When and How It Is Best to Communicate With Human Resources, (Pt III)

Okay, I am ready to share with you the magic dance steps to this little jig I’m suggesting. Sorry for all the suspense but there’s a reason. For the sake of clarity, I seek to leave little room for argument, covering as many different angles as I can. Notice, nobody posts comments contesting my claims. It isn’t because nobody’s reading this blog, actually considering I’ve only been posting since October of last year, readership has grown fast with more and more people all the time. Just lately there are a few employment-related bloggers suggesting people should do more than just email resumes, but they offer no suggestions nor any real advice. I suggest people are starving for the kind of non-standard advice I offer and, frankly, I see no one else offering more than the same old pabulum you can find in any number of so-called resources from so-called experts. My advice is direct, anecdotal, fact-based, first-hand experienced up close and in the trenches and hand-to-hand, and I rarely lose an argument about this stuff because I walk-the-talk. Anyone who has a differing view and can prove me wrong is welcome to step up, or step off. Lead, follow or get out of the way – as the saying goes. And how is it that even this bloviating relates to your efforts? Because in a world of look-alike, generic people all doing and saying the same things, if you don’t stand up, speak up and make a point of being noticed, you won’t be. My goal is to help you to do this in the most effective manner possible. So where were we? 

Since I already have my practiced and effective F.A.B. presentation, here’s what I do next:

·         I compile a list of the companies I intend to call.

·         Then I research to determine the points of contact, using a combination of online research and telephone inquiries. 

Next I make my calls and when I reach a hiring official, I calmly but effectively present the information. At this point the conversation can go in many different directions. I listen for buying signs and follow them wherever they may lead. They might engage in further conversation to learn more. They might ask me to send a resume directly to them. They might suggest I call someone else more suitable. They might re-route me back to HR. They might get aggravated and cut me off. You won’t know until you try. Who knows, the hiring manager may tell you to expressly inform HR they want you to be moved through the process in a different manner, or they will just say, “you’ll need to go through HR”. If so, no worries, you and your inquiry are noted. If they refer you back to HR, which is likely, ask to whom they suggest you speak and get the contact info.     

This is how I like to pattern my efforts, now I am ready to circle back around and speak with HR. Because now I have a reason to speak to HR, and even better I have been referred; it carries more weight. This simple strategy has generated profoundly different results for me over the years. Most people are unwilling to do this and so, however it happens, when your resume crosses their desk they’ll remember you. You’ve made an impact and if you have a good F.A.B. it can only be helpful to your efforts. Although it takes some front-end effort and prep work, this alternate method establishes you as a standout in an age of plain vanilla ordinary.  

This is the way I like to communicate with HR; I’m neither avoiding them nor am I being disrespectful, I just come at it from a different angle. Even if the hiring manager wants to continue direct communication, I will always offer to copy HR on all correspondence, but I have the hiring manager’s ear, which was the intended goal. On a few occasions a hiring manager has thanked me and suggested I leave it with them and they take it upon themselves to follow up with HR. Some folks in human resources, like anywhere else, can have thin skin and possibly resent your going around them. However, I contend you are possibly saving everyone involved time and effort by cutting through the red tape.  

If you’re already doing what everyone else is, working the online angle of search and submission, good, you have that covered. By adding these proactive activities to your repertoire you’re multiplying your potential for results. Talking to real people will expand your chances of success and also make you much more comfortable when the time comes to sit across a table in an interview. As I often say, companies hire people, not paper (resumes). If you’re a pessimist, the worst that can happen is you are sent back to HR where you would have gone anyway, to send your resume down the rabbit hole. It’s up to you. 

Next time we will talk about what companies look for and use to disqualify applicants and how to avoid small but costly mistakes. 

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When and How It Is Best to Communicate With Human Resources, (Pt II)

People love their routines, and HR staffers are no different. Too often they promote bureaucracy for the sake of the bureaucracy. Never mind that occasionally their processes don’t result in what is best for their company, their policies must be followed because, well, just because!  

I work with HR and have developed good-working relationships with senior-level human resource pros built on mutual respect, professional courtesy and shared risk. But I don’t work for them, I work with them and that makes a big difference. When I call into a company for the first time to inquire about their needs and, sometimes, their wish list, logically that means I should be speaking with those in the know, the hiring managers; HR is my second choice.  

Now, I want you to go back, go baaaack in time to my previous blog entries discussing Gate Keepers. If you recall, I had suggested your objective should be to try to obtain the name and contact info for a hiring manager; someone to whom you would hypothetically report, or their boss. I also suggested that there is nothing wrong with contacting HR first, but I advise they might not be your first choice. Why - because once you submit your resume, HR will review it and, if there is interest, someone will contact you. The hiring manager may not ever see it and what happens most of the time, shhhh, can you hear it? That’s right, nuthin’ - not even a cricket, just silence. On the other hand, if you are able to connect with a hiring manager who knows where the conversation could lead, they might ask you for your resume and, if it goes well, at some point they will likely route you back through HR. Perhaps this may sound to you like a runaround, eh? Not really, but I’ll explain that later. 

If you are a good candidate and well qualified, who’s more likely to notice you, an HR staffer who is juggling a gazillion resumes and not a specialist in any of the roles that lay outside of the human resource department, or a person who would be involved in your hiring process anyway? When I call a company and talk to HR, if I have any questions beyond what is on the tame and lame, generic and virtually worthless public consumption job description, you know what they tell me most of the time? They say, “I don’t know the answer and I will need to check with the hiring manager”. As I said, I am not denigrating HR, not at all, they are an important part of the process. However, most often they don’t have the info I need, nor are they qualified to determine beyond a short session of connect the dots, matching the job description to your resume, as to whether or not you are qualified for the position. Furthermore, most of that is now done by software that scans and peels keywords from your resume. The only reason some get testy about this subject, and what I am suggesting, is because among their many duties, they are the department tasked with collecting, collating and distributing of resumes. So it’s understandable that some people get bruised egos if everyone isn’t asking for their permission to enter (remember the Gate Keeper analogy).  

So finally (drum roll), in the next blog entry I’ll share with you in chronological order, the process I follow when I call into a company for the first time to both gain entry and to make an impact.  

(Part III will be posted on Thursday)

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When and How It Is Best to Communicate With Human Resources, (Pt I)

When you are seeking a new job, Human Resources is the most likely first stop for the majority of job seekers, regardless of whether they apply indirectly online, or proactively with a phone call or a visit. It is to where you will always be directed and, for most people, that’s just fine. But I want you to think about the process with which you are engaging when you have interest in a job – according to the standard template. Resumes are routed through HR, who in turn, file and review them for further consideration. They then go through a sieve and filtering process, and it is at this point when they disappear into a deep black hole, leaving applicants hoping, wondering and waiting for a positive reply, but most often getting an automated response informing them that their resume is on file; in essence saying “Thanks for playing, better luck next time.” 

Human resource professionals are no different than the rest of us; they have a job to do and often a thankless one at that. Within all professional sectors there are those who’ll make real effort to help you and those who are not very forthcoming or, worst of all, a few who are ambivalent and they won’t even bother with you, your questions or needs. “Thanks, now don’t call us, we’ll call you” is often the order of the day. Most of the time it isn’t meant to be rude, but that is the way they’re set up to operate and, especially in recent years, they are shielded by automation and technology. I often joke with a little bit of sarcasm that they might try to re-inject a little bit of human back into the human resource function. They don’t even call themselves Human Resources any longer, instead referring to themselves as Human Capital or Talent Management or some other term du jour. Frankly, I think they ought to go back to what they were referred to a few decades ago, the Personnel Department, but what do I know. Regardless, here’s the thing, you will have little real interaction with them unless or until they call you to schedule an interview. They may even participate in the initial screening interview, and then there isn’t much for them to do with you until there is a job offer, at which time they will coordinate the whole thing. I am not diminishing their role but just trying to keep it real; it is important work and essential for a positive outcome. However, be aware that unless you are applying for a job within human resources, they do not make hiring decisions. They may be involved by coordinating the interview process, administer testing and profiling or conduct initial screening interviews. They may be asked for their opinions, but the final hiring decisions are made by the hiring managers, who work in the departments with the vacancies and needs. So if you have an opportunity to speak with someone more directly involved with the position in which you are interested, wouldn’t you capitalize on it? 

Furthermore, human resources (as a department), due to their wide scope of responsibilities, possess only basic info and understanding of any particular job opening. Anyone you ask, barring the most senior staffers, will refer to the same job description you read when you chose to apply for consideration. One exception would be smaller companies where HR wears many different hats so they have a detailed understanding about that which management seeks. In medium to large company structures, they are process oriented. Therefore, I contend that while they have an important role and you will interact with them, they are not my choice for first contact.  

Are you committing a sin if you initiate contact in a different direction than HR? Is it detrimental to inquire with anyone else; is there some kind of etiquette that, if you stray from their routines, you are doomed to be dropped from future consideration? Nope, there is not. If you do something slightly different than others, the world is not going to unravel into chaos and most people will continue to apply as they have been. You’re simply choosing the road less traveled.  

Next time I’ll explain how this works and how to make it work for you. 

(Part II will be posted on Monday) 

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Open & Close-Ended Questions

You’re already using these questions, but it’s likely you haven’t had any reason to consider their significance. If you seek to be a better communicator and, as a result, a better negotiator, then this is something worthy of  attention and being conscious of. 

We've just finished discussing buying signs, watching for them and being prepared to react accordingly. But this does not mean you should limit yourself only to being reactive. Interviews are a two-way, interactive event; they are not a one-sided interrogation. Indeed, as an applicant you are seeking admission; yes, more pressure is on you to hopefully meet and ideally surpass their expectations, but you should be every bit as proactive in learning about the opportunity during the process in which you are engaged. So, not only understanding and identifying the difference between open-ended and close-ended questions, but employing them, is the essence of interactive communication – unless you choose instead to sit like a lump and answer only that which is asked of you; but you won’t gain much information that way. 

Close-ended questions are simple and only evoke a yes or no reply. This has value when you seek a direct and definitive answer.  

Open-ended questions require thought and encourage additional discussion of the subject at hand. They help to perpetuate conversation. 

Understanding the difference can be helpful and productive, and here is the primary reason why this is not something to overlook. If you enter an interview with a high level of interest and the best intentions but you only respond and, in so doing, limit yourself to asking yes and no questions you will not get far and you will go home kicking yourself, after the fact. If, on the other hand, you engage in a business conversation and interact with well-placed questions it can make the difference. Here are basic examples of what I am talking about: 

(Close-ended)

“Are you hiring anyone?”

“No” 

(Open-ended)

“What kind of people do you hire?”

“Well, that depends…”   

They are virtually the same question asked in a different way, thereby guiding the conversation toward a different potential outcome. 

While (most) other people are content to limit themselves to sending a few resumes electronically – and likely complaining about poor results and lamenting how tough it is and there are no jobs out there -- think about what you’re capable of doing on your own behalf. If you have  been following this blog for the last couple months:

You are, of course, conducting online efforts. You are also capable of confidently initiating direct contact in order to investigate opportunities within companies and organizations of interest. You have learned the means by which to overcome the hurdle of process barriers meant to limit or channel your inquiry; you are now developing ways to navigate around those obstacles, enhancing your odds of reaching a hiring official. You’ve learned how to formulate an effective personal presentation, with examples that you can quickly but concisely share, when you have your moment. You’ve learned how to employ your presentation in a number of different applications (in person, on the telephone, voice mail and email).  

And now you are learning how to best apply questions in a manner that will maximize and more completely investigate available opportunities others will miss. There is so much more but, thus far, would you agree it is possible that by adding any (or all) of these measures, it can set you apart from others competing for the same jobs? So it isn’t just about emailing resumes and crossing your fingers, is it?    

Next time we’ll talk about communicating with Human Resources.

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Buying Signs

If you’ve been following my previous entries, identifying buying signs is important to your job-hunting efforts as you begin to speak with potential employers. But if you are just discovering my blog, you’ll have to go back a few entries to gain some perspective. 

Knowing what are, and how to identify, buying signs is critical to your efforts. Sometimes they are clear and hit you in the face or they can be subtle, communicated by an off-hand comment or revealed in a tone or inflection of voice. It is always better to speak directly with individuals whenever possible because these things are just too hard to pick up in written communications unless they are literally spelled out. 

Everything I discuss on my blog is linked in some way to helping people widen their scope of possibilities; casting your net ever wider, so fewer potential opportunities slip past your notice and thus you can capitalize on every potential opportunity. The term buying signs refers to and is an integral part of the sales profession and, when you are applying or interviewing for a job, you are selling and therefore watching for them when you will be communicating with any representative of a company or organization which you are interested in working with / for. The fact that most people know nothing about buying signs is an advantage for you. Understanding buying signs helps you react to subtleties that might mean little or nothing to most, but could lead to something good if you pursue. Meanwhile, possible opportunities are whizzing past others and they don't even know it. When you sense a buying sign, follow to see where it leads. Don’t make the mistake, as many do, of being so single minded and focused that you miss out. Indeed, have a general idea about that which you seek to accomplish but, I want you to be like a shark; a shark swims along, it knows where it wants to go, generally, but when it smells blood, it reacts and immediately moves in that direction to see where it leads. You should do the same; you can always backtrack to the original topic but the whole point of watching for and reacting to buying signs is to, again, expand your chances of success.  

