Hire Power Radio Show

Attract A-Players & Avoid the Dunning-Kruger Hiring Trap with Greg Cleary

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 17:22:00 -0000

Greg Cleary is a business coaching expert with over 20 years of experience helping leadership teams achieve their goals. As the founder of Pinnacle Business Guides, a former Certified Scaling Up Coach, and a record-setting Certified EOS Implementer who has worked with over 500 companies.

Greg knows exactly what it takes to build elite teams!

His mission is simple: to help his clients summit their business mountain with PINNACLE.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: Greg Cleary

Company: www.PinnacleBusinessGuides.com

Book: Peak Performance: Five Principles Every Great Business Lives By

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard

Company: Intertru, Inc.

Job Description Builder

Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast

Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

Stop Blaming “Ghost Jobs”: How to Create Your Own Referral & Get Interviews

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 15:12:00 -0000

Ghost Jobs Aren’t the Problem: Beat Auto-Apply Bots by Creating Your Own Referral Rick Girard argues that the silence after hundreds of LinkedIn Easy Apply submissions isn’t mainly caused by “ghost jobs,” but by overwhelming hiring noise from auto-apply bots, keyword gaming, and fake candidates that clog ATS systems and bury real applicants. He challenges the “badge of honor” mindset around high application volume, warns that auto-applying and not following job-post instructions can get candidates filtered out, and says resumes and keyword matching are increasingly ineffective. Girard explains how candidates can bypass job boards and HR gatekeepers by acting like a referral: pick five aligned companies, research the business, identify a specific gap or “leak” (revenue, execution, people, or customer issues), then contact the decision-maker—ideally starting at the CEO/executive level—with a value-first message that links problem X to how you solved it with Y to produce Z. He outlines how to present a succinct solution in a meeting and ask for the opportunity to solve the problem, positioning the candidate as a problem solver who can be hired into the role or have a role created. He closes with three takeaways: stop using Easy Apply, target the problem not the position, and bypass gatekeepers by going directly to decision makers with demonstrated value. 00:00 Why 300 Applications Get You Silence (It’s Not Just ‘Ghost Jobs’) 01:22 The Real Enemy: Auto-Apply Bots, Keyword Games & Candidate Fraud 02:58 Inside the Hiring Black Hole: Why ATS Filters Out Real Humans 05:09 Reject the Status Quo: Stop Being Applicant #347 and Think Referral 06:02 Create Your Own Referral, Step-by-Step (Bypass the Portal) 07:21 Sniper Strategy: Pick 5 Companies and Stand Out on Purpose 08:25 Find the Business ‘Leak’: Research Gaps and Build a Hypothesis 10:07 Reach Decision-Makers with Value: Call, Don’t Beg for a Job 12:23 Win the Meeting: Present a Clear Solution and Ask to Solve It 13:48 3 Key Takeaways + Final Wrap-Up

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard

Company: Intertru, Inc. Job Description Builder

Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast

Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

Who’s Your Small but Effective Team with Justin Gray

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 17:31:00 -0000

A CEO I work with called me in June and said, “Rick, we’ve hit $1M and we’re stuck.

“If I could just hire three more ‘me’s,’ we’d be fine.”

I had to tell him the hard truth: “You don’t need more of you. You need the people you’re missing—those who augment your weaknesses."

He was also in a mad hurry to delegate recruiting to someone else on his team. But he needed to take ownership

We focused on recruiting as 40% of his job, clarified what the business actually needed (gaps, not clones), and rebuilt the hiring process to prioritize real-world discovery over interview theater.

That’s when the flywheel started to move. 3 months later he has built 80% of his team and they are highly effective in building the business together. Approaching the $2M mark!

I’m Rick Girard, and welcome to the Hire Power Radio Show. We help entrepreneurs and executives Win-Win the strongest people.

By sharing insights from top-performing rebel entrepreneurs, game-changers & industry leaders.

On today’s episode of Hire Power Radio, I’m joined by Justin Gray, Managing Partner of In Revenue –

In 2021 after his final exit as an operator, Justin co-founded In Revenue Capital. As the firm’s Managing Partner, Justin and his team couple GTM expertise with capital allocation to empower seed-stage B2B vertical SaaS standouts through a first of its kind model called Operator-Immersive capital.

Justin is an award-winning 5X entrepreneur and CEO who has made a career of launching and scaling companies, ultimately guiding them to successful exits of over 250MM.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: Justin Gray

LinkedIn: In Revenue Capital

Company: In Revenue Capital

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard

Company: Intertru, Inc.

Job Description Builder

Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast

Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

How to Define Accountability and Stop Micromanaging with Brian H. Ferguson

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 17:19:00 -0000

I was having lunch with a fellow CEO recently, and he looked completely wiped out. He told me he was stuck in this exhausting cycle—constantly trying to empower his leaders to own their roles, only to have to step back in and make the decisions himself.

He said, “Rick, I feel like I’m constantly telling my people to take the wheel, to be accountable, but the minute things get tough, they throw the keys back at me!

I want them to ‘own their box,’ but I’m terrified of them ‘drowning.’ I keep double-checking their work, and then they just shut down and say, ‘Well, you just make the decision then.’ I’m back to having everything on my plate.”

When I asked him what this was costing him, he said, “Time, trust, and growth.”

I’m Rick Girard, and welcome to the Hire Power Radio Show. We help entrepreneurs and executives Win-Win the strongest people.

By sharing insights from top-performing rebel entrepreneurs, game-changers & industry leaders.

On today’s episode of Hire Power Radio, I’m joined by Brian Ferguson, Founder & Managing Partner of Fergmar

Since his start in real estate investing, Brian has been passionate about expanding his knowledge and sharing it with others to help them attain true financial freedom.

Brian has built an outstanding team of 35 people and has been personally involved with over $500 million of real estate transactions and with $120 Million in Assets Under Management.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: Brian Ferguson

Company: Fergmar

Instagram: Fergmar

Facebook: Fergmar

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard

Company: Intertru, Inc. Job Description Builder

Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast

Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

Why More Process Does Not Solve People & Performance Issues with Zac Gregg

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of Higher Power Radio, Rick Girard sits down with Zac Gregg of Vital Design to tackle a problem that quietly drains momentum inside growing companies: hiring and placement misfires. When leaders feel stuck, burnt out, and buried under endless “fix-it” processes, the real culprit often isn’t culture, systems, or motivation—it’s the wrong people in the wrong seats (or the right people placed incorrectly).

Zac shares hard-earned lessons from scaling Vital Design from a small team to a 100+ person agency, explaining how “hitting the ceiling” shows up across companies, departments, and individual roles. Together, they unpack how process bloat becomes a defense mechanism against avoidable mistakes—and how leadership teams can use EOS tools like the Accountability Chart and People Analyzer to diagnose what’s actually broken.

What You’ll Learn

Why burnout and culture breakdowns are often symptoms—not root causes
How process overload can become a crutch that lowers standards
The three most common “ceiling” problems: company, department, or person
Why leaders avoid people problems (and why it always costs more in the end)
A practical rule: If you add process, subtract something else
How to separate org structure decisions from people decisions using EOS tools
Why top performers don’t automatically become strong managers—and what to do instead
How core values reduce process needs by improving decision-making quality

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: Zac Gregg

Company: Vital Design

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard

Company: Intertru, Inc.

Job Description Builder

Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast

Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

How to Scale from 2 to 70 Without Killing Culture with Nick Ayala

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0000

Revenue was up. Headcount doubled fast. But inside the business? People were quitting, managers were snapping, and the culture started sliding into this quiet resentment. The founder said, “I don’t get it… I’m paying them. What else do they want?”

Huge red flag!

When people don’t feel respected, seen, or safe to speak up, they don’t just disengage. They start protecting themselves. And that’s when your best people stop “rowing the boat” and your company starts bleeding momentum.

Today’s conversation is about the fix: how to scale fast without creating career wounds, culture rot, and churn you can’t afford.

I’m Rick Girard, and welcome to the Hire Power Radio Show.

Fast growth is supposed to feel like winning—but when headcount doubles and culture quietly corrodes, founders pay for it in churn, resentment, and lost momentum. In this episode, Rick Girard sits down with Nick Ayala (Senior Managing Partner, Blue Harbor Capital) to break down how to scale aggressively without creating “career wounds” inside your company.

Nick has lived it: he scaled a business from essentially two people to roughly 70 employees in about a year, and later helped scale an insurance organization to ~7,000 agents and nearly $100M in sales within five years.
Nick is known for building high-output teams by putting culture first, moving fast on misalignment, and treating people like partners—not payroll.

Why hypergrowth creates “people chaos” (and how to prevent culture drift)
How “hiring fast” increases culture misses—and why founders must act quickly on misalignment
A simple, repeatable system for human-centered leadership conversations
How to eliminate “the ceiling” so great people can see a future with you
How autonomy (not hovering) creates teams that “run through walls”

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: Nick Ayala

Company: Aligned Equity Group

Company: https://capital-unlocked.com/blueprint-144591

Company: Blue Harbor Capital

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard

Company: Intertru, Inc. Job Description Builder

Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast

Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

How to Spot Hidden Talent and Hire for Potential with James Swanson

Thu, 15 Jan 2026 08:00:00 -0000

In this episode of the Hire Power Radio Show, host Rick Girard talks with James Swanson, business disruptor, lifelong punk rocker, and author of 'Super Stoked.'

James shares his journey of building a multi-million dollar Las Vegas printing empire by ignoring industry labels and focusing on authentic relationships. From overcoming initial challenges to innovative hiring practices and effective team management strategies,

James highlights the importance of prioritizing people over resumes and maintaining quality customer service. Learn about the valuable lessons and principles that led to his success and how they can be applied to any business.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: James Swanson

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard

Company: Intertru, Inc.

Job DescriptionBuilder

Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast

Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

How to Eliminate AI Bots from Applying to Your Job Posts

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 08:05:00 -0000

AI has turned the hiring funnel into a keyword carnival: unqualified applicants can “win” resume filters in seconds, while the high performers you actually want don’t bother applying. Rick Girard opens with a true story about a CRO who hired a bartender into a sales role—without a resume—because the job post spoke directly to her, and her outreach proved she was real (and driven). Four months later, she’s outperforming the team. This episode is a practical reset: stop treating job descriptions like compliance docs and start treating them like marketing—designed to attract one ideal candidate and repel bots. What You’ll LearnThe real problems behind “too many applicants”

AI has broken resume screening—keyword-optimized resumes are easy to generate and hard to trust.
Your best candidates aren’t applying because most job posts read like contracts, not opportunities.
More candidates ≠ better candidates—volume creates noise, not quality.
Auto-apply is the enemy—it lowers the bar and floods your inbox.

Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard

Company: Intertru, Inc.

Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast

Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

How to Terminate and NOT Get Sued with Andrea Paris

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 16:37:00 -0000

Two months before the holidays, Nadia—Integrator at a 120-person EOS-run logistics company—finally terminated a manager who was crushing morale and missing targets. The manager’s response (“I’ve spoken to an attorney about retaliation.”) exposed what leadership missed: a recent workers’ comp claim, intermittent leave, and overtime complaints—plus almost no documentation. The outcome was predictable: months of distraction, legal spend, and leadership bandwidth evaporating when execution mattered most. In this episode, California employment attorney Andrea Paris breaks down why terminations are one of the highest-exposure moments in the employment lifecycle—and how to build a clean, defensible process that protects your business without losing your humanity. What you’ll learn

Why terminations are uniquely risky: emotion, money, identity, and the “narrative vacuum” created when evidence is thin
The ≈90-day “recent activity” risk zone and the types of protected activity that can make timing look retaliatory
The “no-surprise termination” principle—and the coaching cadence that makes it real

The 90-day lookback audit checklist you should run before any termination decision
Day-of termination do’s and don’ts that reduce escalation risk

Rick’s Nuggets (practical takeaways)

Get your policies in order
Document everything
Treat people similarly and with respect

Links & mentions Guest Links:

LinkedIn: Andrea Paris

Company: Andrea Paris Law

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard

Company: Intertru, Inc. Job Description Builder

Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast

Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

Turning Compliance Chaos into Logistical Precision with Bill Drummer

Tue, 09 Sep 2025 18:28:00 -0000

In this episode of the Higher Power Radio Show, host Rick Girard dives into the complexities and challenges of logistics operations with Bill Drummer, CEO of GPA Logistics.

Discover how Sarah's initial success with Walmart turned into a compliance nightmare and how leveraging technology, especially AI, and strong leadership can transform chaos into accuracy. Bill shares the importance of having the right people, simplifying workflows, and fostering a culture of growth and appreciation. Learn about practical strategies and technological solutions that have helped GPA Logistics excel and retain talent while navigating the intricate demands of major retailers.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: Bill Drummer

LinkedIn: GPA Logistics Group

Company: GPA Logistics Group

Company: GPA Global

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard

Company: Intertru, Inc.

Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast

Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

Why You Keep Hiring the Wrong Salespeople with Gary Braun

Tue, 02 Sep 2025 20:30:00 -0000

You’ve been here before—hiring a “rockstar” salesperson who dazzles in the interview but fails to deliver. Flat revenue, missed targets, and excuse after excuse. Sound familiar?

This week on the Hire Power Radio Show, Rick Girard digs into the root of this all-too-common issue with sales leadership expert Gary Braun. Together, they break down why small businesses consistently hire the wrong type of salesperson—and what to do about it.

Gary brings deep expertise from his time growing a company from $1M to $400M in revenue, and now helping 400+ companies build high-performing sales teams through Pivotal Advisors.

Key Takeaways

Sales roles aren’t one-size-fits-all: Define your specific sales needs—hunter vs. farmer, service vs. product, inside vs. outside, and more.
Most interviews fail at the basics: Without a structured interview process tailored to sales, poor hires are inevitable.
Positioning is everything: Ensure candidates are positioned properly for your company, not just anyone’s.
Stop relying on interviews alone: Incorporate assessments, real-world activities, and informal settings like dinners to evaluate the whole person.
Build a multi-touch hiring process: Involve multiple perspectives, clear expectations, and defined next steps.

Actionable Advice for Your Business

Define the role with precision. Don’t settle for vague traits—outline the exact skills needed for your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile).
Design a repeatable interview process. Go beyond gut feelings and surface-level charm.
Leverage data-driven tools. Use assessments and scenario-based activities to test real-world selling skills.
Focus on alignment. Ask: is this candidate the right fit for the sales environment I’ve built?

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: Gary Braun

Company: Pivotal Advisors

YouTube: Pivotal Advisors

Facebook: Pivotal Advisors

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard

Company: Intertru, Inc.

Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast

Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

Unlocking Leadership Potential: Hire the Right Talent with Charles Eide

Tue, 26 Aug 2025 16:13:00 -0000

Join Rick Girard on Higher Power Radio as he discusses crucial strategies for empowering hiring techniques with Charles Eide, founder and CEO of EideCom, to land the most desirable talent. In this episode, Charles shares his journey of scaling his business and the pivotal hiring decisions that propelled his company towards massive success. Discover how to identify what your business really needs, delegate effectively, and invest in people to foster sustainable growth. Learn from Charles' experience in leadership, innovation, and building a strong company culture. A must-watch for entrepreneurs looking to elevate their hiring practices and achieve breakthrough growth.

00:00 Introduction to Higher Power Radio

00:14 The Founder’s Dilemma: Scaling Beyond Sales

01:09 Guest Introduction: Charles Eide

02:03 Charles Eide’s Journey: From Sales to Leadership

04:00 The Turning Point: Hiring a Chief Revenue Officer

07:13 The Impact of Hiring the Right Leader

11:49 The Role of Mentorship and Peer Groups

17:46 Building a Mission-Driven Company Culture

21:15 Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts

22:22 Closing Remarks and Contact Information

Charles on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleseide/

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/ Podcast: https://pod.link/1267738283 Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon) https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Career-Wounds-Ridiculously-Successful/dp/173580360X/

Transform Your Company Culture: Behavioral Strategies for Success with Brett Hoogeveen

Thu, 14 Aug 2025 07:05:00 -0000

Transform Your Company Culture: Behavioral Strategies for Success - Featuring Brett Hoogeveen

Discover how to build a thriving workplace culture by focusing on behavior over theoretical values in this episode of the Higher Power Radio Show with Rick Gerard. Guest Brett Hoogeveen, an international leadership and culture expert, shares valuable insights on identifying and reinforcing positive employee behaviors, improving leadership roles, and effectively measuring core values within your company. Learn practical tools to make your organization a better place to work and boost your team's performance. Perfect for entrepreneurs and executives looking to create a more engaged and productive workforce.

00:00 Introduction to Empowering Hiring Techniques
00:14 Mark's Coffee Shop Dilemma
01:01 The EOS Blind Spot in Hiring
01:31 Meet Brett Hoge: Leadership and Culture Expert
02:39 Defining Company Culture Through Behaviors
06:05 The Core Values Con Job
12:04 Behavioral Approach to Improving Culture
19:59 Leadership Development and Effective Followship
27:20 Practical Steps to Enhance Workplace Culture
29:40 Conclusion and Resources

Connect with Brett - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-hoogeveen/
Website - https://betterculture.com/

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard

Company: Intertru, Inc.

Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast

Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

How AI Performance Metrics on Job Descriptions Attract A-Players to Your Business

Thu, 19 Jun 2025 07:05:00 -0000

Crafting Job Descriptions for High-Performing Talent | Higher Power Radio Show with Rick Girard

Join Rick Girard in this episode of the Higher Power Radio Show as he dives into empowering hiring techniques to attract top talent, essential for your company's success. Learn how to transform generic job postings into compelling role descriptions with actionable performance metrics. Discover the critical elements missing in most job descriptions and why they fail to engage high-performing and passive candidates. Explore a detailed 30, 60, 90-day framework to ensure clarity, measurable success, and seamless onboarding. Girard, a seasoned headhunter and author, also introduces AI tools to streamline the job description process, enhancing recruitment and retention. Tune in and elevate your hiring strategy with practical tips and expert insights.

00:00 Introduction to Empowering Hiring Techniques
00:14 Meet Kim: The Frustrated Marketing Director
01:54 The Problem with Common Job Descriptions
02:57 The Importance of Performance Metrics
04:46 AI and Job Descriptions
06:13 Creating Effective Job Descriptions
08:58 Leveraging Performance Metrics for Success
11:06 Step-by-Step Guide to 30, 60, 90 Day Metrics
18:19 Writing and Validating Job Descriptions
20:10 Using Job Descriptions in Interviews and Onboarding
21:42 Introducing the Interru AI Job Description Builder
23:29 Key Takeaways and Conclusion

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard

Company: Intertru, Inc.

Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast

Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

Leveraging AI to Create Highly Effective Job Descriptions with Rick Girard

Thu, 05 Jun 2025 07:05:00 -0000

In this episode of the Higher Power Radio Show, host Rick Girard discusses the common pitfalls of modern job descriptions and provides actionable solutions to improve them. Drawing comparisons to a successful 1913 Antarctic expedition ad, Rick emphasizes the importance of clarity, candidate focus, and performance metrics in job descriptions. He shares five key steps to crafting effective job descriptions and how leveraging AI can enhance this process. Tune in to learn how to attract the strongest talent for your business and maximize your people ROI.

00:00 Introduction: The Power of a Compelling Job Description
00:38 The Problem with Modern Job Descriptions
01:07 Welcome to Higher Power Radio Show
02:09 Common Complaints About Job Descriptions
05:59 Why Job Descriptions Fail
06:59 How to Fix Job Descriptions
16:02 Key Takeaways for Effective Job Descriptions
18:00 Conclusion and Farewell

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard

Company: Intertru, Inc.

Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast

Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

Prioritizing Core Values for Team Success: Insights from Heide Olson

Thu, 29 May 2025 07:05:00 -0000

In this episode of the Higher Power Radio Show, host Rick Gerard explores the critical importance of hiring for alignment rather than just skills. Joined by Heidi Olson, founder and CEO of All-in-One Accounting, the discussion highlights how Olson's company transformed by prioritizing core values in their hiring, promoting, and reviewing processes. They delve into the concept of the People Analyzer tool from EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System), which ranks employees based on core values and job fit. Olson shares her experiences, including painful but necessary personnel changes that ultimately led to increased team cohesion and business success. The episode provides actionable insights for entrepreneurs and executives on building a value-driven, high-performing team.

00:00 Introduction to Empowering Hiring Techniques
00:14 The Importance of Alignment Over Ability
01:03 Meet Our Guest: Heidi Olson
02:39 The Impact of Core Values on Hiring
03:25 Implementing EOS for Business Success
17:28 The Role of AI in Modern Hiring Practices
24:15 Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts

Links

www.allinoneaccounting.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/heide-olson/

LinkedIn: Rick Girard

Company: Intertru, Inc.

Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast

Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

Spotting and Stopping AI-Coached Candidates: Essential Hiring Techniques with Rick Girard

Thu, 15 May 2025 07:05:00 -0000

In this episode of Higher Power Radio, host Rick Gerard delves into the current challenging hiring environment where AI-coached candidates are becoming increasingly common. He discusses how AI can deceive hiring managers by coaching candidates through interviews, resulting in more false positives and wasted interviews. Rick shares actionable strategies to identify and eliminate AI-coached candidates early in the screening process by focusing on behavioral and story-based questions. Learn how to differentiate genuine talent from AI-generated responses and ensure you're always hiring he best people.

00:00 Introduction to Higher Power Radio
00:14 The Current Hiring Landscape
00:35 AI-Coached Candidates: A Growing Concern
01:45 Spotting Red Flags in Resumes and Interviews
04:43 Solutions to Identify AI-Coached Candidates
05:41 Behavioral and Story-Based Questions
08:41 Understanding Candidate Desires
12:57 Red Flags and Ending Interviews Early
14:19 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard

Company: Intertru, Inc.

Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast

Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

Overcoming Hiring Challenges: Insights from Top Entrepreneur Andy Duong

Thu, 08 May 2025 16:10:00 -0000

In this episode of the Hire Power Radio Show, host Rick Girard sits down with seasoned entrepreneur Andy Duong to discuss the pitfalls and best practices of hiring. Andy shares his journey of building multiple successful companies, focusing on operational excellence and people-first leadership. They dive into the challenges of hiring familiar faces, the importance of defining roles and expectations, and the necessity of creating robust hiring processes. Learn about Andy's worst hire, how he adapted his approach, and discover actionable tips for hiring effectively. Don't miss this insightful discussion packed with valuable lessons for entrepreneurs and executives aiming to strengthen their teams.

00:00 Introduction to Hire Power Radio Show
00:14 The Pitfalls of Hiring Friends and Family
01:05 Guest Introduction: Andy Duong
01:54 Andy Duong's Early Hiring Mistakes
04:18 The Bad Hire Story
09:06 Developing a Robust Hiring Process
16:01 The Importance of Culture Fit
26:26 Key Takeaways and Conclusion

Wolf-Packing - https://wolf-packing.com/

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard
Company: Intertru, Inc.
Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast
Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

Leveraging AI and Proper Positioning for Successful Hiring with Rick Girard

Thu, 01 May 2025 07:05:00 -0000

In this episode of the Higher Power Radio Show, host Rick Gerard explores the disconnect between past success and future performance when hiring new team members. Highlighting the limitations of AI in identifying high performers who align with unique business needs, Rick delves into the importance of proper positioning in hiring. Learn about the different types of hires—builders, improvers, and maintainers—and how to identify the right fit for your organization. Rick also shares valuable insights on asking the right questions during interviews to ensure candidates' desires align with business needs. Tune in to discover strategies to enhance your recruiting process and achieve massive success by placing the strongest people in the right roles.

00:00 Introduction to Empowering Hiring Techniques
00:14 Common Hiring Pitfalls and Positioning
00:57 Welcome to Higher Power Radio Show
01:40 Leveraging AI in Recruiting
02:09 Understanding Positioning and Performance
03:53 The Importance of Builders, Improvers, and Maintainers
06:07 Identifying the Right Fit for Your Business
11:00 The Role of Company Culture and Size
14:17 Role Expectations and Final Thoughts
16:47 Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard
Company: Intertru, Inc.
Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast
Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

Leveraging AI Tools to Optimize Hiring with Forest Zhang

Thu, 24 Apr 2025 21:45:00 -0000

Posting ads and screening applicants has become a major headache.

With candidates now using ChatGPT and other AI tools to game the process, things are spiraling out of control.

To make matters worse, there’s been a surge in “fake” candidates—especially in engineering—pretending to be local.

At the heart of the issue is the resume itself, because we do not know what skills are true anymore. In fact, resumes can’t answer the two most important questions:Is this person positioned correctly for my unique company?..And are they a high performer?

At the end of the day, the most useful parts of the resume are the contact info and the white space. Neither of which AI can provide much value in fixing.

I’m Rick Girard, and welcome to the Hire Power Radio Show. We help entrepreneurs and executives Win-Win the strongest people.

By sharing insights from top-performing rebel entrepreneurs, game-changers & industry leaders. Today our guest is Forrest Zhang, Founder & CEO of Vantasoft

Forrest is the CEO and founder of VantaSoft, a custom software development agency whose unique differentiator is that all of our engineers work under one roof in Irvine, California. This produces huge gains in collaboration and communication, allowing us to ship higher-quality products faster than anyone else.

Forrest has founded and scaled multiple businesses, including several SaaS platforms, with a ARR of $2M. Including a tech startup that generates $6M ARR.

00:00 Introduction to Empowering Hiring Techniques
00:14 Challenges in Modern Hiring Processes
01:05 Welcome and Guest Introduction
02:04 AI and the Surge of Fake Candidates
03:03 The Impact of AI on Job Applications
08:14 Filtering Mechanisms and Non-Negotiables
12:22 Creating Effective Job Descriptions
15:12 Leveraging AI for Efficient Hiring
20:18 Key Takeaways and Conclusion

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: Forrest Zhang

Company: VantaSoft

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard

Company: Intertru, Inc.

Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast

Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

Proactive vs Reactive Hiring with Kurt Wilkin

Thu, 17 Apr 2025 07:05:00 -0000

In this episode of the Higher Power Radio Show, host Rick Gerard and guest Kurt Wilkin, Chairman of Hire Better and Managing Partner of B Cave Capital, discuss the pitfalls of reactive hiring and the importance of having a strong, proactive hiring strategy. They delve into techniques for assessing team needs, creating a talent roadmap, and the importance of having the right people in the right roles. Key insights include the necessity of planning hires well in advance, building a virtual bench of potential candidates, and the significance of asking the right questions to evaluate your current team. They also explore the challenges entrepreneurs face when growing their companies and how to navigate hiring executives and other key roles effectively. Tune in to learn how to build a game-changing team for your high-growth company.

00:00 Introduction to Higher Power Radio Show
00:13 The Entrepreneur's Hiring Dilemma
01:28 Meet Our Guest: Kurt Wilkin
02:59 Proactive vs Reactive Hiring
04:37 Understanding Your Team's Needs
07:52 Who's Your Mike?
10:46 Building a Talent Roadmap
20:49 Executing the Hiring Strategy
22:59 Key Takeaways and Conclusion

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: Kurt Wilkin

Web: Who's Your Mike

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard

Company: Intertru, Inc.

Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast

Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

How AI is Hacking Your Recruiting Process with Rick Girard

Thu, 10 Apr 2025 07:05:00 -0000

We’re living in a wild hiring market—and AI is making it even wilder! In this solo episode, host Rick Gerard—founder of HireOS and author of Healing Career Wounds—dives deep into how generative AI and resume hacking disrupt recruiting like never before.

Rick breaks down real-world stories from the front lines of recruiting. ChatGPT-style resume reengineering is fooling traditional ATS software, allowing bad actors through and leaving high-quality candidates behind. But it’s not all doom and gloom—Rick also shares actionable strategies companies (and candidates!) can use to adapt and thrive.

🔥 What You'll Learn in This Episode:

How AI tools are being used to “game” the resume screening process

Why traditional applicant tracking systems are becoming obsolete

Real-life case studies of fake candidates making it to interviews

The hidden dangers of prompt-engineered resumes

Why focusing on quality over quantity is key for job seekers

What hiring leaders must do NOW to avoid hiring disasters

Pro tips on spotting resume red flags and aligning with core values

🧠 Key Takeaways:

AI ≠ Magic Bullet: Generative AI can create polished resumes, but it also enables fraud and increases false positives.

Behavior & Values Matter: Companies must go beyond skills and align candidates with core values and culture.

Smart Screening Tactics: From verifying LinkedIn connections to structured interviews, Rick offers tools to improve your hiring process.

🔧 Solutions Discussed:

Narrowing candidate focus for better fits

Leveraging behavioral interview techniques

Spotting patterns in falsified resumes

Creating AI-resilient recruiting strategies

Tips for ethical and effective AI usage in hiring

👤 About the Host:
Rick Gerard is a recovering headhunter turned AI startup founder, creator of HireOS, and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt who’s not afraid to call out outdated hiring methods. His mission? Help companies hire with precision and purpose—every time.

🔗 Links & Resources:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard
Company: Intertru, Inc.
Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast
Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

🎯 Perfect For:

Entrepreneurs & hiring managers

Recruiters & HR professionals

Job seekers navigating AI-enhanced hiring

Anyone curious about the future of work

👍 Enjoyed this episode?
Don’t forget to LIKE, COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE for more insights on winning the war for top talent!

How to Avoid Hiring Blame Birds with Michael Houlihan

Thu, 03 Apr 2025 07:05:00 -0000

Join host Rick Gerard as he speaks with Michael Houlahan, co-founder of Barefoot Wine Brand, about the transformative power of hiring A players for every role in your business. Learn from Michael's journey, spanning over 10 years of business growth, and his realization that effective personnel management is crucial to success. Discover practical strategies for interviewing, hiring, and fostering a positive company culture, and learn why focusing on soft skills and cultivating exceptional talent can lead to remarkable outcomes. Don't miss this insightful episode of the Higher Power Radio Show!

00:00 Introduction: The Importance of A Players
00:41 Meet Michael Houlahan: Co-Founder of Barefoot Wine
02:14 The Early Years: Challenges and Realizations
04:04 The Turning Point: Focusing on Company Culture
08:01 Hiring Strategies: Avoiding Blame Birds and Like What Birds
11:09 Developing a People Strategy
22:46 Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts
24:16 Conclusion and Contact Information

Guset Links:

Web: https://thebarefootspirit.com/
Business Audio Theatre - https://www.businessaudiotheatre.com/

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard
Company: Intertru, Inc.
Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast
Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

Leveraging Social Media to Attract A-Players: Insights from Matt Plapp

Thu, 20 Mar 2025 07:05:00 -0000

Imagine a world where you never have to pay a job board for candidates ever again. In this episode of the Higher Power Radio Show, host Rick Gerard is joined by Matt Plapp, CEO of Restaurant Marketing That Works, to explore how leveraging social media can help CEOs and entrepreneurs attract top talent. Matt shares his journey from hiring a business coach to becoming a Facebook influencer, emphasizing the importance of storytelling and personal branding. He offers actionable tips on creating authentic content, developing a posting schedule, and building a recognizable brand. Join us to learn how you can transform your hiring process and attract high-performing employees.

00:00 Introduction to the Problem with Job Boards

00:43 Welcome to Higher Power Radio Show

00:56 Meet Matt Plap: Restaurant Marketing Expert

01:43 The Power of Social Media for Recruitment

01:58 Becoming a Facebook Influencer

02:51 The Importance of Personal Branding

04:51 Real-Life Success Stories

06:21 Building a Culture Through Social Media

07:40 The Impact of Core Values on Hiring

13:10 Leveraging Social Media Platforms

18:37 Embrace Authenticity in Content Creation

19:06 Learning from Feedback and Self-Editing

19:33 Encouraging Social Media Engagement

21:06 The Importance of Consistency and Practice

24:41 Creating Engaging Content Plans

28:34 Building a Recognizable Brand

29:27 Key Takeaways for Business Success

32:19 Conclusion and Contact Information+

Guest Links:

Website: https://mattplapp.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattplapp/

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Podcast: https://pod.link/1267738283
Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon) https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Career-Wounds-Ridiculously-Successful/dp/173580360X/
Powered by Intertru - https://intertru.ai/

Why Radical Honesty is the Secret to Unstoppable Business Growth w/ Ken Bogard

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 07:05:00 -0000

In this episode of the Higher Power Radio Show, host Rick Gerard sits down with Ken Bogard, Founder & CEO of NOHONESTY, to uncover how radical honesty can transform your business from the inside out. They dive deep into the communication breakdowns that cause high turnover, how leaders can foster trust, and why being real is the key to unlocking engagement, productivity, and profit.

🚀 Ken shares insights from his newly released book and his experience working with over 300 owners and thousands of employees, driving organizational clarity and leadership transformation.

If you’re tired of the “Oh shit” moments when key employees quit unexpectedly, and you’re ready to create a workplace built on truth and transparency—this episode is for you!

🔔 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more episodes that help you hire and retain top talent!

00:00 - Welcome to Higher Power Radio Show
01:12 - Why “Surprise Resignations” Should Never Happen
04:27 - The Communication Breakdown Killing Your Team’s Trust
08:15 - Ken’s Radical Approach to Honesty in Leadership
12:34 - Why Most Companies Are Focused on “Me, Myself & I”
16:55 - How Ego and Pride Block Meaningful Conversations
20:48 - Creating a Culture of Truth & Transparency
24:30 - Ken’s New Book: Launching a Movement of Organizational Honesty
28:10 - Rick’s Insights: Core Values and Leadership Alignment
32:00 - Ken’s Advice for Leaders Ready to Level Up Communication
35:18 - Final Thoughts & How to Connect with Ken
36:40 - Wrap Up: Honesty as a Business Growth Strategy

🔗 Guest & Host Links:

Ken Bogard - Guest
🌐 Website: NOHONESTY
🔗 LinkedIn: Ken Bogard LinkedIn

Rick Gerard - Host
🌐 Website: Higher Power Radio
🔗 LinkedIn: Rick Gerard LinkedIn

Hiring Right: Clear Expectations, Better People with Melissa Ortiz

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 07:05:00 -0000

In this episode, we’re diving deep into the art of setting clear expectations before you hire—a critical step to attracting and retaining top talent that truly fits your mission.

Our guest, Melissa Ortiz, CEO of Activate Human Capital, is a seasoned expert in talent optimization and employee engagement. Melissa helps businesses match the right people to the right seats by aligning talent strategies with business goals. 🌱

Together, Rick and Melissa explore how entrepreneurs often create hiring problems by skipping crucial steps in expectation setting. They offer actionable strategies to prevent costly mis-hires and ensure new hires thrive in your company culture.

👉 If you’re struggling with retention or making reactive hires, this episode is for you!

00:00 – Intro: Why Hiring Strong People is a Game-Changer

02:30 – Meet Melissa Ortiz: CEO of Activate Human Capital

05:45 – The Problem is... Us! Why Visionaries Fail at Setting Expectations

10:15 – The GWC Rule Isn’t Enough (Get it, Want it, Capacity)

14:50 – Why You Need to Re-Evaluate the Role Every Time You Hire

20:10 – Hiring Reactively? Stop!

25:00 – Melissa’s Story: Taking the Lowest Paying Job (On Purpose!)

30:45 – Action Steps: Setting Clear, Measurable Expectations Before Hiring

35:00 – Final Takeaways: Aligning Talent Strategy with Business Strategy

37:20 – Outro & Where to Find Melissa & Rick

🔗 Guest Links:

🌐 Website: Activate Human Capital
💼 LinkedIn: Melissa Ortiz
📧 Contact: info@activatehumancapital.com

🔗 Host Links:

🌐 Podcast Hub: Higher Power Radio Show
💼 LinkedIn: Rick Gerard

Scaling Success: Hiring Strategies and Leadership Insights with Randy Wootton

Fri, 07 Mar 2025 16:21:00 -0000

In this episode of the Higher Power Radio Show, host Rick Gerard discusses essential hiring techniques and leadership strategies with Randy Wootton, the CEO of Maxo. They delve into the importance of frequent team communication, the value of planned and celebrated resignations, and the various stages of company growth from Series A to scaling up. Randy shares his vast experience transitioning companies through critical inflection points and highlights the importance of setting effective company operating systems, such as the V2MOM framework. They underscore the significance of having a clear vision, mission, and values, and how these principles can drive organizational success. Randy also talks about the importance of coaching, mentoring, and peer groups for CEOs to navigate the complexities of leadership effectively.

00:00 Introduction to Higher Power Radio Show
00:14 The Importance of Team Communication
00:46 Guest Introduction: Randy Wooten
01:13 Maxo's Vision and Mission
02:21 Scaling Challenges and Solutions
04:06 Assessing and Addressing Company Problems
05:08 Leadership and Management in Startups
11:16 Company Operating System: V2MOM Framework
16:01 Transforming Microsoft: Satya Nadella's Impact
16:59 The Importance of CEO-Sponsored Values
17:10 Creating Memorable Company Values
20:47 The Role of Trust and Integrity in Business
23:37 Objectives and Metrics: Translating Vision into Action
27:04 Key Takeaways for Business Success
28:35 Connecting with Randy Wooten

Links
Randy Wootton - https://www.linkedin.com/in/randy-wootton-910/

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard
Company: Intertru, Inc.
Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast
Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

How Red Light, Green Light Fuels Company Growth with Bryan Neale

Tue, 04 Mar 2025 08:05:00 -0000

Proactive Hiring: Avoiding Surprises & Building Stronger Teams
A resignation should never be a surprise—it should be a planned and supported event within an organization. Yet, when leaders are caught off guard, they scramble to fill a role, often making reactive hiring mistakes that hurt company culture.

In this episode, Bryan Neale, founder of Blind Zebra, shares his Red Light, Green Light framework—a simple yet powerful tool to enhance employee engagement, productivity, and planned exits. Host Rick Girard and Bryan discuss how embedding open, honest conversations into company culture ensures smooth transitions, stronger hires, and long-term business growth.

Key Takeaways:

03:10 – Why employee exits should never be a surprise
08:35 – The dangers of reactive hiring and rushed decisions
14:20 – The Tour of Duty concept: Aligning company goals with employee aspirations
21:50 – How the Red Light, Green Light system improves engagement and retention
28:45 – Creating a culture where employees feel safe discussing career moves
35:10 – The power of an abundance mindset in hiring
42:30 – How to schedule and structure quarterly Tour of Duty conversations

Guest Links:

🔗 Bryan Neale: LinkedIn
🔗 Blind Zebra: Website

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard
Company: Intertru, Inc.
Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast
Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

When Not Vetting Leads to a Lawsuit with Jonathan Hard

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 08:05:00 -0000

Hiring in a Hurry? Beware of the Hidden Costs
What happens when you rush to fill a role without properly vetting a candidate? The consequences can be costly—both financially and legally. Many business owners have learned this lesson the hard way, including today's guest, Jonathan Hard, CEO of H2L Solutions.

In this episode, Jonathan shares a real-life hiring horror story that led to a lawsuit, exposing the dangers of transactional interviews and skipping reference checks. He and host Rick Girard break down how to properly vet candidates, avoid bad hires, and implement a hiring process that protects your business.

Key Takeaways:

03:15 – The risks of rushing to fill a position
08:45 – Red flags to watch for during the hiring process
14:30 – The costly mistake of skipping reference checks
22:50 – How a bad hire led to a lawsuit
29:10 – The importance of a structured vetting process
35:40 – Lessons learned: why hiring slow saves money and headaches
42:20 – Strategies to ensure new hires align with company values

Guest Links:

🔗 Jonathan Hard: LinkedIn
🔗 H2L Solutions: Website

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard
Company: Intertru, Inc.
Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast
Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

Beyond the Paycheck: Building a Culture That Attracts and Retains Talent with Bonni Pomush

Fri, 28 Feb 2025 08:05:00 -0000

Monetary compensation is no longer the primary reason people accept job offers. Career growth, learning opportunities, company culture, and meaningful work now take center stage. To hire and retain the strongest people, businesses must understand and align with what truly drives employees.

In this episode, Bonni Pomush, CEO of Working Wardrobes, joins Rick Girard to discuss how she transformed Working Wardrobes' retention and employee satisfaction. Bonni shares the key strategies she implemented to enhance workplace culture, increase engagement, and drive loyalty—without relying on big paychecks.

Key Takeaways:

03:10 – Why money isn’t the top factor in hiring anymore
07:45 – The biggest challenges Working Wardrobes faced in retention
14:15 – How core value alignment transforms hiring and retention
21:30 – The power of feedback loops: skip-level & stay interviews
28:50 – Creating a culture of learning and development for employees
35:10 – The impact of the 9/80 work schedule on retention
42:25 – How a peer-led culture committee enhances engagement

Guest Links:

🔗 Bonni Pomush: LinkedIn
🔗 Working Wardrobes: Website
🎁 Donate & Get Involved: Ways to Help

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard
Company: Intertru, Inc.
Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast
Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

Mastering Conflict for Stronger Teams with Ryan Redding

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 08:05:00 -0000

Conflict is an unavoidable part of business, but how you handle it determines your company's success. Many leaders shy away from conflict, presenting an idealized company culture during hiring, only to create friction when reality sets in. Today’s episode tackles embracing and managing conflict effectively to build stronger, high-performing teams.

Rick Girard sits down with Ryan Redding, founder of Levergy and host of Blue Collar CEO, to discuss hiring challenges, organizational conflict, and how to create a healthy debate, trust, and alignment culture. Ryan shares a personal hiring misstep that led to a transformation in how his company approaches conflict resolution—and how you can apply these insights to your business.

Key Takeaways:

03:12 – The dangers of avoiding conflict in hiring
07:45 – A costly hiring mistake that changed everything
14:20 – Why conflict is essential for business growth
22:55 – How to build a culture of trust and open communication
29:30 – The Fist to Five method for team alignment
36:10 – How to create a hiring process that prevents bad cultural fits

Guest Links:

🔗 Ryan Redding: Website - Levergy
📖 The Book on Digital Marketing for Plumbing and HVAC Contractors – Amazon
🎙️ Blue Collar CEO – Podcast Link

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard
Company: Intertru, Inc.
Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast
Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

The Hiring Trap: Why Resumes Fail and How to Avoid Costly Mistakes with Kristen Prinz

Wed, 26 Feb 2025 08:05:00 -0000

Hiring Smarter, Not Harder The hiring process hasn’t evolved much in the past century—we source candidates, review resumes, and invite people for interviews. But here’s the problem: resumes build bias, not results. We assume someone is a great fit based on a prestigious company name or top-tier school, but does that actually translate to job performance? Kristen Prinz, Founder & Managing Partner of The Prinz Law Firm, shares a real-world hiring horror story and the critical lessons every entrepreneur needs to learn. What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
03:12 The hidden dangers of hiring based on assumptions
07:45 A shocking hiring mistake—and its expensive consequences
14:20 How to set clear expectations from day one
22:55 The importance of overcoming unconscious bias in hiring
29:30 Why a structured hiring process leads to better employees 🎙 Guest: Kristen Prinz has been recognized as one of Chicago’s 50 Most Influential Female Attorneys and has saved millions for corporate clients in employment litigation. She’s here to help you make better hiring decisions. Links Kristen Prinz LinkedIn 🔗 https://www.linkedin.com/in/prinzlawfirm/
Website 🔗 https://www.prinz-lawfirm.com/

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard
Company: Intertru, Inc.
Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast
Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

Listen now and save yourself from regretting hiring!

The Red Wedding Business Decision with Adam Philipp

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 21:00:00 -0000

Listening to what your customers desire and having the courage to uproot your business model to accommodate them, takes guts. It’s essentially disrupting your own short-term profits for a long-term bigger picture.

Your employees who are “comfortable” will most likely leave as most people do not like change. Especially, radical change! Leaving the opportunity for others to step up and help to drive the business forward.

Today, we are going to delve into a story of what happens when you dare to disrupt your own business.

Guest Bio

Adam Philipp is the Founder & Patent Attorney of Aeon Law. Adam is a strategic attorney who focuses on innovative solutions for creators, entrepreneurs, and C-suite executives.

He believes that all of his clients deserve to understand how their IP tools will work for them, and their business model is designed to provide a transparent process with predictable budgets.

Problem:

Story of the Red Wedding (in 2010) due to switch to prebilling with fixed prices
Misaligned billing structure - eliminating billable hours
- Required changing the compensation structure as well
- Stop tracing the billable hour
- AR- pain point of collecting from clients
- Stopping the cycle of billable hours (not charging for revisions)
Able to hire experienced people who want to do high-quality work
Efficiency in getting paid twice as much for giving quality delivery
“If you want to succeed, stop doing what you hate” - billable hours
“If you give a hard job to a lazy person, he’ll find an easier way to do it”

Why is this important to the company?

Allow him to attract people who already have professional relationships
Less training on the company’s end

Rick’s Nuggets

My Restructure story

How do we solve the problem?

Implementing a new client payment and attorney compensation structure
Provide a fee schedule like a restaurant menu
People: approach attorneys who tried solo practitionership
They didn’t want to go back to unreasonable hourly requirements.
People wanted comradery, practice without getting their souls crushed
Pay a higher compensation with less overhead
- Push to 40% over 30%
- Invest in efficiency tools (automation of repeatable tasks)
- Hackers who set up tools.
Compensate at a fair level and provide tools to gain mastery
Choose your own adventure model.
Within 1 year with ½ the team, they doubled their income!
Long term Joy!

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today!

Clients love fixed prices - giving back the power to make business decisions again
Point in time when Clients are most willing to pay is before the project begins (avoid pricing disputes)
Money is in the trust waiting to be allocated upon the works completion - (eliminate collections)

Guest Links

LinkedIn: Adam Philipp
Company: AEON Law

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard
Company: Intertru, Inc.
Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast
Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

How to Make a Culture Stand Out with Scott Hollrah

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 02:30:00 -0000

As a founder, your first hire is always the hardest. Most often we take the first person who will say yes. Not putting a lot of diligence into a conversation about setting proper expectations.

What ends up happening is that we either get really lucky (if it works out) or it becomes a cautionary tale of what not to do when starting a business. Often an expensive lesson to learn.

Starting with a strong culture in mind from day 1 is the key to having the difficult conversations that ensure a first hire's success.

Guest Bio

Scott Hollrah is the Founder & CEO of Venn Technology. Scott has built a reputation as a technologist, problem solver, and creator of great culture.

In his role at Venn Technology, he is focused on helping mid-market organizations be more effective through the use of automation. The company has won numerous awards that include Dallas Business Journal’s Best Places to Work, and Inc 5000.

In addition to family and work, Scott hosts In the Thick of It, a podcast that highlights the trials and triumphs of fellow founders. He is an expert in building a culture that stands out from his competitors.

Problem:

Started as a 1 man shop
Now at 30+ people
The first hire was the hardest thing he had to do
- Get over the fact that he eats last
- Is this person that I hire going to care about the customer as much as I do
- Introduced by a mutual connection
- First 12-18 months he had to learn to delegate
- People will do things different
Core value of Delighted Partners - reminder throughout the office - customer & partner logos - these are the folks who make us successful, we have a responsibility to make them successful
When we fail do everything to make things right
We are flawed, not perfect. But we own our mistakes
Accept you are not perfect and expect that you make things right as well
Culture has been the same from the outset
- Treat people how you’d like to be treated
- Wants to sleep well at night and not regretting his day
- Phrase - When you take PTO, take PTO!

Rick’s Nuggets

Having the difficult conversations

How do we solve the problem?

Doubled down on buying a building
An In-person culture
- I had an offer turned down
- Get stuck on a problem, tap someone on the shoulder, grab a whiteboard
- Build through proximity
One Team
- Chad Nelson Golden Toilet Brush Award
- Display ownership
- Sought to be very unconventional
- Bring a different energy!
Build the kind of company he wants to work for
- Very casual
- Mascot - Bijorn the Yeti
- Not afraid to let the freak flag fly
  - Texas Independence Day is a company holiday
Are we doing what we aspire to Join:
I want to work here because…
Watched your YouTube videos
Watched podcast
Read content
“Do they want the job or a job?”
Research people did on the company and him
When guests or prospective team members visit the office we literally roll out a red carpet and have a sign welcoming them
- Most people take a picture of it
- Makes a great first impression

Rick’s Nuggets

Values need to be polarizing

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today!

Know your values - talk about them frequently
- We have a standing weekly meeting and highlight one value each time
- One of our core values is “One Team” - each quarter we award someone the “Chad Nelson One Team Award” - also known as “The Golden Toilet Brush” - this is a high honor
Find ways to create community and fellowship among your people
- Quarterly hackathon
- Family party every summer

Guest Links

LinkedIn: Scott Hollrah
Company: Venn Technology
Facebook: Venn Technology
Instagram: Venn Technology
YouTube: Venn Technology
Podcast: In the Thick of It | The Junction

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard
Company: Intertru, Inc.
Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast
Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

WIFM is the Key to People Retention & Growth with Steve Hamil

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 20:30:00 -0000

Today let’s start with the question, “Does our company make your life better?”

Ideally, the answer is yes. But in my experience as a top Silicon Valley headhunter, the answer is almost always NO.

This is one of my favorite questions to ask when I recruit people because it opens the door to providing a stronger opportunity with another company… Usually my clients.

If all companies just asked their employees how they could provide more than just a paycheck and a ping pong table, they would experience greater retention and more profitable growth.

Guest Bio

Steve Hamil is the Director of Operations of Populist Cleaning Co. The Populist mission statement and core values, which emphasize personal and professional growth, really resonate with him. He thrives in a place where he can make a difference. Not only that but where I’ll be challenged, as well.

Steve is an outstanding communicator with a passion for coaching, mentoring, training, conflict resolution, and guidance.

Problem:

A high turnover of 100-200% is normal..
Been able to get it down to 45% on a rolling rate average: 1st quarter 24 29%, 2nd quarter 47.5%
High turnover is costly
- Operational & Quality
- Time, training, QOS
- knowledge transfer

Why is this important to the company?

Populist life not better:
cost$ 6 months operation Populist lost $1026.89 in support staff coverage., Additionally, support travel time to site $4528.
+ hiring costs,
Employees life not better:
5 individuals were hired and did not work out 1 to 2 week; lots of train and re-training.
Stress on support staff/management
Customer life not better
Multiple people in and out of the account: extra work on badging/security
Quality – compromised with transfer loss between candidates.
Support staff not always full coverage

Rick’s Nuggets

The mail room from Elf
We need to stop looking at miss-hires as the cost of doing business
Opportunity cost loss -
- People from production
- Customer costs - their people

How do we solve the problem?

Customer success:
- When you find the right employees and customer fit
Populist life better
- 6 month managing $4378 above profit line
- Little turnover, especially in key roles.
Employees life made better
- Found the right person, right seat
- Happy with job, pay
Customer’s life made better through:
- Good communication
- Captured work through consistency of personnel
Using a Pre-interview phone screen, key questions that we ask to ascertain core value/cultural fit:
- What environment do you thrive in?
- Unfortunately, this industry can be a bit thankless. However, Populist has five Core Values we really try to stand behind in all we do. I’m going to state them, and you can let me know if one or more resonates with you. Our core values are Commitment, Hard work, Individual Responsibility, Respect, and Professionalism.
Placing steps of commitment in the interview process. Core value match first
Pre-interview phone screen –
- Background check
- Second interview, in person
- Orientation, in person (frist day)
- Culture engagement officer - phone screen
- Interview sheet- questions to relate to core values
- Core value grid. And seeking to match right person, right seat.
First 90-day Engagement
- Cultural Experience officer contacting the employee multiple times before 90 days (right person,right seat focus) and
- Operations properly onboarding/training/checking-in during first 90 days (right person, right seat focus).
- Touch and engagement followups, assessing first 90
- Quarterly teams call, whole company- 1 hour long
- Share EOS moments, training moments, HR moments, shout-outs

Rick’s Nuggets

Only 23% of the workforce is engaged at work
Ask the question: Are we giving you what you need?

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today!

Using a Pre-interview phone screen, key questions that we ask to ascertain core value/cultural fit:
Placing steps of commitment in the interview process.
Second interview using questions that have gone through a Core value grid. And seeking to match right person, right seat.
Engaging the employee from two perspectives: Cultural Experience and Operations

Guest Links

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard
Company: Intertru, Inc.
Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast
Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

Why Phone Screens Matter in Playbook Adoption with Todd Gorell

Fri, 21 Feb 2025 02:00:00 -0000

Hiring great salespeople is not as tough as you might think… And the key to this is a great phone screen (aka: Discovery call).

Here is why the discovery call is so important. First, People are the most truthful in their first conversation because they have invested very little time or emotional bandwidth.

Second, interviewees are not expecting a level of diligence early on so they are not as guarded with the information given.

This allows us to gather accurate data to truly understand if a person is positioned right for our unique company based on the candidate’s desire and level of performance.

Guest Bio

Todd Gorell is the Chief Growth Officer of The Pavement Group. Where Todd is responsible for driving revenue and team growth for the most advanced, dynamic, and market-diverse facilities maintenance company in history.

With over 15 years of sales executive experience, Todd has built and led teams, developed new business segments, and fostered customer relationships across various

industries. Scaling the business 10x in the past 4 years!

Problem:

Story: Hired a very senior person who did not want to be part of the team.
Tended to go rogue. Loan Wolf salesperson
He was a Polished interviewer, with a good resume.
Did not need help, and didn't want anyone to tell him how to do the job.
His show
- At a customer meeting, got drunk at a work meeting
- Did not close the deal
- Fired the next day
Hiring people who are not coachable
- Seasoned people are not adaptable to your playbook
- Fit Culture

Rick’s Nuggets

Quickly understanding where the person will thrive
- Vision for the ideal company, type of work, size & Role
Evidence of past performance (key indicator of future performance)

How do we solve the problem?

Do not have a difficult time hiring people at all
Create a lot of attention through content a lot of people reaching out
Divide and Conquer
Two people interview - compare notes after both interviews are completed.
*** Phone screen- live sales situation
Follow a script (conversational)
*Comfortable talking about money
- What do you need to make? Get right to it
*Asking smart questions back
- Are they positioning themselves to sell us… good at asking questions
*Are they excuse-makers
- Why are things working/not working
Questions
- What was the last book you read
- What do you do for fun
- Why Questions
Culture- Core values
- Hire, fire, review based on core values
- 10x the company since 2020

Rick’s Nuggets

“If you could create your next opportunity from scratch, what would it look like for you?”
- What would the company look like?
- What work would you be doing?
- Why is this important to you?

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today!

Get as much out of the phone screen as you can
Disqualify quickly- don't waste anyone’s time
Team up on hiring- don't share notes until 1st interview is complete

Guest Links

LinkedIn: Todd Gorell
Company: The Pavement Group
Facebook: The Pavement Group
Instagram: The Pavement Group
YouTube: The Pavement Group

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard
Company: Intertru, Inc.
Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast
Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

When the Mission Drives Growh and Culture with Darcie Durham

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 20:00:00 -0000

Tom’s shoes started with the mission of donating a pair of shoes for every pair bought. A powerful mission that attracts a lot of people. However, resonating with the mission is not enough.

To be successful in any organization, one must also naturally operate in a manner that is in alignment with the company’s core values.

What makes this critical to successful hiring is that it gives people the opportunity to thrive from day one. By eliminating most of the friction that is often encountered when the person steps into the new role.

Today, we are going to discuss how one company has been able to stay on mission and elevate their culture. All while experiencing 3x growth.

Guest Bio:

Darcie Durham is the COO/CFO of HTX Labs. Inc. HTX Labs is a fully remote, immersive learning software company that provides immersive XR classrooms on their EMPACT platform for the Department of Defense and others.

In the last 2 years, HTX Labs has experienced rapid growth, tripled in headcount and is experiencing record-breaking performance month over month.

Problem:

Protecting Culture is critical to their momentum
How not to lose culture when you have tripled in size
Values are the core to success with their customers
She joined as employee 26 now at 85 people
Strong culture and very intentional
Fully remote company
Challenge
- Being able to articulate culture in a way that people can identify a fit.
- Fully remote, meet with a lot of folks, peer interview
- Darcie is the final interviewer- how do they tie with the mission

Why is this important to the company?

The foundation of the culture
Two founders are still principals involved in day-to-day
Humble and open to listening to feedback
Embodies open to feedback - we can’t be experts on all things in an emerging field - no one has done this before - have to be okay with making mistakes, owning them, and moving on

Rick’s Nuggets

The Perfect Storm: Growth, Hiring & Culture
Need clouds judgment - the gut needs more evidence
Catch and release

How did we solve the problem?

Talking about mission and values
- They don't bring them up in the interview
Mission
- Ask why they want to come to work with us?
- Do they know what we do? Understand what our product/customer is?
- “What do you need in a work environment to feel engaged and excited about coming to work?” - understand the motivation
- How do you feel about a remote work environment?
“Something you are proud of or good at that would not come through on a resume?”
“What would people you worked with in the past say are key things to be successful in working with you?” - red flags
Does this person align with our behaviors that would make them successful
- On Fire - Driven, hungry, enthusiastic and passionate.
- In Touch - Proactive, discerning, intentional, realistic and reflective.
- No Fear - Nimble, adaptable, courageous, and willing.
- All In - Humble, candid, empathetic, appreciative, giving and welcoming.
Adaptable- We do not have a process for x. Would you like to take a stab at writing it? - screen for comfort in the “gray area” - reinforce throughout interviews and final interview.

Rick’s Nuggets

Tell me about a time when you fixed an issue that was… not assigned to you (driven)
Describe a time when you had to pivot to complete a project (adaptable)
- What prompted the pivot?
- How did the change affect the outcome
- Why was this important to you?

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today!

Don't compromise on culture. If you do, correct it quickly!
When you hire people you don't want to work with…. Productivity tanks!
If it’s not a slam dunk it should be a “no” - when we try to make it work, we’re compromising on something

Guest Links

LinkedIn: Darcie Durham
Company: HTX Labs
Facebook: HTX Labs
YouTube: HTX Labs

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard
Company: Intertru, Inc.
Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast
Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

How to Squash Employee Turnover with Phillip Thune

Wed, 19 Feb 2025 02:00:00 -0000

We have all heard the phrase that people do not leave jobs, they leave managers…

This truth is supported by data from Gallop, 75% of over 1 million workers surveyed, left because of their bosses and not the work or the company.

So how do we combat this?

First, let’s train our managers. Second, let’s do a better job of hiring people who will align with the values of the company and the manager. Setting both parties up for success and ensuring the company’s forward momentum.

Guest Bio:

Phillip Thune, CEO of Adthena. Phillip has been involved in the tech startup and online search sectors for 20+ years and is a proven leader in the ad-tech and digital media space. Adthena is an award-winning search intelligence platform to help brands, marketers, and agencies dominate their competitive landscapes.

Philip is a values-driven leader who had helped scale four different companies from early stages, including FindWhat.com, which went from $500k of revenue and 35 employees when Phillip joined to $200 million, 500 employees, and a market cap of $700 million.

Problem:

Turnover - For at least 4 years, the company had not gone more than a few months without the departure of someone from the exec team
Soon after Phillip joined, the Chief Revenue Officer of Adthena left, but since then, not a single exec turnover, so it’s now been about 14 months and counting…
Before: Difficult to get any momentum with a high turnover
- Phillip replaced the founder, who had been CEO for 11 years
- The departed sales leader had only been there 3 months. His replacement, the company’s long-time UK sales leader, was the 5th leader of the sales team over a 6 month period!!
- CFO, CMO, CTO all rock solid. Lot of turnover with head of people, CRO, and CPO
Phillip started in March 2023. In Q3 and Q4 2023 very little turnover. Problem solved!?! Nope - a lot of turnover at the manager/team level in Q1 2024
- Shifted

How do we solve the problem?

Put in the don’t-quit rule & sherpa plans
- “Don’t quit without notice – whether it’s money, responsibility, ability to grow/learn, a new challenge, etc. – first try to see if we can fulfill that need at Adthena via your Sherpa Plan. If not, we will do everything possible to help you find a new job outside of Adthena that gets you what you want.”
- Reasons: tell us you are unhappy, and figure out if we can solve the problem
- Commitment: if we can't help solve the problem, we will give full support in terms of transitioning out
- Sherpa plan: formal understanding of what is available for you at Adthena. Career progression plan
Thought it worked, but discovered it didn't.
- Introduced the rule, but didn’t communicate well enough.
- In Q1, a few key people quit
Reintroduced the role formally
- Communicated the value of staying
- Interesting new opportunity

Rick’s Nuggets

Creating a safe environment for open communication
Leaders take leaving personal
If a person is not working out, take the time to replace them with a person who will thrive in your environment

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today!

