What Are The Best Topgrading Interview Questions?

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Topgrading is a top-performing person evaluation model invented by Bradford D. Smart in 1989. Topgrading asks for behavioral interviewing and feedback from peers and subordinates of top performers after they have been evaluated. Interview questions to validate topgrading need to be topgrading interview questions, including those from topgrading interview templates.

In addition to validating the top performer as defined beforehand, top grading goes into detail about what made him or her a top performer: key attitude traits that enabled their success – attributes such as drive, ambition, discipline, work ethic, integrity – and key skill sets – including business development skills such as prospecting and sales process competencies such as presentation skills or the ability to call top executives.

What is Topgrading Interviewing

Topgrading interviewing is the process of asking more than just standard interview questions. These questions allow employers to see how well an employee will fit into their company culture and team, so they need to have excellent interviewing skills!

The topgrading techniques are comprehensive, but they do take more time. For topgrading, you need to ask open-ended questions that allow candidates the opportunity to talk about themselves. The topgrading interviewing technique is just another way of getting past the resume, application, and cover letter before being offered a position at a company.

Topgrading techniques are quite popular with companies because they provide them with employees who are sure to be a good fit with their culture, so topgrading interviews are really worth your time.

topgrading questions

Topgrading Interview Questions: Topgrading Company's Process

The company’s topgrading process typically consists of four phases. First, select the person who will conduct the topgrading process; second, define the traits required for success; third, survey subordinates and peers; and finally, validate top grading based on results. Sometimes a recruiter will need several attempts at validating top grades before they can be considered as having successfully validated them (this differs per company). 

Topgrading Interview Questions: Types of Topgrades

The standard topgrading process results in what is known as a topgrading top-grade, which consists of three different types of topgrades.

First, there are topgrading top grades given to top-performers; second, there are topgrading top grades given to top graded average employees; and third, there are bottom grading bottom grades given to bottom graded bottom-performers.

Topgrading produces an HR dashboard where companies can see how productive their teams are at a topgrading top-performer level. By identifying topgraded top-performers at the topgrading top-level, topgrading top-grade top-performing employees are more likely to become topgrading top-performers in the future.

To achieve this goal, organizations can use topgrading interview questions to pick candidates who are most likely to become top graded top performing employees.

Topgrading Company's Interview Process 

A typical topgrading interview process will rank top graded top performers

In addition to the traditional interview process, most topgrading companies use standardized tests and past experiences as part of the topgrading process.

A top performer will usually go through several sequential steps to complete the interview process. Once an organization agrees to engage in the topgrading interview process, prospective topgraded top-graders are often given a questionnaire with questions designed to assess their top-grading skills and work ethic. Top Graded top-performers will be ranked on a scale.

They are also likely to be asked how they would handle hypothetical situations, such as bad performance or lack of motivation among subordinates. How would you correct the situation if you had a team of people who were not topgraded top-grades?

The answer should include specific examples of what action topgrading top grades have taken in other situations.

Conflicts are often used to find out if an individual does not have a problem with authority.  Conflicts with a person who had more authority than the individual seeking should be avoided. Similarly, conflicts with people who do not have as much power as the top grader should also be avoided.

topgrading interview

Best Topgrading Interview Questions

Here are a few of the best topgrading interview questions that you can ask or be asked:

1) What is your favorite thing about working here?

2) How would you describe the culture here?

3) Are there any projects in your current/previous role that you are particularly proud of? Why?

4) Is there anything you would like to change about your current/previous role?

5) When are you looking for another job?

6) What were the top 3 reasons that motivated you into this industry? (Or, what was your top motivation in applying for this specific position?)

7) What’s the top thing that attracts you to this company?

8) Based on your topgrading interviewing, what can we improve on? (Or, What would you like to see us improve upon?)

9) How do you feel about our topgrading interviewing process? Any feedback?

10) Do you have any questions for us? Any concerns with topgrading interviewing?

CONCLUSION

Topgrading is a rigorous process that can take time to complete, but it is one way companies can evaluate who are qualified for management positions.

By asking the right questions, topgrading interviewers will be able to evaluate who are top-grading top-performers.

By asking topgrading interview questions, you can get to know the candidate personally, making it much easier for you and them to decide whether or not they would make a good fit. So by using topgrading interview questions, both parties win!

What’s The Difference Between a Product Management Recruiter and a Product Management Consultant?

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Product Managers often find themselves debating whether they should become recruiters or consultants because they want to gain more experience in different areas of Product Management. Some people believe that becoming a recruiter is better because you’ll get experience working with different products and companies. Others think that becoming a consultant is better because you’ll gain more experience working on different projects and areas of expertise within Product Management, and also because you’ll be paid more.

At the end of the day, they both require strong skills and experience in Product Management; however, here are some key differences between recruiters and consultants.

Product Management Recruiters

Recruiters focus on selling services. They will often go out and find clients who are looking for their type of service, contact them to learn about what they need, and convince them that they can solve their problems. This requires excellent communication skills because the recruiter has to clearly communicate how their product management recruiting firm can help the client achieve their goals. At the same time, recruiters must also have strong analytics skills to easily measure whether or not a company’s needs are met after working with them. Since recruiters spend much of their time marketing themselves online, they should also know how to use social media effectively as well as SEO (search engine optimization) tools to drive traffic back to their website. While recruiters don’t have to worry about solving problems since that’s not what they’re selling, if a client expresses interest in learning more from the recruiter about how their product management recruiting firm can help them solve a particular problem, they should be prepared to provide as much information as possible.

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Product Management Consultants

Consultants work with clients to help them implement their own strategies and solve problems. Consultants may or may not have experience working with the type of company they are currently consulting for, but it doesn’t matter because there is a process consultants follow when they first start working for a new company. First, the consultant will need to learn as much as possible about their client’s business model (industry, customer base, etc.), target market (who they’re selling their products and services to), and strategy (how they plan on getting a leg up over the competition). Second, once the consultant has learned everything they can about the client’s business model, target market, and strategy, they will then be able to advise them on how best to implement their Product Management consulting strategies. This is where communication skills come into play because consultants must be able to clearly communicate not only with their clients but also with any additional stakeholders present at meetings (e.g., employees). Finally, consultants should have strong leadership skills so that they can coach their clients on how best to solve problems within Product Management, even if it means doing some of the work themselves.

