At 30, “Dave” had already compiled an impressive array of accomplishment, including the successful management of a retail team of 30. Generally, I advocate for high-potential talent growing into roles beyond their experience. In fact, there is evidence Millennials (aka ‘Gen Y’) are more equipped for success than previous generations.

In this case, however, the risks associated with promoting Dave outweighed his ambition and qualifications. Having only been with the organization for one year, Dave’s breadth and depth of experience didn’t satisfy the board’s requirements for their new GM role.

I gently told Dave that he had great potential, but that his experience was not competitive in this candidate pool; the board wanted a seasoned executive with a proven track record, trusted experience, and a strong vision to take the small entrepreneurial company to the next level. A stretch assignment, I told him, was not appropriate for the role.

It seemed logical to me, but Dave disagreed. He met each of my arguments with calm, strong pushback.

What interests me most here: Dave’s resistance to recognizing his shortcomings in light of more veteran candidates. It made me wonder how this very large, confident generation will change the dynamics of talent acquisition, development, and retention as they gain experience and elevate their game. Trends suggest that Millennials are more strategic and proactive about clambering up the corporate ladder.

Ready or Impatient? Motivated or Unrealistic?

According to Nick Shore, SVP of Strategic Consumer Insights and Research at MTV, “Millennials are not just a more voluminous generation than Boomers, but better educated, more self-esteemed, more demanding, more technologically savvy, more empowered and wired to win at the game of life.” As this generation climbs the corporate ladder, their expectations and abilities are sure to reshape the organizations they aspire to lead.

To some, the Millennials’ ambition may seem unrealistic and impatient. Cali Williams Yost counters, “Millennials watched the concept of work and career change fundamentally.” Their aspirations are simply the product of the market from which they emerged. ‘Unrealistic’ may be an unfair label. The rules of employment have changed, so Millennial behavior and expectations are shifting, too.

Shifting, indeed. Pew Research articulates this group’s mercurial tendencies; “Members of this generation are far more likely than members of others to say they will one day be working for someone other than their current employers. Nearly six-in-ten younger workers (57%) say it is not very likely or not likely at all that they will stay with their current employers for the remainder of their working lives. Among Gen X workers, those numbers are virtually reversed: A 62% majority say it’s likely they will never leave their current employers.” With a well-earned reputation for job-hopping, what are we to make of this generation as it enters the executive echelons?

A lesson in patience or flexibility?

Ultimately, Dave was not considered for the CEO position. He was commended for his ambition and drive, but told that he needed more experience. His story makes me wonder about this generation of executives. How many will accept the exhortation to be patient, and how many will react with a new job search?

How can we accommodate the Millennial’s ambition while retaining them over the long term?

To retain this talent and help them grow into their aspirations, I suggest:

1. Structure for choice. Consider your organization in terms of career paths. Create logical job ladders and rotations to foster broad and deep expertise. Think in terms of projects, initiatives, and stretch-assignments. Would a formal mentoring process add value?
2. Leverage their taste for speed. This generation likes to learn and grow. A shorter promotion cycle, coupled with more frequent, smaller steps doesn’t have to cost a lot of money, and could satisfy their lust for variety.
3. Allow room for failure. Identify opportunities for pressure-testing high-potential Millennials. Single out individuals for special programs. Don’t coddle; let them experience what it means to take it up a notch. Follow Wieden + Kennedy’s advice for fostering creativity and testing potential quickly; Fail Harder.
4. Understand what they want. Tie performance incentives to their motivations (e.g. more money, time off, etc.) Regularly talk to your employees to make sure they feel engaged, supported, and challenged.
5. Spend your breath, not a fortune. Appreciation need not cost much money. Provide regular constructive feedback and positive reinforcement. Say thanks. Have fun. Communicate often.

What’s your experience?

What have you learned about hiring, managing, and retaining ambitious Millennials? Share your experiences below in the comments section.

When I first became an executive recruiter, there was no computer on my desk; just a shoebox full of 4×6 note cards with contacts’ information. Newspaper advertising was still an effective means of generating a candidate pool, and the ‘facsimile’ was the vogue way to transmit résumés. The trusty telephone –and a healthy network- served as the primary means for finding needles in the haystack.

Today, social media affords easy access to a surfeit of talent-related information; the haystack has mushroomed into a ‘hay mountain’. The executive recruiter who keeps up with the trends and technologies can search smarter, farther and harder for a whole handful of talented ‘needles’. Greater choice allows our clients more exacting selectivity and less compromise on job requirements.

With that said, these tools are also responsible for increased job shopping and job-hopping, altering the structure and behavior of the executive recruitment landscape. The speed and frequency of talent flow between companies has been on the rise, in spite of the flat economy.

