Welcome to The Fordyce Letter:
Ok, here is what we’ll use to start the fire du jour:
“If I have to scroll to read your sigfile it is TOO DAMNED BIG, PERIOD!”
You need to FIX IT!
War on Sigfiles
by 
Dave Staats
on Sep. 30, 2009
Dave Staats
on Sep. 30, 2009
Perception Problem for IT Recruiters
by 
elaine.rigoli
on Sep. 29, 2009
elaine.rigoli
on Sep. 29, 2009
According to a new report by IT jobs board Dice.com, nearly one in four IT professionals thinks recruiters are a waste of their time.
Dice.com Tech Topic Poll
Have you had a good experience with a recruiter?
28% — Yes, I got a job through a recruiter.
23% — I’ve gone on interviews set up by recruiters — but no job.
10% — I’ve gotten some good contract jobs.
39% — No, they’re not a good use of my time.
On the bright side, this poll reveals that 61% see at least some of the value recruiters bring to a job search.
The Dice report says recruiters “should be a part of any job search” because of the insights we provide, including details of a company’s culture, the hiring manager’s background, or the needs that resulted in the open job requisition.
The report summary also mentions that “retained recruiters especially have close relationships with employers, which allows them to provide insights that candidates can use to their advantage.”
For anyone who hasn’t yet skimmed the ongoing Dice.com message board entitled “Anyone else get sick of recruiters?” it’s worth reviewing if for nothing more than a voyeuristic “fly on the wall” chance to read what IT professionals think. It includes a gem of a comment equating technology recruiters to “a flock of mosquitoes, trying to pinch a little bit of your blood and soul while you are simply trying to manage the day to day of your job.”
The take-away message for the frustrated, job-seeking IT worker: Recruiters are only one aspect of a job search strategy, so remind your candidates to take some of the responsibility by investing in personal branding, professional social networks, and old-fashioned networking.
New to the C-Suite: the Chief Commercial Officer
by elaine.rigoli
on Sep. 28, 2009
elaine.rigoli
on Sep. 28, 2009
Heidrick & Struggles says a new power center is emerging in the C-suite — the chief commercial officer.
In its white paper, “The Rise of the Chief Commercial Officer,” the executive search firm says it has seen a “dramatic increase” in organizations looking for a single executive leader at the right hand of the CEO. The job is simply to drive growth and ensure integrated commercial success, according to the white paper.
Companies are looking for one person who can own this responsibility as it touches all divisions — from sales and marketing to customer service and product development — and they are hiring CCOs to fill this space.
For example, in 2001, there were five CCO appointments at companies globally. By 2008, that number had reached 56. With 36 appointments in the first half of 2009, this year will have the highest number of CCO appointments yet.
Stanton Chase: Insights on the 9.7% Unemployment Rate
by 
Bruce Serbin
on Sep. 24, 2009
Bruce Serbin
on Sep. 24, 2009
The unemployment rate hit a 26-year high, reaching 9.7% in August.
That’s even more disappointing news considering that in July, the unemployment rate fell for the first time in 15 months. Perhaps the only bit of good news — if you can call it that — is employers cut fewer jobs in August than they did the month before.
The Labor Department said that August job cuts totaled 216,000. The industries hardest hit were manufacturing and construction, losing 50,000 and 65,000, respectively.
Looking forward, where do we go from here? What does the remainder of 2009 look like?
Will there be more cuts? When will things start to improve?
To get a national perspective into what’s taking place, here are some thoughts from several of the managing directors from global executive search firm Stanton Chase.
Mom-Approved Client Development
by elaine.rigoli
on Sep. 23, 2009
elaine.rigoli
on Sep. 23, 2009
Get to know these companies — they’re among the 100 best companies for working mothers. Pretty important information for survival as a recruiter when you consider that our current recession — yes, the one affecting you thanks to those pesky hiring freezes — has hit men harder than women.
In fact, men held nearly 75% of the jobs lost thus far in the U.S. recession due to affected industries such as construction and manufacturing.
So take a look at the 100 best companies selected by Working Mother magazine and aim to add several companies to your hot list of clients.
The top 10 companies cited were Abbott Laboratories of Abbott Park, Illinois; Bon Secours Richmond Health System in Virginia; Deloitte LLP in New York; Discovery Communications of Silver Spring, Maryland; Ernst & Young of New York; General Mills of Minneapolis; Chicago-based Grant Thornton accounting firm; IBM Corp of Armonk, New York; The McGraw-Hill Cos publishers in New York; and PricewaterhouseCoopers auditors of New York.
The take-away message, according to the magazine’s editors, is that “how, when, and where you work” is not as important as the quality of the work produced. In fact, a full 100% offer some sort of telecommuting or flextime schedule; 98% offer job-sharing; and 94% offer compressed workweeks.
The companies — with at least 500 employees, government agencies excluded — entered applications with several hundred questions on programs and policies. This is the 24th year of this list, though its overall value has been questioned by some in the past.
