Your Next Job: How Progressive Is A "Progressive Company"? (Part 4 Of A 5Part Series)
Posted on November 27th, 2008
Have you said this one? I’m looking for a progressive company.
Progressive is a real buzzword. It conjures up delightful feelings of working for a company current with the latest trends, using cutting-edge techniques and thinking, employing the latest technology, providing means of convenience for its employees, demonstrating an understanding of the employees personal needsin short, a company where everyone is happy to be there because this company is doing things that other (thus unprogressive) companies are not.
Web sites, want ads, brochures and other marketing pieces are designed to perpetuate this feeling. Even when the word progressive isnt stated, its implied. Companies dont usually specify what part of the company is progressive, and few job seekers notice or know what part of their next job they want progressive.
No company is universally progressive, and one or two progressive aspects dont guarantee a progressive company. But almost every company considers itself universally progressive!
Here are some examples from Google:
Then there are companies that take the concept a step further and use the word in their name: Progressive Insurance, Progressive Moving Company, Progressive Tool Company, Progressive Windows, and thousands more.
The understood definition of progressive is forward moving, making progress; promoting or favoring progress toward better conditions or new policies, ideas, or methods. Well, of course!
If you dont want a progressive company, does that mean you want a backward or stagnant one? Perhaps you would if you like troubleshooting. But even then, if the company is looking to move forward and change its reputation that, too, could be progressive. It’s a word applicable in either reality or goals to almost every company, whether theyre achieving it or not.
So the real question is in what way do you want a progressive company?
- How it thinks?
- What it does?
- How it does it?
- Progressive externally or internally?
- New products?
- New marketing strategies?
- Unconventional employee configurations, policies and procedures?
- The way in which the management approaches problems?
- The way in which you are allowed to do your job?
- Flexibility in working hours or location?
Be clear with yourself on exactly what progressive means to you, so that, not only can you convey it to your interviewer if need be, but also so that you know if the company with whom you are interviewing is progressive in the manner that you want.
Progressiveness in providing facilities such as a gym and cafeteria for employees is not the same as providing progressive services to clients. Progressiveness in the latest equipment and technology doesnt guarantee you a progressive-thinking boss or the flexibility some companies offer to single parents.
Most companies think of themselves as progressive, but its a broad term. Make sure you define it before you become seduced by the spin of the stereotype.
Copyright: Judi Perkins 2006
Judi Perkins has been a search consultant for 25 years in both the contingency and retained market, with a short stint in the temporary and local permanent placement markets. She has owned her own firm and successfully assisted numerous repeat clients in hiring all levels of management. She is a Career Expert and Forum Moderator with http://www.CareerCube.net To sign up for her newsletter and learn thousands of powerful concepts to find your perfect job go to http://www.findtheperfectjob.com
Tags: candidate, career, interview, interview questions, job, job seeker, next job, resume
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Your Next Job: I Want To Work For A "People Oriented" Firm! (Part 3 Of A 5Part Series)
Posted on November 23rd, 2008
Let’s face it - while we go to work to WORK, no one is expected to keep their head down the entire time they’re at the office, not speak to anyone else, and forego the occasional cigarette break if they’re a smoker. Yet companies expect, and have a right to expect, productivity out of their employees - that’s why they’re paying you!
No talking or socializing at all is one extreme, while the other one is that you can talk to whomever you want, whenever you want, about whatever you want, even if you never quite manage to make it to your desk until 11:00 a.m. Both examples are equally unrealistic!
So first we have the entire gray area in between those two, and that’s just during office time. Some companies have outside-the-office events or activities in which to participate - and of those, companies will differ in their definition of voluntary and mandatory, depending on the company and the event.
Then you take into account management styles; the self perception of an individual - erroneous or otherwise; a company’s philosophy and style, which in small to medium companies is usually pervasive of the CEO; or in a large company, the varying philosophies of Vice Presidents or personality characteristics of different functions (accounting vs. sales) which can result in multiple departments each with a different personality.
You begin to see the various influences that define people oriented.
The phrase is generally used to convey something vaguely like a company where everyone is pleasant and happy and people smile at each other when they pass in the halls. Its fun to work there, everyone likes their job, and each employee is treated well and fairly. Know any companies like that?
People oriented is another ambiguous phrase that needs defining to make sure your definition is the same as the company’s definition - and that you can spot a difference if there is one.
