Just returned from a three day executive recruiter conference in New Orleans. The damage of Hurricane Katrina is still very evident in parts of the city. The conference, consisting of top recruiters from across the United States, was one of the best conferences I've attended because it was devoted to real life situations occurring in the marketplace. It's interesting that the same things we're witnessing in the multi family property management market, in terms of the market being "candidate centric", holds true for most every other industry. In spite of the press indicating there is not a labor shortage, the fact is there is a major problem in most areas. The baby boomers are getting older and starting to retire, but the gap of available skilled and trained employees to take their place is widening.

What does this mean for our clients? First, if they don't have programs in place to keep their talented employees, they are in trouble. Retention programs are essential to an organizations' ability to maintain any kind of competitive edge. Another impact of the candidate-centric environment is that candidates have more and more choices.

So if you are a hiring manager, a couple of recommendations… you'll need to really understand the value proposition of your company and sell its benefits to your candidate. Secondly, when you make that employment offer, if you don't sufficiently cover counter offers with your new hire and get commitments, you are flirting with disaster. Thirdly, even after your new candidate begins working for you, realize that the former company is likely continuing to contact your employee to try to entice them to return. The point is…you must develop an effective on boarding program to completely get and keep your new employee on board for the duration.

TEN TIPS TO BOOST YOUR INTERVIEW IQ

I. Practice Good Nonverbal Communication.

It’s about demonstrating confidence: straight, making eye contact and connecting with a good, firm handshake. That first impression can be a great beginning – or a quick ending – to your interview.

II. Dress for the Job or Company.

Today’s casual dress codes in the office do not give you permission to dress as “they” do when you interview. It is important to look professional and well-groomed. Whether you wear a suit or something less formal depends on the company culture and the position you are seeking. If possible, call to find out about the company dress code before the interview.

III. Listen.

From the very beginning of the interview, your interviewer is giving you information, either directly or indirectly. If you are not listening, you are missing a major opportunity. Good communication skills include listening and letting the person know you heard what he said. Observe your interviewer and match that style and pace.

IV. Don’t Talk Too Much.

Telling the interviewer more than he needs to know could be a fatal mistake. When you have not prepared ahead of time, you may tend to ramble, sometimes talking yourself right out of the job. Prepare for the interview by reading through the job posting, matching your skills with the position’s requirements and relating only that information.

V. Don’t Be Too Familiar.

The interview is a professional meeting to talk business. This is not about making a new friend. Your level of familiarity should mimic the interviewer’s demeanor. It is important to bring energy and enthusiasm to the interview and to ask questions, but do not overstep your place as a candidate looking for a job.

VI. Use Appropriate Language.

It’s a given that you should use professional language during the interview. Be aware of any inappropriate slang words or references to age, race, religion, politics or sexual preferences – these topics could send you out the door very quickly.

VII. Don’t Be Cocky.

Attitude plays a key role in your interview success. There is a fine balance between confidence, professionalism and modesty. Even if you’re putting on a performance to demonstrate your ability, overconfidence is as bad, if not worse, as being too reserved.

VIII. Take Care to Answer the Questions.

When an interviewer asks for an example of a time when you did something, he is seeking a sample of your past behavior. If you fail to relate a specific example, you not only don’t answer the question, but you also miss an opportunity to prove your ability and tell about your skills.

IX. Ask Questions.

When asked if they have any questions, the majority of candidates answer, “No.” Wrong answer. It is extremely important to ask questions to demonstrate an interest in what goes on in the company. Asking questions also gives you the opportunity to find out if this is the right place for you. The best questions come from listening to what is asked during the interview and asking for additional information.

X. Don’t Appear Desperate.

I know – it’s a tough market and you need a job. But when you interview with the “please, please hire me” approach, you appear desperate and less confident. Maintain the three C’s during the interview: cool, calm, and confident. You know you can do the job; make sure the interviewer believes you can, too.

Suggestions for working with a recruiter

From our vantage point, we’ve just about seen it all. It’s amazing how some clients and candidates are great to work with and others … well, let’s just say a little more challenging.

Have you ever wondered how best to leverage your relationship with your recruiter? I asked our recruiting team for a list of suggestions and here is what they came up with:

• Be totally open with your recruiter; he/she is a resource to you and can only help by having a complete understanding of your situation.
• Communicate and do it often. The converse to that is don’t call excessively if your recruiter doesn’t have new information about an opportunity. Realize he/she will get back to you at appropriate times.
• Use your recruiter for information within the industry. Our recruiters live in the world of multi-family property management and have a good ear for what is going on in the business.
• Understand our recruiting process. At The Cromwell Group, we have a 24 step process used for the purpose of doing a quality and complete job for both the client and candidate. Your understanding of that process will only help you.
• At offer time, be clear up front with what you expect in the offer. If you, as a candidate, keep coming up with new tidbits in the final stages of offer negotiation, it makes for more difficult negotiations and can result in the offer falling apart in the final hours.
• Listen to your recruiters recommendations. Realize we understand the requirements of the position from the clients perspective. By following our suggestions, you put yourself in the best position to shine in front of your potential employer.

If you are a candidate reading this, I hope this gives you a better insight into how to best use us as a resource. I would be interested in your comments as a candidate in your experiences with recruiters you’ve worked with (both good and bad)

New jobs update

Here are some of the new jobs we are working on. If you know anybody who you would recommend, drop me a note at gerry@cromwellgroup-mri.com. I will follow up immediately and confidentially.

