Talent Tips: All Levels
Talent Tip #57: The Cover Letter: Common Pitfalls and Secret Ingredients
June 15, 2014
Like Mickey Rourke and Twinkies, some things just deserve a comeback. That’s why our Talent Tip is going to tackle the topic of cover letters once again!
As you might imagine, I have the great fortune of reading many cover letters each day. Some are fabulous; some make me question humanity.
The good news is that it doesn’t take Billy Shakespeare to craft a good cover letter. By avoiding a few common pitfalls and including some key ingredients, anyone can…
Read MoreTalent Tip #56: We Recycle the Same Talent? Ah, Contraire, Mon Frère!
May 15, 2014
One of the lamentations I often hear from hiring managers in the free-market movement is “We recycle the same talent over and over.”
As they say in Yiddish, ah, contraire, mon frère!
Our movement is increasingly turning to other sectors to find individuals for critical roles. Fun fact: 63% of Talent Market’s placements are from outside of the free-market nonprofit sector!
I take every chance I get to encourage clients to consider hiring from outside of our universe. Doing so…
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Talent Tip #55: On Assembling Bikes and Applying for Jobs
April 20, 2014
Raise your hand if you like following directions.
That’s what I thought. A lot of us liberty-loving folks shy away from someone else telling us what to do.
Related story-time: I was recently assembling two beach cruiser bikes with my husband. I ripped open one of the boxes and stared at the cornucopia of pieces and parts. The only shapes that were immediately identifiable were the tires and the always-practical front basket. (That’s right – we have baskets on…
Read MoreTalent Tip #54: Is Virtual Hiring Right for Us?
March 15, 2014
After last month’s e-newsletter about virtual hiring, readers responded with the enthusiasm of teenage girls at a One Direction concert. There wasn’t as much screaming, but the energy level was high.
Most of the people I heard from were very supportive of virtual hiring, though there were a few skeptics in the bunch. The skeptics noted that remote work isn’t always feasible and it’s not without a price. In short, virtual hiring isn’t for everyone; and it isn’t…
Read MoreTalent Tip #53: Want to Expand Your Talent Pool? Hire Virtually!
February 15, 2014
When an outside-the-Beltway client calls me about an opening as of late, several thoughts run through my mind:
I wonder if the client is willing to consider a virtual office scenario… I hope I remembered to turn off the coffee maker this morning… What in the dickens happened to Bob Costas’ eye?All are important thoughts, but let’s focus on the first one. Allowing a role to be carried out in a virtual office scenario means greatly expanding your…
Read MoreTalent Tip #52: More Advice About How to Land a Job
December 15, 2013
As you might remember (and I know you remember because you sleep with a printed copy of Talent Update under your pillow at night), last month’s Talent Tip contained recruiting advice that suggests you do a little pre-work before you get hired.
The response I got from readers was over the top. And I don’t mean Obama-taking-a-selfie-at-Nelson-Mandela’s-memorial-service-over-the-top. I mean a good over the top!
Here are three highlights you will enjoy.
First, I heard from Pamela Stubbart about an idea called…
Read MoreTalent Tip #51: Start Working Your Dream Job (Before You Get Hired)
November 15, 2013
Last week two executives in the free-market movement sent me an article that initially had me highly suspicious. It was the sort of skepticism I reserve for Instagram and guys who dress like 1920s drifters.
Anyway, here’s the article: Recruiting Advice No One Tells You
To cut to the chase, this is the author’s suggestion: if you can’t get your foot in the door at your dream job, start “working” for the organization and send…
Read MoreTalent Tip #50: Your Advice on Pre-Employment Assessments
October 15, 2013
Last month I asked you, my gentle readers, for your thoughts and advice about pre-employment assessments. Well, y’all responded like apple addicts to an iphone release! And by that, I mean you responded in droves – not that you lost your cool for a little piece of plastic (see image above).
First, here are some nuggets of advice you offered about assessments in general:
Let the assessments inform your decision; but don’t let them make the decision for you. From one reader: “While… Read More
Talent Tip #48: Hiring Advice – Three Hours in a Canoe and the Most Interesting Man in the World
August 15, 2013
Three hours in a canoe. Sounds like a bad first date, a sub-par reality show, or a game risqué teenagers play, right? In fact, it’s none of the above. It is actually a bit of hiring advice a client recently shared with me.
Here’s the very simple counsel: don’t hire anyone you wouldn’t want to spend three hours alone with in a canoe.
It’s pretty solid advice if you think about it. Work is full of difficulties: deadlines, miscommunications, competing…
Read MoreTalent Tip #47: Avoid Alka Seltzer with Writing Samples, Tests
July 15, 2013
A while back, a client of mine developed a raging case of heartburn after learning a new hire didn’t have the writing skills the client thought he did. The employee excelled in other areas, but no Billy Shakespeare was he.
Despite having requested writing samples during the interview process, the organization realized it misjudged the person’s ability to write – a core function of the position. For a while my client downed Alka Seltzer like Pez – until he…
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