by Richard Triggs | Sep 9, 2024 | Blogs
By Richard Triggs published in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age on Saturday.
Having been a recruiter for more than 20 years, I have met thousands of professionals to discuss their career goals. Typically, they are looking for advice in three areas – how to get a promotion or pay rise with their current employer, how to change employers or industries, and how to move to a “portfolio” career (i.e. consulting to multiple companies).
If you’re trying to work your way up the career ladder, let’s take a look at what it takes to reach your full potential.
Many professionals expect that if they just work hard, they will be recognized and rewarded accordingly. Often, they come to me upset that the rewards haven’t arrived, and as a result, they start looking for a new job. Most of the time, the disgruntled employee has never directly asked their boss for what they want. Perhaps there’s been some loose conversation about it at the annual performance review, but in an ad hoc manner.
“Ask and thou shalt receive.”
Here’s a great question to ask your boss: “Mary, in 12 months’ time, I would like to be promoted to a more senior role (or a $20,000 pay rise – whatever your goal is). What specifically do I need to achieve for you to make this happen?”
Your boss should respect and appreciate you for being direct. After all, they want to retain high achievers. Get them to give you at least a few specific, quantifiable key deliverables. Document them and then most importantly, achieve them. Refer to them regularly in your meetings and keep your boss updated on your progress.
Of course, if your boss can’t commit to what you want or the goals they want you to achieve are simply unrealistic, either negotiate for a different outcome or start looking for a new job. At least you know that you have tried your best by being open about your desires.
It’s a commonly held belief that at least 80 per cent of the best jobs are never advertised or recruited in the open job market. They are recruited through the hidden market. What does this mean? Employers will typically find someone who can solve their problems and they hire them, whether they have a vacancy or not.
If you want your job search to be effective, don’t just rely on advertised roles or speaking with recruiters, you are missing out on the bulk of the opportunity. Also, most recruiters will only prioritize candidates with very specific experience. If you are looking to change industries and/or role families, you are highly unlikely to find this via a recruiter.
How do you access the hidden job market? You need to get in front of your preferred employers of choice before they know they need you. Research the companies to identify who your role would most likely report through to. Connect with them on LinkedIn (most will have a profile) and send them an email asking for a 15-minute introductory meeting.
Don’t reach out to human resources (unless you are an HR professional); instead, make sure you target your anticipated direct line manager. HR typically are dealing with existing vacancies plus myriad other tasks. The line manager will have a more strategic view of their business and human capital requirements and will be more likely to want to meet.
As long as your background is relevant, and you have a LinkedIn profile that clearly articulates your key achievements and transferable skills, these hiring managers will want to meet you. If they can hire you without paying a recruitment fee, all the better for them. I have coached more than 1000 executives through their job search, and when people apply this methodology consistently and proactively, they are amazed at how quickly they find a new job.
Similar to point two, when you are ready to step up into consulting, note that many consulting or short-term project roles are rarely advertised. If you are looking for these opportunities, go directly to the organisations you want to work with.
Following these simple strategies will significantly improve your ability to achieve your dream job and have a rich and fulfilling career. Yes, it does require you to get out of your comfort zone but like most things in life, fortune favours the brave.
Richard Triggs, author of Winning the War for Talent, is founder and CEO of Arete Executive, an executive search and recruitment company.
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Published in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age on Saturday.
by Richard Triggs | Aug 30, 2024 | Blogs
The world is very much at the tail end of the Covid-19 pandemic. Business optimism is high (regardless of what you hear in the media), organisations are growing, and candidates are back to being active in the market and looking for new opportunities.
There has definitely been a cultural shift in the way people are looking at their careers and the way they wish to be engaged with their employers. Working from home, working part time, telecommuting and contracting versus permanent employment are not new phenomena. However, the zeitgeist has definitely changed as more and more people want these alternate arrangements rather than the traditional Monday-to-Friday, nine-to five employment model.
These trends were definitely happening pre-Covid, especially with improving internet speed and availability, virtual meetings over Zoom and Teams, and other technology. It’s just that the pandemic and resulting lockdowns and travel restrictions greatly accelerated candidates’ desire for change. However, the fundamental recruiting environment remains largely the same as it was 20 years ago when I first started my recruitment career, especially the excuses for poor hiring and retention, so let’s dispel two of these right from the get-go.
