Confidential Search: What are the Benefits and When is It Necessary?

September 9, 2022 by Aylish DeVore

According to CNBC, 70% of jobs are never published publicly – and a large part of this number comes from jobs filled through a confidential search. When filling any position, there are many things for a hiring manager to consider. The first, and most important decision, should be whether the job needs to be posted publicly or kept confidential throughout the search process. When it comes to conducting a confidential search, there are many factors that make hiring more tedious. Because of this, most companies choose to outsource these roles to recruiting firms experienced in this type of search.

But what is a confidential search? When is it necessary? And why should you look to recruiting firms to conduct them? In this blog, we’re diving into all the instances when a confidential search is important and the benefits of partnering with a trusted recruiter for these types of roles.

What is a Confidential Search?

A confidential search is when a company is seeking to fill a position without advertising or alerting their employees, competitors, and/or clients that the job is open. When choosing between a traditional search and a confidential search, there are a few simple factors that determine which is needed. How you’ll advertise the role, how you’ll source candidates, the urgency of filling the position, and of course, the level of confidentiality desired, all should be considered.

Whether a position is vacant, newly created, or replacing a current employee – conducting a confidential search could be essential. When filling a confidential search, companies can’t carry out typical advertising and job postings online like they usually would. This results in much more time sourcing candidates in a more hands-on and direct way. Even without typical job postings live online, keeping an open position confidential can still be difficult to do for an internal talent acquisition team if not experienced.

When is a Confidential Search Necessary?

Replacing Executives or Management Positions – Avoiding Leadership Gaps

The most common reason companies choose to conduct a confidential search is when they’re replacing high-level positions in leadership. Based on a recent LinkedIn poll we did with our followers – 70% of hiring managers agreed that they conduct a confidential search when replacing an executive-level role. When planning to replace a current employee, especially one with a high level of responsibility, it’s better if they aren’t tipped off about the change before coverage has been arranged. Ideally, you’ll have a replacement lined up and ready to step in when the time comes, avoiding any gaps in leadership.

In general, the process of filling executive and senior management roles take longer than lower level roles. According to Monster, the average time it takes to fill an entry- to mid-level role is about eight weeks, while a high-level role can take anywhere from six months to a year. This makes it even more important to ensure the position isn’t left empty, when possible.

Exploring New Sectors/Products/Industries

Another common reason hiring managers choose a confidential search is when their company is rolling out a new product line, business model, secondary company, etc. In most cases, it’s important to keep industry competitors in the dark about upcoming expansion news until the public launch date. Posting detailed job openings that obviously allude to new product development, sector expansion, or a first-of-its-kind service, can lead to increased market competition. When looking to launch any type of industry disruption, being first to market is key when filling a need or service gap. No matter the industry, every company has competitors, and you never know who’s keeping a close eye on you as competition.

Experiencing Internal Changes or Reorganization

Companies going through drastic internal changes such as mergers, IPOs, or restructuring may want to keep certain open positions quiet. Often, these situations can be sensitive information when it comes to internal staff. If you have not made the big announcement yet, posting certain job titles may give it away. The last thing a company needs when going through an organizational change is panicked employees – which can often lead to early resignations. In these situations, a confidential search can also ensure you’re not deterring candidates from applying. Outsiders may see these changes as the company being unstable and would result in less of an applicant pool to choose from.

For the same reason, you also don’t want to put off your clients by the amount or type of jobs you have posted online. This can be especially true for executive level roles. Even if a current employee in leadership is retiring and aware of the hiring need, it still might be a good idea to fill their role confidentially to avoid clients questioning internal stability. Many companies also need to consider their competitors in this same situation. If competitors see a time of weakness for your business, they may begin to pose a bigger threat and possibly poach your customer base.

Reducing High Volumes of Unqualified Applicants

When it comes to a globally recognized brand name or commonly sought after company, it’s always better to hire confidentially. This helps avoid receiving an overwhelming number of unqualified applicants to sort through. If a role is going to be highly desired among a large group of candidates, (i.e., a sales executive at a Fortune 500 company) you can expect hundreds or even thousands of applicants. With such a large number of applicants, it’s likely only a small percentage will be fully qualified for the position.

