Saul Recruitment - "Give yourself one less thing to worry about!" (Australia-wide 24/7): That was then – this is now! How to RECRUIT, RETAIN and BE RECRUITED in this NEW year…By Darren Saul

Monday, February 21, 2011

That was then – this is now! How to RECRUIT, RETAIN and BE RECRUITED in this NEW year…By Darren Saul

I want to thank all my clients and candidates VERY much for your support last year – yes it was a great year and I hope you (and I) have an even better one this year!

The world keeps changing. Industries keep evolving. And so do best practices. Including best practices governing how to recruit, how to retain and how to be recruited. What worked in the past won’t necessarily work in the future and those who are willing to keep an open mind and embrace new ideas will be those who ultimately will embrace the rewards as well!

I’m definitely no Nostradamus but I predict that recruitment activity will continue to steadily rise and good quality talent will be even harder to find AND keep!

So what do you do about it? Here are some of my thoughts…

Hiring managers –

Treat your people better than you treat your customers!
Delegate wherever possible and thus empower your employees to take ownership, build confidence and develop pride in what they do. RESULT: employee loyalty!
Be hearty in your approbation and lavish in your praise (Dale Carnegie - How to win friends and influence people)
Conduct frequent two-way reviews to build the lines of communication and confirm expectations (including career path management) – once/twice a year is just not enough!
Create a friendly, approachable and fun atmosphere where people are happy (better: proud) to work – this will passively attract other quality people to you and your organisation. RESULT: reduced recruitment spend for you…and more bus. dev. for me…
Invest in staff training and development
Pay employees well!
Offer referral fees for talent
Really partner with your niche recruitment specialists – this means carefully prepared job descriptions, prompt feedback and time invested in order to build a trusting, consultative relationship
Always be willing to receive resumes/and or meet with valuable talent – ie. a more proactive recruitment approach
Be open to candidates that may not have all the technical skills but more than make up for it in attitude
Realise that speed (without compromising quality) is going to be ever more important when recruiting!
Embrace new technologies as useful tools when recruiting ie. Skype video conferencing and social media
Understand generational differences – Gen X vs. Gen Y

Candidates looking for opportunities -

Strive to become a quality professional and build a reputation as a first class individual! (First Class or Economy – the choice is yours!)
Remember that your current place of employment may just well be able to offer you what you are looking for if you prove yourself to be worthy of it!!
Volunteer to take on those responsibilities that no one else wants
Work smarter AND harder which may mean longer hours
Differentiate yourself as a valuable leader/mentor to your peers - not just a participant
Establish yourself as a positive, enthusiastic and “can do” team member than can always be counted on in times of pressure
Take personal and professional development more seriously – if your organisation can’t fund it right now, fund it yourself – it’s an investment in YOUR future! There are plenty of low-cost/no-cost resources available – books, cds, the web, my blog…
Strive to “thrive” and not just “exist”!
Be healthy! Exercise. Eat well. A healthy body breeds a healthy mind and a valuable employee.
Last but definitely not least - BE DIFFERENT when it comes to job hunting. For a FREE 17 page doc. entitled “Being Different” – A job seeker’s guide to success in the NEW world! http://www.box.net/shared/8j79mu4j4h

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Darren's dose of wisdom!

"There are no short cuts to any place worth going" - Beverly Sills. BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS - the tortoise or the hare - which one are you? The faster the better or do you prefer the slow and steady (value based) approach? Build your personal brand, client base and contact base one relationship at a time built on good old-fashioned substance. A painter is only as good as his last creation, a songwriter only as good as his last tune and a barrista only as good as his last cappuccino! Sure nowadays you have to have a little pizazz but if the fundamentals are lacking so too will your bottom-line!...

Our favourite quotes

"A successful life is one that is lived through understanding and pursuing one's own path, not chasing after the dreams of others" Chin-Ning Chu
"At any age it is important to conserve our ambitions and continue to learn. Otherwise we let ourselves go and mediocrity takes the upper hand" Clint Eastwood
"Character is not made of sunshine and roses. Like steel, it is forged in fire, between the hammer and the anvil" Chin-Ning Chu
"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant" Robert Louis Stevenson
"Every failure brings with it the seed of an equivalent success" Napoleon Hill
"He who treads softly goes far" Ancient Chinese proverb
"If the angel of good fortune is running hard to chase you, you must slow down enough to let her catch up" Chin-Ning Chu
"If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything" Mark Twain
"It's better to regret what you have done than what you haven't" Paul Arden
"Let the water boil" Chin-Ning Chu
"Make all decisions based on the person you would like to become" Dr. Paul Homoly
"Most people will not do the hard work to make success easy" Jeffrey Gitomer
"Originality is the best substitute for advertising" John Patterson
"Recruiters are like hairdressers - once you find a good one stick with them!" Me
"Replace fear of the unknown with curiosity" Unknown
"The worst promise you can break is one made to yourself" Unknown
"There are no short cuts to any place worth going" Beverly Sills
"Try not to become a man of success but a man of value" Albert Einstein
"Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve" Napoleon Hill
"You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him to find it within himself" Galileo
“Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life” Confucius
“In baseball, my theory is to strive for consistency, not to worry about the numbers. If you dwell on statistics you get shortsighted, if you aim for consistency, the numbers will be there at the end” Tom Seaver
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit” Aristotle
“You become what you think about all day long” Earl Nightingale

What others say!!

“Darren is a highly skilled IT Recruiter. I have refered him (and continue to do so) on numerous ocassions to a number of my clients who had IT requirements and he has always delivered. He is a very passionate, energetic and enthusiastic recruiter which is infectuous. Highly networked he is able to build great rapport with clients and candidates. I highly recommend Darren and can vouch for him 110%.” Laurie Smith, Recruitment Partner
“I can spot quality a mile away and that is possibly why I became Darren's first client. His company became a constant in my stable of "must have" suppliers. Over the years, I have been tempted and cajoled to try the services of countless other recruitment companies and in the back of my mind, I always knew that it would be near impossible to match the quality of service that Darren provides. Recruitment is not altogether a straightforward exercise. That's why it is important to find a person such as Darren who fosters an easy working relationship. You will find that he tells it to you as it is and is extremely fair in his dealings. I thank Darren for placing many, many good people with me.” Debra Lee, Client
“Darren has consistently provided quality candidates for our service desk and engineering groups over a number of years. He takes the time to understand our business direction and operational requirements and ensure that candidates presented to us are a good match in both skills and culture.” Hugh Murphy, Client
“Darren has delivered excellent candidates for us on a consistent basis in both the Notes and Service Desk environments. Darren is always highly responsive, and keeps his finger firmly on the pulse of the market. It is also refreshing to have a recruiter who has enough confidence in their own ability, and strength of relationship building, that they do not feel the need to call every week seeking further business.” Daniel Shorten, Client
“Working towards being a great Recruitment Consultant, I worked closely with Darren. What I observed was a passionate, endearing and highly skilled person who I aspired to be like. What Darren possesses cannot be taught - the ability to match great people with great organisations stems from the relationships he maintains with both parties and a true understanding of their requirements. I admire Darren greatly - as a businessman and as a person. Anyone who is lucky enough to work with Darren will see he truly is a star!” Becky Pascoe, Recruitment Colleague
“Darren knows the local market and has a huge network. He is part of our team.” Rowan Mitchell, Client
“I have met Darren 6 months ago... and he is "ONE" of the best recruiters I have met till now. Darren is an ambitious professional. Smart, highly motivated, open minded, and very friendly. A person you can trust! Darren has never let me down, he has helped me through out the year, THANKS DARREN!” Baki Elveren, Candidate
“I have known Darren for approximately 2 years now. We have used Darren's expertise to recruit into our IT Team. Darren is passionate about what he does and has always taken the time to understand our needs, the business needs and the culture of the firm. Darren has taken time out to meet our IT Team to ensure that candidates he recommends will fit in well. He has worked very hard to provide us with quality candidates. Darren is polite, friendly and communicates each step of the way. He is easy to work with and I have no hesitation in recommending Darren to you. Darren has made recruiting into our IT team a lot easier.” Effie Kabourakis, Client
“When I first met Darren I had some preconceptions of IT Job Recruiters and they were not positive. Darren has single handedley changed my opinion with his attitude, communication and follow up work he has demonstrated throughout the process of getting me hired at Adaptive Solutions. Darren has kept in touch with follow up emails to see how I am going to this day, going above and beyond the call of duty. His answering machine was spot on the money "The Best IT Recruiter in Sydney".” Brad Cluff, Candidate
“Darren has been excellent in bringing the right people to our firm. He takes the time to understand your organisation, your team and yourself as a leader so as to determine the best cultural fit for your team. Recruiting always takes time and energy and Darren just makes it that little bit easier.” Andrew Mitchell, Client
“Darren is THE man for recruitment. Simple as that. He's got the connections and the know-how that brings good people and good companies together to make great camaraderie, generating results and satisfaction on both sides of the fence that are well above the usual expectations of typical placements. Darren works over and above the call of duty. He doesn't simply place any person any where just to fill a spot, he ensures that he places the RIGHT people for the RIGHT role. He is also very approachable, always making himself available for friendly advice and always keeps an ongoing tab on how you and your employer are after placement. This isn't simply a job for Darren, it's a passion. Darren is my first and last stop when it comes to recruitment and I have absolutely no reservations in recommending him to anyone looking for or to fill roles in the IT space. I feel incredibly lucky that I came across Darren's desk a decade ago, and I know you will too.” Jeff Sereno, Candidate
“Darren is a pleasure to work with. He followed the recruiting process from start to finish to ensure the right person was presented and ultimately selected for the position.” Geoff Meskin, Client
