Tag Archives: technical recruiting companies

IT Recruiting: Do You Take Horoscopes Seriously?

Maybe it’s during the morning commute, or sitting down to coffee and a bagel for breakfast, perhaps it’s an after work guilty pleasure.  A number of IT professionals admit they read their daily horoscope.  Take it with a grain of salt or words of wisdom, horoscopes may actually be advising technical recruiters, hiring managers, and prospective candidates to make better decisions and improve performance.  Before passing the next opportunity to read your fortune, here are some reasons horoscopes may actually benefit you.

May Inspire

After reading that there will be changes in your life, actively seek and pursue new IT staffing opportunities.  The horoscope could motivate you to add spice to your routine or drop cumbersome tasks that stress you out.  If it were not for the astrology section, you may have not closed on that last placement!

Avoid Conflict

The astrology section could also help irritable IT headhunters to avoid conflict at technical recruiting companies.  When there is a horoscope saying to turn the other cheek, a technical recruiter may think twice about sending a sassy response or having the last word.  It seems when there is an impending disagreement brought to our attention, we will try to steer away.  The horoscope will keep IT staffing firms sound and on their toes in case of a clash.

Cannot Predict the Future

Are you in a worse situation after reading these predictions?  Most likely not!  So have some fun with these forecasts.  No one knows for sure how accurate these readings are, so share them with your fellow IT recruiters in an email when exchanging resumes or post some encouraging thoughts around technical recruiting offices.  While some may not believe the authenticity of horoscopes, they can change our behavior for the better!

IT Recruiting: Skype Interviews for Hiring Managers

Last week, the IT recruiters of AVID Technical Resources provided prospective candidates with helpful information regarding Skype interviews.  This week, the spotlight is on the hiring managers.  If IT staffing companies are looking for innovative ways to interview and screen candidates, the Skype interview may be the right choice!

Saves Money

The Skype interview is perfect for saving companies money, while also expanding their candidate search.  The webcam-based interview allows hiring managers to interview candidates who are from outside the area without the burden of travel and lodging accommodations.  The cost of the equipment may pay for itself in just one screening.

Saves Time

Often hiring managers and technical recruiting companies will know within the first five minutes if IT consultants will be a fit for their IT job opportunities.  Rather than flying in a candidate, taking them out to lunch, and conducting three round interviews, a team can sit in together or take turns interviewing the IT contractor.  A whole day ordeal can be drastically reduced to an hour, leaving plenty of time for other projects and interviewing more candidates.

Body Language

IT staffing firms may use Skype interviews rather than phone interviews to read a candidate’s body language and see how comfortable they feel around information technology.  Also, the webcam provides technical recruiters the opportunity to witness how a consultant responds to questions social cicumstances.  Check for indicators that the applicant is professional by his attire, behavior, as well as the setting and background he chooses to conduct his interview.

Record for Review

The video conference allows hiring managers of IT recruiting firms to review the interview and take note of subtle details.  They can also use the replays to compare candidates’ answers and responses to questions.  If a hiring manager was absent from the meeting, he can view the interview as well for feedback.

While the typical phone and in-person interview will not be disappearing any time soon, the Skype interview may become a more viable option for money and time-conscious IT recruiting companies.

IT Recruiting: Persistent or Overly Aggressive… Back Off

Chances are you have heard it is good to follow up with hiring managers after IT job interviews.  Sometimes, this is not the case if you are working with an IT recruiter.  When IT contractors choose to work with technical recruiting companies, they develop their relationship with client companies through IT staffing firms.  Before you sit down to type out a thank you email to the hiring manager, consult your technical recruiter and read on for more tips.

Let IT Recruitersdo their job!

The gift of IT headhunters is they do some of the hard work for you.  Trust that they will in fact follow up with hiring managers for a prompt response and relay that information to you in a timely manner.  Remind yourself that IT recruiting companies would not be in business if they were not determined to land their IT consultants positions.  Instead of trying to nix the middle man, sit back and let technical recruiters take the reins.