Conducting a confidential search also helps to avoid candidates from adjusting and falsifying experiences and skillsets on their resume before they apply. Unfortunately, this can be a common occurrence and if you’re not familiar with the signs of a candidate exaggerating during interviews, it can lead to a bad hire – meaning the search process has to begin again. When a candidate connects with a recruiter, they are asked to present a resume before they are even sent the job description. This helps ensure you’re getting an accurate representation of the candidates’ authentic experiences.

Benefits of Outsourcing a Confidential Search

Stress-Free Process

Overall, partnering with a recruiting firm ensures a stress-free environment for you and your staff. As mentioned, one small mistake can void confidentiality all together in a job search, causing a stressful hiring process for you and your internal hiring team. When using a recruiter who is experienced in confidential search, you can be confident that the position will be filled the right way.

Not to mention, an extra layer of confidentiality can be put into play when recruiters use NDAs in their search process. This is something Blue Signal does with 100% of our candidates. Having candidates sign NDAs before moving forward in the interview process and discussing company information is a great safety net to ensure confidentiality. Signed NDAs hold candidates accountable, so they don’t communicate any details related to the job opportunity with others. Recruiters also can guarantee an exclusive list of candidate outreach, so the info doesn’t get into the wrong hands. This is done by sourcing passive candidates rather than posting detailed job descriptions on online job boards.

Larger Candidate Pool

Because confidential searches are made primarily through passive candidates you can guarantee a much larger candidate pool, but without the added time screening unqualified candidates up front. Passive candidates are people who aren’t necessarily looking for a job change. They are thriving in their current role, which means regular job posts don’t typically reach these top performers. Recruiters can reach out to passive candidates directly and communicate the opportunity on a personal level. Through these one-on-one conversations, they’re able to relay certain aspects and details about the role that may pique their interest in making a move.

Save Time

Overall, facilitating a confidential search requires much more time to source and review talent. Studies have shown that 44% of candidates don’t receive feedback from a potential employer for weeks after applying. Not to mention, tests have found that the average hiring manager looks over a resume for only six to seven seconds. When working with a recruiting firm, especially on a confidential search, they are able to get back to candidates FAST and take the time to review each resume in full detail.

Recruiters also take on the added inconvenience of conducting initial candidate screenings and phone interviews. This allows them to fully vet candidates for your role before their resume even comes across your desk. Not to mention, the candidate will be fully briefed on the confidential aspects of the role and meet with you only after signing an NDA. This then allows you to interview candidates in detail without the stress of exposing sensitive company information.

Continued Recruiter Support

One of the most beneficial reasons to work with a recruiting firm during a confidential search is the overall partnership you receive along the way. Throughout the process, you’ll have the opportunity to gain expert-level advice, learn about best practices, and get questions answered by your recruiter. Once your recruiter identifies a great candidate, your partnership doesn’t end after the candidate’s first day. Recruiters are industry experts, and they are there to act as a partner for you and your company’s goals long-term. A great recruiter will offer support throughout new hire onboarding processes and candidate retention. Furthermore, once your recruiter understands your company’s goals, they can keep you in mind when another ideal candidate comes along in the future.

Conclusion

In the end, a confidential search done in partnership with a best-in-class recruiting firm will protect your team, brand, and drive authentic alignment with your hires. Blue Signal keeps 100% of our searches confidential, regardless of the type of search our clients choose. This helps us better protect the hiring manager’s time, gives us an exclusive candidate pool, and allows access to our own audience – which is wider than theirs on their own.

It’s important to remember, confidential searches can be much more difficult for non-experienced hiring managers. Don’t risk it – a minor slip up can cause a snowball effect and blow confidentiality fast. This is why we always recommend getting help from an experienced recruiting firm for all confidential searches. If you’re ready to partner with an expert or want to learn more about our search processes, reach out to us and we’ll connect you with a recruiter who is specialized in your industry.

Why You Should Hire a Veteran in Your Next Open Role

January 12, 2022 by Aylish DeVore

With the effects of the Great Resignation still ravaging many companies, this job market is unlike any we’ve ever seen. Millions have left their jobs in pursuit of new opportunities, which has left a lot of hiring managers with the arduous task of filling those vacant roles. Finding top-quality talent is always a struggle, but today, it’s even more so. Getting an edge over the competition is simple — consider a veteran hire in your search.

