It’s a safe bet that what drives nearly every job search out there, nearly every recruiter’s client base, is the notion of the fabled “Dream Job.” It’s the solid-gold, diamond-encrusted, unicorn of the talent world. Wars have been fought over it; nations have crumbled in its pursuit. OK, maybe that’s going a little far, but - to a job-seeker - it can seem that important. Many a’ job seeker has looked into the mirror and asked, “Is it even possible? Do I dare dream of a job I can truly love? A job that [gasp] doesn’t even feel like work?” Well, we’re not making any promises, but we have some advice that might help you make that dream a reality.

According to a study “of more than 3,700 job seekers, 1,250 hiring managers and 620 staffing directors in five global regions” by Development Dimensions International (and quoted in a post at The Recruiting Edge) “74% [of] Job seekers […] believe it is important to work for an organization they can be proud of” and “55% [of] staffing directors […] think that’s an important issue for candidates.” That level of pride and satisfaction in employment is at the heart the dream-job search, but it’s something no job board can describe to an applicant.

The best thing a job seeker can do at the start of a dream-job search is ask themselves a few abstract (but important) questions. The JobMob blog recommends these:

• What do you like doing? Examples: eating gourmet food, driving race cars, learning about history, playing video games
• What are you good at? Examples: programming, recognizing instruments in a song, handiwork, rugby
• Which work conditions are important to you? Examples: flex-time, free cafeteria, having an office, frequent business travel

Flesh your answers out as much as possible, and come up with reasons that support the answers. Then go about finding openings that meet as many of your criteria as possible.

Once, you’ve gotten an interview at a possible dream job, the second phase of your questions begin, only this time they should be directed at the company itself. Alexander Kjerulf at Chief Happiness Officer recommends asking an interviewer questions like these:

• What’s been your best experience working at this company?
• When do you have the most fun at work ?
• Who do you enjoy working with the most here? What do you like about them?
• Which manager do you admire the most in this company? What do you admire about that person?
• What’s the greatest thing your manager has done for his/her people?

The questions require consideration and honesty in a way that questions like “Is this a good place to work?” or “Do you like it here?” don’t. Every good interview will reach a point where the candidate gets to ask questions. Every good candidate should use that opportunity to determine whether or not the position in question is a potential Dream Job.

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[Daily Post from itzbig] To recruiters, Twitter should be more than just a funny word.

Continuing our recent theme about recruiting, hiring and retaining Web 2.0-savvy talent, we’re talking today about a web-based trend that can make recruiting more efficient, once you get past the goofy name.

BostonWorks Hiring Hub: The HR Blog:: You’re the best and the brightest - and you’re fired!

In a new twist in corporate downsizing, national electronics retail giant Circuit City has announced that it’s firing its top 3,400 sales people. Why? Because they are making too much money:

Gautam Ghosh:: A Management Consultant’s Blog: AK’s first video interview

“Jim Stroud, who is a ’searchologist’ in the Microsoft Recruiting team was recently in Hyderabad to train the Microsoft recruiters here on the intricacies of sourcing passive candidates over the internet. (by the way, if you are a recruiter and are interested to know the tricks of the trade, you can buy Jim’s training videos)”

The Occupational Adventure (sm): Stay fresh through exploration

“Part of the secret to creating a career that lights you up is staying energized and fresh for the long haul. It’s too easy to fall into a rut that starts to slowly leech the energy out of you until one day you realize that your journey just doesn’t have the same oomph it once had.”

The Impassioned Workforce: Talent Management or Brand Management?

“Surely these are HR topics and belong to the realm of human capital experts? But not so. These topics are critical to everyone wishing for the success and longevity of an organisation, and with brand equity increasingly becoming the domain of the CEO, it is vital that everyone plays a part in creating and sustaining an impassioned workforce.”

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Sometimes, it seems like tech-firms go out of their way to come up with the most ridiculous product names possible. However, titles like Google and Yahoo, MySpace and YouTube are all now common parlance, especially to millennials and Gen-Xers. It’s good for a recruiters and hiring managers to be aware of these ridiculously named products, but it’s becoming increasingly important for you to be adept in using them as well. Continuing our recent theme about recruiting, hiring and retaining Web 2.0-savvy talent, we’re talking today about a web-based trend that can make recruiting more efficient, once you get past the goofy name.

