Tag Archives: technical recruiter

“Bob” – The Bane of IT staffing companies

Information technology has always had plenty of room for procrastination and general wasting of time.  Productivity becomes difficult for IT managers to monitor when IT consultants spend most of their time on the computer. IT headhunters are often concerned about how disciplined an IT consultant might be, as they face the very real siren call of the internet and its black hole of time-wasting websites.  The worst nightmare for IT recruiters is a skilled IT consultant who becomes too busy wasting time to properly perform his or her IT job.  Really, a technical recruiter’s worst nightmare is “Bob,” the Verizon employee who actually outsourced his own job to China.

IT contractor “Bob” (code-named such by Verizon in its own records), apparently found a way to subcontract his IT job, thusly fooling his IT manager and any IT recruiting agencies he may have worked with to get the job.  While “Bob” showed up for work each day, he merely surfed the net, especially reddit, and occasionally emailed his IT manager.

Obviously, Bob is an extreme, if not amusing example of a real problem that IT staffing firms face.  The process of weeding out IT contractors who will provide strong, efficient, effective work product is not a science.  Assets like great references, a strong history of increasing responsibility in a company or role on resumes, and great IT job interviews tend to be helpful in this process.  However, IT staffing agencies must really be able to hone a sixth sense about what makes IT professionals great candidates who will really perform in IT jobs. The consequences for IT recruiting companies are nothing less than their reputation.

Submit Your Resume to An IT Recruiter or Client?

You see an IT job posting for a company that you’re very interested in working for – then you see the same position posted by various IT recruiting companies.   Who do you submit your resume to and do you submit to mulitple IT recruiters.  The answer might surprise you.  Submit your resume to the technical recruiter at the IT recruiting firm that is most reputable and/or you have a relationship with.  Here’s why:

1)  Submitting directly to the client could go into an HR black hole.  Remember that not HR are trained to recruit on IT jobs.  Therefore, even if they receive your resume, they may not know whether your a fit for the position.

2)  Once you submit your resume directly to the client, you’re “their property.”  Therefore, if IT recruiters Boston try to submit you thereafter, the company could reject it (then never even contact you).

3)  The IT staffing company may have a relationship with the direct hiring manager.  Therefore, by working through the IT recruiting agency, your resume may not only go directly to the source, the IT recruiter may be able to pursuade the IT manager to speak or meet with you based on their relationship.

Therefore, working directly with IT recruiting agencies is your best chance of landing that next information technology opportunity.

IT Recruiters Are Like Sports Agents

Ok, it’s a bit of a stretch, but you can draw a parallel between IT recruiters and sports agents.  Here are a three similarities between technical recruiters and movie/sports agents:

1)  Technical recruiters Boston represent their clients:  Whether an IT job seeker or a movie or sport star, you’re being represented by someone with a keen interest in helping you.

2)  IT recruiters Boston will promarket you to various technical job opportunities:  Whether your an Oracle DBA or a Java Developer, your IT recruiter will market you to their clients much like an agent markets their movie stars.

3)  IT staffing companies will help coordinate an IT job interview:  Similar to agents setting their clients up for casting calls or tryouts, IT recruiters MA will help get that ever-important first job interview.

Therefore, don’t rely upon sending resumes or searching for opportunities on your own.  Utilize a technical recruiter, or an agent, to help you land the opportunity of your dreams!

Finding the Balance of Contacting IT Recruiters

IT recruiters speak with hundreds of candidates each week.  Therefore, it’s imperative that information technology professionals keep in touch with their short-list of technical recruiters and their respective IT staffing companies Boston.  However, where is the line?

On one hand, you need to make sure you’re the first person a technical recruiter calls when they receive the appropriate position that fits your technical skills.  Regardless of how strong of a relationship you might have with the IT recruiter, there are likely dozens of other candidates with the same skill set who think the same.  Therefore, finding the balance between staying in touch with technical recruiting firms without being a pest can be difficult.

In our experience, the rule of thumb is no more than one contact (either an email or phone call) is acceptable each week.  This provides a refresher for the IT headhunter and gives you the chance to call at the right time in the event the IT staffing firm happens to receive a position that fits your background that very day.

Anything more than one contact per week crosses the line of harrassment.  Remember, IT recruiters typically make their living by putting people to work.  Therefore, they’re just as motivated to contact you when the right IT jobs open up.  However, timing is everything and candidates do fall through the cracks, so be sure to keep in touch.

IT Recruiting Companies Debate: K Cups or Ground Coffee

Quantity

Are you brewing for the entire IT staffing office or just yourself?  If you are brewing coffee at smaller quantities, you will want to go with the Keurig.  The K cup machine provides the option to brew one cup without holding up the coffee machine for other technical recruiters.  Coffee drip machines are made to brew larger cups of coffee which can lead to waste if it is not consumed.  If IT professionals and hiring managers are looking to make a big brew at once, look to the coffee drip machine to satisfy your needs.