If you want to be known among your current and former employees for something - in our case, it’s that we’re weirdly obsessed with our team member’s career growth - you need to
- 1) bring it up regularly and have it reinforced on a regular basis - in our case with Sherpa plans that must happen at least twice per year
- 2) it needs to benefit the employee as much as the company.

Guest Links

LinkedIn: Phillip Thune
Company: Adthena

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard
Company: Intertru, Inc.
Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast
Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

Why You Should Stop Hiring Big Company Industry Experts with Forrest Derr

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 05:04:50 -0000

The classic blunder I have seen hundreds of times during my career is the “vanity hire”. Pulling out all the stops to get someone from a name-brand company who, in your mind, is the answer to all your prayers.

The reality is that that person turns out to be the cause of future nightmares. Not fitting in with the culture, pace, or the expectations of the team. This happens because your little entrepreneurial venture is not truly what that person desires.

Guest Bio:

Forrest Derr is the COO & Integrator at Sexton Lawn & Landscape. Forrest began his journey in the working world as a small business owner, managing a paper route in his neighborhood. He obtained a business management degree from University of Mobile and worked for an office furniture company for 18 years which provided experience in sales, operations, technology, and customer satisfaction. He also honed his skills in inventory management, team scheduling, and technology integration. He ascended to the level of VP of Operations and while there built and sold a tech consulting business.

In 2015, Forrest joined Altaworx, broadening his expertise in data-center management, finance, and marketing as President. Now, as part of Sexton Lawn & Landscape, He is leading their team into the future, leveraging EOS as their guiding business framework.

Challenge today?

Hiring for Skills & Network for people from major organizations does not translate to small businesses

Story:

Tried to talk him out of taking the job at a small company
Could not adapt to a small company environment
In large organizations it is easy to hide in the corner,
Not doing the work. Got real estate license while on their payroll
Kept him for 9 months.

Why is this important to the company?

Did not identify if he was a fit for the culture
Highly paid farmer not a new business dev person
Would not engage with the other employees
Big business culture person
Did not understand the metrics that were required
Thought they could save them from a corporate life
Inside industry hires were expensive

Rick’s Nuggets

The vanity hire will kill you every time
Your company is not the destination

How do we solve the problem?

Fired them
Stopped looking for people from the industry
Stayed away from people already in the industry
Focused on people skills, not industry skills
- Non-industry-specific skills
- People who developed complementary skills
Tell everyone interviewed to Join the company not take a job
- Team members have to be Flexible and willing to move around as need to fill gaps
- We leveraged the leadership team as part of the interview process
- Evaluated core values and culture fit over skills
- Disguise the core value in the question (around the value)
Retention improved as a result. Before they were terminating people quickly.
***Not a fit and why
Profit margins went up? Productivity dropped while wrong hires were working

Rick’s Nuggets

Positioning is your main concern
- Do they deeply desire your opportunity
Let them talk!
Stop Selling and start listening

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today!

Have core values clearly defined
Hire based on core values and don't focus on skills teach and mentor
Leadership bought into all members that are hired

Guest Links

LinkedIn: Forrest Derr
Company: Sexton Lawn & Landscape

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard
Company: Intertru, Inc.
Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast
Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

Interviewing Patience Right Person Force Multiplier with Jeff Leitman

Fri, 26 Apr 2024 14:00:00 -0000

It’s human nature to get away from pain as quickly as possible.

As painful as it is to have an open role, it is even more painful to fill that role with a person who brings more pain. And that pain is most often delivered in the form of the Wrong Person in the Right Seat.

Today we are going to discuss what this means and how to have the patience to work through finding the right person for the right seat.

Guest Bio:

Jeff Leitman is the Founder and CEO of Rocksteady Corp. Rocksteady specializes in the production of the Rocksteady Stadium speaker system, renowned for its high fidelity and connectivity, and is distributed across North America. Family, team members, and creating a positive and supportive work environment are the foundations of the organization.

As a hands-on CEO, Jeff prioritizes the development and empowerment of his team, partners, and vendors, fostering sustainable long-term relationships.

Problem:

Right person = Aligns with company values, buys into the mission (value)
Right Seat = Skills & capacity to do the work
70% of successful hiring is Alignment …. 30% is skills
The focus is on the skills and stopping the pain quickly.
100% focus on skills and hope it works out

Finding the patience to hire the strongest person requires discipline. Especially when there is a dire need to remove the work from your plate.

Challenge today?

In a startup environment, how to define roles to fill first, and how to ensure that role is defined properly and filled with the right person.
Roles that need to be done but I can’t support or prioritize or don’t enjoy doing - finding people who enjoy their roles, are capable of filling the role, and who fit within the company culture.
Marketing, Sales, Accounting… for me, this was part of the A-team I needed. Creative, fulfillment, and supply chain
I love this and thus don’t need a senior person as quickly.
Or I need help to do it better, and I can be a positive partner and influence in driving a good result.
Remain engaged in the role, even if you hate it. Example: I hated marketing, and hired people to do it for me. It wasn’t until I learned to embrace it that it became effective.

Why is this important to the company?

Adding the right person is a force multiplier, and allows the company to grow at an accelerated pace. Hiring the wrong person is the exact opposite, so be diligent.

Rick’s Nuggets:

Skills-based hiring is transactional
- Low perceived value
- Lower engagement
- Biggest offer wins
Narrow focus- “Just fill this role quickly”
- Missing culture/value alignment
- Costs the company 3-7X the cash spent
  - Opportunity cost loss
  - Productivity
  - Disengagement

How do we solve the problem?

Define the position in detail, and be sure the candidate hits all the “has-to-have” criteria.
Don’t be lazy, keep going. Interview more people, check references, think of more questions. Be certain.
Don’t overplay your emotional position in an interview. Don’t fall in love with them (and see what you want to see), keep them talking. You lose power when selling your company too hard and too soon.
Work ethic is as important as knowledge or skills.
Expose the elephant in the room.
Check references, and ask the right questions - are they biased? Were they good managers? What was the result and reason for the separation?
What is their motivation? Can you keep them motivated (financially, career path)? And will they be happy employees?
Our process is not overly-formalized. If employees do the first interview, I provide guidance and direction but encourage my managers to also have their own criteria (counterpoint discussion).

Rick’s Nuggets:

Strongest Person =
- Positioned well (desire)
- Core values aligned

Accurate Seat =
- Capacity to do the work and grow
- Boost performance
- Increase productivity

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today!

Adding the right person is a force multiplier, and allows the company to grow at an accelerated pace. Hiring the wrong person is the exact opposite, so be diligent.
Hire people who enjoy what they are doing.
Remain engaged in the role, even if you hate it. Example: I hated marketing, and hired people to do it for me. It wasn’t until I learned to embrace it that it became effective.
Be disciplined, be prepared, have a plan.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: Jeff Leitman
Company: www.RocksteadyAudio.com
Facebook: Rocksteady
Instagram: Rocksteady

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard
Company: Intertru, Inc.
Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast
Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

How Skipping Process Bites You With Bill Snyder

Thu, 18 Apr 2024 14:00:00 -0000

Having a need often clouds reason. Especially when it comes to hiring and the interview process. There is work to be done and no one is doing it.

So you prioritize filling the gap with a warm body, rather than focusing on the right person in the right seat. How’s that been working out for you??

Short-cutting the interview process is never a good idea because when you do, It will most often bite you in the ass!

Guest Bio:

Bill Snyder is the CEO of digital health startup Vivante Health, the employee benefit for GI care. Bill works with Fortune 500 companies and large health plans, including Walmart and Cigna's Evernorth, to reduce GI-related healthcare costs.

He secured a Series B fundraise in September 2023, which was led by high-profile VC firms Mercato Partners and Health Catalyst Capital. Bill’s success in various leadership roles has been a result of building strong teams and learning each day from those he is fortunate enough to work with.

Challenge today?

Moving too fast on hiring and not following a detailed process leads to poor hiring.
- Anytime you negotiate against yourself it never works out well
- Deviation from the process does not end well either.
- Never skip steps
Culture
- Clear about what they value and answer that they don't.
- What they are looking for and not looking for
- Mission-driven organization
- Why us?
- Does align with the mission, not a fit

Why is this important to the company?

Culture is built by people at the company.
- Strong culture has been driven by the people
- Engagement (#)

Rick’s Nuggets

Set people up for success even if it is outside

How do we solve the problem?

Three things:
- 1) Put process in place early
- 2) Ensure there is transparency, collaboration, and accountability across the team for all hiring managers and all positions
- 3) Never settle
Plan on recruiting, interviewing, and ongoing cultural engagement
- Having one
- Healthy Job description- core themes,
- Put together the interview panel
Mission and Culture front and center
- Formal presentation- evidence of the work
- Feedback on the work
- Interview for coachability
Holding each other accountable with the process
- Collaboration with co-workers
- Full visibility for everyone across the organization
- Same process.

Rick’s Nuggets

Job description- focus on them (WIFM)
Intense process - determined on what the business needs. Working session.
Accountability- the process is a value chain for the candidate- attracts a

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today!

Start the process early and adhere
Always include culture early

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: Bill Snyder
Company: Vivante Health
Facebook: Vivante Health
Instagram: Vivante Health
X: Vivante Health

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard
Company: Intertru, Inc.
Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast
Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

This show is Powered by Intertru

When HR Takes Away The Nerf Guns With Steven Freidkin

Fri, 05 Apr 2024 16:23:39 -0000

People like to join small organizations because they are challenging and fun. There are few rules to follow and very little red tape.

As the company grows, it becomes necessary to formalize business processes. With process comes rules and before you know it… Poof someone gets shot in the eye and the Nerf guns get taken away.

Some might view this as a good thing, but the high performers who built the business do not. Take away the fun and they will just go somewhere else.

Guest Bio:

Steven Freidkin is the Founder and CEO of Ntiva, Inc., a full-service technology firm offering managed IT services including cybersecurity, strategic consulting, cloud solutions, and business process automation. Founded in 2004, Ntiva now has over 450 employees who serve over 1400 clients. 

Steven is an active member of a multitude of boards and organizations including Young Presidents Organization (YPO). He is a big believer in purpose-driven organizations and leads Ntiva with this in mind.

Problem:

Challenge?

The employee was shot in the eye
Solving the problem without taking the fun out of the workplace
Out-of-the-box ways to keep things light, fun and enjoyable
Create cultures and environments that make things fun

Why is this important to the company?

The people team is to support and keep the company fun
Rules cannot be the default-
Manage issues as exceptions
Decisions made understanding our purpose of growing people and our core values
- Care
- Ownership
- Responsiveness
- Excellence
Original mistakes are okay if made under this framework

Rick’s Nuggets

People appreciate the small things much more than work
When fun is a core value, it must be protected!

How do we solve the problem?

Existence is to grow people
Core values are the framework
Keeping the company fun
Being intentional
Being tolerate of only the outcome you want
As you scale, naturally create more structure/rules to limit liability
Limit the rock star talent because you are telling people they have to follow rules
Other ways to solve the problem
The best talent comes from company referrals 114 referrals in 2023
- Stories become things talked about and create referrals
- Retained longer

Rick’s Nuggets

Retention is more important than compliance
Attrition happens when people feel like they start feeling restricted and are no longer growing

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today!

Question every requirement- what are the other
You win talent by differentiating yourself from the competition
Aligned motivations around the why & purpose

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: Steven Freidkin
Company: Ntiva
Facebook: Ntiva

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard
Company: Intertru, Inc.
Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast
Book: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

This show is Powered by Intertru, Inc.

Driving Culture Change with Jason Lippert

Thu, 21 Mar 2024 14:00:00 -0000

How do you change company culture when the values of the CEO evolve?

We all understand that to grow as a company, people need to embrace change. Yet a lot of us fear change because it requires us to work on ourselves. Which is uncomfortable.

But here is the truth, when you fear change the business will outgrow you and then change becomes inevitable!

Guest Bio: Jason Lippert, President & CEO of LCII

Jason has helped grow the company from $150 million in 2003 to over $5.1 billion with over 12,000 team members world-wide.

Jason has initiated a cultural transformation within the company known as Everyone Matters.

To stress a truly human culture in the business, he implemented a Culture and Leadership team who strives to grow the company’s team members through coaching and working on personal and professional development.

Problem:

Changing culture Story
- Didn't realize there was a problem until he was enlightened by Bob Chapman's Ted Talk (Truly Human Leadership)
- allocating resources to culture development/change
- Hired someone to own culture
- 2013 - 5k people

Challenge today?

A lot of tenured people resisted
- Produce good results, I don't need to change
- Front lines of the business
- Show up, get work done, and go home

A lot more personal transformation
- One person was in a bad place in her life and was contemplating suicide.
- Leadership cared enough to start working with her and demonstrated that they cared.

Why is this important to the company?

Main driver
- He was working in a different space, running fast and hard
- It felt empty
- Praying to god to discover his purpose.
- Mentored by the speaker
- Learned that there is a different way to win

Business Impact
- More people decide to show up here tomorrow. Compelling to be here
- High retention
- Profitability from $1B-$5B over the 10-year span

Rick’s Nuggets

Core values are driven by the CEO
How you act filters down

How do we solve the problem?

Push into change
- Required leaders to get evaluated behind core values
- Teaching becomes
- Attrition - terminations, resisting and bowing out.
- Had to exit some high-level leadership positions
- Didn't want to be coached or change

88% of people work for a company that feels that the company does not care about them
- It made sense to execute on culture that has an immediate impact
- A lot of people bowed out
- When they replaced the people who did not resonate with the culture did more damage than they realized
- Every time a person left the company, people rejoiced
- Fear of speaking up- They are always listening

Surprised him
- Winning more than before but impacting people in the community, people's lives
- Transformation of people's family lives because they are treated better
- How devastating bad leadership has on people's family lives

Rick’s Nuggets

Make the commitment no matter how much resistance
It has to be REAL
You have to live the values

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today!

No matter how big, someone needs to own culture and leadership development. As serious as any other function of the business. Telling everyone that this is important to us
Take time to goal set with every person in the business- front-line team members
Brings passion and energy to the business - competitive advantage, people stay longer because they care more.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: Jason Lippert
Company: Lippert Components
Facebook: Lippert

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard
Podcast: Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast
Company: Intertru
Book: Healing Career Wounds - with HireOS Method

Follow the Hire Power Radio Show on LinkedIn.

Guest referrals: andrea@stridesearch.com

Creating a Purpose-Driven Company with Jay Wilkinson

Fri, 15 Mar 2024 01:21:16 -0000

Core values are powerful. But core values driven by purpose are unstoppable! Today we are going to take a deep dive into an entrepreneur who has built not one but two highly successful businesses by not just living core values but tying purpose and giving back into the daily routines of the company.

And their results have been extraordinary!

Our guest today: Jay Wilkinson, Founder of Firespring, Bloom Growth & Do More Good Movement

Firespring—a Nebraska-based Certified B Corporation featured by Inc. Magazine as one of the Top 50 Places to Work in America.

His TEDx talk on company culture has more than 1 million views. Currently, Jay leads the Do More Good Movement —an organization he founded in 2018 to help save capitalism.

Jay appears on CNN and other news outlets discussing the important role that purpose-driven companies play in the U.S. economy.

Problem:

Story:

One person- volunteering wasn't their thing. Ended up parting ways

Volunteering creates an issue that you don't have someone's back as you defer work to another person.

Challenge today? Why is this difficult to do?

Aside from core values- tied to their purpose statement. A major part of the company ethos.

Candidates lie to themselves

Core values (15 years)

Bring it every day
Have each other's back
Give a shit

Why is this important to the company?

Came from experience as a kid. Spending time volunteering and sharing the value with the people he works with.

How it correlates to the business. Servant leadership mindset. They serve mostly non-profits. The could not serve their clients without walking the talk.

Rick’s Nuggets

Core values are how people naturally operate
Purpose is the glue that satiates desire. Validates belonging

How do we solve the problem?

Let’s start with Interviewing for Purpose Alignment

Interview question: Tell me about the last time you donated your time

Jay’s Formula:

Power of 3

1% topline revenue donated
2% of products and services are in kind given away
3% of people 1 full day a month

Volunteer hours- paid time off during work

Uplifting community

Quarterly conversations

The manager asked for advice. Worked through the issue
Put the person on a PIP.
The conflict was resolved by editing from the company.

Cover Anti-values- the act

Talk about it
A lot of nuance, a lot of gray
Part ways as soon as they know

How to identify it in the interview

Create dialog to get to know beyond the trite responses.
Gotten really good at finding high performers who are introverts.
Use the culture index, and ask questions to understand who they are.

The company is powered by purpose

Values hall of fame

Rick’s Nuggets

You NEED to gain evidence that your purpose is important to them ….
Unpeel the onion… dig deeper
The purpose of the interview is to “Understand the Truth”

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! - (Values from guest)

Vet candidates for alignment with the company’s purpose and vision -- not just core values. People want (and need) to be part of something that’s bigger than themselves.
Define clear and precise job requirements - including skill, experience, and personality/attributes.
Use assessment tools to understand natural, inherent behaviors and modify questions to get at the heart of who the applicant is.
Create a great candidate/interviewee experience. If this applicant is not the perfect fit, but they have a positive experience, they’ll spread the word.
Screen to hire Learners, not Knowers.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: Jay Wilkinson

Companies: Firespring Do More Good Bloom Growth

Host Links:

LinkedIn: Rick Girard

Company: Intertru

Book: Healing Career Wound

Follow the Hire Power Radio Show on LinkedIn to get the latest episode!

The 10 Disciplines with Gino Wickman

Mon, 30 Jan 2023 19:42:11 -0000

Being a startup entrepreneur is a struggle.

As some of you know, I recently joined the ranks of a startup founder. In November we launched Intertru and boy, my world has moved to light speed to a totally new dimension. It has become ridiculously exciting!

But there is one huge challenge… maintaining operational discipline.

My struggle comes from the need to put out fires and execute critical projects outside of my expertise. Making it difficult to stay disciplined in a workflow cadence that produces results.

Today we are going to key in on 10 Disciplines that you can implement today in your life to produce consistent results to the benefit of your company growth!

Guest Bio:

Gino Wickman is the Author of Traction & founder of EOS Worldwide, an organization that helps tens of thousands of businesses implement EOS with the aid of an international team of almost 600 professional and certified EOS Implementers and online support. There are over 180,000 companies using the EOS tools worldwide.

Today Gino focuses on helping entrepreneurs and leaders maximize their freedom, creativity, and Impact through his books:

Entrepreneurial Leap, Rocket Fuel, The EOS Life, and The 10 Disciplines for Managing And Maximizing Your Energy.

TODAY WE DISCUSS:

What are the 10 disciplines
Discuss the most relevant to startup entrepreneurs

PROBLEM:

Discipline
- We are all balls of energy – some burn bright, some don’t
- You are racehorses (entrepreneurs/leaders) – harness energy
- Don’t have to motivate/teach basics – eat, sleep, exercise, work ethic
- Each stands on its own, fully customizable
- Fast, simple and powerful

Challenge?

10-year thinking
Take time off
Know thyself
Be still
Know your 100%
Say no…often
Don’t do $25 an hour work
Prepare every night
Put everything in one place
10. Be humble

How do we solve the problem?

10-year thinking

Shift your mind from short-term thinking, to thinking in 10-year timeframes
Every decision is a 10-year decision/thinking, not a goal
Sam Cupp – 10-year business cycle
When you do – time slows, a peace comes over you, make better decisions and
get there faster
Quote “Overestimate one year…”
Les Brown “Good Decade”
Shifts energy
Action – write date 10 years from now, write age, write goal
- Other things are ok
- Now think about everything you are doing today
- See it every night

Say no…often

Say no to everything that doesn’t fit in the first 5 disciplines
Warren Buffett quote/”No! No!”
“…physical discomfort/guilt…” – Essentialism, Greg McKeown
Eat a worm?
If it doesn’t fit with the first 5 disciplines – say no
Turn to person – say “No!”
Action – say no to something in the next 7 days/cancel an appointment

Prepare every night:

Before your head hits the pillow every night, document the next day’s plan
Go to bed knowing exactly tomorrow
Sleep better
Spontaneous – BS, come one, if you’re running a company, you don’t have the luxury
Subconscious does the work
Wake up with ideas/solutions
Get more done
As opposed to waking up and figuring it out
Use any technology – I use a legal pad
Action – do it tonight

Put everything in one place

Pick the one place you will capture every idea, commitment, thought, action item and promise
Let people down/chaos/sticky notes
The legal pad
Throughout the day write down your commitments, promises, ideas, to-do’s
Compartmentalize all at the end of the day
Action – pick your “one place” and do it tomorrow

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginowickman/
Website: https://ginowickman.com/
Download a free copy of the 10 Disciplines eBook
Visit the10disciplines.com to learn more
Read a 10 Disciplines article written by Gino
Contact Gino:
gino@eosworldwide.com
(248) 672-1192

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
Startup: www.intertru.ai
HireOS® inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com
www.intertru.ai

Hiring the Right Person, Right Seat, Right Stage with Dean Stoecker of Alteryx

Thu, 05 Jan 2023 21:29:28 -0000

We all understand the concept of right person, right seat. But as the company grows the demands of each seat change. What is required from zero to $5 Million will most likely shift on your journey to $10 million in revenue.

So hiring ahead of that curve becomes the biggest challenge.

It is important that, in the earliest stages of the company, everyone in the organization identifies as a “builder”. Builders are the people who have a deep desire to problem-solve issues that have not even become identified and create systems from scratch.

As the business grows, the need for “improvers” becomes critical as they are the people who can scale to each milestone and beyond.

Guest Bio:

Dean Stoecker is the co-founder and Executive Chairman of the Board. Dean founded Alteryx in 1997 and led the company as CEO through October 2020, achieving solid organic growth, and a successful IPO in March 2017.

Dean’s leadership and motivational skills, along with his ability to create, communicate, and realize a vision, were a driving force behind the company’s 20+ year success.

Dean serves as advisor to entrepreneurs, is an active philanthropist, and is passionate about humanizing the world of data science and analytics, which is evident in the company’s culture, extensive resources for continued education, and efforts to influence social change.

TODAY WE DISCUSS

Right person, right seat, right stage
How to ensure you have the right person at every growth stage

PROBLEM:

Preparation for changing out key employees at different levels
- @ $10mil, $25mil,
- Get great alignment with the teams
- Strategically & tactically- align strategy with tactics
- Don't be afraid to switch your teams

Challenge?

Alignment between strategy & tactics
People have different ideas about what we need to do as a company
Knockdown, drag-outs about who we wanted to be when we grow up
- KPI’s for each department
- People knowing why they were building things

Why is this important to the company?

People need to be rowing in the same direction
First hires need to be 9’s
9’s will never work for 6’s

Rick’s Nuggets:

All about Positioning
- Value alignment, builder, passion for the mission

SOLUTION:

How do we solve the problem?

Predicated on growth rates
- Team of 5 did a million in the first year
- Understanding if they are willing to accept tasks that they never signed up for
- Focus on the next milestone
Build teams that can get you there
- Keep your 9’s
- Risk/Reward profile needs to match yours
- Play any position then go deep
Legacy of promoting
- Leadership is about how many leaders you create
- Invest in training
- Who has the best skills at the cheapest price that can last you the longest
- Biggest worry, Middle management
Take stock of your own skill sets
- Andre Geim- “grazing shallow”
  - Fall in love and go deep
- Risk reward profile
- You want someone who can play any position then goes deep
- Longevity - meandered from generalist to specialist
- Risk reward profile needs to match yours

Rick’s Nuggets:

The first team
- It’s all about positioning
  - Really desire what you are (ie: ground-level startup with no money)

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Make sure you have a time that provides strategic and tactical alignment(first 6 years)
Be prepared to swap out the team many times. The team that got you to $5mil won't get you to $20m. Be aware of your markers

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dean-stoecker/
Company: https://www.alteryx.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alteryx
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alteryx
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alteryx/
Other: https://www.siteminder.com/

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
Startup: www.intertru.ai
HireOS® inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com
www.intertru.ai

Pre-vetting Candidates Before the Interview with Payman Taei of Visme

Thu, 08 Dec 2022 16:06:45 -0000

Over the past few years talent has been scarce. And when talent is scarce, fear leads hiring decisions. We don't want to lose (what we perceive to be) “good people”, so we shortcut the interview process.

Here's the thing, our perceptions are often wrong. Our gut is often wrong. And it is wrong because the data we input is either assumed or circumstantial. Resulting in marginal hiring that hurts your business.

So, what if every person that you hired thrived in your company? What would be the ROI if you operated at a hiring success rate over the 90th percentile? It would be pretty f-ing amazing, right?

A crucial part of why we get hiring wrong too often is that we don't invest the time to adequately vet people before we bring them in for an interview. This starts with your first call (phone screen). We miss the opportunity to gather true data as to whether a person is positioned well for the organization and their level of performance.

That's right, positioning and performance. The most crucial data that help you understand alignment before wasting anyone’s time in a formal interview process.

Evidence that is not present on a resume.

Guest Bio:

Payman Taei is the Founder of Visme, an all-in-one visual communication platform, and Co-Founder of Respona the link-building for SaaS and Agencies to improve google rankings.

Payman is an avid technologist who loves new trends and tries to keep up with the ever-evolving internet. His background in Biology has led him to truly believe in the art of evolution. Everything changes in time. You either follow or create new trends or you will be left behind.

TODAY WE DISCUSS:

The challenges in today's pre-vetting of talent
How to properly vet people before they enter your interview process

HIRING STORY:

Hired a marketing person, a person who was known. Went on a whim and made the hire without involving
Assumed that because the person worked for a certain company the person must be good
Knew within a 45-day window, the wrong hire
Missed clues: a bit of fluff, selling themselves more. Claimed to have done a lot. Exaggerations
Marketers commonly take a lot of credit for a lot of company success
My post: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6999061564083380225/

PROBLEM:

Pre-vetting people before they come in for an interview

Challenge?

100’s of resumes. More does not mean better
Select a handful of people who are worth the time to interview
Most of the roles the CEO is still involved with
Create an efficient system without automation (Smaller companies)
Highest quality with the least friction as possible

Why is this important to the company?

Made some bad hires
Time is a premium
personality /cultural fit & skills
We Sacrifice lower experience for a better cultural fit

Rick’s Nuggets:

Judgement should not be made on a resume but on the phone screen/Discovery Call.
- Great resumes don't equal great people
- High performers are busy making an impact
- Great interviewers have had a lot of practice.
- Understand Pain, Desire & Impact

How do we solve the problem?

Pick the needle from the haystack
Prequalification process
- The application itself
- Manner in which the resume is submitted -spammer or researched
- Passionate - learn and know about the company
- Not job hopping
- Interested because of a,b & c
- Large pool of referrals
HR interview
- Personality & brief technical experience
- Going through the resume and understanding career history.
- Gut check - authentic, a nice person, compassionate & caring, wanting to make a difference,
Technical interview (2 step)
- Projects, role on projects
- Tech stack, where are you comfortable, specific technical questions
- Deep dive into the technical experience with the team lead
Decision
- Yes- move into reference check
- 30, 60, 90 day review cycle on kpi and goals

Rick’s Nuggets:

Operate from a position of abundance
Discovery call
- Positioning
  - Does the person have a good reason to make a move
  - Does the person truly desire what your company is offering
Impact
- High performers become passionate about what they have done
- Dig into the “HOW” and “WHY” to gather evidence
- Go deeper than 2 layers down to find the TRUTH

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Eliminate the noise
Trust your intuition- What’s the gut feeling? does everything seems to check?
Group Decision: How does everyone feel about the person- team assessment

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paymantaei/
Company: https://www.visme.co/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/visme/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vismeapp
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vismeapp/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vismeapp
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/VismeApp

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
Startup: www.intertru.ai
HireOS® inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com
www.intertru.ai

Building an Advisory Ecosystem with Coco Brown of The Athena Alliance

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 17:38:20 -0000

Let’s talk about building an advisory board.

I think we would all agree that having strong advisors and mentors in your corner brings huge benefits to every organization. Not just as sound advice in making business decisions but also providing introductions and bringing credibility to the business.

So when is the right time to build your advisory board? As soon as you find the right people who will help. This means before you hire your first employees.

Building an advisory board, much like building company values, is often an activity to do later. But guess what, later is too late!

It is like pouring a foundation after the house has been built.

Investing the time to build a board before things get too crazy, is the smartest way to ensure that the decisions you make are solid enough to bring the business to it’s full potential.

Guest Bio:

Coco Brown is the Founder and CEO of The Athena Alliance. Athena has helped thousands of leaders grow and advance in their executive careers, and has brought over 400 women to corporate boards from growth stage private companies to name brand public companies.

Coco has personally worked with hundreds of top leaders, CEOs and boards to evolve modern leadership. She’s served on ten commercial and non-profit boards and advisory boards, and has led two notable companies (Taos, acquired by IBM, and now Athena).

She is part of Nasdaq's Governance Insights Council, and is often called on to share guidance to the evolving focus and breadth of responsibility within the Modern Boardroom.

TODAY WE DISCUSS:

When to build your board of advisors
How to leverage your advisors through investment cycles

Challenge?

Not having the right board in place when the company gets to funding
Not building a structure, cadence
End up with a board that is forced on you.
Not being as strategic as you can be.
In a formal advisory capacity

Why is this important to the company?

If your are not thinking early about this, when funding comes you may not have a strong pool of potential independents for your board
Becomes feeder for the formal board
Need to balance the power of the board
Even without that - maybe you never need a formal fiduciary board beyond the core founder/owners. But not having an ecosystem of advisors around you limits the competitive advantage you get by consulting outside your employee base.

Rick’s Nuggets

Making decisions on your own,
- Gut without data

How do we solve the problem?

Mindset
Most of us oriented around the team under - the team we are building
You need to orient as well to the team around you
Framework -How the team evolves over time
- Close connections that best approximate the roles you will need to build
- Lesser known to you, but better known publicly - pool of people to draw on
- Formalized - work on issues of the business together over time, in a rhythm/ cadence
Structure -
- Individual relationships
  - Experts who are honest with you
- Think tank - bench for something formal in the future:
  - Mixed group
  - Diverse
- Formal Advisory to Board
  - Mimic your C-Suite to get ahead of where you are now
  - Give you choices
Networking
- Beyond your usual network
- Who are the experts
- Groups like Athena ;)

Rick’s Nuggets:

Identify “Who”
- Dream team
Reach out- Go for it!
- Cold call or gain an introduction
- Ask for help
Formalize the relationship quickly

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Think beyond your internal team
Build in advance of your needs
Consider the competitive advantage

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cocobrown/
Company: https://athenaalliance.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-athena-alliance/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CocoBrown1020
Twitter: https://twitter.com/athenaalliance

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
Startup: www.intertru.ai
HireOS® inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com
www.intertru.ai

The Characteristics of a Successful Hire with Allan Jones of Bambee

Thu, 24 Nov 2022 15:00:00 -0000

What are the common characteristics of every successful person at your company?

Think of those characteristics and write them down as standard operating procedures. This is critically important because when we operate under the same frequency, pace, and purpose… growth happens. But this can change instantly when a new person is added to the team.

Too often we hastily add a person to the mix without understanding how they really operate on a daily basis. Assuming that they will be the answer to all of our current challenges because of the skills they are bringing to the table.

There is nothing more critical to hiring success than aligning people first, and skills second. This means investing the time to dig deeper into your interview process. Understanding not just what a person accomplished but the details of exactly how it was done and why it was approached in that manner.

Guest Bio:

Allan Jones is at the helm of Bambee, a new type of business built on the innovative premise that every small business should have a dedicated HR Manager. This concept was derived from Jones’ previous experiences working with—and growing up around—small business owners.

In 2021, Goldman Sachs celebrated Allan Jones as one of the 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs at its Builders + Innovators Summit. For three years running, Forbes has named Bambee a top startup employer in the U.S., and in 2022 it announced Bambee as a Top 5 Company in Los Angeles.

TODAY WE DISCUSS

Understanding your company's unique characteristics
How to implement critical characteristics into your interviewing & hiring process

Challenge?

Getting people who fit a special suite of characteristics
- Infinite characteristics that are valuable
- How do you narrow it down to 8?
- Being honest about who you are
- Characteristics of leadership values
  - Mastery of communication
  - Broad outcome objectivity: don't care where the right answer comes from
  - Urgency & greatness in tandem
- Separate leadership & team values
High potency friction
- Hired leader that doesn't fit,
- Courage to make a change
- Scoring system & scorecard

Why is this important to the company?

Looking at blemishes before celebrating wins
- Continuous loop of how can we be better
- Continuous improvement is just part o the game
  - 200+ employees
- Not afraid to say “not every person is right for the company”
- Companies are Olympic sports teams, not govt service agencies

Rick’s Nuggets:

How people operate within your company
Core values drive the operating characteristics
Adding a player to the game, not an ass to a seat

How do we solve the problem?

Identify that the problem exists
- Building leadership personas
- Hired multiple executives and 50% did not work out
- Right after fundraising
- Practices did not scale
CEO can not make hiring decisions for the company
- He is not the only sign-off anymore.
- Interview Structure
  - Hiring committees
  - Only leaders sit on the committee
  - Master of communication
    - Cliff notes version of who you are personally & professionally
    - Go to the resume
    - Listening skills along with speaking
Eliminated Leadership savior complex
- Problems would be solved by our next hire
- Company already had great people
- Never let a problem go unowned
Realization that already had an A+ executive team
- From savior to draft pick
- 90% success rate

Rick’s Nuggets:

Values drive characteristics
Interviewing process
- Structured & designed to gather evidence to support the correct decision
- Assign interview questions for people alignment
- Follow up with what & how questions

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Offsite with sr leadership & build leadership personas’
As a founder ask yourself “ your unique role in the hiring failure”
Set up screening committees
Make sure you are aligned

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allandjones/
Company: https://www.bambee.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bambee/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheAllanJones
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BambeeHQ
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bambeeHQ/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzJhkTm7baY&t=1s

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
Startup: www.intertru.ai
HireOS® inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com
www.intertru.ai

Hiring with Poorly Defined Metrics of Success with Kurt Davis of Stealth Smiles Startup

Thu, 17 Nov 2022 15:00:00 -0000

Let’s talk about performance metrics for a minute.

Do you have performance metrics drawn out for every person before they are hired? Are they clear on the expectations for the first 90 days of employment?

If not, you are setting people up for failure because expectations are never in alignment. We're going to leave it to you to “figure it out”. Then we scratch our heads when the person fails, wondering what we missed in the interview.

What was missed was the work on defining the role and writing down the company’s expectations of what needed to be accomplished by the individual in the first 90-120 days of employment.

I have discovered that companies who just “wing it” have a much higher offer turn-down rate and employee failure rate than companies that invest the time to clearly define what success looks like.

Look this is not “too hard” because you don't know what will happen in the next few months of the business. If it is too hard, maybe you are in the wrong business.

Guest Bio:

Kurt Davis is a technology entrepreneur and author.

The first 20 years of his career were spent between Silicon Valley and Asia, working with technology startups in finance and business development roles.

Kurt is now focused on Biteline (a startup marketplace for dental professionals) & Recently published a book called Navigate to the Lighthouse: A Silicon Valley Guide to Executing Global Deals.

TODAY WE DISCUSS:

Performance metrics
How to clearly define metrics

Challenge?

The company is not successful because of people not knowing
Gate of allocation of resources
- Deep analysis
- Gut & instinct drive the decisions
- Distrust the gut …. Until it is the last variable
The team cannot hide now that we are under the microscope
Setting expectations:
- The work is going to be hard
- Leadership needs to communicate

Why is this important to the company?

Need to get it right the first time
Want people to trust the strategy and thought process
Need people to come on board the thinking & the strategy
- Getting people behind the way of thinking

Rick’s Nuggets:

Not sure how to clearly define the metrics
- Out of the scope of their expertise
- Dont have the time
- Not sure
- We’ll let them tell us
Hiring failures start with your preparation (or lack thereof)

How do we solve the problem?

Look at the problem (analysis)
- Clearly define what you want each person to achieve
- Clear about what you are investing against
- Very clear on what you need each person to get done
- Do they fit the culture, values
- Measure twice, cut once
Can the person get it done
- Resume checks off
- Fit value wise
- Deep details
  - Look at the work, ask for deliverables
  - Working exercise

Rick’s Nuggets:

First Week, First 30, 60 & 90 days
Have deliverables at each milestone
- Present to the team your findings on X
- Prepare a plan for Y
- Deliver first version of Z
Put them in your Job description
- Here’s what you will be held accountable for in your first 30 days

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Take the time to do your homework. Do your strategy, planning.
Know exactly what that person is going to do in the first 90 days.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurtdavis1/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KurtDavisNew
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kdalive/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kdalivetravel/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/kudavis
Book: https://www.amazon.com/Navigate-Lighthouse-Silicon-Valley-Executing/dp/1544530331

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
Startup: www.intertru.ai
HireOS® inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com
www.intertru.ai

Aligning the “Why” in the Interview Process with Ted Bradshaw of EOS Worldwide

Thu, 10 Nov 2022 19:30:00 -0000

“People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it”. - Simon Sinek

How does this translate to your hiring? The simple answer is that your company's WHY is the one thing that differentiates whether a person joins for the paycheck or something bigger. Because it is important to them. It is the WIIFM (what's in it for me)

Right person, right seat needs to happen, every time. Your company depends on it!

When we hire solely for skills. We experience the Wrong person, Right seat more than 51% of the time.

When we hire for values first, and skills second, it moves us closer to a 75% success rate of Right Person, Right Seat.

In addition, when we are in alignment with the “WHY”, the probability of successful hiring skyrockets over the 95 percentile.

This is how everyone wins. Right person, right seat every time.

Guest Bio:

Ted Bradshaw is an Expert EOS Implementer™ & Community Leader at EOS Worldwide.

He served as an executive with Xerox and IBM, then left the Fortune 500 world to explore the thrills of entrepreneurship.

What he found was a long string of success that looked great on the surface. But underneath it all, he felt anxious, exhausted, and stressed, chasing money wherever it led and wondering why he never felt fulfilled. Along his journey, Ted gained valuable insight into how a person can achieve fulfillment in all aspects of life and he shares those insights with his best-selling book, Stop Chasing Squirrels.

Today, Ted lives his passion in helping others find theirs. A leading proponent of the Entrepreneurial Operating System®, Ted is a speaker, author, Expert EOS Implementer™, and the Community Leader for EOS Worldwide

TODAY WE DISCUSS

The importance of aligning WHY
How to hire the person that aligns most with your WHY

Challenge?

Organizations need to change their frame
- Purpose alignment
- Company helps the person achieve their purpose
- Right people, right seat
Understanding how to develop or bring in people to scale
- How does the mission complement their people
- Not selling on the company purpose
- Employee’s mission/purpose

Rick’s Nuggets:

Core values are the foundation of your company WHY
- Values drive purpose (WHY) & mission
- Align with values, adopt the why as your own
Align with purpose but not the values?
- Passionate about the “work”
- Disruptive to the organization
  - Operate in a manner that is counter-productive to the rest of the organization?
  - Wrong person, right seat

How do we solve the problem?

Clear on Core Values
- Mission to mars exercise
- Culture of the organization
- Founder or exec team often generates
- Jim Collins - Built to Last
- This is the definition of right person for the company
- Right people on the bus
Hard look a the company mission
- Look through the lens of the employee
- Why does this matter to them
Understanding the employees purpose
- Leaders need to understand their why first
- Help theme to get there
- Or find it

Rick’s Nuggets:

Core Values
- Define what they mean in terms of how we operate, make decisions and treat others
- Measurables to avoid being subjective
Getting to the WHY
- Attract & repel people
- “Everything we do is to help entrepreneurs to build the strongest companies. Starting with the roots of effective interviewing to hire the strongest people”
Proactive Interviewing
- Listen first
  - Why open?
  - What is desired (positioning)
Candidate ownership of the process (do they WANT it?)
- “What would you like to do?”
- “What value would you get from moving forward?”
Working session (Capacity to do the work)
- Real-life working scenario
- Solving a real problem
- Understanding: technical skills, problem-solving abilities, communication style, presentation skills, team interaction, passion for the work

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Look at your own personal purpose. Ist it aligned with the company purpose
Ask leaders what their purpose is and how does it align with the company

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tedbradshaw/
Website: https://www.tedbradshaw.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pura-vida-coaching/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ted_bradshaw?s=20&t=Ol9g6VgvRaF9UWRV0EpOpw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tedbradshawco/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tedbradshawco

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsors:

www.stridesearch.com
www.intertru.ai

Maximizing VC Hiring Referrals with Rob Whalen of PTO Exchange

Thu, 03 Nov 2022 18:43:01 -0000

Referrals are most often your most potent source of talent for your organization.
So investor referrals must be the holy grail of all referrals. After all, there is a vested interest in your company's success so why shouldn't the referrals be outstanding?

Here’s the thing to consider. Yes, these referrals are gold but it is dangerous to assume that this person will automatically thrive in your unique company. We cannot forgo a formal interview process based on a strong voucher from a trusted source.

The only way we discover if they will in fact thrive, is to be diligent in the interview process to really understand if the person desires the value your organization brings to the table. .

The decision needs to be made through evidence and buy-in rather than confirmation bias and assumptions.

Guest Bio:

Robert Whalen is the Co-founder and CEO of PTO Exchange, the first benefits platform that allows employees to self-direct the value of their unused paid time off for other needs and causes.

He is a serial entrepreneur that has over 25 years selling and developing software and hardware products for the world.

Under his leadership, Rob and his co-founder, Todd Lucas led PTO Exchange to “Cool Vendor of the year” by Gartner in 2017 and awarded “Awesome New Technologies" at the Health and Benefits Leadership Conference in 2018.

TODAY WE DISCUSS:

Investor referrals: The value & challenges
The importance of proper diligence in your interview process for referrals

HIRING STORY:

When we first started the business with 4 founders, 2 of us were working on the project constantly and the other 2 were not putting in the time so prior to vesting we bought the other two out.

We had to do this to keep a clean up the cap table so that we could raise capital.

Going through this process we realized having that right person at the right time joining the company is really important. So we put a simple process in place

What the company needs or needs to know in our case.
3 things we are looking to have them accomplish - alignment
3 interviews at minimum
Gut check - (culture, willingness to learn)
Reference checks

PROBLEM:

Challenge?

When you raise capital you hope those investors will bring value and relationships. But investors aren’t there day in and day out managing the business and they sometimes associate a person's success at another of their other companies to the value that individual could bring to yours

Most of the time the investors' relationships are with the other executives and most of the time you aren’t looking for a high paid person.

An example is when we were hiring a VP of Sales as a small company.

VC wanted them to hire a particular person
- Expensive
- No skin in the game
- Not a known entity to you - getting dirty
Not the highest paying company
- Get to do things they wouldn't be able to do at a large company
- Mission-driven people - passionate about the mission
- Do they care about what we do

Why is this important to the company?

People have to fit in with the culture
They are a large % of the population
They need to be able to learn, be curious, and take on responsibility

Rick’s Nuggets:

Value in referrals
Cannot rush or fast track the process.
- Work within your timeline
- No skipping steps

How do we solve the problem?

Knowing when to say no to the investor
- This is sometimes tough to do when they are looking to help your business and they don’t see their input being considered
- When people try and help you, you need to understand that those suggestions or introductions come with emotions attached.
- Having a process that to hiring helps facilitate your decisions and reasoning. Which helps take the emotions out of the decision
In an early-stage company where you might not have the money or benefits to attract the top-top tier individuals. we look for those candidates who are trying to grow into the role.
- Candidates that have the experience but do not have the title and maybe they are looking to have more responsibility because that comes with being in a small/agile company.
- They have the ability to solve problems and are open to new ways of thinking.
Look for the hidden value in the person
- The individual needs to have the willingness to learn and take on responsibility
- Finding the intangibles that they can bring to the team.
  - Usually this is in comes from their personal experiences and not their career experiences
Personality fit
- We look for candidates that have similar passions but different problem-solving skills
- This brings diversity in developing our company’s ability to be more agile when confronted with roadblocks.

Rick’s Nuggets:

Values fit first
- Does the person operate to the expectations of the rest of the organization?

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Create a process - simple is best but a process that works for the size of your company.
I have made great hires and bad hires. The difference in those decisions was not following the process and being in a hurry to fill the role. Taking things slowly, stepping back, and following a process would have shed light on what later became an issue.
Culture fit is the most important piece.
I have a rule of thumb.
- When making a big purchase, walk away and reflect on how this purchase is going to impact your life. Because making a wrong purchase can have a very negative impact on you. I have found the same rule applies when hiring employees.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-whalen-1287077/
Company: https://www.ptoexchange.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pto/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ptoexchange
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ptoexchange
Blog: https://www.ptoexchange.com/blog

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
Startup: www.intertru.ai
HireOS® inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com
www.intertru.ai

Hiring the Right Person in the Wrong Seat with Thomas Brunskill of Forage

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 18:13:19 -0000

How often have you hired the right person for the wrong seat?

Here’s how that happens.

A person is identified and it is assumed that because of their background that they crush it for you. After all, they are already doing it for someone else.

Perfect logic, right? Nope!

The reason this logic is so dangerous for your company is that current skills are just a small part of success. As we have all experienced, by going above and beyond to land that “rockstar” from a name brand company. Only to have them crash and burn within the first 90 days.

To avoid this dilemma in the future, we simply need to understand the person’s desires and level of accomplishment first. Interviewing to understand, not to sell.

This produces much stronger evidence to predict of success of your new hire in your unique business.

Guest Bio:

Tom Brunskill is the co-founder and CEO of Forage which is changing the world of career discovery and skill building.

Before moving to San Francisco, Tom was a corporate lawyer at a multinational law firm in Australia. It was during his own career journey that Tom discovered that an education and a degree doesn’t necessarily translate to knowing how to do a specific job role. He also realized just how inequitable the education-to-workforce pathway is.

After observing the unfair advantage those with access to connections or educational opportunities had, Tom made it his mission to provide anyone the ability to learn skills through virtual job simulations produced by the world’s top companies,

By breaking down barriers to gaining workplace-specific skills.

Tom hopes to level the opportunity playing field and empower anyone to pursue their dream career.

TODAY WE DISCUSS

Why your company might be the wrong seat for the right candidate
How to avoid wrong seat hires

HIRING STORY

This isn’t a story about a hire we did make, but a hire we wanted to make and didn’t pull off.

We were building out our leadership team between our Series A and Series B. Obviously in an early-stage company, getting the right leaders into your organization is crucial. Leaders in early-stage environments have a disproportionate influence on the ultimate success or demise of a company so the stakes are high.

On this particular search for this VP role, I was finding it really tough. It was the middle of 2021 when start-ups were sitting on a record amount of capital and there was a real pinch finding exceptional talent...

Challenge?

Too many people end up in the wrong seats.
- Education on what the roles look like
- Gap between the candidate's perspective and what the role really is
- Realistic depiction of what it is like to work in the company
  - Attract the right people
  - Le
- Companies use the wrong signals when they hire
  - Schools, companies
  - Don't predict future success

Why is this important to the company?

High attrition 73% failure rate
SHRM reports that the cost of replacing an employee is approximately 33% of that employee’s salary
But that’s just the direct cost of having to find and replace that employee. It doesn’t take into account the indirect costs of a disengaged, non-aligned workforce.
My broader take is that recruitment processes traditionally focus on getting bums on seats rather than the right bums on the right seats. Until you figure out how to design a process that gets the right people into the right roles for the long-term, employers will continue losing millions in direct costs and lost productivity.

Rick’s Nuggets:

What a person desires needs to be discovered in the 1st conversation!
Do they get it, want it, and have the capacity to do it

How do we solve the problem?

Educate the candidate pipeline
- The recruitment process has typically worked as a ‘hire then train’ model. I believe that in an age of software employers should be training their candidates first then hiring. And this needs to start at the top of the funnel.
- This is a great model for both candidates and employers. If you take the time to educate your candidate pipeline on who your company actually is and what the roles truly entail, you are going to attract the right type of candidates rather than a large pool of applicants who have no real idea whether they truly want to work for you or not.
- Volume has become the enemy of quality. Too many HR tech companies and employers have focused on removing friction from the recruitment process in the pursuit of getting the maximum number of candidates. That’s dumb. I would argue that it’s actually far better to introduce positive friction - and education or a ‘try before you buy’ model is a great example of positive friction.
- What does education actually look like?
  - What are your values?
  - Who are your people?
  - What are you building? And why?
  - What does this specific role look like?
- Be authentic and realistic. Don’t sell a candidate a lemon otherwise you will end up with lemons. You don’t want your hires to turn up on day 1 and realize they’ve signed up to something which didn’t fit their expectations. Employers and candidates don’t win in that situation.
- The other great consequence of spending time educating your candidate pipeline is that you’re more likely to attract candidates from broad and diverse audiences.
Better hiring signals:
- So educating your candidate pipeline is the first crucial step towards getting the right person into the right seat. But then you have to look at the hiring signals you are using to hire candidates.
- My view is employers do a very poor job of what hiring signals they use to make a hire. I do a lot of work in early-talent recruitment where employers over-index your GPA, what school you went to, and other signals which statistically just don’t correlate to long-term success in a role. If they were indicative of success, you wouldn’t see 70% attrition.
- But even in start-up land I see this happen and I have fallen into the trap of this myself. The classic hiring signal trap in start-up land is over-indexing where someone was an early employee at a successful company. You will often hear a founder say ‘We just hired employee no #25 from Salesforce’. I have found out the hard way that the connection between being an early employee of a successful company and going to be a great hire at your company is tenuous at best.
- One of the most underrated hiring signals, especially for more junior employees, is intent. Does the candidate exhibit demonstrable intent that they are deeply interested in your work, your people, your values and your brand? My bet is that if you truly vetted for intent during the recruitment process, 9 out of 10 hires you made would become exceptional hires. And compared to the mean, that’s a pretty good strike rate.
Simulations / case studies:
- So you’ve educated your candidate pipeline and vetted that candidate pool using better hiring signals. What’s the final step?
- I strongly believe in the use of simulations or case studies during the recruitment process.
- When you get down to your final few candidates, you want to give them an opportunity to road test working with your team and the problems your company is focused on solving. And vice versa, you want to be able to see the candidate in action before you commit to hiring them.
- This is undoubtedly the most interesting and illuminating part of any recruitment process. Understanding the way a candidate thinks, communicates, builds in a live setting can’t be replicated. It’s obviously crucially important for the employer to see them in action, but equally important for the candidate to see their new potential team and company in action. So any great case study or simulation requires active participation from both sides.

Rick’s Nuggets

Values
- Own who you are & your environment
- Does the candidate “get” your values. If not, let them go
Evidence over “feel”
- Train interviewers to extract evidence to support their decisions
- Discovery call & Interview
- Record and document the data
Desire it
- Does the person want what you offer
- Is there value in your opportunity for the individual?
- Does the candidate recognize and feed back the value
  - “ What's in it for me”

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Educate your candidate pipeline. Figure out how you can adopt a ‘train then hire’ model so that you’re attracting high-intent candidates who truly want to work at your company.
Look for better hiring signals. Stop and think about whether the signals you are currently using truly connect to long-term success. Instead of pedigree, college, GPA, who they know, look for signals such as motivation, demonstrable intent and true capability.
Use case studies and simulations for your very best candidates. It’s a super illuminating exercise for both you and the candidate to figure out if you are truly a good match.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tombrunskill/
Company: http://www.theforage.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theforage/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theforage1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/theforage_
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theforage_/

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
Startup: www.intertru.ai
HireOS® inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com
www.intertru.ai

How Your Company Can Hire Like Amazon with Steve Anderson of Catalyit

Thu, 20 Oct 2022 18:26:32 -0000

Amazon’s leadership principles (Core Values) have been the most critical element in their unprecedented success. Value alignment first, and skills second.

So why is this not a standard practice among all up-and-coming startups?

The reason I believe is that leaders then become accountable for their actions when they misbehave. Without values, it is easy to hide. It is easy to rationalize bad decisions and easier to deflect blame when the shit hits the fan.

This is why 9 out of 10 startups fail. Without the right people, your company will not be able to execute. And the right people are attracted to more than just money. They want growth, structure, and purpose.

When your company demonstrates that none of these elements are present, the A-players run! And what you are left with are the people who are willing to take the job.

Guest Bio:

Steve Anderson is the CEO of Catalyit. He has spent decades shaping the insurance industry through a deeper understanding of emerging technologies and how businesses today can best integrate and leverage them.

Steve is a sought-after speaker and influencer. He is also the author of the widely-anticipated book The Bezos Letters, where he reveals 14 principles for business growth based on the ideas and patterns that emerged when he examined Jeff Bezos’ 21 annual letters to Amazon shareholders.

TODAY WE DISCUSS:

Balancing need with patience to get the right hire
How to put the right structure in place to land them

HIRING STORY:

Hired an operations manager, who seemed like a good fit. Terminated after 3 months. Hired too fast! Pressure to move fast from start to offer in 3 days. The person already had an offer.
He didn't follow his own advice.

Challenge?

Balance need with hiring the right person
- Miscasting a hire
- Don't hire when you rushed to fill a position
- The interview process is not intentional.
- Not having a hiring process, hiring questions (winging it)

Rick’s Nuggets:

Problem: Pacing is determined by the candidate
- Clue that the person just needs the money
- Mitigated by disclosing your hiring process & timeline
Intention: purpose of the interview?

How do we solve the problem?

Structure
- Have a good job description
- Have a good hiring & interview process
  - Intentional interviews
  - Amazon
  - Will you admire this person?
  - Will this person raise the average level of effectiveness of the group
  - Along what dimension might this person be a superstar
Don't cave into the pressure
- Candidate pressure
- Own need pressure
- Find short term solutions while the interview process is moving along
Be willing to fire fast
- Not fully committing or fully focused
- Not understanding urgency

Rick’s Nuggets:

Evidence trumps assumptions
Pacing determined by the process, not the person
No need to fire, when you have hired the strongest person

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Process is key to success
Need a place to start - Use Amazon’s hiring questions
Culture fit might be more important than skills.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevetn/
Personal: https://thebezosletters.com/
Company: https://catalyit.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/catalyit/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SteveTN
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SteveAndersonNetwork/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steveanderson/

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
Startup: www.intertru.ai
HireOS™ inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

www.intertru.ai
www.stridesearch.com

The Hire, Fire, Hire, Fire Cycle with Jason Sherman of Spinnr

Thu, 13 Oct 2022 15:06:45 -0000

There is nothing more disappointing than a hire that does not work out.

Especially when the person hired was someone you were convinced, would be a great hire!

Conventional wisdom says “hire slow, fire fast” but this almost never happens. Because we are too concerned with filling the role fast. Triaging our pain.

Maybe if we really hired slowly, the interview would produce much stronger results.

To break the hire, fire cycle we must ignore our assumptions about the person's resume and start by gathering evidence. Evidence that supports a proper decision that ensures a successful hire.

Guest Bio:

Jason Sherman is a successful innovator, award-winning filmmaker, published author, tech startup expert, and the co-founder of the video friendship app Spinnr.

Jason’s methodologies on entrepreneurship and data-driven decisions are his main source of education for those he helps worldwide. His startup book Strap on your Boots is the culmination of his life’s work to help other entrepreneurs succeed with a podcast of the same name, and is the focus of a class he created called Startup Essentials.

Jason is fluent in Spanish, is a classically trained violinist, and was a featured speaker on FOX’s Emmy award-winning Futurist TV Show: Xploration Earth 2050.

TODAY WE DISCUSS:

Breaking the hire, fire cycle

Challenge?

Finding people who are excited about the company vs just looking for a job
Care about being part of something where your creative input matter
- Just there for the paycheck
- Uninterested, unenthusiastic, easy remote work paycheck
- A lot of time onboarding
- Time differences

Why is this important to the company?

Bad hires impede growth

Rick’s Nuggets:

Positioning
Time

How do we solve the problem?

Finding the excited people in the interview
- Install the app, try it out, and tell us what they think
- Give feedback
- website & social media content
- Smiling happy
- Have questions about the business
Not focusing on payment/ paycheck
- Excited to learn they can earn stock options
- Ownership
Get through the process to find the 4 people who worked
- What to do before the interview
- Share pitch deck to understand the company mission
- Have everything ready in a package for onboarding
- What have you done; share your work
Filming content event
- Content creation hiring day
- Gig hiring

Rick’s Nuggets;

Positioning
Get it, want it, capacity to do it
Do they really desire what you offer?
A, B, or C player?
Don't be the destination for a JOB (ie: paycheck)
Interview with purpose
Get to the truth
Not sell
Interview design
Truth fast
Empowered decision-making - Keep your people productive
Evidence trumps gut

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Finding the excited people who want to do what you do.
Fully read & understand what your business is. Come with questions
Don't discount onsite parties to hire people. Compensate people who show up

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonsherman76/
Personal: https://jasonsherman.org
Company: https://spinnr.app/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/appspinnr
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/appspinnr
Twitter: https://twitter.com/spinnr_app
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spinnr_app

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
Startup: www.intertru.ai
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com

How Conversational Interviews Breed Bias & Discrimination with Robert Hudock of Hudock Employment Law Group

Wed, 05 Oct 2022 19:00:00 -0000

Every interview that happens in your company needs to have a purpose.

There is a specific purpose for the phone screen, which is positioning & quality of the individual.

The onsite interview’s purpose, does this person align with our company values and finally, the skills interview’s purpose is to determine if the person has the capacity to thrive in the role.

Too often the directive is given to “have a conversation to find out if you would like to work with this person”. And it is in this non-structured format that bias and discrimination fester because the interviewers don’t understand the interview’s purpose.

Guest Bio:

Robert Hudock founded Hudock Employment Law Group in 2015 to deliver tailored legal services to California companies that thrive in vibrant, creative work environments. His clients are often companies looking at new markets and competitive opportunities, that want to recruit the best talent available while avoiding distracting workplace issues or lawsuits.

Robert is also a competitive triathlete, which requires careful planning, attention to detail, and dedication. He uses those characteristics in his professional life for his client's benefit.

TODAY WE DISCUSS:

Employment law issues in the hiring process you may not know–but should.

Challenge?

The 3 most common recruiting and hiring functions in which employment-related issues can arise are: (1) job posting/advertisement, (2) interviewing, and (3) assessing fitness for a position (e.g., any criminal history, drug screening, physical capabilities, psychological health).
California’s anti-discrimination laws explicitly apply not only to employees and termination of employment, but also to applicants and “refusing to hire” based on a characteristic protected under the applicable antidiscrimination laws (e.g., age, disability, gender, race, etc.).

Why is this important to the company?

Consider a scenario where your company spends significant time and resources on employment law compliance and protecting itself from lawsuits, only to be subject to an employment-related claim that could have been prevented but for a gap in general knowledge and available preventative strategies relating to recruiting and hiring. Today we’re going to introduce you to the topic and some possible preventive measures.

How do we solve the problem?

Interviewing: any non-job-related inquiry that "expresses, directly or indirectly, any limitation, specification, or discrimination as to” any protected characteristic is prohibited
- Common implicated categories: age, disability, national origin
- Some examples may surprise you - you may have been asked such questions and you answered without a second thought, the questions are relatively common, or are common topics of conversation:

SUBJECT

ACCEPTABLE

UNACCEPTABLE

Age

Virtually nothing - but allowed when law requires it

Birth date
Date of attendance or completion of school
Any question, the answer to which may have information indirectly revealing or suggesting that applicant is 40 or over (e.g., “how old are your children?”)

