Passive or Active Candidate...Which one are you?

Over the past several weeks I have had multiple discussions with companies regarding the difference between passive and active candidates and how the employment front has shifted to a candidate driven market. 

As a candidate or “potential candidate” it is important that you know whether your needs define your search as Passive or Active and how that will impact your decision making process. 

As an employer, you only need to know one thing.  You want to make sure that you are seeing the best candidates from both the PASSIVE and ACTIVE candidate pool.

Outlined below is a short excerpt from my recent article published in the ASIS Houston Chapter Newsletter that should help.

Defining the Candidate Needs – Passive or Active? - You must determine how you are going to participate in the search process.  I truly believe that the most overlooked, and important, factor to understand when you are working with a recruiter is: whether you are a passive candidate or an active candidate. 

Active Candidates

1)     Active candidates are thoroughly engaged in the job hunt and are willing to coordinate efforts with a recruiter and act with a sense of urgency.   Whether this sense of urgency is due to un-employment, under-employment or under-appreciated employment doesn’t matter.  Being an active candidate means one thing.  You have made the conscious decision to change careers.

2)     Once you have identified yourself as an active candidate the very next thing you should do is set a timeline - Once the decision to change careers is made, the most critical decision is determining your timeline.  This timeline will be a key factor in evaluating which recruiter best fits your “active” job search.  Many different factors need to be considered when setting your timeline.  Here are just a few you should think about:

a.       Your financial resources – how many weeks or months can you continue to maintain your households without income?

b.       Your family’s needs – How much of your time will your family need during your job search?

c.       Relocation – Have you agreed, as a family, relocation is an option?  Where are you willing to relocate?  How much relocation assistance do you need?

d.       Housing – Do you need to sell your house? How is the market? What is the minimum price you will accept? Have you met with a realtor to determine what is realistic?

e.        Medical treatment or procedures scheduled – do you, or a family, member require special medical treatments?  Do you, or a family member, have any procedures scheduled?

f.        Your overall mental health – Are you ready to hear “no” however many times it takes before you hear YES! 

Remember, any one of these factors can ultimately shorten or lengthen your timeline.

Passive Candidates

1)  Passive candidate are best described as testing the waters.  The passive candidate has not determined a specific job target or a deadline to make a career change.  But instead, wants to be in a position to know about potential opportunities.  Especially opportunities that could provide more money, greater recognition, a more prestigious title and a great work environment.  Heck, in that case we are all passive candidates!

a.   Passive candidates should still consider all of the same factors that we have listed for establishing a timeline as an active candidate.  However, the advantage of being a passive candidate is clear.  You have a job, and there is income flowing into the household.  You ultimately control the timeline.  

b.   With this in mind, you want to make sure that your current position, and the revenue being produced, is protected while you explore new career opportunities.  You must consider how much exposure you ultimately want in the market and with whom you should trust with your personal information.  If your resume gets in the wrong hands it can cost you your current job!

Part II - Beware the Resume Slinger

Part II - BEWARE the Resume Slinger

Whether you are a passive candidate or an active candidate, your best bet is to identify and work with a true, experienced search consultant and not a “newbie” or resume slinger.  Unless you have finally reached the end of your rope and you desperately need a job to put food on your table, be extremely cautious of the resume slinger.  The resume slinger is not your partner in the search process, and in fact, they are probably jeopardizing your chances of landing the right job.  They are motivated by making a placement at any cost and not matching you with the right company.  Their reckless behavior does not increase your chances of being hired but actually associates your value as a potential employee with the person representing your resume.

That is an important note.  The resume slinger represents your resume, not you as a candidate.  He or she is merely throwing your bio over the wall in a desperate attempt to catch someone’s attention and possibly collect a fee.  Remember these so-called executive recruiters are not viewed as strategic partners and have on many occasions blindly sent unsolicited resumes to companies in an attempt to garner some interest.

Warning:  The act of sending unsolicited resumes alone will often cause your resume to be immediately eliminated from consideration. 

Here are just a few specific questions that will help you identify, and potentially weed out, the resume slinger:

1)    How long have you been recruiting?  Longevity in the recruiting industry is a good start in identifying an individual that has developed strategic relationships within the security industry.  Recruiting is a tough industry and the success rate is very low.  Beware, the resume slinger will often answer that question by discussing their company’s time servicing the industry not their individual time as a recruiter.

2)    What are the levels of contact you normally work with when presenting a candidate?  If they are proud of their HR relationships, they are most likely sending resumes to the HR contacts email and waiting for a response.