The Benefits of a Veteran Hire

It’s tough for some veterans to find sufficient full-time work after service. According to the white paper “Challenges on the Home Front: Underemployment Hits Veterans Hard,” almost 16% of veterans are underemployed. So why should you consider hiring a veteran? Not only does this help to give back to those who have served, but in a recent study, around a fifth of employers said a veteran’s experience was indispensable to the betterment of their organization. Veterans gained a unique set of skills, abilities, and even education during their time serving. Depending on the role they held in the military, they could have a one-of-a-kind perspective to bring to your company.

For instance, imagine you’re looking for someone in a management or C-level position. Hiring a veteran is a no-brainer! “They [veterans] perform better under pressure... Service in the military may prepare one to make tough decisions and show leadership in tough times,” says Efraim Benmelech from Kellogg Insight. Many veterans have hands-on leadership experience in the military that can easily translate to the civilian world and ultimately better your organization. For example, an active security clearance lets employers know that they already had to pass a hefty background check. In the telecom industry, as well as others, this helps open doors for companies working on government contracts. Whatever the case, we’re here to help our nation’s veterans highlight their military service skillsets in the best way possible!

Another great benefit for companies hiring veterans is the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, an initiative by the federal government to help certain groups of people that may get overlooked, get hired - including veterans. By hiring a veteran in your next job search, you could potentially save on your company’s taxes, making hiring veterans a win-win situation for everyone.

Blue Signal Search Veteran Recruiting

Here at Blue Signal, we’re committed to connecting veterans with the companies and jobs that are a great match for both parties. Veterans have a lot to offer in the job market, including leadership experience, education, technical skills, a great work ethic, and more. To achieve our goal of getting more veterans hired in the coming years and beyond, we’re going to be targeting more veterans in our searches and seeking them out amongst other qualified candidates. If you’re a veteran looking for a job, we want to hear from you!

Why Our Team is Different

So why should you, as a candidate or potential client, work with us versus one of the other recruiting firms out there? To us, you’re not just a number — our primary goal is to maintain great relationships and help everyone achieve their goals, whatever those might be. Besides our commitment to you, we offer veteran recruiting as a specialty, which includes access to members of our team who have served or are currently serving in the military.

In addition to the dedication and experience of our team, veterans we work with have access to many jobs that aren’t posted anywhere else. Partnering with us has its perks beyond just scouring various job boards. Our team helps connect veterans to those jobs that they might not be able to find (or apply for) otherwise. We are there to help through the application and interview process by providing helpful tips along the way.

The bottom line is: we’re willing to go above and beyond to help veterans. Part of that is helping them to translate their military service into beneficial skills in the civilian job market.

Training and Resources

For our veteran candidates, we’re proud to offer many resources, including our newest service you can take advantage of: Resume and Career Services, powered by Blue Signal. If you're looking to get even more out of your job search, sign up now to get a head start on your next career move.

We look forward to serving those who have already given us so much. Contact us today to get started.

2021 Jobs on the Rise: How 2020 Shaped New Trends and Created a Surge In Demand

April 8, 2021 by Aylish DeVore

As we settle into 2021, it has become evident how much has shifted in the workforce - especially considering what jobs are in demand. 2020, the year of unprecedented times, has brought us a completely new list of roles and industries that are rapidly hiring and ready to be capitalized on. Diversity and inclusion consulting roles, for example, have drastically increased as businesses seek dedicated staff behind these crucial initiatives. Flexible schedules and more positions offering work from home options have also played a big part in the job market further opening up. Big cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C. still lead with the majority of open jobs, but there is much more freedom when it comes to job hunting compared to a year ago. The spike in the number of open roles and those looking for work also directly relates to the high amount of layoffs that took place in early 2020. Those who were laid off or took time to be at home with family due to the pandemic are now looking to enter back into the workforce as the vaccine is being adopted and those roles are reopening. In this blog, Blue Signal breaks down specific industry trends to look at what caused such an increased demand in jobs, specifically within D&I, healthcare, E-commerce and marketing, tax roles, and education.