Product Managers who work as consultants tend to learn more about different types of companies/businesses than those who just focus on recruiting roles within one specific company or industry. They will have to understand the client’s business and write proposals/presentations that answer their clients’ needs so that they can easily understand.

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Similarities between Product Management Recruiters and Product Manager Consultants

Both of these roles are important for the growth of your company. Recruiters are responsible for finding new talent, which means they need to have excellent negotiation skills. Product managers play a more long-term role that is best suited for those who want to be on the front lines of product strategy, building products from scratch or dividing existing monoliths into microservices.

Product Managers need to be able to convince clients that their services are worth the investment and demonstrate the value of what they’re proposing. They must be able to quickly establish rapport with clients, which includes coaching them on how best to articulate their needs. Product Managers learn about different types of companies/businesses across many industries, whereas product managers who work as consultants gain more experience within the technology space.

Both roles require excellent communication skills because you will often be presenting your ideas or vision to potential clients in order to attract new business. Product Management recruiters tend to have a strong sales background, while Product Managers who work as consultants generally have very strong consulting backgrounds. This means they may know more about different types of companies/businesses than someone with a strong sales background.

Conclusion

In conclusion, becoming a Product Manager Recruiter requires a strong background in Product Management and excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Being a Product Manager Consultant, on the other hand, requires an equally strong background in product management as well as business development experience and excellent communication skills.

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Methodologies and Product Management Recruitment Agencies Roles

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Product Management recruitment agencies have a big responsibility in the hiring process, and it can be difficult to find the best talent. They must know what they’re looking for as well as who’s available to make good decisions about which candidates should be hired. In this blog post, we’ll walk through some of the different methodologies that Product Management recruitment agencies use when searching for great people to fill their teams with. We’ll also talk about common roles within a company and how those roles might change depending on whether or not there is a dedicated Product Manager position available.

The Role of Product Recruitment Agencies

Product Management recruitment agencies can take on many different roles in the Product world. The Product Management Recruitment Agency determines what Product Manager position they are looking to fill, and depending upon the needs of their Product Management clients. Product Managers may be tasked with a specific role, or a Product Management Recruitment agency may handle several roles within a company. Product Management Recruitment agencies will look for Product Managers who have a wide range of different interests/skill sets so they can be placed in positions where they’ll excel within Product Management. 

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In some companies, the primary role of the Product Management recruitment agency is to find Product Managers. This Product Management recruitment agency might be the only person responsible for recruiting Product Managers and may also be accountable for setting salary ranges, reporting to Senior Product Management, and creating job descriptions for Product Management positions within their company. They may have to conduct Product Manager interviewing and screening, as well as product managing their Product Managers throughout the interview process.

In other companies, a Product Management recruitment agency might have a more expanded role within a company. For example, they might focus strictly on marketing Product Management or product development. In this case, Product Managers might be responsible for a lot of the same tasks as a Product Management recruitment agency would be if they were on staff. They might have to conduct interviews and manage to hire Product Managers as well as actively pursue new revenue opportunities for their company.

Methodologies of Product Recruitment Agencies

When Product Management recruitment agencies are looking to hire Product Managers, they typically use a couple of different methodologies designed to help them find the best people for the role. The first is referred to as passive sourcing. This means simply finding Product Managers through the traditional routes – LinkedIn, phone calls, referrals from existing employees – without making any active outreach. Product Managers are often satisfied with their positions, meaning that they’re unlikely to apply for a new role unless they have been actively approached by a Product Management recruitment agency or an employer. Product management recruitment agencies can wait until these Product Managers reach out in order to offer them a better position in the company.

Product Managers that are already employed by the Product Management recruitment agency’s client company might also reach out of their own volition in order to apply for a Product Manager role. Product management recruitment agencies typically have many employees in different organizations who are bridged together via referral programs, which can help them increase the chances that Product Managers will be identified this way. Product management recruitment agencies might also set up a referral program for Product Managers who aren’t part of their client company. Product managers are well-connected across various organizations and may share the Product Management recruitment agency’s job postings with people they know. Product Management recruitment agencies focus these efforts by using the passive sourcing methodology to identify Product Managers. These Product managers may be looking for a Product Manager role and Product management recruitment agencies that they can connect Product Managers with.

Product Management recruitment agencies also use the active sourcing methodology to find and recruit Product Managers and other team members. They do this by using their networks to identify Product Managers and Product managers looking for a Product Manager role. Product management recruitment agencies also use social media, such as LinkedIn and Twitter, to look for Product Managers interested in Product Management recruitment agency’s company culture or Product Management recruitment agency’s team members. Product management recruitment agencies can then reach out directly through these platforms, sometimes getting more attention by commenting on Product Managers or Product managers’ public posts. Product management recruitment agencies might also meet Product Managers and Product managers in person at Product Management recruitment agency conferences and events.

Product management recruitment agencies not only work to build strong working relationships with Product Managers and Product managing clients but also work to build strong working relationships with Product Managers. Product Management recruitment agencies are typically staffed by Product Managers who have up-to-date knowledge of the Product Management recruitment agency’s industry. This allows Product Managers to better understand Product managers’ motivations for changing positions and their thoughts on product management recruiting team dynamics. Product Management recruitment agencies should also do their best to find Product Manager and Product managing roles that Product Managers will enjoy. Product Management recruitment agencies often have Product Managers’ personal information, allowing Product Managers to remain in touch with Product Manager jobs that may interest Product Managers later.

Product Management recruitment agencies are often hired by Product Managers who are actively searching for Product Manager and Product Managing roles or are passively seeking Product Manager and Product Managing roles.

Types of Recruitment Agencies for Product Management Roles

There are three basic types of Product Management recruitment agencies. The first is your traditional Product Management recruitment agency. They help companies find great Product Managers for their product teams and track down people with good Product Management experience who might take Product Management jobs.