“I have known Darren for over 30 years, he has been a good friend over this time. But most recently, I have utilised Darren's skills in recruitment and career coaching to help me in my job search. Whilst looking for a new job and career direction but having little luck, I discovered Darren's talents as an expert in the field of understanding how recruiters and employers think, and using this to my advantage in getting the work I was looking for. Darren worked with me, ensuring that I got my CV right, going over interview techniques, learning how to deal with recruiters and agencies and most importantly making sure that I kept believing. He has outstanding and intimate knowledge of recruitment agencies and employers generally, what they look for, from initial phone call to post interview. I can honestly say that Darren has as much knowledge, if not more than the big corporate career assistance companies, and has a personal touch that is hard to match. If you are looking for assistance in getting the job you want, my first call would be to Darren.” Adam Seifman, Candidate
“Darren is dedicated, responsive and a pleasure to work with. Plus, he knows EVERYONE! Do I need to say more?” Anthony Koukoullis - Certus Solutions
“Darren is a very energetic and friendly person who is a pleasure to work with. He has excellent knowledge of the industries he works with and great network connections. Very professional, communicative and always prompt to follow-up I thoroughly recommend Darren.” Alex Elliott, Candidate
“I have known Darren for many years. In those years I have found him to be a man of his words and with integrity - two traits which are rare in recruiters. I have dealt with many recruiters in my time, and Darren is the ONLY one who I know by name. It is incredible that even in the current financial times Darren still cares for those he is recruiting and those who require his services - there should be more like him in his industry.” Razzak Khan, Candidate
“Darren is the best recruiter I have worked with in my career to date. He created a fantastic impression from our first phone call. I have never dealt with a recruiter who has kept me 100% in the loop through every step of the application, interview and placement process, making what can be a very stressful and confusing time of transition and anticipation, easy and even enjoyable. Darren took the time to understand my knowledge, skills, experience and potential as well as the hiring organisation's immediate and future needs to ensure that both the hiring organisation and I would get what we needed form the placement. His determination to ensure the best fit for both parties really made an immense difference. I can not recommend Darren more highly to both potential candidates and hiring organisations.” Tamara Coulter, Candidate
"I have been working with Darren for a number of years in sourcing high quality applicants for our Notes/Domino team. His understanding of that area, our business and the candidates he recommends, has been fantastic and a credit to him.” Craig Davies, Client
“The Salvation Army has been using Carnegie Hill for a number of years and the quality of their candidates and level of service is very high. I highly recommend considering them to assist in satisfying your IT resourcing requirements.” Wayne Bajema, IT Manager - The Salvation Army
“I have known Darren for a couple of years now. During that time I have known Darren to be an extremely professional individual. One of his major strengths is his foresight at recommending clients to the most appropriate role within the Lotus Notes/Domino space. Darren is an extremely hard working individual who genuinely enjoys what he does. Darren has a real aptitude for developing long lasting business relationships and is held in very high regards amongst his clients and peers. It's an absolute pleasure working with Darren and very highly recommend him.” Tony Elbatti, Candidate
“I first got in touch with Darren during the .com crash while out of work and he has been a great source of advice since then - even when there was nothing in it for him. Darren provides regular communications and keeps in touch regarding the market and opportunities but doesn't over do it. He is friendly and approachable and is never too busy to chat or to touch base.” Nathan Chandler, Candidate
“Darren helped me out with placing me in a role a few years back that turned out to be a very rewarding experience professionally and personally. I must say that Darren exhibited a friendly efficient professionalism throughout that made the process enjoyable and I would happily recommend his services to my colleagues.” Daniel Baldry, Candidate
“I have been using Darren to find technical resources for Netforce for the last 9 years. He is easy to get along with and really comes in as part of the team to get the job done. For other (non technical) parts of the business we have gone to the open market over the years, only to have recruiters swamp us with candidates that really don't fit that well, despite the amount of time we spend explaining what we were after. I don't know how Darren does it or where he finds the people, but he always puts forward really good candidates that I have a hard time choosing between. I have yet to find anyone better at this that Darren, which is why I keep using him.” Scott Atkinson - Director, Netforce