The reality of the world we’re currently living in is that our industry is continuing to be redefined. It’s true for recruitment. It’s also certainly true for the industries our firm serves, such as technology, financial trading and management consulting.
So how do you latch on to any form of stability to provide leadership to your team in the eyes of one of the worst global pandemics we’ve known in 100 years? How do you press on with confidence in your job search, knowing that the unemployment rate is soaring?
With over 30 years behind us at Roy Talman & Associates, we’ve seen enough of these moments that can test the spirit of anyone and we’ve come out successfully on the other side. So whether you are a position of hiring others, worried about your current role or seeking a new start among the millions of others who desire the same, here are four key principles to help guide your path that the companies we’ve worked with and we have lived by.
Trust Your Process
There’s a process of finding someone who can not only fulfill a role but make an impact upon your firm for years to come. It’s not a process to be rushed. Likewise, when you are looking to begin a new chapter of your career, trust that there is a process worth following. It entails you finding an ideal fit that plays to your strengths versus settling for the next open role in a culture you don’t belong in working for a boss who doesn’t remotely match your style.
We’ve found that, no matter what pressures and events out of our control arise, the process that we’ve used to define, test and clarify better candidates is still in place. We will still run candidates through the paces for several months and these methods are cloud-based, much as they’ve ever been. If we turn our back on that proven process, even one time, we lose a part of who we are.
Call Upon The Most Treasured Relationships In Your Network
Think about those people in your circle you’ve known for years – people you can have an open dialogue with about your goals. From a candidate’s perspective, how many people truly understand where you want to go next in your career? Do they understand how you’d like to improve your skillset, what responsibilities you’d like to take on or what completely different industry you’ve had a passion for venturing into? If they do know all that, how many of them can advocate for you to others and convey your highest qualities?
The truth is, your greatest advocates aren’t found overnight, but you do have them. And whether through quality introductions on your behalf, feedback or insights, they can be the key to unlocking your success and helping you keep moving forward.
At Roy Talman & Associates, we’ve leveraged these relationships in our network to our advantage. We owe our consistent performance to the value we bring to our clients. For example, a typical person that we would present to our client is somebody we’ll have known for more than two years. In fact, quite often, we’ll have known these individuals between five and 15 years. That network of high-quality people and firms that we’ve been dealing with for many years has made for a critical point of difference among recruiters.
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Talman Advantage #2: We See The Complete Picture Of Who You Are
At Roy Talman & Associates, we don’t just see you as a resume or even a candidate to fill an open job. Instead, we’ll ask to meet you because we want to get to know you on a deeper level – that includes your current skills, your knowledge of certain subjects, your special expertise, your work style and the environments in which you believe you thrive.
Compare that to others. But always talk to Talman first.
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Always Keep Building Upon Your Knowledge. Never Settle.
We see far too many people in the fields we serve who are not willing to evolve their set of skills. That’s going to be to their detriment if they refuse to learn new programming languages, for example. While we can enlighten them on what to learn, we can’t make them learn. They have to want to grow with a purpose and a passion. Otherwise, the candidate has the very real possibility that they will look stale and outdated.
When it comes to candidates, we will have seen these people for years. We know what they do and before long, what these people are very interested in as far as companies, roles, expected salary, etc. Then we want to get a solid sense of what they’re capable of. Most people typically don’t change jobs often, so the question may be: How hard did they push themselves to learn new skill sets? If we see a field that is exploding and good knowledge that’s hard to come by, we’re looking for a candidate’s demonstrated passion for learning and elevating their “game.”
At Roy Talman & Associates, we never rest on our laurels and quite frankly, we can’t. It is fundamental to our success that we maintain relationships for the long-term because doing so will create new knowledge about both our clients and our candidates. It’s a competitive advantage we can’t turn our back on.
Be Transparent: Don’t Be Afraid To Say “No.”
It’s exceedingly hard to tell someone “no” who wants you to start in a new job, but something about the role doesn’t feel right. Was it the manager’s style of communicating with you during the interview? Was it the culture? Is the role everything you thought it to be on paper or is there a fundamental disconnect here?
Clarify as much as you need to, but even in the toughest of times, don’t be afraid to tell them no. It’s better for everyone involved. If you’re not the best fit and your passion isn’t in the position, don’t they deserve to hear that so another candidate who is a better fit can be considered?
That reminds us of a funny thing to share about our candidates that people might not expect to hear: They’re happy to tell us “no.” That’s not because they don’t want to help us. Far from it. What they say is, “I appreciate you reaching out and seeing what’s new with me to gauge my interest. The truth is, I’m not the right person for this job. You should be talking to another person I know who would be perfect for it, though. Let me connect you to them.”
This happens all the time. They want us to be successful, respect our reputation and, as such, are honest in their candid response about their level of interest. They can do that primarily because we’ve had a good, open dialogue over the years. We’ve discussed things with them and we know what their opinion is on certain things.
Such an extra level of insight on a particular candidate is really what our clients are turning to us for as opposed to a random resume – someone who is looking out for their best interests by presenting only the top 1% of the top 1%.
There you have it.
Trust your process. Lean on your best relationships. Keep evolving your knowledge. Say no to things you know are not the right fit.
These are the principles that have helped us guide the ship through stormy economic times over the last 30+ years at Roy Talman & Associates. It has kept us moving forward to help others with stalled plans for growth. It has helped us find the right people in the right frame of mind to share the right information on their skill sets. Once we do, at that point, we can begin to identify if there is a match between candidate and potential employer.
If the candidate can make it through a series of tests and exercises we suggest for them that many others will be sure to receive during the interviewing process with highly selective companies, they will be best prepared to take the next step. If they don’t have the patience and want to race through the process, talk to few others, think they’ve learned all they have to and jump into an opportunity, it could be disastrous for all parties.
That’s why, in uncertain times, you always Talk To Talman First.
How do these principles apply to you? In a climate of unpredictable events, which ones would you add that you depend on?
If you are confused as to which path to follow next, you’ll be glad to know that there’s a highly specialized partner standing by to go beyond identifying the next great candidate for a prominent role or the next great company for your career. Talk To Talman First and you’ll be able to have a conversation about your true direction and goals that’s far more in-depth than any you’d expect to have with a recruiter.