The Product Management Recruitment Agency is a company that helps Product Managers find great jobs. They reach out directly to potential candidates and put their current openings in front of them with talented individuals who may be interested, without having access themselves! This organization also reaches out on behalf of our clients’ needs for talent at all levels – from entry-level (PM)positions up through Senior PMs or C-level executives such as CEOs/Presidents, etc… You can’t go wrong when you work here; we’ll help ensure that your next move into this industry leads to success.

recruitment services

The third way to find a great Product Manager is through an agency that works with companies and teams, assisting them in finding the perfect hire. They can help you look for candidates yourself or direct your searches at other firms like theirs – either one of which ensures access into this highly sought-after career market! There are also recruitment agencies out there on behalf of those hiring managers (either already working within the said field), so all potential prospects have equal opportunity when vying against each other.

CONCLUSION

As the world of technology advances, businesses are becoming more reliant on products to increase their revenue and meet customer demands. This has created a need for talented product managers who can think outside the box, work well with others, and pay attention to detail. If you’re looking for Product Management Recruitment Agencies to help your business find top talent or want to know what type of recruitment agency best suits your needs, read on! Each product management recruitment agency specializes in different employment methodologies, making it important to narrow down which one would be right for you before beginning any hiring process. The following list includes some examples of these methods as well as the roles each agency may fill within your organization.

Hiring Explosion: How Are You Hiring the Best Talent?

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The Product Manager market is exploding and it’s time to start thinking about hiring strategies. There are a lot of challenges in the hiring process, like deciding on what type of candidate you’re looking for, how much time should be spent on sourcing candidates versus interviewing, and determining if your company culture will attract the right talent. A recruiter or a headhunter can help with these issues, but they come at a cost that many companies cannot afford. The best thing you can do is educate yourself on all aspects of finding and recruiting Product Managers, so your company doesn’t have to suffer from being short-staffed because not enough people applied for positions.

Product Manager recruiting agencies are popping up everywhere, which is great news for Product Managers. It means they have more opportunities to find the right position with a company that will allow them to work on products they love; however, it also means competition is high, and companies need to step up their hiring efforts if they expect product managers to want to work for them. The best product manager recruiting agency takes a lot of the pain out of finding Product Managers.

Hire Outsource

Create an Environment Where People Want to Work

Since Product Managers are the driving force behind product development, you need to create an environment where people want to work. The hiring process is your first chance at finding out about potential applicants and whether they’d be a good fit for your company culture. You should never settle when it comes to Product Manager recruitment – because there will always be Product Manager candidates who are a better fit than others.

If you’re looking for Product Managers without paying enough attention to your company culture, chances are you’ll get Product Managers who are eager to leave quickly. Product Manager recruiters can be valuable resources that save time, but it’s still up to the hiring team to determine if they will gel with the company culture. You need Product Managers who want to work hard and produce results, but you also have to understand that Product Managers are human beings with different personalities, opinions, and ambitions.

Set Clear Expectations From Day One

Being clear about the expectations of your Product Manager position is paramount when attracting talent in a competitive market. Clear communication with Product Managers about their roles can help Product Managers decide if they want to work in that particular company. There needs to be room for Product Managers who are looking for more responsibilities, opportunities for growth, and learning new skills. Product Manager recruitment agencies can help companies attract Product Managers, but hiring Product Managers is only the first step. You need Product Managers who will stay on board long enough to do what they set out to accomplish.

Invest in Your Employees

Investing in Product Managers is a great way to improve company culture and attract Product Managers. Product Manager recruitment agencies can help with finding Product Managers, but Product Managers need to see your company as an investment rather than seeing the job as something temporary. They need room to grow, opportunities for professional development, and to learn new skills. You can’t expect Product Managers to stay on board if you aren’t giving them the support they need to do their jobs well.

Create a Culture that Fosters Innovation and Creativity

You can create an environment where Product Managers want to work by fostering innovation and creativity. Product Managers are often thought of as the founders of product ideas, but Product Manager recruitment agencies will emphasize Product Managers as product leaders. The Product Manager needs to foster innovation and creativity so Product Managers can come up with the best product ideas. Product Managers need to know how to execute those product ideas effectively and efficiently.

Conclusion

Hiring is a process that takes time and effort. Even if you don’t have the budget for a Product Manager recruiting agency, there are plenty of ways to improve your hiring efforts with some creativity and elbow grease. To attract better candidates, you need to create an environment where people want to work. Be clear about the expectations of your Product Manager position, salary, hours, etc., and invest in employees by providing them with opportunities for growth and learning- which will also help retain them within your company culture!  What are some ways you can improve your company culture and attract better talent? You may be surprised at how simple it might be – just take a look at our blog post on this topic!

Product Manager Hiring

What Do Product Management Consultants Do?

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Product Management Consulting is a lucrative field, and not one to be taken lightly. Product Management Consultants are the bridge between the needs of clients and the capabilities of companies. They can help you find new ways to sell your product or service, restructure your team, develop a new strategy for growth, or create an entirely new product that better meets customer demands.  The Product Managers who need help with their projects should consider reaching out to a consultant for guidance and advice on how best to proceed in order to achieve desired outcomes. These professionals can also serve as mentors by providing valuable information about trends in business and insights into what works and what doesn’t work in this industry. Consulting firms offer competitive rates with high-quality deliverables tailored specifically for each client’s product.

Product Manager Vs. Product Management Consultant

A Product Management Consultant is a product consultant who works with Product Managers and Product Owners to build products or help them do what they need to do. Product Management Consultants typically work in product consulting companies, though there are also individual Product Management Consultants. Product Management Consultants help Product Managers with product requirements, product roadmaps, product release schedules, and product estimates.

product management

Product Management Consultants work with Product Managers to define their vision for a product, identify the Product Manager’s strategy from the vision statement, and then confirm that there is clarity in how that strategy is going to be executed. Product Management Consultants help Product Managers plan for product release, work with Product Managers to build product requirements, develop product roadmaps, and ensure that the steps are in place to get products out. Product Management Consultants are responsible for making sure that the Product Manager has all of the tools and information necessary to do their job well

What Product Management Consultants Do Day to Day?

