Headhunting vs. Recruiting - or Both

A Hiring Manager asked me the other day:  "What is the difference between a Headhunter and a Recruiter?"  To which I replied:  "We can call ourselves either one or both, but asking the difference between headhunting and recruiting as a business practice is probably more applicable to your question."  As a third party recruiter, my business model is to actually partner with clients - then I act as a Headhunter and Recruiter for them.  A true Headhunter conducts research through his or her own network/database/tools to identify the talent a client needs.  They seek out the best of the best and then vet the candidates from a skill set, experience, knowledge and personality standpoint.  Seek and find.  Once we find them, the recruiting begins.  The majority of the candidates with whom I work are passive, so the next step is to "sell" the client and opportunity (if it truly is a potential fit) and help candidates understand why this may be a great career step - and life step.  And then, hopefully, the full-cycle process comes full circle and we've connected an individual with an organization that bring one another value and exceed others' expectations.  It's really like hunting and gathering - we just don't go in for the kill!

Social Media and Procurement - What the Heck?

There is another blog I started writing - Tweeting in our 40s - for fun.  After reading the book Trust Agents, I realized I needed to get with the program.  As an Executive Recruiter, much of the research I do is on the internet and I use Linked In religiously.  However, I wasn't involved in Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, the list goes on and on.  My question was:  are the people I try to reach in MY professional life using Social Media in THEIR professional lives?  Well, small reader group, the answer is:  YES. 

More than ever, Procurement and Strategic Sourcing are a huge focus to most companies.  It might be stressful now, but just think of the value you are bringing your organizations in this economic mess - you will be stars and then the rest of them will listen to you when you present your long-term, strategic plans!  Okay, I was sidetracked for a moment, so now back to task... 

So after realizing that I needed to dive into the social media ocean (and it IS an ocean with many waves and undercurrents) for my business, I started sharing my plan with my peers and one of them brought an article to my attention:  Purchasing 3.0 (http://www.purchasing.com/article/447246-Purchasing_3_0.php?rssid=20271&q=purchasing+3.0+article).  Please take a read and let me know your thoughts.

I have learned that Facebook and Twitter are not always silly social outlets with a plethora of mundane messages about what someone did 5 minutes ago - like feeding their cat after planting a flower.  In addition to Linked In, they are an incredible source of research and information for whatever subject matter you desire, an awesome means of networking and a terrific tool in growing businesses.  Professionals in your industry today are overwhelmed and working many hours, and learning and launching Social Media takes a lot of time.  But I promise, it's worth it in the end....

Getting in Front of Hiring Managers

Previously, I listed what I hope was useful information about resumes.  Now, I'd like to give you some information on getting in front of Hiring Managers.  There is a ton of information out there about this, but I don't know if enough people really believe that sending a resume into a company's web site either doesn't work or it takes a looooong time.  And many of you don't have months to either find a new job or find your dream job.

1.  If you're not using Linked In, start NOW.
2.  If you're not using your professional network to get on the phone and conduct research, start NOW.
3.  You may hear of an open position or there may be a company that you're interested in working for - either way, by using your network and getting referrals OR conducting research on Linked In or the web, find out who a hiring authority is and call them directly.  Many times, you'll have to call into a company switchboard and ask for them.  I do this every day - it's not difficult.  You'll probably have to leave a message - the content should be a short message introducing yourself and stating that you're a (Enter Professional Title here) and your area of expertise is (Enter Your Area of Expertise here) and that you'd like to take a moment to introduce yourself.  Also state that if you've reached the incorrect person, you'd be glad to call whomever that may be.  Leave your number.  That's it.  Please don't leave a long message with an overview of your entire resume - choose one or two points that will entice the hiring manager and leave it at that.  If you have a Master's degree, that is mentionable.  Just imagine you are the person receiving the message - what would entice you to call back?
4.  You may have to call several people at the same company - that's okay.  If they ask how you found them, just be honest.  Most people take it as a compliment, whether it's a direct referral or you found them otherwise.