National Origin

Inquiries re verification of legal right to work in US

Where born (applicant or applicant’s relatives)
Where applicant grew up
Applicant’s nationality or nationalities (e.g., Polish, Iraqi, Mexican)

Marital Status/Family

Virtually nothing

Whether applicant is married
Whether applicant has children; or number or ages of children

Religion

Statements re regular days, hours, or shifts of the position

Applicant’s availability to work on specific days or during specific hours (could reveal religion if unique religious days or times are observed)
Can be anything relating to religious creed (all aspects of religious belief, observance, and practice, including religious dress and grooming practices)

Identify and define, BEFORE interviewing, any legal justification for discriminating with respect to a protected category
- As with job postings, antidiscrimination law does not categorically preclude any and all inquiries into matters relating to protected categories, or lawful discrimination. For example:
AGE: When a law specifically requires a certain age for job, or requires keeping records re employees’ ages or related information
RELIGION: When an inquiry directly or indirectly relates to any religious belief or practice does not have any “exclusionary effect”
DISABILITY: An inquiry re physical capabilities legitimately related to ability to perform an essential job function
Proper education and training of all interviewers
How to respond when applicant volunteers information
Let’s say an interviewer and interviewee are discussing where the interviewee obtained his/her undergraduate degree
The interviewee, making friendly conversation, says tongue-in-cheek: “...that’s hard to remember for an old guy like me, but I’ll never forget these seemingly endless stairs going up to where I met with my “Campus Christians” group. It was like running a marathon once a month because of my knee injury” → just that short aside references three protected categories (age, religion, and disability)
In these types of circumstances, the interviewer should (1) steer the discussion away from references to any protected category, and (2) and at some point identify the company’s commitment to equal opportunity
- E.g., “Interesting. That story makes me think about how this company supports equal opportunity and has a strong policy against discrimination.” Let’s move on to your work experience.”

Rick’s Nuggets:

Teach your people the purpose of each stage
What data are they expected to gather during the conversation
Provide a script to each person
Behavioral interviews
- Tell me about a time when…
- How did that work?
- Walk me through that…
- What steps did you take…

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Develop job descriptions and use them as a foundation for interviews; this can help interviewers remain focused on job qualifications and duties
Education/training of anyone who will be conducting an interview; e.g., covering the topics we’ve been discussing today

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hudockemploymentlaw/
Company: https://hudockemploymentlaw.com/

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com | www.intertru.ai

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com

The Perfect Recruiting Email with Dustin Riechmann of Simple Success Coaching

Thu, 29 Sep 2022 13:00:00 -0000

Do you ever wonder why only a small percentage of people respond to your recruiting emails?

The answer is that there is nothing in it for them.

Especially if the person you are trying to recruit is already working.

Let’s be honest, selling people on what we NEED only attracts people who are actively looking, and 99% of messages all sound the same!

Here's why we are great…
What we need…
What we offer…
Skills you must have…
Ending with the hurdles you have to leap, to talk to us

To gain higher response rates, and attract the people you need to respond, we must first change our positioning. Starting with answering the question, “what’s in it for them” above and beyond just a paycheck.

Guest Bio:

Dustin Riechmann, owner of Simple Success Coaching, is a strategic marketing coach who helps mission-driven entrepreneurs rapidly increase profits and massively grow their network using a Partnership Marketing System.

TODAY WE DISCUSS:

Recruiting messaging
How to write a solid cold email

Challenge?

Low response rates to outreach
Viewed as a spammer
Ineffective or confusing communication

Why is this important to the company?

Effects reputation
Need communication to grow
Every missed communication opportunity costs money
Lost opportunity

Rick’s Nuggets

No value, no response

How do we solve the problem?

Perfect Pitch Email
- This template has proven to be highly effective at getting positive replies from potential partners in a single cold-pitch email. It consists of 5 key components:
Direct email address
- Hunter.io, Chatterworks, Swordfish
- Social media profiles, Google search
- Bypass gatekeepers
- Avoid filters
Curious subject line
- Something Personal (reference an episode number for a podcast)
- Job is to get someone to open the email
- From field matters
- Sample: dog poop
Relational Anchors (beginning)
- Not a random weirdo from the internet
- Find the point(s) you have in common
- Demonstrate you’re familiar with their work/interests/passions
- Flatter them!
Clear Win for the Person You’re Pitching (middle)
- Demonstrate how you will add value to them
- Compelling bullet point summary
- Eyes may go here first so make it super interesting
Clear Ask (end)
- Call-to-action that’s an easy yes
- “Are you interested?”
- Simple signature with a single link to your site

Rick’s Nuggets

Craft messaging toward the people that won't normally respond
Target the top 10%
Subject Line
- Subject:
- Real quick or How’s my Telepathy?
Opener
- Thought-provoking, laugh or cry
- I know you have been eagerly anticipating my email but just received your telepathic message so I apologize for taking so long to get back to you ;-).
Acknowledge the Pain (Pain)
- Reason to not ignore
- “I understand you are pretty good at your job but your talents in XXXX (personalize) may be a bit underappreciated (or underutilized, under-challenged, or over-managed) in your current role. Obviously, I am not sure about your situation but I wanted to find out if you are open to hearing about a situation that could provide more impact on you both personally & professionally.”
Call to Action (Benefit loaded)
- I'm here to listen….
- “The signals I received from you were strong and I get your urgency. We should talk as I may be able to help alleviate your pain!
- Let me know your availability for a quick phone conversation this afternoon. If the timing is off, please respond “Not Interested” so that I do not fill up your Inbox with additional messages. (- for LinkedIn) I look forward to your response.”

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

How to craft compelling emails that get an 80% response rate when sent to “cold” prospects, recruits or partners.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dustinriechmann/
Company: https://simplesuccesscoaching.com/

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiries: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com

Top 3 Offer Mistakes when Hiring with Rick Girard of Intertru Inc.

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 19:00:00 -0000

It has been decided that we want to hire a person who made it through our interview process. Yay!

Now we invest the time to have the “offer conversation” about what it is going to take for you to join us. Eagerly, we present our case, discuss our benefits & perks, and divulge our rationale behind what we would like to pay our hot new employee.

The only problem is, that having this conversation now, is too late.

When the stakes are low, people are the most open and truthful. And the stakes are lowest at the beginning of the relationship. The first conversation is the most important time to have the offer discussion.

Before the interview even happens!

Today we’re going to discuss:

The 3 most common offer mistakes
How to remedy them for offer acceptance

Challenges today?

Gathering information too late
- The end of the interaction is the worst place to start developing the relationship with the person
- Candidates feel like they are being sold- which they are
  - “Now that I passed your tests, you want to know me better”
- Candidate is now totally focused on the money
  - Highest offer blinders
Offers based on general assumptions
- Shallow focused interview
  - I've demonstrated I can do what you need
  - One sized-fits-all
Offer acceptance
- Shop your offer to other suitors
- Time to think about the offer means:
  - I don't believe what you are trying to sell me!

Why is this important to the company?

Excessive interviewing & offer turndowns are a tremendous waste of time

How do we solve the problem?

Gathering information too late
- Discovery call - First Contact
  - Understanding the Pain, Desire (Positioning)
    - Legitimate reason to move
    - The type of company the person will thrive in
    - Size, Role, Domain
- Impact
  - A, B, or C player?
- Main Criteria for Decision
  - Elements that NEED to be present for an offer acceptance
- Salary expectations
  - What do you need?
Offers based on general assumptions
- Everyone likes our benefits
  - Benefits & perks do NOT attract or retain people
- Allow the individual to share what is important to them
  - Discuss expectations
    - What makes this important to you?
Offer Acceptance
- Feedback
  - Engage in conversation about VALUE
  - Are they sharing with you “why” they would like to join?
- Pacing
  - Pacing too soon, too slow
  - Only make an offer when there is obvious alignment
    - They tell you: what your company offers is what I desire from my career
- Verbal acceptance
  - Discuss and agree on terms
  - Address anything that does not fit into desire
  - Start date
- Formal written offer
  - Autograph
  - Start onboarding

Key Takeaways -Value:

Gather information as soon as possible during the Discovery Call.
Based on your first conversation, tailor exactly what's going to attract that person into your company to the content they gave you at the Discovery Call.
Offer acceptance: make sure you pace it out, continuous feedback throughout the process, and get verbal acceptance first before you extend the written offer.

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.stridesearch.com/hire-power-radio
Authored: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094TL14CD/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
Startup - Intertru Inc: www.Intertru.ai
Technology: HireOS™

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com

Hiring Without Money with William Glass of Ostrich

Thu, 15 Sep 2022 18:30:00 -0000

How do you hire people when you have no money?

While this may seem like an impossible task, the truth is that it is not as difficult as you might think. It starts by understanding what is important to the individual. Then connecting their desire your the value of your opportunity.

Compensation comes in a lot of different forms and money is just one piece of the equation. Professional growth, challenging work, strong leadership, mission, purpose, mentorship, and equity are also forms of compensation.

The most powerful form of compensation you can offer is the one thing that is REALLY important to the individual that you need to hire.

William Glass is the Co-Founder & CEO of Ostrich, a financial habit-building app that uses community and social accountability to help people achieve their financial goals.

In addition, William is the host of the Silicon Alley Podcast which focuses on telling entrepreneurs’ stories & learning from their experiences. His background is in software sales leading sales teams at Gartner and opening up a new vertical for an AI startup, Remesh.

In 2014, Will was awarded a Fulbright scholarship through the U.S State Department where he taught English in rural Thailand. Glass has his B.A. in International Relations from Rollins College in Winter Park, FL. Will is originally from Alabama and now resides in Queens, New York.

TODAY WE DISCUSS:

How to hire strong people without money
Outline steps to take to compensate with limited funds

Challenge?

Not in the financial position to bring someone on full-time.
Almost outsourced everything during the pandemic but would’ve spent all of the little money we had.
Both wanted to work together but could not afford a salary
- Set financial metrics
- Funding challenge
Found someone through referral

Why is this important to the company?

No other way to build the MVP

Rick’s Nuggets:

Take your time
- Really understand a person's desire
- Does your opportunity fill that desire?

Solution:

No code
- Built using no-code and hacked along the first version of the app
- Couldn’t do all of the key functions so sought a full-stack dev familiar with the no-code tool
Referral
- Found developer through a referral on the no-code forum.
- Brought them on to extend the no code version.
- Liked working together, but after the no code tasks were completed no budget to bring on full-time.
- Mission aligned and interested in working together.
- Neither of us is in a financial position to pay a salary nor to not take a salary with 5 kids.
Created a unique way to solve both needs.
Agreed to bring Stephen our developer on full-time when we were in a position to do so.
In the interim:
Banking hours
- Tracked hours worked as a contractor but rather than billing us, he banked them.
- Those hours are paid back on a revenue share basis.
Equity vesting
- Equity vesting began when the engagement began.
Revenue share
- A small percentage of revenues goes to paying off the banked hours.
Triggering mechanism for salary
- Once the company hit certain financial milestones, Stephen to come on board full-time.
Life changed
- Altered the agreement before hitting financial metrics.

Rick’s Nuggets:

Resourceful
- Identify people you want to work with
- Reach out and have conversations
Ooze Value

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

If there is alignment in mission & desire to work together, and you can find creative solutions that meet both the company's and individual’s needs.
Ask the tough questions
- Only through strong communication were we able to determine the solution and it meant both parties sharing openly the financial situation.
Transparency
- Transparent with the financials of the company, runway, and salary from the get-go.
- Buffer model of transparent salary.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williampglass3/
Company: https://getostrich.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/theostrichapp/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/theostrichapp
Twitter: https://twitter.com/williampglass
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theostrichapp
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theostrichapp/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrPUxyTASwW71P5ahxD5VzQ

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiry: rick@intretru.ai

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com

How to Hire a CMO with Matt Blumberg of Bolster

Thu, 08 Sep 2022 14:00:00 -0000

The reason why people think that hiring is “really hard” is because interviews are conducted without a defined set of criteria to which a person is being evaluated. This especially rings true when interviewing outside your personal competency level. Most often when hiring a CMO or CRO.

In order for any interview to be effective, there has to be two components by which a person is being judged. Skills & Value Alignment.

Focusing only on skills may solve your immediate problem but often creates more problems because the person disrupts your culture.

What I have learned is that culture is driven by value alignment. So, understanding how a person aligns with your values in an interview is the most important criteria that needs to be evaluated to make a strong hire.

Guest Bio:

Matt Blumberg is a technology entrepreneur, business builder, and CEO of Bolster, an on-demand executive talent marketplace that helps accelerate companies’ growth by connecting them with experienced, highly vetted executives.

Matt has been recognized as one of New York’s 100 most influential technology leaders by Business Insider, by Crain’s as one of New York’s Top Entrepreneurs, and by Ernst & Young as an Entrepreneur of the Year finalist.

Before Bolster, Matt built businesses and worked in marketing, consulting, and venture capital. He is the author of Startup CEO, Startup CXO, and Startup Boards.

TODAY WE DISCUSS:

The challenge of hiring a CMO
The playbook to hire a CMO

HIRING STORY:

Over indexing on culture swinging to resume
Balance of cultural fit and competencies
- Like dating…each one corrects the mistakes of the previous one
- Over-indexing on culture - “nice” - leave replacement
- Over-indexing on resume - “Vishnu” and “It/Out”

PROBLEM: Challenge?

CMO at RP and Defense Against the Dark Arts
- I had been a CMO
- CMO is a hard role - expectations are all over the place, function has splintered (chart), marketing can become a dumping ground - french fry problem
- Marketing to marketers
- The myth of the playbook and Roth asking for headcount and budget - “plan to overspend and overdeliver”

Why is this important to the company?

Disruption
Cost
Time

Rick’s Nuggets

Positioning Problem
- Desire your opportunity
- A, B or C player

SOLUTION: How do we solve the problem?

The final playbook that worked for me for hiring CMOs - three “aha” moments

Marketing can quickly be consumed by the “French Fry problem”
- Define the French Fry problem and marketing as a litany of tactics
- Moving marketing from the tail to the nose - what’s the real role of marketing? Brand and Audience, so start with strategy and ROI
- Making limited room for French Fries
- Producing the ability for others in the organization to make their own French Fries
The realization that no one person can be the master of all channels
- Build list of competencies (channels, etc.)
- Build job roadmap to see how it evolves over time
- Make sure all critical competencies are covered somehow
- Focus on making sure the overall machine is optimized
The critical nature of building a Leadership pipeline to grow CMOs
- Focus on making sure the leader is an intellectually curious orchestator
- Leadership development at the next level down
- Cross-training of all the channels and elements of the CMO role - orchestration, hiring/leading, ROI focus, customer service corner around French Fries
- The machine becomes something where the CMO is at the pyramid on top, not holding up an inverted pyramid and hoping it doesn’t topple

Rick’s Nuggets

Values driven interview
- Do we operate from the same place?
- Are you REALLY proactive, rebellious, curious?
Skills driven interview (working session)
- Transferable skills
- Growth
- Details

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Find that right balance between culture and values fit and technical competency
Help your people architect their own career as if it is a jungle gym and not a ladder
(a great way to retain people)

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blumbergmatt/
Company: https://bolster.com/
Resources: https://startupceo.com/ & Bolster.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bolstertalent/
Facebook: /BolsterTalent
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bolstertalent
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mattblumberg

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com

When Hiring is Overwhelming with Karima Gulick of Innovent Law

Thu, 11 Aug 2022 18:30:00 -0000

Most good hires are a result of luck rather than skill. In fact, I would argue that very few hires are by design.

Throughout my career, I have never met a person who views interviewing and the hiring process as anything more than a chore that they loathe. In fact, the most common reaction to the subject usually results in a huge “uuuggghhhhh” or “I hate hiring”.

We dread the act of interviewing and hiring because it is unstructured and inconsistent and it produces mediocre results.

Here’s the good news: There is an easy fix! When we train our people how to interview it brings purpose to each and every interview question. Giving your people a basis for decision-making that results in extraordinary hiring results.

Guest Bio:

Karima Gulick is the CEO & principal patent attorney of Innovent Law.

She dedicated her career to counseling businesses within the tech and creative communities, combining her passion for engineering and the law. Karima is a polyglot and guides her clients through legal matters in French, English, Arabic, Spanish, and some Italian as well! She is also the former co-host of the Gen Y Lawyer podcast, a show where she interviewed innovative lawyers shaking things up in the legal industry.

Karima is building a next-generation law firm and is here to share her experience.

Today We Discuss:

The overwhelming hurdles of hiring.
How to interview to bring purpose to your interview questions

Challenge today?

Overwhelmed & stuck in the business
- The idea of hiring was overwhelming
- So overwhelmed in my business, that adding one more task to my list, which is hiring to free me up seemed daunting
- Having had a bad experience with hiring in the past, it seemed as an even more daunting task
No clear strategy on how to go about
- interviewing
- selecting candidates to interview
- Finding candidates.
  - I could write what I thought was an amazing post but it might not be read or looked at by the right person
- Jaded on values because of corporate America
  - Values area words splattered on the wall
  - No one ever explained what the values stood for
  - Never defined what it looked like.
- Defining what you stand for seems hokie

Why is this important to the company?

A burned-out and overwhelmed leader is the worst thing that can happen to a company
Even if you have the best team, without the right energizing and enthusiastic leadership,
It’s just a matter of time before you stop caring, and the rest of your team starts seeing that
We all have values,
You have them as an employer
Certain things that are intangible
Employees have a reason to care. Buy in and bring more energy to the process
- Employees have taken more ownership
When there is a change in the workforce, the chatter makes it more difficult find a fit. Buying into the negative ideas

Rick’s Nuggets

Values First Strategy
- Makes evaluating people easier

How do we solve the problem?

Realizing that I was stuck
Knowing that I needed someone to step in and save me from myself
Knowing myself, I knew I needed to bring on someone to help
I had posted a couple of job posts but I was too exhausted to even call people
Then I realized I was making the same mistake as I’ve made before
- I’m in pain doing all the work, so I pick someone who can do the work
- But there is so much more -
- That’s where Rick, you came in and opened my eyes on the hiring process
  - It’s more than just a post and looking for someone who can do the work
  - Values discussion - being jaded from the corporate world where values were meaningless
  - A fresh new look at values
    - Example: Caring, Competence, Trust
      - Might not mean much to others, can come off as just buzzwords, but with this process, these values came to life.
  - Holding conversations with candidates looking to learn more about them and their pain points
  - Conducting interviews based on your values
  - Conducting assessments and work sessions to see how you’d work with these people
Reaffirming that I already have great people
Believing that you deserve being able to grow the business
Allowing the entity to grow
Sitting down with intention
- Mindful & intentional on what you want/ the business needs
- Clarity on what you are hiring for & why?
Being Systematic
Bring life into the process - involve others
Flexible on terms/needs
Having a flow
- Discovery calls
- Having a process
- Behavioral questions to understand if people align with what the company really stands for
- Informed process
- The more thorough you are, the better the chances of bringing on the right people.
Evolve
- Coming up with my own set of questions based on behavior I see around me
  - Tell me about the first thing you do when you come home from a trip..

Rick’s Nuggets

Discovery call
Values
- Not aspirational
- Team input
Working session

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

You don't know what you don't know. Bring on help to allow the business to grow
- If you’re serious about growing your business, you have to go through this exercise
  - You can have the best gut feeling in the world, but having a systemized approach and one you can delegate to your team will help you scale.
Invest the time to get clarity on what you are looking for
Be open to learning new things, including skills outside of your comfort zone.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thepatentlady/
Company: https://kgulick.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/innoventlaw/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/thepatentlady/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepatentlady/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepatentlawyer/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/innoventlaw

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com

Instilling Values into Your Hiring Process with Ken Babcock of Tango

Thu, 04 Aug 2022 18:30:00 -0000

Do company values really matter? They do if you are looking to scale a business.

In order to scale you need the strongest people, but the strongest people don't need you…or your company.

What High performers need is to understand how your company brings value to their world, personally & professionally. And how we bring value through value alignment.

Value alignment is the catalyst for performance and retention. When a person is misaligned with the company values, they underperform and/or leave.

As a startup company, every person who is misaligned is a setback of 3-6 months of productivity. So, before you hire another person, incorporate your values into the interview to encourage the strongest people to join your company. Giving your business the fuel for success.

Guest Bio:

Ken Babcock is the Co-founder and CEO of Tango, which allows users to create beautiful step-by-step tutorials of any digital process without the performance art of video recordings.

Ken, along with his co-founders Brian Shultz and Dan Giovacchini, dropped out of Harvard Business School during the pandemic to start the company. Since then, the company has grown to over 150,000 users and 25 full-time team members.

Prior to HBS, Ken spent most of his career in the Bay Area at Uber, where he helped scale launch operations through playbooks and best practices.

TODAY WE DISCUSS:

Why building your interview around your values is so important
How to build your interview to gain evidence of value alignment

Challenge today?

Bringing values into the interview process
Defining how to show up for an interview
Principles of how we evaluate people
Training people on how to interview

Why is this important to the company?

Every hire is important
Critical that the process was not shooting ourselves in the foot
Great experience brings great people

Rick’s Nuggets

Defocus on skills.

How do we solve the problem?

Framework for Evaluating for Values
- Define Your Values
- Training
- Defining what a good/bad answer is

▶️ Take Action

Avoid indecision and move past points of uncertainty. Value speed.

🚀 Aim High

Set uncomfortably ambitious goals. Reject mediocrity.

🌎 Embrace Diversity

Bring our true selves to work each day. Seek unique perspectives.

🌱 Leave It Better

Be an owner, not a renter. Cultivate a growth mindset.

✨ Customer Love

Serve the end user and listen closely. Make magic.

🏆 Team First

Winning as a team beats winning alone. Lift up others.

Training

Develop a recruiting process document
Shadowing
Hot to operate during an interview
Time, opener,

Initial Phone Screen - 30 minutes

Purpose: Determine whether a candidate’s experience is relevant to the role. Understand whether the role matches what they hope to do next (scope, career path, salary expectations).

🚀 Aim High. Set uncomfortably ambitious goals. Reject mediocrity.

Attributes: Passion, Champion’s mindset, Ambition, Optimism
Sample Questions:
- How do you think this role fits in with your career goals?
- What are you most proud of in your career?
- What’s your underlying motivator? What’s your why?
- Do you think you're ready to make the jump?

Hiring Manager Phone Screen - 30 minutes

Purpose: Determine whether the candidate would thrive on this team and whether the team would be up-leveled by this candidate

🌱 Leave it Better. Be an owner, not a renter. Strive to improve 1% each day.

Attributes: Growth mindset, Humility, Ownership, Feedback-oriented
Sample Questions:
- What are your development areas? How are you working to address them?
- Tell me about a project that fell short of expectations. What happened and how did you fix it moving forward?
- Fast forward five years - assume Tango was a great experience. Describe what might have happened.
- What's a tough piece of feedback you received recently? How are you working on it?

Technical Screen - 60 minutes

Purpose: Determine whether the candidate can execute in the role at a high level.

▶️ Take Action. Avoid indecision and move past points of uncertainty. Value speed.

Attributes: Resourceful, Decisive, Problem-solving, Truth-seeking
Sample Questions:
- How do you approach projects where the scope is overwhelming?
- Tell me about a time where you had to act on incomplete information.
- What's the first thing you'd want to do if you started tomorrow?
- Tell me about a project where your hypothesis turned out to be wrong.

Virtual Onsite - 30-45 minutes each

🏆 Team First. Winning as a team beats winning alone. Lift up others.

Attributes: Mentorship, Collaboration, Communication, Gratitude
Sample Questions:
- Tell me about a colleague or manager you admire. What qualities do you try to emulate?
- Tell me about a team dynamic that just wasn't working for you and others. What did you learn from that?
- What do you need from your team members in order to be successful?
- How do you pay it forward in and out of the workplace?

✨ Customer Love. Serve the end user and listen closely. Make magic.

Attributes: Listening, Perspective-shifting, Humble, Creative
Sample Questions:
- In prior roles, what have you learned about your customers?
- How do you incorporate the customer’s perspective into your work?
- Tell me about a time at work you made a mistake.
- What does it mean to you to deliver an “Aha Moment” to a customer?

🌎 Embrace Diversity. Bring our true selves to work each day. Seek unique perspectives.

Attributes: Unique, Conscientious, Self-aware, Inclusive
Sample Questions:
- You've just been notified you have to give a Ted talk in 15 minutes. What's your topic?
- What have you changed your mind about recently?
- Tell me about a time at work where you really thrived. What contributed to that?
- How do you incorporate feedback into your work?

Closing Interview - 15-30 minutes

Purpose: Sell the candidate on the company’s vision and the quality of the team. Answer any remaining questions.

Sample Questions:
- How did today’s interviews go? What excites you most about the opportunity?
- What hesitations do you have?
- What timelines or competing processes should we account for?
- Are there any other questions I can answer?

Answer Quality Rubric

Weak

Average

Strong

Fails to directly answer the question
Does not articulate role/impact on broader team
Lacks a cohesive narrative in communicating responses
Poor attitude towards past experiences that failed to meet expectations
Questions back to interviewer are exclusively from self-interest

Answers the question, but does not extrapolate beyond situational elements
Understands goals and role relative to broader team
Thoughtful narrative in responding to questions, but examples lack tangible or sizable results
Grateful for past experiences, even if some did not meet expectations
Questions back to interviewer include a focus on goals / responsibilities for the role

Answers the question and highlights learnings and reflections
Deep understanding of personal and team-wide goals and how their role influences outcomes
Cohesive narrative in responses with measurable and significant results
Reflective on past experiences and finds nuggets of learnings / improvements at each juncture
Questions back to interviewer build on the conversation and touch upon company goals

Decision

Thumbs up or down
Do not require unanimous thumbs up
Debrief, revote
verdict

Rick’s Nuggets

4 to 6 values is all you need
Phone screen
Working session

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Integrate your core values into your hiring process and beyond! (performance management, operating cadence, etc.)
For early-stage companies, you need to toe the line of “always be selling” and evaluating candidates
Requiring unanimous decisions on candidates can actually force a regression to the mean and avoid taking risks on high-potential candidates.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenbabcock/
Company: https://www.tango.us/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/trytango/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bigredbabz

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com

The Secret to Hiring through an Economic Downturn with Rick Girard of Stride Search Inc.

Thu, 28 Jul 2022 17:56:42 -0000

Doom & gloom is the impending economic forecast according to the media. Having flourished through two previous recessions, I have learned to look for the opportunity that comes with the adjustment.

And when it comes to hiring, the opportunities to thrive are bountiful!

One trend that I have personally observed throughout the years is that companies like Google & Facebook silently ramped up passive recruiting during those times and were able to come out of the adjustment even stronger.

Today I challenge you to recognize the opportunity that lies ahead and to commit to the growth of your people. This can and will only have positive results for them and the business.

Today’s Question:

How do you build a stronger company in tough economic times?

Today we’re going to discuss:

Why it is critical that you continue hiring activity
How to hire effectively to increase the productivity & retention of your people

Challenge today?

Keeping your High performers engaged
- Your best people are MORE valuable!
  - They will be hunted by your competitors
- Hiring stronger people challenges & motivates the people you already have
Growth through an economic downturn
- Look for the opportunity for your people
  - People become fearful and move to more “stable” environments
  - Recruiting remains a reactive activity
    - We only hire when we feel the pain
- Hiring happens regardless if you chose to participate
  - Participate

Why is this important to the company?

Downturns are opportunities for growth!
The people onboard Fuel or Stifle growth
- Fear drives people to make poor decisions
- Poor decisions kill business
Avoid being forced to hire anyone who is willing to accept your role… because they need a job
- Due to attrition

How do we solve the problem?

Perspective
- Understand the value of continuously hiring
  - Higher bar, less volume
- Opportunity to opportunistically hire
- Attract people who will elevate performance in the organization
  - New ideas, new energy
Increased Communication to retain your current people
- Career pathing
- Know the “What’s in it for me” for every one of your people
- Planned exits
- Promote purpose
Engaging New People
- Dedicate 1-2 hours a week
  - Passive talent engagement; NOT RECRUITING
- Reconnect with past talent
- Ask for new referrals
- “Get to know you for the future”
- Commit to 2 meetings a week with potential hires - Coffee ok
  - Use Discovery Call script
  - Purpose: positioning & value alignment
- Empower the hire
  - Communicate timeframe and allow the person to be proactive
- Pull the trigger!

Key Takeaways -Value:

Proactive hiring: Commit to 1 hour a week to expand your talent network
Communication: Recognize the opportunity for your people and the business to thrive
Action: When the opportunity arises to hire a high performer, embrace it. Allow the new person to fuel the energy of your team

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.stridesearch.com/hire-power-radio
Authored: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094TL14CD/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com

How to Avoid Hiring a Bad Actor with Becky Wanta of Q5id

Thu, 21 Jul 2022 20:55:32 -0000

We have all become painfully aware that cybercrime is at all-time record highs. Now the bad actors have figured out how to hack your hiring process.

Stories have been surfacing about people accepting roles remotely that are different people from the ones attending the interview.

Let’s face it, hacking the interview process is probably the easiest way to infiltrate your company and ultimately your data. When the interviewers focus on the skills and do not dig deep enough into the truth about the other person the result can be the opportunity that puts your company in jeopardy.

Guest Bio:

Becky Wanta is the CTO of Q5id and a highly accomplished global senior executive with more than 30 years of success in applying extensive IT experience to guide companies in a wide variety of industries to achieve their goals.

She has proven her ability to improve market share and profitability while establishing long-term business relations and recruiting and developing cross-functional and high-performing teams.

She has also been profiled by various publications, including Profile magazine and Bloomberg News. She is the holder of two US patents.

Today We Discuss:

How bad actors can infiltrate your company
How to avoid hiring those who can decimate your company

Challenge today?

Not a guarantee that the person who you are hiring is who they say they are
- No prevent identity
- Billions are lost every year because of data breach
- background check does not guarantee that the person is who they say they are
  - References, credit score,
- Remote workforce is giving rise to fake personas & identities

Why is this important to the company?

Cost the company Millions of dollars
The FBI just issued a warning on June 28 about fraudulent candidates applying for WFH positions and using deep fakes to hide their true identity. We can be sure this activity will increase, and we can be sure that these are professional criminals and foreign-state actors who want to hijack a company’s data. (source: https://tinyurl.com/mvsnz7bs)
Background checks are often perfunctory, particularly if a candidate has presented well and you really want to hire this person
if a person has an apparently clean record, but is a member of a criminal gang or a malicious state actor. Professional criminals are way ahead of you here.

Rick’s Nuggets

Targeted and focused search
- Totally negates the issue

How do we solve the problem?

Tighten up and expand pre-employment and background check processes to include a proven identity process which includes:
- Biometrics/personal identifiers that your employees control. This needs to include liveness checks, biometric and AI-driven models to ensure individuals are who they say they are
- Government ID checks
- 15 se Face-to-face live view
Be Systematic
- So, companies need to keep the entrepreneurial spirit alive while building a distributed team, with everyone focused on the product. They must be systematic about finding specific skillsets and finding those skillsets in people who want to work with other people.
- prove their new employees are not working for someone who wants to break into your IT systems and steal everything they can.
- The FBI says cybercrime cost in the form of phishing and other scams and data breaches cost US businesses almost $7 billion last year. With more criminal organizations and state actors involved, and now deploying deep fakes, that number could go up exponentially if companies don’t address this problem urgently. (Source: https://tinyurl.com/yc7abcht)
- CEOs, C-suites, and Boards to implement a program that can combat deep fakes, I’d make sure my Board has at least one person who’s familiar with enterprise-grade security, and I’d make sure I have an A-team Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) on my team.
Implement a proven identity method
- biometrics

Rick’s Nuggets

Targeted hiring approach
- Identify & proactively develop a relationship with the person BEFORE you need to hire them.
- Referrals!!!
Structured Interview process
- Behavioral Interview
  - Train your interviewers!
  - Evidence
  - Values first, skills second
  - BS meter
- References
  - Verified Managers only
  - Backdoor company references
Decision Making
- “Hell Yes” or NO

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Never compromise on finding the best people with the best-fitted skills
Never forget you’re building a product for a specific reason and customer.
But never be lax in proving your exciting new employees are who they say they are.
Never be lax in finding out if your new employees are working for a criminal organization or malicious state.

Guest Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccawanta/
Company: https://q5id.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/q5id/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Q5idProvenID
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/provenidentity/

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor: www.stridesearch.com

It’s Never Too Early to Lead through Core Values with Marc Reinfenrath of Spinutech

Thu, 14 Jul 2022 19:04:36 -0000

Last week I had a conversation with a CEO who thought it was too early to establish core values because his company was only 15 people. His thinking was that things would just change anyway and he would have to do them all over again as the company grows.

But here was the ginormous problem: Two of his people recently quit, the last 4 offers he made were turned down and the candidate pipeline was drying up.

… And he thought it was about the money.

Today, more than ever, people desire to be in alignment with the values of the organization. If they aren’t in alignment, they leave.

Here’s the truth: your company has values whether you like it or not. Solidifying your values and making them a decision-making tool can never happen too early and will only fuel company growth.

Guest Bio:

Marc Reifenrath is the CEO & Co-founder of Spinutech, a full-service digital marketing agency with 165+ team members across the U.S.

Marc has helped Spinutech grow from a college start-up to one of the premier full-service digital marketing agencies in the country. The secret ingredient? Company values that are truly lived, including a commitment to “Get Better Every Day”.

In that capacity, Marc understands firsthand how critical a company’s culture is to achieving and maintaining success.

Today We Discuss:

When to implement your company values
How to weave them into the fabric of your company

Challenge today?

Had unwritten core values but were not formalized
Had a miss on 2 or 10 or 20.
Talent outweighs the cultural fit
Drawn in by talent and weeded out by the environment
2 people hired that within 90 days were gone. Instant misalignment
-realized culture pushed them out

Why is this important to the company?

From a hiring perspective, it is a really quick filter
Not too aspirational. You have to own what you really are
We take too long to make the decision

Rick’s Nuggets:

Formalization attracts the right people and repels those who do not
Notion that you want to attract everyone is WRONG
Time!
- Interviewing kills the production of your team
- Assumptions, bias & personal motives… oh my!

How do we solve the problem?

Leadership team development
- People who understand the organization
- Doesn't need to be perfect
- Needs to be honest
- *** needs to be authentic, not aspirational
- Values need to be actionable
  - We get better every day: better myself, team & clients
Work into a daily routine
- Core values onboarding
- Slack channel language is communicated
- Natural part of how they do business
- Lived every single day
Leaders need to show core values in Action!
- Weekly video “get better every day”
- In every part of the business
Without core values, a lot more problems.
- Stronger the core values the more you are prepared for growth
- Every person who onboards becomes less of an attack
- Inject DNA into people as quickly as possible
- Feedback on how to enhance the value

Rick’s Nuggets

Be realistic about who YOU are
- Aspirational values are worthless
- North star for how everyone operates within the organization
Build interview questions around core values
Evaluate against values
- Aligned = hire
Build an interview question library
- Assign interview questions to each interviewer

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Honest about what your core values are, Lived not aspirational
Actionable values -
Stay patient in the hiring process. Don't just put a butt in a seat.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcreifenrath/
Company: https://www.spinutech.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/spinutech/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/spinutech
Twitter: https://twitter.com/spinuser
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spinutech.llc/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/spinutech

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com

The Hiring 4-S: Strategy, Systems, Staff & Skills with Hilmon Sorey of CoachCRM

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 19:14:54 -0000

Are Strategy and Systems missing in your hiring process?

The answer is most likely “Yes” as 99.9% of entrepreneurs approach hiring as a reactive activity based on a current need. This is dangerous because it perpetuates the transactional mindset that sets you up for failure.

Strategy is not about “how do I turn on the funnel”. Strategy is about how you identify, contact & engage with the person who will thrive in your business. This means being able to articulate your value to align with each individual.

But, strategy is not enough to get an A-player to join your company. The structure of your interview process is the System that demonstrates excellence within the organization. And excellence is what every high performer strives for in their next company.

Guest Bio:

Hilmon Sorey is Co-Founder of CoachCRM sales coaching software for managers; Co-Founder of ClozeLoop, a sales strategy, training, and enablement firm with offices in New York, Houston, Silicon Valley, and Johannesburg; Partner in 2.12 Angels as a seed-stage venture capital firm; and author of 8 top-selling books on sales, sales management, and coaching.

He has helped build teams in companies that range from early-stage startups to Salesforce, Box, SurveyMonkey, Bill.com, and some of the fastest-growing companies in the world totaling over $600B in valuation and market cap.

He’s an award-winning trainer who has trained over 15,000 salespeople and over 5,000 executives. He is a sought-after speaker around the globe and a Forbes contributor.

Today We Discuss:

The 4 S’s: Strategy, Systems, Staff & Skills
How to implement the missing pieces into your organization

Challenge Today?

Ensuring that you are hiring the right people who will have impact
Understanding go-to-market strategy in how you hire
Strategy and Systems absent in most hiring process
How Companies Scale and How to Use Hiring as Competitive Advantage

Why is this important to the company?

Ask any CEO of a Unicorn what they consider to be their competitive advantage. They’ll say their people.
Tech eventually equals out, Markets change, Investors are wonderful - but even they invest in people.

Rick’s Nuggets

Strategy absent:
- No time to do it
- Feel it’s not important
  - It’s all bullshit anyways
System
- No time to set up or train
The results you get are the fruits of the effort of the work put.

How do we solve the problem?

Strategy
- Understanding GTM strategy
- Competitive Differentiation (direct, indirect)
- Winning Zone
- Messaging and Channels
Systems
- Agile Tech Stack
- Sales & Marketing Playbooks
- Feedback Loop and Ecosystem
Staff
- Sales Strategy
- Competency Matrix
- Methodology for Alignment (proof)
- Culture
Skills
- Training
- Coaching
- Margin Gains

Rick’s Nuggets

Strategy:
- Only hire people who align with company values!
- Learn early
  - Understand YOU first
  - Only meet people who “lean in”
System
- Interview process
  - Documented, and communicated,
Skills
- Train your people

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Focus on Strategy and Systems to create scale.
Hiring is as critical as identifying customers

Guest Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilmonsorey/
Company: https://www.coachcrm.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/coachcrm/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hilmonsorey

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com

#1 Question that Needs to be Asked During a Phone Screen with Rick Girard of Stride Search Inc.

Thu, 23 Jun 2022 20:05:00 -0000

Why is the phone screen is the most underutilized tool in hiring today?

There is this perception or fear that the person making the call will say the wrong thing and screw up the chances that the person will show up. So the phone screen is treated like a used car sale.

Tell people all the great things about our company, gather some basic information and invite the person in to interview. And because we like them because look good on paper, we assume they will want to work for us.

Here’s the truth: High performing people do not want to work for your company based on your sales pitch. What people want is to be understood and to be positioned where they can deliver the greatest impact.

How do I get better with phone screens?

Today we’re going to discuss:

Why Phone screens (Discovery calls) are critical to hiring A-players
The most important question you need answered before you bring ANYONE in for an interview

Challenge today?

Phone Screen! - Discovery call
- Often skipped
- Viewed as a time waster
  - Real time waster is the interview
  - 90% of the people that get interview will position themselves out
The most important question:
- “What are 3 or 4 main criteria you need to see in an opportunity for you to accept an offer with a company”

Why is this important to the company?

First impression of your company
You need people to show up to your interview
Understand how to close the person at the end of the proces

How do we solve the problem?

Value the Discovery call
- Prioritize time
Make the decision to call EVERYONE
- Basic screening eliminates the bottom 10% but also the top 10%
- A-players often hide
Positioning before skills
- Pain, Desire & Impact
- Common info (skills, commute, interviewing, compensation expectations)
Wrap up
Main Criteria Question
- “3 or 4 main criteria you need to see in an opportunity for you to accept an offer with a company”
Confirm if they desire what you offer
How you can get me to join your company!
Connect the dots
- Allows them to take ownership
- They show up, ready to succeed

Key Takeaways -Value:

Prioritize the phone screen/discovery call
Look for alignment of positioning for EVERY person you talk to BEFORE they are brought in for an interview
Let the person ask for the interview

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.stridesearch.com/hire-power-radio
Authored: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094TL14CD/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com

Necessary Interview Intelligence for Hiring with Raphael Danilo of Yobs

Thu, 16 Jun 2022 21:15:05 -0000

Two people pop into a room together for an interview. What happens next?

No one knows!

This is the eternal mystery that most companies have faced for decades. And the single point of failure in hiring!

Because we assume that everyone knows how to interview. But the truth is, they do not as most interviewers have only been trained on what NOT to say. There is no insight as to what is being said, the questions that are asked or personal motives that drive a person’s opinion on a hiring decision.

So today we are going to help to give you insight into how you can gain valuable interviewing data to empower your people to make stronger hiring decisions for your company!

Guest Bio:

Raphael Danilo is a French entrepreneur and investor based in New York. He's the CEO and founder of Yobs, an Interview Intelligence platform that sits on top of Zoom and the ATS and enables every interviewer to feel prepared and be more efficient in hiring top talent.

Raphael has helped 100+ high-growth organizations up level their recruiting organization with Interview Intelligence through Yobs and Evening Fund, the VC fund he runs on nights and weekends.

TODAY WE DISCUSS:

The importance of interview intelligence
How to gain data to secure accurate hiring decisions

Challenge today?

Recruiting is incredibility opinion spaced
- Opinions about what we remember about the conversation
- Not evidence based
- High vs low quality question
Work about work
- Labor intensive tasks - ie: interview plan, taking notes
- Pre-interview
- During interview
- Post interview- scorecard
Recruiting teams misaligned
- Not having a shared view of reality
- Not offering enough benefits, equity, pto
- Opinions drive decision rather than data

Rick’s Nuggets

Interview is riddled with fail
Interviewers are not trained
- Company values
- Bias, assumptions & personal motives
- To understand how good the person is across the desk

How do we solve the problem (solution)?

Capture reality
- capture all candidate interactions - across web conferencing, dialers, phone, and email.
Invest in interviewer training and coaching
Analyze Interview them and surfaces key moments automatically to...
- Deliver insights to level-up your organization by better understanding your candidates, your teams and your hiring process.

Rick’s Nuggets

Interview intelligence
Start with the company values
- Decision making language throughout the organization
- Interviewers champions of the values
  - Protectors of realm
- Everyone buy’s in!
Assigned Interview questions
- Behavioral interview questions
- Questions tied to a measurable of the core value
Train your interviewers
- Assumptions allow bias & motives to fester
- Listening skills - digging under the hood
- Take diligent notes-
  - what they said, not what you translated
Record & review the conversations
- Video (zoom, teams, etc…)
- Review until you achieve consistent quality data

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Capture reality- record your calls
Invest in coaching/training
Reduce bias in process

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raphael-danilo-481b41b2/
Company: https://www.yobstech.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/yobs/

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com

Leveling the Interviewing Playing Field with Lee Rubin of Confetti

Fri, 10 Jun 2022 14:00:00 -0000

One big thing that we have learned over the past year is that employers no longer have control over the people they hire. The balance of power has shifted with the majority of people willing to walk away from an opportunity that does not align with their personal beliefs or values.

Many companies are left scratching their heads as to why. So, the thinking has evolved into “it must be the money” so let’s increase compensation & benefits. Hoping this will solve the problem. But it hasn’t.

The interviewees today are the one’s making the selection, not the company.
The interviewees are the ones evaluating the company for more than just the paycheck.
And the interviewees are the people who have a lot of options, not the companies.

So to get people to choose your company to join you simply need to level the playing field by understanding “what’s in it for them”.

Guest Bio:

Lee Rubin is the Founder and CEO of Confetti. A platform that helps companies build stronger culture by providing shared experiences for a distributed workplace. Their holistic tool empowers HR and other team leads to quickly discover, plan and book from a catalog of exclusive experiences that optimize corporate culture and employee’s professional growth.

Lee is a visionary culture leader with a decade of experience in B2B sales. She's one of the world's experts on remote event planning and has built her company from 0 to 60 employees in just 3 years!

TODAY WE DISCUSS:

What the field really looks like today
How to stand out as an employer of choice through your interview process

Challenge today?

Differentiate the company
- Higher chance of closing the person
- Taste of the culture
- Demonstrating a healthier dynamic
Not posting salary to optimized offer
- Win-win scenario
- Interests here aren’t aligned obviously (one wants the higher and one wants the lower). I once heard the phrase “Good deals can’t happen with bad people” and have kept hold of it. Brings me back to leveling the playing field…

Why is this important to the company?

You don’t want your people to feel under-valued monetarily
People feel respected because they get what they ask for
Not over spending on talent
We close 80-90% of the people we really want join

Rick’s Nuggets

Optimize for remote vs. onsite

Authenticity - As you know from your book “healing career wounds” people are literally traumatized from their job and don’t want to make the mistake again of joining a company they don’t like. So how do you get to know them authentically, make them feel comfortable and close the deal better?

How do we solve the problem?

Getting people to feel comfortable
- Body language, casual talk: friendly
- Excited to speak to you! casual conversation
- Vibe fit
- Learn about our culture
Showing respect
- One of their core values
2 Minute Intro
- About you, improvised
- Listen for concise,
- Pay attention to the time in the presentation
- Coherent
- Able to express their resume in the form of a story?
- What did they learn? brother/sister, primarily professional
Assignment
- Prepared with job posting
- Each job has a different assignment
- Core elements of the job
  - Ie: Customer success- create a customer response email
Negotiation
- Negotiate respectfully
- How much are you “hoping” to make
- Tap into a person's dreams = context

Rick’s Nuggets

Values driven experience
Get them to talk first
After emotional engagement

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Optimize for people you want to go through the shit with
Optimize for those who share your same values
Academia is overrated
Loyalty is the #1 currency

Confetti Offer: *This special promo expires on July 9th

Redeem a $150 discount on your first event by sending an email (see below) to plan@withconfetti.com with the Subject line: HIRE POWER Confetti Discount

----------

Hello!

I'm a listener of HIRE POWER and am looking to redeem the exclusive HP150 discount to run my first team building experience with Confetti!

I’ve signed up to Confetti with the following email: USEREMAIL.

Could you please let me know once the discount has been applied?

Thank you!

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Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rubinl/
Company: https://www.withconfetti.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/withconfetti/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/withconfetti
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/withconfetti
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/with_confetti/

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com

Why do Company’s Need Data Scientists with Asim Razvi of Intertru Inc.

Thu, 02 Jun 2022 19:40:44 -0000

Do you really need a data scientist for your startup?

Throughout my career, I have placed a lot of data scientists at smaller companies. Most of the people placed left within a year of starting with the common feedback that the work didn't warrant having a data scientist.

In most cases a data engineer is more than sufficient to build the organization. Sure AI and machine learning may be critical to your business but the question that should be asked before anyone is hired.

Guest Bio:

Asim Razvi has been focused on Business Intelligence for the last 20 years. He leads the analytics and data strategy for high growth companies. Asim brings a wide background across Media, Communications and Finance and has built Business Intelligence practices for PwC, Cognizant and Accenture.

Formerly the Head of Education and Research for TDWI where his focus was to rebuild the TDWI brand through alignment with Analytics, Big Data and Cloud thought leadership.

TODAY WE DISCUSS:

Why to think twice before hiring a data scientist
How to hire once a need is established

Challenge today?

Why hire a data scientist?
- Hiring company
- Think they need AI & ML
- Its a trademark
- Organization set up for a data scientist
  - Organization
  - Data maturity
Data Scientist
- Build something valuable
  - Not a subject matter expert on what the company wants
  - Insights that drive the company
  - Needs to be linked to the business level

Why is this important to the company?

Knowing when to hire a data scientist
- Monetize data
- Most companies don't need data scientists.
- Data analyst - subject matter expert
- Provide the relevance

Rick’s Nuggets

Not enough challenging work

How do we solve the problem?

Focus on data maturity
- Sophisticated business users
- Want business user to become information explorer - drill down
- Power user- pair with analyst
Organization
- Vertical chain
- Data scientist working in the sweet spot- co-creation feedback loop
Readiness assessment
- How prepared is the organization to hire a data scientist
- Do I have the “track”?
- Data engineer on board
Hire or use a Tool
Data robot
- Enable users to become data scientists
- Predict algorithms that work
Hire
- You don't need a data scientist as a startup
- Learning - neural net capability

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Don't hire earlier than you need to
Remember you need data for a data scientist to work
The Business needs to be mature enough in data to hire the data scientist
Make sure there is a career arc for the data scientist to grow in the organization

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/asimrazvi/
Company: https://hydrafacial.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DataAsArt

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com

The Secret to People Accepting Your Offer with Jeff Wolfe of Veloce Energy

Fri, 27 May 2022 16:36:10 -0000

A company founder approached me last week with a problem. He has had a critical role open for the past 6 months and no one has accepted his offer. 5 people had been offered the job and every single person turned it down.

When asked why, the founder said, “I did a great job selling each one of them from the beginning so It must have been the money”.

Then I asked, “what was it that the person you were trying to hire really desired in their next role. To that his response was “I have no idea”.

We get so busy selling that we forget to ask.

Interviewing is not about selling. Interviewing is about understanding the truth of what is important to the person on the other side of the table.

And understanding is how we avoid turned down offers!

Guest Bio:

Jeff Wolfe is an energy and cleantech industry leader and serial entrepreneur. He has spent his career creating new solutions in the built environment and clean energy. As CEO of Veloce Energy he is working to accelerate the electrification of everything by creating systems that reduce the cost, time, and complexity of powering EV charging and building electrification.

He has been President for the Americas of a global EV charger manufacturer, worked in retail energy and in a multi-national oil company, and designed over a billion dollars of hospitals, laboratories, and other infrastructure.

Today we discuss:

Why listening during the interview process produces results
How to let candidates lead you to the truth and ultimately the right hiring decision

HIRING STORY:

Met 4th cofounder through 3rd party
Brought him on over zoom
Didn't meet him for 5 months

Challenges today?

Aggressive employee environment
Wages going up
- Lower wages
- Can't settle on talent
Show people that they want to work for us
Communicating mission (Why)

Why is this important to the company?

Able to hire good people for reasonable compensation
Need to find people who want to solve the problems, create the solutions as much as the founders do

Rick’s Nuggets

People not accepting or leaving - not the $$$
People compelled to align with values, mission & purpose

How do we solve the problem?

Let the person tell you what they need
- Why do people stay - three elements of compensation
  - Money & Benefits
  - A good work environment and good people to work for
  - Good and important work to do.
- Provide 1 element, good people will stay for 6 months
- Provide 2 elements and good people will stay for 2 years
- Provide all 3 and good people will become great people and will stay a long time
Create company culture
- Learn how to communicate it and own it
- Don't worry about scaring people away
- Share fact based beliefs - if people do not believe in the problem being solved, or in the solution, they will do a poor job of executing against it
Interview
Look for value alignment early. Part of the filtering process
What does HR mean
- Honest relationships
- Get to a yes/no faster
- Better yeses and nos
Create understanding of the what the fit is
- Leadership communication
- Constant reinforcement
- Whole picture
Honest offers
- No low balling
- Get people to join rather than be hired
Not over-interviewing people
- Take notes
- Different people focus on different aspects, based on their expertise, no one person can really do a complete interview
- Cumulative thumbs up/down
- It is partially a gut decision. Don’t ignore the facts, but the gut needs to align.

Rick’s Nuggets

Values
- North star for strong team
- Alignment fuels passion & engagement
Interview
- Interviewing for value alignment

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Learn to embody and externally express the company culture and mission. Do not be afraid of them
Don’t worry about being liked by every candidate. A strong culture and mission will attract the right people, especially in these times
Define HR as “honest relationships”

Guest Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffwolfeenergy/
Company: https://www.veloceenergy.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/veloceenergy/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeffWolfeSolar

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com

Creating Artificial Collisions in a Remote Workplace with David Wald of Aclaimant

Thu, 19 May 2022 18:48:27 -0000

A big push for people to return to the office is the argument that spontaneous interaction is critical to the growth of the business. The fear is that people are not communicating and it has hindered innovation.

However, let’s look at the number of fully remote companies who have been thriving throughout the past few years. The big differentiator is the structure and setting up interaction channels to foster communication.

Mastering the interview has been more challenging as it is often difficult to read nonverbal cues and interactions. As we have grown more comfortable with this method of interviewing, the structure of consistent interview questions has been the single most important element in hiring success.

Guest Bio:

David Wald is cofounder and CEO of Aclaimant, an insight driven workflow solution for safety and risk management. As CEO, David’s primary focus is driving the company’s vision, identifying and executing strategic partner and customer relationships, and growing the Aclaimant team and investor base. The company has been remote first for the past 8 years!

Prior to Aclaimant, David spent time with the Lightbank Venture Capital fund in Chicago on both the investment team, and as an operator and EIR. He was also a management consultant at Bain and Company. David graduated from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, and currently resides in Chicago with his wife and three kids.

Today we discuss:

What's critical in a remote work/interviewing environment
How to fuel communication away from the watercooler

Hiring Story:

Intro to our top candidate's brother's high school friend…
Series of comedic events
Got drenched on the way to the meeting
He took the job anyway, now is their department head

Challenges today?

Artificial collisions- bumping into people in the hall, watercooler conversation across departments
In a remote environment there are no collisions that aren’t preplanned
Creating a knowledge transfer in a remote environment
- Zoom is not good for rapid collaboration
- More than 4 people in a meeting
- Create feedback loops
- People feel disconnected

Why is this important to the company?

Cant have passive actors in a remote environment
- I was waiting for….
- Proactive collaborators
Remote vs scaling
- Onboarding is challenging remotely
- A lot of time spent

Rick’s Nuggets

Communication must be fueled by leadership
Daily huddles (connection)
- Not mandatory, but everyone shows up

How do we solve the problem?

Tooling:
Slack- internal connectivity tool
- Every team, project & customer have their own room
- Sole service purpose in every room- avoid the noise
Zoom
- candidates , customers & internal
Zoom interviews
- Scientific method
- Each person testing on different topics
- Prep the candidates
Notion - collaboration tool
- Documenting every process and keeping it clean
  - True information source & driving everyone to that location
Dedicated team connected hours
- Office hours for every team (meeting) once a week
- Happy hour, game day, trivia,
  - Informally stop and chat
- Team members end up city hopping!
Deliberate information distribution pathways
- Information needs to get out
  - Surveying tools, function specific data,
  - all hands meetings (4-6 weeks)
  - Daily standups
Feedback Channel
- Every manager & director is plugged into the right sequence of events to gather feedback
- All very deliberate
- Everyone in the know

Rick’s Nuggets

Remote (Zoom, Teams) interview
Rules of engagement
- Start on time, end on time
- Interviewer questions assigned
  - Must gain evidence to support decision
- Must take objective notes
- Clear decision to move forward or release
  - No scorecard
- Feedback

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Very deliberate about how you create connectivity
Proper tools in place to facilitate
Right set of people who want to connect

Guest Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidawald/
Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aclaimant/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aclaimant/about/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavWald
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aclaimant

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor: www.stridesearch.com

How Hiring the Wrong Person Eats Profits with Rocky Lalvani of Profit Comes First

Thu, 12 May 2022 20:00:01 -0000

We often hear data on how much bad hire costs you and your company. About 3x the person’s annual salary.

But how much did the interview process itself cost?

For a startup to make a hire, the company spends about 73 total hours interviewing. With the most significant cost being 30 hours of the production team's combined time. And this is assuming that 6 people make it through a full interview to get to the hire.

We have to ask ourselves, can we really afford to lose almost 4 days of productive activity to interview? Roughly $9,855 per role, not including candidate marketing or recruiting fees.

As a small business, the answer is NO!

Guest Bio:

Rocky Lalvani of Profit Comes First, serves as Chief Profitability Adviser for business owners. He teaches them how to ensure they get paid and make profit a priority! As a certified Profit First Professional he implements Mike Michalowicz's Profit First System.

Rocky started with nothing when his parents immigrated to the United States when he was two years old, and his parents were in their 40's. It was his parents' second time starting over in life as they moved here to experience the American dream.

In spite of a lot of struggles and his mom passing away when Rocky was 7, he has been able to achieve financial and life success. Rocky loves to share his journey and inspire others to achieve their dreams even faster.

Today we discuss:

Why it is critical to understand what interviewing costs
How to maximize your team's time with structure

Challenges today?

Employees are the major cost for the business
- Employee should provide a return for the business
- Return of Cost of person (taxes, unemployment)
- Inefficiency does not show up anywhere on the p&l
Wealth is built on the balance sheet!

Why is this important to the company?

Costs to the company hiring
- Reduces morale
- Loose customer
Nobody is tracking interview or training costs
Hard costs that are very difficult to figure out
As a client- doesn't want to do business with a company that hires wrong
(leadership issue)

Rick’s Nuggets

Team time waste!
- People who meet the team must be positioned properly
- Demonstrate strong leadership in protecting time

How do we solve the problem?

Mission values purpose
- This is the step most business owners skip!
- Or in their head, but no one else knows
- Hire to it
- Have to live it
Hire in alignment with mission, values, purpose
- Not who you like
- Having a interview process
Understanding the real cost
- Bad Hire- Employee does not provide any value
  - Mistakes
  - Morale for everyone else
  - Lose clients/ client trust
  - Example Costco vs. Sam's
Gross profit / Total payroll including taxes
- For every $1 in payroll returns x$ in gross profit
- Measure & Know
- Need to be making at least 2X payroll
- It all comes back to leadership!

We change the accounting formula of Sales - Expenses = Profit to Sales - Profit = Expenses. This ensures Profit comes first! (PS. It's not about money at all costs, people come before money!)

Rick’s Nuggets

Values - most important
Protect time costs
Structure interview
- Each step is a decision
- Only progress value aligned, well positioned & accomplished people
- Decisions must have evidence to back
Eliminate uncertainty
- Assign interview questions
- Prepare all for success

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Is mission vision purpose written down & do your employees know it?
Cost of a bad hire for you?
How much profit do your employees bring you?

Guest Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rocky-lalvani/
Company: https://profitcomesfirst.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/profit-comes-first/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rockylalvani
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/richersoul/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richer.soul/?hl=en
Blog: http://richersoul.com/
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/profit-answer-man-implementing-the-profit-first-system/id1508245322

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ/featured
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rick.girard.5
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rick_girard?lang=en
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rickgirard1/?hl=en

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com

The Blind Spots of Hiring Managers & Candidates with Varun Puri of Yoodli

Thu, 05 May 2022 21:57:00 -0000

Let's face it, a lot of people are BAD at interviewing on both sides of the table.

It is easy to understand that candidates or job seekers are bad for numerous reasons. Being nervous, out of practice, and under pressure to do well because of NEED, create a large margin for error. For seasoned interviewers, it becomes easier to perform because the person has a lot of practice interviewing. That practice is what eventually makes it easier to land a job.

On the company side, interviewers get a lot of practice asking the same questions as everyone else, but the lack of structure & coordination does very little to uncover evidence to support the decision. The problem with that is that only surface information is gathered and at the end of the day, the hiring decision is made on circumstantial evidence, assumptions, and bias.

Guest Bio:

Varun Puri is the Founder of Yoodli and an Entrepreneur in Residence at Paul Allen's AI Institute. Yoodli uses AI to help people improve their public speaking and interviewing skills without the pressure of an audience.

Prior to Yoodli, Varun worked on a GoogleX project to bring high speed internet to unconnected regions using invisible lasers. He also ran special projects for Sergey Brin, Google's co-founder.

Today we discuss:

Why it is important to practice your interview (or any presentation)
How to practice effectively for an interview

HIRING STORY:

Struggle getting someone to hire him…
Now getting people to hire for his startup
The key to getting people to bet on you is how you communicate with them

PROBLEM:

Smart people on both sides of the fence (interviewers and candidates) who miss dream job and miss dream candidate
Outcome: Missed hiring on both sides
Hiring managers may not represent companies in the best way

Challenges today?

Communication skills are an amorphous training concept. No clear way of measuring progress or diagnosing issues (we’re dealing with peoples’ deep insecurities). We practice in front of the mirror, camera, and stopwatch. Or worse, avoid it altogether

Why is this important to the company?

Individual:
- Land your dream job. Get access to the opportunities you deserve and don’t miss out on them because of how you speak
Corporation:
- Get your dream candidate
- Ensure your team is aligned
- Help people become more confident communicators and leaders

Rick’s Nuggets

We don’t set Expectations
- Allow people to prepare
- Makes interviewers seem unimpressive - demonstrate
- Unable to

How do we solve the problem?