3)    At what level are your placements?  Sr. Executive, Executive, Director, Manager.  The level at which the recruiter has successfully placed people will also help reveal whether or not this is the right choice for you.  Make sure the recruiter’s recent placement activity matches your individual needs.  Remember a recruiter that only places Account Executives & Regional Sales Managers may not be the best choice for someone in search of a Director or Vice President Role.

4)    Are you on Linked-In?  Linked-In, what an incredible resource!  Anyone in the recruiting game is on Linked-In.  If they are not … RUN!  If they are, check out their story and look closely at their work history, recommendations, contacts and awards.  That will tell you immediately if he or she is a professional that you want to ultimately trust with your career.  

5)    Ask for referrals.  It is your career!!!  Before I would place my earnings, my career and my reputation in the hands of a stranger, I would require a list of referrals that I could communicate with directly.  If the recruiter is unable or unwilling to provide these referrals, you should know exactly what to do.  Hang up the phone and find a true professional.    

Your CAREER is in good hands…….OR IS IT? Part 1

Your CAREER is in good hands…….OR IS IT?   Part 1

After listening to recent horror stories from well-respected colleagues regarding headhunters in the security industry, I can’t keep quiet any longer about the behavior of some of my “peers”. While some might advise me to mind my business and only worry about my clients, I feel it is part of my responsibility to educate the market and ensure that all candidates are aware of their choices.

Although most young and inexperienced professionals deserve an opportunity, recent events have illustrated that there is an influx of poorly trained and unsupervised recruiters in the security space.  The overall lack of knowledge and ethics demonstrated by newbie recruiters is inexcusable.  The good news is:  YOU, the candidate, are in control and you can protect yourself. 

Think about it from this perspective:    

Would you knowingly trust your reputation, your livelihood, your house, your family and your career to a twenty-something recent graduate, who thought that he could make more money in his first job as a headhunter than he could as an account manager selling Penny Pincher ads.

Well, that is exactly what you are risking when you email your resume to the newly self-proclaimed Director of Search for The XYZ Talent Group.   This headhunter/resume-slinger who just called you and proclaimed to be an expert in the security industry now holds your career in the palm of his hands.  This newly crowned search wizard will determine who will see your resume, who knows about your job hunt and the opportunities on which you are presented.  With so much at stake – shouldn’t you know something about the person on the other end of the phone?

Ask your wife and kids, or your mortgage broker, that question and you’ll get the answer loud and clear:  You better know who that is!!!!  More importantly, ask yourself whether the person you are speaking to on the phone is the right person to represent you, guide and assist you as you make this life changing decision.  Over the next few blogs I will discuss how to recruit and qualify the right search professional to advance your career.  I trust this will be informative and helpful coming from someone that is a career security professional first, and a well-respected, highly successful executive search professional second!

Hold on.  It’s time to make some waves!!!

2011 is here!

2011 is here, and because of my chosen profession as an executive search consultant (a.k.a. headhunter) I often get asked the same two questions:  How is the market? and Who’s hiring?  Here are the simple answers to these questions.  The market is good and everyone is hiring!

Although 2010 brought some unique challenges to many of my clients, last year produced overall good results.  Most clients reported hitting or slightly exceeding sales projections, and that is great news considering how many end-user projects have been placed on hold over the last 24 to 36 months.  These projects will not remain on hold much longer.  This will be the year we see back logs again!

The security industry is very resilient, and security systems have become essential to the businesses we service.  Our systems are MUST HAVES in support of business continuity, risk mitigation and the protection of life, property, profits and national security. 

 Here is a news flash!  Many of our end-user clients are sitting on cash.  As these end-users have controlled costs and survived the great recession, they have become more profitable and created cash reserves.  As unfounded fears continue to subside and the global economy stabilizes, this cash is destined to make its way to the capital projects and upgrades we have been waiting for. 

This cash will also make its way to job requisitions that have been on hold.  All of my clients have learned to do more with less and have become leaner, more productive, more competitive companies.  For most, this meant reducing the workforce by eliminating redundant positions and marginal producers   and dividing or increasing the responsibilities among the remaining staff.  These leaner, more competitive companies are now also more profitable and they are better suited to compete on a global basis.  Again this is great news. 

What is also great news is that these companies have already begun strategic hires to support the expected increase in revenue. Just look at the positions we have listed within the last 30 days at The Beneva Group!  (http://www.benevagroup.com/)  The positions range from Regional Sales Manager to COO!

 So with that, I say WELCOME 2011 and let’s get back to business as usual!!!