Product Management Consulting companies may be a Product Manager’s best friend. Product Managers typically have a full plate, which Product Management Consultants can help with by freeing up some of the Product Manager’s time for things that Product Managers need to do from their job description, such as product discovery meetings and product backlog prioritization. Product Management Consultants can also help Product Managers by doing product requirements, product roadmap development, and product release estimation. Product Management Consulting companies typically have Product Management Consultants that work on product discovery meetings with Product Managers to map out the vision for a product or product line, then determine the best strategy for executing that vision. 

The Product Management Consultant will help confirm if what Product Managers are planning is feasible and doable within the specified time frame. Product Management Consultants also perform product estimation, which helps determine if Product Managers will be able to accomplish product tasks within the product release schedule.

Why Hire A Product Management Consultant?

The Product Managers themselves might have years of Product Management experience under their belt but often lack the experience working with a product management consulting company. This is where Product Management Consultants come in! They bring leadership skills as well as creativity, analytical thinking for problem-solving or decision making, understanding trends within their industry (or field) that pertain specifically towards marketing aspects depending on what type of business they work with. Ecommerce companies might need more customer-focused advice when it comes down to how much money should be spent advertising online versus offline. Lastly, Product Management Consultants must have some technical know-how, including knowledge about various software packages used today like Jira(TM), Trello®, or Google Drive™.

The Product Management Consultants must bring a unique set of skills to the Product Manager consulting table and have to be able to effectively communicate their suggestions with Product Managers to get things done.   

consulting services

Conclusion

Product Managers looking for the best results should find a good Product Management Consultant at their company. The skills that make up a successful partnership between these two parties depend on what’s going to work well with both individuals and how they will achieve business goals together in order not only to produce but also market products from start to finish!

The Only 2 Reasons People Fail!

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Failure occurs for 2 reasons:

1.      Lack of commitment and/or

2.      Lack of competency

You can’t have success without knowing how these two traits compliment one another on the road to success.

Noun: Commitment

The state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.

–         Synonyms: dedication, devotion, allegiance, loyalty, faithfulness, responsibility, obligation

Noun: Competency

The ability to do something successfully or efficiently.

–         Synonyms: ability, capability, proficient, accomplishments, mastery, expertise, savvy

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After working with thousands of candidates and clients, I have studied the characteristics and traits of the people I helped advance professionally. My belief is that commitment and competency are the key ingredients to success, and are usually the ONLY 2 reasons people fail. 

I’m sure most are thinking that failure has many different components. I don’t disagree with you; however, if you keep peeling the onion back on failure, you will notice that at its core, commitment and competency are the most important traits, and the keys to success. 

Let’s explore these traits further:

COMMITMENT

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This is a decision; one you must clearly make to yourself.  If you really want to spice it up, share your commitment with others, so that you have accountability. Be willing to do whatever it takes to achieve the goal(s) you set for yourself.  Winners find a way to win, regardless of circumstance; they stay solution focused while keeping the end in mind!

An Example:

Have you ever worked with someone who was smart as heck, had all the brain power, yet they continued to fail slowly over time?  Maybe you bought their excuses? Chances are yes, and it’s not that they didn’t have the intellect (competency) to succeed, it’s that they weren’t committed to the goal. They found more excuses than solutions. 

COMPETENCY

You must be, or work towards becoming competent in your area of focus.  

In the professional realm, competency is the ability to take complicated information, or a complex product/service, and simplify it for your end audience. 

The best in the world can do this; they know their product/service better than most, and can explain its value in ways the “Average Joe” can understand – this is the key!

An Example:

Early in my career, I was a stock broker for one of the oldest firms on Wall Street. They hired tons of people because their cost was low.  It was a numbers game – throw as many people on a desk and see what sticks.  The success rate was less than 3% for every 100 people they hired; only 3 brokers would still be there after 2 years. 

One co-worker always comes to mind when I look back at those days.  When we were in the office, he worked harder than anyone I knew – first one in the office, first one on the phone, and usually the last to leave.  Just before his 2-year anniversary, he was let go.  Why?  He showed up every day completely committed; however, he was not competent in selling financial services, because: 1) he was unable to simplify the product and solution for his prospects, 2) he couldn’t capitalize on his opportunities over the phone because his skill was average at best, and 3) his prospects were left for others to close. 

He was committed, but he was not the most competent, because his work began and ended in the office.  He never took the extra steps or time needed to hone his craft outside of office hours, e.g. practicing his value proposition, reading books on selling intangibles, or any other resource available to him.

He eventually moved on to another career in which he was competent and passionate, chartering yachts.  For the last 15 years he’s been loving life, and traveling the world on one of the top private luxury superyachts. 

HOW THEY GO HAND IN HAND

One must be committed to becoming successful, before working to become competent (a proficient expert, master, leader, innovator) in their desired profession/craft.

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Lacking either of these two traits makes it difficult to avoid failing.  To be clear though, failure is part of the process; however, it should be failing forward, and learning new and better ways to do it next time.  Becoming more and more competent happens naturally when failing forward, and seeking to learn from those failures.  So, make sure you get committed to the journey and embrace the road ahead!

When it gets tough, reflect and ask yourself, “Am I struggling because of my commitmentor is it due to my current level of competency?”  Once you identify this, the solution will begin to present itself with each passing day; you’ll also be amazed at who you become in the process when you chase your goals! 

I have found that goal attainment itself isn’t as satisfying as seeing who you become through the process.  Developing these two traits will give you feelings of joy, confidence, enthusiasm, passion, resilience, persistence, determination, and credibility to lead, influence and shape others around you!

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Go from good to great by combining commitment and competency, and begin seeing the transformation in your life and profession!

“Ashley Madison” Candidates

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“Ashley Madison” candidates – you know who you are…jumping from employer to employer and recruiter to recruiter.

I’m sure by now you’ve read about the Ashley Madison fiasco…and by fiasco, I actually mean ‘bless those Robin Hood hackers for putting their skills to good use.’

It’s been all over the media, and most recently some of the headlines state the situation keeps getting worse “Worse for the website owners…worse for the real victims, for the millions of people named in the hacked data dump, and their families.”  Please…let’s actually be real here about applying “worse” to everyone involved in this situation.  It’s really only a nightmare for the spouses of people who were paying members of the site in the first place.