3 pronged solution needed:
- Be aware of your biases/ way you communicate
- Collaborate with your team to ensure you’re all saying the same story
- Diagnose the issues and work on them
Solution:
Practice interviewing skills for hiring managers:
- Be aware of your biases/ way you communicate
- Stay on company brand
  - Collaborate with your team to ensure you’re all saying the same story
- Don’t say the wrong thing (non inclusive language, berate competition)
- Diagnose the issues and work on them
  - Time stamped feedback
- Convey energy
Practice for candidates

Rick’s Nuggets

Interview Structure- expectations
Repeatable & predictable process
- Timing and Steps in process
- Interview question scripts
- Feedback loop
Interview training
- Documentation habits
- Interview preparation
  - How to prepare the candidate
  - How the interviewer prepares

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Align with your team with a set of interview questions you want to ask and follow up with the Why questions to dig deeper.
Conduct the work as a team
Watch the post-game highlight reel & critique

Guest Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/varun-puri001/
Company: https://www.yoodli.ai/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/yoodli/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/yoodli

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com

How Innocent Interview Questions Can Become Litigation with Victor Xu of Fisher Phillips

Fri, 29 Apr 2022 18:00:00 -0000

Sometimes an innocent conversation during an interview can have horrific consequences, especially if you end up not hiring a person.

The biggest problem every company faces during the hiring process is the interview.

Two people go into a room together for a conversation and no one knows what transpires. Conversations flow and curiosity carries the conversation.

As we all know, curiosity killed the cat… and possibly your company.

Let’s replace curiosity with consistency.

Because the lack of consistency is what breeds unfair interviewing practices by promoting assumptions and cultivating bias. By simply eliminating assumptions & bias from the interview, we can create a process where evidence is gathered that supports the decision.

Minimizing your exposure to future litigation.

Guest Bio:

Victor Xu is attorney extraordinaire in the Fisher Phillips Irvine office where he represents companies in all aspects of labor and employment litigation, from inception through trial, in state and federal courts throughout California.

Victor also has significant experience in conducting internal investigations into alleged employee/supervisor misconduct, including harassment and discrimination, and has provided recommendations for remedial measures, including preparation of new company policies.

Today we discuss:

Ways your interview might be harming your company
How to set a process that minimizes potential litigation

Challenges today?

What gets you in trouble when interviewing

Telling people “you are a perfect candidate”
California is pro-plaintiff
People grasp on to certain words

Having a standard in place where interviewers are not just shooting from the hip in the interview

Mitigate risk
What kind of music do you like?
Fishing questions
- Trying to be personal but it is going too far
- Too much feedback

Why is this important to the company?

Serial interviewees who doesn't get the job claiming discrimination
Going after tech companies
Puts handcuffs on the company to settle
People catch wind of who was hired

Rick’s Nuggets

Interviews tend to be shallow and decisions are made on assumptions & bias

How do we solve the problem?

Train people to interview and use trained people exclusively

Select interview team
All people trained
Stick to the interview outline and consider a list of no-go questions.
Training limits the liability of what is said/asked (extra layer of protection)

Create an interview guide of objective questions

Consistent & fair process
Questions for everyone & role specific questions
- Questions vetted to mitigate risk
- Off-handed comments
  - “Your a perfect candidate”
  - “Youthful culture”
  - Religious assumptions - questions about drinking, etc.
  - “What's your ethnic background?”
- Relating to the candidate can get you in trouble

Honest response for hiring choice

We are going to pass at this time: Thank you for applying, but we have decided to pursue other applicants. We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors.

Values cannot be discriminatory, Legitimate business reason- values

Information to disclose
- We decided to go with another person

Rick’s Nuggets

Tie your interview questions to values

Assign the questions to a specific interview position (ie: interview #1)
Remove opinion from the decision making process
- Score card ranking - highly subjective
Weigh values alignment above skills
Evaluate skills based on performance metrics for the role

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Brewery of the perks that you offer candidates and understand their consequences.
Ensure employees are properly classified even where both sides agree.
Train and prepare your team on appropriate interview questions.

Guest Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victor-xu-b43bba25/
Company: https://www.fisherphillips.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fisher-&-phillips-llp/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/labor_attorneys
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fisherphillipsllp/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHCDdUXOnEjfOtUYu6OqTxA

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

www.stridesearch.com

Founder Led Recruiting Produces Extraordinary ROI with Rick Girard of Stride Search Inc.

Fri, 22 Apr 2022 14:00:00 -0000

As a company founder you have A LOT on your plate. So much, that it is often overwhelming so you scramble to delegate the things you don’t like to do as quickly as possible.

At the top of the delegation list is offloading hiring. Today I'm going to challenge you to own your people function for as long as possible because it is so critical to your success!.

Last week our guest, Steve Newcomb, exposed his key principles for building successful companies. The most important element in building a successful company is … the foundation.

“Do the big things right and then everything becomes exponentially easier”. This means doing the hard things first because if the foundation isn't right, everything else will be more difficult.

Getting really good at the things you hate… recruiting, interviewing & hiring, translates into onboarding the strongest people early and builds personal credibility in you as a leader.

Today we’re going to discuss:

Why you as the founder needs to own hiring as long as possible
How to build your foundation to enable your business to grow exponentially easier

Challenge today?

Founders can't wait to delegate hiring
Not good at it
Don't want to invest the time to learn
- ROI?
Buy into the belief that there is no “Right Way” to hire
Don’t believe

Why is this important to the company?

To Build a company:
Having a founder that is excellent at recruiting makes it easier to succeed
Build a company that matters,
Bonus: something with a mission that’s embedded into the product

How do we solve the problem?

The Foundation
- Pre-determine the Interview questions
- Assign positions in the interview process
- Assign interview responsibilities
- Role play to gain competence throughout the interview
The interview
- Start with the Discovery Call
  - Determine Positioning & Value
  - Positioning: Does what the interviewee desires align with what your organization is?
  - growth?
  - Value: Is this person an A-player?
  - Evidence of impact that was made in the current role?
  - Step by step
Founder leads recruiting (Steve Newcomb)
- Communicate expectations to team
- Shoot for the Moon
  - You can hire a-players
- Treat everyone like gold
- Do not waste the team's time with duds.
Team Interviews scripted
- Easy to gain evidence to support a decision
- 3-4 questions each person for 45 minutes
  - Hell Yes….. or No
- Skills Interview
  - Real life problem that will give an accurate experience of how the team will work together to solve problems
  - Prepare candidate for success or failure
- Get & give feedback
  - Empower people to make the decision at each stage
  - Trust their decisions
  - Let the interviewee provide feedback

Key Takeaways -Value:

Strong foundation makes everything exponentially easier
Own hiring as long as you can
Set teams up for success by scripting the interview questions

Host Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.stridesearch.com/hire-power-radio
Authored: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094TL14CD/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Hiring Super A-Players with Steve Newcomb of Powerset

Fri, 15 Apr 2022 00:12:00 -0000

Let’s talk about why your company is not stacked with A-players. It is not because you cannot afford them.

At its root, the reason is narrowed down to one thing, your foundation

We tend to think of hiring as an activity rather than an essential function like product or finance or even your pitch deck. So much time is invested into these activities. Yet, hiring is the most critical component of building a successful business. In fact, most investors' decisions are heavily influenced by the people who are onboard.

Solidifying a foundation for hiring requires the same amount of care and work as do the other components of your company. It cannot be outsourced. Hiring needs to be owned by leadership, documented and taught to everyone in the organization.

Foundation is what attracts high performers to want to join your company, not the paycheck.

Guest Bio:

Steve Newcomb is a product/engineering led serial entrepreneur who has co-founded four successful venture backed mission-driven startups. He’s best known for co-founding Powerset (now Microsoft Bing) and scaling its engineering team, culture, and operations.

He is the author of some of the most fundamental essays on hiring, culture, and scaling engineering teams, including the original “Cult(ure) Creation” and “In Defense of Introverts”

Today we discuss:

Building a strong hiring foundation
How to execute an outstanding interview

Challenges today?

Foundation: Do the big things right and then everything becomes exponentially easier

Be the valedictorian of Stanford. Do the hard things early

Money tier 1 VC
Mission
Product that represents a true and novel breakthrough
- Purpose above just flipping the company
- Oh my god…
Founder that is technical, thought & cultural leader, good @ recruiting
- excellent at recruiting- study how to speak to people, how to talk to introverts & inspire them. How to be inspiring.
- Have founders that are technical, thought, and culture leaders
- Have a company that matters, something with a mission that’s embedded
Be a Super A
- Have a founder that is excellent at recruiting and is a Super A
- Track everyone who has ever worked for you. Keep in contact
- A=A, B=C
- Get the right people in early
- VPE needs to be a baller!
Why buy silver when you can rent gold
- Friends that want to be founders- get them to help 3 days a week?
- Often worth 10 engineers
- Obvious Yes then there is everything else = automatically hire slower

Without this?

How to hire good people?
- Lie to them & pay them a lot of money

Rick’s Nuggets

Chad Walters from Powerset

Foundation = Structure & Process
Structure- steps, timing & interview questions
Process - flow of the steps, transition & feedback timing, decision

How do we solve the problem?

Principles of doing good interview process. Treat everyone like gold.

You interview me

Earn your job first
- Change the power dynamic
- De stress
- Have they done any research to come up with questions
Do not negotiate
- Pay should be at the 50th percentile not pay above market
- When you have to pay above market the worse your product is
- Tier one vc firm gives - data
- Design for introverts and socially awkward situations
- Don’t repeat

Creative Tactics: Don't work without good fundamentals

Look for “Thank you’s” in IRC/stack overflow
Reverse layup- founders reverse lookup on everyone that follows you
- Already interested in what you have to say. Know who they are
Sit down with your A’s
- Ask who they know, names
- Release from the social awkwardness of asking their friends
- Who follows your A’s?
- Super A’s are how you fire fast
Jr engineers
- Hack reactor- meet everyone and ask ”who is the best engineer is”
Kill the weeds
- Don't need a unanimous vote to say yes
- If you build trust, they trust you to hire the right people

The interview

Assign jobs
Assign interview responsibilities
Founder leads recruiting
Do not waste the team's time with duds.
The highest level Founder/Exec does the filtering so that every candidate that makes it to a full spread interview is a Super A, or an A.
Do this well, you build trust, followers. Do this poorly and you deserve to fail.

Rick’s Nuggets

Purpose is to get to the TRUTH
Script the questions
Discovery call
- Positioning & Impact
Value aligned interview
- Do behaviors align with the values, mission & vision of the business
Working session
- Real life scenario of how the team will work together
- Solve a real problem

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

If the foundation is right. Everything else becomes easier
Spend all your time getting the first people done right
Be relentlessly creative

Guest Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenewcomb/
Blog: https://medium.com/@stevenewcomb
Website: http://famous.co/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevenewcomb

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

How Employee CEO for the Day Scales Your Organization with Ville Houttu of Vincit

Fri, 08 Apr 2022 13:00:00 -0000

Let’s talk about what really draws people to your company… and keeps them there. Trust

Trust is what drives better decision making, customer experience and profitability. But trust is not gained after a person starts working for your company. It is established during the interview process.

You see, people’s job mindset has evolved over the past few years. We are being judged throughout the process for clarity, purpose and structural integrity. Elements that demonstrate that you take your business seriously and are playing to win.

When hiring, start with the end in mind. Focus on retention, with the intention of building trust through the experience for maximum engagement & long term growth.

Guest Bio:

Ville Houttu is the Founder and CEO of Vincit USA. Previously, he helped Vincit Finland to reach 350 employees and make it public on Nasdaq First North marketplace. After the IPO, Ville moved to California to start Vincit’s local subsidiary.

Ville and the company have been recognized by several notable institutions, including 5000 Fastest-Growing Companies in America List. In 2020, he led the company to rank top-50 on the FAST Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators list.

Ville is a known public speaker and his leadership has been featured in several leading publications, including TechCrunch, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Entrepreneur.

Today we discuss:

Why and how to build trust
Concept of the CEO of the Day

Challenges today?

title wave of people leaving your companies
Don't want to work for people who don't trust them
Not looking for dollars & sense anymore
People want a culture that fits
- Let your people build the culture

Why is this important to the company?

It builds trust
We are at the end of us telling employees what to do
Keeping employees happy, healthy and engaged
Make the Inc 5000 list
*** how this translates to business!
Up 65% year on year growth over last year

How do we solve the problem?

CEO for a day every month
How to deploy in your organization
Get everyone on board
- One person who will be the first CEO of the day
Management team needs to step aside
- Open discussion agreeing to not get involved
- No approval needed from management
It’s your call
- Decision based on what you feel the people need
- The Question: does the decision make the workplace better tomorrow than it is today?
- Value in engagement far outweighs the cost
- Goal: helps sales, marketing, operational, engineering
- Can be a very focused area of improvement
- Unlimited budget, everyone gets a turn, no one goes twice

Here’s how CEO of the Day works:

Every month we select one employee to be a CEO for the Day.
He will have an unlimited budget to improve our workplace.
Whatever the CEO of the day decides, we all live with.
We encourage discussion among colleagues, but I do not weigh in.
The CEO will announce his decision in our monthly meeting.
After sharing his decision, the CEO selects the next CEO of the Day.
All employees will get their turn, but nobody goes twice.

Rick’s Nuggets

What if someone (me) wants to buy a Ferrari?

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Join the movement of companies making their employees CEO’s of the Day, and TRUSTING them to build a culture that FITS. Because when you do, you will see that BY TRUSTING your employees you will EARN their trust and LOYALTY in return. And with employees like that, there’s no STOPPING where your business can go.

Guest Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vhouttu/
Company: https://www.linkedin.com/company/vincit-oyj/
LinkedIn: https://www.vincit.fi/en/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Vincit_Plc
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VincitOyj
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vincit_plc/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/VincitFlix/featured
Medium: https://medium.com/vincit
GitHub: https://github.com/Vincit

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

What Makes People Stay or Jump Ship with Nicolas Vandenberghe of Chili Piper

Thu, 31 Mar 2022 23:05:50 -0000

In 2021 38 million people left their jobs and found new ones. This accounts for 57.3% attrition for US-based companies. It seems as the trend continues as 4.3 million people quit in January of this year as well.

A lot of companies are experiencing turnover today and It makes one wonder, who is winning?

The companies that are winning today are those that focus on their people. Focusing on setting systems to enable productivity, fostering personal growth, career-pathing, and quite frankly, listening to what their people want.

Gone are the days of providing free snacks and providing a ping pong table. What people want is much deeper now and requires more effort. what are you doing that is improving their lives and professional growth? If you are unwilling to provide it, they’ll just go somewhere else.

Guest Bio:

Nicolas Vandenberghe is the co-founder and CEO of Chili Piper, a SaaS platform helping B2B companies double their inbound conversion rates. Since its founding in 2016, the SaaS platform has thrived with a 100% remote work culture.

Nicolas is a four-time serial entrepreneur, in diverse verticals from consumer software to biometrics. He builds his companies under the principles of flexibility, professional growth and communication.

Today we discuss:

What makes people stay or jump ship
How to make your company sticky for retention

Challenges today?

Great resignation
People quit managers

Why is this important to the company?

Internal promotions keeps people growing
Teaching management
Avoid hostility in communication
Non violence communication training
Especially applicable to managers
Avoid conflict without avoiding disagreements
Conflict around the disagreement- NOT GOOD

How do we solve the problem?

Flexibility
- High performers - no barriers
- Anywhere in the world
- No schedule requirement (exception) scheduled meetings
- Open & accepting of everyone
- Unlimited vacation schedule
*** Professional growth- formailized
- Quality of the work focus
- Okr’s - not kpi’s- Actions to yield to projected outcome
- Avoid ultimatums, were expectations correct
- Hired 3 coaches
- Developing a piper plan
- Getting it out to eht puclic
- Abolish performance review
- Proactive
Communication hostility avoidance
- Method to rethink your engagements
- Training everyone on the book

Rick’s Nuggets

Career pathing - Huge retention
Link everything to help- core value

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Professional development. Work on the foundation

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nvandenberghe/
Company: http://www.chilipiper.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chilipiper/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chilipiper/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamChiliPiper/

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Building a Performance Based Service Organization with Johnny Robinson of Orange Window Cleaning

Thu, 24 Mar 2022 19:11:08 -0000

Today I’d like to start with a question: What if you could 15x your company in 24 months?

We all understand that this is virtually impossible as a solopreneur. As delegation creates the space for growth.

It is very possible for you to 15x your business by dedicating yourself to becoming really good at hiring. This starts with changing your attitude. “I hate hiring”, or “I’m not good at hiring” or “I'll delegate this to someone else” will not get you where you want to go. It also sets you and your team up for failure.

Today is your wake-up call to embrace getting really good at hiring.

Because the lifeblood of Your business is WHO you hire.

Guest:

Johnny Robinson is owner of Orange Window Cleaning & Mary & A Mop (Maid Service).

During his freshman year of college, Johnny and his best friend Sergio started a window cleaning company by going door to door to small mom and pop businesses. As they continued to pound the pavement, the business started to grow through word of mouth. They started to see the potential for an actual business by building a great reputation, and doubling down on digital marketing.

Fast forward to today, Orange Window Cleaning has AT LEAST doubled every year since starting the business. One key component to this rapid growth has been hiring for performance.

Today we discuss:

Why it is important change your relationship with hiring

Hiring Story

Johnny’s Story - employee doing cocaine at the customer's house. Left residue in the bathroom. 2 months of problems ignored. Operated out to the scarcity mindset and kept them. Confronted and they wouldn’t own up to it. The customer sent pictures. Fired them on the spot.

Shifted mindset- take hiring process more seriously

Challenges today?

Running off emotion over kpi’s
Hate hiring!
Hiring whoever/ too fast
- Desperate for people
- Hiring family or friends
Keeping people too long

Why is this important to the company?

Hiring is hard
Hard to see the problems when you are in the trenches
Treat hiring like marketing-
- Keep the funnel full when you run into problems

Rick’s Nuggets:

Don't hate hiring if you are good at it
Tell yourself- I’m Awesome at hiring
The lifeblood of your business is who you hire

How do we solve the problem?

Listen to podcasts related to industry
- Home Service Expert
Stop taking referrals from the wrong people (c- players)
- Hired 2 people from one underperformer

Vetting with pre-qualification questions tied to core values
- Situational questions
- Hired one of their best people this way

Always be hiring
- Funnel full of applicants
- Run ads - like sales
- Appointment setter (vetting) and Interviewer -closer

Performance based pay structure
- Incentive based- review bonus, upsell bonus,
- Commission - selling a neighbor
- Hourly was killing morale
- rewarded for hard work

Rick’s Nuggets:

Hire power radio??
Document & Practice
- Treat like your pitch deck
- Internalize and teach
Discovery call

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Performance based pay structure - making sure our employees were aligned with the companies goals - growth
ABH - Always be hiring
Join a peer group - EO

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnny-robinson-a2b632120/
Company: https://orangewindowcleaning.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/orange-window-cleaning/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orange_windowcleaning/

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

The Interview Working Session (Skills Assessment) with Rick Girard of Stride Search Inc.

Fri, 18 Mar 2022 00:53:51 -0000

How does one evaluate a subject matter expert when you have limited knowledge or expertise in that discipline?

Most individual technical/skills based interviews last about an hour. Where time is wasted quizzing on subject matter that may or may not be relevant to the actual role itself. Scratching the surface on the level of depth that is brought to the table.

Consider another option. What I like to call a “working session”.

Invite the person to collaborate on a real problem that is relevant to the opportunity. This gives you unbridled insight into how a person thinks, communicates and solves problems within the context of real life.

This allows you to really drill down to gain evidence to support the hiring decision either way.

Today we’re going to discuss:

Why should I care about a working session
How to structure and execute a working session/ skills interview in your company

Challenge today?

Skills not matching up to what someone claimed (faker)
Or... Claimed to be able to handle more than capable (over exaggerator)
Or… Just here for the perks & paycheck (freeloader)
What's happening?
- Hiring Maintainers for builder or improver roles
Testing
Outdated concepts - learned in college
Focusing on irreverent problems
- How many quarters can fit in a VW van
- Smart is good, smart with people is much better
Going too shallow
- Not knowing what to ask
- Not digging deeper to discover the truth

Why is this important to the company?

Too shallow conceals the truth
Smart doesn't ensure success
Relevant skills give evidence of alignment

How do we solve the problem?

Build Interview Structure
- Only need one technical/skills based interview
- Timing
- 2 hours- ½ day
- Pay for their time (optional)
- Who’s involved?
- Co-workers, direct team, anyone in close interaction
Define the problem to be solved
- A current problem that needs to be solved (reason to compensate $)
- 3 components (key hires)
- Goals review- understand expectations of KPI’s
- Data or Gap Analysis- how does the candidate interpret data/requirements/etc
- Collaboration- Review the details of the problem. Work to solve!
- Example
  - Goals review - (5 minutes max)
  - Data Analysis / Gap Analysis - (10 minutes max)
  - Marketing Plan & Strategy (1: 45 minutes)
  - Let’s discuss the marketing plan starting with what you feel is the best strategy
  - Really try to dig into the "Why" How would you bring this plan to life? Based on what you know, what would be your recommendations for reaching the goals? Why? What other angles can we take? What would be the priority? Why?
Preparation for Candidate & Team
- Candidate
- Let them prepare. Send details in advance
- Set expectations and discuss next steps
- Team
- Coach to be open minded and bias free
- Ignore opinions, praise evidence
- Work true - how they act daily
Execute to core values
- Everyone should act as to the standards of the company values

Key Takeaways -Value:

Build a working session for each role. Becomes really easy when you get used to doing it.
Prepare the candidate for success
Team collaboration & buy in based on evidence not “uncertain feelings” - bias

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/ Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/ Podcast: https://www.stridesearch.com/hire-power-radio Authored: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094TL14CD/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

How to Hire in Three Conversations with Nick Livingston of Honeit Software

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 04:56:45 -0000

10 business days is the optimal time to bring an interview process to a successful outcome.

The way to achieve this is to tighten timelines from stage to stage and cut down the number of people involved in the process. Now I know what you are thinking, that more people should be involved. Which is incorrect.

The reason we involve more people in the interview process is because we value their “opinion” or “input” on the individual. But opinion has no value when it comes to making a hiring decision. And opinion is what you get when your interview questions are not tied to gathering evidence.

Opinion breeds assumptions, bias & personal motives. Which do NOT serve the growth of the business.

I’m Rick Girard and welcome to the Hire Power Radio Show. We help Entrepreneurs and executives WIN-WIN the strongest hires.

By sharing insights from top-performing rebel entrepreneurs, game-changers & industry leaders. Like our guest today: Nick Livingston

Nick is the Co-Founder & CEO of Honeit Software.

Formerly the Head of Recruiting at TubeMogul (Adobe), Nick and his team scaled the company from 60 to 360 employees through a successful IPO ($TUBE) in just over 26 months.

In the same two years, he attended business school at UC Berkeley, started a family (three daughters) and co-founded Honeit Software, which is the all-in-one interview platform designed by recruiters to schedule, record, transcribe, search and share interview answers for quick collaboration and higher quality hiring.

Today we discuss:

Why anything more than 3 interviews it too much
How to interview & hire in 3 meetings

In today’s market, a candidate doesn’t have time to speak with 8 different people in your organization.

Challenge today?

Interview simplification
Bad solutions that repel solid people
Screening
One way video interviews

Why is this important to the company?

Interview data gets lost
Transparency attracts talent
Job seekers have become really savvy
Humans have changed

Rick’s Nuggets

Value of the discovery call is lost
Reason why people are not showing up for a job interview
Positioning
- What a person desires
- Are they an A-player

How do we solve the problem?

Interview conversations as business intelligence conversations
- Competitive intelligence
- If you record business conversations, you can tag, search, and rewind the tape.
Interview structure:
- Questions related to core values
- Questions related to the specific role/skill/need
- Who’s asking the questions? Who knows a good vs. great answer.
Interview Collaboration
- role of the recruiter was to give ‘time back’ to hiring managers
- But recruiters are not SME…. where the phone screen falls flat..
- Coordinated questions
Share interview data/answers/highlights.
- Record the interview
- Who are good interviewers
- What makes a good question, what makes a great answer.
Better Interview experience
- Do we still need 8 separate 45-minute conversations for 8 people to be involved with the interview process? NO!
Hiring kick off call…

Rick’s Nuggets

Discovery call
Interview #1 - Value alignment
Interview #2 - Skills
- Working session
Interview #3 - Value Alignment / offer

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! (Value):

Interviews are two-way conversation… Candidates are interviewing YOU and your team.
Record interviews for - transparency, accountability, to rewind the tape, to protect your company (discrimination lawsuits).

Guest Links
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicklivingston/
Company: https://www.honeit.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/honeit/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/honeit/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/honeit

Host Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor: Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Today’s Hiring Complaints Solved with Ashish Rampal of All Imaging Systems

Thu, 03 Mar 2022 22:48:34 -0000

The two biggest complaints I hear today from entrepreneurs are “I can't find good people” and “when I hire people, the skills don’t match up”.

The first issue, not being able to “find good people” is an easy one to solve. You're fishing in the wrong ponds! Posting & praying may be working for some roles but the more crucial roles require that more creative tactics be deployed. Go to where your audience is interacting regularly. Hint: Not job boards.

The second issue, “skills not matching” with what a person represented in the interview, is a HUGE indicator of a poor interview process.

Too often we hear what we want to hear (confirmation bias) and we quickly move to get the person to accept the position. Never digging deeper to understand the what, when & how of a person’s work.

Remember the purpose of the interview is to understand the truth of the person across the desk from you.

I’m Rick Girard and welcome to the Hire Power Radio Show. We help Entrepreneurs and executives WIN-WIN the strongest hires.

By sharing insights from top-performing rebel entrepreneurs, game-changers & industry leaders. Like our guest today: Ashish Rampal

Ashish serves as President and CEO of All Imaging Systems. He brings nearly 30 years of experience delivering high growth among, Service and Green Tech companies.

His passion for bringing strategy and innovation together has fueled a long list of leadership accomplishments. Ashish has risen to complex challenges where he has crafted growth strategies, tapped new emerging markets and energized global teams – with many successes coming within turnaround environments.

His leadership approach reflects his deep expertise in creating and leveraging teams that are driven to innovate and excel.

Today we discuss:

How to find the right people outside of job boards
How to dig deeper on skills to gain evidence of competency

Hiring Story

Hire - skills did not match the skills for the job
Kept on for 8 months moving from role to role
- Right person on the wrong bus
Demonstrated Ashish being a weak leader
Intention was one of care & empathy but it was misaligned with the goal of making high performance be their best
Warning signs
Pushbacks from key people not to have to interact with that person
Cost 8 months of salary- $40k
Impact to culture
Impact the trust of his team

Challenge today?

Finding people through social networks who are not on LinkedIn
- Resources are not digital natives
- No LinkedIn account
- Meetups
- Training programs alumni

Why is this important to the company?

People are the path to which we scale
- To be a relevant business need to bring value over the OEM’s
- More cost effective option
- Reverse engineering to repair

Rick’s Nuggets

Sources
- Passive referrals
- LinkedIn sourcing
- Professional groups /associations
- Meetups, repositories, college faculty

How do we solve the problem?

Bring complex challenges into the company
- Unique business - OEM agnostic, lot of learning opportunities and exposure to different technology
- Full exposure to business life cycle
- Solving a problem with minimal competitor
Talent is recognized
- People Feel respected
- Have a voice - Let you know when a bad hire has been made
- Love the challenge
- Like who they work with
- Failure is accepted and celebrated
Demonstrate Leadership
- Trust through empowerment
- Focus on Morale
- Self introspection
- Culture of win or affirm, working on today, need help
- Inject energy -”try to change the weather”
- Let the team connect emotionally

Rick’s Nuggets

Competency digging
First discussed on the Discovery call
- Impact made in the organization
- The exact steps taken to complete the project
Interview- Working Session
- Solve a relevant problem together with the team

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! -Value:

You are the custodian of the culture - you define
In times of fear or uncertainty the best response is ACTION
Teams prefer a leader who is REAL as opposed to one who is CORRECT

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashishrampal/ Company: https://allimaging.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/all-imaging-systems/

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/ Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/ Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com Show

Sponsor: Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

How to Tie Your Core Values to Interview with Rick Girard of Stride Search Inc.

Thu, 24 Feb 2022 20:41:20 -0000

Two people sit down in an interview. What happens next??? What happens is that, well, we have no idea what happens.

But the data suggests that a decision is made on behalf of the interviewer in the first 7 minutes of the conversation. The remainder of the time is used to confirm the decision.

There is no way that a person can extract enough evidence to support making a correct decision without bias or personal motives in an unstructured process.

A perfect breeding ground for Murphy’s law- Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong

How well a person aligns with the company’s values, vision & purpose is the only way to ensure the success of the person you hire.

Today we discuss:

Why tying values to interview questions is the only way to eliminate bias
How to build an interview question for a company value

Challenge today?

Interviews are purely subjective
- Still ranking candidates - Scorecards
- Compare & contrast conversations
- Evaluate exclusively for Skills
- Interviewer coordination
  - Different interviewers asking same questions

Why is this important to the company?

The wrong hire costs 3-10x annual salary
- Think of each person being worth $2M to the company.
  - Perspective change?
- Wrong hire costs in employee morale & your credibility as a leader
People are the #1 reason for failure
- All your business problems are people problems in disguise

How do we solve the problem?

Define Core Values
- Define attributes for each core value (traits)
- Prioritize values (rank in order of importance)
- Measurables of each value
- Agree on values (are they lived daily)
Dig Deeper (Committed, Expertise, Curious)
- Invest the time to fully comprehend the root of your challenges
- Listen to Understand, not to respond
Build Interview Question Library
- Craft Behavioral questions (2-3)
- Determine **Knockouts
- Agree on questions

Sample Question

Tell me about the most difficult customer interaction you encountered in your current role (Dig Deeper)

Tell me more…
Walk me through that…
What were the circumstances that led to the difficulty?
What was the root of the customer issue?
What solutions did you come up with?
How were you able to calm them down?
Break down the steps you took to resolve the problem
Why was their view important to you?
How were you able to deliver beyond their expectations?
How did the interaction end?

Assign Questions to Interviewer

Easier on the interviewer
- Very little prep time for interview
- Gathers concrete evidence
- Eliminates Bias & personal motives from the interview!

Key Takeaways -Value:

Break your Values down in measurable components to which you can evaluate a person’s fit
Interview questions must have sub questions to keep the conversation flowing. We want deep data from each interviewee!

Host Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/
Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/
Podcast: https://www.stridesearch.com/hire-power-radio
Authored: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094TL14CD/
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Owning Your IP: Employment & Independent Contractor Agreements with Devin Miller of Miller IP Law

Thu, 17 Feb 2022 19:21:06 -0000

When time is of the essence and work needs to be executed, we often forego formalities and hop right into execution. Hiring a contractor or friend to help you with the work.

This was the case with my friend Pat (name changed) who paid a friend to build a proprietary software product for her company. A lot of problems came up in the process and the relationship was terminated. Pat wanted the IP to finish the product but there was no formal agreement in place and Pat did not own the IP.

Long story short, the relationship went south and it ended up in litigation. The end result was an additional 7 figure payout to obtain the rights to the code so the company could finish & release the product. A very costly encounter for Pat that would have been circumvented with a written agreement.

Today we discuss:

Why your IP needs to be protected before you hire
How to best protect it with anyone who touches your product

Challenge today?

Is your IP protected
- Freelancing platform
- Software / product Development contractors
- Website development
- Video creation
- Training manuals/courses

Why is this important to the company?

Becomes a problem when…
- Changing the terms of the agreement (product development)
- Not having rights to the video content you paid for

Rick’s Nuggets

Employment/ Co-Founder Agreements
What happens when someone leaves
Who owns what? Messy & difficult
Without an operating agreement:
- You don't own and may have a non exclusive right to the IP

How do we solve the problem?

Get this in place BEFORE you pay anyone!!!
Components that protect you
Outline the role/position
- Work for hire
- Fiver not protected
- CIAA
Indicate when the relationship concludes
- Indicate that their role is either an employee or an independent contractor
- If they are employee, indicate the extent they can make decisions for the company or represent the company (or not), information they keep confidential, non-competes, etc.
- If they are an independent contractor, indicate that they are not an employee of the company, do not represent or make decisions on behalf of the company, the company doesn’t pay their insurance or taxes, they are a separate legal entity, shorter term arrangement, you don’t exert control of the contractor, etc.
* Duty to assign the rights to you
- Whether they are an employee or an independent contractor, make sure to include a clause indicating that they have a duty to assign any materials, work product, patents, trademarks, copyrights, and so forth that they created. If they are an employee this includes any work product created during their employment and using any information or assets of the company. If they are an independent contractor, this includes any work product and intellectual property created while the independent contractor is working on the project.
Exclusive rights
- To the extent that the employee or contractor maintains any rights to the intellectual property or other works, they give the business an exclusive license to the IP/works free of charge

Rick’s Nuggets

Expectation Alignment
Values Aligned (employee/founder)
Clearly defined expectations
- timelines and deliverables
Formal Service Agreement

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! -Value:

Get agreements in place
Know what the agreements cover
Review/update the agreements periodically so make sure they still cover what you are doing

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/millerip/

Company: https://milleripl.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/miller-ip-law/

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/

Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/

Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com

Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre

HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor:

Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

What Really Matters in Employee Branding Today with Bryan Adams of Ph.Creative

Fri, 11 Feb 2022 02:37:27 -0000

Those of you who have listened to the show, know that I am no big fan of “employer branding” because I believe it is generic and unrealistic. Often selling an image of unicorns & rainbows topped off with free lunch.

To me, job advertisements feel like the car dealer who advertises a low price just to get you in the door only to sell you a lemon at the end of the day.

We all understand that every company has its challenges. So why not paint an accurate picture of what the company REALLY is once you start working there?

Simply sharing the good, bad & the ugly of your company is the first step to eliminating bad hires. It attracts the right people, repels those who don’t align with the company values and eliminates the surprises that cause people to question their decision to join your company.

Today we discuss:

Employer branding: why & when
How to brand in the most effective way

Challenge today?

Employer branding:
Marketing and branding are not the same thing
Purpose to employer brand strategy is different than consumer brand strategy
- Talent was the commodity and technology was differentiator
- That has switched
People leaving companies in droves
Not connecting with the right people
Differentiation and purpose
- Career decision is transactional
- Operating tactically

Why is this important to the company?

C-suite are talking about employer branding
Approach without strategy causes more problems than it solves

Rick’s Nuggets

Employer branding is strictly a top of funnel activity
- Convinced ourselves that EVERYONE need to be attracted to the brand
- Does nothing to ensure that the right person is being hired
- Top of funnel is a vanity metric

How do we solve the problem?

Understand the organization
- Gaps are?
- Foundation of the culture
- What the people strategy needs to align to
- Culture you have rather than the culture you need

Strategy
- Reputation (what & why)
  - Specific & tangible that aligns with the business
  - Career catalyst (career path) , culture (sense of belonging, great place to work) & citizenship (impact you have on society, doing good)
- Expectation (how)
- Give & Get
  - What the organization wants & needs in return
  - Comfortable with what you have to give
- Adds more value, more authentic enables greater appreciation
- Uncover a clear proposition
- Things that repel most people attract the right people!
- Polarize your audience

Experience
- Validate the claim & the experience
- Navy seals- Hell week. It has a specific reason in the experience
- Employee experience is more important than candidate experience
- Know exactly where to spend your time & resource

Job Advertisement
- Story right
- Needs to be a true preview on what to expect
- What keeps people
- “Dissuade people not to join” and you couldn't lie, what would you say?

Rick’s Nuggets

Only need to see one person to fill one role
- Less candidate flow is the new badge of honor!

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! -Value:

Get specific - Be clear on the talent you need to grow your company and what it takes to really thrive. This helps define the reputation you need as an employer and the proposition you have to offer to make it all worthwhile.
Show Vulnerability - Tell a refreshingly honest story of where you are, where you’re going, what’s missing and left to build .. show people a very real picture where they can add value and find purpose in their work.
Own the truth - Include the harsh realities and adversities of your employee experience - 99% of people may run for the hills, but the 1% of people who lean in will likely be the best candidates & employees for your company. Plus it’ll save you a ton of admin and distraction from a blizzard of unqualified candidates.
Finally word :- this strategic view of building and defining culture with a simple employer brand can never come too soon. Do it immediately. It’s easy, free and can make all the difference especially within a scrappy startup

Guest Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanadams1/

Company: https://www.ph-creative.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ph.creative/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/phcreative

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ph.Headquarters

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ph.creativelife/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/PhCreativeVideo

Host Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/

Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/ Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com

Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre

HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com Show

Sponsor: Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Hire Faster by Interviewing Deeper with Kison Patel of MAScience & DealRoom

Thu, 03 Feb 2022 23:55:24 -0000

As an entrepreneur, we all share one thing in common. Every single one of us has made a bad hire.

Let’s define what a bad hire is. A bad hire is what happens when our need to fill something quickly overrides our logic. The interview process gets rushed, red flags get overlooked, and… Just like that, you have hired a person who is nothing more than a seat filler. We all hope that the person will work out but we know deep down we just made a bad hire.

Here’s the truth: You can still hire quickly when you slow down your interview process. Less steps, more quality time. Going deep is the only way to uncover the fit of the individual into the culture of the organization.

Today we discuss:

Why we continually make bad hires & when to break the cycle
How to go deeper while moving faster

Kison’s Hiring Story:

Hired the first 5 people who responded to his craigslist ad
- Flannel shirt, BO guy who sent video rants.
- Went through a year and a half of harassment.

Challenge today?

Hiring across functions
- Organic vs outside leaders
- Be proactive about letting people go
- Talent you need with goals your trying to achieve
- 1 of 8 hires was a bad hire in 2021
- Development function & Marketing is really mature, low attrition

Why is this important to the company?

Learning
- When to take a passive hiring approach
- Knowing key roles, CFO, Demand Gen… get to know those people and courting
- Centralizing the hiring

Rick’s Nuggets

My bad hire story
- Friend no more - The relationship ending was on me!
  - Expectations Alignment document (write it down!)
Root of the issue: expectation alignment
Not sharing the same values
Process allows people to take you seriously
Interview: less questions, more depth

How do we solve the problem?

Accountability
- Shifted from founder hiring to leaders
- Stepping back and optimizing leads
- One person that didn't work out came through a search firm
Being systematic
- Pragmatic in having a comprehensive scope
- Do more passive recruiting
- Test project 24 hours
Closing people
- Ended to end in 10 days
- Keeping things compressed
- *** Write the offer letter on the phone with the person

Rick’s Nuggets

For critical hires:

Create an expectations document (Positioning & Accountability)
- Why (pain)
- Desire (do we both want the same thing?- positioning)
  - “Positioning is the single largest influence on the buying decision.” -Geoffrey A. Moore, Crossing the Chasm
- Impact (growth plan)
Outline & communicate your process
- People check out with time & poor communication
- Provide active feedback
Timing
- Time + communication + feedback = Hire
- Less time, more depth
- Empower each person to be a decision maker

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! -Value:

Identify and build your company's core values
Utilize your referrals and be proactive with recruiting

Guest Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kisonpatel/
Company: https://www.mascience.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mascience/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dealroominc?lang=en
Website: https://kisonpatel.com/

Host Links:

Episode Sponsor: Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Organizational Growth Through Culture Prioritization with Justin Erdtsieck of Trencore & Brix

Fri, 28 Jan 2022 20:43:43 -0000

We hear a lot about culture today as being the most important aspect of growth. Yet product development & sales are too often prioritized over people.

Let’s break this down for a quick minute. Your company's success and/or failure is determined by your people and the relationship you have with their growth. What this means as an entrepreneur is that you are responsible for creating an environment where communication and failure is embraced and celebrated.

It is only when people feel safe & important that they take ownership of their role and allow themselves to thrive.

Guest Today: Justin Erdtsieck, President of Trencore & Brix

In 2016, Justin started to focus the business on hard work, perseverance, determination, resilience, compassion, and trust, and then began relaying these core values to his team through servant leadership.

Each individual employee knows they’re valued and respected and in turn, they care for the company and the final product.

As a result of this mindset shift, Justin has grown the company from $10M in revenue to over $60M in just a few years.

Today we discuss:

Why you must adopt the mindset shift from product to people
Justin’s mission to put culture at the forefront of the business & the results of that work

Challenge today?

Story:
- Stagen: coaching
- Culture was a shit show!
- Inspired by a tour of Zappos. Allowed everyone to create their own space
Bio -
- History of the company
- Who we are as a company
- People come in with understanding the purpose
- Training

Why is this important to the company?

2016 - now- grew from $10M to $60M in revenue. 600 people
People want to stay- no one has quit in 4 years
Proactive communication has saved the company over $1M a year

How do we solve the problem?

Review Core Values
- Weekly Standup
- Check In meetings in the field (fostering company health)
Culture
- Creating a purpose, helping everyone understand the why
- Living by core values
- Innovative on spreading the word on purpose,
- “A place where people feel safe & enjoy the experience we call work”
Hiring process
- Eliminate the cancer
- Starting people from the bottom and growing them
- No formal interview process
Moved people up internally!
- Understand the culture
- Teach
  - Trial by fire first… didn't work
  - Stagen program for leadership
  - Personal development is key
- Motivated
- Creating daily habits to hold people accountable

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! -Value:

Document your purpose so the people who work with you understand the “WHY”
Success comes when you stop worrying about how much money you are going to make
Treat people well, take care of yourself & create a good support syste

Guest Links:

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-erdtsieck-a20716105/

Company: https://trencoreandbrix.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/trencore-brix/

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/

Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/

Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com

Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre HireOS

inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor: Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

The Hiring Yin & Yang: Job Postings vs Recruiting with Kelly Robinson of RedDot Media

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 20:39:21 -0000

Sourcing talented people is a HUGE challenge right now. Over 38 million people quit their jobs in 2021. And a lot of them are not coming back.

Then we have the divide over pandemic policies that has driven people away from corporate America. Making it more difficult to retain good people.

But sourcing is not the biggest challenge in today’s hiring landscape. Engagement is. It is important that we utilize every viable avenue (ie: boards, postings & direct recruiting) with the objective of just starting intentional conversations. By intentional, I mean, not selling. But understanding the desires of the person first… Because It's not about you. Intentional conversations lead to engagement. Engagement leads to the hire!

About the Guest: Kelly Robinson, CEO of RedDotMedia

Kelly founded Broadbean.com Inc 2001, which was acquired by CareerBuilder in 2014. Now he leads RedDot Media, a recruitment advertising agency with a particular skill in programmatic advertising campaigns.

Kelly has spent the last 25 years in recruitment and recruitment technology, during which time he has grown, integrated, bought, and sold businesses in both the UK and US. Kelly is the goto industry expert in all things job posting

Today we discuss:

The current job posting landscape
How to best utilize the tools available to maximize your hiring outcome

Challenge today?

Everyone is having a staffing crisis
- Not about the job posting.
- It is about making a connection
- 14k recruiter jobs got added Friday!
- 100% more jobs available,
3 % of the workforce has just … quit in just one month!
- Meaningful work!

Rick’s Nuggets

Structure is winning over $$
What no one is talking about
vaccination policy of the company

How do we solve the problem?

Posting
Depends on the position
Indeed
Ziprecruiter
Linkedin-sourcing/outreach
- Sales people, marketing, recruiters
Dice, Angel list
Write a great ad
Nothing’s Free - It’s all paid
Algorithm distributes jobs equally
PPC has gone away. Can't define what you pay per click
Need to spend at least $250
- Should translate to 10 applications

Rick’s Nuggets

Active Reach Out!
1 hour a week
Discovery call- where the magic happens
Buy in/opt out
Referrals - HUGE VALUE

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! -Value:

Yesterdays ideas dont work today
Cant do things cheeper

Guest Links:

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyjrobinson/

Company: https://reddotmedia.co/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/reddotmedia/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/reddotmedia.co

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kellyjrobinson

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/

Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/

Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com

Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre

HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor: Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

How to Hire Through the Plague of Lying, Ghosting & Absurd Demands with Rick Girard of Stride Search Inc.

Thu, 20 Jan 2022 00:29:49 -0000

We are neck-deep into a highly competitive job seeker’s market. What this means is that the feeding frenzy for talent has created a perfect storm for people to ask for a lot… and get it. The interview process has been plagued with bait and switch tactics, ridiculous compensation renegotiations (after the offer has been accepted), and outright ghosting once an offer is accepted.

The root of the issue is the transactional way your interview is being run. Evolving your phone screen into an in-depth “Discovery Call” is the first step to eliminate the huge time sink that results in a turned-down offer.

Today we are going to discuss the pivot that must take place in your hiring practice to align with what people really want. And it all starts with your first interaction.

Today we discuss:

The changes in candidate attitude and positioning
How to eliminate the frustration & engage people at a more human level
- Approach evolution
Here's what I am hearing from a lot of entrepreneurs
- A lot of dishonesty
- People are being unreasonable when it comes to their demands

Challenge today?

People are lying on phone screens
Not showing up for interviews
people asking for ridiculous stuff
Problem:
We still approach people with an “About us first”
Educational approach with selling
- Needs to be done at the end of the phone screen
Practice of not negotiating
- Negotiating mitigated when people want it

Why is this important to the company?

Losing great talent
It keeps you awake at night

Rick’s Nuggets

I believe that a lot of the challenges are coming from two places:
- Speed
  - Not taking the time to understand before selling
- Need
  - Need to get this filled / off my plate

How do we solve the problem?

Your phone screen (aka: discovery call) sets the tone for the relationship
- If your transactional, expect that from the relationship
- If your adding value, expect that from the relationship
Adding value:
- Seek to understand a person’s WHY (Career Wounds)
  - What's broken in their career that you can fix
- What does this person want? (besides a job)
  - Environment in which they will thrive
- Can they make an impact?
  - Past performance is a key indicator of future performance
- Do they align with your opportunity?
  - Where do they fit, where they do NOT fit
  - How you solve their career wounds
  - Let them connect the dots for you

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/dEWWWEq
Company: https://lnkd.in/dG5aMUxY
Podcast: https://lnkd.in/gyG9YDuD
Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre
HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Show Sponsor: Criteria Corp: https://lnkd.in/g8YbdsH

Juggling Fundraising While Building a Strong Team with Bruce Watanabe of PowerBuy

Fri, 07 Jan 2022 01:34:11 -0000

People will only do something when it is in their own best interest AND aligns with our values.

This was a key takeaway for me from the book “What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There” by Marshall Goldsmith.

We talk a lot about aligning with values when hiring on this show. And almost everyone recognizes the importance but it is so often missed. Why?

First, the disdain that most of us share for hiring. Very few entrepreneurs enjoy the process of interviewing & hiring. But it is the single most important activity that YOU can get good at that will make the biggest impact in your organization.

Second, the path of least resistance is easy… But it is almost always the wrong path. We must remember that the purpose of the interview is to get to the TRUTH about the person no matter the source. And the truth you need to know is not in skills. It is in positioning and value alignment.

Bruce Watanabe is a serial entrepreneur whom has co-founded a number of technology and Internet ventures including, PowerBuy, MassGenie, SIRE Mobile (SMS Solutions), and SETA International (Global Systems Integrator & Solution Provider).

With over 20+ years of leadership experience ranging from start-ups to Fortune 10 companies, Bruce is proficient in corporate strategy, business development, sales, and channel development. He is actively building Powerset from the ashes of a pivot and is here to share his wisdom

Today we discuss:

Why it is important to prioritize the thing you hate most (interviewing)
How to balance raising capital while building a stellar team.

Challenge today?

People are the most important aspect of a company
As an early stage startup
- Balancing generating revenue while getting financing
- Need capital to hire the right people
- Pivot the business to powerbyte
- Lack of funding, resources
- Have the grit to power through the pivot

Why is this important to the company?

Only a handful of people stayed
- Believed in the vision- disrupting social commerce
- CTO- grit / determination to power through
Relaunched the company
- Second raise
Balance the valuation

Rick’s Nuggets

First recognize/admit that you have no idea how to hire (admit to your problem)
Prioritize getting good at Interviewing
- Values
- Process
- Evidence

How do we solve the problem?

Bringing the right team in place
- Referrals- all interconnected
- Advisors- only way to hire people
  - Vouch for someone
  - Advisors must be strong
Prefer a strong
At the end of the day, you can buy talent, you can't buy grit
Would love to get good at interviewing but …
- Really hard to gauge if someone

Rick’s Nuggets

Take an active role in interviewing
- Seek to understand- filters down through the organization.
- Poke holes & dig deep
Understanding positioning
- What does the person really want to do?
- Desire = Passion
- Does their desire align with my goal
  - Don't be just a paycheck
Everyone gets the same interview
- Often the best person for the business is the least like you
- Evidence supports strong decision making

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! -Value:

Make sure you know who you are getting into bed with- have a great team
Know who your co-founders are
- If you are friends, be prepared to lose them. Rarely a happy ending
Don’t hire on a resume/linkedin profile

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/

Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/

Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com

Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre

HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Guest Links

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/bruce-watanabe-5a661a4/

Company: https://linktr.ee/powerbuyapp

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ppowerbuy/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/powerbuyapp

Twitter: https://twitter.com/powerbuyapp

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/powerbuyapp/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDjcG5dHXE282FGzfaf2Jjw

Pinterest:https://www.pinterest.com/powerbuyapp/_saved/

TikToK: https://www.tiktok.com/@powerbuy.app?

Show Sponsor:

Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

The Danger in Skipping the Interview for Internal Referrals with Todd Ausherman of Notaroo

Tue, 28 Dec 2021 19:36:23 -0000

Most of us have a tendency to fast track anyone who comes through an internal referral. The rationalization is that we automatically trust the referral source so the person will be a great hire. Add time pressure to fill the role and we are ready to extend an offer before the interview takes place.

Yes there is an increased likelihood that the person will work out. But there is danger too.

Because a person is a referral, is the exact reason why they need to be impressed with your thoroughness in your interview process. This does not dissuade the A-players from joining you. It gives them the impression of excellence expected from everyone within the organization.

Our guest today: Todd Ausherman, CEO of Notaroo

Todd is an attorney and entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in building high growth companies in the financial services space. Having successfully exited multiple companies, while personally hiring hundreds of employees along the way, he is currently building Notaroo, a lending software platform for the mortgage industry.

Todd is here to share his experience with hiring internal referrals.

Today we discuss:

Why it is critical to thoroughly vet internal referrals
How to ensure the the referral fits

Challenge today?

The internal hire from the company that acquired the company
Build from 19-250 people in 3 years
Went into default and took two people
Got a hero and a zero
The zero - had his own way
Created a lot of barriers
Nothing got done
First hire power bred discontent among his tribe
- Led to a mutiny
- Unreasonable belief in his ability
Project fell flat

Why is this important to the company?

The team of malcontents poisoned the culture
Ultimately the CEO unloaded a bad employee on him

Rick’s Nuggets

Must do diligence for everyone, especially referrals
- Why is this person being referred to me?
- Do they align with our values?

How do we solve the problem?

Culture first
- Create a lot of events
- Break down the communication barriers
- Humanize himself as a leader
- Open a channel for people to be heard, raise your hand
Spread out the balance of power
- Minimize the possibility of a mutiny
- Team leads responsible for smaller teams
Decentralized hiring control to the team leads
- Process that multiple people decided on the hire
- Recruiting - intro calls
- Interview conducted in groups of 2- accountability partner
- Leader final interview
  - Penguin question
  - Hired a person who didn't like penguins(company mascot), it didn't work out.
  - Knockout question: stick to it
Fire Fast
- Eliminate the cancer as soon as you learn of it

Rick’s Nuggets

Values are what form your culture
Hiring process!
Knockout question!

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! - Value:

Sticking to your knockout question
Mindful of your key lieutenants and what their motivations are
Confront the uncomfortable truth of seeing a person who is a performer but the agenda is self driven. Don't hide behind a person’s performance- cowardly

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/

Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/

Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com

Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre

HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Guest Links:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddausherman/

Company: :https://www.getnotaroo.com/

Show Sponsor:

Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

The Reality of Recruiting for Your New Startup with Craig Conlee of Braid Theory

Thu, 16 Dec 2021 20:19:30 -0000

Finding the right people for your ground level startup is really hard!

As every startup founder can attest, there is just no playbook to getting the right people to join your team. It is about just getting anyone with the right skills to join the team. Often resulting in an unsuccessful endeavor.

So what’s missing? …. Positioning & expectations alignment.

Positioning is rooted in what the person you are considering, really DESIRES their professional growth. Are they a builder? A Improver? Or a maintainer?

Expectation alignment is how well the person aligns with your company values and what your expectations are for performance:

Step 1. Document your values and share them with each person. Allow them to lean in or bow out.

Step 2. Document how both parties view the responsibilities & performance standards.

Step 3. Then come to an agreement on how to keep each other accountable.

Our guest today: Craig Conlee, Executive Advisor & Former Founder & CEO of Zealr

Craig Conlee has over 25 years of selling enterprise software for giants like IBM and HP with over $110M in total software sales. In 2015, Craig decided to startup a ML/AI B2B SaaS company to solve a problem he faced as a sales person. Craig graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a major in Political Science. As a student athlete, Craig is still the shortest rower in the 150 year history of CAL Crew.

Craig Conlee grew up in Newport Beach, CA where he met his wife. Currently, he is living in Orange County with his family.

Today we discuss:

Why alignment is so critical when hiring
How to align with people so they lean in to your opportunity

Challenge today?

Getting people that understand the work involved with a startup

Around location, mindset
- Maybe a social thing?
- A lot of people want to join a startup but want to be paid
- Don’t understand equity
Right mindset,
- Easy to check out
- Your not paying them
- Let people join the team that don't fit the values
- All equity based
- Guilt for asking them to do work because you are asking a lot

Why is this important to the company?

Gravitate toward people who understand
A lot of education of the reality
You have to be very upfront as to where you are in the stage of my startup.
Which allowed me to clearly understand if they want to join or not.

How do we solve the problem?

Process in which you get to know people better
- Repeatable & consistent way of interviewing
- Every conversation was different
- The good hires were just “lucky”
- Remove the luck from hiring
  - Worst gambler, yet a startup founder
Understanding what they want and what to expect
- What they want
  - Avoid
  - Leading the witness
  - Selling rather than listening ***
- Expectations
  - High risk of not succeeding
  - Equity as compensation
  - People getting offended by perceived value
  - Want a mix of cash & equity
  - Hire slow, fire really fast. Have knowledge base centralized for quick transition
Don't let yourself be held hostage
- Avoid paying salary & equity balance- if they leave you have to start all over again
- Balance keeping them from leaving
- Conflict of interest in terms of valuation
- Equity only
- If it doesn't work out, it wasn't meant to be

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! - Value:

Have a sound, repeatable process of interview hiring
Hire slow, fire really fast.
Don't be held hostage!

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/

Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/

Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com

Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre

HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigconlee/

Twitter:https://twitter.com/velocitydata

Show Sponsor:

Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Messaging to Personality Wins Positive Response with Greg Skloot of Crystal Knows

Thu, 09 Dec 2021 23:15:55 -0000

I sent out 63 inmails through linkedin a few weeks back and received only 2 responses.

My mistake… I did not tailor my message to the individual. Now, 8 months ago those same messages were getting on average a 52% response rate, so what happened?

With all the noise fighting to get people's attention, It is easier than ever to get ignored. When the messaging you send seems way too common or anything at all like a templated message, you will fail.

Now, more than ever, the language you use when reaching out to prospective employees matters. And thoughtful messaging designed to align with a person's personality style is the most effective way to win-win a response!

Our guest today: Greg Skloot, Co-Founder & CEO of Crystal Knows.

Crystal is the app that tells you anyone’s personality. Using Artificial Intelligence, Crystal accurately identifies a person’s motivations, communication style, and other behavioral traits.

Greg and his company have been featured in Inc, Fortune, CNN, Fast Company, MIT Technology Review, Wired, and the Guardian. He is the co-author of a book published by Wiley in 2019, Predicting Personality: Using AI to understand people and win more business. He was recognized by Forbes as 30 Under 30 in enterprise technology.

Today we discuss:

Why people are NOT responding to your outreach
How to get people to pay attention to you when you reach out to them

Challenge today?

Tough to get people top of the funnel
Cold writing, how to get someone to respond.
- Information overload
- Email not personalized
- Does Not speak to who they are
- Does Not communicate how they like to communicate
- Passive- no incentive to take action if the email feels like a templated email.
Cold emails are really easy to disregard right now
The same role needs to be marketed differently for different people

Why is this important to the company?

More important now due to the tightness of the labor market
Difficult to get people into the top of the funnel

Rick’s Nuggets

Messaging from 6 months ago is really not working right now
- Way too much noise
- “What’s the opportunity?”

How do we solve the problem?

Learn DISC
- Dominance, Influence, Compliance, Steadiness
- Free reading online
- Integrating disc within your culture
- Theory , knowledge & practice
- Behavior & characteristics that are most important for a role
Know the Disc type of person you reaching out to
- Expectations for the role
- What the candidate's DISC profile is.
- Personality fit percentage
- Not supposed to be a disqualifier
Adjust your communication style
- Communicate how the other person WANTS to be communicated with

Rick’s Nuggets

Hit someone with the PAIN first

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! - Value:

Use personality insights to break through the noise when emailing candidates cold
Adjust how you pitch a role based on the candidate’s personality
Consider integrating DISC into how your organization thinks about communication in hiring, team building and selling

Host Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/

Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/

Podcast: https://www.hirepowerradio.com

Authored: "Healing Career Wounds" https://amzn.to/3tGbtre

HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregskloot/

Company: https://www.crystalknows.com/

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/crystal_knows/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crystalknowsme/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/gregskloot

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crystalknowsme/?hl=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9BjRz6BlFNdQE1WRpFGIDQ/videos

----------

Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Following Hiring “Best Practices” Severely Impacts Your Ability to Hire with Rick Girard of Stride Search Inc.

Fri, 03 Dec 2021 00:24:12 -0000

We all have bought into the belief that following hiring best practices will ensure that we make the correct hiring decisions. Yet those best practices really do not produce consistent results. Why?

First, “best practices” are guidelines that trickle down from the big name-brand companies who all have the advantage of a much fatter wallet… And they are Transactional!

Second, what works for large companies does not work for startups. The truth is that you are needing to hire totally different people. Startup companies need “builders” to fuel company growth. And builders are not all about the $$money. They are about personal & professional growth.

This requires that you approach these people in a way that is counterintuitive to “best practices” and centered upon answering the question, “what’s in it for me”.

For those of you who are new to the show or don’t know me yet:

Cut my teeth as an Executive Recruiter for Tech Startups in the Silicon Valley
Coached leaders, candidates & helped to build over 200 tech companies
Black belt in BJJ, F1 aficionado & adrenaline junkie

Today we discuss:

Why it is critical to break away from hiring best practices
Process to create your Own “best practices” that crush your competitors

Challenge today?

Beliefs

There really is NO right way to hire
Hiring Fails are acceptable (50% success rate)
- Cost of doing business
Copy those who are already successful
- Google today is much different than Google at your stage.
- Evaluate for cultural fit… you evaluate for skills
People from name brand companies are great hires
- They may be…. If they are builders
- Most people that are willing to leave big companies are not high performers
- High performers have “golden handcuffs” - best to rent
More candidates give me a greater chance of success
- More candidates = time loss
- Target
- 1-3 people per position into the Interview process

Focus

Top of funnel
- Reliance on job boards

Execution

Interview training

How do we solve the problem?

