Chances are that you’ve seen the Hobson logo on our website, social channels, or the email signatures of our recruiters and researchers. If you work in our fields of practice, chances are also high that you’ve received voicemails from someone at our firm, or are one of the thousands of people we’ve placed.
So how did our company get its name? WHO IS ‘Hobson’, exactly!? It’s actually a really great American Business story ...
This morning at 2:14 a.m. our house alarm started going off, and wouldn’t stop. First problem: we DON’T HAVE an operating house alarm! (yet)… After 5 minutes of carelessly pounding any button I could see, I sought backup from our local PD. Within 15 minutes of the officer's arrival, we were dumbfounded--and he suggested we call the alarm company’s customer care line. The first rep was of little assistance, but could a) hear the alarm, and b) verify we didn’t have an account, but offered NO solutions on how to make the now continuous 45 minute alarm to stop. She proceeded to get her supervisor on the phone, and that person, after another 10 minutes of troubleshooting, suggested we disconnect the power. The officer and I went downstairs to the breakers, found the power source and voilà, alarm off!
Three people couldn’t figure out the simple solution of disconnecting the power, but the supervisor, who handled these kinds of escalations, was able to provide a temporary solution that allowed us to retreat back to bed for a couple more hours of shut eye...Today’s lesson, taught to me by my close friends “Bags-Under-the-Eyes” and “Sleep-Number-Decrease”, is that it’s OK to ask for help.
And, oh my gosh, yes, this applies to my professional life and career as well!
What makes a really bad impression at a job interview? Our friends at The Balance have a list of things you should NOT do if you want to move forward in the hiring process. All of these blunders are easy to avoid- check it out for yourself and make sure none happen to you at your next job interview!
With the holidays fast approaching and year-end around the corner for many of our clients, our office is abuzz with recruiters making calls, sending email blasts-trying to fill as many open roles as possible before the end of the calendar year. Our company spends time, money and resources to give our recruiters the best tools and analytics needed to determine whether a job we’re recruiting on will be filled. When a particular role is starting to get stale- even after countless recruiting calls, job ad / script tweaks, and candidate presentations to our clients -- we have to ask ourselves if a particular role is turning into an “impossible-to-fill” job. Sometimes the issue has NOTHING to do with our recruiting efforts or lack of good talent... it's the role.
Hiring managers, before you start to blame your internal team or your agency recruiters, take a look at some things you can improve:
In today’s job market there are more available positions than there are qualified candidates, and this pretty much applies across all industries. In the recruiting world, this means that we're in what we call a “candidate crazy market”. It pretty much means that top performers are being inundated with recruiting calls, LinkedIn messages and emails about new jobs. Some of these jobs are stellar and can be awesome opportunities to move forward in your career, while others plainly suck. Not knowing which is which, and constantly taking or dodging these calls can be pretty annoying for a candidate!
Because of this, recruiters like myself, have to take on a whole new approach to recruiting top talent:
As my firm takes on a new fiscal year, I can’t help thinking of this time as being reminiscent of the start of a new calendar year. You know the feeling… That first-week-of-January-feel, when you have it all figured out how you’re going to improve as a person…You talk about getting in better shape by actually using your gym membership and eating real food that doesn’t come in a cardboard box… You’re going to make a better effort at keeping in touch with friends and family you’ve become distant with, or just flat out earn more money…. All those things are great, and achievable – but what gets you there before all that? A new mindset.
I’m not implying you should become a totally new person, but making minor tweaks to the way you approach your day-to-day life, and sticking with them, can change your personal and professional life. I write this from the point of view of a headhunter, but the following can apply to EVERYONE – including my clients and candidates...
Have you ever been burned by someone? Really burned? The kind of burn that leaves a mark? Have you envied a coworker who continually lands the big deals and sets sales records? Have you ever wished you were #1 in the office?
What do being burned and being #1 have in common? They usually go hand in hand. In fact, being burned and being in sales are usually mutually co-existing concepts. Most everyone who has been in sales for any period of time has been affected by either a dishonest candidate or client. In my opinion, the hardest one to take is being burned by a client.
What elements should be in the ideal resume that will wow recruiters and potential employers? There is conflicting information and advice everywhere you turn... Well, not anymore: Check out the following infographic by glassdoor.com that shows job seekers the type of resume that will wow recruiters and hopefully, land you your dream job!
It seems like wherever you go these days someone is selling those wooden signs with inspirational quotes painted on them:
What do all these signs have in common? They make us smile. Or at least feel like we’re smiling even if it’s not showing.
I decided I needed one for my desk at the office. I happened to come across one while out buying lunch at a café that said “I drink coffee for your protection.” Perfect! (Or, should I say, Purrfect!). I would have preferred “Stay the F*&% away from me until I’ve had my coffee”, but the message is the same.
I still felt like I was missing that one sign that REALLY made me smile... And I’ve needed one more than ever since I’ve been in a bit of a slump this quarter.
Being the “new guy” is never fun, but this initial stage of anything in life-whether it is a career, school, or even joining a new gym, will set the tone for how the rest of your time there will go. Humans are creatures of habit and change can be tough, even intimidating. Here are five pieces of advice from a rookie herself that will hopefully make the new journey at your new job even more exciting: