Yearly: 2015

Are you just going through the motions at work? Working for the weekend? You’re not alone. According to a Gallup study published in the Harvard Business Review, only 16% of Canadians are engaged in their jobs. So it’s not just you. But remember, your career is your career and you alone are responsible for its growth and direction. Here is how to take control of your career in 5 steps:

So you’re looking to hire a new team member. You (or your HR department) have screened candidates and identified the top players in the industry, and now it’s time to interview. Your mind may drift toward strategies you’ve used in the past, or what you remember from being interviewed: “What are your top 3 strengths and weaknesses” or “tell me about a time…”
Stop. There’s a better way.

A company you’d like to work for has just interviewed you. Now the waiting game begins. As a candidate, the next few days can be stressful as you keep checking your phone or email inbox for any news. But there are things you could do to ease the uncertainty … and they might even help you land the job.

There has never been so much online content to choose from and only so many hours in a day. To help you cut through the noise, I’ve compiled a list of the top 4 HR leaders you should start following, my favourite posts, and how to follow them.

Who are your heroes in business?
My dad (with my mom’s support). He and my uncle ran a construction company called Quarin Brothers for 30 years. In the same vein, my heroes are every small business person who has an idea, empties his/her wallet, and gives their soul into building something.

Hiring creative talent is different than hiring for more traditional or analytical roles. How do you evaluate someone’s creativity? And how can you tell if their particular brand of creativity will mesh with your company or clients? As a marketing headhunter, I assess and place creative talent every day, and here’s what I’ve learned:

Dear Corporate Recruiter,

As an Agency Recruiter (headhunter), I/we am/are pleased to be chosen to assist you in your important search. It is our aim to be able to partner with your company and truly become an extension of your function. As Jim Collins says, “People are not your most important asset. The right people are.” As headhunters, our goal is to find you those right people who will reflect well on your function and within your company overall.

Hiring managers have lots of options when it comes to finding top quality talent. You can leverage your personal network, employee referrals, social media (LinkedIn), online job boards, using HR, and of course… an excellent headhunter.
To help you decide, keep in mind that 2 things will never change:
1) The best candidates are not “looking” for a new career;
2) A poor hire is extremely costly to your organization.
… So you’ll need to invest some resources, whether they be time or money. Here are 3 points to consider when deciding, “should I hire a headhunter or just use HR?”

You’re a job candidate being screened over the phone by a recruiter or hiring manager. How do you make a good impression when the only touch point is your voice? Phone interviews can be intimidating but they don’t have to be. As recruiters, we’re on the phone all day long. We’ve heard our share of great phone screenings … along with not-so-great ones. A good recruiter will work with you to make the process smoother.