Quality

This is up for debate and varies by coffee drinker.  Some say that ground coffee is superior to K cup coffee because of its storage capacity where as K cups can become stale relatively fast.  Then there are the countless options when using K cups and its variety of flavors.  An IT recruiter can purchase a variety pack which allows them to experriment with different flavors and choose which they like best.  Typically with ground coffee, a technical recruiter must by a bag and test their options.

Convenience

Brewing a cup of coffee by drip machine seems to be outdated and time consuming as our society expects less and less in terms of time commitment.  IT staffing companies want everything fast and immediately available with as little work as possible.  The Keurig machine offers a single cup of coffee in about one minute and little to no clean up.  Drip machines can take several minutes to brew and requires routine maintenance and clean up.

Environmental and Cost Concerns

The average price per standard K cup is about fifty cents, which can be costly where as standard coffee ground is about half the price per cup.  K cup packaging is non-recyclable, but you can purchase a reusable filter to cut down on waste.  The benefit of using the reusable filter is you can cut down on spending by buying coffee grounds, too!

Neither is necessarily better, but it seems the IT recruiters of AVID Technical Resources could not function without their K cup machine!

Technical Recruiters Warn: The Flu Season Approaches

As the temperature drops, fevers rise.  From October through the month of May, flu season raises its ugly head to spite IT recruiting offices throughout the Northeast.  When IT recruiters find they are the victim of the plague, should they be the office heroes or stay curled up in bed?  Here are some reasons why it is better to stay quarantined at home than in the office when a technical recruiter becomes ill.

Causes of Illness

Germs and viruses are incubated in colder weather as more people opt to stay indoors longer.  The air becomes stale and recycled.  Another reason illnesses are on the rise is because children are back in school.  Children are more weary of bacteria and easily spread their germs, bringing it home to their families as well.  Soon the whole household will be sick and will share it with fellow IT headhunters, wiping the IT staffing company.

Reasons People Come to Work Sick

Whether they are afraid of being reprimanded for their absence or hurting their chances of being promoted, some employees try to make it to technical recruiting companies under any condition.  With jobs being cut across the country as the recession continues, there are less replacements to cover workloads and cross train on projects.  Employees may avoid taking a sick day because they would prefer to use their PTO for vacation time, but which is more important: overall health or a day’s work of pay?

Reduced Productivity

An IT recruiter will not be the office hero if he is working at fifty percent of his healthy productivity level.  Soon he will be bringing other’s efficiency levels down with him whether from contagiousness or pure distraction.  If a recruiter must work while sick, he should offer to sift through resumes at home if possible and be available via phone or email.

Hiring managers would rather have happy and health employees than ones who miserably strain themselves while taking a toll not only on their physical health, but also their mental health.  If you are not feeling one hundred percent well or begin to feel sick, notify your supervisor in a timely manner and request a sick day.  IT staffing companies will thank you in advance!

IT Recruiting is not Day Care

Hey technical recruiters!  Do you trust your IT contractors?  Are you confident your candidates can make the right decisions on their own?  Some IT recruiters feel it is necessary to walk their clients through the IT staffing process, which is completely acceptable.  What is not acceptable is talking down to your contractors, holding their hand, and giving into outlandish demands throughout their contract duration.

The Customer is Always Right

IT recruiting companies want to keep their clients more than satisfied with their services.  How much can technical recruiting firms give before they begin to break?  By repeatedly meeting contractors’ unrealistic demands and expectations, IT staffing companies will find it difficult to say no in the long run.  Clients may begin to take advantage of a company’s generosity, so an IT recruiter should put his foot down early to prevent things from getting out of hand.

Flip Side: The technical recruiter is not always right.  Be open to suggestions and encourage feedback from your contractors.  Their criticism and praise can help your performance and work ethic!

Making Decisions

Contractors are typically experienced adults and seldom does a recruiter come across a client who cannot make choices on his own.  Only the candidate knows what is best in terms of his wants and needs and never should a recruiter make a decision for him.  Rather than taking the reins, IT staffing firms can help candidates make decisions in terms of which IT jobs would be the best fit for their experience and lifestyle.

Flip Side: If a candidate cannot make up his mind or seems indifferent about an offer, remind him the benefits of taking the position, but reiterate that other candidates would be happy to be in his place. 

Tone

Sometimes it is not what you say to a candidate, but how you say it.  Contractors may be more sensitive while others have a tougher skin and can handle a strong personality or attitude.  The most important aspect of recruiting is staying positive throughout the experience.  Get to know your clients so you know how to conduct business effectively.

Flip Side: Babying your client helps no one.  Coach your contractor with proper instruction and feedback to help his progress.  If he reacts poorly to your advice, it may be time to sever ties and stop representing him.