A simple formula for what constitutes a buying sign is any positive response to your inquiry followed by but, or anything similar. So here's a list of some examples of possible buying signs to listen for, with some possible responses: 

“You have a good background but we are not hiring right now…”

“Can you suggest when I should again follow up and with whom?” 

“I wish I could consider you, we need someone, but our budget hasn’t been approved yet…”

“When is the budget deadline so I can call back?” 

“…I wish we could but we have a hiring freeze…”

“Okay, I understand at the moment you can’t hire any permanent employees but what about contract or temporary, with a possibility of going permanent later?” 

“Thanks for your call but I’m not the right person to speak to.”

“Okay thanks. Then who should I contact, do you have their name and title?”  

“I wish I could help you but we’re not looking for one of those on our team.”

“So who else would you refer me to who might have need?” 

Does this make sense to you? This is also to what I am referring when I suggest you engage in a business conversation. It beats the hell out of someone who calls and says, in monotone, “I’m lookin’ for a job, you need anybody? No? Oh well, okay, thanks anyway.” If you are serious you’ll recognize that I want you to squeeze every drop from every job-related conversation and occasion.  

Next time we’ll talk about wresting a little control over the direction of conversations concerning your job hunting and/or negotiating efforts; creating more participatory interaction by more skillfully applying Open and Close-ended questions, and why it is so important to recognize the difference.

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Taking the Initiative, (Pt II)

(Cont’d)

Do your prep and research before you place your call but, I caution people, don’t think too much, don’t over examine or over analyze what you will be doing on your own behalf. Some people will fret and think a subject to death and, as a result, sit on their hands and do nothing. Any time you try something new, it is always a  bit uncomfortable. Remember, the worst thing that can happen is being told “no”, over the telephone, by someone you don’t know. Gee, that’s scary – not! So, with the contact name of a potential hiring manager, and possessing a relatively refined and practiced presentation (to the extent you are comfortable), make the calls, introduce yourself and state your intention with reasons as to why considering you for employment might be constructive.  

When you have the opportunity to speak with a hiring manager, go with the flow of the conversation. Present yourself but be able to adapt it slightly, if necessary, to somewhat reflect the tone and situation. After greeting them and stating your name, always start by asking if they have a moment to speak. If they say they are busy, ask them when it is a better time to speak and then follow up. However, don’t leave a lengthy pause awaiting their reply and unless they object right away, begin your presentation – after all, it is  going to require less than a minute of their time. When you are finished, you will add one last comment and question, “Are you the right person to whom to speak about this?” (I’ve written it to be grammatically correct, but say it however you feel comfortable) and then stop talking, really, say nothing more and await their reply. Now, listen to what they have to say and, not only what they say, but how they reply. What you are listening for, if not a clear black and white reply one way or the other, are buying signs.

You also must recognize, as any sales person knows, there is rarely a one call close/sale. In other words, few people reach the decision maker, make their presentation, and win the pot-o-gold on a first attempt. Yes, it can happen on occasion, although success is often incremental, and getting your foot in the door more often occurs on the third or fourth attempt. So if the door does not swing open and the CEO is not there to greet you, it does not mean failure. A lot, however, depends on the depth of your efforts. If, for example, 20 placed calls to an assortment of companies gets you a positive result, it’s up to you whether you take a few days, or a week – or more, to conduct and reach that level of effort. I doubt most people who want to work, think that searching for a job is a hobby or a pastime to which they get around once in a while. If you’re only looking for a job whenever the feeling hits you, you ain’t serious. Nothing wrong with that and I’m not necessarily criticizing, everyone has their own priorities, but we should be honest with ourselves, as well as to those who may depend on us. 