If you were a member – well, you’ve been “found out”, now you’ll have to deal with the repercussions of your decisions.  

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If you were a victim – consider it a blessing that you know the truth now about your spouse.  You probably deserve better.

If you’re AshleyMadison.com, what an unbelievable waste of talent on this so called “company”.  You are a pond-scum blob of non-integrity and lies, disguised as a website to generate cash…founded and based off of ZERO moral principles.  Greed and profit at its finest!  What blew my mind most, was that there were people who were actually going to get behind this thing, and try and take it to an IPO?  That’s sad.  Please people…wake up.

So let’s put that big spotlight back on you, my “Ashley Madison” candidates.  Don’t worry, this is just a little tough love to make sure you get back on track with your career.  My intentions are pure, and my passion about integrity runs deep, especially when it comes to marriage and careers (two of the most important things in a household).

WHO ARE YOU AGAIN?

What AshleyMadison.com members are to their marriage, you are to your career search: unfaithful, not loyal, and not committed.  I don’t mean to come off harsh or trite, just stating my perspective on the situation, based on my experience as a headhunter.  You hop from job posting to job posting, recruiter to recruiter.

WHAT YOU DO #1: SPEAK TO EVERY RECRUITER, AND SEND YOUR RESUME TO ANYONE WHO ASKS FOR IT.

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I use LinkedIn just as much to my advantage as everyone else, but what I’m stating here is that you do your research and have a conversation with a recruiter first, to see if it makes sense to move forward (before you send off your resume and get involved in an interview process that may not make the most sense for you professionally).

Otherwise:

  • You end up wasting tons of time, doing countless interviews and telling the same story over and over again.  You become a great storyteller and interviewer, but chances are, you may not be the “A” player candidate the employer needs to get the job done.
  • You increase your chances of landing at the wrong company, resulting in more job hopping and career unhappiness.

WHAT YOU DO #2: PUBLICIZE YOURSELF TOO EASILY ON LINKEDIN.

Ever heard “Less is More”?  The same applies here. Listing on your LI profile headlines like “Ready for a New Challenge” or “Looking for New Opportunities” won’t help you move forward towards the right opportunity, and it positions you as an Active candidate.  Every recruiter on the planet can find you, and the right recruiters (who know the difference in value between Active vs. Passive candidates) will see you as low-hanging fruit, and won’t even touch you.

Why?

  • Because their clients don’t want low-hanging fruit, and you are seen as a “B” or “C” player.  Even if you’re not, this is the perception.
  • Immediately the recruiter and employer see your headline and think “This guy looks like he’s probably talking to everyone, so I can’t imagine he really knows what he wants, or how he could add value to my organization.”
  • Employers actually trust the intentions more on Passive candidates, because this individual isn’t running from anything, they would be running to something (a new opportunity).  This behavior displays a higher level of commitment to the big picture, because Passive candidates are only going to move if the opportunity significantly advances their life personally and professionally. 

WHY, WHY, WHY DO YOU BEHAVE THIS WAY?

You’re programmed to treat all recruiters the same (usually like a commodity, or pretty much like a bookie).

The conversation usually goes like this. Instead of you asking your bookie “What’s the line on this game?”, you ask the recruiter “Whatcha got??” when they call.

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Unfortunately, recruiters give other recruiters a bad name.  As I mentioned in a previous article, we may have all gone to the same school, but we didn’t all graduate with honors.  Not all recruiters are created equally, but I can understand your behavior, based on bad experiences you’ve had.

The culprits are those recruiters who try and hook you by spatting out their clients’ names, just to try and throw you in an interview process (a weak sales practice in my opinion).  They’ll say anything to get you to take action, providing you and your career with a square peg/round hole approach.  Once again, doing our industry, your career, and their client’s brand a disservice.  Think about it, do you share your product or service with anyone who wants to know, or do you have a process that weeds out the people who aren’t worth your time?  Same goes for headhunters, that’s their job – to protect the brand/value of their clients’ companies!

Pay attention to the questions the recruiter asks you.  You can usually identify if the recruiter is a “player” or not, based on the questions they ask.  Again, if the recruiter starts throwing company names to you, without taking interest in finding out who you are or what you want, they may not have your best interest at heart.  Most likely they’re just trying to get your resume quickly to pass along to a client.

ALERT!  If a recruiter sends you an Email/InMail etc., with a job description and a company name, without developing a relationship with you first – DELETE!  You’re not dealing with a professional, they’re making it about them and not you.

HOW WELL HAS THIS BEHAVIOR AND APPROACH REALLY SERVED YOU?

Did it land you your dream job, or did it just get you a J.O.B?  Chances are it’s the latter.  This behavior, in turn, causes companies to be skeptical of hiring you, and delays their process because they’re scared of having a mis-hire.

In the end, your ultimate goal is to land at a company you enjoy, which in turn leads to you being successful in that role and hitting the expectations of your employer.

Voila! Candidate and Employer are achieving their desired results.

Here are some tips for both parties to land at this happy place.

***CANDIDATE TIPS***

STAY FOCUSED on the current task at hand, generating success in your current role (so that you can continue developing a killer track record).  Interviewing in today’s market takes time and effort, and engaging with tons of recruiters takes you away from that.  Stop jumping at every red shiny apple/recruiter/LinkedIn job posting/InMail that you receive.  They are all distractions that won’t help you land your dream job!

PARTNER STRATEGICALLY with one recruiter, who specializes in your desired industry, and who has your best career interest in mind.  “A” players know they need an agent.  If more were better, why don’t actors/athletes all have more than one agent?  Because working with one agent allows the “talent” and the “talent agent” to develop a relationship and strategic partnership – identifying and pursuing opportunities that are best in line with the talent’s interests and next level career goals.

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A great recruiter will know what companies fall in line with your goals, and they can help guide you to the right roles, with the right leadership team to help take you there.

KEEP IT CLEAN on LinkedIn.  List only relevant information, and remember, less is more.  LinkedIn should not be a dumping ground for your entire resume.  Don’t worry, the universe has a great thing about timing, and when you’re ready, the right recruiters will find you.