Desperation is a turn off

A phone call with the recruiter along with a thank you to the hiring manager is necessary.  In the thank you, ask your recruiter when to expect feedback or a decision timeframe.  If you follow up more than the suggested time frame, you will be pestering your recruiter, which may lead him to believe you are impatient rather than persistent.  It is unlikely that he would forget to provide feedback, so he most likely has not heard back yet.  Also, by keeping to yourself you will be able to focus on other upcoming interviews and IT job opportunities.

Did the interview go well?

If you are sitting by the phone waiting for feedback, try to reflect on how the interview went and how badly you want this role.  If this position did not fit your interests or skill level, then you can relax during the wait period.  For IT jobs that meet your qualifications, calling in to check with your recruiter once is acceptable, but avoid going overboard with emails, texts, and phone calls.

If your recruiter gave you a specific time frame and has not responded to you in a timely manner or provided feedback, reach out to them.  They may be busy, but it is no excuse to not respect your agreement and keep you hanging.

IT Staffing: Seeing Candidates Through Rose Tinted Glasses

Most technical recruiters admit to having a choice contractor and play favorites whether it be their first placement or IT contractors with similar interests.  While it is great to find the good and positive in others, are some IT recruiting firms seeing candidates through rose tinted glasses?  Before a technical recruiter recommends him for other assignments, he should focus on the candidate’s actual work performance and goals.  They may be putting the contractor before more qualified individuals for open IT jobs.

Friendship

It is acceptable to have a friendly relationship with candidates, but IT recruiters should keep their work relationships professional.  IT staffing firms should not let their candidates take advantage of them based on friendships.  Treat contractors with the same amount of respect as any hiring managers or other clients and expect the same from him.  If he asks for honest feedback, avoid sugarcoating information by providing him with the truth, especially if he is unfit match for an open position.

Feedback

When a hiring manager makes suggestions for improvement in a candidate’s performance, do not take it personally or make excuses for him.  Technical recruiting companies should coach their candidates on ways to make the most of assignments and expand experience.  The more they learn, the more experienced they will be for potential, future placements.

Open to New Candidates

If candidates are more qualified than a favorite IT contractor, do not punish prospective candidates and hiring companies for a favorite.  Be open to networking and expanding client bases by meeting with new contractors.

IT recruiting requires mutual respect throughout the relationship.  By favoring another contractor over others, the IT recruiting company is not being fair to some who may be more qualified.  Rather than letting personal preference become involved, focus on the outcome of the placement.

IT Recruiting Firms Nix Monday Morning Blues

Good bye, weekend.  Hello, Monday morning.  If you are like most IT recruiters, you dread the inevitable return to work after a relaxing, or perhaps chaotic, break from IT staffing agencies.  How can you avoid the pangs or lessen the anxiety of an impending five day work week?  Read on for some tips to ease the transition from weekend to the start of a new week.

Finish Tasks on Friday

Come Friday afternoon, most technical recruiters are in a more casual, relaxed mood.  They may put off projects or wait to call prospective candidates until Monday.  Do not let this be you.  By tiding up your to-do list on Friday and staying organized, you can leave more desirable tasks for Monday morning.  Also, by procrastinating you are leaving yourself vulnerable to falling behind if other projects or open IT jobs arise.  Leave IT staffing companies feeling accomplished rather than apathetic.  You may find you enjoy your weekend even more!

Find Out What You Dread Most

Pinpoint what you are dreading most about your Mondays.  If it is a routine cumbersome project, break it up into sections and try to get a head start on Friday down time.  When you have to meet with IT staffing peers first thing, ask to move the meeting to a later time if possible.  You might be the source of your angst if you are repeatedly hitting the snooze button.  Instead, prepare the night before so you have time to sleep in or go to bed earlier on Sunday night.

Plan Something Fun

If you are still feeling the Monday morning slump at technical recruiting companies, turn Mondays into something to look forward to.  Treat yourself to an overly caffeinated and sugary coffee if that is your niche or splurge on a breakfast sandwich.  Schedule a lunch meeting with your favorite hiring managers or IT contractors.  After work, make plans with friends or take some personal time to recoup.

Avoid cramming all your non-work related tasks into the weekend by spreading them out during the week, leaving the weekend more enjoyable and less rushed.  You will return to the office feeling refreshed rather than overwhelmed!