Myth: the war for talent
When I first started working in the recruitment industry in 2002, I joined TMP Worldwide (now known as Hudson). At the time they were the biggest recruitment company in the world, and I was excited about joining such a prestigious brand. I clearly remember, in my very first days of induction, being introduced to this term of doom and gloom, ‘the war for talent’, designed to spread fear among employers and to lower their expectations regarding the quality of candidates they would see on a shortlist presented by us.
It’s not dissimilar to a real estate agent manipulating homeowners into accepting a lower price for their house, because ‘it’s a buyer’s market out there’ so the owner should be grateful to receive an offer at all. It amazed me that recruiters basically sold a service by pre-emptively conditioning employers to be underwhelmed. More importantly, that’s exactly the level of service they then delivered. On the other hand, I believed (and still do) that as recruitment professionals, we must be able to guarantee to deliver outstanding shortlists, which requires a headhunting approach. At my firm Arete Executive, unless we deliver a shortlist within 20 working days that our client is delighted to interview, we offer to refund our client their retainer. If we say we can deliver the result, we should hold the risk of non-performance.
It’s 20 years later and I still hear about the ‘war for talent’ on an almost daily basis, from CEOs and business owners, HR managers and internal and external recruiters. Quite frankly, it’s a load of BS and the fact that it is perpetuated is just an indication of how dumb and lazy most people charged with recruitment are.
Rather than working harder and smarter to attract outstanding candidates, it’s so much easier to just blame the market and accept mediocrity. Let me give you a couple of examples. Earlier this year my recruitment company was engaged by one of the biggest mining companies in the world to recruit for them an HR manager in regional Australia (I won’t tell you their name, however if you think about the top three Australian global mining companies, it’s definitely one of them).
Now this particular mining company had this role vacant for close to eight months, and the fact it remained vacant was causing a lot of distress to the line manager as it was significantly impacting their ability to do their job and deliver results well. Yet the head of internal recruitment, who was responsible for finding candidates and filling the role, had not delivered on what was a fairly simple brief, even after such a long period. The excuse – ‘it’s a war for talent’ – was there were no suitable candidates in the region, or who wanted to move to the region. They had essentially given up, while still paying lip service to some continued sourcing activity taking place.
Eventually, the line manager was given permission to engage us to deliver a suitable shortlist, which we were able to do in less than two weeks, that resulted in a very fast and successful placement. Why were we able to get such an immediate and positive result? Because unlike the internal recruiter who simply placed a bland and uninspiring advertisement on Seek and sent a few lacklustre InMails on LinkedIn, we undertook a comprehensive sourcing strategy that left no stone unturned.
Myth: the great resignation
How many times have you heard this phrase in the last couple of years, especially in our post-Covid world: ‘It’s not my fault we can’t retain people – it’s the great resignation’? It’s as if everyone drank the Kool-Aid while working from home, and woke up hating their boss, hating their employer, hating their profession, and all wanting to quit and join the circus.
‘Especially the younger generation, who want the world and show no loyalty to their current employer,’ complains the older senior executive while talking to me about looking for a new job and an extra $100k. Ahhh, the joys of hypocrisy. In 2010, a global poll conducted by Gallup uncovered that of the world’s one billion full-time workers, only 15 per cent of people were engaged at work. That means an astronomical 85 per cent of people were unhappy in their jobs.
The average professional job tenure in Australia from 2000 to 2022 has consistently sat at around 3.0 to 3.5 years. This means that people change employers roughly every three years. A recent PwC report on the ‘great resignation’, ‘What Workers Want: How to win the war on talent’, found that 38 per cent of Australian workers intend to leave their current employer during the next 12 months. Which is, guess what? A tenure of about 3.0 to 3.5 years. So the more things change, the more they stay the same.
There is no great resignation, it’s just media doom and My simple explanation is this. During Covid there were a lot of people who wanted to change jobs, however chose not to do so because they felt the risk of change at that time was too high. ‘What if I change jobs and then get Covid, but don’t have any accrued sick leave or annual leave?’ Or, ‘What if I change jobs and then my new employer is negatively impacted by Covid, and I end up being made redundant?’
So they stayed in jobs longer than they would have normally because it was a safe harbour in a storm. Now that Covid is largely behind us, these people are resigning for new opportunities. Covid was just a bottleneck and now the employment market has returned to normal. The statistics prove this.