CHANGE YOUR APPROACH, and don’t treat every recruiter the same.  If you’ve had a bad experience in the past, don’t limit your upside with a real recruiter.  The top recruiters in your industry have many connections, and the ability to show you opportunities you wouldn’t be able to access yourself.  We’ve all had bad experiences in the past, but that shouldn’t halt us from moving forward – just be savvier in weeding out the unqualified recruiters from the rest.

DO YOUR RESEARCH when you’re ready to explore a new opportunity.  Find out everything you can about your dream role or company, and what it takes to win in that position.  Interview a few recruiters, and find someone who is niched in the industry you desire.  For example, one of the top recruiters in the world, Scott Love, places only partner-level attorneys with top law firms throughout D.C.  Scott has become a specialist in his space, and every partner-level attorney knows that Scott is the guy with the insider information. 

HAVE FAITH and allow your recruiter to do what he/she does best – sourcing the market and bringing you only opportunities that are next level for you. When Tom Cruise is lining up his next project, do you think he’s wasting his time reading 50-60 scripts? No, he trusts that his agent has brought him only the top roles that make sense.

***EMPLOYER TIPS***

PARTNER with someone who is niched in your space and knows how to qualify the right candidates, in order to bring you the “A” players, because:

  • Your livelihood and the success of your company depend on it.
  • This will allow you to be in a better position to win going forward.  Every successful CEO knows that talent partners are their biggest asset.
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The top headhunters are not resume slingers who just jump on LinkedIn, expecting it to be raining “A” players…

BE AWARE of who your internal and external recruiters are bringing to the table:

  • Active candidates usually result in a mis-hire, and they are your “B” and “C” players.  You’ll end up having to make the best decision, from the worst talent pool in the market.  This will waste more of your time (your most precious asset) and delay your ability to make the right decision.
  • Your talent partners should know to only share your brand, opportunity and value proposition with qualified executives, not just anyone who happens to respond to an Email or a call.  
  • Strategic talent partners shouldn’t take your job order and re-post it on their own LinkedIn profiles and website – it only will attract more Active candidates.

DECREASE your chance of a mis-hire by knowing and understanding the difference between a Passive (“A” player) versus an Active (“B” or “C” player) candidate.  This will help you build a team of world class talent.

Any successful career, just like any successful marriage, requires faith, commitment and loyalty.  I believe we can get a much better result with these qualities in our character, in both areas of life.

Mission Impossible: Avoiding a Mis-hire

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There’s a lot of buzz that everyone loves to complain…eh hem, I mean…talk about, yet do little about – and it goes by the phrases of “hiring top talent”, “finding the A players”, etc. – a task that can seem like a mission impossible. 

Why is this so buzz-worthy though?  Because yes, everyone wants to hire a great candidate, and the result of hiring the wrong candidate results in a mis-hire, which in turn ends up being more like a mess-hire…and you end up having to clean up the mess.

I’m a numbers guy; we specialize in Big Data & Analytics for private companies, and here are some hiring numbers for you:

  • 1 out of every 2 hires is a mis-hire.
  • Mis-hires cost your company between 15-24 times the placed candidate’s base salary. So, your $100k job now cost you between $1.4 million – $2.5 million per year, if you get it wrong.
  • Greater than 90% of firms hire external sources, recruiters, to find them talent on a contingency basis. Contingency recruiting = the recruiter’s fee is contingent on the client hiring their candidate.
  • And only 18% of contingent job searches actually get filled. The contingency recruiting model creates the highest risk of a mis-hire.

So here everyone is, talking about how it’s so hard to land the right candidates, instead of actually realizing that it’s probably their current recruiting process that is causing the problem in the first place. 

If you’re like most, then your company is working under a contingency recruiting model (the model that yields only 18% success rates in placing a candidate), the recruiting model where a client slings out their job order to a bunch of recruiters, who compete with one another to make the placement.  Under this model, Mr. Client thinks it’s a win-win situation, “Hey, why not have those recruiters all fight for the win, at least I’ll get to see a bunch of candidates.” 

It can be messy, and it usually looks something like this:

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But what does that really look like for you Mr. Client? 

  • This critical job opening has now been turned into a game of speed, not of a game of quality for your recruiters. The recruiters reach for their low-hanging fruit (candidates from their databases, candidates who applied to their job postings – essentially = B & C players). You get excited as the client, because you see tons of resumes coming in, and now your job is to filter through all these below par matches of unqualified B & C player resumes (yey!!!). After some time passes, you become fed up with the process, and end up just hiring the guy who can walk and chew gum at the same time – the mis-hire.
  • You are also empowering multiple recruiters to go out and share your company’s brand and message. Are the recruiters all sharing the same value proposition, and even more importantly, are they sharing it to the right candidates? If not, they’re doing tremendous damage to your brand in the marketplace. And P.S. – more candidates knowing about your job opening isn’t a good thing – it dilutes the value of your opportunity, and if too much time passes, candidates will begin to wonder why the seat is still open in the first place.

Well here’s the black and white of it, or as Einstein states, “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” 

Why continue trying to build out your team with “A” players, under a recruiting model that is broken, and only delivers the B & C players?  Is that what your investors expected when they dumped millions of dollars into your venture? 

“Oh hey – go find me the bench warmers, they’ll help us land our competitive spot in the marketplace, and get us to an IPO.”

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If your organization doesn’t have at least 90% or more of your team exceeding your expectations, then you have a flawed hiring process!

It’s time to become aware of how you can solve your own talent search dilemma: 

#1 – GIVE YOUR CANDIDATES A KILLER EXPERIENCE

True “A” players are a cut above the rest – and a garbage interview experience will not get them to leave their current company for yours. 

Why? Because the game changers are not. actively. looking. for jobs.  And they are most certainly not applying for a job with your company.

“A” players, who are not applying for your jobs, are:

  • Happy, well-appreciated and making great money.
  • Not running from their current company – they would be running to your company, if attracted and courted to appropriately.
  • Open to having a business conversation if approached properly, but usually through a talent agent who can present your opportunity in the best light, with your vision and objective in mind.

