Contingency vs. Retained Recruiters What is the Difference

Contingency vs. Retained Recruiters What is the Difference What most people don’t realize is that there are two different types of recruiters/headhunters out there. Recruiters work on either a Retained or a Contingency basis. What are the differences and how does it all affect you as a job seeker? This is my attempt at explaining how it works. Retained: Working on a retained basis means the recruiter will charge an upfront fee to the client to conduct a search. They will operate on an exclusive basis meaning the job will only be filled through this recruitment company. These recruiters work very closely with their client and will take their time and use an agreed methodology to find the best person for the job. The process is usually rigorous with a shortlist of anything from three to ten names being presented before interviews commence. In a perfect world, the retained recruiter will be able to present five candidates with the ideal skills, location, salary, etc. and all the client has to do is pick the one they like the most. A retained recruitment assignment doesn’t come cheap; the client will expect to pay up to 50% of the projected first annual salary of the successful candidate. Companies will request a retained search when they are looking to fill a senior position and sometimes when all other cheaper search options have been exhausted. Contingency: Contingency search, on the other hand, is when the candidate is the bargaining chip. Contingency is sometimes described as No Win, No Fee (or even No Cure, No Pay). It is what it says on the tin, a service performed by a recruitment company for free until the day a candidate represented by them takes a position with their client. Recruiters working on this basis often have to compete with the client’s internal HR department, advertising, direct applicants and typically one or more other recruitment companies. The trick here is to represent the best candidate or candidates and to do this faster than the other channels. If for instance, the vacancy is hard to fill, chances are there will only be a few candidates out there qualified for the position. Getting to these before everyone else is vital for the successful no win, no fee recruiter. Difference in methodology: The retained recruiter takes their time to get things right using processes and agreed methodology, knowing they will eventually fill the position thanks to their exclusivity terms. The contingency recruiter will be a lot quicker and most probably deliver more candidates to increase the odds of making a placement. Another difference is that the retained recruiter has signed up to a service level, sometimes a retained search can be challenging and these projects can be rather lengthy. The contingency recruiter will simply move on to another vacancy or client where they believe they can get a more straightforward win. Implications for you the candidate: So what does this mean to you? If you are approached about a vacancy, ask the recruiter how they got the assignment and what the competition is. If you are dealing with a retained recruiter, you are more likely to get full briefings on the role, the interviews, a potential offer an so forth. Having said that, contingency recruiters tend to be more pro-active and have better sales skills â€" something that can certainly help you get the perfect job.

Boss Attending Your Dinner Party 7 Tips to Impress

Boss Attending Your Dinner Party 7 Tips to Impress Most career women have the opportunity to work closely with a boss or supervisor. Many will invite that executive over for a dinner party at some point, offering a chance to impress them in both their personal and work lives. On such an occasion, you want things to run smoothly. While your boss shouldn’t judge your work efficiency by your personal life, it can be hard to separate the two. Throwing a fabulous dinner party could mean good things for your work life. To make it a success, use these suggestions. Carefully Curate the Guest List Are you planning to invite only your boss and his/her plus one? Or would you prefer to make it a larger party? Depending on your relationship with your boss and your intentions for the party, you might want to invite a few extra guests to remove any awkwardness. Choose guests that make sense, given the honored guest. For example, a random cousin or best friend might not be as fitting as a few of your co-workers. Try to avoid guests that will clash with each other and could potentially make a scene. Set the Perfect Table The type of party you’re hosting will determine the way your table should look. If it’s more casual, a gingham tablecloth and whatever dishes you have in your cupboard should be fine. Avoid paper or plastic plates and utensils. Generally, if your boss is coming, it calls for more sophistication. Consider a French-inspired theme. Food and dinner parties are big in French culture, and their tablecloths and Laguiole cutlery with a beautiful floral arrangement in the center make a pretty table for any party. Additionally, brush up on proper table settings, putting your fork and napkin on the left and the glass, knife, and spoon on the right side of the plate. If you’re having a multi-course meal, make sure there are enough utensils to accommodate. Have Appetizers and Drinks Available Even if you never indulge in drinks and appetizers before dinner, remember that this is a party, and you have your guests to think about. Choose appetizers that are always crowd pleasers, keeping in mind any dietary restrictions for your guests. A full bar might not be necessary but learn your boss’s favorite drink and have the supplies to make it. A small selection of beer, wine, and spirits is also recommended in case they’re in the mood for something else. Select the Menu First, consider the dietary needs of those on your guest list, and cater your menu accordingly. If none arise, go with something simple and delicious. You don’t want to give the impression that you’re trying too hard. Additionally, simplicity in meals often turns out best. Good party meals should be well-cooked and flavorful, but they shouldn’t be too unique, since you don’t know what all your guests will enjoy. When in doubt, stick with an option of lean meat or pasta and traditional sides. Watch Your Dinner Conversation The topics that come up at dinner with your boss should be carefully selected. Whatever you do, keep a polite and civil tongue. Avoid office-sensitive matters and language, office gossip, coworker judgments, and any other negative talk. This will reflect badly on you. Additionally, don’t keep the topics focused on the office alone. If your boss accepted a dinner invitation, it’s probably because he/she wants to get to know you personally. Hopefully, the dinner conversation will flow naturally, but just in case, consider rehearsing a few interesting topics ahead of time. Remember Your Manners While your boss is there, you’re probably on your best behavior, but sometimes you need a reminder to keep your elbows off the table and take small bites. In casual settings, many people forget to finish chewing fully before answering a question, but don’t forget with your boss present. This might be a good time to remind your family about table manners as well, especially if your children will be eating with you. Stress the importance of them chewing with their mouths closed, keeping elbows off the table, and not talking with their mouths full. You might want to give this lesson several weeks in advance, so they have time to practice. Relax! Most importantly, keep things light and relaxed all through the event. If you’re tense, the rest of the party will be, and no one will have a good time. Remember your manners and keep a civil tongue. Loosen up and be yourself, and your boss will have a great time too.