But as more men are laid-off and more women become sole income-earners in their families, recruiters that help to lead candidates (and their families) to companies that actively promote family-friendly policies might lead you UP in the down economy.
Running From Clients…
by elaine.rigoli
on Sep. 22, 2009
elaine.rigoli
on Sep. 22, 2009
The Fordyce Letter contributor and Fistful of Talent columnist Tim Tolan is fired up about transitioning fee agreements (from a percentage-based model of the cash compensation — salary and bonus — to a fixed-fee arrangement).
In a great new FOT post, he questions the emerging trend of clients asking for fixed fees AND an increase in the number of months for the placement guarantee. To echo what Tolan writes, “WHAT? Are you kidding me?”
Don’t Fret Over The Recession, Embrace It!
by 
Dan Fisher
on Sep. 22, 2009
Dan Fisher
on Sep. 22, 2009
Now is the time. Let me repeat that. Now is the time!
Now is the time to capitalize on a career-changing moment. This truly is (and has been for nearly a year!) your window of opportunity. How can I make such a statement in the face of the worst recession since the Great Depression? It’s in difficult times like these that present the best career opportunities. Period. Leaders become leaders in organizations because they develop track records of solving problems.
Facing a recession like the one we’ve battled this past year presents the ultimate leadership opportunity. This recession will shape your career. How you respond will impact your future and the future of your organization. So, is this recession going to make you stronger or weaker?
How do you respond to the following phrases?
Nudge Neil: Getting More Voicemails Returned
by 
Neil Lebovits
on Sep. 21, 2009
Neil Lebovits
on Sep. 21, 2009
Dear Neil: My greatest challenge is in securing job orders. Specifically, how can I go about getting more returned calls from my clients when I leave voicemail?
Here is one sure-fire tip to massively increase your call backs. It is quite simple: take advantage of the fact that you are a recruiter!
Your product is a person (as is, of course, your prospect). ALWAYS (especially with C-level or higher targets) start your call as a recruiting call. Yes, even if you are calling HR and don’t place HR people. You can always market them if they are good. This is great when trying to reach the line. You can easily leave a very cryptic/mysterious message.
For example:
“Hi, Neil. I was referred to you and thought we ought to talk. I don’t want to leave a message about the subject, please call me back at 555-123-4567.”
Of course, if you weren’t actually referred to them, then skip that part. You can still just let them know that you have something to discuss that you’d rather not leave on voicemail. There is nothing wrong with this and who will NOT want to see what this is all about?
I have been told by some that this is a ruse. It is not! Everything you say is true. You are going to recruit them (or try to, which is something you should always be doing anyway).
When they call back, you will explain who you are and why you wanted to be very professional and cautious with them during the message. Recruit them. Make it about them. Then, after the initial conversation, turn it into a marketing call or call back later. The gate will be open! I am surprised how few people do this all of the time!
Try it, you’ll like it!
Direct Link Between Med/Pharma Recruiters, Candidates
by elaine.rigoli
on Sep. 17, 2009
elaine.rigoli
on Sep. 17, 2009
MedPharmReps.com is a new job board that lets candidates search openings posted by independent recruiters, a potentially positive step forward in better connecting recruiters and med/pharma candidates.
Because too many job boards try to be all things to all people, “many hiring companies have joined the larger job boards, so independent recruiters no longer advertise their openings on these sites,” explains partner Marc Orcutt.
Candidates are allowed to review openings before formally joining the site to apply for open positions.
RecruitHire Acquires Dayak
by elaine.rigoli
on Sep. 15, 2009
elaine.rigoli
on Sep. 15, 2009
RecruitHire, a company that helps employers connect with recruiters to fill job openings, has picked up Dayak’s online network of more than 6,000 recruiters and 1,500 employers.
Dayak says its current users can use their existing accounts to log in to RecruitHire.com and begin using the new features immediately. They can also continue to access the Dayak.com website through October 15, 2009, to extract data related to previous submissions.
Dayak has not been without controversy in our industry. As a service that prompts employers to choose the fee they’re willing to pay recruiters for a successful hire, the company offered a clear shift away from percentage-based fees.
Dayak and competitor BountyJobs were both nominated for OnRec’s “2008 Game Changing Recruiting Technology” (the award ultimately went to JobStick). Another firm that is still around is the U.K.-based www.agreeyourfee.com, which offers a similar business platform in that employers post jobs and how much they want to pay a recruiter to fill the vacancy. The company deducts a 15% flat rate from the total fee that the employer sets; in essence, the company charges the recruiter 7.5% and the employer 7.5%.
Although changing recruitment technologies will always seem like a revolving door to an extent, some in the industry wonder whether this specific model can even succeed.
Industry blogger Sarah White notes that “in order to truly be successful, it would take a partnership with (or acquisition by) a major job board that wanted to expand their current services to create a network for higher level positions that aren’t traditionally advertised on their site and attract the 3rd party recruiter that wouldn’t think of using their sites now.”
