Hobson Associates

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Listen up Recruiters!

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:

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Fresh Mindset

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...

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Crashed and Burned

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.

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Looking for a Sign

It seems like wherever you go these days someone is selling those wooden signs with inspirational quotes painted on them:

  • My sister, who is obsessed with her cats, has one that says “My kids are purrfect.” 
  • She also has “This may be the wine talking, but I love wine.
  • I gave one to my mother-in-law that says “Pardon the mess – my grandchildren are making memories.”
  • My other sister has one that says “Be yourself, unless you can be a unicorn, then be a unicorn.” 

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.

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Having Trouble Hiring and Keeping Sales Engineers??

In today’s tech world, the Sales Engineer, aka Pre-Sales Engineer, Solutions Consultant, Solutions Engineer, or whatever new fancy title you want to use, has become more and more important in the sales process and success of a territory. Everyone has recognized it. I hear that in some cases, the “SE” is more of an influencer in the final decision-making than the Sales Executive!  Not surprising at all. 

It has become a bloody war when it comes to hiring SE talent, due to the increased difficulty in finding and retaining them. I’ve been placing these types of professionals for 14 years and must say-- it’s great to finally see this role get its due justice and recognition!

If you’re a technology company looking to find some good SEs, here are some steps to help you win the battle:

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Competing with the “Big Boys and Girls” for Top Life Sciences Talent

As a business leader, I’m sure you’re aware that competing with larger corporations for talent can be challenging. But, it doesn’t mean that it can’t be done — you just need to offer what the bigger boys and girls can’t.

Small(er) businesses often win clients by offering things that their large competitors don’t – such as enhanced personal care, responsiveness, tailored solutions, and in many cases a higher quality product or service at a lower price...You can win top talent by leveraging similar competitive advantages, such as:

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Want to Hire ‘A Players’? You’ve Got to Pay to Play!

 "Let me teach you a lesson...you can never overpay a good player. You can only overpay a bad one." -Art Rooney

Most of my work entails finding executives in the manufacturing sector. Any discipline, from Directors to CEOs for companies that make products, is my sweet spot. But for a good client, I am more than willing to go back to my roots and find them an engineer.

Of course, they all want A-players. When the economy is booming and unemployment is at 4.3% in the US, A- players have lots of options. B-players are in demand and companies will even reluctantly hire C- players (unemployable in a recession) to fill jobs. So, if an engineer or any other true A-player wants to move and money is part of that motivation, he/she will want a salary bump, a BIG bump.

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Solving Hiring Challenges Faced by the Health Sciences Industry

Employers in the pharma and biotechnology sectors can face many special hiring challenges in efforts to attract and retain top talent. By recognizing these challenges and the impact they can have on hiring - HR teams throughout the healthcare industry can improve their chances of success in both attracting and retaining top quality job candidates.

In the pharma space, several factors remain especially important for HR teams to understand and anticipate:

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