Industry Trends:

Navigating 2020 was new territory for everyone - while some industries and businesses were hit harder than others, everyone was forced to pivot and adjust as best they could. The hospitality industry for example, faced one of the biggest hits across all industries, but it was incredible to see how these entertainment businesses were able to reimagine their brand and service offerings to match the needs of consumers. In a previous blog, we shared how food and beverage companies rose to the challenge, with some global distilleries shifting production from vodka and gin to hand sanitizer. LinkedIn recently created a list of the most in-demand jobs for 2021 and they found that while fields such as aviation and hospitality were affected the most, other areas like healthcare, education, and finance had to drastically ramp up hiring to meet increased demand.

Diversity and Inclusion Jobs

Across all industries, large or small, businesses are recognizing the necessary action they must take when it comes to being vocal and thoughtful about D&I within their own organizations. For a lot of businesses, this is something they are dealing with publically for the first time. After the Black Lives Matter movement and many other global civil rights campaigns that took place last year, companies are speaking to their customers’ and audiences’ interests, and making plans to support these causes internally. To carry out these mission statements, many companies are seeking to hire professionals in new roles and even full departments, to develop and manage these policies and actions surrounding diversity and inclusion. Indeed reported that “Between September 2019 and September 2020, Indeed job postings in diversity, inclusion and belonging have risen 56.3%—from 140 jobs per million to 219. More significantly, after the U.S. economy declined in Spring 2020, the DI&B industry recovered quickly, with job postings rising by an astonishing 123% between May and September.” For examples and actionable advice on how your company can go about D&I initiatives head-on, check out our recent blogs on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Blue Signal and The Importance of Diversity & Inclusion in Recruiting, where we mention what we’re doing to enforce this change both internally and within the recruitment industry as a whole.

Workplace Diversity Experts

- Increased Demand: Last year, companies large and small turned to diversity experts to help bring new voices into their organizations. Hiring for these roles increased more than 90% since 2019.
- Top Job Titles: Common job titles include Diversity Manager, Diversity Officer, Head of Diversity, and Diversity Coordinator.
- Top Locations Hiring: Popular hiring locations include New York City, San Francisco, and Chicago.
- Salary Range: The average salary ranges from $72,900 to about $97,000.

Healthcare Jobs

Not surprisingly, the healthcare industry has completely opened up and still seems to have a never-ending demand for staff, specialists, researchers, and volunteers due to the global health crisis. This has created a huge increase in opportunity and, for those who were contemplating making a career change into the medical field, it could not have come at a better time. Due to such an uptick in urgency for professionals like these, it is the easiest it’s ever been to make this transition, with quicker onboarding processes and more options for accelerated certifications and education programs available. Seaman says, “Many of these roles can be trained for remotely and don’t require a four-year degree.” Though front-line workers such as medical assistants and physicians are always in demand, another newcomer to these highly sought-after positions is in home health. When friends and family members weren’t able to visit their loved ones in nursing homes and assisted living facilities for months at a time, many families sought new plans for their elders’ care. Even though assisted living staff is still in high demand, at-home care workers have quickly grown in need as people would prefer their loved ones to be recovering at a private home rather than in a shared living space in close quarters with others.

Healthcare Supporting Staff

- Increased Demand: Hiring for these positions has increased more than 34% within 25 titles since 2019.
- Top Job Titles: Health Care Assistant, Pharmacy Technician, Dental Assistant, and Home Health Aide are among the most common professional titles.
- Top Skills: On average, skills such as Patient Education, Data Entry, and Physician Relations tend to be of the most in-demand within the space.
- Salary Range: The average salary within this field falls between $65,300 and $106,000.

Nurses

- Increased Demand: Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare system and through the pandemic have been in demand more than ever, growing nearly 30% since 2019.
- Top Job Titles: Roles such as Registered Nurse, Certified Nursing Assistant, Nurse Practitioner, and Intensive Care Nurse are some of the top positions hiring.
- Top Locations Hiring: New York City, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia have proven to be the most in-demand due to their larger population density.
- Salary Range: The average salary for these roles ranges from $73,000 to $111,000.

