Marta Goertzen

Hiring Process Potholes and How to Avoid Them

November 25, 2016 By Marta Goertzen

Is your company aware of how your hiring process affects your candidates?

Janell interviewed for the perfect job three times. The hiring manager loved her. The last step was a courtesy approval from the VP.

That was in mid-June. Janell followed up regularly as she should, persistent but not a pest. After about six weeks the hiring manager stopped responding.. Finally eight weeks after her final interview Janell noticed the job was reposted with a different title.

Evidently Janell was not getting a job offer although no one told the candidate.

After analyzing the two postings, it seemed the new posting asks for an additional certification that Janell does not have.

Janell’s experience raises some important questions about the hiring process:

Why did it take eight weeks to make a decision?
Why didn’t anyone get back to the candidate?
Why did the qualifications change when the job was reposted?
Why didn’t the organization know what they wanted before they started interviewing three months earlier?
How can the organization justify having the position vacant for so long? Isn’t that position important to the organization?
What will Janell tell her friends and family about an organization that treats candidates like this? Think she is a raving fan? Will she have good things to say on social media?
What is the impact on that organization’s brand if they treat candidates like this?

The hiring process in many organizations contains flaws like this. It takes too long. Hiring managers don’t know what they want. No one gets back to the candidates who are sitting on the edge of their chairs waiting to hear some good news. The organization’s brand takes a hit. Productivity is impacted.

You don’t have to treat candidates like this. Be aware of how your hiring process impacts candidates. Be considerate. Communicate with candidates. Know what you want. Save yourself the hassle of having positions open too long and candidates talking smack behind your back.

To view this video, or to view other videos featuring other strategic job search tips and tools from The Interview Doctor click here.

Don’t let Age Define Your Value at Work

November 22, 2016 By Marta Goertzen

How old do you feel inside?

Don’t think about birthdays. Or your aches and pains. Or your insecurities. Think about that person inside you, the one other people cannot see. How old is that version of you?

Right now I am about 28. On the inside.

I remember so clearly my first real job out of college. I was 22, cute as a button with long hair down to the middle of my back. I wondered how soon everyone around me would figure out I was a fraud, unqualified to sit in that chair. I felt about 14 inside. Maybe 15. No matter that I was already married, a college graduate and earning a real paycheck. Inside I felt like a kid pretending to be an adult.

My inner child grows a little older every year but not nearly as fast as I do.

We all have an inner child who represents the person we once were or the person we want to be. We see the real inner child released at social gatherings when old folks crowd the dance floor like the dancing fools they were when they were young. Young people gather around the dance floor shaking their heads at their elders. At those moments, time is relative.

The point is the similarities, not the differences.

The energy. The enthusiasm. The sharing.

We are all just faking it in a way. Our inner child moves forward hopefully with enthusiasm and wonder to apply what we’ve learned and internalized along our journey to the new challenges and opportunities we did not plan for and are probably not prepared for.

What are you doing to learn something new to keep your inner child stimulated? Are you learning new technology? Are you curious about life around you? What have you learned that can propel your career forward?

Wisdom teaches us that continuous learning is the way to keep our inner child stimulated so we continue to engage with the world around us.

We all have an inner child looking out at a world passing at breakneck speed. If we treat each other as individuals, colleagues, and peers then we increase the chances we will get to know and value what each of us bring to the table.

What can you do today to listen better to someone with a different perspective on time? Let’s continue this conversation in social media today!

If you find holes in your relevance in the modern workplace, we can help. Just contact Katherine at InterviewDoc.com to see how we can help you be more effective and more relevant to extend your vitality in the workplace.

If you would like to be even more prepared at a Job Interview, download our ebook, “The Top 30 Most Frequently Asked Questions at a Job Interview“. It’s Free!

Bullying in the Workplace

November 15, 2016 By Marta Goertzen

He belittled her publicly.

He called her out for behavior completely acceptable from others. He refused to allow her to talk to the client in her normal role. He made life miserable for her while he sucked up to his superior.

He was a bully!

Bess (not her real name) had enough. She was tired of crying, tired of feeling inadequate and embarrassed in front of her colleagues.

Ever happen to you?

Here is what Bess did. Maybe this will work for you.

Tell him to stop. Bullies hate being called on their stuff. Bess responded with warnings to stop via email then face to face. It didn’t stop.
Complain to an advisor in a neutral role. Bess went to the group advisor who functioned in a human resources capacity. He commiserated then suggested that Bess be careful to protect his “fragile male ego”. Really?
Take it to the boss. Bess went to the boss who was disappointed in both the bully and the advisor. Fragile male ego? Really? That still happens? The boss investigated then counseled the bully on the appropriate behavior. She assured Bess that she will not tolerate retaliation.