But additionally, saying you want a people oriented company assumes, by contrast, that there are companies which are NOT people oriented.
What does a company that is NOT people oriented behave like? Is there such a thing? Probably, yes. But do they know it? High turnover is usually a clue, but an amazing number of companies never identify that as a problem, much less one worth looking at.
Most companies consider themselves people oriented. Most PEOPLE consider themselves people oriented!
So in many of those same companies, there’s likely to be a significant difference of opinion on what people oriented means, depending on who you ask: senior management, staff, customers, or other businesses with whom they interact; depending on whether they like their job; depending on what kind of day they’re having..or depending on if they have to put on a face to interview you.
You’ve probably had a boss or a co-worker who has considered himself people oriented, yet perhaps the person is rather aloof. Maybe you’ve had a boss who moves through the halls waving a cheery hello to his employees, but when you go looking for him, he’s never available — or you’ve worked for a company that rarely promotes from the inside, but it’s because they want new blood in the organization.
Or the CEO who is jovial with his employees, knows everyone by name, but through policies and procedures, makes life miserable for those who work there. One of my previous bosses at one of the recruiting firms for which I worked was a happy, friendly guy with a great sense of humor. And then he started messing with our commission checks.
Each of these individuals might claim to be people oriented, but in reality, what might seem to that person as people oriented, looks to others like a lack of awareness and unwillingness to look inwardly at the truth.
So what do you mean by people oriented?
- do you want a company that promotes from within?
- doesn’t frown on gathering at the water cooler?
- a company that has routine company parties and other office-wide gatherings?
- one where management makes a practice of being accessible?
- customers are of paramount importance both in philosophy and actuality?
- a company that is involved in its community and requires each employee to join or participate in a specific event once or twice each year?
When you take the time to look closer at what this phrase means to you, you’ll discover that some aspects of being people-oriented are more important to you than others. A company that requires silence in its halls but has employee softball games is not the same people oriented as a company that permits casual chit chat of the employees in the hallways and visiting in cubicles, but doesn’t have a company Christmas party.
Knowing what you mean by this phrase gives you the power to discover if the company’s definition is the same as yours.
copyright: Judi Perkins 2006
Judi Perkins has been a search consultant for 25 years in both the contingency and retained market, with a short stint in the temporary and local permanent placement markets. She has owned her own firm and successfully assisted numerous repeat clients in hiring all levels of management. She is a Career Expert and Forum Moderator with http://www.CareerCube.net To sign up for her newsletter and learn thousands of powerful concepts to find your perfect job go to http://www.findtheperfectjob.com
Tags: candidate, career, interview, job seeker, next job
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Your Next Job: Is It A "Growth Oriented" Company? (Part 5 Of A 5Part Series)
Posted on November 5th, 2008
In addition to the four phrases weve already discussed, theres a fifth one that also needs definition: growth oriented. Probably 95% of all job seekers (perhaps a conservative estimate) are looking for a company that is growth oriented. As opposed to one that is shrinking? Or going out of business?
Small start-ups are growth oriented, and so are $50B corporations, but there is a great deal of difference between the two.
How are they growing? By gobbling up smaller companies? By diversifying their market or products? Expanding their sales force or their marketing team? Opening up branch offices?
As you move further into the interview process, youll want to get an overview of the company, not only their past, but what they plan for their future. Do they have a strategic plan? How far into the future? Some companies are under capitalized and struggle to achieve any kind of growth. Others combine an aggressive expansion strategy with little planning and grow themselves right out of business.
Business cycles affect company growth as well. What has their pattern been over the years? Have they had hiring freezes? Or laid people off.more than once?
Make sure you look at the entire picture. If growth oriented is high on your list, and you hear a rosy interview sales pitch for it, youre ripe to buy into what might come to pass..or might not. And if it doesnt, you could be out the door much sooner than you anticipated.
So before you interview, take the time to do some thinking about what you want in your perfect job. Its in your best interest to find answers to these questions, because if you dont, youre the one who suffers.
- What do you consider the right opportunity?
- What does people-oriented mean to you?
- What qualifies as a reputable firm?
- How do you define progressive?
- How do you define growth oriented?
Don’t assume that your interviewer holds the same definition of a phrase as you do. Define the phrase specifically to yourself, and convey that idea in the interview so that you can find out if those things are present..or not.