There is some serious buzz going on right now about Twitter, a new social networking tool. Designed to answer the rhetorical question “What are you doing?,” it works as a chaotic microblog where anyone can (and does) post anything immediately whether it’s breaking news or a stream-of-consciousness quip. The service recently won a Best of the Web award at SXSWi, and currently hosts arpund “70,000 a day […] up 55 per cent the week after” the technology conference (from a Financial Times article).

Even more recently though, marketers are beginning to take advantage of the exposure to mention products and services. Woot.com, a deal-focussed online store, has their own page on Twitter with over 1,300 subscribers or “followers,” according to the 10e20 blog.

Those followers signed up to get notices of deals and product information; contacting their followers, Woot can immediately and simultaneously reach all of them. As a tech-savvy recruiter, imagine reaching out to all of your IT talent simultaneously and delivering details on a hot job.

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[Daily Post from itzbig] Before you activate Plan B, consider your work attitude

“The sad truth is that lots of people are unhappy at their jobs, but - in the spirit of lemonade-from-lemons - that also means that there is a lot of potential talent out there ready for a new job. Still, before you go quitting your job, there is a lot to consider.”

Employment Digest: Crafting a resume requires knowledge of changing rules

“Remember the rule about getting your resume on a single page? Well that one has been thrown out. Here are some more. Have you ever noticed that just when you figure out all the rules, the rules change?”

Systematic HR:: Communicating with a Millennial (Part 3: Getting to Know You)

This wasn’t supposed to be a series. Both the Recruiting Animal and “Ryan” have brought up interesting points that I’d like to comment on. Is it possible that all of this “adjusting” going both ways (to the Millennials and for them to work) is really just workforce entry angst?

StlRecruiting: Mapping The Recruiting Community

“One of the things I do for my interactive marketing business is community mapping. The idea actually came from recruiting, as I always think of my community maps as sourcing websites as opposed to sourcing people.”

Bostonworks: Online database fatigue?

“In my mind the science of recruiting is in using the tools and technologies to find candidates; the art, however, is in the landing.”

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We’ve written before about the possible dangers created by a poorly managed workforce, and while that advice is great (do you expect anything less from this blog?), not every HR department is going to follow it. The sad truth is that lots of people are unhappy at their jobs, but - in the spirit of lemonade-from-lemons - that also means that there is a lot of potential talent out there ready for a new job. Still, before you go quitting your job, there is a lot to consider.

According to a study posted about on the Taleo Blog, talent management and performance evaluation/reward are the two leading factors in work-place positivity (via Gautam Ghosh’s blog). What happens when both of those aspects of a job are lackluster? Obviously, you’re going to be dissatisfied with your job. However, think about what it means to be unhappy at your job. Why are you unhappy, and is there anything positive that can be done about your situation? Specifically, are there ways you can turn adversity into opportunity? Rising above negative co-workers, making the best of your responsibilities, and trying to be positive.

Sure, that may sound like sort of abstract advice, but you should think about it as a specific, proactive tactic. on Alexander Kjerulf’s blog, Chief Happiness Officer, he argues that:

“The single most efficient way to increase your productivity is to be happy at work. No system, tool or methodology in the world can beat the productivity boost you get from really, really enjoying your work.” (read the full post here).

Of course, if you still want to activate Plan B, that positivity and added productivity are likely to make your management a little more positive about you, a little more willing to give you a good review, perhaps.

Similarly, CNNMoney.com magazine recently published an article about “knee-jerk vs. smart” responses for people who are unhappy with their jobs. The knee-jerk response usually perpetuates your negativity which can give management a reason to fire you (i.e. take responsibility for your talent out of your hands), while the smart response
usually sets you up to look like a hero, even if you’re on your way out.

You might also take the “Should You Quit Your Job” quiz posted at About.com. It might help you figure out if you’re staring down the barrel of a dead-end job or if you’re staring opportunity right in the eyes. It’s never too late to change jobs or careers, but it can be a major decision. Many people dream of rushing into their boss’ office and letting go with the famed “Piece-of-my-mind.” But, do some deliberate thinking before you walk out on what could be your chance for career greatness, and don’t go burning any bridges. Then, if you’re really ready for a career change, you’ll go into Plan B poised for success instead of carrying unhappy career baggage with you.