This does not always work. In Bess’s case, the bully did retaliate. He could not let it go. But the boss was watching. There were serious consequences for the bully. Bess still feels stressed but the major problems have stopped. For now.

Bullies can be found in any school, work or social setting. They lurk among us. It is our job to draw a line in the sand and say, “NO MORE”.

Have you ever worked with a bully? What did you do about it? What advice would you give Bess to survive in this difficult situation? We are curious and want to know what you think.

If you would like more tips on a successful job search, check out a replay video of our recent job search training – it is free and has tons of job search tips in it.

Impromptu Speaking Can Affect Your Professional Impression

November 8, 2016 By Marta Goertzen

Imagine the situation.

You are invited to say a few words in support of a friend. A recommendation. You have some advanced notice. You think your friend is amazing so this should be easy. What do you do?

That was the scene recently at a workshop I attended. The facilitator asked three people to say a few words in support of her service. They went on and on and on, rambling all around the point without actually landing anywhere. I know the speakers meant well but I missed the point because they never made a point.

This was a failure on many levels. The speakers reflected poorly on themselves. Every time you open your mouth you give people a chance to evaluate you. Whatever recommendation the speakers wanted to make was lost, representing a lost opportunity for the facilitator.

When given the microphone, like anything in life you need a plan. Here are some tips to make the best impression next time:

Know what you want to say. Write it out to make sure you make the points you need.
Practice out loud. The words never come out of your mouth the way they are arranged in your head.
Know and respect your time limit. If you allowed to speak for five minutes don’t take ten minutes. It just makes you look unorganized and undermines your message.
Don’t repeat. Say what you want to say then sit down. You don’t reinforce your point through repetition; you just bore your listener.
Be sure your stories relate to the point you want to make. Stories for the sake of stories are just boring.
Seek help. Toastmasters International provides a safe environment to practice. And practice makes the perfect impression.

Actually these tips are appropriate for anyone who has to talk off the cuff regularly. For anyone this can be terrifying. Practice, practice, practice!

Get the confidence you need with a FREE copy of The Interview Doctor’s “Job Requirements Comparison List” and prepare yourself to prove with evidence that you can do the job!

Passive Recruiting is Proactive Recruiting

November 4, 2016 By Marta Goertzen

You have an important opening on your team.

Maybe you need a specialized chemist to work on an important R&D project. Maybe like one of my clients, you need a sales person who is a hunter, the sales person who lives for the kill then moves on to find the next opportunity. This is not a person who loves to talk with existing clients and respond to their every need.

You have a few options.

The traditional recruiting method is to advertise. Maybe the right person is checking job ads that day and sees your ad. Great!

This reactive method of recruiting attracts active candidates.

But what happens if your ideal candidate, the one with the elusive skill set that will make the difference between success and failure, is NOT checking the job ads at that moment you have a need?

You can either make do with the best of whoever responds to the ad or you can try something different. You can reach out to candidates who fit your ideal profile who might not be looking for a job right now. These are called “Passive Candidates”.

Passive candidates are not actively seeing a new job but are open to the idea if you talk with them. 79% of US workers are passive candidates these days. Your ad misses them completely.

Passive candidates are best qualified for the skill set you seek. You have less competition for their attention because they are not looking for a job right now. Research shows passive candidates stay longer and produce better results.

Not to knock candidates actively seeking work but why are you ignoring this high quality source of talent for your candidate pool?

Here are four questions to ask yourself before embarking on a proactive method of recruiting to attract passive candidates:

What can you offer that makes your organization different?

Passive candidates have to be motivated by something in your organization. Otherwise why leave their current role? Can you offer a better fit for their skill set, more challenging work, greater opportunities for advancement, maybe a better work / life balance or better pay or benefits?

You need to know what makes your organization difference so you can have a meaningful conversation with passive candidates.

Which positions are appropriate for a proactive form of recruiting? Consider positions with very specific skills where it is hard to find qualified candidates or positions where you have multiple incumbents.

What knowledge, skills and abilities does your ideal candidate have?

Where do these folks hang out? Are they likely to be found in certain places on social media or have specific interests where they gather? Do these passive candidates know anyone already working in your organization?

Consider whether your current method of recruiting meets your business needs or whether you are open to finding passive candidates.