Top 10 Features You Must Include in Your Resume

Top 10 Features You Must Include in Your Resume Have you ever considered what a hiring manager or an HR representative is really looking for when trawling through and screening hundreds of resumes daily? It will be a combination of things but some of them recur for every position they recruit for. Its easy to miss the basics so here is a list of the top 10 traits that will get you on the radar of the reader. 1) Communication  skills: Communication skills are hugely important for anyone dealing with people on a daily basis. Speaking to IT guys can be drastically different to speaking with HR. Your ability to communicate is the number one factor for you career progression so you need to show initiative here. Example: “I joined Toastmasters 2 years ago and I am currently working towards my advanced speaker certification”. 2) Openness: This means openness to new ideas, new processes, new people and so on. As corporations are ever changing entities, your ability to change with it is crucial. You will have to demonstrate how you adapted in the past and how you can do it again. Example: “I tested the new email system quickly learned how to use it, then helped to roll it out across the business and taught it to others across the company” 3) Creativity: This is your ability to engage in non-linear thinking or thinking outside the box to use a nice cliché. An employer needs people that not only point out what is wrong in a process for instance, but can also come up with a better way of doing things. Example: “I spotted an opportunity and developed a new order process and reduced lead times by 20% across my department”. 4) Cultural Experience: Denotes what experiences you have had with people from other countries and cultures. You will want to include any language you speak, any time you have spent in a foreign country, any connections you have abroad etc. This can come in handy when a company needs to deal with and even negotiate with international partners. Example: “I lived in Germany for 2 years and speak fluent business German”. 5) Positivity: Everyone wants a force of positivity on their team. It’s difficult to include this on a resume but you can do your best by using upbeat language and dropping hints of what a happy camper you are in the office. Example: Working with this team was a fantastic experience, I still keep in touch with all of the great members and I am glad they have all got promoted and wish them all the best. 6) Commitment: This is your chance to show how you get involved in the corporate culture and really try to live and breathe what your company is all about. Example: “I have carefully studied the companys vision statement and refer to it almost daily when I need guidance on daily and longer term tasks”. 7) Enthusiasm: This is all about what lengths you go to in order to further your career. Extra-curricular activities can benefit your potential new employer. Example: “I joined the local chapter of the Chamber of Commerce Networking Group in order to build up my network of industry peers”. 8) Integrity: You would think it should hopefully go without saying that you have the integrity required for customers and co-workers to trust and work successfully with you. In order to reiterate this point you could write what others’ experiences of you have been. Example: “When my manager needed someone trustworthy to look after the new office, she picked me out of 8 internal candidates”. 9) Team spirit: We can assume that you are a team player, everyone that works in an office is required to be or they would get the axe sooner than a Frenchman can spell esprit de corps. Team spirit is more than simply playing, it’s actually taking the initiative and activating a group of people and creating closer bonds. Example: “I organized a paintball day out for junior staffers and the top executives, in order to create a sense of belonging for the newbies”. 10) Community service: Everyone claims to have a big heart but only a few can actually quantify what their charitable accomplishments are. This is about you making a difference and being able to tell the world how you did it. Example “I organized a muffin bake off in my team and we raised over $2,000 for the local homeless shelter”. There we go, 10 features that you have to include somewhere on your resume. I hope this gives you some ideas and that your resume is better off with these tips. What is your experience of these 10 features on a resume? Do you think they help and if so why or why not? Feel free to share your experience in the comments. RELATED: How to Ensure Your Resume Gets Read By a Human [INFOGRAPHIC]

