Living on a Prayer - Recruiting Advice from Bon Jovi

Alright, hope everyone is doing well.  As some of you know...I’m on vacation back east.  Spending a bunch of time off the grid in Maine or New Hampshire.  We did however venture out to see Bon Jovi in concert.  It was pretty awesome, nevermind the fact that the J. Giles Band opened....it was great to see Bon Jovi and relive my 80’s metal days.  As such, I wanted to write a quick blog with a few recruiting/career inspiration from Bon Jovi.  Now, before you make fun of me....most of the lyrics are from older tunes in the catalog...what can I say, I’m getting old.

Ok, here you go....

Rainy night and the worked all day, We both got jobs cause there’s bills to play, We got something they can’t take away, Our love, our lives - Born to Be My Baby

We’ve all had these days right?  Rainy day?  Daylight Savings Time?   Let’s face it, everyone has a day that just sucks.  But at the end of the day, remember.....work to live, not live to work.  It’s really important to walk away, get home and enjoy life.  If you can’t do that...its time for a new job.  Trust me, it’s happened to me and I’m a better man for it.

Take you higher than you’ve ever known - In and Out of Love

I’m pretty sure this lyric is about sex in the original song....but that’s not the topic here.  This line really makes me think of mentors....at your job or externally a great mentor will help you get higher than you every dreamed in your career.  Don’t have a mentor?  Find a few immediately....

Faith: you know you’re gonna live thru the rain

Lord you got to keep the faith

Faith: don’t let your love turn to hate

Right now we got to...Keep the faith - Keep the Faith

Pretty simple message here....through the tough times and rough days...keep the faith and focus on getting your job done.  If you can’t....maybe it’s time to look around for something better.

Right now the rules we made are meant for breaking - Lay your hands on me

This line is definitely about sex but I guess this is what I get for a Bon Jovi themed blog....honestly though..this is a great line.   Rules are meant for breaking....sometimes, not all the time.  The key is knowing when to ask for forgiveness or permission.....great employees bend rules or break rules when the need to do the right thing for the business.....just think twice :)

Tommy used to work on the docks

Union’s been on strike, He’s down on his luck...it’s tough, so tough

Gina works the diner all day, Working for her man, she brings home her pay

For love - for love - Living on a Prayer

Obviously a great song, one of the best.  The moral here?  You’ll have ups and downs through your career but you’ve got to keep working to bring home the bacon for the family (or retirement, or whatever)

Never say goodbye, never say goodbye

You and me and my old friends

Hoping it would never end - Never Say Goodbye

Insert “Jeff Moore always tells me to network in his blog” comments here......

Well now that we’re together

Show me what you can do - Raise your hands

Great line here, and a great moral for your career.  Once you get the job...you’re like 10% done.  Once you are there, you’ve got to produce.  Get it done.

It’s all the same, only the names will change

Everyday it seems we’re wasting away

Another place where the faces are so cold

I’d drive all night just to get back home - Wanted Dead or Alive

My favorite Bon Jovi tune by far, so good.  This one made me think of having a long commute.  Man, nothing sucks more than a long commute.  I’ve got a short one now so I’m spoiled but meh....I’d drive all night to get home.  Think of that next time you take a job, go on an interview or transfer locations....a crappy commute can ruin your job.

Ok, that’s it for tonight.....I might write a few more this week, we’ll see.....lots of ideas the question will be motivation!

Good luck out there

What's the difference between a good recruiter and a great recruiter.....

I've been thinking a lot about what really makes a great recruiter.  A lot of my friends and colleagues are looking to add folks to their teams and they all want great talent, not just good talent.  (Frankly, I'm trying to do the same thing on my team but that's not the topic of this blog)

So, what really makes someone great?  I mean.....do we even know?  I don't think anyone has the magic bullet for finding a great recruiter but here are a few of my thoughts between good and great recruiters.

1)  Good recruiters fill jobs, great recruiters build the organization - This one is crystal clear to me.  Most recruiters fill jobs and move one.  Weak.  Great recruiters partner with the business to help build the best organization the possibly can.  Now, this is hard.  You can't always be your managers friend.  You've got to push back on things and speak your mind when you disagree with a decision.  Which leads to #2.....

2) Good recruiters work on their headcount, great recruiters drive headcount and are vocal about hiring decisions - Honestly, any knucklehead can fill a job....seriously, what we do is not rocket science.  But a great recruiter finds talent that forces the business to hire opportunistically and get creative.  Great recruiters find so many great people that they business has to think outside of the box in order to get as much talent as they possibly can.

3)  Good recruiters leverage programs, great recruiters build programs - Again, not rocket science here but lots of really good recruiters who can leverage all kinds of recruiting programs to build candidate pipeline...now the great recruiters dream up new programs and build them to fill a business need. 

4) Good recruiters sell the job, great recruiters over-communicate the opportunity - This sounds like a subtle one but trust me the different for your organization is crazy.  Good recruiters know their roles and can sell candidates on the job.  Big deal.  Great recruiters over-communicate with the candidate and can explain the opportunity (not just the job).  Truly great talent doesn't take a job...they look for exceptional opportunities to grow.

5)  Good recruiters have all kinds of tricks....great recruiters share their tricks and make everyone better - This is probably the most important.  Plenty of recruiters have little tips and tricks they use to get the job done but the great ones are share and collaborate with team to make everyone better...thus creating a great team.

Clearly this is an incomplete list but it's a start.  I'll do a follow up post on a few more things (general smarts, creativity, etc etc) that make a great recruiter.  But for anyone out there trying to hire a team or build a recruiting function you can't rely on "good" folks to take you to the next level.....you've absolutely have to find great recruiters who are smart, can get things done and move the needle for the organization.

Good luck out there this week and more soon before I go on vacation!

Navigating the summer slowdown

Happy 4th of July everyone, my favorite holiday.....although Thanksgiving is a pretty close second.  Busy times for me as we are settling into the move and our stuff is finally arriving on Friday so the unpack begins.

Anyway, I always think of 4th of July as the unofficial start of the summer job season....which basically means, there are tons of companies hiring but the job search is a pain in the arse.  People are on vacation, people are kind of out of it thinking about the weekend....all in all, productivity is down.

Here are a few tips on how to survive and still find that dream job over the summer

1) Chill out - Hard to do, I know it...almost impossible if you are looking for a job aggressively but you've got to mentally prepare yourself for things being slow.  If you realize things bog down, you won’t spend all of your time freaking out if you are getting the job or not...and more time networking and/or interviewing for other gigs.

2) Learn something new - When things slow down....the truly great people get a new skill and get better.  The summer is a great time to teach yourself a new skill, take a class or just brush up on some rusty skills.

3) Network - Yeah yeah, every blog I tell you to network but when something works.....you do it over and over again.  Honestly thought, summer networking is the best.  You can meet people for a coffee outside or connect with folks at outdoor events or organize other meetup type events to help you network.

4)  Enjoy it - This is the most important tip of them all.  The summer is the best time to recharge the battery.  Doesn't matter if you are in a job, looking for a job or between jobs.  Take time this summer to recharge and refresh yourself so when things start getting crazy again at the end of August...you’re ready and have the energy to get it done.

Have a great long weekend everyone, I’m trying to write a ton now that I’m in CA so keep your eyes out for more posts and if you need any help/advice....you know where to find me.