B & C players are the ones who apply for your jobs, and are:

  • Going to tell you what you need to hear in the interview process.
  • Running from their current company (or else he/she wouldn’t be applying to work for yours).
  • Going to create a higher risk of being a mis-hire.

So you must understand that the courting process for an “A” player, and the experience that you give them during an interview process needs to be top notch.  You can’t treat them like an applicant – because that is what most certainly they are not.  They are savvy business individuals who are open to having a conversation with you – they’re not asking for a job offer during your first call, and will need to be influenced and engaged in order to make a move.

It’s the same concept as when you were in the dating world – were you really interested in the girl who was pretty much “applying” to be your next date, the one who gave you her phone number without you having to work for it?  

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Or were you more interested in the girl who had her own thing going on, who didn’t need you to ask for her number, and who made you work for her interest?  Same goes for the “A” talent pool.

SOLUTION: Give “A” players a killer interview experience.  From start to finish, they need to feel comfortable – so be d*mn sure that you’re putting your best foot forward during each step of the way.  This may require you to come off of your soapbox and realize that this candidate may help solve your problem, not the other way around.  You need to partner with your talent agent to help you court to and engage them accordingly.  Because remember, even if it’s a great opportunity, not everyone may want to come and work for you…there are millions of opportunities out there just like yours, and you shouldn’t risk missing the right candidate because you treated them like an applicant.

#2 – STOP WASTING TIME

TKAD = TIME.  KILLS.  ALL.  DEALS. 

If your recruiting process takes longer than 4 weeks, it’s broken, and the ability to capture an “A” player is lost.  Any of the following can (and usually does) happen:

  • The candidate loses interest, he/she doesn’t feel engaged anymore in the process, and why should they? They’re currently killing it at their current job anyway.
  • At any moment, he/she could close a huge deal and poof! your opportunity has now fizzzzzled…
  • Taking longer than 4 weeks gives a candidate the impression that you don’t have the ability to make a business decision, which doesn’t exactly send out warm fuzzies, and can be seen as an indicator of future problems to come under your platform. “A” players love people who can make a decision confidently and keep moving forward – this is the impression you should give them in the process.
  • Your talent partner also loses faith in your process, and begins showing the candidate opportunities with other clients. Hey – this candidate is an “A” player – he’s going to make a company a lot of money. If it’s not going to be you, it’s going to be someone else.

SOLUTION: Set a pre-structured plan with your talent partner at the beginning of the search cycle, in order to hit interviews and all required internal steps within 4 weeks.  This is sufficient enough time for you to gather all the information you need to decide if they’re a good fit.  Remember – “A” players have a ‘get it done’ mentality.  If they have to follow your process for longer than 4 weeks, the momentum is gone and doubt has slipped in.  It is critical to have all your ducks in a row when you bring a top candidate through your interview doors. 

#3 – GET THE UNNECESSARY COOKS OUT OF THE KITCHEN

Too many times I’ve seen companies involve too many employees in the interview process.  Employees who ultimately shouldn’t be tied to the business decision that needs to be made about the hire. 

Do you think your top sales performer is really going to rally behind the new guy you’re interviewing?  

He may say he is, but inside he probably wants to do this instead:

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Do you think he’s saying “Yes I love him! I can’t wait for him to pass me in line on the Leadership Board slots!”  His natural instinct may see the new hire as a threat instead. 

You, as the hiring manager, have the responsibility to deliver to your investors/owners/boards – PROFIT.  And last time I checked, profit only comes from hitting your targets.  Your primary concerns for landing the right guy for the seat are:

  • Can this person help me achieve my targets?
  • Are there any red flags that would keep this guy from hitting his targets or disturbing your mission?

SOLUTION: Involve only key decision makers in the hiring process, and make sure that all the decision makers are on the same page in delivering your company’s value proposition – the proposition as to why this candidate needs to come work for your company, as opposed to anybody else.

Which now leads to my 4th tip:

#4 – DON’T LOSE SIGHT OF YOUR HIRING OBJECTIVE

The word “scaling” is to 2014, as the word “culture” is to 2015 (and actually many years prior, come to think of it). 

I have found that hiring authorities lose sight of what’s truly important in their hiring objectives – focusing more on irrelevant points like “Will he fit into our culture?” vs. “Can this guy actually do the job?”.  Is getting a guy to hit 100% of your culture points really tied to whether he can actually perform the job for which he’s being considered?  Not really.  If the guy is a rectangle, and your culture box is a square, you’ll eliminate him – without realizing that he still has four straight lines, and four corners – oh, and that he can probably do the job.  And no – whether or not your other employees want to sing Kumbaya during your company’s group bonding event with the new hire, is not a relevant point in making your decision on hiring the individual or not. 

Here’s a recent example.  I went to check out a new gym, pretty much one of CrossFit’s main competitors.  I’ve been training myself for a while, and wanted to try something different…have someone else challenge me.  This group fitness gym was charging 3 times the market rate (of other group fitness gyms, not just regular gyms), and they kept trying to sell me on their culture, culture, culture.  What they failed to sell me on was how charging 3 times the market rate for their program was going to change my physique, challenge me, and motivate me – all the reasons as to why I was looking into their program in the first place.  Do I really care about taking river raft rides on the weekend with these guys?  Not really, because those were never my objectives in exploring the gym to begin with. 

Same applies with hiring – focus on your true hiring objective for the role.  Are your investors and shareholders asking whether the candidate loves your culture?  Do you think VC firms and investors worried whether their CEO or VP of Sales was going to fit into the company’s written culture description?  No – they looked for the best guy to do the job.  Your investors want to know if this guy can help you capture market share, drive profitability, and increase brand awareness.

So stop wasting your time focusing on whether he is a 100% culture match to your team.  “A” players challenge the status quo – they motivate others to be better than themselves, and they can improve and raise the bar of a company’s current culture.  By doing this, maybe your company’s competitive advantage becomes having a top talent roster, vs. having the best culture. 

