Tips for working with Hiring Managers:

It is crucial recruiting and the hiring authority work as a team, I have compiled a list of a few helpful tips.


1. When working with a HM for the first time, sit down with them and dig deep into what type of employees they like working with them (personality traits, favorite colleges, technologies etc.)

2. Learn the managers schedule and peak time to communicate. Programs such as 'Xobni' can help track your outlook usage and communication with specific people

3. Train them to respond and make sure your needs are met. It is important they understand you need to be given all the resources possible to succeed to provide the quality they want

4. Be persistent and hunt them down. If your HM is non responsive be persistent when reaching them try their cell, send instant messages and text messages.

5. After a stressful hiring loop sit down and evaluate what worked and what didn’t. Clear the air regarding any tensions that could have built up and work towards correcting them going forward


These are a few quick tips that have helped me maintain a good relationship with some extremely busy hiring managers and solidify quality candidates were hired in a timely manner.

Rent not Buy

What a roller coaster its been for the economy. Americans are uneasy, scared and frustrated. Many of us who are in the tech industry had previously thought we were immune from a recession. We might be better off than most industries but that doesn't mean companies aren’t making adjustments. Yahoo and Microsoft have put into place plans to essentially freeze from hiring FTE's.

What does this mean for you as a consultant or recruiter for a consulting company? In times like this companies are more prone to "rent" consultants rather than "buy" full time employees. I had someone ask me just the other day how the crisis was affecting our business, and I said it wasn't. Consulting is a very lucky niche that is still in high demand. With Covestic's deep relationships and extremely senior offerings business is great and we are in need of more talent.

I encourage you to come stop by the site at your leisure and view our newest hot jobs.http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=15366183507Tell me about how this down economy has impacted your in our discussion board question titled "The credit crunch and consulting"

I am including an interesting article in the 'Wall Street Journal' this morning regarding the effect the crisis has had on our industry.http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122359422742921079.html

Know your competition

In the recruiting industry it is important to really know what others are up to. If you are in a small to medium sized market it is safe to say the talent pool is rather small and competition is fierce. Get to know what other firms are offering in terms of pay, benefits, culture and interview experience. Try and learn what projects they are working on and how you can sell your projects as more interesting.

Any leg up you can get counts as the search for top talent becomes more and more difficult. Follow the niche blogs and web sites where people might spill out information, casually talk to your candidate regarding what their experience was like with the other firms they spoke with. Network and get to know your recruiting competition directly.

Don't shy away from them as the enemy but embrace them as a resource that can help you put a brand stamp on what you offer. As wise teacher told me, recruiting is an educated sell. The more you know about your competition the better you can service your candidate and client.

Twitter and international recruiting

I started out my morning checking email's, following up with candidates and getting geared up for another day. Of course drinking dangerous amounts of coffee. Part of my routine is checking the pulse of the SharePoint community on Twitter. SharePoint is a rather large initiative my company is investing in, and I am always on the look out for the best and brightest Architects and Developers. I am still on the fence with Twitter. It is interesting, it helps me build long term relationships and exposes me to new people and ideas. However the quick return of potential candidates or business developments isn't there, at least not yet. What keeps me coming back is knowing this is where my talent pool is hanging out, how do I as a recruiter integrate myself into their community?

I think the answer to that question is to add as much value to Twitter as possible. I can't afford to be just another person discussing what I had for breakfast or complaining about the meeting I just got out of. I also can't be a shark of a recruiter constantly posting open positions, no one would pay attention to what I had to say. I need to engage my Twitter audience and give them a reason to want to network with me on other platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn), and consider using my services once they are on the job market again. Typically my blogs have something to do with social networking and recruiting. Today I thought why don’t I use my social networking knowhow to generate my next topic. I typed in to twitter "what topic do you want to see discussed in my next blog." Almost immediately one of the terrific people who follows me on Twitter (thank you 'Julioc') responded with "Advice for foreign people wishing to work in the US." What a terrific topic. I will preface my advice with the notion that 1. I am not an international recruiter 2. I have not been trained in international recruiting. This is simply what I would do if I were to put together a strategy to help foreign people with advice for working in the US.

First establish contacts, networking does not adhere to countries boarders. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and the rest of your favorite social networking sights are perfect for developing that initial contact in the US. Your first goal should be to establish a credible source of information who you trust. This person's role should be to answer questions and concerns you might have as well as steer you in the proper direction and offer advice. Find someone who is credible and knows their industry, and has a presences across many social networking platforms. Do you research on this person and don't solicit advice from an unworthy source.

The second piece of advice I would suggest is to identify companies that are familiar with international recruiting. As you are embarking on such a large change it is important your transition goes smoothly. When dealing with visa issues things can get tricky and you will want an expert. Ask about their relocation package, and specifically ask about their relocation department. Who will be handling the moving of your things. How long will you be in temporary housing? Will you be offered a broker to help you secure a more permanent residence? What kinds of points of contact will be provided to you to get settled and hit the ground running? Moving from house to house in the same town is hard enough, for an international move I can only imagine how difficult that must be. The more resources and expertise that is made available to you the better.

Finally, once the move is complete and you are now enjoying your new position I would be extremely interested in your company culture. This is going to be critical to your long term happiness. Are there groups or associations of people from the same country as you on campus? If not are you given the freedom to create such a group and express your cultural values. What is the local community like, will your loved one and / or children thrive there. The competition for top talent is fierce, identify the companies who understand what you are going through with an international move and can put you in touch with someone who has been there and done that.
These are a few common sense suggestions that could get overlooked when faced with the excitement of the perfect job being presented in another country. Remember to take your time and really do your homework prior to making such a huge change. This should be a celebrated decision, the more time you invest into it you can continue to be happy many years after the move.


You can follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Covestic
Joining my company site on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=15366183507
Read my personal blogs: http://seattleiitrecruiter.blogspot.com/
View my open positions: http://www.covestic.com/careers_opportunities.html