IT Recruiting: New Year’s Resolution

Another year has passed and the time to reflect upon feats and impending change is looming.  Before technical recruiting companies are too hard on themselves, remember accomplishments and how IT headhunters achieved these goals.  Think of how an AVID Technical Resources recruiter felt after they were successful and the rigorous process to accept and meet these challenges.  New Year’s is the opportunity to make changes in areas of weakness and seek room for improvement at IT recruiting firms.

Set Goals

Most people do not follow through on their New Year’s resolution because they set unrealistic goals.  Rather than choosing a goal an IT recruiter feels should be accomplished, they can choose to tackle a problem they want and can solve.  The headhunters will be better motivated to partake in the process if they truly desire the end result.  Also, neither candidates or technical recruiters should not set themselves up for failure by creating impracticable expectations.

Plan

In order to achieve challenges, a plan must be devised.  IT recruiters can try new approaches and should not be afraid to ask for help.  Instead of trying to tackle a large target, start with smaller steps and, as the recruiter progresses, he can create new goals.  Be open and ready for challenges along the way and maintain a focus to stay committed during both good and bad times.  The small problems will prepare a recruiter for larger ones as they arise and the accomplishments will motivate him to achieve consistently.

Take Personal Time

IT staffing firms may have workaholics and that is where they need to improve.  Consider taking time to put work aside and enjoy personal time with friends, family, or, simply, by themselves.  Find balance and reduce stress levels by leaving work in the IT staffing office and focusing on personal needs.  Recruiters may find they are more relaxed and actually perform better on the clock.

One should not feel pressured to devise a New Year’s resolution considering they have all year to make a change, but it is never too late to start!

Are IT Recruiting Agencies Spamming Clients?

In the IT recruiting business, the golden rule is to stay in touch with clients to create reoccurring customers.  Technical recruiters do not want hiring managers or IT contractors to forget about them or think they do not care, so they reach out frequently to check in.  While this is crucial in the IT staffing industry, when does following up evolve into spamming?  Here are some tips to keep in touch without crossing the line.

Be Consistent

When first reaching out to IT consultants, ask when a good time would be to meet and discuss resumes, IT job interviews, or just life.  IT recruiters should let their clients know they wish to reach out on a weekly basis if that is the case so candidates are aware and will expect their call.  At the close of discussions, schedule follow up meetings.

Surprise visits can make a consultant’s day, but it can also be a disaster if it is poor timing.  Try to avoid surprising clients unless the recruiter is certain the client will not be too busy with work to have a conversation. 

Make Personal

When sending emails, do not act as though this is the first interaction with a recipient.  An IT recruiter can try calling clients the next time they are about to respond to a message.  Hearing a voice on the other end brings a closer connection than emails where tone and expression can be lost in translation.

A technical recruiter can make the relationship friendly, while also staying professional.  Remember details about IT consultants and ask about anything exciting in their life.  The recruiter may find something in common that he would not have known otherwise!

Mass mailings may make IT headhunters lives easier, but are often easily recognized.  Try to take a few minutes each week to recognize clients.  They will appreciate the personal touch.

Send Valuable Information

Allow clients to control how much content they are receiving.  If they are subscribed to the Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn of IT recruiting firms, they may be receiving the same updates repeatedly.  Try to keep material fresh and irredundant so clients have a reason to subscribe.

If IT staffing agencies are using the same content for social media outlets, they may experience attrition in subscribers.  Also, only send important updates or news so technical recruiting companies are not wasting their client’s time as the message will be deleted.

The point of staying in touch is to not lose contact, do not drive customers away by being overly aggressive!

Technical Recruiting Companies, Stop Second Guessing Yourself!

Making decisions can be a tricky situation, especially when IT recruiters or hiring managers are not one hundred percent on board with their choices.  Any small amount of doubt can set back a technical recruiter and impose regret even if it is a step in the right direction.  Here are some suggestions to put a stop to second guessing at IT recruiting firms.