Although fewer people are using the phone, it remains an excellent tool for connecting the dots between the glut of data in the virtual world and the thickening relationship mesh in the physical world.

More information ≠ Better connections

While it’s easier than ever to find names, titles, email addresses, and numbers, the wide avenues of communication have simultaneously created new hurdles to connecting authentically. We must now compete with the constant clamor of emails and updates, tweets and texts. Today, sustained performance hinges on the ability to prioritize hundreds of messages, responding only to the information most relevant and critical to immediate objectives. Unless disgruntled in their current role, most executives will understandably overlook or ignore messages that aren’t relevant to their responsibilities.

So, how do we overcome this information barrier? With personal connections.

Initially this may sound daunting. Working as an executive recruiter, we need to generate a critical mass of contacts for adequate reach, but this isn’t just a question of numbers. More than ‘linking in’ with others, our work still revolves around cultivating relationships for talent searches today and tomorrow.

Sparks really begin to fly when we enlist advocates: those who will repeatedly take time out of their busy days to recommend us to the bright talent in their networks. That is still the most reliable way to align company culture with candidate capabilities, competencies, and motivations. It is also the slowest. Indeed, I know of recruiters who have forsaken the phone altogether, perhaps believing that they are faster or more effective working exclusively online. I would argue that this mentality unnecessarily sacrifices opportunity.

The trick lies in finding equilibrium. Dive too deep into the ‘hay mountain’, and you risk getting lost and wasting time on unproductive research. Conversely, just poke around the fringes, and you may not find the best candidates in time. Finding and remaining in the sweet spot takes a balanced approach and sound data analysis.

We have to become adept navigators in the ocean of talent information, tapping relevant relationships to draw a map to the best candidates. Think of it as crowd-sourced recruitment. It’s the combination of new and old technology and the ability to compile more data to make better-informed decisions.

Regardless of how communication preferences and trends evolve in the digital realm, actively building and cultivating personable relationships will reliably distinguish successful executive recruiter efforts. Once we’ve researched the most promising leads online, it’s ultimately the phone that allows us to get through to an audience immersed in digital communication. Though some argue that the phone may be at the beginning of its decline, I maintain that it still has a place among the emerging avenues of communication.

It just takes some old school persistence and patience, neither of which will ever go out of vogue.

What do you think?
Have you noticed a shift in candidates’ and contacts’ preferences in mode of communication?
How has your use of the phone evolved?
Share your thoughts by fax, phone, or the comments field below.

Resigned to Resign

The moment of truth is often not when the candidate accepts your offer, but when they actually go to resign.

 As recruiters’, we often pat ourselves on the back when a candidate accepts a job offer and agrees to make the leap to a new company. However, any recruiter who has been around the block a few times knows that there remains the slim, but all too possible chance that the ‘perfect fit’ might be lured back to his or her old team. (Oh, the audacity!) Therefore, our job isn’t done until that recruit –that employee-yet-to-be- actually shows up for his or her first day of work.

The dynamics of change… have changed.

Since the economy has maintained an ‘employer’s market’ for so long, you might think that companies would make resignations smooth and hassle-free. As usual, reality is more complicated.

Because many employees have been doing more work with less pay, they’re attentively awaiting the chance to jump ship. Consequently, some companies are suffering uncomfortable employee losses, and are reacting with more aggressive efforts to retain top talent intent on resigning. As with most reactions, this is an inefficient response; if retention were truly a goal, it would not have become an issue. Questions of efficiency aside, reactive retention efforts can work if the resigning employee is surprised by a sudden showering of positive attention.  (Never mind that most of these starry-eyed folks end up leaving the company within a year, anyway.)

Relaxing before the recruitment race is truly over exposes you to unnecessary risk of failure. Aside from the time and energy wasted on an unsuccessful recruitment, current staff –already busy with their own responsibilities- may be covering the vacant position, and expecting a new hire to pick up the slack soon. To mitigate the risk of losing the top candidate at the moment of truth, recruiters should help him or her prepare to give notice.

Bolstering the resolution to resign.

• Let recruits know that resignation can be harder than they expect, but without making the whole event seem more dramatic than it needs to be.  
• Be a resource for them by offering 3^rd party information on resigning.
• If needed, offer to help them develop 2-3 concise talking points.
• Assure them that they will be fine if they just stick to their ‘script.’
• Tactfully reinforce their main motivations for making a move without being too pushy or negative about their current company.
• Reiterate why you’re excited about them joining your company.

