Recruitment Firms do rank their clients!

By Amit Tandon

Most companies have a preference of recruitment consultants (or as some call them Vendors) that they want to work with. But, what they don’t realize is that a similar ranking also happens at the other end. So, when your recruitment consultant is not responding to your requests for CV, it might be time for some introspection!

At our company, we have one metric that I look at to prioritize a client – Revenue per Resume. This is like any other industry where you would rank your clients in terms of their profitability. What this does not mean is that the client is signed with us at the highest of pricing or gives us only high value positions. Following are some of the things that create a high priority client and leads to consultant spending more time on it:

1. Fairness in Terms – This is where a number of large firms fail. A client will randomly decide to cut down the time of ownership of the CV from six months to three months and expect all consultants to keep the same level of delivery. Surprise – Consultants are intelligent enough to make a notice that a lot of their efforts are just going into building your database. Your platinum partner will give you a bronze ranking.

2. Exclusivity or Near Exclusivity of Mandates – A consultant knows that when there are only two consultants working on the position, they have 50% probability of closing the position. When there are twenty consultants, the probability is only 5%

3. Responsiveness – When feedback is shared timely and in detail, the quality of delivery improves dramatically and position can be closed in 5 CVs instead of the Trial and Error process of 25 CVs

4. Empathy – When the HR manager wants a consultant to be his partner and advocate in the market, the consultant also expects the same. Respecting a consultant’s effort and trusting her view will ensure that she gives her 100%. It might not always close the position for the consultant but she knows you tried your best!

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Amit Tandon

Amit Tandon is, Managing Director of Empyrean Partners, a leading recruitment firm; Partner at Mind Cafe, first Board Games cafe of India and has been in the Recruitment Business from the past 7 years. Amit has worked with Start-Ups as well as Global organizations across sectors varying from Telecom, Petrochemicals and IT Enabled Services for over 10 years in operations and business development roles. He was AVP – GSK WNS Research in India and was also the Engagement Manager for the Amit is also a well known Humorist & Professional Stand Up Comedian, with over 250 shows between India and Singapore. He is an avid blogger and his views have been quoted a number of times in ET and Singaporean HR Magazines.

 

After-effects of Appraisals

By  Amit Tandon

I was reading a book called ‘Empire of the Moghul’ and it talked about how Babur’s armies prepared in advance for Uzbek attacks after the winters. The preparation was based on historical data and not any news. Similarly today HR prepares for attrition after the appraisal season.

On the basis of their reaction to appraisals you can divide your employees in the following categories:

1.       Satisfied Employees – These employees are like tigers. I am not saying they are great performers, but they are an endangered species. Like a Tiger, they are very comfortable with their current habitat and will not leave unless there is a catastrophe. This includes top performers who are growing so fast that they don’t feel the need to change and laggards who have made peace with their incompetence.

2.       Hunters   – These employees treat appraisal time as mating season. As soon as they get their appraisal letter, they start looking out for new partners. Every job opportunity is measured not by the question ‘How can I grow here?’ but by ‘Where I can go from here?’  

3.       Girlfriends – They are sensitive employees with expectations. When you don’t meet their expectations in appraisal, then they are hurt.  They would leave you if they feel cheated or are jealous. Else, they just want you to listen to them. So, in one session they get feedback which is followed by another session where they give you feedback about the feedback.

Overall, appraisal season is the time when the most atheist of HR professionals start praying. But even gods are helpless in this area because even religions are facing attrition problems these days ;).

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Amit Tandon

Amit Tandon is, Managing Director of Empyrean Partners, a leading recruitment firm; Partner at Mind Cafe, first Board Games cafe of India and has been in the Recruitment Business from the past 7 years. Amit has worked with Start-Ups as well as Global organizations across sectors varying from Telecom, Petrochemicals and IT Enabled Services for over 10 years in operations and business development roles. He was AVP – GSK WNS Research in India and was also the Engagement Manager for the Amit is also a well known Humorist & Professional Stand Up Comedian, with over 250 shows between India and Singapore. He is an avid blogger and his views have been quoted a number of times in ET and Singaporean HR Magazines

Asking the right questions in your interview:

By Mohan Sood

Nearly every job interviewer will, at one point, ask a prospective employee if they have any questions about the job, hiring process or company. While the interview environment can be overwhelming, taking advantage of the questioning period is important to learn not only more about the position itself but help you stand out and learn more about whether you should or shouldn’t take the position.