We’ve spoken a lot about developing your own personal presentation, with good reason. It is central to your efforts and, for the rest of your working life, it should be as integral a part of any job search efforts, as is your resume – they go hand-in-hand, they are inseparable. Additionally, your F.A.B. personal presentation can be utilized in any number of ways; in addition to occasional spontaneous usage in your daily life, you have three methods available to you for delivery of your presentation. Although you may slightly adapt or adjust a word here and there in your opening and closing sentence, here are three alternatives for you, in order of preference: 

• Directly communicated – whether it is delivered face-to-face or speaking one-on-one over the telephone, this is your first and best option. Always seek to communicate your presentation directly to the person whom you want to contact.
• Voice mail – If you make several attempts to speak directly but are unable, your second choice is to leave a voice mail. If you have a good presentation, the formulae of Feature / Accomplishment (Achievement) / Benefit, are attention grabbers. Simply leave an introduction and your presentation as the voice mail (don’t forget to leave your name at both the beginning and end of your voice mail together with your telephone number). 
• Email – It’s not as good as if you can speak with a hiring manager directly, but as a third choice it’s still an effective alternative. 

So now, think about it, you have the normal everyday online efforts that you usually conduct and will continue doing so; plus, now you have a well-prepared personal presentation and you are always ready. You now have not only one, but up to four alternatives for getting your message out there. You have just multiplied your potential for finding a job and, likewise, streamlined your efforts as a result – but wait, there’s more!  

Next time we’ll talk  about identifying buying signs, how to react and capitalize on them. 

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Taking the Initiative, (Pt I)

You should have, or are developing, your own personal presentation so that anytime you might have the occasion, by chance or through intention to speak to a hiring manager, you can speak with purpose and confidence. The result we’ve sought is so that you’ll be more impactful and, as an applicant, more formidable than your contemporaries, who are also trying to get noticed but who only bother to limit their focus to online resume submissions and solicitations. Can you begin to recognize how you are already starting to separate yourself from most others in both mindset and action? Now, let’s go back to what we were discussing a couple weeks ago, when we were talking about gate keepers and getting the name of a hiring manager.  

By the way, I’ve been utilizing this same methodology for more than 20 years. If you are wondering how a hiring manager whom you are able to contact might react to your unsolicited call, I can tell you according to my own experience, it primarily depends on what you have to say that will reap their interest, anger or indifference. Regarding any negative vibes you may encounter, there are basically only two; one being you’ve caught them at a bad time (is there ever a good time?), or they act bothered and you are an intrusion. Second, recognize there are some people out there who are just plain tone deaf and reactionary to anything that doesn’t fit into their little box of daily routine and expectations but, fortunately, these people are few. In such cases you can sour grape it and tell yourself that they would likely be a jerk to work with. This assumption is correct a majority of the time and, as such, let them keep their bad mojo, don’t you shoulder it; just say thank you, smile and move on. 

Generally speaking, if you have a decent presentation and demeanor, most people are generally accepting and will let you say what you called to say. Often they recognize that it takes a little gumption to make the effort you’ve made in reaching them. I have also found that, ironically, the more senior the individual the easier they are to talk to – again, if you have something worthwhile to tell them, once again, it comes down to the importance of the personal presentation. If I must try to single out those who tend to be more negative than others, it would be lower and middle managers. There could be a few reasons for this, but I personally think the more senior and, as a result more mature, managers can appreciate the effort made to reach them, recognizing most people can’t or won’t take such initiative. Likewise, it exemplifies traits companies often like to see. Lower and middle managers might not get it and, moreover, if there is indication the caller is cleverer than the hiring manager with whom they are speaking, those traits might not be as appreciated. Let’s face it, some people are more concerned with protecting their turf than what may be best for their company and you might be viewed as a threat; these things happen. Never mind, these negative reactions are not as common as you may fear; these are worse-case scenarios and no one is coming after you for making a call. In fact, I suggest you should consider that, when you call into a company, it is not a distraction or a bother and, instead, you’re calling with good news; you’re contacting an organization to explain to them how you can benefit their organization. Meanwhile, everyone else is sending their resumes down a black hole to await the blessing of recognition and a call. So, if you have confidence in what you have to offer, reject any feelings that you are imposing on, or bothering someone. Don’t wear the albatross of self doubt around your neck before you’ve even spoken with anyone. To a good listener, self doubt and a lack of belief in the product you represent (that product being you) is palpable and can be sensed; as I often say, perception is reality in such endeavors.  

Next time, a few more comments, and then you’re going to pick up the phone and start talking to people. 

(Part II will be posted on Monday)

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