Mental Health Specialists

- Increased Demand: With last year’s mental health crisis caused by the pandemic, hiring for these roles grew nearly 24% in 2020.
- Top Job Titles: Roles such as Behavior Therapists, Mental Health Specialists, Psychotherapists, and Mental Health Technicians have all increased in demand.
- Top Locations Hiring: Boston, San Francisco, and New York City have seen the largest surge.
- Salary Range: The average salary for these roles ranges from $41,600 to $65,000.

E-commerce and Digital Opportunities

As we’ve predicted since the beginning of the internet, the ability to generate online business and establish a digital brand presence proved itself to be not only beneficial, but a necessity, throughout the pandemic. The results were clear, businesses that had already established their E-comm brand online and invested in digital marketing and brand awareness prior to the global shutdown, skyrocketed. Those who were unable to pivot and redirect their business online found it difficult to stay afloat. The new wave of online and virtual communities has also brought in many ideas that led to new entrants to the space. Social media and digital marketing professionals, as well as graphic designers, web developers, and AI engineers are in high demand now more than ever as businesses pivot their focus toward updated and user-friendly websites. With the E-commerce world hitting record numbers - shipping and fulfillment jobs reactively increased in demand, too. Products are being consumed online in never before seen volumes, and as a result businesses are essentially required to order more inventory, invest in larger warehouse space, and hire more staff to support these larger volumes of picking, packing, shipping, returns, and customer service jobs.

Frontline E-commerce Workers
- Increased Demand: Hiring grew 73% YOY — and that demand continues with over 400,000 open jobs today!
- Top Job Titles: Most openings within e-commerce are for professional titles like Driver, Supply Chain Associate, Package Handler, and Personal Shopper.
- Top Locations Hiring: In the bigger cities, the demand seems to be highest with Chicago, New York City, and Washington, D.C. topping the list.
- Salary Range: The average salary for these positions falls between $42,000 and $56,000.

Business Development and Sales Professionals
- Increased Demand: Tasked with quickly adapting to an uncertain world and economy, hiring grew more than 45% between 2020 and 2019.
- Top Job Titles: In-demand professional titles include Sales Consultant, Sales Operations Assistant, Inbound Sales Specialist, and Strategic Advisor.
- Top Locations Hiring: The top locations hiring remain in larger cities such as New York City, Denver, and Atlanta.
- Salary Range: The average salary ranges from $43,300 to $105,000.

Digital Marketing Professionals

- Increased Demand: Hiring for digital marketing roles grew nearly 33% YOY vastly due to the pandemic and increase of people remaining inside and at home.
- Top Job Titles: Digital Marketing Specialist, Social Media Manager, and Search Engine Optimization Specialist are titles commonly looking to hire.
- Top Locations Hiring: Cities such as New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angeles tend to be hiring hot spots.
- Salary Range: The average salary for these roles ranges from $48,000 to $96,0000.

Digital Content Creators

- Increased Demand: From TikTok to YouTube, and blogs to podcasts, the demand for digital content creators grew 49% year-over-year.
- Top Job Titles: Roles such as Content Coordinators, Writing Consultants, Podcasters, and Bloggers have been the most in-demand.
- Top Locations Hiring: New York City, Chicago, and Atlanta have seen the biggest surge.
- Salary Range: The average salary for these roles ranges from $46,000 to $62,400.

Specialized Engineers

- Increased Demand: Most business and casual interactions moved online during the height of the pandemic, causing engineering roles to grow by nearly 25%.
- Top Job Titles: Common titles to look for include Web Developer, Full Stack Engineer, Frontend Developer, and Game Developer.
- Top Locations Hiring: San Francisco, New York City, and Washington, D.C. tend to be hiring hot spots though the field has a high remote work availability.
- Salary Range: The average salary for these roles ranges from $77,500 to $104,000.

User Experience Professionals

- Increased Demand: Demand for people who specialize in how people interact with these technologies grew 20% between 2019 and 2020.
- Top Job Titles: User Experience Designer, Product Design Consultant, and User Interface Designer roles have seen the biggest spike.
- Top Locations Hiring: Cities such as San Francisco, New York City, and Seattle have been the most in-demand.
- Salary Range: The average salary for these roles ranges from $80,000 to $103,000.

