Taking the Stress out of the Salary Discussion

It is interesting how much stress there can be over the salary discussion in the interview process.  If you ask me, it is the one question that should be easy to answer because it is factual.  The recruiter should ask, “How much do you make?”  And the candidate can answer with a number.  Easy, right?

When we are socializing or networking we don’t talk about money.  We are very comfortable asking someone what they do for a living, but we would never say, “Wow, that sounds interesting.  What do you get paid for that?”.

But an interview is not a social situation.  It is perfectly acceptable to talk about salary history and expectations.

The recruiter should ask, in the first interview, for the candidate’s current compensation and the candidate should give a direct answer.   This first interview is typically a qualifying interview and the goal is to see if the candidate meets the baseline requirements.  Gathering salary information is just one of the data points.

It is perfectly acceptable for the candidate to qualify their response by saying that they are flexible or that they feel they are paid below market, but they do have to respond with a number.  Otherwise, the simple question becomes a prolonged conversation.   The recruiter may feel like the candidate is hiding something, which leads to more questions, which may result in the candidate feeling like they are being interrogated.

It is the recruiter’s responsibility to make the candidate comfortable and explain that the salary information is needed to be sure that both parties are in the same range.   If the candidate is hesitant, the recruiter can ask, “What would you like to make?”  Once that question is answered the recruiter should follow up with, “Is that how much you are making now?”

The recruiter should let the candidate know if he/she is within the compensation range.  If the candidate is making more than the desired range, the recruiter should ask how flexible the candidate can be and the reason for that flexibility.  Many candidates are willing to take a pay cut for a shorter commute or less travel.

The interview process can be very stressful for candidates.  Recruiters can and should help alleviate that stress.   Both parties should ask and answer questions directly and provide explanations where necessary.  Easy, right?

Avoiding the Resume Black Hole

Okay, I know I said that real recruiters don’t post jobs.  I really don’t think it is an effective recruiting strategy, but the fact is that many companies and search firms do post their jobs on their websites and other sites.   Unfortunately, a lot of people that want the job, but are not qualified, will apply and that will create a huge pile of resumes for the recruiter to screen.  This is why recruiters typically spend less than 10 seconds visually scanning your resume, if they look at it at all.  Sometimes, the resumes go into an automated system where they are scanned for keywords and routed (or NOT) to a recruiter along with hundreds of other resumes. 

So what do you do if you are a candidate and you find a job posted on line that you think is just perfect  for you?  Here are a few tips for avoiding the RESUME BLACK HOLE :

• Make sure that there are NO TYPOS in your resume or cover letter.  Recruiters faced with a huge pile of resumes are looking for a reason to reject them, and nothing gets you into the trash pile faster than a typo!
• Check to see if any of your friends or contacts works at this company and ask them to introduce you.  Most big companies have employee referral programs, so your friends or contacts might even benefit from helping you.
• Check your LinkedIn connections to see if anyone in your expanded network works at the company that you are interested in.  Ask your connections to forward your resume along to the HIRING MANAGER.  If they send it to to a recruiter, it may end up in the BLACK HOLE again. 
• Send a customized cover letter in the body of the email whether you are applying on line or through a friend.    (Click here for tips on writing great cover letters.)
• Follow up with a phone call to the hiring manager.  You probably won’t find the hiring manager’s name on the posting, but your contact may be able to provide the name.  Or, just do some simple detective work.  Call the company and ask for the person by title.  For example, if you are applying for a staff accountant job, call and ask for the name of the Chief Financial Officer or the Controller.  You will probably get their voicemail or their assistant, but just leave a brief message expressing your interest and letting them know that you have applied.  That will certainly make you stand out from the rest of the applicants!

All of these tips require a little more effort on your part – but that is the point!  Don’t waste your time sending out hundreds of resumes that land in the BLACK HOLE.  You might feel like you have accomplished something, but eventually you will be asking, “Why doesn’t anyone call me back?????”.  Then you will blame the economy and you will convince yourself that no one is hiring. 

Well, I am here to tell you that companies ARE hiring.  Somebody is going to get that job, so why shouldn’t it be you?  Focus on the opportunities that you are really interested in and GO AFTER THEM!

Real Recruiters Don’t Post Jobs!

I just picked up a new recruiting project and one of the first things the client said was, “Will you post this job?”  And I immediately said, “NO!”.   I don’t think I even let him finish the sentence.   I am a real recruiter!  I don’t post jobs, I hunt for my candidates!  Posting is for inexperienced, slacker recruiters.  Seriously, if my candidate comes from a posting, what value have I brought to the client? 

I pride myself on finding the ideal candidate whether they are looking for a new job or not.  I search my database, search LinkedIn and contact my network. I search for conferences and seminars that potential candidates would be interested in and I look for the names of speakers and for the attendee lists for these events.  I search for associations that my candidate would belong to and I scour those websites for names of potential candidates.  If I am really lucky, I will find a member list!  At the very least, I can usually find names of people that head up committees for the association, serve in leadership roles or write articles.    I look at the website for my target companies and search the “About Us” and “In the News” sections for the names of employees.   

Why am I telling you this?  Because, if you are looking for a job and your strategy depends on responding to job postings, you are missing out.  You have to be visible where the REAL RECRUITERS can find you.  Here are some tips for making youself easier to find:

• Add your email address to the “Contact Settings” section of your LinkedIn profile to make it really easy for recruiters to contact you. 
• Write recommendations on LinkedIn for friends and colleagues.  When a REAL RECRUITER comes across your friends and colleagues,  they will find you also!  AND – your email address will be right there at the bottom of the page, so it will be easier to contact you!
• Join professional associations and attend meetings, chair committees and write articles.  This will broaden your network and increase your visibility.
• Work with recruiters, even if you are not looking for a job.  Try to offer them referrals or information when they call you.  Collect and save their contact information so that you can ask them to return the favor when you need help.