Talent Tips: All Levels

Talent Tip #68: Ask the Magic 8 Ball: Why do Employees Leave?

March 20, 2015

Talent Tip #68: Ask the Magic 8 Ball: Why do Employees Leave?  

Do you remember those Magic 8 Balls? You pose a yes/no question and then turn it over to reveal the answer. My childhood friend and I used to ask the Magic 8 Ball whether the handsome and oh-so popular neighbor boy would ever give us the time of day.  We would turn that puppy over 100 times until it told us what we wanted to hear: “All…

Talent Tip #66: Hotel California: Stuck in the Big City, Declining Mobility, and a Reminder to Consider Hiring Virtually

March 17, 2015

It turns out many young adults are sticking around the big cities longer than before. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, young folks have historically descended upon the country’s largest metropolitan areas “to build careers before taking their talent and spending power elsewhere to raise families.” Now, thanks to an overreaching government induced recession, that trend is slowing dramatically and many people are “stuck” in the big cities.

As one Los Angeles writer put it, it’s like…

Talent Tip #65: Roll Tide: What We Can Learn About Recruiting Talent from Nick Saban

February 17, 2015

Roll Tide.

I can’t believe I just typed that. I might break out into hives. As an Ohio native (Go Bucks!) and a Notre Dame grad (Go Irish!), it pains me to support Alabama. But I’ve got to give credit where credit is due: Nick Satan, er…Nick Saban knows how to recruit talent.

Saban’s recruiting prowess has long been a topic of conversation, and a recent article about it got me thinking about what we can learn from his…

Talent Tip #64: Lookin’ Out My Back Door: Following Application Instructions 

February 3, 2015

For some reason, I can’t get CCR’s “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” out of my head. This might be a result of watching The Big Lebowski a few days ago. Or, it could be that I’ve recently encountered some candidates attempting to “backdoor” the stated hiring process.

Here’s the scenario:

The job advertisement asks candidates to send application materials to a hiring manager (a department head, an HR team member, or, in Talent Market’s case, a…

Talent Tip #63: Stand Out from the Crowd with an Eye-Catching Job Description

February 3, 2015

Talent Tip #63: Stand Out from the Crowd with an Eye-Catching Job Description

Standing out from the crowd can be a very good thing.

Now, I’m not referring to Miley Cyrus twerking like a fool, Bjork dressed as a swan, or Lady Gaga in a meat dress. I mean standing out in a positive way.

Take, for instance, the job posting my friend Steve Sheldon recently sent me. It was perhaps the boldest job description on which I’ve laid eyes.

Talent Tip #62 Take a Chance on Me: Nontraditional Candidates and Fundraising Roles

February 3, 2015

Talent Tip #62 Take a Chance on Me: Nontraditional Candidates and Fundraising Roles

You know what I have a boatload of?

Complaints about the government, yes. But do you know what else I have oodles of?

Fundraising roles.

As it turns out, I also have a Mayflower truck full of candidates who would love to break into fundraising for the free-market nonprofit sector.

So, what’s the disconnect? It’s that most nonprofits want to hire fundraisers with development experience (for roles…

Talent Tip #61: Google This: How to Create a Winning Resume

February 2, 2015

You know that I’m always talking about resumes, resumes, resumes. I beat on the topic like a drum on Christmas morning.

So, when two free-market friends recently recommended a post about creating a great resume, I was all over it.

And this isn’t just any piece about resumes. It’s written by Laszlo Bock, the SVP, People Operations at Google.  Bock’s post, My Personal Formula for a Winning Resume, outlines how to make your accomplishments more impactful.

Bock writes:

Talent Tip #60: Goldilocks and Salary: Getting it “Just Right”

September 15, 2014

Remember the fairy tale “Goldilocks and the Three Bears?” Our girl Goldi didn’t want the porridge too hot or too cold; she wanted it just right.

And so it goes with salaries and job applications. We don’t want to list a salary that is too high or too low; we want to list one that is just right.

A big thanks to my friend Alex in Kentucky who suggested this topic (which we started to address in last month’s e-newsletter).…

Talent Tip #59: The Magic Formula Revealed: Determining the “Right Salary” for a Job Application

August 15, 2014

If there’s one topic everybody wants to know more about, it’s salary. (Well, that and where socks go when the dryer eats them.)

My friend Alex in Kentucky requested that I write a tip on handling salary when it comes to job applications.  He sums up the salary dilemma perfectly:

“Can you provide guidance on how to handle salary requirements on a job application? I don’t want to lose out if an organization is willing to pay more than the…

Talent Tip #58: Working for Liberty: Think Like a Start-Up (or Why You Should Listen to Matt Warner at Atlas Network)

July 15, 2014

I recently got my paws on a great piece of career advice written by Matt Warner from Atlas Network. As with any gem related to working for liberty, I wanted to share it with you. It was written especially for those with a limited work history, but I think many of his points transcend experience level.

You Had Me At Hello

Matt had me hooked very early in the article. He writes:

“If you are starting your first job, or…