As a result, you will know if you are interested in the company.or not. With the power of knowledge behind you, you can exercise your choice, instead of leaving the decision to the company.
The benefit to you is not only that you receive specific information in return, but also that you present yourself as someone who takes your career seriously and knows exactly what you want. Thinking in this manner and presenting yourself this way gives you the edge over most candidates - who are just winging it.
If you want to find your perfect job, you must know what it will look like. If you don’t define it first, how will you know when you’ve come across it? But more than that, whether the interviewer consciously notices or not, you’ll have had lost moments, stuttering responses, perhaps some rambling answers.
Why be unprepared? Why stumble? Why behave like most people who interview? Why not know exactly what you want, be able to state it coherently and pleasantly, and tie it in with what you know about the company from your research? Why not be one of the candidates seriously considered because you’ve made such a focused and goal oriented impression?
Don’t discount the subtleties - they have a rippling effect in interviews, often resulting in a gut decision to like - or not like - the candidate.
If you and the company are to part ways, make sure it’s your choice, or at the very least, that the company elects not to pursue you only because they’ve picked up that you know exactly what you want — and they know they don’t fit that profile.
copyright: Judi Perkins 2006
Judi Perkins has been a search consultant for 25 years in both the contingency and retained market, with a short stint in the temporary and local permanent placement markets. She has owned her own firm and successfully assisted numerous repeat clients in hiring all levels of management. She is a Career Expert and Forum Moderator with http://www.CareerCube.net To sign up for her newsletter and learn thousands of powerful concepts to find your perfect job go to http://www.findtheperfectjob.com
Tags: candidate, career, interview, interview questions, job, job seeker, next job, resume
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Your Next Job: What Is A "Reputable Company"? (Part 2 Of A 5Part Series)
Posted on October 14th, 2008
Have you ever been offered a job, accepted it, and began working only to say to yourself a few weeks later, Hey, wait a minute. This is not what I want!? But, you stick around. A month or two later, not only have your feelings not changed, they’ve intensified.
Quitting so soon may be a rash move. How would you explain it on your resume? Besides, you’ve consulted your friends or your spouse and continue to hear, Stick it out. It can’t be that bad, or You can’t quit now. You just started!
You hate your job, but you passively stuff the feelings inside saying, At least it’s a paycheck.
What went wrong? Clearly, its not your perfect job.
Just as we discussed the importance of defining the right opportunity, part of that right opportunity means not only knowing if you want a reputable firm or not, but your definition of it.
Reputable firm is a phrase that, as a recruiter, I heard constantly, whether those exact words were used or not. When I asked what it meant, I heard, A GOOD company. One I’d enjoy working for. Hmmmm. Not exactly a clear definition.
What constitutes a reputable company?
We can all agree that Arthur Anderson and Enron were DISreputable companies! But what about Disney? It strives to be reputable and many consider it so. But many of its films don’t do so well, there has been much divisiveness in its upper ranks, and it supports some causes many think it shouldn’t … yet its … well … DISNEY.
Reputable … or not?
Fannie Mae was just fined $400 million, not only for allegedly manipulating its accounting, but also for lying to investors. Yet, as recently as 2001, for the second time, it was ranked in the top ten companies for working mothers because of its child care programs, flexibility in working arrangements, and advancement for womenand this still holds true.
Reputable … or not?
Now consider the companies that aren’t newsmakers and have policies or principles that people would never know about unless (or until) they work there.
See why it’s important to be specific?
Unless you state that you want a company that sells its products with integrity and maintains a philosophy of building relationships with customersreputable could mean anythinguntil you’re working there. Then it’s too late!
What do you gain by being specific? Well, if the company is doing anything shady, the interviewer may hear what you are saying and won’t ask you back. The ethical company will ask you back and appreciate your candor.
But isnt working for a reputable company an obvious desire? Would anyone want a DISreputable company? Well … yes!
Some people like troubled companies and turnaroundsand those that do, know it and say so. Those who haven’t given much thought to the issue tend to utter the reputable company phrase. They often find themselves working for a company that leaves them queasy.
If the company or department is struggling, or the piece for which you’re interviewing is a startup operation and this doesn’t turn you on, by all means speak up. Both parties will be happier parting ways earlier rather than later.