Data Scientists

- Increased Demand: Brought on by the pandemic, some businesses leaned more heavily on data scientists with hiring growing nearly 46% since 2019.
- Top Job Titles: Common titles include Data Scientist, Data Science Specialist, and Data Management Analyst.
- Top Locations Hiring: Specific hiring hotspots include Washington, D.C., San Francisco, and New York City.
- Salary Range: The average salary for these roles ranges from $100,000 to $130,000.

Artificial Intelligence Engineers

- Increased Demand: The profession of artificial intelligence (AI) was booming well before the pandemic hit but the industry did not slow down last year. Hiring in this area grew 32% between 2019 and 2020.
- Top Job Titles: Titles such as Machine Learning Engineer, Artificial Intelligence Specialist, and Machine Learning Researcher have all seen increased demand.
- Top Locations Hiring: San Francisco, New York City, and Seattle tend to be common hiring locations for this field.
- Salary Range: The average salary for these roles ranges from $124,000 to $150,000.

Roles for Tax Professionals

Tax season seems to be a hectic time of year no matter the case, but this year is drastically unique. 2021 has seen a significant increase in people seeking professional help with filing taxes due to all the new and additional steps that have arisen from the pandemic and subsequent housing market. While the year began with a low unemployment rate of 3.5%, by April that figure had soared to 14.7% amid business shutdowns. A staggering number of 70 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits since the beginning of the pandemic last year, which creates a whole new tax situation many are unfamiliar with. Small businesses are also finding themselves in new territory after applying for and leveraging SBA loans. Even smaller claims from those who received stimulus checks has caused people who may not usually seek out tax help to reconsider this year. Another big factor playing into the overwhelming need for tax advice and services was the drastic change in the housing market. With interest rates at a record low, people were buying homes like crazy and homeowners were refinancing their properties to get better rates. Both instances caused homeowners, new and old, to search for professional assistance.

Loan and Mortgage Experts

- Increased Demand: From 2019, hiring within this industry increased nearly 59%.
- Top Job Titles: The majority of openings within the Loan and Mortgage space include Underwriter, Mortgage Loan Officer, Escrow Officer, Loan Closer.
- Top Locations Hiring: Cities such as New York City, Dallas, and Chicago tend to be the hiring hot spots.
- Salary Range: The average salary within this field falls between $43,700 and $60,000.

Education & Career Coaching Jobs

In the midst of the pandemic, schools and universities and even coaching professionals were tasked with a major overhaul to quickly rethink their systems and completely reshape the way they operate and educate. This resulted in an increase in demand for the industry as a whole as virtual education and coaching became much more accessible. Many individuals found the time to go back to school during quarantine and those who were laid off realized the benefits of having an advanced degree in their field. Personal and career coaches also saw a major increase in demand when the state of the pandemic caused many people to reevaluate the direction of their careers, lives, and beyond. Professionals who specialize in life coaching and career planning became hot commodities, surging the industry and becoming extremely in demand today. Virtual learning has proved to be increasingly successful and incredibly advanced as those in the space continue to streamline their processes. This new age of coaching and educating will most likely change the way we learn, not just temporarily, but for the future to come.

Education Professionals

- Increased Demand: Within the education industry, overall hiring grew more than 20% between 2019 and 2020.
- Top Job Titles: Common positions include Teaching Assistant, Elementary School Teacher, Mathematics Tutor, and Curriculum Developer.
- Top Locations Hiring: Even with remote options available, top hiring locations remain New York City, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.
- Salary Range: The average salary for these roles ranges from $46,500 to $63,200.

Personal and Career Coaches

- Increased Demand: Due to the seismic events of 2020, hiring for coaching roles increased more than 51% since 2019.
- Top Job Titles: Titles such as Career Coordinator, Life Coach, Fitness Coach, and Business Coach are all commonly sought after.
- Top Locations Hiring: Cities with an increase in demand include New York City, Houston, and Boston.
- Salary Range: The average salary for these roles ranges from $44,300 to $50,000.