Asking about required skills to succeed at a company is one question that will impress in an interview, especially if it’s framed against information learned from the application process. Not only will you hear an honest answer about what would be expected of you in the job itself, it can help you derive a more accurate and detailed idea of exactly what the company is looking for, helping you determine which strengths to highlight throughout the rest of the interviewing process.

Discovering which personality types work best in a given position will also help an applicant determine whether they’re truly right for the job. If it takes a certain kind of mindset you don’t have, you’ll know it’s not right for you; on the other hand, it can make a position more appealing if you believe you’d be a good match.

Show your work
Doing advance research into a company before starting an interview is vital, not only to find out exactly what kind of work a job will entail but to learn more about the firm’s products , processes and preferences. Showing that you’ve done this research by asking a question related to it will show your interviewer that you’re truly interested in the position. Whether the question is about their recent releases or their employee policies, proving you’ve done more than just fill out an application will give you an advantage over the competition.

Another question worth asking is about your potential future boss. While you’ll sometimes be able to figure out who’s in charge yourself, if it remains unclear throughout an interview, take it upon yourself to ask about the company’s structure. Not only will it show that you’re serious about the position, but in situations where you may not get a straight answer, you may be able to see that the leadership isn’t what you’re looking for, avoiding a negative work environment.

What do you expect?
Asking what you’d be expected to accomplish in the position, both in short and longer periods of time, can help you figure out exactly how to approach the job if you get it. You could also see how loose or strict the working environment would be; if there are very few or very many requirements, you can adjust your expectations accordingly.

Making the interview personal can also pay off. Not only can it improve your relationship with the interviewer, but you may discover a thing or two about the company you wouldn’t learn through traditional interviewing.

Training and growth
Finding out how the company trains its new employees can show eagerness to show your abilities and add to the working environment, according to College Recruiter, while asking about advancement and growth in their system can emphasize your interest in helping the company however you can.

Asking the interviewer about the typical day at work can help you figure out exactly what’s expected of employees, as well as whether you’re prepared for the position and whether it’s right for you. You can find out if the position has long hours or high stress, if employees love or hate what they do, or if the company is a great place to work.

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Mohan Sood

Mr.  Mohan Sood is the Managing Director and CEO of Total Talent Solutions.  He has been in the Recruitment business for 15+ years (10 years in ITES Firm & over 5 years in RPO & Recruitment business). Formerly has worked as Director – Operations / Client servicing in Napier wolf Research (RPO). He also has prior experience at Accenture and Zenta. He holds a Post Graduate Degree in Human Resources.

Checklist before Attending a Face to Face Interview

By Ms Rajul Doshi

• Confirm date, time, location, contact person, interview process and list of documents required for the interview with your recruitment consultant.
• Plan to reach the interview venue at least 30 minutes before the scheduled interview.
• Go through your resume in detail and check for any mistakes and see if it needs to be updated. You should be able to answer questions on every point in the resume.
• Wear formal attire. Ensure that your appearance is professional. If required go for a haircut / shave before the interview. Avoid smoking just before the interview.
• If you are asked to bring certificates, mark sheets etc , get them Xerox before the day of interview.
• Go through a few commonly asked interview questions (both technical and HR) and prepare for them in advance. The recruitment consultant would be a good source for common questions.
• Understand the company’s job requirements and match it to your skill set. Be prepared to answer the question “Why should we hire you?” You can ask the recruitment consultant detailed questions on the job description and the skills required.
• Go through the company’s website. If possible ask your friends working in that company about work culture and other company specific details. You may also understand the company culture in detail from the recruitment consultant.
• Make a list of questions to ask the interviewer about the company/offer.
• Carry all your documents in a file / folder instead of a plastic bag.
• Get a good night’s sleep before your interview so that you’ll be as ready for interview as possible.
• Carry multiple copies of your resume (at least 4).
• Put at least 2 references along with their contact details and designation in your resume. Get permission before using anyone as a reference. Make sure that they will give you a good reference. Use work colleagues as references as far as possible.
• Carry your Interview Call letter. Also make sure to mention the recruitment consultant as the source.
• On arrival inform the receptionist that you have been called for an interview·
• If you have to reschedule the interview inform the company contact person well in advance.

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Ms. Rajul Doshi

Ms. Rajul Doshi is Founder & Managing Director of Sampoorna Computer People and has been in the recruitment business for long period of 24+ years. She is a Law graduate and has a personal interest in Fine arts / Performing Arts