With a little extra encouragement and preparation, candidates can have a happy ending, and a fresh start.  The best result is the most anticlimactic: the candidate leaves on good terms, cuts ties cleanly, and moves into the new position without any baggage.  Preparing for the counter-offer mitigates a considerable risk for the hiring manager, improves the likelihood of a successful switch, and boosts your chances of earning that aforementioned caloric sin.

Additional resources:

For tips you can share with candidates prior to them having to give notice, check out my post “Quit Your Job with Grace.” on how to make a graceful exit.

For tips on getting the candidate to accept your offer, read my post “Deal or No Deal: Getting Top Talent to Accept Your Offer.”

Please share your thoughts on this topic.

-      Have you heard interesting stories about key employees giving notice?

-      What is the best way to protect against a counter offer?

>>> About Notogroup: Notogroup is an executive search and talent consulting firm. We have a singular focus on providing the most comprehensive executive recruiting service so that our clients can be assured that each and every hire is a successful one.  For more information, Contact Roy Notowitz.

“Support the local economy.”

“Recruit from your local talent pool.”

While ‘my’ eccentric Portland may actively embody the first two statements, it -along with the rest of the country- could still benefit from the third.  Aside from the associated warm-n-fuzzy feelings, the slew of advantages from hiring locally just makes good business sense in some cases.  Let’s take a look at what your company has to gain by recruiting locally.  First thing’s first…

You have no alternative. Juuust joking. Sure, you can recruit from across the country, but that quagmire of a housing market has many bright-n-shiny prospects shackled to their mortgages.  Even if your ‘VP of the Right Stuff’ could sell, will your budget cover the relocation costs?  Many companies are starting to grow, even though their budgets are still ‘partying like it’s 2009’.  Even if you can pay for relocation, what if the new recruit doesn’t work out?  Hiring locally means lower relocation costs, less investment, and less obligation to the newbie. Oh, is that too cutthroat?

Hire locally.  You’ll sleep better. Relax, I’m not making a moral argument here. Talented people run in packs.  More than likely, your current talent can refer more top talent (aka their buddies) that they know personally.  To wit, ere.net recently declared that formally managed employee referral programs produce close to 50% of external hires for benchmarked organizations. Employee referrals are a great resource, so long as they’re vetted by a stringent competency assessment process.  Skip the formal selection process, and you risk a costly hiring mistake that can seriously harm your bottom line. Fact: your prospect’s competencies and performance must jive with your company’s needs and culture.  Just because they did well ‘back there’ doesn’t mean they’ll excel ‘over here’.  Likewise, a poor fit with a previous employer may be an outstanding player in your company.  My regular readers may roll their eyes at how I often return to the topic of properly assessing competencies, but that’s because it’s pivotal to finding the right candidate.

Caution: Shallow waters.  Dive with care. If you’ve limited your search to a specific type of industry experience or expertise, you’ve also limited the size of your prospecting pool.  Not the end of the world: Consider ‘Brave Hiring: No Guts, No Glory’; your ideal candidate may be right around the corner and ready to switch from a different industry.  Of course, your prospects will also have their own limits.  A recent client’s experience comes to mind: the ideal candidate (all the right experience, culture fit like a glove, etc.) withdrew from the hiring pool because of the 25-mile commute!  Beware, my recruiting brethren of large metropolises!

Ready to hire locally?  Here’s what you do… Size up your hunting grounds.  Establish that a sufficient talent pool exists in your market.  If your candidate must have specific experience, list the local companies where your future employee may work or have worked recently.  Don’t forget to include on this list companies with satellite offices or telecommuting employees in your area.  These folks may be ready for a greater sense of community.  (In keeping with the whole ‘local economy’ thing.) Let’s say that your local talent pool looks more like a puddle.  Keep hope in your recruiting heart!  Consider broadening your horizons to include people with experience in parallel fields and transferable skills.  While these folks may take longer to ramp up, they may also bring game-changing ideas and enthusiasm for fresh challenges.  If you’re still scraping bottom, expand your ‘local’ search to ‘regional’.  Don’t let hot prospects get chilled by a long commute; let them work from home several days out of the week.

Finally, some crazy ideas for these crazy times. Let’s say that local hiring just isn’t working for you, but the relocation budget won’t cover much more than the mail forwarding notice.  If you live in a truly desirable location or your prospect really wants the job, he or she might settle for the price of a moving van and a plane ticket.  Heck, they might be willing to pay for their relocation.  The Ladders recently posted this very advice to job seekers! Crazy talk?  Maybe.  But it’s worth a try.  If you choose this route, just be up front. Love the candidate, but hate the relocation costs?  Experiment with a virtual office environment.  You’ll make the hire and buy time to confirm that the prospect is a good fit.  Then, when the housing market improves (ahem. Any day now…), you can move the candidate to your locale. And with that, I think I’d better get to my local Farmer’s Market.  It’s my turn to make dinner tonight.