With the novel and constantly changing climate of the workforce today, it’s important to adjust and pivot accordingly when it comes to the next steps in your career. Whether you are someone who is looking to make an industry move, or calculate a secure pivot within your existing field, referencing this list can help you dial into a more targeted role and show which skills to highlight. For example, those who have worked in retail will want to hone skills in E-commerce, customer service, and brand marketing to stay competitive in their field. If you have a background in Human Resources, focusing on your skills and experience facilitating D&I initiatives and overcoming challenges in this area could be a smart move. No matter the industry or career path you are on, our recruiters at Blue Signal can help you capitalize on the demand facing your industry. Reach out to us for guidance, or check out our website for tons of helpful resources such as open job boards, industry-specific trends, and blog posts on how to enhance your resume, brand yourself online, or nail an upcoming interview.

When Job Searching, Less is More

February 27, 2019 by Lacey Walters

By Trevor Gamble

There’s something fundamentally backward about the mindset most people have when searching for a job. The thought process goes something like this: “To earn a role, I need to submit as many applications and resumes as possible, cover all my bases for every company that relates to my experience, and gather as many interviews as I can. Only then will I have enough opportunities and an option or two to choose from.”

The Problem

Working a search like that will quickly lead to burnout and unravel even the most experienced job hunters. We’ve all heard the phrase “less is more.” This is so true, and particularly applicable to a job search. I talk with seekers who are employed and those who are unemployed. The advice I give both types of people is the same: be intentional in your search, and you will not only feel better, you’ll perform better.

I’ll be the first to raise my hand and admit that I’ve been guilty of that strategy! I’ve applied everywhere, sent countless resumes, tried to become like a magnet for interviews, and hoped for responses, most of which never came.

By working that way, I created a ton of work for myself, applying to roles, updating my resume for each, tracking email sends, coordinating phone screens and an occasional in-person interview. On and on I went, and I found myself stretching my resume to the limits of my actual skill set, in hopes that I would possibly fit the required skillset of roles I was applying to. I was over-distributed and under-performing.

The Hub and Spoke Model

So, how can a job searcher perform better? Start by narrowing the focus as much as possible. There multiple methods for this, but one great exercise is called the “hub and spoke” model.

Start by sitting down with a clear mind and a clean sheet of paper. In the middle, write down a single broad industry you have experience in, and circle it. Then, draw lines or “spokes” off the “hub” word in the middle. At the end of each line, write a related industry or a company name that connects to the previous word. This can be a vendor, a skill, a service provider, or a customer. Continue fleshing out the model with more details. Add people in your network, technologies, even geographic locations. By the end, you should have several starting points of information, including company names and specific niche areas of the “hub” industry. See an example below.

Moving Forward

Equipped with a focused list of companies and niche targets, you’ll find it much more effective to begin a search for opportunities. Start with the most detailed information (network contacts, specific technologies, and core skills), and work with those before launching a broad industry-wide job search.

Doing this type of exercise also makes it more likely a professional recruiter can align with you and help you. We do our best work when there’s less ambiguity about what a candidate wants. More is not always better!

Stay focused, stay committed, and stay positive. Job searching and career development is always a journey, never a destination!

Need help with your job search? Drop us a line at info@bluesignal.com.

10 Tips to Attract Top Talent with a Good Hiring Process

July 20, 2016 by Lacey Walters Leave a Comment

Many companies lose top talent due to a poor interview process.

Companies conduct interviews in the same way that they conduct business. Top talent knows what to look for in the interview process, so hiring managers should do the same. Below are 10 key tips to optimize the hiring process to attract top talent with a good interviewing process.

1. Do not treat candidates as mere applicants.

Top candidates know they are highly sought-after. They are regularly approached by recruiters or head-hunters and rarely apply to open jobs. Do not treat them as any other applicant; roll out the red carpet.

Respond to their inquiries and questions promptly. Be open and honest with them. If they are not a fit, or if hiring priorities change, let them know the real reasons why. In today’s fast-paced electronic world, news travels fast; if they are a highly respected professional in the industry, they will talk, and others will listen.

2. Respect their time.

Desired candidates are busy at their current company and do not have large windows of free time. Lengthy meetings during business hours are often convenient only for the hiring manager. Make the most out of their time. If they take time off to visit, be sure to make the most efficient use of their PTO with the line-up and meetings. Try to avoid multiple visits if possible. Use a virtual interview platform, if applicable. Virtual interviews save time, minimize scheduling hassles, and free up budget.