What to believe

Strong hires come from someone in your network
Positioning before Skills
- Positioning is in a person’s DNA
- Builder, Improver, Maintainer
- Only builders will help you grow the company

Focus on the interview, not the funnel

The Interview process is what wins hires, not the number of candidates
Current best practices are:
- 10-15 minutes on a “screening call”
  - Selling the company
  - Selling the job
  - Gather requirements
  - Schedule an interview
Importance of the Discovery call
- Biggest time investment is to be made
- Determines a person's positioning (builder, improver, maintainer)
- Invaluable insight into a person’s pain, what they desire
- Impact they have brought into their current organization (key indicator of a builder)

Make Interviewing your strongest talent

Solidify your process
- Timing
  - from first contact to offer acceptance
  - Timing of each interview (45-1 hour)
- Rules
  - Interviews start and end on time!
  - No meandering
Steps - Discovery call, Interview (video, onsite) -number of interviewers
Content- pre determine & assign interview questions
- Questions must be designed to surface evidence of value alignment
- Not about asking questions but having conversations
Broadcast your process
- Make it known that the interview is challenging
- Hire for Value Alignment first!
- Make it known that you foster growth for “builders”
No Evidence, no vote
- Interviewers need to be trained!
  - Roleplaying
  - Recording conversations
- Bias has no merit
  - Either a “Hell Yes” or a no
  - Decision must be supported by evidence

Rick's Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/

Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/

Podcast: https://www.stridesearch.com/hire-power-radio

Authored: Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094TL14CD/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

HireOS inquiry: rick@stridesearch.com

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Emotional Intelligence First, Skills Second with Nada Lena Nasserdeen of Rise Up For You

Fri, 26 Nov 2021 19:13:54 -0000

Emotional Intelligence is defined as the capacity to be aware of, control, and express one's emotions, and to handle interpersonal relationships judiciously and empathetically.

Over the past year, EQ has become less important to companies because of the NEED for someone to fill the seat. This is just creating more problems, as less care is invested into uncovering the fit into the organization.

We need to understand that high performers are taking their time to find the right opportunity. So this is your wake up call to SLOW down!

Now, more than ever, it is critical to cultivate our own emotional intelligence & implement intelligent hiring practices into your organization.

Our guest today: Nada Nasserdeen, Founder of Rise Up For You

With over 10 years of experience as a college professor and former top executive for an education corporation, Nada understands the importance of fusing education, empowerment, and leadership together as she works with her clients and speaks to audiences worldwide.

Her company, Rise Up For You has been featured and worked with brands such as CBS, Google Next 19, and various Fortune 500 companies as well as small businesses.

Nada has been awarded 40 under 40 professionals in Orange County, California, and Women of Influence for Entrepreneurship in 2021.

She is a #1 Best Selling Author on Amazon, Leadership and Career Confidence Coach, and 2x TEDx Motivational Speaker.

Today we discuss:

Emotional Intelligence and Why it needs to be front and center
How to activate emotional intelligence into your hiring process

Challenge today?

Building technology at such a fast rate
Learning is not catching up
Result: Huge gap in human skills
Most values are human skills
Not looking as values as a benchmark to hire
Fostering the culture of human skills in the company so you can embrace
Social skills are creating problems for the organization
Active values

Why is this important to the company?

Result
Executives who implement Emotional intelligence in hiring
Practicing EI- when things opened up 87% of her team, others were at 12%
Sales increase of 325%

Rick’s Nuggets

Feeding frenzy from the company end
NOW is the time to SLOW down.
- Candidates are taking their time
- Easy to manage the timeline through communication
- Must progress through to conclusion

How do we solve the problem?

Vales need to be activated around EQ
- Take each value 1 by 1 and figure out how to activate it in the culture.
- Steps to put values into action plan
- Create a value campaign
- Plan to execute the value
Coach, train and provide development on these skills
- On going, not a 90 minute
- Enough training to be able to trainer, you no longer need a consulting company
- 6 month engagement
- Skills don't grow overnight
Accurate company analysis
- Gauge on where the company is as far as strengths and weaknesses
- Can not make an impact unless you know the truth
  - Survey to uncover where the work needs to be done
- Looking for evidence

Rick’s Nuggets

Making the values a language
- Decisions made by the north star
Emotional intelligence needs to be tied directly to your values

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! - Value:

Do an assessment - understand who and where your company is
Reevaluate the values and create a strategic map around implementation Ongoing training around soft skills to build the muscles within your team

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadalena/

Company: https://www.riseupforyou.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/riseupforyou/about/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RiseUpForYou/

Twitter: :https://twitter.com/riseupforyou?lang=en

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/riseupforyou/?hl=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RiseUpForYou/featured

FREEBIE: https://calendly.com/riseupforyou/freetraining

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Rick’s Book - Healing Career Wounds:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B094TL14CD/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1

How to Compete & Win-Win Against a Huge Salary with Michael Downing of MDSV Funds

Thu, 18 Nov 2021 23:30:12 -0000

How do you compete against a huge company like Amazon or even a really well funded startup?

If you are competing checkbook to checkbook, you will lose… Every time!

The only way to tilt the odds in your favor today is to really understand the career wounds of the person and to be able to connect the dots as to how your opportunity fulfills their desires.

This requires you to listen. Stop selling and start understanding what is important to the individual. This will allow you to stand out from the competition and allow the person you need to hire to see value above and beyond the paycheck.

Our guest today: Michael Downing, Founding Partner of MDSV Fund

Michael is a Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur, has co-founded 6 software companies over a 28 year career, 3 of his companies were acquired and one had an IPO in 2006.

For the last 3 years, Downing has focused on investing in promising early-stage tech companies via his venture capital fund MDSV. Michael has recruited, hired and managed hundreds of employees over the span of his career.

Today we discuss:

Why leading with the checkbook is a very bad idea
How to win talent by NOT leading with the money

Challenge today?

People are getting paid crazy numbers
People need to have a major passion of belief in the company
Now this is a requirement
Conviction & belief are the new requirement
wild/ disruptive concepts draw in talent
Without a big/bold vision you struggle- pirate ship opportunity- highly disruptive company

Why is this important to the company?

Key positions are being filled by people doing side hustles
- Full Time at companies like facebook
Necessity for side hustles

Rick’s Nuggets

People are jumping ship because they no longer align with the company values
Too often big salaries = lot’s of problems (attrition, toxic culture, bad leadership, undefined work)
If someone turns you down for a higher offer, you blew your hiring process.
“Rent gold before buying silver” - Steve Newcomb

How do we solve the problem?

Be new, bold, unique, disruptive concept- big vision
- A new way to solve a problem, product in a totally different way
- Investor pitch- ½ people say “that's crazy”- your onto something
- Make believers in what you are doing
Build an advisory board first
- Thoughtful about who the members are
- Translates to 6-12 contacts that can be team members
- Credibility
- Positioning
- Funding

Rick’s Nuggets

Have a interviewing process (you are being judged too)
- People to take you seriously

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! - Value:

Set Yourself Up For Hiring Success: It's got to be a Big, Bold, Kickass Vision
Plant Your Roots Early: Your advisory board can be the single most valuable hiring resource in the earliest of days
Don't Conform: Adapt Your Policies & Benefits to people's changing lifestyles

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldowning/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.downing.7161953

Twitter: https://twitter.com/michaeldowning

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

The Need for Entrepreneurs to Ask for Help with Vincent Kimura of Smart Yields

Thu, 11 Nov 2021 21:56:19 -0000

Asking for help as an entrepreneur is often a difficult thing to do. But it is the one thing you MUST do if you want to succeed.

I learned this from my friend, Lori Torres, the founder of Parcel Pending. Lori was able to grow the company from $0 to a $100M exit in six years … and the reason it was such a success is because she asked for help… a lot!

Asking for help gets people engaged. It allows them to gain insight into the business and is critical in getting over the business humps. It also sets the stage to hire outstanding people.

And guess what, people will do it because they want to help.

Our guest today: Vincent Kimura, Co-Founder of Smart Yields.

A Hawaii-based and globally recognized agriculture technology company that is revolutionizing the way small- and medium-scale farms operate.

Vincent was named the 2016 Clean Tech/Ag Entrepreneur by the Hawaii Venture Capital Association and a 2016 finalist in the Pacific Business News Business Leadership Awards.

He was also named to the Pacific Business News 2016 40 Under 40 cohort, which recognizes outstanding young business professionals in Hawaii. He lives in Honolulu with his wife Lisa and their three children.

Vincent faces the daily challenges of start-up life and is here to share his learnings.

Today we discuss:

Why it is important to ask for help
How to get the help you need when hiring

Challenge today?

Asking for help to support your hiring process as a startup founder?

Understanding how a person is positioned
How willing to take on risk
Introductions- changing the dynamics to leverage more mentorship
Passion for the mission of the company
Concerned about the perception from the outside
We end up hiring to fill a need vs. what the business needs

Why is this important to the company?

Wasn't able to grow in a natural way
Fully driven by the CEO
Passion might be there but
Less emphasis on trying people out vs. All in
The team is the make or break

Rick’s Nuggets

Big difference between people who want to do the work and those who do the work for the paycheck.
Eliminate the Assumptions

Hey Subscribers! Keep an eye out for our newsletter as we are giving away 10 signed copies of Healing Career Wounds! Simply complete the linked survey and your name will be entered in the drawing. You'll also be able to download a free chapter of the book just for participating!

How do we solve the problem?

Define what the business needs
- Core values
- The business strategy & model
- What needs to be done & when
Understand the person's desire
- Go Slow
- Identify builders… and Improvers
  - Discovery call
  - Builders will tell you they need to build (bored with the work)
Eliminate the Assumptions
Hire what the business needs
- Your ego, wants and assumptions
- Start with contractors
- Barter
Letting go
- Stop doing everything yourself!

Rick’s Nuggets

Help someone else's business while they help you build yours
Expectations alignment document- will solidify a fit for your leadership team
Business needs - support to grow

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! - Value:

Don’t wing it….
Get help and plan it out…. Do your homework

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincentkimura/

Company: https://smartyields.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/smartyields/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smartyields

Twitter: https://twitter.com/smartyields

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smartyields/

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Rick's book - Healing Career Wounds (Amazon)

Hiring 101: A Lesson in Peer Learning with Darrian Mikell of Qualifi

Thu, 04 Nov 2021 20:04:42 -0000

The reason we do this show every week is to dispel the commonly held belief that “there is no right way to hire”. Most entrepreneurs & investors believe that you just have to find the right skills and “trust your gut”. Hoping that the person works out.

The consequences of this thinking results in countless sleepless nights, missing project deadlines, unstable mental health, increased capital burn and ultimately company failure. Which is NOT good for investors, leaders or the people who follow us.

Here’s the truth... There is a right way to hire! It just requires that you learn from your peers who come on to share their hiring success. They all have developed a structure and a process that allows them to stand out from their competitors.

Lead a person through an impressive process that allows you to gain evidence of impact and you will build an amazing team.

Our guest today: Darrian Mikell, Co-Founder & CEO of Qualifi, A SaaS platform that powers the fastest phone interview experience in the world and helps recruiting teams hire great candidates faster than ever before.

Darrian graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2013 with a Bachelor's Degree in Entrepreneurship and Finance. Darrian was a 2-sport athlete in both Basketball and Track & Field and was a national champion in the Long Jump. He is based in the Indianapolis area and is a dedicated husband and father of 3.

Darrian is building a ridiculously successful business because he already conquered his hiring challenges.

Today we discuss:

Why it is important to care about your interview structure
Two Components you need to successfully hire and sleep better at night

Challenge today?

Candidates have options
Options are unlimited - a lot of remote options
Workforce has expanded from local to global competition

Why is this important to the company?

Not hiring the right people limits growth
Hiring the wrong people -
- Wrong people take you down the wrong path
- When people doesn't work out - back to the drawing board
- Case study- grew to 73, hired over 100 people and is now 21 people.
  - $7mm wasted!
  - Major money waste
- 25% hiring success rate
Wrong leaders, wrong investors

Rick’s Nuggets

You must stand out to draw people in

How do we solve the problem?

Planning out hiring
- Proactive to get someone in the seat on time
- Gap analysis- Knowing the gaps on the team
- Problems that need to be solved
Structured approach to the hiring process
- Pre-planning your process and mechanics
- Use the Qualifi tool for screening
  - Phone interviews
  - Automated phone screen
    - Pre-recorded, audio-based questions
    - Every candidate gets same exact experience (makes the review process more consistent)
    - Time is a huge factor in recruitment and efficiency can be an advantage
      - First to candidate can be important factor
Pre-scripted live interviews
- Assigned interview questions (round robin)
- Each person takes notes throughout the interview
Real time feedback with the team to make a decision quickly

Rick’s Nuggets

Phone screen (discovery call) is the biggest missed opportunity
- Opportunity to understand the person.
- Critical - positioning (what the person desires)
Interview- eliminate bias
- Consistent plug n play- same questions for every person
- Decisions made based on evidence, not opinion

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! -Value:

Proactively plan
- Understand who you need to hire, when you need to hire them, and how long it will take
- Plan your strategy and what each step looks like
- Plan your interviews
Create an interview script and get agreement on it with your team before the interview starts. Be prepared to iterate.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrianmikell/

Company: https://www.qualifi.hr/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/qualifihr/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/qualifihr

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DarrianMikell

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darrianmikell/

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Why Employees are REALLY Leaving Your Company with Leilani Quiray of bethechangeHR

Thu, 28 Oct 2021 18:32:07 -0000

We are in full swing of this “Great Resignation” and a record 4.3 million people quit their jobs in August.

If you are one of the business leaders who have been losing people, please realize that it is not them, It is YOU! People are quitting because they no longer align themselves with your company values … especially the mandated policies in and around the pandemic.

Right now, there are much better options in the form of growth and career satisfaction. Which is why people are taking their time in locating the opportunity that they really want.

So, if you want to stop the attrition and be able to hire strong people, get solid on your values and focus on what each individual is desiring in terms of their personal career growth.

Today we are discussing exactly what you need to do to become an employer of choice to start winning great people!

Our guest today: Leilani Quiray, Founder & CEO of Be The Change HR

A conscious company and social enterprise, providing HR support for small-to-medium sized businesses in any facet of HR from pre-hire to post-term and everything else that happens in between. Her and her team also teach free job readiness courses and provide free coaching to individuals who’ve been trafficked, homeless and veterans in transition. Her team is not only HR Pros, they are Life Changers.

Today we discuss:

What people really want today from their careers in this great resignation
The elements you need implemented in your company to successfully hire the strongest people

Challenge today?

Why employees REALLY are choosing new employers?
How to become the employer of choice today?
People think they know what people want, but they don't know
- Money
- Benefits
- Perks
- Unrealistic vision (modeling google)
- What the owner wants (I like X so they’ll like X)
What is it that people REALLY want?
- “Experts stress that people are leaving their jobs as workers across the country are demanding higher pay, better employment conditions and critical support in their daily lives.”
  - Data source

Why is this important to the company?

Companies need humans
ethics/moral duty to have a healthy workforce
ROI
- More engagement = more profitable of a company

Rick’s Nuggets

Flexibility: Personal freedom is a real issue!
- Attrition is happening due to continued company vaccine policies
- Both for and against
- “Don't want to be micromanaged”
What does not matter … as much
- Compensation
- Benefits & Perks

How do we solve the problem?

Ask your people
- Needs are different
- Use buckets core values & data on why people choose companies/stay at companies
- Survey your people unanimously
- Use data to make decisions
- Communicate back - low morale and distrust if you do not
Job requirements reasonable? (also think DEI and diverse hires)
- Education and where (Harvard?) - biggest hurdle
- Opens the hiring pool to disadvantaged candidates
Compensation Analysis
- Market Value
  - Free tools BLS
- By demographics too
Employer branding
- What do you look like publicly?
- Core values shine?
- How awesome you are should show!
- Evil Glassdoor (aka the Yelp for employers)
  - Get ahead of the bad reviews by getting good ones
  - Damage control and a look at ones own org if you already have bads ones
    - Take a look at who you are hiring
Core Value Work
- Do you have them?
- Assess them
  - Tool?
- Book?
- Live them
- Weave them into everything
  - We ask “are we living our core values?”
  - Language within the company and how decisions are made

Rick’s Nuggets

Are your values real?
Job requirements need to be eliminated and replaced with performance metrics
- Form of conscious bias
- Performance Metrics = Accountability
Interview for core value alignment
- Value alignment is the only true measure to ensure performance and tenure
- No reason to move when you provide everything a person desires

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! -Value:

Do Pulse Check Surveys!
Rethink your recruiting strategy: job requirements, your online presence, comp analysis
LIVE your core values!

Guest Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leilaniquiray/

Company: https://bethechangehr.org/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bethechangehr/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bethechangehumanresources/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bethechangehr

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bethechangehr/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqsQa5CXid2I0xQwiVyE2nw/featured

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

The Hidden Pools of Sales Talent with Chris Beall of ConnectAndSell

Thu, 21 Oct 2021 19:47:09 -0000

While everyone is chasing the same people, ie: those who work for competitors or the 3-7 year up-and-comers, there is a huge pool of talent that are on the sidelines waiting for a well positioned opportunity to present itself.

I’d like to challenge you to think about the concept that outstanding talent comes from the most unlikely places.

Last week we heard the story of a top sales performer at Swag.com who had no sales experience at all. But the Desire alignment was through the roof and now this person is absolutely thriving in their organization. The creativity & outside the box thinking is what sets the stage for success!

Today is all about hiring outstanding sales people in an environment that is ridiculously competitive.

Our guest today: Chris Beall, CEO of ConnectAndSell

For 30 years Chris Beall has led software start-ups as a founder or early-stage developer. He believes the most powerful part of a software system is the human being, and that the value key is to let the computer do what it does well — go fast without getting bored — in order to free up human potential.

Chris and his team provide a SaaS solution for sales teams to talk to more prospects, and hosts a podcast, Market Dominance Guys.

Today we discuss:

Why you are looking in the WRONG places for sales talent
How to adapt your hiring model to uncover high performing sales people

Challenge today in hiring sales people?

Can't find people
- Everyone is chasing the same (wrong) people
Get bid up (too expensive)
Takes forever to train
They bounce
Not interested in the job
Huge untapped pool of talent (over 40)

Why is this important to the company?

Adopting a 2 tier model you
Flow rate of meetings is a bottleneck of almost every company
- Always invest in the bottleneck

Rick’s Nuggets

Value alignment within the organization is more important than ever before
- Connecting the dots between values & desire avoids bidding wars
- Creating value above and beyond the paycheck
People do not leave when they are in alignment

How do we solve the problem?

Change your model
- Make SDR as a real professional job
- Look at different age demographics
Identify people who come from the industry you sell to
- Huge untapped pool of talent (over 40)
Interview like you mean it
- Test people. Have them do some work
- Have 10 conversations
  - Good voice
    - Can you make people laugh
    - Modulating your voice
    - Listen to the conversation
  - Coachable
  - Length of time you keep people on a call

Rick’s Nuggets

“Walk me through the process how you closed your last deal”
Scripts are king!
Align your interview process with your company values
To properly assess people you need to be able to evaluate them for alignment

Key Takeaways that the Audience can plug into their business today! - Value:

Take the SDR role seriously and not just as a stepping stone. (your company’s bottleneck
Embrace real management for sales- pay attention to process
The only thing a SDR needs to do is sell a meeting… not the product.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-beall-7859a4/#

Company: https://connectandsell.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/chris8649

Blog: http://blog.connectandsell.com/

Podcast: https://www.marketdominanceguys.com/

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Hiring Your First 10 People with Jeremy Parker of Swag.com

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 19:21:41 -0000

Growing your company from 2 to 10 people is the most critical time in your company's life cycle. The reason for this is every single hire that is made can make or break the company.

Every founder I meet has a story of “we hired a person that we thought was going to be a rockstar and it turned out to be a disaster”.

So where do things go wrong when a bad hire is made?

The interview was run from a position of need; where we focus on selling the opportunity. So excited to get this new rockstar on board that we totally forget to take the time to understand if the person aligns with the values of the organization.

The good news is there is a solution to avoid these sometimes deadly mistakes and it just requires structure and developing your listening muscle.

Our guest today: Jeremy Parker, Co-Founder and CEO of Swag.com

Swag.com is the best place for companies to buy and distribute quality swag that people will actually want to keep. We work with 5,000+ companies including Facebook, Google, Amazon, Netflix, Spotify and Tik Tok.

Jeremy was named to Crain's NY 40 under 40 (Class of 2020) and Swag is #218 on the Inc 500 (2020) and #368 (2021)- Fastest growing private companies

Today we discuss:

The importance of the first 10 hires
Process to avoid making the wrong hire

Challenge today?

Hiring for the resume
People who have done it in the past
Not about the skills but the culture
One bad hire can destroy a business

Why is this important to the company?

Story: First 2 years just the founders. Then scaled quickly to 14 people

Who you hire in the early days is super important. Need to be the right fit, for the right time. They could be a great person and extremely talented but if they are not the right fit for the time it can go sideways.
Up to 70 people now and everyone is ability is important, skills not as important, as culture

How do we solve the problem?

Stop micromanaging
- Guide & teach & trust that people will get it
- Allow people who are hiring to do the job
Right mentality & Right focus (embracing failure)
- Failure is ok
- Embrace it!
4 rounds of interviews
- First meet with Department Head. If that goes well, meet with someone who is currently in that same position in the company, to make sure they feel this person can do the job well.
- If that goes well, meet with the COO,
- if that goes well, meet with CEO.
- If the candidate gets through all rounds and everyone feels they could be a good fit, we get at least two reference checks. Someone who they worked under and someone who they worked alongside.

Rick’s Nuggets

Evaluate everyone around your values

Key Takeaways -Value:

Being ok with failure! Nothing can go wrong when you are ok with it. Failure will get you where you need to go.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyianparker/

Company: https://swag.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/swag.com/

Twitter:https://twitter.com/promotewithswag?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/promotewithswag/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swagdotcom/?fbclid=IwAR1TnFCOQ8kv-chtsiP5wKexliw55YISu2rESPCLGUu86tEynikmspBy9xc

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Corp

How to Thrive in Hiring Through the “Great Resignation ” with Rick Girard of Stride Search Inc.

Thu, 07 Oct 2021 22:48:24 -0000

4 Million Americans quit their jobs in July of 2021 , according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. What this means is that you have a tremendous opportunity to upgrade your talent base in your organization.

The pandemic has magnified people’s career wounds in a way that every business will be impacted.

While many reasons are given as to the cause of this mass exodus, the root of the fall out is that the people leaving are no longer in alignment with the company’s values.

Value alignment is now more critical than ever to attract and hire people. Because when people align with the actual company values, they find meaning & discover their purpose.

And their purpose is far more important to them than your profits.

Today is a special episode due to the massive number of requests from our audience about this little problem called the great resignation

We discuss:

Why it is critical to own your company values
How to prosper in Hiring - TODAY!

Challenge today?

My people are getting poached!
We have come to a point where people want meaning & purpose in their lives.
Perks, compensation & benefits no longer matter
People are questioning their “why”
Imbalance
Stress & heartache
More flexibility is not the real issue
Inc Article https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/great-resignation-work-meaning-esther-perel.html
Demonstrating meaning & the company cares about them as “human beings”

Why is this important to the company?

Who’s leaving?
- Mid- career employees have the highest resignation rates! (30-45)
You are positioned to heal a person's career wounds.
When you align with values and provide a solution to heal, both parties WIN
- People are expecting win-win relationships with their employers
The Great Opportunity!
- Easiest time in history to engage A-Players!
- Raise the performance bar in your organization

4 Steps to Win-Win Talent in this Great Resignation

Get solid on your Values

Key to attracting top performers
Who you are
how you lead
how people act

Understand your Recruiting Process

Recruiting is how you identify people & get people to talk to you.
Just because you recruited someone great, doesn't mean you should hire them
Or that they will even accept your job offer
What is working today
Target and Contact & Reconnect
Do not sell, listen

Understand your Hiring Process

Start with an in depth Discovery call (phone screen)
Does this person’s desires align with the company (correctly positioned)
Not skills
Vision for the environment in which they will excel
Timed & structured Interview
Values alignment first
Skills second (working session)
Nurture a proactive flow - allow the person to have a voice in what happens next
What would you like to do next?

Heal the Career Wound

Growth, Content of work, Management
Value Alignment
Progression, learning, flexibility
If you cannot provide a path to the individual, don't hire
Someone else will thrive in the role
You will be just a paycheck (if the person joins)

Key Takeaways -Value:

The “Great Resignation” is real and you need to be capitalizing on the opportunity that has been presented to us!
Get tight on the company values… They are the key to a successful hire
Don't confuse a recruiting process as a hiring process. They are two separate activities.

Rick's Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/

Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/

Podcast: https://www.stridesearch.com/hire-power-radio

Book: Healing Career Wounds - https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Career-Wounds-Ridiculously-Successful/dp/173580360X

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Time Kills Hires with Andrew Bartlow of Series B Consulting

Thu, 30 Sep 2021 19:49:33 -0000

Time and People are the most precious asset your company has on the road to success or failure.

As leaders, It is our responsibility to protect the time of our team to ensure that projects are delivered on time. It is also our responsibility to put processes in place that ensure that the strongest people are in the right seat!

Shouldn't each step of the interview process have a purpose and save time for everyone involved?

Yet Interviewing is the single point of failure in almost every company.

Too long.

Too short.

No clear direction.

Or riddled with boobytraps that repel strong people from even engaging with your company!

Our guest today: Andrew Bartlow, Founder & Managing Partner of Series B Consulting.

Which helps businesses to articulate their people strategy and accelerate their growth while navigating rapid change. He also founded the People Leader Accelerator, which is the foremost development program for HR leaders at startups.

Andrew Bartlow has 25 years of Human Resources and Talent Management experience at organizations across a wide spectrum of sizes, maturity stages, and industries. He is the co-author of “Scaling for Success: People Priorities for High Growth Organizations,”

Andrew has worked with clients like MasterClass and many others to help them overcome obstacles in a hyper-growth phase.

Today we discuss:

Why your timing kills hires
How to Time out your process in the most effective manner

Challenge today?

Filling roles with good people with less of an internal organization tax

Too many interviews, too much time - I’m out

Over emphasis on consensus, 10-12 people over multiple rounds
Giant time drag on a company
People fall out
Offer to close rate 60% is not good!

Why is this important to the company?

Time - interview time takes away from productivity
Rapid growth is usually essential. Time burns cash runway, employee time and goodwill, and competitors keep coming.
Efficiency matters - particularly at the early growth stages
Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. Should be able to make rapid hire / no-hire decisions, and fair/reasonable separation decisions without months of agony.
“Hire slow and fire fast?” I’d suggest looking for a goldilocks zone on both. Take the time necessary, but not one minute more than what is net value-adding to do both.

Rick’s Nuggets

All that is needed is:
- Discovery Call
- Value Alignment Interviews
- Working Session (skills)
10 business days max

How do we solve the problem?

Start by clearly defining the roles that you want to fill
- Source candidates in a scalable way
- Expand the pool
- Employer branding
- @ Series A should get beyond friends & family network
Hire a dedicated recruiter
- Need a screen / filter before the manager sees the candidate
- Passive candidate magnet
- Check for compensation expectations & role interest; initial assessment of required skills, knowledge, and experiences
- Goal is that ZERO candidates make it to the hiring manager who have out-of-bounds pay or role expectations, and all of those candidates moving forward have experiences that reasonably match the role
Manager vetting before meeting the team
- One and done interview process ~30 minutes 1on1 via video
- Confirm that the candidate is interested in the role and the comp budgeted - preclose the candidate
- Ask for references here!
- A candidate shouldn’t come meet with a team until / unless the hiring manager is a strong advocate to hire them. Don’t waste the broader team’s time.
- Work Product Sample (optional - often good for technical roles, but rarely for G&A)
  - Give a real problem - don’t spend a lot of time coming up with hypotheticals, too many variations which will change
  - Faster / easier / more accurate to work on a real problem. Just get an NDA.
  - Related alternatives - Can review Github rather than request a project. Can conduct a live shared-screen working session. Can ask for examples of prior work that demonstrates a good fit for the role.
  - LOTS of candidates drop out at the project stage. Don’t let this become a barrier!
- Team Screen
  - One and done over video, with multiple people involved
  - Cultural (watermelon @ Gusto) interviews have a risk of being counterproductive. To be effective it should be structured, interviews have good training, and the traits assessed should be really clear AND ALIGNED with the future needs of the org. Danger of holding onto the past - what got you here, won’t get you there.
- Decision
  - After the team screen, there should be a hire / no-hire decision. Lots of organizations get hung up comparing candidates, not sure what they are looking for. You need to fill jobs with good people and KEEP MOVING. A hiring manager / hiring team which isn’t sure what they are looking for is the single largest waste of time and energy in the company-building process.
  - Can have a calibration meeting. Maybe the recruiter supports it, but really, the hiring manager should own the decision and have the most energy around moving forward.
- Offer & Candidate Closing

Rick’s Nuggets

Reverse engineer the time to hire and set timelines for each stage
- Set process before you define roles
- Train your people on “how you hire”
- Gain commitment from interviewers for excellence

Key Takeaways -Value:

Streamline your process. Fill jobs with less time from the team. May or may not fill the role in fewer days, but can reduce total hours committed by the group from 100+ to closer to 10. Yes, this requires a bit more ownership and potentially a little more time (per candidate) from the HM, but should dramatically reduce the overall time by the team.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartlow/

Company: https://www.seriesbconsulting.com/

Speak On Podcasts: https://speakonpodcasts.com/andrew-bartlow/

People Leader Accelerator: https://www.peopleleaderaccelerator.com/

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

How to Stop Sucking at Hiring Sales People with Joseph Fung of Uvaro

Thu, 23 Sep 2021 22:39:43 -0000

Hire slow, fire fast is a motto we have all heard as startup founders. It makes logical sense but what really happens is quite the opposite. As entrepreneurs we shift into panic mode when we have a need and move quickly to fill the role. Completely missing all the evidence that this person will be a bad hire.

Once the person is in the seat, the dread of having to refill a role often leads to concessions made to the detriment of the business.

Hiring Slow means investing the time to really make sure the person will be a strong hire. Therefore there should be no need to fire fast. Especially if you really understand who the person is and gain evidence of the value they add to the company.

Think of each person you hire as being worth $2 million dollars to the company. Changes your perspective, right?

A lot more care and a higher talent bar would be prioritized over just “filling the seat”.

Our guest today: Joseph Fung, Founder & CEO of Uvaro

A tech sales career accelerator, and of Kiite, a sales enablement platform purpose-built to provide sales teams with the information they need when they need it. Joseph’s a repeat Founder & CEO, and with multiple successful exits, and speaks frequently on the topics of sales leadership, diversity, and corporate social responsibility.

Joseph is an expert in sales, startups and building scalable culture.

Today we discuss:

Our mentality around hiring sales people
How to effectively attract & hire high performers

Challenge today?

Hiring for software skills rather than problem solving skills
No internal training- want someone who already doing what you need done
Rely on stereotypes and gut
- Need people who can speak to a bigger variety of customers

Why is this important to the company?

Fix the problem, you can triple the production of 1st year sales reps
- 8 months to ramp, average sales rep only achieves 60% of quota
- Ramp in ⅓ time and drive production to 80% - Training
Churn & burn kills morale
Cash costs are immense on the back end

How do we solve the problem and hire the strongest people every time?

Throw out your job description
- Translate ideal customer to sales job description
- Ideal Customer Profile- go granular
Choosing what & who to hire
- Invest in Revops & sales enablement
- 50:1 ratio Rep to SE is a start => move to 20:1
Mindset
- Treating the organization with respect
- Thinking is you solve the problem by hiring more people
Interview
- Culture fit interview - “Is this someone I want to have a beer with?” not
- Turn it into a behavioral interview - what behaviors demonstrate values alignment

Rick’s Nuggets

Performance metrics are most critical component today for job descriptions today
- Accountability up front
Understanding a person’s positioning
- Transactional Sale VS. Enterprise/Solutions Sale
- Resources available
- Builder, Improver, Maintainer
Uncovering the impact that has been made in their current/former position
- Save time, increase revenue

Key Takeaways -Value:

Throw out your job description . Copying others is just propagating bad habits
Stop asking people to sell like the founders - it won’t work
Re-think your culture fit interviews...write behavioral questions

Guest Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephfung/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/josephfung

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josephfung/

Company: https://uvaro.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/uvarolife/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/uvarolife

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uvaro.life

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uvaro.life/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/uvaro

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Hiring for Talent Optimization with Mike Zani of The Predictive Index

Thu, 16 Sep 2021 22:46:44 -0000

“There is work that needs to be done and I just need someone good to do the work”

*** sigh ***

This is what we tell ourselves when we decide to hire someone. But it is so much deeper than just getting a butt in the seat!

Growth is the most important factor here. So, we must start with the end in mind to avoid making HUGE hiring mistakes!

Yes, we need to get the work done but will this person really help your company grow? And more importantly, can your company provide the growth that the person you want to hire desperately desires?

Our guest today: Mike Zani, CEO of The Predictive Index.

Mike Zani, the Wall Street Journal best selling author of The Science of Dream Teams, is CEO of The Predictive Index, the leader in talent optimization. Prior to The Predictive Index, Mike served as president of LEDCO, a manufacturer of rugged computer peripherals. It was at LEDCO where Mike, a customer of The Predictive Index, developed his passion for the company’s vital management tools.

An avid sailor, Mike began his career in marketing and sales with Vanguard Sailboats and was a coach for the 1996 U.S. Olympic Sailing Team. He holds a B.S. from Brown University and an MBA from Harvard.

Today we discuss:

Hiring for Talent optimization

What is talent optimization
How to hire for it

Challenge today?

How to you hire well within the context of time & risk

What risk are you willing to take on bad hires?
Systems in place to support the risk
- 30, 60, 90 day check ins to support
Do you just want t body in a seat
Persona
A talent optimized system allows you to train & develop
Need to develop the programs to support

Why is this important to the company?

We are 30 years behind sport in bringing analytics for hiring
What is sport doing now?
- TA is the single most important function in the organization
- Need to take a maniacal approach to hiring.
- Fantasy league hiring takes more time than hiring to companies
Data drives success
Performance measurement

Rick’s Nuggets

Getting the right person the the bus is FAR more important than getting work done
- If the work is that important, hire a contractor
The mistake made is the optimism of the founder
- Assumptions
- Hire on their potential (assumed), bias (assumed) & need (get it off my plate)
- Zero time is taken to understand what the other person desires, other than a paycheck
Consider this: The cost for every bad hire is $2M

How do we solve the problem?

Top of funnel strategy
- Clear mission
- Hiring brand that attracts talent
- Palpable culture - Strong enough that it disqualifies people
- Great referral strategy - cash after 6 months,
Bottom of funnel strategy
- Hiring systems
- Strong assessments -behavioral , cognitive, analytics
- Hiring process, structured interviewing
- Training- especially on cultural interview aspects
- interviewer grading, scoring, developing
- Remove people who are bad interviewers
Post hire Strategy
- Benchmarks
- Performance systems - 30,60,90 day
Hire for buoyancy!

Rick’s Nuggets

Mid Funnel Strategy

The Interview
- Structured & timed
- Values aligned
- Challenging
- Does the interview produce evidence to support the decision
  - Is the evidence supported by the assessment?

Key Takeaways -Value:

Need a post-hire system!
Can take more risk
Need to have a feedback loop to add/subtract people from the interviewing process.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikezani/

Company: https://www.predictiveindex.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/predictiveindex?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/predictiveindex/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepredictiveindex/?hl=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCexehrVsBrP9SiNeBm4pY7Q

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

How to Terminate an Employee with Dignity - Lori Torres of Parcel Pending

Thu, 09 Sep 2021 20:43:33 -0000

The first time I was fired was when I was 16 years old and working at Numero Uno Pizza. It happened really strangely, I went in to pick up my paycheck and the manager let me know that this paycheck would be my last one as I was no longer employed there.

No warning and no explanation.

Bewildered, I simply walked out the door, walked across the street and was hired by their competitor.

The way in which the whole experience went down, left me feeling embarrassed & resentful.

Never again did I eat at that restaurant because of the way they made me feel.

Our guest today: Lori Torres, Founder & Former CEO of Parcel Pending

The nation’s leading provider of innovative package management solutions. Prior to Parcel Pending, Lori was SVP of property operations at The Irvine Company.

She has been recognized on multiple occasions for her leadership, including being named 2017 “Innovator of the Year” by the Orange County Business Journal and chosen as one of 13 entrepreneurs admitted into the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ 2017 North America class.

Lori worked to build a world class organization and is going to share her wisdom.

Today we discuss:

Making the difficult decision to part ways
How to fire a person in a way that leaves everyone feeling good about themselves

Challenge today?

When is the right time to make a change and terminate someone?
Can you afford to do it, do you have the bandwidth
Taking the time to really understand
Have an intervention- performance improvement plan, use to be successful
Articulate to really improve the person's performance
Everything possible to make sure they are successful
Accountability tool &

Why is this important to the company?

Benefits: often find someone better
Help the person you are terminating to the world,
Embrace the people management side of the business
Termination is part of the evolution of the company
Change needs to happen,
This is the game we are playing, these are the rules, here’s how we move forward
What you need at $3mil is different at $10M

Rick’s Nuggets

Be proactive in your hiring
Hiring for growth first - start with the end in mind
“people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou

How do we solve the problem?

Identify performance issues first
- Candid open, specific conversation
- Time frame to meet the expectations
- Check in: not meeting expectations,

Provide a performance improvement plan
- Whatree performance is now, when they are not meeting expectations, when we are going to convenience to review

Termination
- Reason for termination:
- Labor attorney- worth the money to handle things properly
- Quick conversation : next step, it is not working
- Part ways with dignity!
- Severance with a legal document release of liability & non-disparagement
- Walk them out the door and wish them well
- Offer help to help them move forward

Sample Termination
- Rick gets Fired!

Rick’s Nuggets

Really take seriously the performance metrics that were set for your people in the job description
Evidence to support the hire first!

Key Takeaways -Value:

Really spend the time to hire correct people. It's like dating, Interview a lot
When the person is not performing, invest the time to
Have non-confrontational conversations with people

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loritorres/

Company: https://www.parcelpending.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ParcelPending

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parcelpending

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parcelpending/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFj7yh4kDC7Jx5CDUYnar7A

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Why You Need to Interview Like Amazon Now! with Rick Girard of Stride Search Inc.

Thu, 02 Sep 2021 21:37:05 -0000

Answer: Linking Corporate Values into Your Interview Questions eliminates bias

I posed the question to a room of over 400 corporate executives and the results shocked me when I first asked it. Now when I ask the question, the results just make me …. Sad.

“Please raise your hand if you have had any formal interview training at any time in your career, other than what not to say in an interview”. Three hands were raised. 3 out of over 400 people!

And we wonder why hiring is “hard”. Guess what, It is not so hard for companies like Amazon who, from the beginning, have structured and trained their people HOW to effectively interview people. This is why they have always been a talent magnet, and not because they pay well.

3 out of 400 people! This was a major a-ha moment for me and it should be one for you!

Imagine the impact your company will have on this planet when you and your people get really good at hiring.

Today we discuss:

The importance of linking values to interviewing
How to set up and execute a values driven interview

Challenge today?

Talk about bias elimination
- cannot happen until interview questions are designed to extract evidence
- The content of the interview cannot be left up to chance
- The fate of each interviewee is determined in the first 15 minutes at most. Sometimes in the first 5 minutes….. All based on bias
51% chance that your decision is wrong
- Unchallenging, unimpressive interviews only attract people who are there for the paycheck
- Talented people (A-players, change makers & high performers) do NOT want to work for yahoos!
- Informal, unstructured & unprepared interviews make you look like a yahoo.
- Offer turn downs are at an all time high

Why is this important to the company?

One word: AMAZON
- Leadership principles (company values) are what drives decision making
- Customer Obsession
- Leaders start with the customer and work backwards. They work vigorously to earn and keep customer trust. Although leaders pay attention to competitors, they obsess over customers.
- Hire and Develop the Best
- Leaders raise the performance bar with every hire and promotion. They recognize exceptional talent, and willingly move them throughout the organization. Leaders develop leaders and take seriously their role in coaching others. We work on behalf of our people to invent mechanisms for development like Career Choice.
- https://www.amazon.jobs/en/principles
Talent is drawn toward excellence

How do we implement values driven interviewing?

Clearly write down your company values
- Founders- this is you & your values
- As you ad people, reassess at least bi annual- especially before hiring ANYONE
Develop Values
- Clear definition of what the values means to the company
- What attributes characterize each value
- Measurables (how does a person live the value in their day to day life?
- Sample exercise

Value #1 Dignity

Definition: Treating yourself and others with respect & courtesy

Attributes:

CEO

Co-founder

Dept Head

acceptance

Self-respect

self-confidence

Non judgemental

equality

Respect for others

Self esteem- elevation

decency

Stands tall

empowered

Treat as equals

Measurables:

*** Empowering others

*** Respect for others

*** Non-Judgemental

Build interview Question Library
- Behavioral questions designed to bring evidence of how people “show up”
- "Tell me about a time...." or “Describe a time when….” or “Outline a time where….” or "Give me an example of..."
- Questions must be Indirect & not obvious to the interviewee
- Evidence to support Attributes
- Support / follow up question flow

Value #1 Dignity

Attributes:

*** Empowering others

*** Respect for others

*** Non-Judgmental

Tell me about a time you helped elevate the performance of one of your teammates (Empowering Others)
- How did you learn of the issue?
- What were the events that led to this performance being important to you?
- How much time do you dedicate to the cause?
- How do you feel you could make more of a difference?
- What makes this important to you?
- What was the outcome?
Give me an example of a time you stood up for a person you didn't know (Respect)
- What steps did you take?
- How did this affect the other person?
- What made this action important to you?
Describe a really uncomfortable work situation that needed to be addressed that was personal to the other person? (Non-Judgmental)
- What were you asked to do?
- How did it make you feel?
Reinforcement & Training
- Live your values
- Make it a language by which decisions are made (like Amazon)
- Teach everyone who interviews, how to extract evidence
- Capture data - training & compliance purposes

Key Takeaways -Value:

Invest the time to build out your corporate values - the Payoff will be HUGE
Take the next step and connect them to your interviewing
Train your people! Part of their job is to other high performers so give them the tools to do so

Rick's Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/

Company: https://www.stridesearch.com/

Podcast: https://www.stridesearch.com/hire-power-radio

Book:https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Career-Wounds-Ridiculously-Successful/dp/173580360X

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

How to Effectively Make Your First Departmental Hire with Liam Rose of Catalina Seven Ventures

Thu, 26 Aug 2021 18:27:34 -0000

You are at the point in your business where the company is ready to hire the first person to head up a department (i.e.: sales, marketing, engineering). You are excited and terrified at the same time. You’re thinking “I have to get this right”... and you are right, you do!

How do you evaluate a person with an area of expertise that you are NOT familiar with?

The answer, my friends, is being prepared, digging deep and really listening! Step outside of your first impression and be aware of your tendency of confirmation bias.

Shift your focus on gathering concrete evidence and the outcome will be the correct decision every time.

Our guest today: Liam Rose, Founder of Catalina Seven Ventures.

Liam is the founder of Catalina Seven Ventures, a Southern California consumer software startup. Before forming C7V, he managed the sales team for an Orange County-based entertainment startup. As a result of his own challenges trying to juggle health, academic obligations, and personal relationships while attending the University of Richmond, Liam created a new approach to life scheduling built to enable better balance. During his time at the Robins School of Business, he was selected as a 2019 Innovator Under 25.

Catalina Seven Ventures' first product, HORUS Life Schedule, is now available for Beta testing on iOS and Android (access available through the company website)."

Today we discuss:

How to effectively make your first departmental hire

Challenge today?

Hiring the first person within a department

How do you make that hire
How do we know if the person is good
What's the barometer
First tech person, marketing, HR or finance person

How do you know if the person is the best person do the job at the current stage

Culture & environment fit
Metrics & deliverables
How well they can make the connections between metrics and the outcome

Why is this important to the company?

They will be the departmental cultural lead
Top quality people hiring more top quality people
The greatest impression people get is from the interview process itself
Set the tone on how you are going to manage the person based on the interview process itself
Improved interview process results in a higher level of talent
- Demonstrates the ability to understand the individual
- Ignorance of the process

Rick’s Nuggets

Every hire is critical at every stage of your start up!
- Hire slow, fire slower-er-er
- Firing fast is negligence & kills culture (reduces trust, increases anxiety)
- Cult creation- Steve Newcomb (https://medium.com/cult-creation/cult-creation-a44303564f21)
- Firing fast “kills innovation, ownership and trust”

How do we solve the problem?

Signaling - feel a unique attraction to our company
- Job Advertisement
- Distributed via word of mouth/referrals first
- The step beyond who we are. Bold- unapologetically ourselves
Demonstration of understanding
- Interview process
- Realistic expectations
  - Show that people can succeed
  - Difficult but not impossible
- Show professional empathy
  - What is going to make you most happy?
  - What does the individual want?
  - Communication preference, invest in every core operation of the company
- Calling the Hotline
  - Advisor de-risk
  - Outside influence to identify the obvious

Rick’s Nuggets

Prepare yourself by adopting process, engage in interview training & experience
- Process: must have a flow and timing- Start on time, end on time
  - Discovery call (45 minutes)
  - Interview #1 Cultural (60 minutes)
    - Deeply tied to corporate values/principles/culture
  - Interview #2 Working Session - judge skills (60 minutes - ½ day)
    - Live example of how we work together, problem solve, communicate
Interview Training
- Behavioral interviews produce EVIDENCE to uncover the TRUTH
- Assign interview questions to the individual interviewers
- Prepare the candidate for what to expect
Experience (not yours, theirs)
- A-players are attracted to excellence
- Leave everyone feeling good about their time investment

Key Takeaways -Value:

Their language, not your language
Gets you the people you want rather than the people you can get
Use experience to de risk: everyone in your network. What you should avoid with absolute certainty

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liamwrose/

Company: http://catalina7ventures.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/c7vinc

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catalina7ventures/

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Corp: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

The Great Resignation & Struggle Learning with Sam Caucci of 1Huddle

Fri, 20 Aug 2021 04:10:31 -0000

The key to retention is growth. With looming fears of “the great resignation” company’s are unsure as to how to structure the organization. Forcing a state of flux that is not healthy for the business.

The poles tell us that at least 40% of people will quit if forced to go back into the office full time. Will your company have a mass exodus? If you have not put your people first…. Most likely.
Companies who have been fostering personal & professional growth through leadership will experience far less separation because they have put their people in front of the transaction.

Our guest today: Sam Caucci , Founder & CEO of 1Huddle

A workforce tech company that upskills, trains, and motivates employees through science-backed, quick-burst mobile games.

Sam founded 1Huddle on the belief that every worker deserves access to the job training, support, and coaching needed to win on the job. Put simply, 1Huddle is making training more fun, effective, and accessible for the entire workforce.

Sam is also the author of the #1 bestseller, Not Our Job: How College has Destroyed a Generation of Workers and How to Fix it. Sam is an expert in workforce engagement and development.

Today we discuss:

Why struggle based learning is the key to retention
How to build learning into your culture

Challenge today?

Training
Do unto others as it was done to you
Struggle is important to learning
Leverage technology to increase outcomes

Why is this important to the company?

Middle management job function is more important than ever
How do we arm them to be better coaches to the front line
55% of workers are Millennials & GenZ
- They like structure
- Coaching up and development
Struggle based learning
- Game based learning 45% faster!
- “Make it Stick” -Peter Brown
"It's the Manager” Only 15% or workers are engaged (before pandemic)- Gallop
- #1 driver to engagement is having a coach

How do we solve the problem?

Struggle based learning

Content Audit
What do you have now?
- Gaps - Where are the business problems?
- Finding content: buy vs. build
Selecting Technology (learning management system)
- Accessibility, Outcomes &
- Authoring
- What kind of staff is required to manage it
- Wrap learning in a game format
- Mobile first
52 week calendar (never ending game)
- Continual development
- Up-skilling (stop siloing workers)
- Reskill & re-onboard

Key Takeaways -Value:

Workforce technology is making it easy to more effectively onboard every worker from frontline to full time
Effective skill building and retention requires struggle
Managers need better tools and strategies to onboard, develop and engage workers.

Guest Links:

Sam Caucci:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samcaucci/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/samcaucci

Company:

1Huddle: https://1huddle.co/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/1huddle

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1huddle/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1huddle/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/SalesHuddleAcademy

Author of the #1 bestseller: Not Our Job: How College has Destroyed a Generation of Workers and How to Fix it (Amazon)

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Fully Remote Culture with a Social Mission with Brian Roland of Abenity

Thu, 12 Aug 2021 19:40:58 -0000

We can all agree that running a remote business has become very challenging from both a cultural and productivity perspective. If anything the past year and a half has taught us, it is that paying attention to the needs of our people is really hard. Especially when they are remote.

So how do we progress through this challenge and continue to grow?....Take on a social mission.

We have all heard the term “givers gain”. When your culture merges with cause, it propagates purpose. And, a shared purpose attracts value-aligned people and elevates company performance.

Our guest today: Brian Roland, Founder & Chairman of Abenity

Brian is a social entrepreneur and Founder of Abenity, the 6x Inc. 5000 company that’s powering corporate perks for top brands like U.S. Bank and Mastercard.

Abenity recently exceeded $1 million dollars of total giving!

Brian lives in Scottsdale, Arizona with his family and enjoys roasting coffee, flying drones, and helping impact-driven entrepreneurs establish a social mission of their own. He has built a fully remote, purpose driven organization that absolutely crushes it!

Today we discuss:

Why cause brings purpose to your company
How to build a social mission

Why don't we build cause into our companies from the beginning?

Launched into remote work with a false positive
Shared purpose needs to be outside your brand
Fighting for is more powerful than fighting against
People become lost on an island without purpose
People need something bigger than their day to day routine to stay healthy
Hybrid is dangerous… either all remote or onsite….
- Can create a resentment culture

Why is this important to the company?

Process of navigating back from fully remote work
Still very uncertainty
Doing what is best for your work routine will breed resentment with my employees
What mix is correct?
- Potential pitfalls in onsite, remote, hybrid
Culture is what needs to be fought for above everything else

Rick’s Nuggets

The more structure you have in your company early on, the easier it is to attract the Strongest/value-aligned people to the company.
High performers are attracted to excellence, not ego.
- Excellence is structure

How do we solve the problem?

Impact plan
Define your giving model
- Put profits towards a cause
- Give from savings - what you save in rent
- Flat fee, percentage, 1 for 1
Create a social mission statement
- Use this template to build a Social Mission Statement:

Here's a template that you may find useful for your social mission statement:

[your belief statement here],

and that's why we [summary of your impact plan here].

With this commitment, we're communicating a powerful message, [your purpose statement here, why you care about your cause].

Here's our Social Mission statement at Abenity:

Perks are about people and that's why we sponsor children living in extreme poverty with the programs we deliver.

With this commitment, we're communicating a powerful message,

that whether you're an employee at a Fortune 500 Company, or an orphan in the developing world, you are valuable, what you do matters, and you can make a difference.

Share your impact story
- Publish an impact report (https://prks.co/Impact)
- Market the social mission
- Brand differentiation
- Everywhere you are comfortable
Setting up accountability
- Who are you inviting in?
- Invite the team to hold everyone (including you) accountable
- Board, investors, cpa, and/or staff
Identify blockers
- Anything that is holding back
- Debt
- Growth commitments
- Must overcome before you can embark on the mission
- “Once we achieve this as a team, then we start our mission of giving”
Do what you said you would do!

Rick’s Nuggets

Define the values that align with your cause
Understand that

Key Takeaways -Value:

Just show up
Download the Impact Report to start your Social Mission

Guest Links:

To download the 5-Step Impact Plan, text “Impact” to (615) 802-6853

For more on creating a 5-Step Impact Plan, read “5 Steps to Maximize Your Business Impact” https://www.brianroland.com/single-post/5-steps-to-maximize-your-business-impact

For some inspiration, check out Abenity’s Impact Report to see how they’ve funded over a million dollars of direct giving at https://prks.co/Impact

To set a perks program for your group, visit Abenity.com and use code “HirePower150” to save $150 off your first month’s services.

Brian Roland: LinkedIn

Company: Abenity Twitter Facebook YouTube

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop

Balancing Quality & Speed as You Hire to Scale with Brian Breth of Fair.com

Thu, 05 Aug 2021 18:46:49 -0000

It is time to change our mindset on how to really attract and hire the strongest people. The answer is not having the greatest recruiters or tools. It is not about having strong “employer branding” or compensation plans. The answer is really simple... It is about gathering the evidence in the interview to support the decision without assumptions & bias.

Leadership drives hiring , not recruiting or HR.

Mic drop moment: There are two critical components to your people function. Recruiting & Hiring. Recruiting is run by, well, recruiters and Hiring is run by hiring managers, executives & founders.

To land the strongest people for your organization both functions must have structure, synergy and adequate training to be successful.

Our guest today: Brian Breth, Riot games alumni & former VP of Talent Acquisition at Fair

Brian is a talent acquisition leader and US Marine Corps veteran with 20 years of experience forging, adapting, and applying best practices to complex business challenges in recruiting. He has a proven track record as an entrepreneurial leader whose ability to align teams, enact change, and build sustainable frameworks enables businesses to attract top talent and become more efficient, productive, and competitive.

Specialties: Global talent acquisition strategy and operations, leadership coaching and development, team-building and communication, process development and implementation, networking.

Brian was responsible for scaling Rubicon Project from 200 to almost 800 people in two years.

Today we discuss:

Why Quality is more important when you scale
How to scale without sacrificing quality

Challenge today?

Scaling quickly without sacrificing quality
Mindset
- Lets get people as fast as we can
- Competing for talent
- Finding the best people
- Not clear into what the values are then translating it to others
Managing the expectations of investors
- Growth at whatever cost is dangerous

Why is this important to the company?

A startups evolution
Culture is the most important element for founders
- Desire for culture conflicts with the investors desires for rapid growth
- To become a competitor you NEED the best people

Rick’s Nuggets

Understanding what you are up against today
Flip the funnel upside down
Work referrals at scale

How do we solve the problem?

Acquisition
- Understand that hiring people needs to be understood by leadership
- A commitment from leadership
- Cannot just set it & forget it
- Just as important as your new product pipeline
- Alignment at the executive level as to where and how they want to compete for talent
- Realistic on what you can pay
- Value prop - speaking to what is important to the person from a more intrinsic value. What’s important to me?
- Build out the people function
Retention
- Invest internally to retain them
- Value - a future to live into
- People leave because they no longer see a future for themselves
- Develop leader to provide the future for each team member

Rick’s Nuggets

Understand each individual’s pain, desire & impact
Invest in the discovery call!
- 45 minutes saves hours in the long run
- Crucial checkpoint

Key Takeaways -Value:

Founders look at what you are investing in your people function
What you invest in talent acquisition you should be investing into leadership training to get them really good at hiring

Guest Links:

Brian Breth: LinkedIn

Website: Riot Games Fair TechRecruit Conference

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop

Employees Value Purpose Over Money with Lorna Borenstein of Grokker

Thu, 29 Jul 2021 20:47:28 -0000

Have you ever thought to yourself “If we only could have paid a bit more money, we would have landed the A-player we really needed to hire”?

If so, you would be wrong.

We often assume that money is the main reason for the turn down but in reality, it is our inability to demonstrate how our opportunity brings purpose to the individual. It is no longer a time where good people will sacrifice career satisfaction for a paycheck.

The balance of power has shifted and the mindset has changed. One thing we have learned from the pandemic is that purpose trumps the paycheck for almost everyone worth hiring.

Our guest today: Lorna Borenstein, Founder & CEO of Grokker.

The social health and wellbeing network that helps employees at global enterprises to move more, sleep better, eat more healthily and reduce financial stress. Her new book, It’s Personal: The Business Case for Caring, thoughtfully examines the Human Connection Movement™ in the workplace, which is fueled by a growing desire among employees to feel more connected to one another and as a result, better connected to their jobs.

Lorna’s expertise has been featured in top tier publications including Bloomberg, Fortune, and Entrepreneur. As a sought after speaker and panel moderator at leading industry conferences, Lorna presents on the current state of workplace wellbeing and engagement.

Lorna is a member of Forbes Human Resources Council and a frequent contributing author.

Today we discuss:

The importance of Purpose as today’s main currency
How to unearth purpose in the hiring process & beyond

Challenge today?

Insides match your outside
Create a high performance culture
Connect mission vision & culture
To drive results to not move away from humans but toward it
- Cost of not caring is the failure of your business
Creating a safe place to be (psychological safety)

Why is this important to the company?

To keep your people you need to treat them with empathy
Silent revolution (they will just walk out)
People do not want to feel alone (feel like they are part of the tribe)
Companies on the fortune best places outperform the s&p 500 by 2:1
40% of employees report that managers have not asked them how they are doing through the pandemic
Appreciation & interest as a person translates to a 7x increase in innovation
61% of employees will take a lower salary for better benefits
Empathy is the new company sexy

Rick’s Nuggets

If your understanding the person then you are transactional, and deserve to lose
- Selling, pitching, focusing on compensation
Understand a person’s career wounds first
- “What’s happening in your current role that has you open to hearing about something potentially stronger?”

How do we solve the problem?

State your commitment
- I'm committed to you and here's what I am going to do
- Living values inside & outside the office
- People need to feel safe and valued (psychological safety)
Link their needs what you are going to deliver
- Listen & accommodate
- Coping accommodation - digging into tactical solutions
- Create personal/ family time
- Survey on policies and adjust
Provide tools
- Digital tools to support healthy lifestyle
- On demand on phones
- Incentives for programs

Rick’s Nuggets

Structure first!
- Build your interview process around your company VALUES
Take advantage of the “discovery call” to build trust
- Understand everyone’s pain, desire, & impact
- Ensures people will show up for your interview

Key Takeaways -Value:

3 tiered stratification model
- What did you sacrifice that may have damaged your culture
- What is your competition doing?
- Transformational thinking

Guest Links:

Lorna's Book: It’s Personal: The Business Case for Caring, thoughtfully examines the Human Connection Movement™

Lorna Borenstein: LinkedIn Twitter

Company: Grokker Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop

Breaking Bad Belief Systems- Innovation Mindset with Patrick Schwerdtfeger of Trend Mastery Inc.

Thu, 29 Jul 2021 20:40:33 -0000

As Entrepreneurs, we are constantly striving to get in front of the challenges we have. However we often seem to be in a constant state of fighting fires.

So now we are at a precipice where technology tools can alleviate this pain but we must first invest the time in training & understand how to best position ourselves and our teams to innovate successfully.

Let’s start to think about our human resources differently in a mind shift away from our desires to the personal & professional development of our employees. Thinking bigger attracts A-players! This fuels innovation.

Our guest today: Patrick Schwerdtfeger, Business Futurist and Keynote Speaker

Patrick specializes in technology trends including big data, artificial intelligence, Fintech and blockchain. He’s the author of “Pandemic, Inc.: 8 Forces Driving Business Failure or Fortune in the Post-COVID-19 Economy” as well as five other books, and has lectured at numerous academic institutions including Purdue and Stanford Universities.

Patrick is also a regular speaker for Bloomberg TV, founder of Trend Mastery Inc., and host of the Strategic Business Insights video blog (with over 28,000 subscribers and six million views on YouTube). Patrick has spoken about business trends, technology and digital marketing at hundreds of conferences all around the world.

Today we discuss:

How to think bigger to attract stronger talent

Challenge today?

Companies are not adopting technology fast enough
Companies always feel like they’re “behind” with respect to technology
How can companies leverage HR to accelerate technology adoption?
Jobs of the future: (1) communication skills & (2) creative problem solving
Thinking about your human resources differently
Stop thinking bottom up
NEW: How can companies attract top talent
NEW: Millennials are “lazy, apathetic, and entitled” but they CAN be inspired
NEW: Inspire your employees, customers, and competitors (good source)

Why is this important to the company?

Being innovative fuels growth

Rick’s Nuggets

Define your company’s purpose & cause
Utilize Talent from competitor - adjacent companies
Present Innovative technologies

How do we solve the problem?

#1: Identify staff who are excited to learn and use software more extensively
#2: Leverage enterprise software and get more training for your staff
#3: Understand that technology propagates SMB through enterprise software
#4: Break down tasks into (1) manual & (2) cognitive
#5: Break each category down into (1) manual & (2) cognitive
#6: Soft repetitive tasks by their level of complexity
#7: Understand that “Innovation = Budgeting Failure”
#8: Protecting high-gross margin products to FUND innovation
#9: FAIL as fast and as cheaply as possible (test new ideas cheaply)
NEW: think bigger about your business
NEW: not 10% bigger, but 10x bigger

Rick’s Nuggets

Train your people - Have an active training program that promotes learning, innovation, new technologies - good for retention
Elevate top-down thinking

Key Takeaways -Value:

#1: EVERYONE thinks they’re behind.
#2: think more strategically, and you’ll catch up quickly.