I can honestly say I have not had a single regrettable loss from my business in over five years. Likewise, I know countless CEOs and business owners who have been able to retain all their top performers both during and post Covid. They have invested time and money into building their brands as Employers of Choice, and in maintaining a performance-based culture that encourages and rewards exceptional individual and team performance.
Just like the war for talent, the great resignation is a crappy excuse for poor leadership. The great news is that you are going to learn how to build and maintain a culture to not only attract high performers to your businesses, but also to retain them for much longer than industry averages.
Other myths and clichés
There are so many other myths around recruitment, leadership and retention that I could write a whole book on this subject. Then there are the clichés that seem to be repeated in every business book, such as, ‘strategy eats culture for breakfast’ (Peter Drucker), or ‘start with why’ (Simon Sinek)’, or even ‘courage over comfort’ (Brené Brown). In their time, these ideas were thought-provoking and challenged some old business paradigms, but they
just seem a bit naff now through endless regurgitation (a bit like Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up – thank you Ted Lasso for being such an awesome TV show). How about we just learn some simple tools and then go out and kick some butt?
Written by Richard Triggs for
To view original article The war for talent, the great resignation and other myths – CEOWORLD magazine
by Richard Triggs | Sep 11, 2023 | Blogs
I’ve recruited more than 1,000 people, and this is exactly how to impress an executive recruiter
This is how you maximize your chance for getting shortlisted for a position.
In the last 20 years, I have recruited well in excess of 1,000 senior executives coached over 2,500 people in relation to their job search. Two of the questions I am most often asked are “How do I get recruiters to pay attention to me?” and “How do I maximize my chances of getting shortlisted for a role?”
Let’s say I am recruiting a CEO role for one of my clients, and I advertise that role. Because it is an attractive opportunity, I receive 200 applications (which is quite common for senior roles). I give each applicant’s résumé a cursory 15-second review (that’s right, that’s how long you have to make an impression). I select 10 applicants for an initial interview and the other 190 applicants get the dreaded “thanks, but no thanks” email.
How many of those 190 people do you think ring me asking for some feedback as to why they are not being progressed? The answer is typically zero, or occasionally one.
If I am recruiting one role you are interested in, then it’s highly likely I’ll be recruiting more. Why would you not want to have a relationship with me, so that you may get preferential consideration in the future? How do you impress me, if you don’t even speak to me?
Here are some tips and tricks to help you stand out from the crowd.
WHAT TO DO (AND DON’T DO)
Do: Always ring the recruiter prior to submitting your application if their name is on the advertisement. Ask some specific, relevant questions to demonstrate you have read the ad. Be courteous and respectful of the recruiter’s time.
Don’t: Ask an obvious question like, “What can you tell me about the role?” or expect the recruiter to listen to your entire life story on this call. We are busy people too.
Do: Always make sure your résumé highlights key achievements that reflect the skills called for in the advertisement. Show the recruiter why you are awesome and deserve their attention.
Don’t: Write a cover letter unless it is specifically called for. Given my comments above about the 200 applicants and 15 seconds, take my word for it: We do not read cover letters.
Do: Be patient and wait five days before following up to see if you are being shortlisted. However make sure you do follow up as each conversation is another opportunity to leave a good impression.
Don’t: Be a stalker and leave multiple messages/emails per day. Don’t be aggressive, needy, or belligerent.
Do: If you get a rejection email, always follow up and ask for feedback. Offer to buy the recruiter a coffee (it’s amazing what a $5 investment will get you) so you can meet and build a relationship.
Don’t: Expect that recruiters will drop everything just to meet with you face-to-face immediately. Accept that a 15-minute Zoom/Teams meeting is the norm nowadays.
Do: If you are offered an interview, be on time, well-prepared, and smartly dressed. When in doubt, always dress up rather than down.
Do: If you are being interviewed by the recruiter’s client (i.e., the employer), always provide immediate feedback to the recruiter on how the meeting went, so they can proactively follow up.
Do: If references are requested, always provide at least two people you have worked directly for (i.e., former employers). Subordinates, colleagues, and personal references aren’t appropriate.
Do: Always let the recruiter handle the salary negotiations. Our job is to get you the best outcome and to take the emotion out (like a real estate agent).
Don’t: Artificially talk up your salary expectations, just because you can. I’ve seen many candidates miss out on great jobs because they priced themselves out of consideration and/or the employer thought they were being greedy. (Note: You should definitely be paid what you are worth, and a good employer will know this.)