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[Daily Post from itzbig] Do you have what it takes to recruit and place millennials?

“As a recruiter, if you aren’t aware of the expectations and needs of today’s talent force, you ‘re not doing your best work for them or for you.[…] Upcoming talent has different needs and career goals, today’s recruiter has to be interested not merely in placing a candidate but in keeping the candidate in the job.”

Marketing Pilgrim: Looking for a Job? Make Sure You Have a Web Identity!

“While we’ve probably all tried ‘Googling’ a date or famous celebrity, employers are using the search engines to ‘check you out’ before they schedule a meeting with you.”

ComputerWorld: What Job Hunters Should Know About Online Recruitment Videos

“Recruitment videos are loaded with clues about a company’s work environment and culture, says Roy J. Blitzer, an executive coach in Palo Alto, Calif., and author of Hire Me, Inc.”

cheezhead: nevermind second life … let’s talk second ’search’

“If you’re keeping score at home, first search would basically be like Google’s traditional Web search engine. Second search refers to the opportunities that secondary or vertical search engines offer.”

Web Worker Daily: Blog Archive Nap Your Way to Success

“Thomas Edison did it all the time. So did Winston Churchill. And just about every one of us had childhood training to be a star in the field. What field is that? Why, napping, of course. Yet despite these famous examples and early practice, most of us would never dream of napping on a regular basis - or admitting it if we did.”

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We’ve written several times about how important it is for talented recruits to be on top of (not just aware of, but actively utilizing) modern communication techniques. Recently we talked about the importance of researching a company before going in for the interview, of maximizing online presence. Well, guess what, recruiters? There’s a similar burden on you. As a recruiter, if you aren’t aware of the expectations and needs of today’s talent force, you ‘re not doing your best work for them or for you.

Knowing how to use Web 2.0 technology, regardless of your personal sense of its worth, is an absolute must for hiring Millennial, Generation Y talent, or whatever else you want to call them. There is a major focus right now on the pending retirement of millions of Baby Boomers, but to fill the vacancies created, recruiters are going to have to understand the significant cultural and ideological differences between that generation and the new one. For instance, Jay Adelson, CEO of Digg.com, recently pointed out to Business Week that:

“Seventy million Americans who belong to Generation Y (born between 1977 to 2002) are entering the workforce in massive waves. Add Generation Xers, who are now in their 30s and early 40s, and you have millions of employees whose visions for their jobs differ from their parents’ and most of their bosses’ old command-and-control management theories.” (from Systematic HR)

He argues that “Managing is no longer just about hitting certain metrics, it’s about understanding individuals and helping them grow,” and the same shift has to occur in recruiting. Systematic HR elaborates by arguing that “we may be too focused on our immediate succession plans and insufficiently concerned with developing new graduates into successful mid-career professional.” Because upcoming talent has different needs and career goals, today’s recruiter has to be interested not merely in placing a candidate but in keeping the candidate in the job.

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[Daily Post from itzbig] Use a more human strategy to put talent in the best possible position

“Just as a prospective candidate is made up of more than a one-page history, the hiring procedure should be made up of more than just a mere fulfillment of the traditional steps. In other words, putting the best talent in the best positions means that recruiters and employers need to engage in a new, more human strategy.”

Secrets of the Job Hunt: Second Act Careers

” The full report along with tips and guidelines for making the switch will appear in the April issue of MONEY, on newsstands March 26 and available online now at http://www.CNNMoney.com/bestjobs2007.”

StlRecruiting: DoAskDoTell: Employee Blogging Policies

“Do you have a dress code policy at your place of employment? Do you have an acceptable Internet Use Policy? Do you have a corporate blogging policy?”

…from the trenches: Expo Bloggin

In 2005, I walked away with so many tactical ideas that I filled a whiteboard with them back in my office. Last year, the networking was sensational. This year, I’m hoping to see a good mix of recruiting knowledge acquisition and hard-core networking, and you can read about it both here and on the ER Expo Blog.

The Recruiting Edge: Citigroup to Axe Recruiters?