Guest Links:

Patrick's Book: Pandemic, Inc.: 8 Forces Driving Business Failure or Fortune in the Post-COVID-19 Economy (Amazon)

Patrick Schwerdtfeger: Patrick Schwerdtfeger Facebook Twitter

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop

Why Purpose & Understanding Drive People to Want To Work For Your Company with Casey Welch of Tallo

Thu, 15 Jul 2021 19:00:56 -0000

Listening is the most critical interview tool you have. Not listening to respond (which we all do) but listening to understand.

Think of the interview as an opportunity to gather evidence to support your decision and when you understand a person’s pain & desire first, you can accurately position your opportunity as the answer to their problems.

Why do you need to understand the person before you hire them? Isn’t it enough that you know that they have the skills that are needed?

Because not understanding the values of the individual is what ultimately results in bad hiring decisions.

Our guest today: Casey Welch, Co-Founder & CEO of Tallo.

A digital platform and app that connects 1.3 million+ students and professionals to opportunities offered by colleges, companies, and organizations. Since its inception, Tallo has pioneered early talent engagement, facilitating career discovery and guidance for a diverse talent pool.

Under Casey’s leadership, Tallo serves as a virtual ecosystem leveling the playing field for all students and job seekers, regardless of traditional geographic and economic barriers. Casey is a leading expert on Generation Z in higher education and the workforce, and his insights have been featured in Forbes, FastCompany, ZDNet, and SHRM.

Today we discuss:

The importance of proper positioning when hiring
How to build understanding into your interview process

Challenge today? (Reactive hiring and approach to talent)

People want to find careers that are purposeful
- After more than a year of grinding stress, workers are increasingly looking to find new jobs. In fact, according to research by Monster, 95% of workers are thinking about finding a new job, and 92% would consider switching industries for a new position.
- Gen Z agrees with this overall sentiment. According to Tallo’s recent survey of over 1000+ Gen Z individuals, 69% of Gen Z said over the past year it's become more important to find a job that is personally fulfilling.
Products that will help people, change peoples lives
- Gen Z wants a career that brings them purpose and meaning, not just a job. They also want to make a social impact with their career, not just work the 9-5. Tallo data found that one of the three most important factors for Gen Z when thinking about their future work environment includes making an impact socially and economically (47%)
- In order to attract members of Gen Z, employers need to show prospective new employees will bring a positive change from a social and economic standpoint. This is an opposite mindset from their predecessors Millennials, who focused more on company name recognition
Finding the workforce that is going to stay
- The top three most important factors for Gen Z when thinking about their current or future work environment include:
  - Having a fair and ethical boss (72%)
  - The ability to be heard (61%)
  - Making an impact socially and economically (47%)
- Hybrid work environments are key: 63% of Gen Z is interested in working in a hybrid setting, while 27% want to work in the office full time and 8% want to work remotely full time.
Pandemic changed people's views
- More than one out of every three Gen Zers reported in a Tallo survey that they are reconsidering their career choice due to certain industries being negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Culture & environment are far more important
- The three biggest factors that motivate Gen Z to take a job include salary (78%) interest in work (70%) and work life balance (58%).
- Addressing social issues + diversity equity and inclusion in the workplace is vital. Tallo data found that Gen Z listed the following as the most important DEI initiatives they look for in an employer:
  - Women in leadership (59%)
  - Training and discussions (58%)
  - People of color in leadership positions (53%)

Why is this important to the company?

Understanding what the modern employees wants and needs are, and then meeting those needs is critical to improve retention and reduce turnover.
People are leaving their companies faster than the employers can fill, which is why there’s a high demand for jobs but no supply of experienced candidates. In order to fill these positions, employers must begin a double-pronged approach of employee retention and employee outreach – and focus their efforts on Gen Z.
When asked about future workplace settings, only 8% of Gen Z want to be fully remote. 63% want hybrid and 27% would want to be in the office full time

Rick’s Nuggets

Understanding leads to truth
Every person has a different set of values
Evidence eliminates
- Assumptions
- Bias

How do we solve the problem? (Creating a proactive approach and system to hiring)

Mindshift
- Away from transactional relationship (Two people can want to get married, doesn’t mean they want to get married to each other)
- Care more about experience and about people
Using tools for measurement
- Purpose & Meaning - what they like and want to do
- Skills - What they CAN do
- A focus on reskilling, upskilling and learning & development (L&D) opportunities:
  - Employers need to provide all their employees with new and innovative ways to reskill and upskill – especially when it comes to soft skills.
  - 74% of Gen Z think soft skills (such as critical thinking, analysis, problem solving, leadership, and communication) are more critical for success in our current economy.
Some different L&D opportunities employers can explore include:
- Technical (science, technology, engineering, software development, and design);
- Leadership (communication, management, and critical thinking);
- Learning new languages; and
- Agile (collaboration, user experience, experimentation, and continuous learning).

Rick’s Nuggets

Mindset : who are you really?
- Blind conversations are the most fruitful & eliminate bias
- Interview questions that surface value alignment
Behavioral Interview that is tied to values!

Key Takeaways -Value:

Employers must place a heightened focus on recruiting the next generation of leaders into the workplace: Gen Z
The most important factors to drives people to come work for you include considering a hybrid work environment, addressing and emphasizing the important of diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace and providing a means for employees to reskill + upskill
Employers must fully understand what today’s modern employee wants – from salary to benefits to work environment – and meet those expectations

Guest Links:

Casey Welch: LinkedIn

Company: Tallo Facebook Twitter Instagram

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop

The Right Formula for Proactive Recruiting with Eric Dahan of Open Influence

Thu, 08 Jul 2021 18:28:16 -0000

Do you have a target list of the people you desire to hire?

It is easy to plan the roles you need to hire but the “who” is what matters most. A very simple hack is to just create a spreadsheet and every time you hear of someone good, add them to your list.

Now here is the important part… reach out and seek to understand. Simply reaching out and listening to their desires is all it takes to attract a well positioned player for your company.

Our guest today: Eric Dahan, Co-Founder & CEO of Open Influence

A premiere influencer marketing company with clients that include Disney, Google, Amazon, Facebook, and Under Armour, among others. The company is also a leader in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence within the ad industry thanks to its predictive analytics tools and entire influencer taxonomy, which contains over 10B data points. Eric is a Forbes 30 Under 30 recipient and Inc. 30 Under 30 honoree.

Eric has hired over 100 people for Open Influence and has a strong proactive program in place.

Today we discuss:

Why you should always be interviewing
How to run a proactive hiring campaign

Challenge today? (Reactive hiring and approach to talent)

Cascade risk of people getting burned out and demoralized
Takes time to train new people
An ounce of prevention
Avoiding the “oh shit” moments

Why is this important to the company?

From a p&l standpoint, building a more lucrative business
Retaining the best and brightest that they have worked so hard to to build up
Attracting, building, training and elevating the best people

Rick’s Nuggets

People are harder than ever to attract
Building a passive talent pipeline allows you to constantly raise productivity

How do we solve the problem? (Creating a proactive approach and system to hiring)

Planning
- This is the structure
- Getting the team to buy in
  - The why
- Accomplish more by delegating
Create a strong feeder of young candidates
- In network referrals
- Inbound, through website
- Industry niche focused
- Building relationships with professors in college
Elevate and create a management layer
- Empower managers to
- Giving a bit more time to go out and find people
Budget for strong hires
- Role creation for strong talent
- Elevating from within
Hired HR director to help with recruiting and building out better processes
- A lot of time saved with onboarding
- Point person for planning & vetting

Rick’s Nuggets

Dedicate 1 hour a week to talent development (first 20)
Adopt a policy of opportunistic relationship building
- ie: hackathons, hosting events
Understand the person’s pain & desire
Start interviewing 2 months prior the role becoming available
Value alignment is key!
- Judge on values, not skills

Key Takeaways -Value:

Think about the ideal structure and what is going to make you scale. What is the break point? How do you make sure you bring it to life?
Think of hiring as something that you will always have to do
To really scale, make hiring continuous

Guest Links:

Eric Dahan: LinkedIn

Company: Open Influence Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop

How Collaborative Negotiation Attracts Talent with Beerud Sheth of Gupshup

Thu, 01 Jul 2021 19:20:19 -0000

Knowing at least one attribute that is shared by everyone in the organization is critical to nail down before you start hiring. This one thing becomes the cornerstone of your corporate values which shapes the company culture, attracts the right people and fuels growth.

Ask yourself, what is the one trait that is critical to the organization? Write it down, start talking about it and encourage it to grow. Allow it to be the compass by which you will evaluate the right fit.

Our guest today: Beerud Sheth, Co-Founder & CEO of Gupshup

Gupshup is the global leader in cloud messaging and conversational experiences. He previously founded and led Elance (now Upwork, a publicly listed company), the pioneer of online freelancing and the gig economy.

Beerud has built world class organizations and hired hundreds of talented people throughout his career.

Today we discuss:

Minimizing the difficulty in hiring the right people
How to identify your one thing to enable you to make the right hiring decision

Challenge today in finding & hiring the strongest people?

Putting the jigsaw puzzle together
The right set of people
Hyper growth
- don't rush into the hire
- Make due with what you have, be opportunistic
Collaborative Negotiation

Why is this important to the company?

Very jr, part time roles were able to demonstrate grit & hunger and have evolved to very senior roles in the organization
People who get stuff done

Rick’s Nuggets

It starts with leadership!
- What is your most crucial attribute
- Define it
- Live it

How do we solve the problem?

Find Highly flexible people

Goal oriented
Sense of humor; not take themselves too seriously
Missionaries, not mercenaries
How they negotiate is key

Right people, right seat

Give broad opportunities
*collaborative negotiation is key
Constructive conflict resolution
Teamwork is all about negotiation

Empower them within the role

Expand the scope of the opportunity
Personalities aside
Flexibility, teamwork, focus on the big picture

Rick’s Nuggets

Referral network
Content
Evaluate people for Value Alignment
- Do they live your value??

Key Takeaways -Value:

Business requires flexibility
Collaborative Negotiation enables flexible execution and innovation
Flexible teams win

Guest Links:

Beerud Sheth: LinkedIn

Company: Gupshup Facebook Twitter

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop

4 Steps to Hiring Full-time Offshore Talent with Eris Verne of Alfinder

Fri, 25 Jun 2021 14:00:00 -0000

Are you considering hiring a team of experts offshore?

We all know that this option can give you a lot more bang for your buck. But does it really? The communication challenges, cultural differences and time variations may prove too much to manage for some entrepreneurs.

It’s important to consider this as an option only when the organization has the tools & structure to support successful communication of expectations. When aligned with company values, these hires can bring the added diversity that is needed to fuel innovation.

Our guest today: Eris Verne, Founder of AIfinder.

Eris started programming at the age of 14. While in college he started an algorithm based company which solved the problem of internet filtering called APKN. The company was acquired two years later.

After the exit of APKN, Eris discovered a flaw within a multidisciplinary field which intersects marketing, data, and behavioral analysis. So he founded Alfinder to be the most flexible behavioral data analysis solution, enabling industry leaders to predict market behaviors and learn audiences. He currently leads a team of 11 talented offshore employees who have been extraordinary since day one.

Today we discuss:

Why to hire offshore talent
How to effectively acquire the right teams for your company

Challenge today?

Big risk to hire local
- Costs
- Commitments, legal issues
Locating people for technical roles very difficult
Taking a big gamble
Problems faced:
- Knowing what to do with the offshore team
- Cultural alignment
Quality
- Need a technical person to manage

Why is this important to the company?

Frees your time to hand off work
Offshore are in their own habitat - only need one person here to project manage
Must be a technical founder!

Rick’s Nuggets

Communication is the biggest hurdle
Contracting makes sense

How do we hire offshore talent effectively?

First Determine what you need
- It’s best to find a technical person to assist you with this
- Do not hire individuals! Hire through an agency
Identify an agency
- They might not be technical people themselves so make sure they understand your needs.
- Agencies usually have a way of tracking their candidates, ask as many questions as needed to understand the details of how the do so
- The agency you choose should be ok with you changing, adding and removing candidates from your team regularly
- Don’t fall into the trap of letting them handle your team and get your own project manager
Interview & Hire
- Feel free to set up your interview as you would normally
- Understand candidates backgrounds and challenge them with technical questions
- Make sure there is NOT a language barrier or move on
- Do not spend days on hiring and going through 5 interviews with a candidate
- Hire Fast, Fire Faster!
Set everything straight
- Try not to share internal news with them
- And don’t expect them to learn a new technology while working for you
- After you find fit candidates for your needs, try to work with them on a technical level only
- Monitor their everyday work
- Set the bar as you would normally

Key Takeaways -Value:

If you’re not a technical founder make sure you to have a technical person on your team
Focus on the people who benefit from your software/solution rather than the people who are making it
Hire Fast, Fire Faster

Guest Links:

Eris Verne: LinkedIn

Company: Alfinder Facebook Instagram

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop

The Benefits of Hybrid Hiring for Today’s Workforce with Nick Iovacchini of Kettlespace

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 18:19:58 -0000

People do not want to go into the office on a daily basis anymore!

In fact, the last search we completed had an overwhelming number of people that would only be interested in a hybrid or fully remote work situation. Quality of life has become far more important to people than the paycheck.

We have all had to pivot in the past year but we really should embrace & capitalize on the opportunity that has been presented to us. That opportunity is the ability to raise the bar of talent within your company that is outside your geographical locale.

Our guest today: Nick Iovacchini, Co-Founder & CEO of Kettlespace.

Nick Iovacchini is a serial founder with a proven track record of building successful ventures across a wide range of industries. Companies founded by Nick have grossed $70MM+ in revenue, sold 10MM+ consumer products, and provided hospitality to 1MM+ patrons. Nick is currently a co-founder of KettleSpace, a company enabling smart hybrid work solutions with software, workspaces, and expertise. In his role as CEO at KettleSpace, Nick oversees product, operations, and growth.

Today we discuss:

Why the hybrid model is here to stay
How to run an effective hybrid hiring model

Challenge today?

Gen Z- values freedom
People enjoying the upside to working from home
40% of workers will quit if they have to go back
Operationalize hybrid & gather the right data to know if it is working

Why is this important to the company?

Value talent- talent concern
Power dynamics between worker and boss have changed
- Worker is in a stronger position of negotiation
- Apple revolt-
Global shakeup

Rick’s Nuggets

Target the strongest people -nation wide

How do we solve the problem?

Gather task force of people
- HR, c suite,
- Look at new paradigm
- Employee input
Establish KPI’s, Objectives & Steps to take (# days in the office)
- Success Metrics -- Engagement & Productivity Measurements
- General “Direction” for Hybrid - 50/50 vs 3 days a week vs. self-select all remote, all in-office, hybrid
- Set timelines
- Plan for Change Management / Communications
Operationalize
- Tooling
- Decisions / policies
- Implementation
- Data Collection /
- Monitor and iterate

Rick’s Nuggets

Target hiring: cross industry/competitors
- Personal contact information
Performance metrics for each role- 90, 180 days
Run HireOS

Key Takeaways -Value:

According to McKinsey 90% of companies plan to be hybrid, but nearly 70% don’t have a plan or the tooling yet to implement it -- need to move towards solutions
The key is accepting the fact that this environment will be changing, need to adopt a test/learn approach -- plan for adaptation
Whether you are early or late to the hybrid party, at the end of the day this is what the talent wants and over time the majority of the workforce will demand -- early adopters will have advantages to retaining and attracting top talent

Links

Nick Iovacchini: LinkedIn

Company: Kettlespace Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop

How to Cultivate Relationships to Build a Strong Pipeline of Talent with Kate DeWald of OnCue

Thu, 10 Jun 2021 19:01:10 -0000

You don’t need to see 50 or even 10 candidates to make a hire. You only need to see 1.

Why do we feel like we need to see a lot of people to “compare & contrast” before making a decision? Because we have been conditioned to window shop to ensure we are getting the best “deal”. But this is a transactional mindset which causes us to hire too fast with zero evidence to support the decision. Resulting in bad hires!

Let’s change your perspective...

Start by flipping your funnel. Focus on the channels that produce the strongest hiring results. Referral Network, Warm Recruits, and then supplement with applicants.

Relationships, not money, are what drive people in today’s hiring landscape.

Our guest today: Kate DeWald, Founder & CEO of OnCue.

Kate DeWald is CEO and founder of Oncue, the leading software and booking service for the moving industry. Launched in 2018, Oncue helps moving companies increase their revenue by as much as 400%, year over year, by automating many of their manual processes and enabling them to devote more time towards business growth and longevity. Prior to leading Oncue, Kate served in go-to-market roles to drive growth at industry-leading SaaS companies, including SuccessFactors and ServiceMax.

Today we discuss:

Why hiring is a long term play
How to gain access to high quality people

Challenge today?

Filling the top of the funnel with high quality people
- Leadership roles
- Funnel: either too many (unqualified) or too few
Making sure the candidate experience is stellar

Why is this important to the company?

Time wasting
Want to find the people that are going to be best in the business
Find the people that are aligned on mission, vision and values

Rick’s Nuggets

Reactive hiring results in “oh shit” hires

How do we solve the problem?

Funnel: linkedin recruiting, cold outreach, recruiter
- Hire expert/subject matter expertise recruiting
Write content: be authentic and write about what it’s truly like to work at your company
Unbias interview process- doesn’t matter where the candidate comes from
- Training leaders
- Reviewing questions prior to the interview
Play the long game - interview and connect with people before you have the roles available, help out others where you can, it’s about creating long lasting relationships with people

Rick’s Nuggets

Referrals first: “Who have you worked with that was a strong performer in the organization?”
Recruits: cross industry performers, competitors-

Key Takeaways -Value:

Spend more time than you think you need on recruiting
Be authentic in your hiring process- if you’re a startup, own it- being transparent with the candidate about what the role is really will set them up for success
Think about Key ways you can add value - how can you add value to your candidates in the process? Make sure they have a great experience regardless of the outcome

Guest Links:

Kate DeWald: LinkedIn

Company: Facebook Twitter

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop

Your Strongest Hire is Gone in 8 Seconds with Henna Pryor of Pryority Group

Thu, 03 Jun 2021 20:42:02 -0000

You’re hiring and just are not seeing the quality flow of people responding to your job ads. A bit frustrated, you decide to launch an email/LinkedIn campaign targeting people from your competitors. You identify the people you want to talk to and start sending messages. Hopeful that you’ll draw in the strongest talent.

But the response is underwhelming at best. Why?

Because no one cares about your company, your job or you until you can demonstrate the value of “what’s in it for me?”. The selfish way you message is the #1 reason you fail to gain a positive response. Start with a person’s pain first, then you'll gain their attention.

Our guest today: Henna Pryor, President & Executive Coach for Pryority Group

After an explosive 14-year recruitment career working with top performers, growing managers, and C-suite leaders, Henna founded Pryority Group to realize a vision that access to coaching and development is the most important asset to any individual’s continued growth.

Henna prides herself on an "empathetic but no-nonsense" approach and has been recognized quickly as a secret weapon of companies ranging from fast-growing startups to Fortune 500. She has a dual specialty in working with high-achieving women and measurably improving the performance of sales teams and growing start-up businesses through her in-demand sales messaging training programs and strategic coaching.

Today we discuss:

Why no one cares about your messaging today
How to structure your digital communications to gain a positive response

Challenge today?

Reaching out to candidates digitally in a noisy marketplace - getting their attention and keeping it.

Problem:

Peoples attention span is about 8 seconds in digital communication (goldfish)
Initial outreach is usually operating from middle school English class writing techniques
Subject line kills you (great opportunity)
The spotlight is in the wrong spot. People start by talking about themselves right out of the gate. People don’t want to hear about you right away. They want to be the hero of their sales message first.
People are motivated by
- Love
- Hate
- Fear of
- Vanity
- Pride
- Longing for

Why is this important to the company?

Even in digital communication, people buy on emotion.
People get 121 emails a day- most of which are deleted or ignored
Most leaders have not been taught sales writing

Rick’s Nuggets

Pain, desire, impact

How do we solve the problem?

Subject Line
- Must induce curiosity
- Ie: You wouldn’t believe how we do this,
- Confidential mysterious confession- top open
- “That was a huge fail”
- What's something special? What’s something you want to get away from?
The Content
- You Perspective (“I get you, I understand where you’re coming from, I relate”
- Here’s why it might be worth chatting with me for a few minutes (features + benefits, ideally at least 3)
Call to action
- Very clear
- Low pressure, low commitment

Rick’s Nuggets

Strike a nerve by identifying their pain
- Be specific (growth, management, work content)
Desired outcome by alleviating the pain
Performance Metrics (Impact they will make)
How’s my telepathy?

Opener

You have been eagerly anticipating my email, but I just received your telepathic message so I apologize for taking so long to get back to you ;-).

Acknowledge the Pain

I understand you are pretty good at your job but your talents in XXXX (personalize) may be a bit underappreciated (or underutilized, under-challenged, over-managed) in your current role.

Key Takeaways -Value:

Attention is a currency. You might have the best opportunity with the biggest runway, but none of it matters if you don’t have a rock solid digital communication strategy to catch the attention of the right people to engage the conversation further.
Your value proposition alone isn’t enough to attract a good candidate in this marketplace. You need to express in your outreach that you understand THEM, and then walk them through the benefits that will make your message compelling enough to want to continue the conversation.
Using the framework shared will give you a much more compelling message to attract the candidate and give you a much better chance of starting conversations with the top passive talent as well, not just the active talent.

Guest Links:

Henna Pryor: LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/hennapryor

Company: Pryority Group Facebook Instagram

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop

How Your Book Can Attract Talent with Alicia Dunams of Bestseller in a Weekend

Thu, 27 May 2021 19:47:15 -0000

With everyone struggling to hire, companies are looking for a competitive edge in being able to attract talented people. But the answer is not compensation & benefits. Contrary to what most people are preaching right now.

What draws people to your company is NOT the transaction. It is the substance behind what is in it for me!

Today we are discussing how your book can have a surprising effect in drawing talented people to your company by simply allowing people to understand who you are.

Our guest today: Alicia Dunams, Founder & CEO of Bestseller in a Weekend.

Alicia has helped over 2000 people become bestselling authors through her Bestseller in a Weekend® course and professional ghostwriting author services and coaching company.

Additionally, as a leadership trainer, executive coach and certified peacemaker/mediator who has worked with clients including CBS, Gap, GEICO, and Capital One, Alicia uses the foundation of healthy conversations and storytelling as the bridge to overcome conflict in the workplace and beyond.

Alicia is an expert at bringing a book to life and elevating personal & professional brand!

Which makes Alicia a perfect expert for today’s topic.

Today we discuss:

Why a book may be the competitive edge
How to create a book to elevate your professional brand

Challenge today?

Can't attract the right people
People don't want to go back to the grind
Want flexibility in being able to work from home
Competing from a lifestyle perspective
Companies are competing in the same pool
Not attracting the passive people

Why is this important to the company?

Publicity
Clear company story
Insight into who you might be working for
Shows company values
Branding
Omnipresence
Sales/recruiting channel (24x7)

People who resonate with the message of your book will be drawn to the company

Rick’s Nuggets

Powerful insight into who I will be working for
How do one write a book while building a company?
Determine what do you want to accomplish with book
Outlining the target audience
- Their pain point and providing solution
- Positioning it for recruiting attraction
- Examples of culture and stories of the people who work for you
Hire a Ghostwriter
- Find someone who resonates with you - someone who captures your voice, finding your voice
- Contact a service, like The Book Funnel ,or Authors Unite, where a book coach can pair you with a ghostwriter, and handles all the project management and author services
- 6-12 months
Traditional Publishing Route
- Contact me
- Timeframe 18months
- Connect with a Book Proposal Writer (describe what is a book proposal)
- Contact Agent - they also have a list of book proposal writers
- Your book will be Shopped around
Book Marketing - make your book a bestseller

Key Takeaways -Value:

Write a book on workplace culture to attract the right people.
This book becomes a playbook and operating procedure for your company.
This also could be a requisite read for new hires/interviewees.

Guest Links:

Alicia Dunams: LinkedIn Website Facebook Instagram

Company: Best Seller In a Weekend YouTube

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop

Diversity Hiring Fire Drills with Venesa Klein of Calibre One

Fri, 21 May 2021 17:16:07 -0000

It is no secret that diversity sparks innovation and fuels business growth.

But diversity for the sake of image or social pressure is dangerous. It needs to truly be embedded into the fabric of the corporate values in how people interact. It is not just checking off a box to satisfy outsiders.

This is most dangerous when someone is hired simply for their gender or race without any consideration of what the individual is positioned to contribute. Values are misaligned, expectations miscommunicated and voila …. Let the nightmare begin.

Costly mistakes that result in wrongful terminations, and hostile work environment lawsuits.

Our guest today: Venesa Klein, Executive Recruiter & Partner for Calibre One.

Since 2007, Venesa has helped some of the world's most successful companies build out the critical leadership teams that drive their success.

As Partner at Calibre One, Venesa founded its Purpose-Driven Practice, which focuses on placing executives in growing organizations seeking to create innovation with meaningful impact. Her empathy forward personality along with her strategic thinking has enabled her to successfully build diversity programs for her clients.

Today we discuss:

Why diversity may not be right for your company
How to correctly implement a diversity program

Challenge today? Having a real diversity strategy

Implement a long term strategy that develops people into leaders
Diversity in leadership to fill a role - check off the box
Oh Shit, we need to hire a woman because we are an all male leadership team
the structure to give opportunity to diversity
Vanity hire

Why is this important to the company?

Real change and a more diverse workforce equals growth & innovation
Companies
The reality is that a woman
Diversity of perspective: Will the person really be valued

Rick’s Nuggets

Hiring for core values alignment eliminates bias, promotes diversity
Just filling a seat for diversity sake, dangerous
- Value aligned
- Empowered to thrive

How do we solve the problem?

Bottom up approach
- Add people at the most jr level first
Development plan
- Way of identifying people who are doing well and offering opportunity to continuously grow
Promote into leadership
- Incentivizing organization to develop those around them
- Leadership accountability
When you have to go out to search
- Leadership team in agreement
- Think through the obstacles in recruiting within the criteria
- Ask Why?
- Needs to be a level of honesty -that is not happening

Rick’s Nuggets

Build your interview process to eliminate bias first
- Value alignment first
  - Values come in every flavor of person
- Positioning before Pitch
  - Understand the person’s desires
- Path to success
  - Heal their career wounds with your opportunity

Key Takeaways -Value:

Bottom up approach
Strategy around developing diversity in the organization
Looking through the lens of diversity

Guest Links:

Venesa Klein: LinkedIn Twitter

Company: Calibre One Facebook Twitter

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop

Bias in Interviewing Starts with the Resume with Dr. Michael Neal of Build My Team

Thu, 13 May 2021 19:05:19 -0000

What if you completely eliminated the resume from your entire hiring process?

Now you might be thinking, “how is that even possible”? Well, lets’ divulge a few truths about the resume. First, all resumes lie. Not only in what is written but more importantly, what is not. Really the most valuable information on a resume is the contact information and the white space. And the white space is where the truth is found.

Today we discuss how to effectively circumvent the resume to uncover the strongest talent while minimizing your time investment in sifting through piles of resumes.

Our guest today: Dr Michael Neal, Founder & CEO of Build My Team

Dr. Michael Neal is an Eye Doctor in private practice and the Founder of Build My Team. After years of struggling with bad hires, he invented a scientific assessment system to predictably discover diamonds in the rough - all without looking at resumes.

Dr. Neal and Build My Team erase all the guesswork with their scientific hiring process. They remove those who can’t do the job using their unique combination of scientific assessments for mindset, learning speed, motivation, strengths and talents. This saves business owners valuable time and helps eliminate high turnover.

Today we discuss:

Why we need to kill the resume
How to effectively hire without a resume

What are the challenges with the resume?

At the end of the day, leaders just want to know who to hire
Resumes get in the way every step of the process until the end
A resume does not tell you anything useful
- Address is the most useful thing (tells commute time)
Mostly made up- inaccurate information

Why is this important to the company?

Resumes lead people down the wrong path
- Fictional failure file
- Bias
- Does not tell you who the person is
Inertia - lead into the funnel
Replace the resume with a scientific assessment
97% accurate

Rick’s Nuggets

All Resumes LIE
Hiring for Skills is a recipe for disaster
This includes Vanity Hires
A Call to Action is a powerful screening mechanism
Added to the job description
Provides insight into the person

How do we solve the problem?

Be open to a better way
- If the current method is working,
- Enjoy the misery of being on the hiring hamster wheel
- Ready for better results
- Pain: time, emotional,
Use assessments
- Build your person and identify the superstars
- Reject concept of experience
- Eliminate the con-people and manipulators
Reverse engineer what the right person looks like
- Being categorically honest
- Accepting the truth- hire people around the leaders
- Identify a specific mindset
- Eliminate entitlement
Interview
- Do not bring the resume into the interview

Rick’s Nuggets

Invest the time cultivating Referrals first
Targeted recruiting
Job postings
Discovery Call!
Determines if the person has the correct positioning first
Understanding Pain, Desire & Impact

Key Takeaways -Value:

The stress you are under as a business owner with hiring is totally avoidable
Replace mediocre team members with superstars
An 80% staff replacement resulted in an 82% profit increase

Guest Links:

Michael Neal: LinkedIn

Company: Build My Team Facebook

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop

Managing Expectations when Fundraising & Hiring for ROI with Brian Franco of Meritage Partners

Thu, 06 May 2021 18:15:42 -0000

Assumptions are the #1 reason we fail in our expectations when hiring and raising capital.

Assumptions are drawn when we don’t invest the time to listen to all parties. Asking deeper questions to gather data to support an accurate decision is crucial. What is not uncovered is the reason we make bad hires. Because we inject our own assumptions, needs & bias where the evidence should be.

This especially holds true in your hiring process when our needs and desires cloud what is most important, the truth.

Our guest today: Brian Franco, Founder & Managing Partner of Meritage Partners.

Brian strives for excellence and fairness in deal structure and has a deeply intuitive understanding of the importance of company’s compatibility. He has represented and completed deals with an extremely diverse set of small and mid-sized businesses (SMB's), private equity groups and public companies in a number of industries and has significant experience working with companies in: architecture & engineering, healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, wellness, A.I., software and technology, and professional services.

Brian is an expert in aligning expectations in the M&A process.

Today we discuss:

Managing Expectations with Market Conditions and Expectations when Fundraising & Hiring
3 step process to achieving expectation alignment

Challenge today?

Capital raisers need to secure time to develop and bring their vision to market. In business as in life, Time is afforded by “capital” ILLUSTRATION: An airplane needs enough runway, a powerful engine or engines , and fuel to develop speed/momentum to get airborne. One without the other will result in catastrophic results

EXAMPLE: Amazon did not expect to make a profit for four to five years

QUESTION: Will you expect Capital Providers to wait months or years to return a profit?

Does the investment opportunity meet the investors expectations?
- Time requirement
- Return on Investment
- Balanced Risk & Reward
Is their alignment among the founders and the investors?
- Cultural alignment
  - Is the founder/team coachable?
  - Is the founder a “rebel” or a “cowboy/cowgirl”?
Is there TRUST, Is there a Perception of risk when it comes to the topics of:
- Operational Control
- Financial Control
Investing in the PERSON or TEAM to execute the vision or the business plan

Note: Visionaries aren’t always the best integrators

STORY: Some of us are familiar with the story about Steve Jobs leaving Apple in 1985 for 12 years and then returning in 1997

To manage you must first understand
- LISTENING

Why is this important to the company?

Understanding alignment empowers us and allows us to understand how to meet expectations and then meeting those expectations leads to SUCCESS

Qualified leadership team: is their personal goodwill or collateral in past successes?
Relevant experience in leadership

Rick’s Nuggets

Assume nothing- eliminate your needs, desires & bias
Listening is the only way to understand
Understanding is the key to truth
Truth is the springboard to success

How do we solve the problem of managing expectations?

It is as simple as “Listening” and “Educating” ourselves so that we align and meet expectations of Capital Raisers and Capital Providers.

Identify what is Achievable

Listening

Education

Educating clients on what the ‘market’ is likely to offer them
Aligning expectations to market practices or offerings (reality)

Plan & Equip

Identify relevant investors
Develop Pitch Deck and Memorandum to articulate a consistent message
Experience and ability to Assembling the team and identifying strengths and weaknesses (don’t put the strongest person in any position simply because they are “strong” align their strengths with the organization because they are qualified and capable)

Rick’s Nuggets

Understand the person the business needs
Target:
- Research, network & connect with 5-10 potential candidates
Execute
- Have conversations to determine positioning alignment

Key Takeaways -Value:

Don’t get in the way of your vision (don’t be too rigid)
Put an allstar team together
Be coachable

Guest Links:

Brian Franco: LinkedIn Twitter

Company: Meritage Partners

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop

A Superstar Culture is Achieved by Having a Systematic Hiring Process with Robert Glazer of Acceleration Partners

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 20:11:55 -0000

“But I have managed to hire two rockstars without having any formalized hiring structure” Said my friend Anthony. To which I quickly replied back “I’d rather be lucky than good”!

It is great to have a few “superstars” in your organization but it is outstanding to have an organization built entirely of well positioned, highly productive people, A-players.

Having a system for hiring is the only way to make the leap from average to extraordinary.

Our guest today: Robert Glazer, Founder & CEO of Acceleration Partners.

A global partner marketing agency, and the co-founder and Chairman of BrandCycle. A serial entrepreneur, he has a passion for helping individuals and organizations build their capacity to Elevate.

Robert was twice named to Glassdoor’s list of Top Small & Medium Companies CEO's (#2) and was selected as a Top 22 Conscious Business Leaders of 2019 by Conscious Company.

He speaks to companies and organizations around the world on topics related to business growth, culture, capacity-building and performance.

Today we discuss:

Why systems, especially in hiring, to win!
Robert’s process for hiring

Why are business leaders reluctant to follow a hiring system?

Moving from a superstar hiring culture to a systematic process
Getting everyone to do work up front
Agreeing on what success looks like in the role
Clarity in the scorecard
Everyone to follow the process
Being thorough to meet objectives

Why is this important to the company?

Process pushes the responsibility of building great teams to the teams
Scalable in removing leadership from the process quickly
Scientific process and repeatable

Rick’s Nuggets

Process & systems win
“I’m too busy and don't have time to sit down and develop a process” - You
Hiring process needs to be driven by leadership
Hiring the strongest people, needs to be your strongest talent

How do we solve the problem?

Collect process from other firms
- Layout - read Who
Developing the playbook as a team
- Eliminating the bias & urgency
- Clear on qualities & outcomes
- Making everything behavioral based
Training the playbook
- Train & certify on the process
- No interviewing unless you are and expert on the process itself
- Evaluate interviews
Following the process
- Look at the data and scorecards, not gut
Improving the playbook based on mistakes
- Debriefed on mid hires and find the holes in the system
- Get uncomfortable and figure it out now

Rick’s Nuggets

Read Healing Career Wounds (Available May 20 - Preorder on Amazon)
HireOS interview process -
Role playing - best training!
Scorecard = performance metrics - measurable / timeline

Key Takeaways -Value:

Your current hiring process is probably no better than 50/50
Based on individuals not a repeatable process
A good process also really helps with remote hiring
This is the #1 way to improve your culture

Links

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/glazer/

Websites:https://www.accelerationpartners.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AccelerationPartners/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/accelerationpar

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/accelerationpar/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/Accelerationpartners/featured

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Should Political Views be Reason Not to Hire with Bianca Lager of Social Intelligence Corp

Thu, 22 Apr 2021 19:06:05 -0000

It is very possible to share the same core values, yet differ in our religious or political views. This, we must understand when hiring new people.

Now you might be thinking something like “we have a really harmonious team and we don't want someone who will be bringing their strong political, religious or social agenda”. Then build the practice into your corporate values and let it blossom throughout the company.

After all, we are all servants to the “business”. And what is good for the business is innovation, diversity and growth. All of which are fueled by proper value alignment.

Our guest today: Bianca Lager, President of Social Intelligence Corp.

By driving the vision for Social Intelligence to provide productive, ethical and innovative solutions, she has spent her time working closely with Fortune 500 companies and non-profits alike to create safe and discrimination-free workplaces.

Bianca obtained an MBA from Pepperdine University with a concentration in Dispute Resolution and is a LinkedIn Learning Instructor. She is an expert in consumer reporting, focused on online risk for human resources.

Today we discuss:

Valid reasons not to hire based on a person’s social profile
How to properly use a social media background check to limit your company liability

What are the challenges with conducting a social media background check

Violating privacy rights by doing it yourself
Fed and state laws regarding politics in the workplace
Whose standards are you using
Is it related to business outcomes
Is it fair to the person or the company
Context is key

Why is this important to the company?

Disqualification based on personal views does not lead to better business outcomes and could be discriminatory
Culture fit -
- Diverse teams
- Or single mindset
- Business suffers
Code of conduct standards
Avoid someone who is disruptive to the business
Limits the success of the company

Who are we or What are we not?
What is hate speech - how do we define and document that?

Rick’s Nuggets

Difference in opinion among people who can communicate (agree to disagree) produce magical results
unintended consequences

How do we implement a proper social media check? Do NOW!

Review laws in your jurisdiction/jurisdiction of your employees
Create a policy
- Risk - what is actionable
- Definition of what is acceptable code of conduct
- Stay away from protected class information
  - Age, race, sex, religion, political affiliation
3rd party solution - defines content and behavior appropriately and consistently
- Violence:
- Intolerance:
- Criminal activity (drugs / stealing):
- Sexually explicit:
Well documented and legally vetted business related behavior
- Fbi, Anti-Def, SPLC
Actionable
- Legally defensible position

Rick’s Nuggets

Preparation is key for everyone that you invite into your organization.

- Let your Values policy be known to everyone
- Crystal clarity from the minute they are engaged in the interview process
- Hire for value alignment first

Key Takeaways -Value:

Formalize your social media screening approach
Create a simple, 2-3 sentence social media policy based on a basic code of conduct
Document and stay consistent (Documentation + consistency + policy = Actionable)

Links:

SI Podcast Offer - receive a free sample report along with discounted pricing offer

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/biancacalhounlager/

Websites: https://www.socialintel.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/socialintelligencecorp/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/socialintelco

Twitter: https://twitter.com/BiancaLager

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/socialintelco/

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

How to Create an Accurate Brand That Connects with Your Future Hires with Eric Morley of Blue C Advertising

Thu, 15 Apr 2021 19:57:49 -0000

It’s no secret that I feel that employer branding is bullshit. Mostly because it is focused on perks and selling a “utopian” environment that is not what the company really is at all.

Messaging is focused on being the greatest place to work. But we all know that if you are a small to mid sized business, you are at best, a “hot mess”.

Clarity in who you REALLY are as an organization is the one thing that will propel your business forward and attract the strongest people to your company.

Our guest today: Eric Morley, Co-Founder & COO for Blue C Advertising

Eric has been helping companies across both B2B and B2C segments create brand strategies, campaign development, strategic design, content creation, and digital marketing strategies with a goal of outperforming the competition.

Eric and the Blue C team have been honored to work with some truly innovative and impactful brands that keep them constantly pushing and evolving their exclusive BrandPWR Platform.

Today we discuss:

The truth about what branding is
The elements for a true branding initiative

According to Wikipedia: Employer brand describes an employer's reputation as a place to work, and their employee value proposition

EVP-a set of associations and offerings provided by an organization in return for the skills, capabilities and experiences an employee brings to the organization

Challenge today?

Not having your messaging down
Retooling messaging for a covid friendly world
The world has changed in the last year
Equally important to communicate to your customers as well has your future employees

Why is this important to the company?

A players have seen it all before and can smell a skunk a mile away
Laser focused messaging creates massive clarity
Sales side, it affects revenue
Employees- will view you as the same as…. Just getting by

Rick’s Nuggets

Branding is not perks, puffing your chest (ego) or the product
- Today’s employer branding focus on transactional components
- Not about “what’s in it for me”

How do we solve the problem?

A 360 degree process- brand clarity

Discovery
- Pull everything apart
- Question

Verbal Messaging

-12 point process

Vision
Mission
Positioning
Brand pillars
Brand promise
Values
Brand personality
Voice & tone
Mantra
Tagline
Visual Messaging- Recognition
- Website, social media, external marketing, inbound marketing
- Transcend from written to visual

Rick’s Nuggets

Pain

Why
Desire (what’s in it for you)
Problems to be solved
Performance metrics

Impact

How you grow

Key Takeaways -Value:

Strategy first - roadmap to the promise land
Create laser focused messaging
Massive clarity in the minds of your employees, future employees

Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericmorleybluec/

Websites: https://bluecusa.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlueCAdvertising/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blue_c_usa/

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Are You Really an Entrepreneur? With Gino Wickman of EOS & Traction

Thu, 08 Apr 2021 17:44:44 -0000

As Leaders, we spend a lot of time wondering if we have the right person in the right seat. But how often do we question if we are the right person in the seat?

Entrepreneurs have a special challenge, in that, some of us don’t choose to be entrepreneurs, it is just who we are. But what if you are really an entrepreneur who is in a J O B… or not an entrepreneur at all but have been forced into that role due to life circumstances.

Today we discuss the core of what makes a business successful, the entrepreneur and how to recognize if you are the right person in the right seat.

Our guest today: Gino Wickman, Founder of EOS Worldwide, Author of Traction & Creator of Entrepreneurial Leap.

An entrepreneur since the age of 21, Gino has had an obsession for learning what makes businesses and entrepreneurs thrive.

Gino set out to help entrepreneurs and leaders get what they want from their businesses. Based on his years of real-world experience, he created the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), a practical method for helping companies achieve greatness.

His new mission, Entrepreneurial Leap, is to find all of the entrepreneurs-in-the-making, at any age, wherever they are—to help them realize their purpose and live the life they were born to live.

Today we discuss:

How to discover if you are really an entrepreneur
The steps to take to launch your entrepreneurial journey

Challenge today in people being in the wrong seat?

Are Your eyes open
Did you make the right decision to become an entrepreneur
Forced entrepreneurs - won't be the next Elon Musk
Hype around being an entrepreneur
Not everyone can be
- Career choice for 4% of the world

Why is this important to the person?

Clarity, certainty, peace of mind, self confidence

Rick’s Nuggets

Too often the person leading the company is just “running the business”

How do we discover your true entrepreneurial nature?

Confirm
- Take the assessment
- Know when you on the entrepreneurial range
- Know whether you are or aren't
- Not is not a death sentence
Glimpse
- What you are built for
- The type of business is right for you
- Day in a life- heaven & hell
- Perfect business for you (my bizmatch)
Path
- Showing guide post to avoid ½ the mistakes they are going to make and greatly increase the likelihood of success
- Mentor
- Discipline
- Stages of building the company

Key Takeaways -Value:

1,2,3 roadmap-
Assessment - https://e-leap.com/assessment/4
MyBiz match, vision clarifier

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ginowickman/

Websites: https://e-leap.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/readLEAP/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/readleap/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg1fRlytBObtuIIAa46B_cg

Entrepreneurial Leap: Do You Have What It Takes to Become an Entrepreneur? Available for purchase through all major retailers: Order on Amazon

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

How a Hiring Operating System is the Key to 10x Your Business with Rick Solo (Han’s little brother?) of Stride Search Inc.

Thu, 01 Apr 2021 19:56:08 -0000

We can all agree that the only way to 10 or 100x your company is to hire the strongest people. So, what are the strongest people?

The strongest person for your company is a person who aligns with your values first. They understand the mission and they have a strong desire to impact the business because it benefits them first.

Understanding the person across the table does not happen by chance but by a systematic approach to your interview that is designed to gather concrete evidence.

The smartest companies know that cultural alignment is far more critical to a successful hire than merely a person’s skills.

Today we discuss:

The value & pitfalls of a hiring system
How to implement a hiring operating system into your company

What is a hiring operating system? The step by step process by which your company successfully hires.

Challenge today?

In any market, care needs to be taken when hiring
- Right person, Right seat … Jim Collins - Good to Great
Time pressure
Hiring is a guessing game
- Likability/commonality
- Skills
- Bias - educational background, company history (assumed success)
People hired are not properly positioned for your unique company
Builder, Improver, Maintainer
Hiring Process is common, weak or unorganized - Key indicator of how the business is run
People are systems resistant.
- Systems are the key to success

Why is this important to the company?

Operating Systems

Save time & money
provide structure & clarity
Build accountability
Build effective practices
Attract talent
- A- players are drawn to successful opportunities
Systems Win
- Business operating systems (EOS, scaling up, Strategic Coach, MAP)
- IDC: Companies lose 20-30 percent of revenue each year due to ineffective business practices
  - https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/286084
  - https://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffboss/2016/11/01/5-ways-your-business-processes-could-be-hurting-your-business/?sh=6b39e50452e9

How do you build your hiring operating system?

Foundation

Values first
- Own it- embrace the truth
- Be transparent about the Good & Bad
  - No one believes your company is perfect

Build Interview Question Library
- Craft Behavioral questions (2-3)
- Determine **Knockouts
- Agree on questions

Establish Interview Structure
- Timeline Commitment
- Define Format
  - Outreach / Application
  - Intake Process - discovery call
  - Interview
  - Assessments/Tests (not too soon)
  - Decision

Build Job Description Template
- Understand Performance Metrics
- Build Call to Action Questions

Assign Questions
- to Interviewer position (order of importance)

Assemble Interview Team
- 3 teams of X

Execution

Rules of engagement

Discovery/Screening call
- Assessment over Resume
- Time up front saves pain in the end
- non-transactional

TRAINING!!!

Behavioral Interview
Bias annihilation
Knock Out’s
Role playing exercise
Interview question tweaking
- Iteration of follow up questions
- Solidify questions
Logging data
Wrapping up interview & Handoff
- Gather feedback
- Dismissal
Role Playing wrap up

Key Takeaways -Value:

Systems -breed success and eliminate all the things that keep you up at night
Prioritize owning a hiring operating system that attracts the strongest people to your business
Train your people how to interview to gather evidence to support the hire

Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-girard-07722/

Websites:

https://www.stridesearch.com/hire-power-radio

https://www.stridesearch.com/rick-girard

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HirePowerRadio/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeEJm9RoCfu8y7AJpaxkxqQ

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Why Interview Training is so Critical in Today’s Hiring Market with Adam Stonehocker of Gemini

Thu, 25 Mar 2021 21:13:46 -0000

If hiring right is so critical to the organization, why is interviewing the one action that is entirely left up to chance? It has been my experience that virtually zero small companies invest in training their people how to interview.

This was the experience of an extremely successful executive, Jeff. Who at the C-level had only attended a one hour session of interview training in his whole career…. 10 years ago.

It is assumed that most leaders already know how to interview but the truth is that they don't. Most of us know how to talk skills and look for likable traits. But the process is riddled with bias and assumptions. Missing the evidence that is so critical in hiring the strongest person for the role.

Our guest today: Adam Stonehocker, Head of Sales at Gemini

Adam is the head of Sales at Gemini, a data visualization company that helps executives make key decisions involving their most important asset, their people. He has led sales teams for Peek, Google, Twitter, Pandora Radio, and AdRoll, EBay.

Adam has hired over 500 salespeople throughout his career and trained his leaders to interview with purpose.

Today we discuss:

Why you need to invest in training your people how to interview
How to train your people to interview effectively

There is a belief that there is no right way to interview and in the end it all comes down to “trusting your gut” and pulling the trigger... So wrong in every way!

Why don't companies invest in interview training?

Attrition was 20% per month with poor hiring
Team only hit 85% of goal for the year
Culture was terrible
- Top performers said “your hiring anyone who can breathe”

Why is this important to the company?

Without recognition & change top performers would have left
Interview team has no idea how to identify the right people,
You have to get the right people on the bus
Upper management not happy
Costs a lot of money when you have a leaky bucket

Rick’s Nuggets

Every company should prioritize training everyone who interviews for the company
Systems put in place maximize productivity & efficiency of your employees

How do we solve the problem?

Identifying core values & culture that you want to hire for
- Make sure everyone is on the same page
- Hiring managers, recruiters,
Structuring the Interview guide
- Gauging the competencies in the interview guide
- Coachable: Role play exercise to implement feedback from prior interviewer
Training
- Values we’re looking for
- Interview guide gauges those values or competencies
- Role playing with each other
- Using the interview guide as a script
- Feedback loop and discussion from the group
- Reps/future managers take part in calibration and interviews
Quarterly calibration
- Continually updating the interview guide
- Have your needs changed?
- Are there questions that aren’t pulling the right competency
- Problem questions that most people stumble on?
- Feel of the interview, is it intense or laid back and fun? Your interview feel should match your culture

Rick’s Nuggets

Write behavioral questions that uncover evidence to support your company values
Write follow up questions for deeper digging
Assign to each team member
Role play
Practice makes proficient
How did that work?

Key Takeaways :

Define your values/culture
- Everyone on the same page, looking for the right types of talent
- Only then can you ABR (Always Be Recruiting)
Structure your interview guide to gauge value competencies
Set up quarterly calibrations to refine interview guide, interview skills,
- This is where your team continually sharpens the saw,
- Feedback loop on interview process

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamstonehocker/

Websites: https://gogemini.com/

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Developing an Outward Hiring Mindset with Jonathan Domsky of Untangled Coaching

Fri, 19 Mar 2021 16:03:51 -0000

Thinking about the people you hire as objects or obstacles to achieve your company goals is poison.

Often we venture into the hiring process with the mindset of “how can YOU help ME”. This is wrong in so many ways. Especially if your goal is to fuel the growth of the organization.

The truth is, the people you hire could care less about you and your goals. This is why people take your job simply for the paycheck and bounce at the first hint of trouble.

Understanding the other person’s pain & desires allows you to connect the dots, for both parties, of how they can bring maximum impact to their careers and the company.

Our guest today: Jonathan Domsky, Founder of Untangled Coaching

An entrepreneur since he was 24 years old, Jonathan uses many of the same tools as a traditional business coach—goal setting, accountability, best practices. But his purpose in life is teaching personal mastery.

Jonathan’s superpower is to distill this wisdom into practical, easy to understand, and simple to apply tools that will make your life more easy, meaningful, and joyous. To untangle the clutter in your business and life so that you can be your best, most authentic self. And most importantly—see a clear path on how to get from where you are right now, to living your beautiful future.

Today we discuss:

Why you need to change your hiring mindset
How to shift your mindset to fuel growth

Challenge today?

Hiring manager hires people who are not a good fit for the company.
Only thinking about what’s in it for me
Not long term

Why is this important to the company?

Behavior drives results. But what drives behavior? Training and incentives aren’t enough. The answer is mindset
Outward mindset is a tool, a lens, that gets everyone on the same page
Side steps personal issues to allow focus on the organization
It allows space to find solutions to things that aren’t working
Change success metrics (data point)

Rick’s Nuggets

Shift from listening to answer to listening to understand
Need to fill & ego drive hiring. Period
Result 51% bad hires

How do we solve the problem?

Seeing others as having needs, challenges & objectives of equal importance to our own
- First ask- what is needed?
- Remind yourself “am I doing what is in the best interest of all parties”
- Realize the impact that has been received by you in your career
- Can you state the top three goals and objectives of key coworkers?
- How does what you do affect other people in the organization?
Adjust efforts to actually help them
- Make a list of the objectives, needs, and challenges that belong to the people you impact in the organization--peers, manager, direct reports, candidates. If you aren’t 100% sure, ask them. Evaluate how you are helping these people accomplish their objectives, meet their needs, and face their challenges. Make a list of ways you can improve
- If the success metrics and incentives in your organization are inward, then an outward mindset is unlikely to have a lasting impact. Change those metrics so that they are focused less on what you do and what you get, and more on how what you do affects others
- What are your current metrics around Selection and Onboarding--do job descriptions and training simply describe what the employee is hired to do? Or does it also explain why they do what they do, and what is the desired impact?
- Reporting Practices--are they used to control and monitor or to empower?
- Incentives and Compensation and Performance Management--Are people rewarded for individual performance, or for accomplishing group goals?
- What are negative effects of inward thinking in these areas? What are ideas to approach this with an Outward mindset?
Measure results
- Check in to see that their needs were actually met. Adjust your efforts accordingly

Rick’s Nuggets

First- Understand what the business needs, not your ego
Second- Understand what the person needs for themselves
Third- Connect the dots
- Value load every challenge into the person’s desires and allow them to make an impact
Metrics: Time saved, interview experience

Key Takeaways -Value:

Are the success metrics in your organization inward or outwardly focused? How could you make them more outward focused in order to experience less drama and conflict?
Carefully consider this statement--As far as I’m concerned, the problem is me. I am the place to start.
Who is one person who needs more from me than I am currently giving? What more could I begin to contribute today? How could I know that my actions made their life easier?

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-domsky/

Websites: https://untangled-coaching.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.domsky

YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCtBAgyPKr5_-boeLjQWFGA

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

When to Hire Freelancers vs Full Time Talent with Shahar Erez of Stoke Talent

Thu, 11 Mar 2021 19:32:14 -0000

Do you really need a person full time or will a freelancer suffice? Often the need to get work done clouds our vision who we really need.

Ask yourself, “what does the business need?” and what is the timing in which the work needs to be done. When you need something quick, you most likely need a freelancer. But know that your explicit communication is the key to successful project completion.

Just don’t shortcut the selection process and hire those who get it, want it and can deliver results.

Our guest today: Shahar Erez, Co-Founder & CEO of Stoke Talent.

An experienced executive with solid engineering, product and marketing leadership backgrounds backed up by sound results. He has more than 15 years of experience in various management positions in a wide range of organizations building stellar teams and leading them to new levels of success in highly competitive markets.

Shahar has hired hundreds of Freelancers throughout his career and is here to share his expertise.

Today we discuss:

When to hire freelancers vs full time talent
Roadmap to how to most effectively hire freelancers

I struggle with the notion of hiring freelancers as I have time challenges in communication of expectations

Challenge today?

There was no flood in the market of talent
Cultural challenge
- Mental barrier
- Freelancers
Compliance & back office challenges

Why is this important to the company?

Get the right talent
Agility to move fast
Flexibility & budget control
Quick time to hire
Try before you buy

Rick’s Nuggets

Even freelancers need to align with your company values
- They are part of the culture
When values align & expectations are clearly defined the quality of work skyrockets

What is the process for hiring freelancers?

Open to the possibility of freelancers
- No strings attached
- Budget flexibility to get work done quickly
Training managers on what it is to manage & hire freelancers
- No need for a full interview
- Lower Expectations
- Very clear on deliverables- what to happen & when
Start with a 2 week project
- Define deliverables
- How to operate in the two weeks
- Clear communication- more important than full time employees

Rick’s Nuggets

Interviewing Freelancers

Must have a strong Discovery / Screening call - do not shortcut!
Understand the person’s pain, desire & impact
Why do they want the work??
Every person you add has an influence on culture
Do they get it, want it, and have the capacity to do the work? - Gino Wickman
Do not hire if they are just there for the paycheck

Key Takeaways -Value:

Number of independent contractors are growing and will make more than 50% of workforce within the next 5 years
Prepare your organization and leaders to operate within this new workforce composition model
You should treat this as strategic shift and get a platform to assure you are managing this correctly

Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaharer/

Websites: https://www.stoketalent.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stoketalent

Twitter: https://twitter.com/shaharer

Twitter: https://twitter.com/stoketalent

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

You Only Need to Interview One Person to Fill a Role with Jodi Brandstetter of Lean Effective Talent Strategist LLC

Thu, 04 Mar 2021 17:42:32 -0000

How many resumes do you need to see to fill a role? Let’s take it a step further. How many people do you need to interview to fill a role? If you guessed One, you are correct!

So, what is wrong with Gloria wanting to wait to interview other people before making a decision on the person that was just interviewed?.......Everything!

Waiting to interview other people is a ridiculously clear beacon that you have a weak interview process. Not being able to gather enough data and make a decision within 24 hours is not only a waste of your time, but the other person’s as well.

Comparison shopping is how bad hiring decisions are made.

Our guest today: Jodi Brandsttetter, Chief Talent Strategist of Lean Effective Talent Strategist, LLC

Jodi is passionate about talent acquisition and uses design thinking in creating selection and hiring processes focused on people and business. She is certified through IDEO U in design thinking.

Jodi is the CEO and founder of Lean Effective Talent Strategies which includes The Hiring Blueprint, talent acquisition consulting firm and Talent Acquisition Evolution, a community for recruiting professionals to connect, learn, and work together.

Today we discuss:

The dangers of comparison shopping when it comes to hiring
A plan of attack to enable quick decision making for each individual interviewed

Why do we feel like we want to see more people before we make a decision?

The hiring manager lacks confidence in making a decision with just one interview.
Being able to communicate the desire skill set and experience needed to find the best candidate
Understanding the motivators
Miscommunication between the manager and recruiter on the best candidate for the role
Or no communication between the manager and recruiter
Not everyone is the same person- shrug off bad hires
Stupid Assumptions!

Why is this important to the company?

Having confidence in pulling the trigger with the first person will lower time to hire/fill.
By hiring the first person who is align with the role, there can be a positive impact on the business in a faster time frame.
Builds a stronger relationship with the hr/recruiting team when a hiring manager knows what they need and able to make decisions in a timely manner.

People will judge you based on the quality of your questions. Therefore, your interview questions must be intentional and have a specific purpose.

How do we solve the problem?

Recognize that you do not have the tools and experience in hiring to have real confidence in your hiring decisions.
- Join Hiring Managers Anonymous, a community for hiring managers who have a hiring problem.
  - Step 1: Admit that you have a hiring problem
  - Step 2: Believe that there are tools and training available to help you.
  - Step 3: Find training and tools to help you become a confident hiring manager.
  - Step 4: Start your learning journey with the training & tools
  - Step 5: Make a Candidate Persona to understand who your ideal candidate is and focus on them.
  - Step 6: Communicate with your recruiter/recruiting team so that they can find the ideal candidate for you.
  - Step 7: Use the training and tools to make decisions while interviewing.
  - Step 8: It is ok to fail. Shake it off and try again.
  - Step 9: Be open to feedback and continue to improve.
  - Step 10: Once you become a confident hiring manager, carry this message to other hiring managers and continue to practice these principles.
  - 10 Step Program to Help Build Confidence in your Hiring Decisions
- In order to have the confidence, you need help.

Rick’s Nuggets

Interview questions are the root of interview failure
- Questions must be tied to corporate values
- Linked questions have purpose & produce evidence
- Eliminates bias
- Promotes diversity in thought & experience
Train your employees how to interview
- Assign interview questions
- Conversational evidence gathering

Key Takeaways -Value:

Join Hiring Manager Anonymous and find training and tools that will help you have confidence in hiring.
Use a Candidate Persona to create your ideal candidate.
Communicate who your ideal candidate is to your talent acquisition team and work in collaboration with them.
Be willing to fail. It is the only way you can learn.

Links

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodibrandstetter/

Websites: https://letscincy.com/index

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/letscincy

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jodi_recruiter

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2BNdy2kafFSs-cimLyBPBA

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCToc02W0GAFHMhXWJZIbhxQ?view_as=subscriber

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop: https://www.criteriacorp.co

Beating The Job Description Dead Horse with Mark Herschberg of The Career Toolkit

Thu, 25 Feb 2021 20:10:41 -0000

Why do I need to waste my time writing a job description? You might ask.

The answer is: To save Time … & be able to Sleep

The Job Description is there to evaluate how successful the person you hired is in the role they were hired for. Consider it the essential evaluation tool to manage expectations... A syllabus for success.

Investing the time up front will allow you to set the performance metrics the person needs to achieve in the critical first 90 days. Thus cementing quantifiable data to ensure a successful hire.

And that just helps all parties sleep better at night!

Our guest today: Mark Herschberg, MIT instructor, CTO, & Author of The Career Toolkit

From tracking criminals and terrorists on the dark web to creating marketplaces and new authentication systems, Mark has spent his career launching and developing new ventures at startups and Fortune 500s and in academia.

He helped to start the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program, dubbed MIT’s “career success accelerator,” where he teaches annually. Mark helped create a platform used to teach finance at prominent business schools. He also works with many non-profits, including Techie Youth and Plant A Million Corals.