Do: Show your appreciation to the recruiter for helping you, by sending a thank you card or small gift. Yes, we do get paid a fee from the employer, but we also love it when a placed candidate shows some gratitude.
Don’t: Think that now you have a new job, you don’t need to maintain a relationship with your recruiter. They may have another fantastic job for you in the future, they may be able to introduce you to some relevant contacts in the industry useful for your career, and potentially they may even recruit people into your team.
Some basic things can go a long way to ensuring you impress an executive recruiter and become one of their candidates of choice.
by Richard Triggs | Aug 17, 2023 | Blogs
As an executive recruitment consultant with over 20 years’ experience (14 years running my own company), I have recruited well over 2,000 senior executive and board roles for my clients. I’ve worked across almost all role families, all industries (including government and not-for profits) and throughout all of Australia and internationally.
As a result, I probably get between 15 and 30 enquiries a week from people wanting advice on how to get c-suite (CEO, CFO, COO etc.) and board roles. I wrote a book, “Uncover the Hidden Job Market”, I host monthly webinars dealing with this topic, plus I have coached hundreds of senior executives and board directors through their job search.
Here’s a few key points that will help you fast track your career to the roles you would truly love to have.
- Do your current job REALLY well
It should go without saying that in order to be promoted or be hired into a more senior role in the open market, you need to be really good at your job. Sure, you can try to “fake it ‘til you make it”, however my experience is that people who do this get found out pretty quickly.
Ask your boss the question, “For you to be absolutely delighted with my performance, what do I need to achieve for you in the next 3, 6 and 12 months?” Drill down and quantify these expectations as much as possible, and then go out and achieve it. Of course, if your boss is a Machiavellian narcissist, then it’s probably time to leave regardless.
Nothing will accelerate your career more than being excellent at your job.
- Build your networks
The vast majority of c-suite and board roles never get advertised, never get to recruiters, and never get to the open market. They are filled through the hidden job market. What does this mean? When organisations find someone that can solve their problems and take away their pain, they hire them, even if there is no current vacancy.
Even if there is a current vacancy, why would an organisation want to go through a protracted, expensive recruitment process, if they can just hire you directly and get on with business. Makes sense, right?
So in order for you to access the hidden job market (c-suite or board), you need to have a direct relationship with your employers of choice (which can also include the CEO and Chair of your current employer). You need to “sell” them on your key achievements and transferable skills (see point one above). You need to remain front of mind, so that when the vacancy becomes available, you are the logical first choice.
Fortunately, LinkedIn has made this process easy. Firstly, identify your employer/s of choice. Then identify the key decision maker (i.e. the Chair and/or CEO). Reach out to them with a connection request and then follow up with an email asking for a 15-minute introductory meeting. Do this consistently and proactively and you will easily find a new job/board role when the time is right.
You should also do this with key “People of Influence” in your industry. Who are the thought leaders who regularly speak at industry events or write about industry specific topics? Reach out to them to introduce yourself as well. These people are regularly asked for referrals for vacancies, and you want to be top of mind.
- Your LinkedIn profile
Like it or not, nowadays everyone you are interacting with on a professional level is looking at your LinkedIn profile. Recruiters, employers, potential employees, suppliers, customers…. The list goes on. So your LinkedIn profile must present you in the best possible light. It must tell us why you are AWESOME.
Make sure you include in your career history those key achievements that you are most proud of and are quantified to make sure you stand out from the crowd. “Increased revenue by x percent”, “increased market share by y percent”, “reduced operating costs by z percent”, etc. Big, sexy key achievements. You need to “sell the sizzle, not the steak”.
Have a great quality headshot, have at least 500 connections (so that you are visible), include your qualifications and ideally have at least a few Recommendations (personal testimonials at the bottom of your profile). It’s not hard to create a LinkedIn profile that stands out from the crowd.
- Develop long-term relationships with executive recruiters
Identify who are the key recruiters handling c-suite and board roles in your industry/geography. Take the time to build an excellent relationship with them. Buy them a coffee every six months. You want them to know what you want and what you are excellent at, so they can give you priority consideration when they pick up new, relevant roles. Look for ways to reciprocate by referring them quality candidates and introductions.
Doing these simple things will best ensure that when the time is right, you will be well positioned to achieve the c-suite or board role that you are best qualified and deserved of. Good luck with your job search.