Regional Vice President San Francisco
Regional Manager Seattle
Regional Manager Orange County
Acquisitions Director Detroit
Regional Manager Northern Virginia
Regional Manager Detroit
Regional Manager New Orleans
Project Manager Multiple locations
Regional Manager Greensboro, NC
Regional Manager Tampa
Regional Manager (multiple) Atlanta
Senior Project Manager Nashville
Construction Superintendent Atlanta
Training & Dev. Coordinator Greensboro, NC

Interviewing tips

Ever want a publication in one place that provides interviewing tips? If so, please send us a request and we’ll be happy to send you our complete Interview Prep Guide. This is a 20-page document that covers everything from the initial handshake to tips on writing resignation letters. Many of our candidates have remarked how helpful the document was during the interview process. Included in the Guide are tips on pre-interview planning, anticipated interview questions, do’s and don’ts, dress, post interview suggestions, and more. For your copy, please send an email to gerry@cromwellgroup-mri.com and enter “request for Interview Guide” in the subject line of the email.

Pay attention to the quality of those resumes

In our business, we see literally hundreds of new resumes every day. It never ceases to amaze me how people who obviously are interested in career change pay so little attention to the one thing that can eliminate them from consideration before the candidate is even considered. As many have said, the resume won’t get you the job, but it sure can eliminate you before you even get a start.

Thought I would jot down some pointers from things we see on a daily basis. Maybe you can look at your resume in a new light.

Misspelled words and typos - Why someone can send out their calling card (the resume) without doing spell check is beyond me. I would guess that 25% of the resumes we see have misspelled words in the content. One or two errors isn’t so obvious but when the misspell count hits more than five, it’s pretty obvious that the candidate has little regard for attention to detail. What is the message you are sending to the hiring authority – pure and simple it’s that you don’t care enough to pay attention to the details; the hiring authority translates that to inattention to the details on the job.

Content – We see so many resumes that are just not very interesting. Put yourself at the desk of the recruiter or the hiring authority and realize that person is sifting through hundreds of resumes. If yours isn’t exciting or doesn’t stand out, your resume may be put in the “C’ pile instead of the ‘A” pile. And the irony of it is you may actually be a great candidate! So how do you make your resume come to life? First and foremost, you will get the attention of the reader if you’ll portray why you would make a great candidate. And how do you do that? Well, it’s for sure not simply listing the activities you’ve done in your previous job. If you’re a Regional Property Manager, pretty much everybody in the industry knows what you do. What they don’t know is what you’ve been able to accomplish for previous employers. In other words, list three or four accomplishments that have brought your employers increased profits, reduced expenses, improved delinquencies, etc etc. etc. Now the reader of your resume becomes a lot more interested and you may get to the next step.

Formats – Most recruiting firms as well as larger companies have systems where resumes are filed. These systems have the ability to do key word searches in order to find previously filed resumes quickly for new searches. For best results, you should create your resume using one of the popular word processing systems such as Microsoft Word or Word Perfect. In addition, use a simple format. We’ve seen some that were based on Microsoft Excel that produced a very nice layout when printed but when filed in the resume system was unable to be duplicated in the nice format. When the resume is forwarded to a prospective employer, the format is lost. Stay with the simple format and you can be assured you won’t have a problem.

Be realistic - Be realistic in your job search. We see so many resumes where the candidate could not have read the job posting or they would have realized their experiences did not come close to matching the job requirements. These resumes get rejected immediately. We’ve seen situations where an Assistant Property Manager applies for a Vice President of Property Management. Why bother sending the resume in a situation similar to that. For best results, read the job posting and then come up with 5 or 6 key areas in which your background meshes well with the requirements and then when you submit the resume, list those key areas in the email body. Or even better, create a section on the resume to highlight the match. Don’t always assume that your reader will make the connection between your background experiences and the requirements.

These are but a few tips on resumes. Our suggestion, if you really want to spiff up your calling card (the resume), is a visit to your favorite bookstore to buy a book on professional resume writing. Send us a note if you want some book recommendations.

Slow hiring process impacts acquiring the best talent

Over the past six months, we have seen company's lose out on top tier impact players through their own cumbersome hiring processes. In the end, these companies end up with average new hires. Compound the slow hiring process with the advent of a serious shortage of top talent, then you have a very sticky problem for companies and their quest for hiring the best talent available. By the way, a book suggestion on the talent shortage that is and will continue to plaque us, go to your local bookstore and buy the book Impending Crisis by Roger E. Herman.

Just recently, one of our clients was tracking on that same slow, methodical process. Last Friday they interviewed a really terrific candidate who met their precise profile. After the interview our recruiter discussed the merits of the candidate with the hiring manager. In the course of the conversation the hiring manager told the recruiter that this candidate was perfect and they planned to take him through the normal process which would take two to three weeks. Our recruiter, aware that the candidate had multiple opportunities coming at him, advised the manager that the candidate would likely not be available in that timeframe. The hiring manager responded that they would have to take their chances. On Saturday, the management team gathered to discuss the situation and made the decision to accelerate the process. By Tuesday, they had another meeting with the candidate, and at the conclusion of the meeting, showed the candidate their desires by making an offer. Even though the candidate was in the final stage of another opportunity, he was so impressed with the decisiveness of the management team that he quickly accepted the offer.

Smart companies, desiring to hire the best and brightest, are recognizing the changing climate and are modifying their hiring processes.

It's been awhile since we last posted. The business activity within multi-family property management is excellent. Within the last three weeks, we have begun recruiting for the following positions:

Regional Property Manager positions in Northern California; Orange County, Ca; Baltimore, Md; Alexandria, Va; Western Mass.

Senior Property Manager position in New London, Ct.

Call us if you are interested in one of these positions or know someone whom you would recommend.