He was one of the top-ranked ballroom dancers in the country and now lives in New York City, where he is known for his social gatherings, including his annual Halloween party, as well as his diverse cufflink collection.

Today we discuss:

Why Job descriptions are critical to the success of your company
How to craft job descriptions that positively impact the organization

Challenge today with Job Descriptions?

Vague
- Too much redundant information
- Missing information
- Break down what the tasks are ie:% of time
Understanding the skills
- Defining soft skills
- Technical knowledge- not digging deeper
Throwing up barriers
Unclear job description leads to unclear evaluation of the interviewee

Why is this important to the company?

We waste a lot of time interviewing the wrong people
We hire for the wrong reasons
Breeds a underperforming team
Infects the culture
Domino effect downgrading the business
No compensation for a good teammate

Rick’s Nuggets

A job description is not a wishlist of skills
Job description and job advertisement should be the same document

How do we solve the problem?

- Working backwards
  - Define the specific attributes that are wanted
  - Uncover the why
  - Similar mentality bread into the person
  - Industry
- Write the job description
  - Start with a selling point
- Getting everyone on the same page
- Define the interview questions
  - uncover how the person fits the company

Rick’s Nuggets

What’s in it for me? (pain)
Problems solved
- 90 day performance metrics
- Includes hard & soft skills
About us
Call to Action
- Homework before resume submittal

Key Takeaways:

Step 1 of hiring: define the role, including the qualities you’re looking for, beyond just knowledge and experience
Step 2: make sure everyone on the hiring team is clear
Step 3: make sure the questions you ask align to evaluating on what you’re looking for

Links:

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/hershey/

Websites: https://www.thecareertoolkitbook.com/media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCareerToolkitBook

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markaherschberg

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CareerToolkitBk

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecareertoolkit/

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Why You Come Across as “Dick” When You Interview with Molly McGrath of Hiring & Empowering Solutions

Thu, 18 Feb 2021 19:03:46 -0000

No one is interested in working for your ego. Just ask our friend …. Dick (name changed to protect the innocent).

Dick is a VP of a small, well funded start-up and very proud of what they are building. So proud that he has established a very high bar for the people he wants to hire. Let’s just say his expectations are a bit out of whack! He has Ferrari expectations on a Hyundai budget.

The way in which the interview is conducted comes across as adversarial. Dick comes across as a real, well you know…. Horses ass. As a result, some fantastic people have opted not to accept his offer and negative Glassdoor reviews are abundant.

Today is about how to NOT run off talented people in your interview, just like Dick.

Our guest today: Molly McGrath, Founder of Hiring & Empowering Solutions

Molly is a National Podcaster, decade long national blogger and 2 x Amazon #1 Best Selling Author. She has coached, consulted and directed presidents and founders of national organizations and over 4,000 small business owners in; executive-level leadership, continuous improvement and team empowerment initiatives to infiltrate new markets, leveraging partner ecosystems and producing profitability.

Today we discuss:

How you come across as Dick
How to fix the problem even if you are a Dick

Full disclosure: My dad’s name is Dick…. Sorry dad!

Challenge today?

Entrepreneurs don't believe that is a employee market
- People are looking for an opportunity
- People need leadership
- No one needs a job for a paycheck
- Realize that you are not the prize
Recruiting is 100% sales
- You can't hide the fact that you are an asshole
- You are responsible for the energy that you leave in every room
The interview is reckless
- You have to be

Why is this important to the company?

Mis-hires
Brand Reputation Management
- Ability to hire
- Social Media, Glass door Reviews
Greatly reduce your ability to hire

Rick’s Nuggets

Own who you are
No matter how great your company is, it is not the prize
- Means to an end & a Paycheck
- Two words: Improper screening

How do we solve the problem?

Audit on current interviewing, onboarding, & training process
- Make it safe
- Name it and own it
- Be clear on who you are, prepare people for the interview
Treat your interview like a client
- Brand reputation management
- End process gracefully
- Leave them better than when they entered
- Close the loop
Feedback
- Honest & intentional feedback
- Be a coach, leader, mentor

Rick’s Nuggets

Preparation for everyone in the interview process.

Key Takeaways:

FINDING ROCKSTAR/Batteries Included EMPLOYEES-- hiring and recruiting is 100% sales. You are selling YOUR COMPANY. don't make the entry point harder than hacking the white house--- keep your ADS short/empowering- don't include salary….you might push away a superstar b/c your top pay is dollars short of what they are worth. You want to take EVERYONE….interview for mindset/emotional intelligence/core values and don't get seduced by the resume. You can always training knowledge & Skillset BUT the Human stuff is what destroys a team.

KEEPING ROCKSTAR EMPLOYEES---Once you have a rockstar team-- don't get too cocky and think you're safe. Implement a quarterly “Employee Growth Plan'' for very employee in your business. This is the KEY to keeping and creating lifetime employees. Please feel free to email me and I will give you my process for free, as a listener of Rick’s. Nothing makes me HAPPIER as a recruiter when In box an employee and say “hey, are you happy & being treated well @ your current job or are you interested in hearing about a great opportunity…..” and then i get a response “I am VERY happy where I am, not interested!” i will immediately go check out the company they are working for and can IMMEDIATELY see the culture/values/ of that company and get so hopeful there are amazing companies finally understanding the value of team empowerment!

PERSONAL GROWTH is MORE Important than Professional growth-- when you invest in your team and invest (pay for!!!) coaching programs, mindset programs and have them CONSISTENTLY enrolled & engaged in coaching and personal development & growth your employees wont leave! (I will elaborate on ALL of this more during the LIVE.)

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/molly-hall/

Websites: www.hiringandempowering.com

Twitter:https://twitter.com/HireAndEmpower

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Hiring Lessons Learned From Special Forces with Michael Sarraille & George Randle of EF Overwatch

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 18:45:54 -0000

Think what you may about the military but the truth is they hire better than you!

They developed and refined a process that, over time, has ultimately uncovered those individuals who exemplify the core values that are critical to the success of the organization and the mission.

A strong commitment to We, before Me! …which is what your company needs

Today is about lessons learned from Special Forces that you can apply to your company, to ensure that you are hiring the people who also share your company's core values.

Our guests today: Michael Sarraille, Founder & CEO of EF Overwatch, & George Randle, managing partner at EF Overwatch & Head of Global Talent Acquisition of Forcepoint.

Mike Sarraille is a former Recon Marine and retired US Navy SEAL officer with twenty years of experience in Special Operations, including the elite Joint Special Operations Command.

George Randle is a former US Army officer, and Vice President of Global Talent Acquisition at Forcepoint, a human-centric cybersecurity company. George has more than two decades of experience in talent acquisition at Fortune 100 and Fortune 1000 firms.

Today we discuss:

Why it is critical for values to align with the mission
How to Model Military Special Forces in Hiring Talent

Can we all agree almost every core business problem can be traced back to a people problems?

Knowing this, why do we set ourselves up for failure by hiring the wrong people?

Challenge today?

Companies are terrible at hiring
- Not the best leading recruiting
- Actions don't reflect people importance
Wrong people leading people

Why is this important to the company?

If you don't achieve strategic competitive advantage over people, you will fail
Weak HR function- CEO’s need to empower HR to breed success
Every business function starts with people
Costs are 213-1500% for a senior executive bad hire
- Direct cost- 2-15x the person's salary ($3400 per every 10k in salary)
- Indirect cost- disengaged employees
- Run out your A-players

Rick’s Nuggets

Disengaged employees are easier to pluck out of your company when leadership is compromised

How do we deploy into your company?

Focus in talent management solutions
Talent diagnostics
Leading in talent management first
- Starts at the top
- Investing into your people
Constant Training (less than 1% of companies do this)

Key Takeaways:

Look in the mirror
Treating your human capital as discipline, rigor & focus as you do on your financial?

Links:

LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelsarraillemba/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgelrandle/

Websites:

https://www.efoverwatch.com/

https://www.forcepoint.com/

https://thetalentwar.com/

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/efoverwatch/

https://www.facebook.com/talentwargroup/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/MJSarraille

https://twitter.com/EfOverwatch

https://twitter.com/talentwargroup

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/efoverwatch/

https://www.instagram.com/talentwargroup/

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Remote Interviewing Done Right with Brenna Loury of Doist

Thu, 04 Feb 2021 22:24:50 -0000

The remote interview is still a HUGE challenge for a lot of companies. Especially for those of you who are lacking a formalized process.

Simply evaluating skills and heavily relying on “vibe” to influence decisions is producing even worse results in this work from home environment.

Too much is able to remain hidden because video is limiting on the non-verbal cues that happen in the interaction.

Assumptions, bias and misinformation have become the new plague in today’s interview.

Today is about nailing your video interviews to ensure the strongest hire!

Our guest today: Brenna Loury, Head of Marketing for Doist.

Brenna Loury knows that the road to success isn’t a path you find — it’s a trail you blaze.

Fueled by her unorthodox marketing efforts, Brenna left her PR firm and joined Doist full-time in 2014. She handles everything from overall marketing strategy, to HR duties, to writing website copy. She’s helped expand Doist’s remote-first team from 5 to 92 employees in over 30 countries, and her grassroots marketing strategies have helped bring the company over 25 million users globally.…And everyone is remote!

Today we discuss:

Why the Video Interview is so challenging today
How to master the video interview

Challenge today?

Not meeting in person
Touch points have gone away
Video interviews - change in format
Onboarding
Hire based on core values

Why is this important to the company?

98% employee retention rate
Benefited the business
People are happy and the quality of work
Willingness to go above and beyond

Rick’s Nuggets

Limited view of subject
Uncomfortable/unnatural interaction
Breeding ground for assumptions & unconscious bias

How do we build into your company?

Same interview process across the company
Structure
- Hiring committee (3 people)
- 1 hour interview
Add insight question for people who submit a resume

Cultural Interview - team manager

What are the challenges that Doist’s products are trying to solve that most excite you? (did they do their homework?)
How might you improve our landing pages/XYZ? (can they be radically candid?)
Tell me about a time in your personal life or at work when you had to be very detail oriented.
Tell me about a time when you completed a project 100% on your own. How did you get started and what was the outcome? (can they work autonomously?)
What’s the last good book that you read? (interests/life outside of work)
Favorite apps on your phone? (interests/life outside of work)

Technical- person assigned (senior people)

Judging the skills
- Can you tell me about a company that you think does a great job at product marketing?
- What are the advantages/disadvantages of using CSS preprocessors?

Test Project

Pay people to do the work
Examples:
- Create a week-long social media plan
- Write a blog post about a product update
- Create a Hacker News style reader

Cultural Final - leader/executive

Covers 5 core values: Mastery, Independence, Communication, Ambition & Balance, Impact
- Behavioral questions:
  - What’s the difference between someone who’s good in your field versus someone who’s outstanding?
  - Tell me about a time when you disagreed with a team member. How did you approach that situation?
  - Tell me about a time that you went above and beyond what was expected? What motivated you to do so?

Rick’s Nuggets

Phone Screen / Discovery Call
Pain, Desire, Impact

Key Takeaways:

Prioritize hiring for cultural fit – some technical skills can be learned later on the job
Do everything you can to cultivate an environment that values trust over tracking

Links:

Website: https://doist.com/

Blog: https://blog.doist.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/doist, https://twitter.com/brennakL

Relevant blog posts:

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Purpose & Company Values Win Elite Talent, Not Paychecks! with Greg Besner of CultureIQ

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 20:38:48 -0000

High performance teams don't just happen by chance. They are artfully built with an impenetrable culture at its heart.

The people who join are in alignment with the values and purpose of the organization. The result is unrivaled performance above and beyond your expectations.

Our guest today: Greg Besner, Founder and Vice Chairman of CultureIQ

A global company that helps organizations create high-performance cultures. He and his firm have assisted more than one thousand organizations and millions of employees strengthen their company culture.

Greg was an early investor in Zappos which inspired his commitment to organizational culture. In 2018, he was ranked in USA Today as the 8th best CEO in the United States among a pool of 50,000 companies. He was also named the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year®.

Today we discuss:

Why, if you are serious about your business, you need to prioritize your company values as the heart of your hiring decisions
How to deploy a process to enable your company to hire people who continually raise the bar for performance

I find that often the phrase “not a good cultural fit” is an easy cop out line for a company to pass on people. When asked “HOW” the conversation quickly disintegrates.

How can someone not really make that conclusion when they lack clarity on what their culture/purpose is?

Challenge today?

Recruiting for purpose/ culture alignment
Zoom interview
- Body language/ energy
- Human interaction
- Interact in the environment around them
- Fumbling with this new interview process
Onboarding
- Energy of the office not really happening
- Interpersonal mingling
Because the human interaction is missing
- Elevates chance of bias
People are uncomfortable in a video interview setting

Why is this important to the company?

Culture alignment
Diversity of experience, perspective
Recruiting process is opposite of what it is today
Expensive to recruit & train
Turnover is expensive
Employees who are not aligned with the purpose are expensive

Rick’s Nuggets

Bias is a two way street

How do we build into your company?

First interaction is a 2 sided conversation- human interaction
- Experience of working in the organization
- Company go first
- Let the person give their elevator pitch
- What would allow them to be successful at the company
Having a framework
- Notes should be taken, structured, & details on their values
Mutual agreement on moving forward
- Letting the person know the next steps
- Transparency
- Closure
Interviews
- Teammate or HR first
Try not to replicate the interview!
Multi-step process
- Split up to cover different roles
- values from skills
- No need to cover the same questions
hire bar raisers

Rick’s Nuggets

First interaction: Discovery call
Understand Pain, Desire, Impact
Listen to understand first
Buy in through connecting the dots
Presenting back what fits, & what does not

Key Takeaways:

Bar Raisers-
Structured Interview Process
Transparency in Hiring Process

Links

Email: greg@cultureiq.com

LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregbesner/

Websites:

http://theculturequotient.com/

http://cultureiq.com/

http://getsunflow.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CultureIQ/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cultureiq

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSECYe1wg_KxMi_yNi7KQbA?view_as=subscriber

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/cultureiq/

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Where You Are Screwing Up Your Hiring That Causes Boardroom Conflict with Rod Robertson of Briggs Capital

Thu, 21 Jan 2021 17:58:38 -0000

One bad hire in your startup negatively affects your balance sheet and is the fuel to future boardroom conflict.

Often, we entrepreneurs feel the pressure to fill our roles at the expense of elevating our people's performance. This disintegrates the company values and results in the exit of your strongest players.

Today is about hiring “gravitators” and avoiding the “disintegrators” that will surely be the subject of boardroom conflict.

Our guest today: Rod Robertson, Founder & Managing Partner of Briggs Capital.

Rod is an international entrepreneur and co-author of the book The Human Vector. He has conducted business in over 15 countries while focusing on developing small-to-medium-sized businesses and taking them to market worldwide.

Robertson’s career in transaction experience and entrepreneurship includes guest lecturing around the globe at institutions such as Harvard Business School and other top-flight MBA schools as well as business forums and news outlets worldwide. He sits on numerous boards, guiding firms to streamline operations and make businesses more profitable before selling.

Today we discuss:

The difference between hiring a gravitator vs a disintegrator
Why this is important to your board of directors
How to gain evidence to support hiring the right person - a Gravitator

Challenge today?

Companies have no room for error in hiring
Hiring folks that can contribute to increased value of the firm
Boards are looking at the income statements & balance sheet
- Are they cohesive with growth strategies?
How to assess quickly to unload non performing employees

Why is this important to the company

In 2021 the PPP bailouts have run their course - no margin for error
Your hires must stick - no “numbers game” in hiring
The co culture equal to individual go

Rick’s Nuggets

A speedy hire often results in a miss hire

How do we fix this issue in your company?

Bring on more outside Board of Advisors (not traditional Boards) to analyze and share the responsibility of hiring and layoffs
Human Vector
Systematic approach to maximizing employee performance
GRAVITORS can change employees “angle” to the” Vector”
INTEGRATOR -manager who accelerates integration of employees
FUNNEL OF VECTORS acceptable deviation of employees from company values
DISINTEGRATORS a disruptive employee
Attributes as they relate to the goals of the company
Management hiring and termination based more then ever on cash flow
Quantitative analysis trumps culture for now
$1.9B stimulus will prop up economy for six months then economic slide predicted for balance of 2021 thru 2022
Small to medium size businesses must pivot quicker then ever
Using outside Board members or advisors to make quantitative decisions should be utilized

Rick’s Nuggets

Behavioral Interview
Tie interview questions to your company values

*Knockout:

Tell me about your most difficult Customer interaction (give wow)
What were the circumstances that led to the difficulty?
Break down the steps you took to resolve the problem
What was the root of the customer issue?
What solutions did you come up with?
How were you able to calm them down?
How were you able to deliver beyond their expectations?
How did the interaction end?
Why was their view important to you?

Key Takeaways:

During these difficult times, systematic hiring and termination most adhere to a firm’s financial
Outside Advisory input can bring clarity to growth and/or scaling back strategies
It’s a perfect time to shake up your roster!

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roderickrobertson/

Website:www.briggscapital.com

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

The Dangers of Screening Too Soon in the Interview Process with Joel Patterson of The Vested Group

Thu, 14 Jan 2021 21:27:50 -0000

There needs to be a deliberate cadence to your interview process.

Just like a first date, you wouldn't say “hi, I'm Rick. before we start the date, I’d like you to complete this sexual survey and if I like your answers, we can continue the date.”

Now it may work on some people. But the question you need to ask yourself is who exactly are you weeding out? Answer… A-Players!

Today we are talking about the pros and cons of screening mechanisms and the proper order to deploy them to keep people engaged.

Our guest today: Joel Patterson, Founder of The Vested Group

A business technology consulting firm in the Dallas, Texas area, and ForbesBooks author of The Big Commitment: Solving The Mysteries Of Your ERP Implementation. In 2011, Patterson founded The Vested Group, which focuses on bringing comprehensive cloud-based business management solutions to start-ups and well-established businesses alike.

Joel has hired hundreds of engineers & consultants and has learned a lot about what works in an interview process.

Today we discuss:

Why a proper cadence is so critical in keeping top talent engaged
How to set the correct sequence to avoid triggering “fight or flight” in top talent

Challenge today?

Saving your time with a video screen first
Wasting a lot of time with interviews of unqualified people
Need to be efficient with people's time- billable resources
Elevated the quality of the people hired
Not as many bad hires
Missing out on good talent?
Do people want to jump through hoops?

Why is this important to the company?

Cost to replace a person
100-150k loss per person lost
Culture impact of people coming and going
Sunday test- call on a sunday

Rick’s Nuggets

Are you losing the top 20% in your screening efforts
- Transactional
- Value driven

How do we build into your company?

Video - one way
Phone screen
Video Interview
- 2 sessions
- Job score card
- Core value
Case Study to do

Rick’s Nuggets

Discovery call (Positioning)
PDI (Pain, Desire, Impact)
Interview
Culture, skills, culture, combo
Behavioral questions
Assessments/Assignments/Skills test
Prefer working session to determine skills
Connect the dots

Key Takeaways:

Core values drive hiring/firing decisions
Interviewers represent cross section of experience and skills levels (AMA)
Providing purpose quickly is critical to long term hiring success

Guest Links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pattersonvested/

Website: http://www.thevested.com/netsuite-provider-the-vested-group

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VestedGroup/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheVestedGroup

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHDBLjRuMtER5yUrPhZYKkw

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Crop: https://www.criteriacorp.com/

Lessons Learned from Hiring Friends & Family with Wing Lam of Wahoo’s Fish Tacos

Thu, 07 Jan 2021 19:12:14 -0000

CEO campfire horror stories often start with “In the beginning, I hired a few friends of mine”... then the story digresses from there. Sometimes the situation works out but most of the time it is a disaster resulting in a severed relationship.

Today we are discussing lessons learned in hiring from your inner circle and how hiring for growth lands great talent.

Our guest today: Wing Lam, Owner of Wahoo’s Fish Tacos

Wing Lam is the eldest of the three founding brothers and the enigmatic character widely recognized as the face of the iconic Wahoo’s Fish Taco brand. A 30-plus-year restaurant industry veteran, he is often in the public eye participating as a panelist and speaker at global events such as the IEG Conference and guest lecturing for MBA programs at Yale, UCLA and USC.

Wing is Prolific & “rich in the currency of social good”!

Today we discuss:

The pitfalls & benefits of hiring friends & family
Two key components to hire successfully

Challenge in hiring friends & family?

Setting precedence
People did not take it seriously
Stealing
Can't allow people to take advantage of your generosity
Corporate hires-
- Hired from headhunters for store managers (⅖ stayed over a year)
- Moved to growing from within

Why is this important to the company?

Mistakes cost the company money, time & morale

Rick’s Nuggets

Expectation Alignment
- Where we fail is in agreeing on expectations up front

How do we build into your company?

Understand culture first
- Fit is more important than skills
Up Hire
- Too much experience is good
- Opportunity to allow the person to do what they want to do
- Others intimidated by credentials
- Didn't feel like the person would take the job
Personality, integrity, passion
- Translates to a good hire

Rick’s Nuggets

Positioning determines the cultural fit
Cultivating growth is what captures & retains talent
People want to learn, grow and tackle new challenges

Key Takeaways:

Referrals & dig deeper
Really understand your culture & what fits

Links:

LinkedIn: Wing Lam

Website: Wahoo’s Fish Tacos

Organization: California Love Drop

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Corp

TAGS : #californialovedrop #wingdash #wahooswing #giving

The Reality of Vanity Hires with Greg Toroosian of Elevate Hire

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 00:51:14 -0000

“We really need to hire a person from xyz company and they need to be from a top tier school.” Words that make every recruiting professional cringe.

This criteria is the perfect storm for making the worst hire of your career. The Truth is, Your ego WANTS these things but the business needs a person with the RIGHT DNA to fuel company growth.

Our guest today: Greg Toroosian, Founder & Managing Director of Elevate Hire

Having worked for startups, globally recognized brands, and recruiting agencies, he brings a unique perspective, a fresh sense of understanding, and an elevated level of service to his clients.

He previously held the roles of Recruiting Manager for Virgin Hyperloop and Director of Talent Acquisition for Sweetgreen. Greg believes that recruiting and retaining talent is key to having a successful company.

Today we discuss:

Setting expectations of what you can REALLY hire
How to hire what you can Really hire

There are 2 ways to hire A-level talent

Pay for them
Be the solution to their career wounds

Challenge today?

Overall value proposition
Competitive market
Hard to find or in demand roles
Stage of growth
Disconnect on what the market really is
budget
Clarity on what you are actually hiring for and why
Coming back to earth on what is really needed

Why is this important to the company?

Impact time to hire
Help to hire the right people
Think through their recruiting strategy
Help with financial planning

How do we build into your company?

Build your value proposition
- What is it to your employees

Cultural element
- How to communicate you culture
- Honest and open about What your culture really is
- Allow people to opt in/opt out

Business element
- What the work is
- Product/ service
- Social good, clean energy, industry
- Clear about how it is different from their competitors

Personal/Professional element
- What’s in it for me?
- What will I learn?
- What will this do for my career?

Clarity On what needs to be done
- What really needs to be done?
- First hire??? Now what?
- Clarity helps to target the right people, industries, competitors
- Gain clarity on what success looks like for this role

Understanding the competitive market
- Clarity on what you are hiring for and why
- Common complexity of what is being built
- Reality check on what you NEED to be paying this person
- Who else you are in competition with for that person

Solutions if the role cant flex
- If the person you need is unhirable?
- Competition, salary, location, level of skill, small pool
- Training & molding a person intro the role
- Contractor, fully remote,

Key Takeaways:

Craft and solidify your EVP - at least for your company. Use the cultural, business, professional buckets to help.
Be mindful of the market you’re hiring in and self aware of your company's positioning.
If hiring the people you want or the way you want aren’t currently realistic, then consider creative ways of making your offering more attractive or creative ways of getting the work done.

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: Greg Toroosian

Website: Elevate Hire

Twitter: Toroosian

Email: greg@elevatehire.com

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Corp

The Pivot to a Remote Interview Process with Vince Thompson of MELT

Fri, 25 Dec 2020 00:31:42 -0000

Please, please, please wear pants during your video interview! Both parties, not just the person being interviewed.

Just yesterday, Jessie filled me in on the horror story of her last interview. The interviewer spilled his coffee, jumped up really quickly to reveal he was in his holiday boxers. While it makes for a hilarious story, it did not win the hire for the company...

Our guest today: Vince Thompson, Founder & CEO of MELT

One of America’s most successful sports marketing and branding agencies, and author of Build Brand You .

Vince has been named one of Atlanta Business Chronicle’s “Most Admired CEOs,” among the “500 Most Influential Atlantans” by Atlanta Magazine, the American Diabetes Association’s “Father of the Year,” one of Sports Business Journal’s “Power Players,” and was listed by BizBash as one of the top 1,000 people in the event industry.

Today we discuss:

An impressive Pivoting story doing
Building a virtual hiring process

Challenge today?

Business collapsed overnight on March 16th
Overnight NCAA canceled everything
Nobody knew what was going to happen
Had to furlough dozens of employees within weeks
Breakdown in demographics
Fear & unrest
Pandemic, unrest, election …. Oh my
Made the shift to 100% remote
The liability gap is HUGE
Mitigating the litigation dream

Silver linings

Positive forward facing manner
Reposition the company - opportunity to showcase what they are doing
Career development

Why is this important to the company?

Shifted /evolved the company into a multimedia & event company
Overnight the market shifted to buyers market
It will kill the “bounce” mentality
Prepare for the next evolution
Good will is good business!

How do we build into your company?

Building a virtual hiring process
Bring the heat (first impression)
Wear something nice
Know everything about the company, job & the person you are interviewing
Get a good feeling for the chemistry before diving in
Trust your gut
Cease the opportunity to really have a more thorough vetting process
Improve the process
What did they do for themselves & others during Covid?
What did you do to enhance yourself?

*during this time, if nothing was done for self or others…. Not something you want to hire

Look at the big picture of “Who” the person really is
A whole different set of ways in which you can
Can't coach desire & attitude!
Put something out that is positive, and
No bad ideas to pitch in the marketplace
Go from crazy to genius overnight

Key Takeaways:

Pursue any crazy idea that might have been shelved
Use a lot more discretion in hing as it is now a buyers market
Shift in hiring for chemistry & culture to allow us to make more value based decisions

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: Vince Thompson
Website: MELT
Email: vince@meltatl.co
Twitter: vinnyinc

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Corp

The Answer to the Widening Skills Gap is an Apprenticeship Program with Nicholas Wyman of IWSI America

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 21:59:15 -0000

Skills can be learned, but who a person is, is what determines a successful hire. This all comes down to core value alignment with the organization.

Shared values create a much tighter bond and a more engaged team member.

The correct answer is rarely hiring for skills. So consider alternative hiring initiatives like an apprenticeship program designed to purely foster career growth.

Our guest today: Nicholas Wyman, President of IWSI America

Nicholas is an international expert, particularly zero-ing in on CTE education, apprenticeship and training models in the US, UK, Germany, Switzerland and Australia. Wyman writes opinion pieces for Forbes, Quartz and Fortune, appearances on National Public Radio, he has notched top education writer on LinkedIn.

Today we discuss:

Why an apprenticeship program might be the key to unprecedented company growth
6 step process to build a program at your company

Challenge today?

Can't find people with the skills they need
Employers need to do more to train people
Design an apprenticeship program or internship model needs to be turned upside down
Misconception that because a lot of
Young people who have not been able to get a start
Displaced people who need a fresh start

Why is this important to the company?

Skills gap has gotten wider
Economic uncertainty
Global economic changes
Impact of new govt coming in
We will not be returning to normal
Need to really look at your talent strategy

Rick’s Nuggets

Apprenticeships for those in career transition- modern elders

How do we build an apprenticeship program into your company?

Six Step Plan:

1 - Identify the apprenticeable occupations

2 - Form a team to run the program

Internal team- leadership support
Identify coaches / mentors

3 - External partners

Deliver Training has to be structured
Training provider
State funding assistance

4 - Define training goals & Wage schedules

5 - Marketing & Recruitment of the program

Brand it & give identity

6 - Develop an ongoing evaluation process

Rick’s Nuggets

Develop everything around your true corporate values
Interview process that uncovers evidence to support the hire

Key Takeaways:

Broadening your view on who you might employ - broader than diversity, disability - more women (women and youth disproportionately impacted by Covid)
Get people engaged- lost generation of young people
Take a long range view to skills development
Rock solid, top down support- can not be just another training initiative

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: Nicholas Wyman

Website: IWSI America

Twitter: @nicholas_wyman

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Corp

Hiring 250 Remote Employees in 2 Weeks with Brock Blake of Lendio

Thu, 10 Dec 2020 19:39:17 -0000

Imagine having to staff 250 roles... just as many companies were laying off and scrambling to get their PPP loans approved.

Our guest today had 2 weeks to hire 250 people to handle the demand for PPP loans and is here to share his story.

Our guest today: Brock Blake, Co-Founder & CEO of Lendio

Brock spent the last nine years developing technology to get loans to more people, more quickly, and more efficiently than traditional lenders. Under his leadership, Lendio grew to be the largest online marketplace for small business loans in America. So when the coronavirus pandemic struck, he knew he was in a unique position to make a difference.

Today we discuss:

Creative ways to bulk hire in a short period of time
The hiring system to be able to crush a lot of hires in a very short time

Challenge today?

We had committed to [a company] that we would hire 25+ of their people on a temporary basis to help with PPP and then they would return to their employment. It was a win/win. The painful part was realizing the people we hired through them were not skilled in computer software and systems. We ended up keeping only 8-9 people from [Company] which put us behind in getting resources to meet the demands we had.
Being told “we are good, no more hires” next day “Let’s get 150 hired by next Monday” and we crushed those goals

Why is this important to the company?

Getting to the bottom of the barrel in terms of Temp to hire resources for the last group that we hired. The incentive to stay home instead of work because of the unemployment benefits had kept a lot of people from applying for work. So those that were applying by the end of our hiring process were not the most employable people. The number of wage garnishments, failed background checks, etc. was much higher for this last group than our overall hiring experience.
Having the opportunity to extend offers to people during the pandemic. Some people were experiencing the worst few weeks of their lives and were overcome with joy when they received offers. Truly an awesome experience!
- Candidates crying on the phone with us when we offered them the position because they were so grateful to be able to provide for their families or be helping w/PPP

How do we build a quick hiring structure into your company?

Bulk interview process
One interview, Decision
Creating SOPs and generic equipment setup/login instructions - Getting 200+ new hires setup and logged into equipment was a massive undertaking. Staying up until 2 am helping new hires set up their computers for the next morning
Trying to run new hire orientation with 50+ people in a Zoom meeting who have never used Zoom or their equipment before. No understanding of the mute button.
- Guy falling asleep for 2 hours during training. Snoring.
Being responsible for retrieving equipment; traveling to unknown places (I’m from out of state), former TMs not cooperating, equipment not being left where they say it would be, thoughts of getting Covid from equipment boxes, equipment not being packed up properly and left outside in garbage bags.
1. Cops involved (one emergency contact saying that the temp was MISSING and that us reporting her equipment as stolen might help the authorities find her!) - 4 total police reports
2. One person saying “If you want your stuff back, come and get it. And BTW I have COVID”
3. Driving all over the state
4. Condition that equipment was returned in (garbage bags, shoe boxes, etc.)
- Russ and Kimberly stories of tracking down equipment after terminations

Rick’s Nuggets

Do not get rid of your hiring process to rapid hire
Scale the number of interviews
Train 2-3 interview teams to allow scale
Assigned interview questions
Back to back video interviews
Be aware if interviewer fatigue

Key Takeaways:

Have a process in place
Don't cut corners on culture fit, screening
Get creative

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: Brock Blake

Twitter: BrockBlake

Instagram: Lendio

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Corp

The Method for Hiring Trustworthy Leaders Not Incompetent Managers with Tim Spiker of The Aperio

Thu, 03 Dec 2020 20:38:24 -0000

Can we all agree that the people you hire determine the success of your company. It is not enough to just “fill a role”. Especially if you're a smaller, growing company.

Every hiring mistake that your company has made is due to your focus on the wrong ego driven priorities. (Ie: the work to be done, what I think I need, image for the company)

Focus on hiring the “WHO” that aligns with the corporate values first and you’ll achieve unbelievable results.

Our guest today: Tim Spiker, Founder & President of The Aperio

...And the Who* Not What Principle, a profound research-based truth that has powered 15 years of leadership development success.

Tim’s book, The Only Leaders Worth* Following, reveals that 77% of leadership effectiveness comes from who a leader is and not what they do. Using this principle, Tim helps people become, be, and stay leaders who are actually worth following. Tim’s work includes delivering keynote talks, creating unique and customized learning experiences, and guiding long-term development journeys.

Today we discuss:

The advantage of focusing on Who before What
The role Trustworthiness plays in a Successful “Who”
3 steps to hiring the Right Who!

¾ of things working is about WHO the person is who is leading the process.

Listening for who based questions
Eagerness to hallmark others

Challenge today?

Are your leaders trustworthy??
Strong Leader:
- Who is inwardly sound and others focused = trustworthy
- Engages people at a higher level
- How much energy are you putting into your leaders to help them be more trustworthy

Why is this important to the company?

77% of leadership effectiveness comes from who a leader is and not what they do. Why? Because trustworthiness drives engagement and engagement drives performance. Therefore we must interview for and intentionally develop leaders who are trustworthy. Not leaders who give the appearance of being trustworthy, but who are actually trustworthy.

Trustworthiness drive engagement which drives performance
Huge Difference between image and the perception of others
Start of a trend of external image vs
Downside to the company - long term value creation at the fundamental level
Company will never maximize performance of the organization

How do we hire the "Right Who" into your company?

Become Trustworthy
Develop the core of who you are
Being curious - about others
Tell me more about that...
Depth, Community & Time

Hire for trustworthiness!

Giving the interview questions in advance
Let them prepare for the interview
Dig under the hood
Provide the Interview questions in Advance!

Interview question:

"Tell me about a time when you broke trust with someone and what did you do to fix it?"
Continued Development
Use the phrase “tell me more” 100 times
Develop those around you
Depth
Community
Time
Majoring in politics downgrades your trustworthiness!

Key Takeaways:

Be willing to look in the mirror, courage to own your shortcomings
To have a organization with world class leaders, you have to engage with world class conversations -
Be willing to work on myself to set the example for the other leaders to have “who” based conversations

Guest Links:

LinkedIn: Tim Spiker

Websites: TheAperio.com (The Aperio) TimSpiker.com (TimSpiker.com)

Twitter: TimSpiker

This show is proudly sponsored by Criteria Corp

Data Driven Insight into Your Video Interview Process with Scott Sandland of Cryano.ai

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 20:46:51 -0000

Data Driven Insight into Your Video Interviews.

“Look, I just need to hire someone who can do the work so we can get this product done” Said Peter. A CEO for a newly funded startup. “Besides, there is no way to really know if someone fits into the company until you experience working together”. Not true at all!

Your interview process, when structured properly, will give you all the evidence to support making the right hire each & every time. Because, as we all know, one bad hire can destroy your company!

Today we are talking about the power of digging deep on the “right” questions and utilizing AI to confirm your conclusions.

Our guest today: Scott Sandland, Founder & CEO of cyrano.ai

Scott is the former world's youngest hypnotherapist. A few companies (and decades) later he is the CEO of a company focusing on artificial empathy and strategic linguistics.

As a former executive director and CEO of a mental health clinic and longtime technologist, he has experience leading purpose driven organizations. He has been published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, Psychology Today, Forbes, and Entrepreneur Magazine.

Today we discuss:

Getting to the truth about the person in a video interview
How to leverage AI to confirm your hiring decisions

Companies today have an interview process that is no better than a coin toss.

No process
Shallow (how can you help me)
Or rely heavily on assessments for decision making

Challenge today?

Understanding the mental state of the person you are interviewing
How they are thinking allows you to understand a persons mindset now
Analyzing the what and how things are said
Keeping track of people
Understanding how people will fit
Correctly auditing the client pool at scale
People are dishonest during interviews
Creating a right fit with a specific management style

Why is this important to the company?

A lot of the “right” people get screened out via a resume
People who look good on paper/resume that don’t actually fit reality of job/culture
How to manage/mentor the person you do hire
Right person, wrong team… vision to see who will “blow up the locker room”
Making sure you are in a position to get the most out of a new hire
What burns them out/demotivates them and how to avoid it
Allow you to really utilize all the features that are strengths (create a more well rounded team!)

How do we build into your company?

Profile yourselves & your team
Look at the relationships of what already exists
Understand what you really need
Make strategic decision for similarity or diversity
Profile each person to interview
- Run youtube interviews /linkedin profiles through their system
- Get a head start on your hiring process
Creating custom interview questions based on insights
- Measure relationships between interviewer and interviewee
- Confirm understanding of what motivates and what burns out
- Accountability vs recognition environments
- Gives the tools to accurately set performance metrics
- Makes the intangibles, tangible from the beginning.
Hire
- Confirm fit & hire

Rick’s Nuggets

Understand yourselves then build your company values around
Do your homework, target & connect
Interview for values first

Key Takeaways:

Soft skills assessment of candidates is more important than resume checklist
Consistency and transparency in that assessment is critical, which is why machines should be used instead of a person with moods and distractions

Entrepreneurs & Suicide Prevention with Sally Spencer-Thomas of United Suicide Survivors International

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 18:40:31 -0000

Entrepreneurs, take your mental health seriously because the life of your company depends on it!

Our guest today: Sally Spencer-Thomas, President of United Suicide Survivors International

Sally Spencer-Thomas is a clinical psychologist, inspirational international speaker and an impact entrepreneur. Dr. Spencer-Thomas was moved to work in suicide prevention after her younger brother, a Denver entrepreneur, died of suicide after a difficult battle with bipolar condition.

Today we discuss:

Why it is critical that you prioritize your mental health
The 3 components of a strong mental health practice that you can build into your company

My entrepreneurial journey has been a plethora of highs and lows… At times:

Question my purpose
Question my judgement
Manifested extreme confidence followed by imposter syndrome

My saving grace: Having an outlet of physical & mental stimulation outside of business

Jiu jitsu

Challenge today?

Cannot let mental unwellness show to investors or competitors
Extreme self-reliance
Can not take a mental health day
When things go down it is on you
When it crashes it is on you
A lot of pressure
Isolation: Tend to be lone rangers
Competition for funding, being first to market,
Less likely to reach out for support
Evidence that we live on the bipolar spectrum, susceptible to maina: https://www.bphope.com/entrepreneurs-success-bipolar/

Why is this important to the company?

The entrepreneur is the essence of the company.
You have to keep yourself well because it is on you
People’s holistic health keeps people engaged in the company
Talent will not stick around if they are not getting broader opportunities to find a passion for living beyond work

How do we build mental health practice into your company?

Appreciating that our mental wellbeing is part of our overall asset to the wellbeing of the company.
Understanding of your own mental health and how best to promote the wellbeing of others.
Upstream about driving a culture of care -- attract and retain talent, long-arc of productivity and success

Upstream - Building protective factors, resilience as strong at it can be -- modeling self-care

Eating, exercising, sleep
Having the a team of the ready
Front end your day with as much personal wellbeing investment as possible
Walking the dog touches many aspects of wellness

Midstream - Catching things early

Before they become catastrophic -- what are the early warning signs that the wheels are wobbling.
Measures put in place to course correct
https://www.helpyourselfhelpothers.org/

Downstream - Where do we turn? Resources we have access to

Dealing with the crisis in our lives
What is the plan
Crisis Text Line: https://www.crisistextline.org/ text HELLO to 741741
iRel8: https://irel8.org/

Key Takeaways:

Commitment to investing in your health first
Check out when your brain is not sharp
Having a plan for crisis (personal)
Kick the tires of mental health resources before you need them

Links

Guest website and social media platforms:

https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/

TEDx Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/sally_spencer_thomas_stopping_suicide_with_story

Entrepreneurs and mental health video: https://youtu.be/qrWbePKB-6A

Article: Prevent start-up suicide. Literally. Entrepreneur. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/271435

Article: Entrepreneurs And Suicide Risk: A New Perspective On Entrapment Provides Hope. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/prudygourguechon/2018/08/23/entrepreneurs-and-suicide-a-new-perspective-on-entrapment-gives-hope/?sh=2b2e3cbb5385

Article: The Psychological Price of Entrepreneurship. Inc. https://www.inc.com/magazine/201309/jessica-bruder/psychological-price-of-entrepreneurship.html

Carson’s story: https://www.sallyspencerthomas.com/history/

https://www.facebook.com/DrSallySpeaks/

https://twitter.com/sspencerthomas

https://www.instagram.com/sspencerthomas/

https://www.pinterest.com/sallyspencertho/boards/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfr2b_0rxSsItOgo021ykkw?view_as=subscriber

Facebook @WorkplaceSuicidePrevention

Twitter @WorkSuicidePrev

Insta: @WorkplaceSuicidePrevention

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOjL6-clq63_G9X_F7Wp1mQ

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/40849573/admin/

Leveraging Your Company Values to Land the Unobtainable Talent with Darius Mirshahzadeh of The Greatness Machine Podcast

Thu, 05 Nov 2020 20:42:18 -0000

Values are the foundation of what your company is built upon. As we all know, without a foundation, the structure that is built can be destroyed at any time. Too often the foundation is poured after the structure has been built.

Our guest today: Darius Mirshahzadeh (Mir Shah Zaday), Founder of The Real Darius & Host of The Greatness Machine Podcast

Darius is a dad, husband, twin, brother and son who was born and raised in California and now lives in Austin Texas.

He is a serial entrepreneur, author, conscious capitalist, speaker and mad scientist CEO. He was ranked #40 in Inc 500 CEO’s in 2007 and #9 in Glassdoor’s Top Ranked CEOs in America for small to medium business. He participated in Birthing of Giants at MIT, graduated from Stagen Integral Leadership Program, is a TEDx curator and expert on core values. Darius’s new book, The Core Value Equation, explains everything on core values.

Today we discuss:

Why values are so critical in landing unobtainable talent
How to roll out a Core Values based recruiting machine

There is a silver bullet to hiring! Smart hiring decisions are much easier when you evaluate people for evidence of core value alignment, rather than skills.

Challenge today?

Social proof
Everyone pretends to be a cool company
Catfishing-
Making sure the best people show up
A-players are never filling out job applications

Why is this important to the company?

Not seducing with $$$
Leading with core values
Differentiating value proposition
Value hires are stronger fits for the organization
Cements a validation process
You will win Hires
You are building a better company
You are only competing with yourself
Foundation for a “REAL” conversation with each person

Rick’s Nuggets

People are attracted to opportunities that have a fundamentally stronger foundation
Opportunity for growth is greater which fuels more impactful work

How do we build a core value recruiting machine into your company? Discovery

What your values are

Leading with values
Content
2 of 3 hires are referral hires

Design

High utility value
Translate into the most powerful language

Roll out

Teach team the language
Immersed in the language

Implementation

Nurture
Implement in an ongoing basis

Measure

Measure for efficacy and optimize based on results

Plug into your recruiting efforts

Built a language for accountability in the organization
Leading with values when contacting people
Filter for decision making
The people on the boat are in alignment with the values
Dig deep in discovery for value alignment

Rick’s Nuggets

Design: build interview questions that unearth evidence of alignment with your core values
Implementation: Train & assign specific questions for each interviewer

Key Takeaways:

Ultimate decision making engine
Invisible scale - allow you to grow faster / better
Magnet for top talent that shouldn't even consider your company (marrying outside your envelope)

Guest Contact & Links:

Darius: therealdarius.com

Book: The Core Value Equation (Amazon)

The Secrets to Building a Transparent & Fair Compensation Structure with Louis Beryl of Rocketplace

Fri, 30 Oct 2020 20:49:56 -0000

The keys to attraction and retention are transparency and process. Just like having a strong interview structure, Compensation structure is just as critical.

Having clearly defined salary thresholds allows people to be comfortable with your environment while eliminating uncertainty in the minds of your employees.

Our guest today: Louis Beryl, Founder & CEO of Rocketplace

Louis Beryl is the founder and CEO of Rocketplace, a curated marketplace of high quality professional service providers. A 3x founder, investor, and board member, Louis began his tech career as a partner at Andreessen Horowitz and was also previously a YCombinator Partner part-time. Outside of being an entrepreneur and investor, Louis is an avid cook and has recently been perfecting his homemade pizza.

Today we discuss:

Benefits to establishing a compensation structure early on
4 step process to building a successful comp plan

Challenge today?

Setting a correct compensation structure
Disparity in salary
Miscalibrated pay system
How to promote and compensate properly

Why is this important to the company?

Ultimately compensation to align with the values of the company

tighten range of cash & equity
Wiggle room for negotiation
Tradeoff flexibility
Determine range of percentile before you start ( Netflix 110%)
Trade off on higher compensation is a recipe for disaster
Compensation is what does NOT determine the level
Provides organizational transparency
Manage expectations & promotions

When compensation changes, adjustments are across the organization

How do we build a compensation structure into your company?

Talk about what values you have in your compensation package

People feel that teammates will be paid very similarly

Build compensation Matrix

Cash, quality, bonus, etc
Determine levels
Functional areas
Collect data (compensation data)
Determines what percentile your organization is willing to pay

Leaders need to define what each level is

Interview process at each level
Promotion process

Live values through the interview process

Adjust the interview process according to the interview

Key Takeaways:

Think about what you value
Think about compensation in advance
Develop methodologies to allow the organization to scale

Guest Contact & Links:

Email: louis@rocketplace.com

Website: Rocketplace Facebook Twitter

The 3 Critical Elements to Executing Your Talent Strategy for 2021 with Scott Hamilton of Executive Next Practices Institute

Fri, 23 Oct 2020 19:55:50 -0000

We are in the greatest time for opportunistic hiring! An unprecedented number of talented people are on the sidelines and now is your time to hire the people that will take your company to the next level. All it takes is some creative thinking and a plan.

Our guest today: Scott Hamilton, President & CEO of Executive Next Practices Institute (ENP)

Scott and his team of Nextworks partners provide executive and organizational programs around strategic planning & execution, internal innovation methods, performance management improvement and the pioneering use of “collective intelligence” alignment.

Today we discuss:

Why to start executing your talent strategy next year Today
The 3 critical elements to building your hiring plan - executing in a targeted way

I find the biggest challenge today is that business leaders have not recognized the tremendous opportunity we have in front of us. That opportunity is displaced talent.

Challenge today?

Getting lost in the covid fog
Getting disconnected
Employment brand message is getting lost in all the noise
Lost in person networking
Need to force connections in a different way, that you don't know
Expanding your network channels

Why is this important to the company?

Business value proposition, new ideas come from outside our industry
Talent: High quality talent in other arenas
Have skills, aptitude & capabilities to be successful
Transparency & increase communications in our marketplace
Be found easily and understand the value in working for your company
Diversity, Equity (level playing field) & Inclusion

Rick’s Nuggets

Leaders are still unclear about the opportunity we are in right now!
Disrupting your own business through

How do we build it into your company?

Bottom up strategy
- Tap the collective IQ
- Clear on mission
- Shared purpose
- Not just say it, but live it
- Culture of learning
- Community Partner
Talent Skills
- Valuing adaptability
- Ideation - create
- Culture that allows people to step up & take risks
- People who have good judgment
- Execution skills
Execution
- Acting with measurable intent
- Knowing KPI’s & OKR’s
- Pace & Rhythm
- Faster cycle to fail fast, learn fast
- 30-60 days (smaller projects to allow for testing)
- Reward & recognition for hiring - referrals

Rick’s Nuggets

Target and connect
Build a strong referral strategy
Communicate needs daily
Ask for names & contact information of top performers
Contact yourself
Do NOT pitch your job/company/yourself
Treat as a “get to know you” call
Take your time
Hire for value alignment / cultural alignment before skills
Value growth

Key Takeaways:

Get started now on 2021
Business value creation
Talent value creation

Guest Contact/Links

Scott.Hamilton@enpinstitute.com

www.nextworksstrategy.com

www.enpinstitute.com

Why Giving Fuels Growth & Engagement with Charles Antis, Eric Morley, Wendy Ellis & Wing Lam of California Love Drop

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 18:02:26 -0000

Consider the possibility that giving may be the answer that propels your business through challenging times.

There is nothing more alluring to talented people than a leader who finds cause to support. Especially when most businesses are hanging by a thread.

Today we are talking to four business leaders who are giving back to the community and experiencing tremendous engagement from those they serve.

Our guests today:

Charles Antis, Founder & CEO of Antis Roofing & Waterproofing

Eric Morley, Co-Founder & COO of Blue C. Creative Marketing Agency

Wendy Ellis, Strategic & Creative Partnerships at Meruelo Media - KLOS FM

Wing Lam, Owner of Wahoo’s Fish Tacos & Co-Founder of CA Love Drop

These Four business moguls came together in April of 2020, to start up a charity called California Love Drop. The California Love Drop delivers meals and treats to our well-deserving Front Line Heroes and community neighbors in need. In October 2020, California Love Drop celebrates their 100th Drop!

Today we discuss:

The importance of finding a cause & giving now
How to build giving into your culture to spur abundance

Now more than ever people need help. It is easy to forget this when so many of us are focused on keeping our businesses afloat.

With this uncertain business environment, your strongest talent is most likely “keeping their options open” so shouldn’t we be doing everything we can to keep them engaged and productive?

Challenge today?

Thinking about giving when we are treading water
Finding people that align
Charity is the best way to find great people
Giving philosophy
Nothing going on so no excuse to not give

Why is this important to the company?

Not afraid to try things and fail
Time to do good
Shine a light on good
It becomes not about price but it is now about Value!
Elevate yourself above your competition

Rick’s Nuggets

Cause attracts winners (people who will thrive in your company)
- People desire more than a transactional relationship

How do we build cause into your company?

Find a cause
- Alignment with your company that you hold a strong passion
- Doing something for your people that allows them to be proud of giving back
Join it, promote it within your company
- Allow your people to own the success
Become involved
- Participate consistently
- Make your story compelling
- Celebrate & Openly talk about your cause

Rick’s Nuggets

Start with what is important to you and your team
Hire for cause / culture alignment (passion to the cause)
Build in a knockout question in your interview process related to uncovering evidence as to the real passion for the cause

Key Takeaways:

Just say yes to helping people
Continually show up
Indirectly network to spur opportunity

Cause Links:

California Love Drop

Hire Power + Working Wardrobes T-Shirt Fundraising

Today's episode made possible by Criteria Corp

#hirepowerradio #giveback #calovedrop #rebuildcareers #workingwardrobes #mixonesound

Virtualization is Downgrading the Mental Health of Your Employees with Jodi Duva of Cox Business

Fri, 09 Oct 2020 20:54:29 -0000

Our guest today: Jodi Duva, Vice President of Cox Business

Jodi is responsible for leading a world-class team delivering customized communications solutions to local business communities. Duva oversees sales and service delivery across all sales channels and has been leading one of the organization’s largest and fastest growing sales teams and consistently delivering double-digit growth.

Jodi is very involved in the community, and serves on the boards for Orange County Business Council and Girl Scouts of Orange County. She plays an active role in both boards, chairing or co-chairing key committees. Duva also gives back through volunteerism. Fun fact: Duva grew up in the Boston area and is an avid New England sports fan.

Today we discuss:

The importance of mental health of your people
How to build mental health culture to increase productivity

Challenge today in this work from home environment?

Virtualizing workforce yet keeping them nimble and able to pivot for life’s everyday challenges (or something more creative)
Keeping mentally connected and productive
Human connection and preserving your sanity and Cox’s brand is based on “Life gets better when we have moments of real human connection”
Working from home can lead to increased productivity and happy employees, but for some, it can cause feelings of isolation, increased stress (working too many hours and not stepping away), wearing too many hats - are you employee, mom, teacher, etc…., lack of recognition

Why is this important to the company?

Maintaining human connections
Productivity has not dropped off and in some cases, even gone up
Engagement challenges

Rick’s Nuggets

Relationships are starting virtually now. Important to create bonding moments starting with the interview.
- Extra time to become comfortable
- Invite perspective employees to virtual team based events
- Obvious solution: Implementing a policy of “me” time. Exercising, meditating and/or unplugging to balance one's self. - must alone time!

How do we keep our people sane?

Get creative! Think outside the box. Provide tools for your employees, but personalize it and JOIN THEM! Be vulnerable, be silly, be human.
Fun ideas: Selfie contests, Five for Fitness, Pet “yappy hour” (bring your pet to virtual happy hour)
Yelling at your kids without the “audience” on your Zoom meeting catching on.
Create Fun: Pickle ball court, Beer Die Table – wait am I teaching my kids how to play drinking games? Should I be ashamed or should I take the other side – well, if they are good at it when they get to college, then that means less drinking right?
Filming Music Videos – Post your best music video to a Rick Astley Song - “Never Gonna Give You Up” – Toilet Paper dance and “Together Forever” – husband wore a dress and the wife was Rick Astley in the suit…..

Digital access to physical & mental well being

Zoom happy hour
Bring dog to a meeting
Selfie contests
Video challenges (fun)

Rick’s Nuggets

Implement Mental health policies NOW!
“Flag & Tag” in Communication Tool
Calendar time into people’s schedules

Key Takeaways:

Be a leader that encourages/requires your people to do these things. And don’t forget to recognize openly and often for accomplishments. A simple email or phone call goes a long way!

Schedule analog breaks - No technology allowed!
Get up and move! Fitness breaks
Make time for your favorite people
Enjoy the wonders of nature AKA Go outside!
Just say “no” - find balance
Share and celebrate successes

Guest Contacts:

Jodi's LinkedIn or Email: jodi.duva@cox.com

#hirepowerradio #coxbusiness #hiring #vpofsales #leader #volunteer #mentalhealth #employeewellness #orangecountybusinesscouncil #girlscoutsoforangecounty

Why the 30, 60, 90 Day Job Posting Wins Hires with Dan Moore of Vaporware

Fri, 02 Oct 2020 21:01:26 -0000

Our guests today: Dan Moore, Co-Founder & CEO of Vaporware

Dan is a trained computer scientist who helps clients craft ideas into scalable products. Always one for over-communication and compulsive attention to detail.

Dan co-founded Vaporware to help entrepreneurs take their software ideas to market. Over the past 7 years he has helped Vaporware deliver dozens of apps in Human Resources, Staffing, and Recruiting—all while building vaporware into a stellar organization.

Hiring a bench of developers, designers, and product managers is a challenge for any organization, but Dan has created 2 expert teams that combines all 3 roles at Vaporware.

Today we discuss:

The 30,60,90 job posting; What it is & how it works
How to build it for hiring success!

What is a 30/60/90 job posting?

A better way to do job postings to find the right candidates.
A list of objectives at different checkpoints (30-60-90 days)
Designed to ensure proper onboarding and culture fit before the company invests too much.

What happened to drive this solution?

Created out of personal desire because of the experience from prior companies- escape from past experiences
How would we want to be hired?
Tailoring to culture fit is much more important
Allow people to do different things within one company
Not looking at what they have but looking around ….

Why is this important to the company? Yes can meet those objectives!

Limits company risk
Shifts away from skills
Keeping people onboard
Retain people longer from 3-6 months to up over 4+ years
Bottom line, higher attraction of more seasoned employees

Rick’s Nuggets

90 day performance metrics are a necessity for a successful hire
Sets up the framework for the communication and expectation structure
Clear guide of what needs to be accomplished by when

How do we build out a 90 day plan?

Start with the end goal (6 months to a year)
- Stay with us forever: They’re bought into the mission and helping us define it
- Figure out how we can evaluate that in the first 90 days (limit our investment)
- Question what is realistic in 90 days?
To get to 90 days
- Negotiation between desires and realism.
- Hope for the best but don’t negotiate your minimum expectations
Define 60 and 30
- Break out what needs to happen for 90 to be successful = 60 days
- Break out what needs to happen for 60 to be successful = 30 days
- Keep flexible enough for applicant to define their own OKRs within that framework
Post into job listing. Applicants can define OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) within that posting
- Reverse engineer what needs to be
- What are the OKRs
- Set up framework for people to self manage their goals
- Break things down into strategy
- Compelling ability to break things down for company
- Autonomy, bring people who are smarter and can teach us something

Rick’s Nuggets

Additional formatting for the job add to attract passive people
- What’s in it for me?
- Solution
- Performance metrics
- Call to Action!

Key Takeaways:

Align to culture first
Have a 90 day plan
Review and adjust the plan as you go

Full video of today's #hirepowerradio show available on YouTube

Guest Contact:

Vaporware website or Email: dan@vaporware.net

Links

Website: Vaporware

Vaporware's Sample: 30,60,90

#hirepowerradio #vaporware #hiring #founder #startup #business

Employee Engagement is Driven by Performance Management & Personal Development with Michael Caito of MAP

Thu, 24 Sep 2020 22:59:54 -0000

To Cultivate Employee Engagement Focus on Performance Management & Personal Development

Our guests today: Michael Caito, CEO, Management Action Programs

Michael and two business partners launched Restaurants on the Run (ROTR) with a mere $6,000. His company experienced explosive growth after Michael attended a workshop hosted by Management Action Programs (MAP).

After selling the business valued at 12x EBITDA, Michael seized an almost uncanny opportunity to purchase the very coaching firm that helped transform his own leadership and business development. He bought MAP in December 2017 and is now, serving as its CEO.

Michael both gives back and pays forward what he learns: He has been a member of Entrepreneurs’ Organization and has served as its past Global Chairman. The balance truly matters, too, fueling his unstoppable energy, direction and focus, a discipline that transpires into positive action, producing results both on the job and at home.

Today we discuss:

Performance management & development: what is it? Why should it matter to me?
5 steps to building a stronger organization

The roots of a successful company (engaged team) start with your hiring process

Snapshot of how things are done
Demonstrates your commitment to performance

Challenge today

Staying focused on what is vital today & moving toward innovation

First the focus was on cash
Non market forces we can't control
Moving toward growth & innovation
It is all about process!
Fake it till you make it (imposter syndrome)
Accountability & focus alignment

Why is this important to the company

If you are not focused, you are everywhere
If people are not aligned, how are you getting the best self from your team
Strategy and not chasing shiny objects

Rick’s Nuggets

Growth must be known & demonstrated
Promoting within first, then gathering referrals
Focused and deliberate hiring process wins hires

How do we do it?

5 Step process to drive:

Accepting reality
- Face the brutal facts of your business. You can't be hopelessly optimistic
- Look at what’s really going on. Outside forces
- Market & non market forces
Having empathy with your team
- What are your people feeling?
- LISTENING!
- You may just have to fake it. Take the steps to show that you are listening
Create an envisioned future that people can get behind
- Place that people want to get to
- Picture of where we are trying to go
Engage your team
- Communication; work together
- Stability plan first, where are we going first
- Where we are going. Prioritize projects that move people forward
Process in place to hold people accountable
- Cadence of accountability check ins
- Monthly check in at the minimum
- Problem solving exercises
- KPI’s & cascading goal setting system
- Everyone sets goals
- Leader has to have the system in place to align the company. EOS, Gazelle,
- Map One page business plan

Rick’s Nuggets

Reality - great companies find a way to grow through difficult times
Listen - to the people you interview. What’s important to them is what ensures a strong hire
Engage- coordinate delivery & feedback

Key Takeaways:

CEO needs to deep dive on themselves. 360 degree feedback to understand yourself and be vulnerable enough to share. Creates psychological safety with your team. Allows people to bring their best selves.
Need a goal setting system in your company. Habits
Have a coach to hold you accountable. “It takes a village”

Guest Contacts:

Website: MAP Email: map@mapconsulting.com

Your Remote Workforce Will be Breached with Chuck & Anne Marie Lerch of HI Tech Hui

Fri, 18 Sep 2020 19:25:29 -0000

Our guests today: Anne-Marie & Chuck Lerch, Co-Founder & CXO’s of HI Tech Hui

Chuck heads up Cybersecurity. been the CIO and CTO at numerous companies with great emphasis on security. His passion for secure networks is what led him to his love and vision to bring cybersecurity solutions to the Hawaiian islands.

Anne Marie is the CXO & Head of Counting Beans. Her love for business strategy and technology is what inspired her to start a consulting company in Hawaii. She specializes in project management for software development projects.