Research

If technical recruiters or prospective candidates feel they do not have enough information to make a decision, they can do some homework.  The more educated they are about the matter, the more likely they will be to make a solid choice.  Try not to get too hung up on research by wasting time on irrelevant details.  Make a list of pros and cons and go with the best option and tweak along the way if necessary.

Accept Mistakes

No one is perfect or always right despite how hard they may try in the IT recruiting industry.  With that in mind, let intuition guide IT staffing firms to the right path.  Worst case scenario, mistakes are generally reversible and provide a valuable lesson for the future. Also, try not to focus too much on the past especially if it is not too important.  IT recruiting companies will end up experiencing unnecessary anxiety and doubt if they are too hard on themselves.

Be Confident

Most people fear the unknown and steer away from change.  Trying new methods or experiences for the first time brings a new level of confidence and knowledge.  Finally, when a decision is made, stick with the choice and try to not play into doubt.  If problems arise along the way, IT staffing agencies will be ready to approach the situation only now with a better degree of assurance.

Some decisions do not require in depth analysis so avoid the stress and just make a choice.  When time calls for a complicated choice, do not procrastinate and face the problem head on!

IT Recruiting: Best Decision Making Tips

When an IT recruiter is presented with multiple options, how does he choose which is best?  Technical recruiters encourage candidates to make the best choices in terms of their careers and opportunities on a daily basis.  For those applicants and hiring managers in frequent limbos, IT recruiters can provide helpful tips to making the most beneficial decisions.  Continue reading on for some useful tips from the elite IT headhunters of AVID Technical Resources.

Make a List

It might sound too basic and simple, but by brainstorming and creating a list of your choices, you can put ideas into perspective.  You may also discover different options you were previously unaware of.  Tweak your list by conducting research and nixing those that are cumbersome or unfavorable.

Pros and Cons

When you have narrowed your selection to a few options, make a second list of pros and cons for each choice’s outcome.  Try to avoid over thinking the process and realize that it is acceptable to make mistakes.  If necessary, approach your IT staffing team for a second opinion after you have gathered your facts.  Involving others from technical recruiting companies in the decision making process takes the burden off of one individual and opens the floor to different, and often better, suggestions.

Intuition

If you find you are still torn between your options, try going with your gut instinct and maintain your confidence.  When you are passionate about an idea, let your intuition guide you in the right direction.  Second guessing yourself typically leads to more mistakes so get an idea and stick to it!

Learn from Mistakes

Never dwell on an error or if a plan does not go as expected.  Making mistakes is one of the best ways to learn at IT recruiting companies.  Next time the issue or project comes up, you will be better prepared to handle it.

Making decisions can be a stressful experience, but by using these tips you can help ease the process!

Gift Giving in the IT Recruiting Industry

When does a gift no longer become a gift? When the gift is required.   With the holidays approaching, IT recruiters may feel obligated to buy for nearly everyone in their lives, making it difficult to determine where to draw the line.  As for giving gifts at technical recruiting companies, it should never be mandatory.  If an IT recruiter wishes to spread some holiday cheer, here are some tips to show appreciation in a tactful manner.

Never Offend

The last thing a present should do is upset someone.  If a technical recruiter chooses to give gifts to select people, keep in mind he may be offending those who are left out.  Also, he should not expect a gift in return or he may end up being insulted.  Avoid spending too much or the receiver will feel uncomfortable and never give inappropriate presents, especially in the IT staffing office.

Celebrate with the IT Staffing Firm

A better way to celebrate the holidays is to get the whole IT recruiting company involved.  Bring in baked goods or have a potluck lunch.  IT headhunters will be experiencing some diversity while also treating taste buds and learning about peers’ culture.  If one is not into baking or cooking, pass out holiday cards with a personal message to co-workers and hiring managers or suggest a Yankee swap and gift exchange.

Choose Not to Participate

Some might consider it Scrooge-ish by not partaking in office gift exchanges, but often this is the easiest way to avoid drama or hard feelings.  If technical recruiters happen to receive a gift, say thank you and do not dwell on reciprocating.  When people ask to join in on the present exchange you have the option to say no.

During economic hardships, the idea of gift giving should be reserved for closest friends and family.  Do not let what should be a joyful time of the year stress you out!