Own Your Personal Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Own Your Personal Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career In the past month, I have had the pleasure of meeting intelligent, engaging and ambitious professionals from all walks of life in my new role within the walls of Corporate America. Some of them have been colleagues, others partners we work with, a few candidates looking to join the organization, and even more vendors hoping to partner with the company in the future. We have control What I find interesting is that within any one given group I have come across, there are individuals that seem entirely subject to their surroundings. They have surrendered their personal brand to the organization for which they work, they are lost within their surroundings, and they no longer know who or what they stand for in life. I have breaking news for those folks, we have control! In every decision, every minute of the day, you have a choice in the matter at hand. Do you want a tall non-fat cappuccino or a simple drip coffee? You decide. Do you want to work in corporate America or start your own personal business? You decide. No one is forcing you to be anywhere at any given time. This is America, we have control. That is the beauty. Own your brand If you find yourself in surroundings that eat away at you, own it. YOU are the only one who can change it. Is that a way to say “Quit your job!”, goodness no. It’s a way to say, own it. When someone interacts with you, it’s a reflection of your personal brand. If you’re unhappy in your professional life â€" be it your own business or a corporate role â€" it’s how your personal brand is perceived. That unhappiness seeps through to interviews, meetings and your personal life. Own your brand and take control of changing it. Taking control: 3 easy ways I’m going to give you the 3 easy ways to take control that only took me 10 years (and nearly $20K in therapy) to learn. Thoughts become things â€" think Pinterest â€" it’s a powerful vision board that essentially creates a Pin board of your personal brand â€" what does it look like to own your success? Then think of yourself already there and it will happen. Caution: this works well so be careful what you ask for Power of love â€" this is a biggie â€" have you ever met a successful person who lacked passion? Steve Jobs, Blake Mycoskie of Toms, Mark Zuckerberg all led with passion and a love for what they do each day which had delivered success professionally and personally for them. Accountability â€" ask yourself regularly “am I owning this or am I being a victim to this situation?” this one question will keep you present in the situation Author: Adriana Llames is the Division Vice President, Social Media Marketing for Sears Holdings and the acclaimed author of “Career Sudoku: 9 Ways to Win the Job Search Game”. Llames led a boutique career coaching services firm for over a decade and has been featured on ABC, CNNMoney, CBS News and Yahoo! For more information, visit www.adrianallames.com

Get Cheap Resume Writing Services In Houston

Get Cheap Resume Writing Services In HoustonNowadays, when a lot of people are making money online, the internet has created a lot of opportunities that can help those people earn money through cheap resume writing services. Those writing online companies are able to deliver really good and professional written resumes through their website. But it is important to be aware that the companies offering these services may not always provide you with high quality service.And there are those that have resorted to unethical means to sell you their services in order to get a commission for selling you high quality work at the same time. So if you do not want to fall victim to this kind of thing, then you should avoid these cheap services from coming into your life. Also remember that you can only find an honest company that offers good and professional services by checking with Better Business Bureau.When searching for cheap services to get your professional resume writing, Houston may be a great place to check. This city is rich in work experience and therefore provides good and high quality resume writing services. Many well known Houstonian writers and sales people are all here offering you professional services and cheap services at the same time.But these services are definitely not affordable prices. In order to avail the services of a professional writer, you must pay a high amount. To those who cannot afford it, you can go for cheaper options where you can avail the services of a reliable online resume writing service. These services are available at affordable prices for your convenience.Affordable prices are not only applicable to high-end services. They are also accessible for the lower class services. In Houston, cheap resume writing services are also available through online applications. Just log on to the internet and make a search in the websites for the services of a good writing service.When you get the low-priced or cheap services in the internet, m ake sure you get the best of service that suits your budget. And you need to look out for those companies that have a good reputation and good reviews on the internet. And also look out for those cheap services that offer support after the deal is made. Make sure you get the best deal from the bottom up.The cheap service does not mean they don't deliver good quality work. The price of the service is only applicable for those who can afford the cost. If you cannot afford the service, then make sure that you will look for a reputed and reputable website in order to avail the service.Looking for assistance after the deal is made can help you out of a tight situation. The help will not only help you save the money that you would have spent, but it will also help you out of an awkward situation.

