience, specifically in the Staffing Department. Ditto for the seminars. Some HR people held seminars but they are not really involved in the everyday recruiting and hiring. We realized the people who had the knowledge we sought were not sharing it.
They had good credentials and experience but it was unrelated. Some never worked a day in Corporate USA. Most never interviewed anyone ... ever. We agreed the information was misleading and inaccurate. So, I decided to figure out the reasons why most candidates never hear back from employers and are rejected. I was in search of answers.
I could not fix or address what I didn't know. We can't change what we aren't aware of. It was impossible for me to arrive at a solution if I didn't know the problem. Only if I knew the reasons could I figure out the solutions.
So, I began to closely observe and analyze. I was in the perfect situation. After all, in my Staffing role, I had a front row seat.
FOR 20+ YEARS ...
* I business partnered and worked closely with assigned Hiring Managers everyday
* I reviewed all incoming resumes for assigned positions
* I pre/phone screened and also interviewed candidates one-on-one everyday
* I recommended/referred the most suitable candidates to internal Hiring Management
* I received confidential candidate feedback from Hiring Managers on a daily basis
Since a big part of my job was to business partner and work closely with hiring managers, I began comparing and analyzing what attracted hiring managers to certain resumes and why they connected with certain candidates. I looked for patterns. Sometimes post interview candidate feedback from my assigned hiring managers was positive but more often it was negative. Some resumes received lots of attention while most ended up in the black hole and were filed away … forever.
Almost all candidates we invited in for a face-to-face interview were qualified, at least minimally. They are pre-screened. Many times hiring managers would hire the least qualified and sometimes they hired the most qualified. There was no rhyme or reason. It was confusing.
I would receive positive feedback from my assigned hiring managers for barely qualified candidates and negative feedback on highly qualified candidates. Sometimes it was the other way around. What were the reasons behind the rejection and selection process?
I wondered why I was rejected when I went on interviews for a position I was qualified for. Especially since I worked in the very Business Unit, within Human Resources, ALL job seekers try to penetrate … The Staffing Department. I really thought I knew all the ins and outs.
My assigned hiring managers would promptly provide me with feedback after interviewing candidates. This feedback was highly confidential. It was so candid and honest that it wasn't even shared with HR. This information is usually only shared with the recruiter assigned to the job opening. So, I heard a lot of incredible and eye-opening candidate feedback over the years.
Management uses safe catch all phrases when providing follow-up to job candidates. Regardless of the real reason for passing on candidates, we simply say, "We decided to pursue other candidates who more closely meet our qualifications". It's usually not true but it is the standard line. It's simple, safe and maintains confidentiality. It avoids discussions and debates, eliminates possible confrontation and it saves face for the Hiring Staff and Management.
Unfortunately, it prevents candidates from learning how to properly interview. Many years ago it prevented me. We can't learn from our mistakes if we don't know what they are. We can't move forward. We can't make corrections, adjustments or improve our interviewing style and skills if we don't know what to improve, adjust or correct. Staffing people cannot give real reasons simply because they are on the other side of the desk.
Staffing people give excuses, not real reasons.
The Staffing Department is the specific part of the company where all hiring decisions are made. The Staffing Team and the Hiring Managers collaborate every day to make the best possible hiring decisions. Staffing and Human Resources, although under the same umbrella, are two different functions. It's highly specialized. Human Resource professionals typically manage projects, employee events, downsizing, terminations and administer policies, not staffing, recruiting and hiring.
So, I paid real close attention. I asked lots of questions. I wondered why I would get rejected for a Staffing position. I asked colleagues, Hiring Managers and some HR folks why some candidates are selected and others are not. I also asked job interview coaches and headhunters.
Here are some of their responses and comments;
"There is no rhyme or reason"
"Getting a good job offer is a matter of luck"
"It's who you know"
"It's all about chemistry".
"Interviewers get a gut feel about candidates … a vibe"
"Rejection is very common, it's simply part of the game"
"It's not anything we can figure out … who knows"
"It's anyone's guess, whatever"
"Politics often plays a role"
"Being in the right place at the right time" It was years later I learned none of these reasons are valid … not one.
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What really is chemistry? Why do some people quickly secure great jobs without having any connections? Why is it that half of all employee referrals do not get hired? Why are some qualified candidates who are referred in by highly credible sources in high level positions rejected? How could this be if who you know is so important? If so, maybe who you know really doesn't matter. I certainly didn't believe luck (see GOOD LUCK) really played a part. A small percentage of job seekers are hardly ever rejected. What is their secret? I couldn't make any sense out of this. I was determined to make the connection.
So, I turned it into a project, analyzing, comparing and searching for answers. Although it was a long process, I didn't have to search very far for answers as I had a "front row seat". I was determined to find the answers and the solutions.
- I wanted to know why the most qualified does not always get the job offer.
- I wanted to know why most candidates are rejected.
- I wanted to know early in my career how I could work in the part of the company that handles everyday hiring and still be rejected on interviews.
Why did some hiring managers hire minimally qualified candidates while other great candidates were rejected and there was no interest. Sometimes the opposite was true.
Early in my career I spent years observing and analyzing. I gradually learned the dynamics, the secrets. Once I learned the dynamics behind hiring decisions, I searched for more. I got answers and then searched for more. After years of hearing honest, candid feedback I began to make the connection. I learned why hiring managers connect with some candidates and not others. I'll share this "closed file" behind the scenes information with you … and more.
I arrived at conclusions and therefore solutions. Then I tweaked my solutions.
I can now share these secrets, tips and techniques with you. I'll share everything you want and need to know to quickly and painlessly secure … The Ideal Job.
You won't find this information anywhere else.
WHAT you don't know can cost you the IDEAL JOB OFFER.
WHAT you do know will get you the IDEAL JOB OFFER.
Although I can ace any interview, I still remember what it feels like to struggle. I know how competitive the job market can be. You no longer have to struggle or stress out. Learn how to stand out amongst the competition. Learn how to be a STAR.
WHO you know doesn't count as much as WHAT you know.
If you don't know WHAT … WHO can't help you
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