3. Train interviewers.

To land top talent, send the best. HR professionals with training in conducting interviews tend to ask robust questions to bolster excitement and engage the candidate’s interest. However, hiring managers and other interviewers may lack formal training in conducting an interview. Make training and resources available to interviewers well in advance, and present it as an employee development opportunity.

4. Make the most of each interview.

When possible, strive for a balance of interviewing styles, with a variety of personality types, interviewing experience, technical expertise, and tenure. A good strategy is to pair the candidate with a current employee who is succeeding in the role. An individual with energy, experience, and excitement around the opportunity promotes enthusiasm in the candidate, as well as giving legitimacy to the role.

A round-table discussion achieves many goals at once: it gets multiple interviewers on the same page and is an avenue for reviewing prepared questions, discussing interview strategy, and reducing haphazard preparation in busy departments where hiring managers are juggling multiple deadlines.

5. Prepare the interview environment.

The interview area will give the candidate a reasonable expectation of the company’s work environment. Candidates intentionally put themselves in hyper-observant mode and notice everything. Take a walk along the route an interviewee would take through the building, and observe the surroundings through their eyes.

Company perks—like a high-tech conference room, stunning office views, or trendy common area—should be on full display. Show off what makes the office unique and attractive.

6. Tailor the pitch.

Give each interviewee the courtesy of a personal approach. A list of 30 unoriginal interview questions grabbed hastily from a Google search will not only fail to impress, it will also waste the interviewer’s opportunity to build meaningful rapport. A good interviewer conveys that their hiring process involves thorough preparation.
Demonstrate that each candidate’s individual goals and interests are important to the company. How? Find out what is important to them, and then emphasize how the job will match those desires.

7. Tie everything back to career growth.

Top candidates do not change jobs, they make career moves. Most begin exploring new options in the pursuit of growth opportunities, often due to stagnant growth opportunities at their current employer. Explain in quantifiable terms how the position will benefit them beyond a mere paycheck. Hiring managers should have a detailed and compelling answer to the question, “Why would someone want this job?”

8. Listen more effectively.

Find out what this candidate cannot get from their current job, and then seek to highlight how this new role will meet those needs. Working with a recruiter is highly beneficial for this purpose. Candidates are generally more open to discussing career thorny points with a third party than during a formal interview. Professional candidates know better than to disclose the gory details about their current job in an interview, so avoid wasting time with transparent questions such as, “What do you dislike about your current manager?” Interviewees will easily sidestep with canned answers.

Ask inquisitive, open-ended questions to uncover a candidate’s motivators and goals. The goal is not to catch them off guard, rather to encourage the candidate to discuss their ideal work environment in frank terms. The details they omit are often useful clues to areas of dissatisfaction in their current jobs.

9. Time kills deals. Move quickly.

Candidates hear actions, not words. A prompt, efficient hiring process is evidence of the speed of daily business within the team. The most sought-after candidates stay busy. Time is money for candidates as well as for companies, and the time investment for a full interview cycle represents a substantial opportunity cost for them.

The length of the average hiring process nearly doubled from 12.6 days in 2010 to 22.9 days in 2014 (source: Forbes). Each of those extra 10 days is an opportunity for candidates to respond to interest from competitors, continue conversations with other recruiters, and discuss their interviews with family and mentors. All of this translates to dwindling interest in the role. In addition, most candidates are frustrated with the bureaucracy and red tape that slows them down today. Demonstrate your company moves fast and makes decisions quickly.

10. Keep momentum high in the final stretch.

After making a selection, close the deal on the new hire. Make them an attractive offer promptly. The sooner a company is able to commit, the more likely the candidate will sign on. Delays show doubt, especially near the end of the interview.

Do not allow the interview process to hinder obtaining top talent. Keep it short. Pay attention to details. Focus on meaningful ways that the company can meet the needs of top candidates. Many organizations are only interested in what a candidate can do for them. Companies who focus instead on how they can attract the best employees with a strong hiring process will naturally rise above their competition.

For personalized advice on improving a hiring process, contact info@bluesignal.com.