Needless to say, many of the Edge’s friends recruit at Citigroup - and we feel your pain. So hopefully, the Edge will be one of the first to offer any Citigroup recruiter a chance to blog about themselves as part of a multi-pronged approach to finding a new gig.

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For many recruiters and hiring managers, placing a prospective employee often consists merely of assessing a resume, asking a few pointed questions during and interview, and making a job offer. However, just as a prospective candidate is made up of more than a one-page history, the hiring procedure should be made up of more than just a mere fulfillment of the traditional steps. In other words, putting the best talent in the best positions means that recruiters and employers need to engage in a new, more human strategy.

Despite some of our recent posts here on graciousness, “more human” does not necessarily mean sweet and cuddly, i.e. more humane. Well, that’s definitely a part of humanizing the hiring process, but humans can be really complicated animals. Consequently, just being nicer isn’t all that’s needed to effectively place talent. Putting the right people in the right places also calls for getting at the root of a job candidate’s drive for the job. Blogger Todd Rogers argues that finding that root drive demands asking questions that go a little deeper than a traditional interview. In response to a candidate’s claim of being a “people-person, ” Rogers says he’d folloe up with questions like:

“What do you mean by people-person? What, specifically, do you like about people? What strengths, with regards to people, do you possess? Why do you believe this strength is specific to you? How did you discover this strength about yourself? What have you done to broaden and hone this strength? If you were forced to make a choice, would you prefer always meeting new people, or strengthening relationships you have with people you already know? Why?” (from his post at ere.net)

He admits that the “candidate will certainly be put off balance and will always try to steer the conversation[…] to their resume,” but he says that this kind of in-depth questioning helps determine the candidate’s “natural point of aim,” or the point at which doing well in a job will come naturally. This, in turn, will place a candidate who will excel at a job, rather than one who can merely do the job.

Blogger “Neilc” has an anecdote that serves as another example of problematic placement. He argues that, after placing talented candidates, a number f problems arose because

“What we did not anticipate was the dramatic impact that a person’s workplace environment played in their success or failure on the job. Someone who was a rock star in a large enterprise environment might not have the same success in a small start-up.” (from his post at Yarddart).

Still, both of the above posts admit that interviewing in this way takes practice and finesse if you’re trying not to alienate a candidate, and that gets back to our notion of graciousness. Tact and consideration play important roles in hiring, and they’re even more important if an interviewer is delving really deep into a candidate’s personality. As John Sumser seems to point out on Electronic Recruiting News, this kind of successful recruiting needs to function as a top-down implementation focussed on graciousness. Upper-level hiring managers and recruiters need to start a true conversation about placing the right candidates, and he says that “recruiting as a conversation means engaging a small group of people in the conversation about the relevance, mission and practical execution of a small group. That’s where recruiting matters.” Understanding that “relevance” and “mission” of the job and determining a the correctness of a candidate’s fit will ultimately help place candidates who are going to truly excel.

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[Daily Post from itzbig] How important is passionate recruiting, really?

To highly-paid recruiters, recruiting is of the utmost importance. To hungry job seekers, recruiting might be pretty important. However, if you move up the corporate ladder a bit, recruiting and hiring often take a backseat to other business concerns.”

Guerrilla Job Hunting: Tips for Job Hunting Smarter

“Get your priorities straight. Focus on the interview producing stuff FIRST and foremost. Ask yourself: Is what I am doing this moment going to lead to an interview in the next 10 days? If not, stop doing it immediately.”

Employment Digest: Market Yourself with a Resume that Gets Results

“Most of the time I think why people wrinkle up their noses when someone says “networking” is because it is seen as selfish and self-serving. It kind of reminds you about all those used car salesmen jokes.”

Recruiting Animal: The Motivation Interview

“To make a good hire you’ve got find out if the candidate moves naturally in a direction that will match him to your job. How? Todd asks the candidate why she is in her current job. If she indicates that it suits her, he asks why again and then analyzes her answer to death with a lot of follow up questions.”

Marketing Headhunter: Recruiting for Online Retail

“My candidate used a number of Firefox extentions to analyze the site’s source code, merchandise selection, and layout. Finally, he ordered eight items from the company’s website — after having built and abandoned two shopping carts during his user session.”

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