Aside from Linked In, Facebook and Twitter are great research tools.  Believe me, I was averse to this whole Web 2.0 thing too (please take a look at my Tweeting in our 40s blog at http://.tweetinginour40s.blogspot.com).  You can "Become a Fan" of companies by clicking on the Facebook icon on company web sites; you can "Follow" people/companies on Twitter that run in your Supply Chain circles.  Read the articles written; join in on the web casts; research who speakers are at events.  There are a plethora of ways in which to find out who's who and get in touch with them.  It not only shows creativity, but it displays tenacity and persistence which is what all hiring authorities desire!

Job openings in Supply Chain

Last week, I sent a question out to some groups on Linked In asking if they saw the job market getting any better in 2010.  The answers received were mixed.  Some think there is an increase in open job postings, but that it is extremely difficult to stand out in the crowd in markets where the number of companies that are Supply Chain-focused are plentiful.  They've sent their resumes into the company portals in response to an ad that was posted on the internet or have posted their resumes directly to the company's web site.  Unfortunately, 9 times out of 10, this is NOT the best way to present yourself.  Most companies do not have an internal recruiting or Human Resources staff that dedicates itself to procurement, logistics, and supply chain.  More likely than not, they don't even understand what their hiring managers are looking for in a candidate.  And if your resume isn't written correctly - with the right words and phrases and with specific accomplishments with metrics listed, it is not going to be picked up by the internal recruiting teams.

So let's address the former issue in this blog and the latter in next week's blog.

Most of us are not professional resume writers.  What I advise candidates to do is fairly simple:  for each position you've held, write a brief paragraph describing what your job was - i.e. write your job description.  This way, you can't help but use the correct terminology being scanned by portals or read by human resources/recruiting.  If you have a job description for the position you're applying for, use that to guide you (without b.s.-ing, of course).  Under each paragraph, bullet examples of accomplishments you made in measurable format, if possible.  Cost savings, programs designed and implemented, large contracts negotiated, global initiatives, etc.  List your name and contact information at the top (including address, they want to know if you require relocation) and under that, your education.  If you want to include a paragraph stating what your experience and strengths include over the span of your career, make it brief and to the point.  Then start with each position including company and dates you were there - month and year are sufficient.

Tell your story and be proud of it!  Pretend you're sharing a beer (or my preference, a glass of wine) with a new friend and you're describing what you do for a living - remember, the person on the other end wants to feel the energy you feel about your skills and talent!

Next week - how to approach hiring managers directly...

The Good News is...

Most of us had a pretty rough year in 2009 - enough said about that.  As an Executive Recruiter in the Supply Chain space, I'm asked by both clients and candidates on a daily basis:  "Laura, is it looking any better out there?  What do you see happening in the job market?" 

I'm no market analytical expert - I'm just a headhunter.  But what I do tell people is that I see an increase in activity - there are opportunities arising, especially in Supply Chain.  "Why?" you ask?  Because the supply chain makes the world go 'round, as we all know, and gaps in these organizations are just like gaps in the supply chain - it causes things to stop moving.  When companies are looking for ways to cut costs, now more than ever, who do they turn to?  Strategic Sourcing and Procurement (of course, they aren't the ONLY folks who know how to cut costs, but certainly are high on the list!).  What I hear time and time again is that Sourcing and Procurement organizations have been stripped to their skivvies and there are only so many ways to cover up their bare spots!  Hopefully, this is a humorous way of saying that there aren't enough people left to cover all of the work that needs to be done - both tactical and strategical.  Not keeping up with the day-to-day is bad enough, but when your organization isn't planning new strategies and/or implementing and managing strategies from the past, how will the company succeed in the future?

But, this seems to be GOOD news!  Authorities will recognize, if they haven't already, that these teams will have to beef up again.  It's time to assess gaps and get the ball rolling on how to fill them.  Which is going to mean new open positions with proactive and growing companies.  More to come...