Good ‘N Plenty? No, Fabulous & Free!

We’re excited to share our latest effort to help jobseekers:

www.Mylandajob.com

This free, really, no-salesman-will-call, site is our effort to help jobseekers everywhere. It’s simple to sign up, easy to access tools for your job search, anonymous (naturally), and valuable. Did I mention it’s free?

The process is segmented into 3 parts: Preparation, Search & Connect, and Interview. Each of these areas contains 5 or 6 tabs to walk you through the process, like these:

*Assessments – again, free – find out what really trips your trigger
*Select: determine targets and your personal brand
*Resume/Cover letter/references – there’s a (free) resume builder, a resume review option and more (like a talking Career Wizard who encourages honesty)


There are some pieces you can choose to purchase, and only if you choose, and it won’t be a surprise. For instance, there’s a resume tune-up for only $59. There are other levels of resume re-write services that top out at $169 for a senior level jobseeker.

There are also (free) forms to help you, like an organizer (oh, joy! Have you really remembered to follow-up with every contact, every time, on-time?) and an interview de-brief form. There are video training clips, webinars (like “Objections are Buying Signs”), and one weekly email.

Here’s why we’re offering it: as recruiters for full-time positions and temporary staffing agents to the same clients, we are paid by the client companies who are hiring. And we can’t help every jobseeker as much as we’d like and remain in business. But most of us got into this work because we love helping great companies find great employees and vice versa. This career portal is our way of accomplishing that loftier goal.

Why you need to use a recruiter

A major employer in our industry (but not in our city, so don't try to figure it out) made an offer to a candidate with sterling web/interactive/social media experience for a VP position. From the start, the employer said "No problem, we'll pay your relocation costs." Then, oops ... we meant we'll pay $3,500. After a lot of negotiation , the employee and employer agreed on a more equitable, but not full, relocation package. And then the official offer letter arrived. The position was listed as "Manager". You won't be surprised to hear that the jobseeker said no thanks. But you might be surprised that the employer kept trying for an acceptance from the candidate for another few weeks.

All in all, the employer spent more than 4 months wooing, then screwing, this candidate. The short-term costs (all the company's effort and time and trips for visits, etc.) are one thing ... the long-term cost to their reputation is incalculable. A good recruiter can either manage the process more effectively or stop it, when either party is unreasonable.

The ones that get away

We're involved with uniting people and jobs on a daily basis, and we also hear lots of stories about how employers go about their hiring processes. We recently heard a story that's a good example of how a hire falls apart needlessly in the final stages.

The scenario went like this: Search requirements that were hard to fill; ideal candidate with the desired niche background and stellar references, who really wanted the job; and a good fit between candidate personality and employer culture. 

The problem: The employer failed to find out what was really most important to the candidate until the offer was made. It turned out that the candidate was not primarily motivated by salary, but rather by quality of life issues, including vacation and flex-time. While the candidate was perfectly happy with the salary/bonus offering, the employer was unwilling to match the candidate's desire for vacation to match his current job and professional association expenses.

The outcome: The candidate turned down the offer and decided to continue searching.

The cost to the employer: Thousands of dollars in time and hard costs; the continued vacuum of productivity with an empty chair; and the loss of good will and perception as an employer-of-choice.

What's the potential lesson? Employers, make sure your offers are accepted by using professional search consultants, either internally or externally. The willingness to adapt compensation packages to accommodate the differing needs and desires of potential employees can go a long way to securing (and keeping) exactly the talent you need. If your HR or internal recruiter tells you what the people want, and it's not unreasonable, be willing to provide it! And a good external recruiter or consultant, brought in for even just a part of the process, can ensure a happy ending.

Do you have a story about a candidate that got away or an offer that you amended to get the hire made? Or an offer that you turned down because an employer was unwilling to work with you on some aspect of it? Tell us! We love stories! (Just leave the names out to protect the guilty...)