And here’s an insider’s tip on the whole culture thing anyway – stop trying to sell an “A” player on culture.  A true “A” player isn’t going to be motivated by your company’s culture, in order to make a move.  Yes, it’s a relevant factor, nobody wants to work for jerks – but it’s not the driving or deciding factor, and it shouldn’t be yours either in your consideration process.  This guy doesn’t care so much about wearing a matching shirt, and taking a group picture at a company happy hour.  He cares about providing value, about positively impacting and improving your organization, and about growing personally and professionally, so that he can better the quality of life for his family.

Focus on showing him how to accomplish that, and you’ll increase your chances of landing him. 

SOLUTION: Keep your eye on the prize, on your hiring objectives, and focus on what the candidate needs to accomplish in the role. 

A good way to measure this is by:

  • Figuring out what you need the candidate to accomplish in the seat, along with what skills and technical aptitude are needed.
  • Look at their track record to see if they have done something similar in the past. Past performance doesn’t always = future performance; however, if a guy or gal has knocked the cover off the ball for the last 5-10 years, chances are, he/she will continue to do that with your organization.

#5 – PARTNER WITH THE RIGHT TALENT AGENT WHO CAN: (1) FIND, (2) ATTRACT, AND (3) DELIVER THE “A” PLAYERS.

Yes, maybe we all went to the same school but not everyone graduated with honors.  The same applies to your world – not all of the software vendors for a niche land on Gartner’s Magic Quadrant. 

There’s a top 1% of every craft, every niche, every industry, and then there’s everyone else.

There are a lot of recruiters out there, who have wasted your time and have not delivered great results (again, because if you’re implementing a contingency recruiting model, they are racing against time to win the placement, and deliver the low-hanging fruit first). 

Your talent partner is critical to helping you build out your team.  If you’ve had a mis-hire in the past with a bad recruiting firm, remove the fear and put some trust into a professional talent partner who will execute a different process, and yield different results.

If landing “A” players is of value to you and your organization, then partnering with the right talent professionals for the job should be a high priority.

And just to clarify, the game changers, the top producers, the “A” players of the talent pool, aren’t:

  • Applying to your company’s job postings.
  • Applying to your company’s LinkedIn job postings.
  • Reading or caring about how awesome your “culture” is.
  • Responding to calls, emails, LinkedIn Inmails, pings/winks/pokes from your internal recruiting department.

Why? Because they’re heads down focused, with their nose to the grindstone – doing what they were hired to do for their current company.  To win and succeed in their current role. 

A true talent agent has the ability to: (1) find these under-the-radar executives, (2) attractthem to come up for air and have a business conversation with your organization, and (3) deliver 3-5 of these game changers, so that you can make the best hiring decision from the best pool of talent.

More importantly, delivering the right candidate for the role yields dividends for years to come.  

SOLUTION:  Partner with talent professionals who aren’t scared to share in your mission and vision, and know how to find, attract and deliver the “A” players.  I mean heck, if it’s the recruiting fee that has you in a tizzy, take the fee off the table and offer equity – maybe then you’ll realize that the top 1% of any craft aren’t only motivated by money.  They are the top 1% because they love what they do, they have passion for their craft, and because they love serving and delivering value to both candidates and clients.  Do you think Lebron James spends his time worrying about how much his agent’s commission is, especially after his agent has landed him $75 million in yearly contracts?  Or do you think Lebron just focuses on what he does best – being one of the top in his game?  Working with the right talent partner allows you to remain focused on what you do best, and instills trust to allow them to do what they do best. 

Finding a true “A” player doesn’t have to be a mission impossible. Simply become aware of your internal recruiting process, and take the steps needed to adjust/implement a winning hiring strategy. 

Just like the movies, set yourself up with the right plan and players and every mission is possible!

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It’s Not Quantity and Speed It’s Quality and Process

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There is an ongoing debate in the realm of hiring over quantity vs quality, especially in situations where a new hire is required as soon as possible.  Many argue that it’s imperative to hire a candidate to fill the empty position as soon as possible because their company can’t properly function without someone to do that job.

Their solution?

Some may argue that you should favor the quantity-inclined hiring process, so you can interview more people in a shorter amount of time, thus increasing your chances of finding someone that will fit the job description faster.  Others may say that you should play the waiting game and hold out for that one, perfect candidate so you don’t end up with a bad fit.

We’re here to tell you that the way to find the perfect candidate isn’t about quantity and speed or about waiting for a diamond in the rough.

Effective recruiting is all about the perfect combination of quality and process.

Here are a few facts about recruiting a new hire:

  • One out of every two hires is a mis-hire.
  • Every mis-hire can cost your company up to 24 times the mis-hired candidate’s base salary per year.
  • Each vacant position in your company costs you an average of between $7,000 and $12,000 per day, depending on the position.
  • Having unfilled positions in your company also decreases team morale and productivity as your employees struggle to fill the gap.

All those facts mean that your hiring process needs to find the right person for the job the first time around.

What’s wrong with high volume recruiting?

Many hiring and recruiting companies will try to tell you that quantity is the most important aspect of the recruiting process.  They argue that more resumes = more chances of finding the right candidate fast, as they push large batches of resumes to your desk!  All these potential candidates are “qualified” for your company’s empty position (they’re always quick to say).

The main problem with this technique is the lack of quality control.  While each candidate may be qualified on paper, it’s possible that none of these candidates will be a good match for your specific needs, increasing the chance that you’ll have a mis-hire.

What about waiting?

If you’re not willing to sort through an excessive volume of resumes, then you may find yourself waiting an indeterminate time, maybe spanning months and months, for that perfect hire.  

All the while, your company loses money, opportunity, and employee morale!

What can I do?

It can often feel like you can’t win; however, don’t despair yet – there is a way to save you time, while delivering quality talent.

At Palarino Partners, we’ve created a specialized hybrid recruiting process that focuses on delivering the top candidates in a timely manner, each one hand-picked according your personalized company needs.

We do the sorting and searching on our end, to deliver to you only the potential candidates who are 90-100% technical matches to your needs.  Forget having to manage the quality control yourself and sift through hundreds of resumes. Because our search process is customized for each client, our only focus is to make sure you never incur your most costly expense, a mis-hire.

With us, you’ll find your next hire in 30 days or less, guaranteed.

Get started HERE to find your next top executive with Palarino Partners!