The overall theme is finding your perfect job and staying in control so that you are asked back and can decide if you want to return or not. However, that outcome and the resulting choice presumes you’ve stated clearly the opportunity you’re seeking and that’s what the company is.
When the company is not that, you might not be asked back, and you may never know why. But stating your definition instead of using a generic phrase isstay with me herewhat gave you control of the outcome, even when it appears that you lost control.
Whether you know this at the time or not is irrelevant. You’re focusing on what YOU want based on what YOU’VE defined as important.
copyright: Judi Perkins 2006
Judi Perkins has been a search consultant for 25 years in both the contingency and retained market, with a short stint in the temporary and local permanent placement markets. She has owned her own firm and successfully assisted numerous repeat clients in hiring all levels of management. She is a Career Expert and Forum Moderator with http://www.CareerCube.net To sign up for her newsletter and learn thousands of powerful concepts to find your perfect job go to http://www.findtheperfectjob.com
Tags: candidate, career, interview, job seeker, next job
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Recruitment An International Industry
Posted on August 2nd, 2008
Finding a great job is not as easy as it seems farming off your curriculum vitae to any one who will read it, going for interviews at sometimes rather inappropriate companies and then theres that stressful period waiting for the phone to ring with offers of employment. Sometimes it is just as difficult for those offering employment as it is for those seeking it. Finding the best qualified, most suitable candidate is by no means an easy feat. Recruitment agencies assist both clients and candidates in finding what they need.
Recruitment Agencies
International recruitment agencies have always played a part in the sourcing of top notch candidates. Over the last few years the part these agencies play has grown significantly. Many companies approach agencies when it comes to their staffing needs and many candidates wish to be represented by organisations that will be able to put them in contact with the right type of company. Many recruitment agencies specialise in certain areas and tend to know their area well.
Client
There are a multitude of reasons a client would look to a recruitment agency for their staffing needs. Often companies are quite small and do not have access to personnel or suitably equipped personnel to deal with their own recruitment. Large companies running their own recruitment campaign could be a rather costly experience. Often companies prefer to keep their recruitment activities out of the public arena, this is to avoid losing current staff to other areas of the company and to keep their activities concealed from their competitors. To avoid the man hours taken up by advertising positions, reading all of the applications that they produce and then interviewing, companies often turn to recruitment agencies. The agencies then pre-select the most suitable candidates for that specific position and the company then has the opportunity to interview the best for the job!
Candidate
By going to a recruitment agency you are more likely to find a job that suits you. The agency extensively interviews you and can assist you with your curriculum vitae. They then pass your CV along to the job that is most suitable to your needs and qualifications. Agencies take care of your needs and find possible jobs that would best suit you. By finding employment through a recruitment agency you can easily avoid the majority of stresses that come with finding a job.
Types of Recruitment Agencies
There are roughly four types of recruitment agencies operating in the market at the moment. Local Agencies offer permanent and temporary positions in a variety of companies within a specific region. These agencies tend to have specialised knowledge of the labour market. Specialist agencies deal with employment in very specific market sectors such as finance, advertising and IT. Some of these agencies specialise in certain types of jobs rather than markets, such as manual labour and secretarial. National Agencies operate via their offices as well as via the web. These agencies are used by many companies and organisations, particularly when trying to fill specialised vacancies or if there are a shortage of candidates in the region which the company operates. International Recruitment Agencies are the fourth and final variety. These agencies facilitate international recruitment finding clients the most suitable candidates in the world, literally!
International Recruitment
We live in a global village consisting of hundreds of languages, races, cultures and interests. Many job seekers are now looking further away for the possibility of employment in a new and challenging environment. It is important however that you are suitably matched to the location as well as the company you chose to work in. It is not only vital to your progress but to the company who hires you as well, especially when it comes to language. Many recruitment agencies are now operating internationally; this has been made possible by the fantastic technological advancements of our generation. International recruitment agencies not only help candidates to find a great job in the country they desire but allow companies access to the greatest pool of qualified and suitable candidates on the planet.
Bilinguagroup specialises in international recruitment of personnel across all industries. They also provide companies based around the globe with translations in all languages and for all industries. As leaders in the language market they offer an excellent fast and accurate service - helping your business run fluently around the globe.
Tags: , candidate, client, international recruitment, international recruitment agencies, job, recruitment
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