Do you know who is talking about your company?  It’s not just consumers, it is current employees, past employees, and recent job candidates too! That’s right, and they are not just talking about your products. They are serving up uncensored commentary about what it is really like to work at your company.

As a result of new websites that offer self publishing tools, employees and candidates have an anonymous  forum to vent. I recently explored two such websites (Glassdoor and Jobvent) that offer user generated reviews of employers.  You can check out the websites at: Glassdoor (www.glassdoor.com) and JobVent (www.jobvent.com).

These sites allow the user to type in a company name to research reviews, salaries, and interview questions.  This means that a potential candidate can see what current and past employees as well as job candidates have posted anonymously about what they think of your company.  Here are some excerpts on two large outdoor industry companies that I researched:

COMPANY #1:
“Systems are outdated-Lotus Notes for mail”
“Managers not qualified for their positions”
“Employees don’t have a voice”
“A company that lives its values only in words”

COMPANY #2:
“Tremendous brand with great values “
“Lots of room for entrepreneurial endeavors”
“Flexible schedule/hours”
“Little turnover and slow growth philosophy make it challenging to move up in the company and grow”

Which company would you rather work for if given a choice?  Glassdoor even allows the user to offer anonymous advice to the “Senior Management” and ranks the CEO with an “Approval Rating”.  While this information is intended to be objective, it is important to recognize that these sites can make it easy for a disgruntled employee to communicate dissatisfaction.

While you might be able to find some stuff online about your employment brand, the majority of the information is passed around by word-of-mouth stories told by current employees, past employees, and candidates who have had interaction with the company. With as much connectivity and communication as there is these days, it does not take much to develop a soiled reputation. These word-of-mouth warning sirens can easily scare off top talent even if the stories are taken out of context or not fully accurate representations.  Companies that earn notoriety for being a dreadful place to work often can only attract employees who need a job bad enough to overlook the potential downsides of a toxic environment. Ultimately, this perpetuates the situation and leads to ongoing turnover and turmoil.

Most HR Mangers and Hiring Executives that I have surveyed state that they believe their “employment brand” to be “better than average” as compared to “average” or “below average”. Unfortunately, I have found that the internal perception often does not mirror the external feedback that I receive when I survey the market. As you might expect, companies generally have a more positive perception than what is often heard on the street. In some cases, companies with a strong consumer brand often falsely assume that the employment brand is a reflection of the consumer brand.  Often, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.

Please share your thoughts, comments, and ideas:

1. Is the market perception of what it is like to work at your company accurate? If not, why?
2. What should be done if someone has written an unfavorable review of your company?
3. What are some best practices for improving a company’s employment brand reputation?

Anyone who has done a a significant amount of hiring has likely discovered that people are able to achieve success in many different ways – even with the same job title and responsibilities! Also, every company has a unique culture and workplace ecosystem.  Evaluating and determining how a candidate’s motivation, experience, and personality map to an opportunity is a major intellectual challenge. Furthermore, evaluating candidate competencies and determining true accomplishments or failures can be an exercise in deciphering fact from fiction.  These are just some of the complexities that keep an executive search consultant on their toes at all times.

Each year I have had the opportunity to employ new recruiting strategies, tools, and methods to stay on top of my game. However, just as I think I have started to master my domain, the rules and tools change. In the past 15 years the following changes occurred:

1. I got a computer on my desk
2. Jobs were posted on the internet instead of newspapers
3. Applicant tracking and resume database systems replaced 3X5 cards in shoeboxes
4. Internet recruiting courses were really complex until google entered the scene
5. People started emailing resumes instead of faxing or snail mailing
6. Emails coming in increased from an average of 10 a day to over 200
7. Competency modeling, behavioral interviewing and scientific selection tools become more prevalent
8. Social networking such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIN are overtaking traditional job boards and providing more value and greater access to a global workforce

While the last decade has brought many advances that have altered the recruiting landscape, the basic foundational elements have remained the same.

Despite all of the challenges and changes in the executive search industry the following success factors have remained constant :

1. Knowing top industry talent and being able to leverage a large network of established relationships on behalf of clients.
2. Representing client companies professionally and being able to build excitement for their opportunities.
3. Having the knowledge of the best-known methods for selection to provide in depth and objective evaluation of candidates.
4. Being open, honest, and real. Always doing what is in my client’s best interest and developing long-term partnerships where there is a mutual investment in success.