Structured Interview Questions How To Pass

Structured Interview Questions How To Pass For many people, the idea of taking a structured interview is extremely intimidating. They can’t help comparing themselves against other candidates, and feeling as if their answers to the same questions are inadequate. If you are feeling like this, STOP! We’re here to help! You don’t have to compare yourself to other candidates, all you need to do is show the interviews why and how you are the best person for the job. In this blog, we’ll give you some tips to help you pass any structured interview questions.What are Structured Interview questions?Structured interviews are widely used during many different selection processes. Very often, they’ll form an integral part of the assessment centre for a job. The difference between a structured interview and a generic interview is that during a structured interview, you will be answering the exact same questions as all of the other candidates for the job. Structured interview questions are designed to evaluate the way in which you think about everyday situations and problems. The assessor will select the best candidate based on how well their thought process meets with that of the company.One of the reasons that many people fear structured interview questions, is that it is very difficult to prepare for. These will vary each year, and will usually be taken under more stricter conditions than a general interview. At a general interview, you might be afforded a chance to sit down, chat with the interviewers about your journey and make a little small talk before the interview begins. At a structured interview, you will be assessed as soon as you walk into the room. There won’t be time to make conversation with the interviewers, who will have a strict time limit to work under. Once you’re done, the next candidate will be straight in, under the same time conditions. Really, the best way to prepare for structured interviews, is to learn the type of questions that you will be asked.What will I be tested on?The assessment/scoring criteria used for a structured interview are generally exactly the same as for the generic interview.  You’ll be assessed on skills such as:Relating to othersWorking as part of a teamKnowledge and understanding of group/individual workCommunicationPlanning and organisingSelf-managementMotivation and commitmentValuesOpenness to new ideasProblem-solvingWhen you are invited to attend a structured interview or assessment centre, you should be provided with details on all of the above, and given some ideas on how they relate to the company. It’s imperative that you take the time to read through these carefully and understand them before you go into the interview. The key to passing a structured interview is to arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible beforehand. The more prepared you are, the better your chances.In the next section, we’ve provided you with a list of questions which you might be asked in a structured interview. Below each question, we’ve added a short, top tip for how you would go about answering it.What questions will I be asked?1. How do you behave in a group?This question is designed to assess how well you work as a member of a team. Provided you aren’t working solo, in most positions you will be expected to work and engage with other staff members, and will often be expected to work as part of a team. Make sure you tell the assessor that you are someone who gets along with everyone, and respect diversity. 2. What do you understand by the term ‘group dynamics’? Group dynamics refers to the complex behavioural interactions which occur between a team or group. You don’t need to have a detailed understanding of psychology, just how to work successfully within a team.   3. What makes you anxious? How do you cope with anxiety? This is an interesting question. While there is nothing wrong with being anxious or nervous, the employer needs to know what makes you tick. Imagine if they hired you and then placed you in a position where you were uncomfortable. This wouldn’t be beneficial to anyone. They also need to know that you are someone who can deal with difficulties in the workplace and things that make you anxious. Without being insensitive, employers are looking for a candidate who can deal with stress.   4. What makes you angry? How do you cope with anger? Similarly to the last question, employers need to understand what makes you frustrated and what could reduce from your work output. Your anger levels could also be central to your ability to work as part of a functioning team. Patience is a great quality to have.  5. Do you take the time to listen to others?Listening is a core part of communication, which is an essential requirement for any employee. You need to be able to listen to your peers, employer and take feedback on board from others. All of this adds to your self development, and makes you a more well rounded employee.  6. You are in a supermarket and another shopper accus es you of shoplifting.  You are totally innocent. The shopper calls over the store detective and tells  him that they have seen you shoplifting. What would you do and how would you  react ?This may seem like a very unusual question, but the aim of the interview is to test your thinking and mindset. The answer to this should be fairly simple. You just need to tell the interviewer that you would respond in a calm, logical and reasonable manner, without aggression or panicking.PRODUCTS YOU MAY BE INTERESTED INAt how2become we are offering 30 days free access to our online interview training service. Simply click on the image below to find out more: This entry was posted in Interviews. Bookmark the permalink. 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