 

IT Staffing Woes: The Language Barrier

Working in the IT recruiting industry, technical recruiters are bound to face the near inevitable.  You discover resumes of the most talented candidates with the near perfect background and experience and reach for the phone.  You begin to explain why you are calling, talking about a potential IT job, when the person on the other end begins to speak, but you cannot understand them.  What do you do?

Be Patient

If it’s hard for IT recruiters to understand the candidate, chances are, candidates are having difficulty understanding the recruiters as well.  Speak slowly and clearly by carefully enunciating words.  It’s also important to avoid mumbling and rushing through sentences.  After prospective candidates have spoken, IT headhunters should reiterate what they have heard.  It might seem rude or annoying during the first few times, but it is best if both parties know the game plan.

Be Specific

Avoid colloquial phrases and abbreviations whenever possible, as this might add to the confusion.  Be mindful of cultural differences and time zones as well.  When technical recruiting companies plan to meet with clients or schedule phone calls, send an appointment reminder and meeting agenda if necessary.

Follow Up

The key to communicating when there is a language barrier is not just following up, but having multiple sources of contact within IT staffing agencies.  Sending a follow up email to recap your discussion and plans may just be important as the initial communication.  If there is any misunderstanding, the client or the technical recruiter can address it immediately.  Also, some candidates might prefer to be contacted through email versus phone or vice versa.

At first it might troublesome for an IT recruiter to discuss business when there is an impediment such as language and accents.  The more you do it, the easier it should become!  With the advances in technology and a degree of patience, hardships such as communication will eventually be eliminated.

IT Staffing Companies Take On Boston

IT recruiters Boston not only share the benefit of working with different clients and building networks, but they also have the city at their fingertips.  Technical recruiting companies should take advantage of what the city has to offer.  Here are some suggestions to have fun outside the offices of IT staffing agencies.

History

One of the perks of working in one of the oldest cities in the country is all of the historical landmarks and sites scattered throughout Boston.  Educate yourself with a walk along the Freedom Trail or visit a museum.  If you are not into the do-it yourself routine, take a guided tour such as the Boston Duck Tours.  Invite fellow technical recruiters to share the experience and build a bond outside IT recruiting firms.

Be Active

There are a number of ways to be physically active in Boston without wearing down your wallet.  The Frog Pond in the Boston Commons has public skating during the winter as well as a wading pool in the summer.  Take a stroll through the public garden as the flowers begin to blossom and sail or kayak the Charles River if you want to be more in touch with nature.

Retail Therapy

Faneuil Hall and Newbury Street are among the many hot spots for shoppers in Boston.  During a lunch trip away from IT recruiting companies, peruse the vast shops of Downtown Crossings. Walk through Haymarket to find numerous street vendors offering fresh produce at steal prices.

Fine Dining

Boston’s dining experiences are unlike any other.  Coordinate an IT recruiting lunch or dinner for co-workers to show your appreciation and to discuss your non-work related lives.  If you are short on time, there are plenty of small shops, from bakeries in the North End to ice cream shops scattered throughout Boston, you will not be disappointed.

Other Fun

There are plenty of other things to do in Boston.  Catch a Red Sox game or enjoy free concerts at the Hatchshell.  If the weather is not so good, see if the Celtics or Bruins are playing for last minute tickets or share drafts friends.  If you are more of a night owl, explore Boston’s diverse nightlife and find your niche.

The city does not need to be just your place of work, explore what you have been missing and share ideas and tips with another technical recruiter.

Seeking a…Client? Part I

It seems coffee meetings are the go to from catching up with business or friends to first dates and meeting with new IT staffing clients.  At first glance, comparing the IT recruiting business with dating might seem entirely wrong, but when you think about it the processes are pretty similar.  They both involve finding “the one” with all the perfect attributes, right?

The Want Ad

Technical recruiters use job boards to post open positions, listing specific criteria to find their most ideal match for the IT job.  It is a blind way of weeding out candidates without personally offending anyone.   Job listings also provide the luxury of choosing from multiple candidates without having to limit yourself to just one applicant.

Preliminary Screening—The Background Check

You will most likely conduct some investigating prior to a date and the same goes for a client meeting.   As a technical recruiter, you will research a consultant’s prior experiences and check to see if you have any connections through LinkedIn or past companies.  A phone call prior to the face to face meeting may help ease nerves for the IT recruiter and contractor.

Getting Ready

Dress to impress as you prepare for your meeting.  Run through your check list to be sure you have all the right material…resume, job description, notepad for questions.  Note the client’s interests so you have topics for conversation.  Leave early so you allow plenty of time to arrive early or on time in case of traffic.

Looking for tips during the meeting?  Check AVID’s blog for Seeking…a Client? Part II.