Today we discuss:

Why it is important to secure your at home workforce
Steps to take to mitigate the risk of being hacked

What are the security risks we are experiencing today with a remote workforce?

Cyber crime is up over 650%
Most office workers are working from home
Companies and workers are ill equipped from a
Culture Impact
Technology Impact
Depression
Kids at home at same time
Workers are can be less productive and not pay attention to what they are doing

Why is this important to the company?

Money Loss
Vendor hacks
Moral Issues
Productivity Issues
Management Issues
Home Issues

How do we secure our remote workforce?

First we need to answer some questions and create a plan with our vCISO’s, CTO’s and Project Managers

Understand what is at stake
1. A hack can cost you millions of dollars!
Depends on Company Budget and Industry
1. HITRUST?
1. CMMC
1. NCUA, FFIEC -
2. Healthcare ?
3. Business with the Federal Government
4. Banking

Gap Assessment
1. What are the weaknesses
2. Corporate policies must align with security policies
3. Cybersecurity hygiene
4. Passwords -every login needs to have a different password!
Remediation
1. MFA- multi factor authentication
2. Education & Monitoring

Key Takeaways:

Implement education - security training, be aware so you don't get jacked
Multifactor
Securing the cloud infrastructure . secure the endpoints (computers) - configure against shady sites
Monitor traffic

Guest Contacts:

Websites: HI Tech Hui, LLC or Cyberuptive

The Secret Talent Pool of Hiring Veterans with Jerri Rosen of Working Wardrobes

Fri, 11 Sep 2020 21:47:51 -0000

Today's Guest: Jerri Rosen, Founder & CEO of Working Wardrobes

Jerri’s organization helps over 5,000 men, women, veterans and young adults each year re-enter the workforce with career development services and professional wardrobing.

Today we are discussing:

The hidden gem that is the veteran pool
How to find and hire veterans to diversify your talent pool

Why Companies don't actively seek to hire veterans?

Bias
Think they all have ptsd
Not knowing the value of the training that vets get in the military
Not knowing the true value
Too much bad press
Painting with a brush that is very negative
Vets fall on hard times because they miss the discipline/brotherhood

Why is this important to the company to hire veterans?

Intense loyalty, when treated with dignity
Absolutely mission driven
Path of a veteran
Make outstanding employees
Can help recruit -underground network

How do we find and hire veteran talent? Decide to hire outside your comfort zone

Outstanding, dedicated people

Finding Vets

Active duty national guard or reserves (highly under employed)
Vet spouses,
Military connection through working wardrobes, on your own
Vetnet team

Interviewing & Hiring

Understand a MOS- military status
- Translate what was done in the military to civilian language
- Look past the acronyms
Look for the passion & talents
Experience & gravity of the work
Look past the stoic demeanor
Recognize that task at hand/orders need to shift to a “going above and beyond” mindset
- Requires a bit of patience
Hire as normal
Understand that everything was provided for them in the military
Learning to operate in a very different world & culture
Different level of expectations

Rick’s Nuggets

Dig deeper on what work was done and look for transferable skills to justify

Key Takeaways:

Veterans become a much better employee
Veterans also bring a network of additional talent
Looking to hire veterans, WW can be the one stop shop. Hidden Talent Pool!

Working Wardrobes is Rebuilding Careers, and we’ve teamed up with Hire Power Radio Show & Podcast to support this initiative.

The Hire Power Radio team has created limited edition shirts, the proceeds of which benefit Working Wardrobes. Together we can make a small dent in reeducating, coaching and providing resources for our transitioning veterans, professionals and workers affected by the current world landscape.

Get yours here: T-shirts

Guest Contact:

Website: Working Wardrobes

Office Number: 714-210-2460

Your Local Hiring Market is Going to Disappear! Bradley Clark of RecTxt

Thu, 03 Sep 2020 22:44:23 -0000

Local hiring market is now gone! Guess what! Today, your best people will be hired outside your geographical location.

Our guest today: Bradley Clark, Co-Founder & Product Strategy of RecTxt

Bradley Clark, who is both a recruitment leader and an actual entrepreneur himself. He’s the Co-Founder of Rectxt, a text recruiting platform, and after a long consulting career working with organizations like Samsung R&D, Boeing Labs, Plenty of Fish, Best Buy, he’s now leading recruitment at Article.

Being on both the front line and talking to a number of companies and recruiters, with COVID and Work from anywhere - he’s seeing this rapidly emerging trend of where top local talent is getting scooped up from outside the market.

Today we are discussing:

Why your local talent pool will continue to dry up
How to counter this trend and give your company a competitive edge

Challenge today?

Candidate experience is consumer behavior. People do have a lot of buying power right now. With remote, you are able to buy anywhere right now.
Hiring local talent is now more competitive. Remote work will decimate your local hiring market. Already seeing it happen. Organizations say - work anywhere! Precedence to work anywhere led by tech giants.

Why is this important to the company?

The best people in your local area, are going to be out of your market
- Transactional market/process will out bid you!
- Disrupt smaller markets
- Local discount is over

Rick’s Nuggets

Work from home has opened the flood gates

Adjust your mindset and start adjusting your processes:

Focus on growing your own talent
- Finding ways to build your own people
- Making them committed to you
- Rewards & recognition (your cool office, and office based perks are no longer valuable, mental health is important)
Focus on Keeping them
- Engagement
- What the work looks like and the meaning of that work
- Flexibility & shift to output based
Interview process as a promoter rather than a bouncer
- Mindshift change
- Rather than no… who do I say yes to?
- Speed & decisiveness
- Pre-interview process
  - Understanding what the problem really is that they are trying to solve.
  - What skills are needed to solve that problem
  - Define what the person is really needed to do
  - You need to be able to identify the “what and why”
Interview process
- Focus on the “how & when”
- Selling the problem, how it is good for them
- Identify people that want to be a Big fish in a small pond
- Be decisive
Communication
- Improve both the Speed of communication and keeping an open channel of communication. Get off email, this is why we created Rectxt.

Rick’s Nuggets

Whats in it for me (not you) needs to be all you are con

Key Takeaways:

Understand they’re no longer competing locally for top talent, so they’ll have to change to compete (business can’t be the same as always)
Interview well with knowing what you want, then be decisive
if/ when possible grow your own talent, then do everything you can to keep them

Guest Contact:

LinkedIn: Bradley Clark

Website: RecTxt

Hiring Now is a Strong Indicator of an Innovative Business with Jay Connor of Learning Ovation

Fri, 28 Aug 2020 17:53:30 -0000

Why Hiring through the pandemic is a strong Indicator of a innovative business.

“We have all been forced to pivot and now we are weathering the storm” for most businesses.

Our guest today: Jay Connor, Founder & CEO of Learning Ovation

Recognized as an early thought leader in collective impact, Joseph A. “Jay” Connor, JD/MBA, is the Founder and Chief Executive of Learning Ovations, Inc. The mission animating Learning Ovations is to have all students reading at or above grade level by the end of third grade.

Jay, a C-suite officer for two separate Fortune 500 corporations, has extensive leadership experience in the business, nonprofit, and public policy arenas.

Today we are discussing:

Why you should be hiring NOW
How to evaluate for the business and skate to the puck

Challenge today?

Is this company able to adapt and respond?
Have a future, capacity to respond to change vs. being changed
Higher quality people attracted to the company simply because they are hiring
People are open to talking.
Not hunkering down during pandemic is a sign that the company will thrive post covid

Why is this important to the company?

Expanding & growing in the face of problems
Approaches & ways of doing things are more attractive to potential businesses. New approaches are welcome and critical to moving forward in the business.
Engagement at the strategic level is more accepted today. Requiring employees/people to expand their knowledge base.
We are in the second wave now and you can't be on the sidelines anymore!

How do we do it?

"Skating to where the puck is going to be." - Wayne Gretzky
Force yourself to ask “what is the opportunity”
- What allows me to be active vs passive?
- What windows are opening up when the doors are closed?
What do we need to do to skate to that puck?
- Something need to change about what your delivering (product)
- Or way to change about positioning, branding, communication
What to change about your team?
Evaluate every person.
Where will people have to be 6 months from now.
Top down assessment
Gives the opportunity to expand & refine
Decide to grow the workforce with their PPP
Highest risk position is the status quo!
Ability to minimize the risk by acting
Business as usual is NOT viable!
Start hiring for new competencies (what are we missing?) and values & mission focus!

Rick’s Nuggets

Now is the opportunity to double down and be able to attract strong talent
People are open to talking because of the uncertainty

Key Takeaways:

Never too late to pivot. What is the most likely scenario for my business a year from now. Assume that there is not going to be a quick fix. Position for the worst case scenario!
Do an honest appraisal of the team… Including yourself! Will the people you have be good for the business a year from now. Change is tough

Guest Contact:

Website: Learning Ovation

Social Media: LinkedIn Facebook Twitter

Hijacks The Show! Worst Messages, Job Descriptions & Accountability with Kelly Robinson of RedDot Media

Fri, 21 Aug 2020 15:36:16 -0000

Thank you for having me back, but you know the unwritten rule of being on a show three times?

What's the unwritten rule?

The unwritten rule being on the show three times is I get to ask you questions today. So I'm taking the laptop.

So Kelly is hijacking the episode. Is that we're doing?

I am. I'm hijacking it because I want to be host today. And I want to ask you questions. I want to find out your thoughts on what we can ask or how we can help hiring managers get better?

This sprung off the ever and Dean scenario where you're pro job board and I'm not pro job board.

Obviously, I'm pro job board because I've built a business that distributed 40 million jobs a year to different job boards around the world, that was Broadbean. And now what we do is we help companies with their strategy and their tactics to get the most value from every cent they spend on-

So you're hijacking my show?

I'm hijacking your show. And I want to ask you some questions. We often talk about the benefits of job boards versus not job boards. And I know your historically a search business. So why are you more inclined to look for a candidate or to go and find somebody proactively than spend money on an ad?

It depends on the scenario. So I'm biased due to the fact that my searches that we do at my firm tend to be executive hires. And it's a very small targeted amount of people that we're going after. So we target, I've found that the sniper approach works much better than the shotgun approach. Even when I was doing contingency search at the engineering level, I've just been far more effective and made better hires when I've gone out and I've found the person and brought them to the table than when I've farmed somebody off the job board and brought them through the process.

And have you ever used job boards? Have you ever spent money on them?

Okay. Yeah, I have. It's been a long time. I have not probably in the past 10 years, but back when I was doing contingency search, that's when we had all the job boards. Essentially, we'd get a job. We'd pull off anybody from any sources we can get them to. And it's just a race to get those out to the company before they either find it on their own or somebody else gets it over to them. And that's the business. That's what it came out.

In your opinion, you search something that's really only for C level executives or can you use it for any position nowadays?

No, you can use it for any position. Search is not necessarily scalable when you have 500 roles that are available for any given time. Then it becomes a question of whether or not you have a really strong interview process. No matter what you're hiring for, you should have a really strong interview process. That way, you're bringing people in that essentially fit your culture. They fit into your values, in your organizational structure, and they can provide impact to your company. It doesn't matter where you find them.

We both agree that there's four ways to fill a job. Where you run some form of search, whether that's electronic or manual, you can use a job board or some sort of advert. You can hire an agency and pay them a fee, 15%, 20%, 25% percent. Or you can use a referral. Now, there are nuances within those, but there are about your four kind of headline ways that you find people for your company. And one of the things that most line managers don't get much advice on is asking for referrals. What would you suggest that hiring managers do in terms of maximizing their referrals for jobs?

The way in which you ask for referrals is more important than asking referrals. Let me explain. When you reach out to your employees or the people that work for you or people in your network who is good at a particular role or skill set or something to that effect, you can't let them present it. You have to be the one who's contacting that person. I've found that when you put it out to somebody, "Hey Kelly, you know so and so over there, can you reach out to them? Let them know we have this role that we're looking to fill." You're going to call them up and you go, "Hey, are you looking for a job right now? Because I got a friend's company or my company is looking for some people, would like to talk to you about it."

Well, somebody is engaged in their current work. They're not going to be looking for a job. I'm not even going to get past that screen. It's going to say, "No, not looking." The worst thing you can do is have your employee reach out to that person and ask them if they're looking for a job. Now, if they make an introduction and you can set up a time to talk to them, then you can get past that screen. You can get to a point where you can talk about what's happening in their current role and see if there's any problems that you can solve for that person in their career, that you might be able to enhance or make better for them at your company.

I want to ask you a couple of questions, but since I'm hijacking this show, let's just take a moment. This is Kelly Robinson of Hire Power radio. Just a quick 60 seconds from our sponsors. Sorry about taking over your show here, but I'm having fun here.

No, I like how you just turned the tide on me.

Just enjoying as we go. Okay. You've been in this business for a long time. Tell me, what is the worst opening line you've heard?

You looking for a job?

Come on. You must have heard worse than that.

No.

Normally, I hear, "I have a job..."

Yes. "... That I think you'll be perfect for. I found you on LinkedIn and I want to talk to you about it." It's riddled with me, me, me, me, me, I, I, I. The worst openers or anything that they hear a hundred times from everybody else throughout the day. I hear a lot through recruiting groups and pages where people come up with the same version of the, "Hey, I have this. I'm interested in talking to you." Me, me, me, me, me, as opposed to, "What about you?" Everything is a variation of that really bad opener. And you're putting people in a mindset where they're automatically tuning you out. It's automatically negative because you don't give a shit about that person. You just care about filling your job. That's what is perceived.

I agree. I think recruiters historically are overworked and undertrained. And they forget the core principle of what we work to. Our job, I think, is to explain to people why they should quit their job and work for our client. And there needs to be a reason why they're working for our client. And it's not because you have a job.

But take it even a step further. You have to find out first if somebody has a pain point. You have to understand the person. I say it all the time. You need to have conversations with people. And you almost need to play the role of a bartender or a therapist in the very beginning to understand what the motivations of that person are. Now, if somebody's completely satisfied in their role and they love their company, don't try and recruit them. It's going to be a waste of your time and their time. Don't try and get them to come talk to you, but you can build a relationship. There's going to be a time when they're going to hit their end of their juncture at that company, where they're going to be open to hearing about something that's going to help them enhance their career. And you want to be the first person they think of when that happens.

Absolutely.

You don't want to put yourself in a position where you're pitching a job and it's just another version of the same thing that they've heard 50 times prior.

Let's pick the top three worst openers you're seeing.

I can almost say this verbatim. And I've had conversations with people that I've talked to. They're like, "Thank you so much for not pitching your job." It's always, "Hey, I found you on LinkedIn. I think you're perfect for this job that I have at my company. And I'd like to talk to you about this opportunity."

Perfect. So whoever's listening, take notes, write that down, and start using that rather than saying-

No, don't use it. I said don't ever use it. Well, or use it. You just made my job easier. I'm happy that everybody uses the same version of that. Don't pitch your job, don't pitch your company, and don't pitch yourself.

See, I heard you say pitch opportunity. And I'm a big believer that you should pitch opportunity to type.

You have to pitch the opportunity, but you need to know where that opportunity lies for that individual. Everybody's different. You can kind of guess for most people that are working in a role, the main complaints tend to be growth. So they're kind of stuck. They can't go any further. Somebody needs to die above them in order for them to move up. Their leadership might have made a change. If you have any of this knowledge of, "Hey, CEO just left this company and they're taking it in a whole new direction," you can guess that there's probably some people over there that aren't really super happy with their leadership. You can craft your message in and around those pain points, so to speak. And then the last one is the content of the work. People get bored with what they're doing. They're not learning anymore. If you can get them to engage with you based on those three criteria, that's a good starting point. But ultimately, I wanted to get you to talk to me about what's happening with you. Then I know how to position my opportunity for you specifically.

So what I'm hearing from that is trying to avoid what everybody else is currently doing, which is a LinkedIn message that starts with, "I have a job." Focus on the opportunity, answer the question why somebody should quit their job and work for that organization. But actually, what is the growth opportunity when you get there? So not just, "Here is a position," or "Here is an opportunity to do X, but X can lead to this role."

Yeah. You're connecting the dots for people. Okay. They may not even be aware of the fact that they're stuck too. So you're giving them a path to go down. You're not giving anybody a path to go down when you say, "Hey, I found you on LinkedIn. I have a job you're perfect for. I'd like to talk to you about it." And then you start going into inquisition mode where you start really asking questions where you're asking screening questions. Again, I don't think there's anything that turns a person off more than, "Wait, you called me." You start throwing up your own hurdles so that people start pushing you away. And then they're looking for a way to get out of the conversation with you.

Yeah, I think that is such a valuable point there. And it also goes to my belief that when you write a job ad, we've had this debate many times, I think job advertising is a really pure form of digital recruitment, but you have to write a job advert and not share a job description. And I think it's exactly the same as what you're talking about is your explaining to people the opportunity, the benefits of working for that business, not just sending out the HR job spec that's been in the system for 10 years. And so if people were to take more time right in their adverts, they'd probably get more relevant response, less of it, but more relevant. And it's exactly the same as what you're suggesting when you present to somebody.

Last time we did an episode, a few episodes back, you said, what if you just flip everything upside down, start at the top and then work your way down? Do that with your job description. So your job descriptions, you should completely flip upside down. The normal requirements and all these sections that you have in there, a lot of them are in there for compliance reasons and so you don't get sued. But they're 100% not attractive to really anybody, which is why you get so many people that just go, "Oh, that, okay. I like that title." Click. "I'll just submit my resume." When you actually create a document that's a marketing related document. You're going to get much, much, much better results and higher quality people.

So therein lies another coaching point for people listening to this is understand the job description. Ask the questions. What are the opportunity? Where can this person step up? Where can they grow in this role? Questions that just generally don't get asked. We receive a job description, we get one from a line manager, we just take it as read, we don't question it. Ask questions like, "Well, the last person that's in this job, where did they go? What did they do? Did they get promoted? Did they leave? Why did they leave?" Understanding a little bit more so you could match the opportunity to the company to the person.

Well, the other thing, too, is that job descriptions don't ever give you an idea of "How will I know I'm going to be successful in this role in three, six, nine, 12 months?" Building performance metrics into the job description for a minimum of three months is ultra critical. Because then you have accountability tool. You agreed you're going to do this, this, and this. And if somebody is not performing what they sign on to to perform, then it becomes a very easy transition out or a very easy reason to keep them. And there's not a lot of thought that's put into that at all. At all.

I want to round up me hijacking your show today with one question, because I find this funny, because you've told me about this before. So I'm going to put you on the spot run. Explain to everybody your little car technique.

Oh gosh.

Unknown secrets are coming out now, folks.

As a point of reference, and by the way, I didn't make this up. I think I got this from some training or a mentor that I had years ago. But when you hire people and you want people who are pretty organized, or run a tight ship, you do this little trick. There's lots of little techniques that you go out to lunch with people. So we had always set it up when you come back for your final interview, "Let's go out to lunch." I might say, "Hey, you know what? Would you mind driving?" And so I have the person drive. Well, I'm going to get a really good view of if everything meshes up on what they told me in the interview, based on their automobile. If I'm looking at somebody who is an organized sales person, who's claiming to be super tight and everything else, I can look at their car.

And now, if their car is clean in immaculate, maybe it has a couple of things, they're going to run their desk the way they run their car. A clean car means you're going to have a tidy desk, and that person, I've walked into offices and I've looked at desks and I go, "This is the most productive person in here." And they go, "You're right." Just by looking at their desk. The ones who have all stacks all over the place, there are anomalies if they're super productive. But usually, if you're organized, you're going to be more productive than other people.

It's quite funny you should say that because my car is immaculate inside and my friends will often make comments about I'm obsessed with keeping my car spotlessly clean. But also my desk has got a set of rules and on my desk, if it's not a right angle, it's absolutely a wrong angle. So everything needs to be at right angles. Everything is [inaudible 00:13:01] same as my car. So I don't know where that puts me on the spectrum, but it will work for me. Thank you for letting me hijack your show. I'm going to give you back your laptop, sir.

The Key to Hiring is Knowing Y.O.U. & Your Audience with Stephanie Paul of The Executive Storyteller Academy

Thu, 20 Aug 2020 20:22:42 -0000

What's your story?

"Well, we are funded by Greylock and we are disrupting a $30 Billion dollar industry. What else do you need to know?"

This is good information to know but it is not your story. I quickly became a very bored audience with this CEO. Ultimately your story is what draws people in and invites us to work with you. When communicating with the people you are needing to hire it is critical that your story inspire them to join.

Our guest today: Stepahanie Paul, Founder & Head of Training & Development of The Executive Storyteller Academy

Stephanie takes great pride in coaching developing executives, sales teams, TEDx speakers, Women in leadership and experts of all kinds, to become master communicators.

In fact, her proven approach, "Powerful Emotional Engaging Presentations," draws upon her years of rich and diverse entertainment experience as well as she is a certified trainer using 5 science based assessments for behavior and communication using Psychology and Neuroscience.

Today we are discussing:

Why communicating your story is so critical from your hiring process through tenure
A 3 step method maximizing your communication

Communicating effectively during an interview is riddled with assumptions, bias and shallow content. Rarely is communication deliberate and with purpose.

Challenge companies face today?

Developing a person to be in more of and executive leadership role
Understanding your True Values because your values whether you know them or not depict your behavior and your audience define you by your behavior and actions not by what you say.
Many are so busy “doing the task” they have no concept of how you show up in the process of the task! Understanding your Stimulus Value
Checking your behavior before you engage what do you want the audience to do, achieve, react in a certain way?
No one wants to tell you how you show up because everyone just wants to keep the boss happy being open to feedback is the key to a growth mindset
Developing lifelong learners for value added leadership that build engagement within themselves and their teams rather than dictators who only drive the bottom line and don’t see the wealth in their people.
Great leadership is looking at the possibilities not the limitations and not focusing on your “Power” instead using your energy to empower others to ignite the leadership within themselves.
The way you deliver is more important than what you say
Come up with a great question to ask yourself on everything - Mine is “How do I make this more fun and engaging for the audience so they will remember?”
Being hyper aware of how you show up and listening and reading your audience effectively
Audience will always tell you what they need
Energy you chose to bring to the table is super important!

Why is this important to the company?

Immediate benefits to the team and individuals include better fits for task assignments and fewer, easier resolved conflicts. You will find these communication tools and understanding this type of developed skill set will also help you grow in your work and as a member of your field as well. The concepts we are talking about here can help you get a better understanding of yourself and your clients’ communication styles and motivations, which will help you more effectively respond to their needs. And because these are cutting edge concepts in the market space, will give you the opportunity to continue to grow as leaders in your industry.

How do we do it?

Y: In the first component we use a series of assessments to build understanding around stimulus value and the areas of strength and opportunities for growth in the recipient. We then teach successful behavior, memorization and delivery techniques for connecting with an audience
O: The overall objective is to teach the recipient effective ways (established in science) to build storytelling, supportive images, stimulating slide decks, and content that is dynamic and influential.
U: The last component of “The Y.O.U Method” and the most important is the audience. We work with the recipient of the training to guide them through effective techniques to read and work with an audience so they develop deep engaging presentations based in our biology and how that works.

Rick’s Nuggets

Yourself: must be your corporate values
The person you are hiring is your audience

Key Takeaways:

Always check in with where you are at, how you show up is a choice not a reaction to what just happened to you. Make sure that before you start communicating with your audience of 1 or 1001 you are emotionally and energetically where you need to be to achieve the results you want to achieve.. Self leadership is just as important as leading others.
Learn to read the behavior or your audience, know how to check in and deeply listen to what they are communicating, research, prepare and listen to their needs and be value added.
Make sure that your content supports your message (result) with powerful emotional images, stories and delivery. Make sure your accessories support you and make you shine rather than become a distraction.

Stephanie's resources:

I would love for you to become a founding member of our newly formed Facebook Group Executive Storytellers and follow us on Instagram @executivestorytellers

Instagram: https://vimeo.com/444640964

Facebook Group: https://vimeo.com/445080878

Here is a discount code to Stephanie's e-book that was released in February “The Why Guide To Story Hacking” use the Code: HACK4U

http://executivestoryteller.com/

Unlimited PTO… The Pretend Time Off with Addam Gordon & Ulises Orozco of PTO Genius

Thu, 13 Aug 2020 18:54:47 -0000

But we have unlimited time off! Why would anyone not want to join a company with such a progressive time off schedule? Asked founder Sanjeev.

Two reasons, One PTO is a perk not a reason for joining a company. People will join and stay at your company when they believe in your vision and experience professional growth.

And Two, your company is a start up. No one is going to believe that with the aggressive production cycles that they can just take off and take advantage of this policy.

Our guest today: Adam Gordon & Ulises Orozco, Co-Founders of PTO Genius

With over 30 years of HR tech experience and a focus on employee benefits and leave management.

Adam & Ulises are serial entrepreneurs who founded PTO Genius to help companies increase job satisfaction, attract/retain top talent and lower payroll liability by re-imagining what employees can do with paid time off.

Today we discuss:

The pros & cons of Paid time off structures
How to implement the right structure for your unique company

Challenge today with Paid Time Off?

Potential liability for the company because it creates an environment where not self managed, managed like a traditional policy. Too dependent on the individual manager approval.

Using unlimited as a marketing tool. But there really is no unlimited
Creates more legal liability
People either don't take time off or too much time off
The bedrock to unlimited PTO is good culture. The bedrock of trust which can NOT be managed by managers.

Why is this important to the company?

Culture
- Trust
- Mutual respect
- Accountability
Unlimited PTO looks desirable to avoid the liability of the employment contract
- Avoid the management
- Payout at the end of employment

Rick’s Nuggets

PTO is not a reason why people join your organization
How PTO is managed/supported is a snapshot of your leadership style (which is the root of why people stay or leave your company)
Benefits & perks are icing not the cake.

How do we do implement the right PTO policy?

Questions to Ask First: Can we trust our employees? Do I want to give managers the authority to manage when people are away?

Starts with leadership and how you value the employee
Communication- transparency
Being Vulnerable as leaders

Start with the right culture. Most startups should start with a traditional PTO model

Better to keep yourself out of a legal liability.
Can't eat the cost of litigation
Employees with unlimited PTO end up taking fewer vacation days than their limited PTO counterparts (13 days versus 15 days). SHRM source link HERE

If you want to implement an unlimited PTO policy

Ask yourself if you are really built for it?
Don't call it a “unlimited” policy but a “Self Directed” PTO
Document the policy
- Define non starters- set up bumpers
Manage that everyone has access to time off
Encourage time off
- Creative time off incentives
Assignment & tracking should be no disruption to workflow
- Set up a calendar where people know when people are off
- Hand off before someone goes away

Rick’s Nuggets

Look at your company values and align your PTO policy with that which aligns with your leadership style

Key Takeaways:

Unlimited policy- do you meet the above criteria. Is it truly self directed?
Proactive hand offs

Guest Contacts:

Website: PTO Genius

Email: hello@ptogenius.com

LinkedIn: Adam Gordon or Ulises Orozco

Twitter: Adam Gordon or Ulises Orozco

Removing Bias in the Hiring Process with Bruce Marable of Employee Cycle

Thu, 06 Aug 2020 22:54:12 -0000

“I want to work with really smart people and here is a list of schools that this person will have graduated from” said Lawrence, the CEO. “I do not want to interview anyone who has not come out of one of these schools”.

My gut reaction was to simply say, “no thanks” and exit the meeting. Afterall, this CEO was going to be difficult to work with.

My response back was simply “Confirmation Bias”

We favor information that confirms our world view and this helps us to reduce any cognitive discomfort that discounts our values and realities. As Entrepreneurs, we are more susceptible to this bias because we are so focused on the task at hand. This reduces our ability to objectively make decisions that are best for the business.

Lawrence laughed, grabbed the sheet of paper and threw it in the trash. “Ok find me smart people”!

The truth is the strongest people often surface in the most unexpected ways and your bias clouds your vision of the truth!

Our guest today: Bruce Marable, Co-founder & CEO of Employee Cycle, the all-in-one People Dashboard

Bruce is a Philly-based serial tech startup founder. When Bruce is not helping HR leaders better use data to make smarter workforce decisions, he is making music playlists on Spotify, taking self-care at the boxing gym, or hunting for the best bread pudding around town.

Today we discuss:

Why Bias needs to be eliminated from your hiring process
How to deliver an unbiased, evidence based interview

Challenge today?

According to Wikipedia, Bias is defined as a disproportionate weight in favor of or against an idea or thing, usually in a way that is closed-minded, prejudicial, or unfair.

We all have bias. It is important to eliminate it for one simple reason… Your company’s success

Why is bias elimination important to the company?

More diverse companies succeed
More revenue
Higher productivity
Cannot properly market to diverse groups of people/customers
Totally different backgrounds bring different ideas
More diverse individuals create more self awareness, well rounded thought process
Disabilities
Sexual orientation
Ethnicity
Ageism
Re entering workforce
Incarcerated
Parenting

Rick’s Nuggets

Innate Biases
- Overconfidence: Subjective confidence in ideas or decisions
- Illusion of control: overestimate ability to control situation or outcome
- Anchoring/Adjustment: past experience predicts plans for future
- Confirmation: preexisting beliefs- devalue contradictory information
  - Cognitive tunnel vision
- Curse of Knowledge : experts assume similar content understanding in others
- Optimism: See the positive outcomes… delusional optimism

How do we solve the bias issue?

Mindset

Open to People who are different
Everyone is on equal footing
Allow people come in as being perceived as qualified
- Vs. unqualified
- Reinforce that they are qualified
Eliminate your assumptions- college degree

Actions

Recruit from a diverse pool of job candidates
Remove all language in job descriptions that may have bias.
Standardize the interview questions.
Perform the same due diligence on all candidates whether that candidate is a referral or not
Give all candidates the same level of respect
Blind the resume process
Remove bias from likability

Rick’s Nuggets

Customer experience mindset - applicants are your customers
More difficult to say No than yes
Conduct a qualifying call with most
Interview questions
- Pre-determined and assigned to the individual interviewer according to the order in which they participate
- Must gather evidence to support the decision either way
- Feedback & closure

Key Takeaways:

Acknowledge confirmation bias.
Review the language in your job descriptions
Standardize your interview questions

Guest Contact:

LinkedIn or Twitter

The Most Effective Video Interview Structure: The Interview Part III with John Driscoll of Naked Development

Fri, 31 Jul 2020 16:11:39 -0000

Key Points for Episode:

Timeline for Video Interviews - 72 hours

1- 45 minutes

2- 45 minutes

3- 45 minutes

4- 45 - 60 minutes

Decision - 24 hours from Final Interview

You must have your questions pre-written and assigned to the individual Interviewer

Questions designed to gain evidence of cultural alignment

** DO NOT just pick random behavioral questions!

They must have purpose and be tied to your company values!

Behavioral Questions

Follow up each question with the “How & What”

The purpose of each interview is to get to the “truth” of who this person is and how they align with company core values. Our goal with each question is to find hard evidence one way or the other. Past performance is a key indicator of future performance. We are going granular to understand the core of who this person is to fill your gut with accurate information to make the correct decision.

The Behavioral Interview: The simplest way to learn the behavioral model is to use STAR methodology. Let each interviewee outline the Situation & Task first. This is just the background of the story that you need to know to make the story make sense. Clear context! Look for difficulty, complexity or size of the challenge. What was the person trying to accomplish and why?

Approach: This is where we focus on the actions taken to address the issue, complete a task, solve a problem or improve the situation. We focus on the WHY here!

Focus in on this area the most and poke holes in the answers.

Each answer needs to be tested and must be followed up with why.

Look for Key details and explore them!

Why did you take that approach?

Why was that important?

Why did that work?

Results: What is the positive outcome for the story? What were the issues? Where did they fail? We are looking for tangible, supported evidence.

Video Interviews (Same Day Ideal)

Ideal to line up back to back
Schedule back to back or split them up 2/2 or 3/1
Build a knockout question for each interviewer

Interview 1 - Cultural Value Alignment I

Interview 2 - Skills Screen

Live working session to evaluate skills/communication

Interview 3 - Cultural Value Alignment II (optional) 24 hours from interview 2

Final Interview - Cultural Confirmation III & Offer preparation (Decision Maker)

Decision / Offer (24 hours max)

Best to give immediate feedback
Time kills hires, be decisive

Role Play

Interview Questions

Walk me through the steps you took to prepare for your last project / client presentation (preparation)

What made those steps the most efficient?
How did you do it specifically?
Timeline set?
Potential Challenges identified and how were they prioritized for consideration?
What were the things you missed?
What was the result?
Why was this important to you?

**Give me an example of something you tried that failed miserably (keep light & fun)

(innovate without fear)

What were the circumstances that justified the risk
How was it implemented?
What was the potential upside if it worked?
What was missing?
What would you have done differently?
Why did it fail?
What did you learn?

Tell me about a time when it was necessary to admit to others that you had made a mistake. (accountability)

What was the specific mistake
How did you identify the mistake?
How did you handle it?
Why did you choose that particular approach?
What was the lesson learned?
What did you do differently going forward?

Tell me about the last project you worked on where you were major time constraints (own it/quality effort)

What steps did you take to ensure quality?
What shortcuts were taken?
What mistakes were made
How did the client receive the work?

Finding & Building Great People in an Off Premise Work Environment with Bonnie Harvey & Michael Houlihan of Barefoot Wines

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 19:10:18 -0000

We are now remote. And we are learning so much about what it takes to keep your people engaged and productive. The balance between communication and micromanagement is often the Biggest challenge.

Here’s what we’ve learned: Consistent communication with ultra flexibility is working. Encouragement to take care of yourself first: ie: a walk, bike ride or step away is increasing productivity. Virtual happy hours are helping to forge team comradery.

Our guests today: Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey, Founders of the world's top wine brand, Barefoot Wines

Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. Michael & Bonnie pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and as a result were acquired by E&J Gallo. Today, they offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) & Shelf Smarts courses to help consumer product brand builders achieve success by maximizing the value of their human resources.

Today we are discussing:

Virtual challenges today
How to build company culture to an off premise workforce

Off Premise challenge today?

Disengagement
Not routine
Physical commitment
Daily encouragement

Why is this important to the company?

Two biggest hidden costs in every business!

Reduce turnover
Increase engagement

Good people transform to great people through growth

Improve skill sets & relationships
Allow people to do the work they like to do and not do. Allow them to create their own roles.

Rick’s Nuggets

Accountability & Productivity
Remote causes you to really put your business under the microscope
Cost of a Bad hire is 30% of individuals earnings (US Dept of Labor)
- Does not include Morale & Productivity loss costs

How do we do it?

Find good people & build great people *****

Keep people from being isolated (Team based)
Culture of permission - make mistakes right. Don't hide mistakes.

Hiring tactics?

Overkilling Orientation

Over educate
Money map
- About understanding how the money flows to get to your paycheck
2 division company
- Getting into the cause & effect of the business
- Sales & Sales support

Include people in the solutions

Everyone asked to contribute their ideas
- Footsteps to the wine in stores from the receptionist! (recognition)
Throw problems out on the table and allow people to contribute
Promote the idea that everyone has a voice

Rick’s Nuggets

Finding good people requires work & a lot of conversations
Creative ways to encourage engagement
- Virtual happy hour

Key Takeaways:

You have a responsibility to improve your hires. Find their talents and expand upon them
All companies have 2 divisions- sales & sales support
All salaries start from the community not from the company!

Find Bonnie & Michael here:

Business Audio Theatre Linkedin

Websites: www.thebarefootspirit.com & www.consumerbrandbuilders.com

Best Building A Cultural Document Tips You Will Hear This Year! with Jeff Wald of WorkMarket

Thu, 09 Jul 2020 23:41:53 -0000

Not having a clearly defined corporate culture document is a recipe for failure. Why? The culture document is a business plan for how your people are expected to behave, interact and resolve conflict. It is your saving grace when things go sideways! You must provide a clear and accurate picture to everyone you interview about the good, the bad and the ugly of the organization and the expectations of behaviors that result in success in their role.

Our guest today: Jeff Wald, CoFounder & President of WorkMarket

Jeff Wald is the Founder of Work Market, an enterprise software platform that enables companies to manage freelancers (recently acquired by ADP). He also founded several other technology companies, including Spinback, a social sharing platform (purchased by salesforce.com).

Jeff is an active angel investor and startup advisor, as well as serving on numerous public and private Boards of Directors. He also formerly served as an officer in the Auxiliary Unit of the New York Police Department. Jeff is the author of The Birthday Rules and The End of Jobs: The Rise of On-Demand Workers and Agile Corporations. Jeff frequently speaks at conferences and in media on startups and labor issues. He is an expert at building cultures that thrive.

Today we are discussing:

Why it is critical to have a culture document
The three steps to building your own culture doc

Why does a company need to have a culture document?

Not very clear about the culture of the company
First stages you hire the people that you know
First months/years are the most difficult
Very difficult to make sure you work well together
When you exhaust your talent pool/first level network
Then you branch out

Do people really understand the nature of being at a startup?

Terrible hire / fit amazing person, really a vanity hire
Understand how to be resource constrained
Amazing person, disastrous fit

Why is this important to the company

Resource allocation problem
Few dollars, time
End up giving a longer rope so the failure impact is that much greater
Cost the company Millions of dollars- spending power, budget

How do we do it?

You should not hire quick at the executive level
They need time to succeed

Creating a culture Document

Start with your values
- 6-8 core values of the company
- Different to everyone
- Be clear with what it is you believe
- Who you are (mission statement), where you are going (North Star) & why you are there (purpose)
- Needs to be super clear to EVERYONE in the organization (repeat it again and again...when people start complaining about hearing it too often, you are halfway there!)
Behaviors & Policies
- Behaviors to support the values
- How we run our business
- How you hold meetings, how you promote, how you do business with clients, how you communicate, how you make decisions, your social events, etc., all have to support your values, otherwise what's the point of having values?
People
- What are the behaviors that everyone at the company should strive for? Do we want people constantly learning and growing, or just doing their job well and going home? Are they questioning things, or just rowing when told to row? How do they disagree with a decision?
- What do we expect from our managers? Are the efficiency drivers or coaches? Are they transparent? How do they give feedback?

Key Takeaways:

A culture document brings clarity to you and your team
Repeat it again and again, because your team has to know it
Use the document as hiring and promotion guide

Guest Contacts:

Twitter

Book: The End of Jobs: The Rise of On-Demand Workers and Agile Corporations (Amazon)

Startups Fail Due to Lack of Prioritizing Marketing (& Hiring) Soon Enough with Andrew Miller of GrowthExpertz

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 23:07:25 -0000

Marketing and hiring are far too often major failure points because they are started too late. The right time to start marketing is before you launch your product. Just as the right time to hire is before you feel the pain of needing the work to be done. It is never too soon to to proactively start your marketing or hiring process. The key to not failing is having the structure in place before you feel the pain!

Our guest today: Andrew Miller, CEO of GrowthExpertz

Andrew is a Startup Marketer who's been traveling the world working with early-stage companies. After driving growth for 3 multimillion-dollar startup exits, including a 500startups project in San Francisco, he founded GrowthExpertz.

Andrew's specialty lies in helping companies scale efficiently in the early-stages with both growth coaching and remote consultancy. He’s written for INC magazine, StartupGrind, and StartupNation. Andrew is also a prolific #DigitalNomad who in the last decade has visited, lived, and worked from over 70 countries.

Today we are discussing

The right time to start marketing efforts
How to kick off marketing for both product and people

When should a startup start marketing?

Start marketing right now
Pre launch, start building a strategy
Landing pages, call to action
Even still in stealth mode
Coming soon, gathering prelaunch beta email list

Why is this important?

Prioritize marketing too late
Show investors that you have traction
Do things that don't scale in the beginning
Marketing drives your launch
Launch with an email list
Bootstrap marketing- drive organic traffic during the early stage of the business. Before launch

Rick’s Nuggets

Marketing directly leads into hiring

How do we implement marketing & when?

Online presence- marketing foundation
Create landing pages, website,
Social media pages
Analytics

Start organic marketing

Organic marketing channels
PR - start creating relationships with podcast,
Create content with call to action
Build to 500 emails of beta testers & followers pre launch

Launch product

Create press release, go live

Scale the marketing strategies that work

Go into launch with traffic
Be able to go into investors with relevant data

Rick’s Nuggets

With hiring:
Identify target hires
Have conversations, network
Gain buy in to win the hire

Key Takeaways:

Prioritize foundational marketing early in the game
Greenlight your organic marketing before the product launch
Know your kpi’s, analytics

Guest Contact:

GrowthExpertz - For Funded Startups
Andrewstartups.com or Instagram - For Bootstrapped Startups

Trouble Pulling the Trigger on the Hire with Steve Pfrenzinger of Pfrenzinger Agency Inc.

Fri, 26 Jun 2020 03:34:13 -0000

Ever finished an interview with a great person and just felt unsure or maybe you need more data to make the decision either way?

This all too common scenario is caused by a poorly executed interview process and not asking intentional questions designed to gain the evidence to support a decision either way. Today we will be discussing how to avoid the pitfalls of this conundrum when hiring for your company.

Our guest today: Steve Pfrenzinger CEO & Head Peformance Coach of Pfrenzinger Agency, Inc.

Steve Pfrenzinger is an entrepreneur, a coach to entrepreneurs and a Hall of Fame investor in entrepreneurs. He’s also an author, speaker, and Self-Awareness expert helping entrepreneurs, innovators and change agents solve big problems. Steve is also a Forbes Coaches Council member.

Using his decades of experience building multiple 8-figure businesses, where he hired over 1,000 team members, Steve has helped hundreds of clients make better decisions, plus expose their career and business blind spots that can clear their path to success.

Today we are discussing

Why gathering evidence is critical to support your decision
What Steps need to be taken to avoid this conundrum

Why is gathering deep evidence important

You have found a very good candidate, but you are just a little unsure, you want one more data point
E.G., 3 said yes and one said no or “not sure”. then what?
Finding out how people are “wired mentally” in DISC or Myers & Briggs might impact the decision

Why is this important

Personality type is a predictor of future behavior and key to major hiring decisions
Knowing one’s “preferences” is key, how they “lean” in certain situations, e.g., Thinker vs Feeler
Ask Steve to define a “preference”

4 elements to the personality

Compare DISC styles to Myers & Briggs types. Cheat sheet below. If you know one, you know the other. If you know neither, you need to find out.
- D = ET (Dominance = Extroverted Thinker)
- I = EF (Influence = Extroverted Feeler)
- S = IF (Stability = Introverted Feeler)
- C = IT (Consciousness = Introverted Thinker)

Rick’s Nuggets

Interview questions need to be intentional
Digging deeper uncovers the truth…. How & Why?
Must avoid injecting your own personal bias/agenda

How do we do it?

Ask them for their DISC style or M&B type
Have them take a test at www.16personalities.com
Fast type them with Steve’s 2-page form, uses easy-to-learn computer metaphor
Fast typing form, Steve has one for all that ask. Contact him at steve@stevepfrenzinger.com

What is Fast Typing?

PIPO model
- Power
- Imput
- Process
- Output

Rick’s Nuggets

Proper sequence: Interview => Assessment => Interview close
Assessments often done too soon

Key Takeaways:

Personality Type and the behavioral preferences (tendencies) it highlights can further insure the success of key hires.
You can fast type others without a formal test in minutes, with the PIPO fast typing form

Check steve out at www.coachstevep.com or email him at steve@stevepfrenzinger.com He has many coaching and educational programs for executives and management teams, from entrepreneurial ventures to major corporations.

Hiring Trusted Talent with AJ Bruno of QuotaPath

Sun, 21 Jun 2020 06:43:00 -0000

Why you need to hire trusted talent to build and scale your startup. Referrals are still the strongest way to stack the deck with talent for your organization. But you cannot shortcut the interview process. Just because a person worked well in another organization does not mean they will be successful at yours. Diligence in gathering evidence of value, growth and cultural alignment must be gathered to avoid making a bad hire.

Our guest today: AJ Bruno, CEO & Co-founder of QuotaPath.

AJ leads the QuotaPath team as CEO & Co-Founder. Prior to QuotaPath, AJ spent 6 years at TrendKite, the company he founded and was president of in Austin Texas. At TrendKite, AJ led the go-to-market and sales strategy/execution and took that team from initial product inception through $20+ million ARR and 250+ employees. TrendKite was acquired by the public company Cision for $225 million in January 2019.

AJ is religious about vetting and hiring talent and has made over 300 hires in his career

Today we discuss

Why trusted talent is the best option to build and scale your startup.
What to do when you don't have a strong network
The steps to take to hire through referrals:

Why is hiring “trusted talent” the best route

Look into your own network of people you have previously worked with or go to a trusted source to help build the team you need to take you to the next level.

Why is this important

Avoid running into bad hires

How do we do it?

Reverse engineer your network
Looking for trust and loyalty
A lot of back channeling (connect with at least 5 people)

If you know the person?

He needs to justify why for both parties

In the Interview process

Disqualification questions- do you know who Elon Musk is?
Tie questions to the importance of the role

Rick’s Nuggets

Knock out questions
Provide a growth path to avoid a transactional experience

Key Takeaways:

Backchannel with at least 3 references if the hire is very strategic (the first hire in their position or respective position)
Create a consistent process (with knockout questions or frameworks) if it will be a hire you will make multiple times (sales reps).
Ensure that the person is sold on working with you and learning from you as much as possible if it is a strategic hire.

Why do You Need to Hire a Leader? with Ed Tyson of PerSynergy Consulting

Thu, 04 Jun 2020 17:45:14 -0000

Will a subject matter expert be a better solution to hiring a leader for your company? We can all agree that there are different types of leaders. I am going to contend that the wiring of the leader you are hiring is more important than the pedigree that is brought to the table.

Our guest today: Ed Tyson, CEO of PerSynergy Consulting.

Ed Tyson is the chief executive officer of PerSynergy Consulting, architect of LeadershipSOPs, author of From Expert to Executive: Mastering the ABCs SOPS of Leading, and executive coach and consultant to both small niche brands and Fortune 500 companies. With a mastery of leadership refined throughout his years as a Marine, executive, coach and consultant, Ed guides executives, to key findings he has learned through intimate connections with a diverse array of leaders.

Today we are discussing

How to identify the right leader for your startup
What steps you should take to build the right job description to find the best candidate to fill this position
What questions you should ask to ensure your candidate is the best fit for the job

Why not hire a leader in your startup?

I think we can all agree…

...leaders have a tremendous impact on your culture and process. The smaller the team, the larger the impact of each individual but particularly each leader.
Deciding to add your next leader could either be that decision which propels you forward or sets you back.
Leaders are more expensive and more capable of damaging your culture than individual contributors - so be certain it’s a leader you need, that you are clear about the challenge you need answered, and you are confident your candidate can indeed answer it.
- For example, there is a start-up client I am working with right now, just north of here in LA county. They are in the biotech space and have hired several key leaders from a much larger, global entity in the broader pharma space.
- The leaders they have brought on were extremely competent and well-positioned to lead the functions which they were hired to run. HOWEVER, they were not prepared to engage in both the breath of strategy and depth of tactics the job requires. Further, they are struggling with the lack of defined processes and support from other functions. Consequently, project timelines are being missed and their time-to-market will be impacted.
- Going the other direction on the 5, I have a client in San Diego county in the manufacturing business who is just reaching beyond the start-up phase. They have a relatively small corporate staff but almost a third of them are leaders with big titles but very small teams (with one or two subordinates a piece). Additionally, almost every leader is an internal promotion with no professional leadership experience – this founder has placed a lot of bets on continuing to cultivate raw talent but does not have the time to do it – which is admirable but making it difficult to grow beyond his current book of business or empower these leaders to really lead.
At the end of the day, the team is too big and too inexperienced to comprehend and reach decisions without its leader (keeping the CEOs nose in the very parts of the business he has to escape to hit his growth targets).
Both of these companies made the same mistakes (just differently). They both failed to clarify and challenge what they needed and ensure they got it.
- So again, my first tip is don’t hire a leader in the first place… unless and until you are confident you absolutely need a full-time person whose primary role is to structure, operate and perfect a community of effort.
- If that thought makes you nervous, if you're worried who will do the work, you might need someone to lead the work, not the people. Don’t fall into the trap of mistaking a technical lead, a senior subject-matter expert for a leader.

Rick’s Input

Focus on correctly positioned talent
Avoid vanity hires

How do we hire leaders then?

Purpose of a Leader
- The purpose of adding a leader to your growing team is not to add to your subject-matter expertise, it is to ensure someone other than yourself wakes up every day focused on cultivating a willing, capable and sustainable community of effort. Leaders are no longer obsessed with their craft because every step a leader takes on the career ladder is away from their craft.
- Leaders are not obsessed with technical puzzles. They are obsessed with people puzzles. Their primary work functions are to structure, operate and perfect powerful communities of effort.
- Do they need to understand the work? You bet. But their work is different from the team’s work. And the better you understand that work, the work of a leader, the more likely you are to find the type of leader you need.
Defining Your SCOPE
- For me, it all starts with understanding the SCOPE of the community of effort you need.
- SCOPE is an acronym which helps leaders remember the five most important architectural components of a community of effort. It stands for Strategy, Culture, Objectives, Purpose and Ecosystem. You can think of it as a replacement for the old mission / vision / values mantra which still permeates business schools today. In fact, Culture, Objectives and Purpose stand for exactly those same three components. The different being, the full SCOPE acronym adds the importance of understanding the players and interactions within your ecosystem and the strategies you craft by considering that ecosystem, how you deliver value to it (i.e. your purpose), the objectives you set (from both a visionary and near-term perspective) as well as the culture you have and the culture you’d like to have.
- Your best shot at getting the leader you need is taking your best shot at defining the company SCOPE and the departmental SCOPE for the team you want this leader to lead (and do it with your existing team if you can).
- Your clarity here will allow you to differential the team’s work from the work the leader must do to be successful. This will result in a rich, leadership-focused job description based on the real work of leading.
- Then you can use the interview to pressure test key concepts in your company and departmental SCOPEs across a broad set of applicants (think of it as free consultation) and dig into the how.
Process Not Outcomes
- Don’t fall into the trap of listening to canned lists of outcomes your candidates come prepared to throw at you. Ask about the how, the process. How did they refine the SCOPE at their last job? How will they do it here? How will they stay in alignment with the departments to their right and left? How will they stay aligned with you? How will they translate it into clear work methods, roles and responsibilities, how will they structure rewards and recognition; how will they secure the knowledge and capabilities you need to succeed? What repeatable processes do they use to inspire and engage people, drive accountability, evolve the team, etc.?
- I think the most important thing is to gain insight into their own personal LeadershipSOPs – in other words, what are their standard operating procedures for structuring, operating and perfecting communities of effort?

Rick’s Nuggets

Job descriptions
- Person type (builder, improver, maintainer)
- Performance metrics
Evidence of past performance
Performance tied to process

Key Takeaways:

Don’t Hire a Leader in the First Place!
Throw Away Your Job Description!
Ignore Candidate Stories about Outcomes!

Your IT Challenges with Off-Boarding Start with Improper On-Boarding with David DeFrancis of IT Proactive

Fri, 29 May 2020 19:16:31 -0000

The vast majority of companies still do not have any policy in place to support work from home. As the majority of companies have switched to remote work and plan to implement this new system going forward - companies need to understand how to make an effective switch that will align with their company goals and business development strategy.

Our guest today: David DeFrancis, CEO of IT Proactive

David started his first computer consulting business in 1998 and launched IT Proactive in 2015. He noticed a need for security and process in small to medium sized businesses was completely under-served. IT Proactive is an outsourced IT Support firm that you can trust. We offer fully managed IT solutions that are simple, affordable and all-inclusive.

Today we are going to discuss

On boarding and Off boarding Employees
Remote work policies
BYOD policies

What are today’s challenges when successfully onboarding and offboarding terminations?

No on boarding or off boarding checklist (Directory Service Accounts, email, application permissions, devices)
1 off policies
Personal devices accessing the corporate network, not having a separate vLAN (Internet Only) for employees (What is acceptable in the organization)

What policies need to be in place

Acceptable use for company equipment
BYOD - where most companies fail
Remote Access Policy- work from home
Personal Device v. Corporate Device
Its all about data integrity and security
Equipment reimbursement
Internet access/ security (remote location)
VPN
Firewall with Security Services
BYOD- allow employees to access data
- Failure point
  - - Written policy on what they can & cannot access
  - - MDM- mobile device management software
When people leave they can put their phone on airplane mode to access shared company files (locally synced data)

Rick’s Input

On boarding is a continuation of your interview process. This determines your ability to retain your strongest people

How do we create an effective internal policy around remote access?

Questions need to be asked first
Can company data be accessed on personal devices?
Can data be accessed remotely via web browser. (Email, Sharepoint etc)
- Protocol in place for a security breach
  - If a breach is detected, who to contact, plan to notify customers / vendors
Are remote computers encrypted
Are computers connected to a directory service?
Mobile device management policy in place?
- Security protocol in place to wipe data (MDM)

Now Create Acceptable use policy for Company Devices (template)

Taylor to specific company (Questions to ask)
Outline what applications are acceptable to use on device
Can the employee access personal email, social, banking, etc… for company owned device
Websites that are acceptable to access on a work device (Personal Banking, Social Media etc)

Create a mobile device management policy

Dependent upon server location
Dependent upon BYOD or company owned devices
- On prem, cloud, hybrid

What needs to happen when a person starts?

On boarding process
- Recommend providing company owned devices first!

On boarding Checklist:
1. Typically IT Managed
2. Directory Services Account
3. Email Account / O365 / Sharepoint
4. LOB Applications
5. Permissions for LOB and File Share(s) / Sharepoint
6. VPN in applicable
7. Mobile Device (Email, Sharepoint, Supervised v. Managed Mode MDM)
8. Company Policies, delivered and signed by employee

Off boarding
- 1. Typically IT Managed
  - Remove Access to all devices during exit interview
  - Force Sign Out of any BYOD devices.
  - Directory Services, LOB applications, File Shares etc
  - Archive devices
- 2. Do not tamper with user date until its archived
  - Point in time archive- home folder, desktop image, email
- Off boarding checklist for HR & IT
Signed document that all company owned devices are returned

Key Takeaways:

Start Policies (even if it has 2-3 items in it)
- Acceptable Use Policy
- Remote Access Policy
- BYOD Policy
Create and On boarding and Off boarding Checklist
Be in sync with HR and the members of your team when exiting an employee

Guest Contact: david@itproactive.com

How to Manage Remote Teams with Shiran Yaroslavsky of Cassiopeia Tech

Fri, 22 May 2020 16:42:47 -0000

A remote workforce has proven to be challenging to a lot of companies who have traditionally run operations from a centralized location. Aside from the technical issues (ie:security and connectivity) productivity, engagement and mental health become more difficult to manage. Today we take a dive into how we can utilize policies, tools and data to create a more engaged remote workforce.

Our guest today: Shiran Yaroslavsky, Co-Founder & CEO of Cassiopeia Tech

A startup that empowers managers that lead fully or partially remote teams to maximize workplace experience. Our solution delivers actionable insights to boost team collaboration, belonging, and mental health by analyzing communications patterns (not content) within and among teams. Shiran is an expert in all things related to data driven products and people analytics and was featured in 2019 Forbes 30 Under30 list.

In this episode we cover

The problems of managing a remote workforce
Providing direction on how to fix it

What are the remote work challenges are companies facing today?

77% Managers feel it is harder for them to manage their team remotely
Don't have visibility, water cooler talk
Creating a sense of belonging becomes more difficult (more than third were affected)
- Needs not being met.
- Need more empathy (fear, uncertainty) (36% of employees would like their managers to be more empathetic to their challenges at home to improve their work experience.).
- Lead with an open approach
- Be more sensitive to employees’ needs and how we interact.

Why is this important?

Managers need to constantly asses the team pulse
Remote teams are the future (GitLab report. 86% of respondents believe remote is the future)
New skills and tools that help to adapt to the new environment
Challenge with surveys
People are fearing for their job

Rick’s Input

Leaders must adapt, or parish
Changes operational efficiency and the need for more hands on management
Cuts the need for layers of management

What needs to happen for a company to be successful in managing a remote workforce?

There are 3 main domains companies should adjust in order to be successful in managing remote teams:

Establish Remote Work policies & culture that are suitable for remote work. There are 3 things we need to pay attention to.
- Rules - We need to establish new rules for gaining clarity
  Will we pay people for overtime if they work off-hours? How do we manage security and passwords?
- Norms - When do we email, text, or message people? Are cameras always on for online meetings? How do we run and manage meetings?
- Design our broader company DNA -
How do we communicate when we aren’t satisfied with something? How can we stay connected while working remotely?
Establishing the right culture will help us to foster trust
Training for managers
- My interview with Amy Cappellanti-Wolf. Today the new leader is more about empathy. It’s still about driving for results but in a more collaborative way. Much more listening and a lot more guiding rather than directing.
  The new leader also needs to be more flexible and innovative to adapt to the new challenges as the world is changing very fast.
- Training can help to gain these new skills.
Tools needed
Working remotely is not just working from the office only with Zoom. Working remotely creates new challenges for leaders. According to our data - 77% of managers indicate it’s harder for them to manage their team remotely. There is a workplace experience gap that technology can help in closing.
- Team Insights tools.
  It is more challenging to use Surveys for feedback tools (employees are busy and insecure while as a manager you need fast real-time insights to act on).
Communication shifted to online - people analytics can empower remote managers.
- Examples from Cassiopeia - We analyze communication patterns to provide actionable insights to improve collaboration, belonging and mental health.
- For example - create a healthy workday balance. Experience of new employees
- Communication platforms (zoom, Slack etc)
- Collaboration tools - to share documents, thoughts, goals.

Rick’s Nuggets

Your policies need to start with your interview process and carry through to onboarding and tenure. Not just when the person is already working for you
Implement the same management tools in the hiring process. It provides a real life picture of how you work.

Key Takeaways:

Be Aware of the workplace experience gap created by the shift to remote work
Design the right policies and company culture to allow your company to prosper while working remotely.
Use the right tools to boost your teams’ collaboration, communication, and employee experience.

How to effectively screen applicants to ensure employee retention with Shawn Sheikh of Pivot CMO

Thu, 14 May 2020 19:47:00 -0000

There is a flood of great talent on the market and the competition for those limited positions is heating up. With this rise in the talent pool the ability to properly access applications is a major challenge. The bar has been raised! Are you leaving good people on the table?

Our guest today: Shawn Sheikh, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Pivot CMO

Shawn is a Silicon Valley & Beach serial entrepreneur and Y Combinator alumni. His specialty is helping companies scale from $0 to multi-millions in revenue, through both conventional paid acquisition and non-conventional growth hacks.

Apart from Pivot CMO, Shawn loves to work with founders to find creative ways to scale their businesses and owns and invests in a portfolio of small to medium sized businesses

Today we are discussing

The challenges in a heavy applicant reply market
How to effectively screen applicants to avoid false positives

What are the issues you are finding in screening applicants

Quality
Response rate
Don't want to do the case study

Right Approach?

Reply with application (google form)

Phone Screening

Report to person call screen

Rick’s Input

Job description- performance metrics and call to action
CTA: 3 questions for submittal - to be completed for all applications
Timing of the event…. ie: when to do a test
Phone screen for Purpose

Current process that works

Application process does work (cuts from 3k to 300)
20-30 people are qualified (phone screen)
75-80% show up for phone screen
6-8 to interview
1-2 to offer

Referrals- from employees

4 all hires
One referral from a person they

Process

Applicant review/application
Phone screen -50% technical/ 50% fit
Walk through assignment
Test
Interview
Offer

Rick’s Nuggets

Interview Structure & process tied to your Company values
“What are you capable of achieving?”
Make the call based on the person’s answers rather than the resume

Key Takeaways:

Better screening questions during the process
Addressing people’s needs before money
Owning who you are!

IT Infrastructure in a Remote Work Environment with Greg Keller of JumpCloud

Thu, 07 May 2020 21:24:46 -0000

The remote work mandate is still proving to be challenging for a lot of companies. Work from home is here to stay and we have to embrace the changes - there’s more to it than just making sure your employees are getting the job done. Today we are discussing how to get your IT infrastructure dialed in to increase performance in your business.

Our guest today: Greg Keller, CTO of JumpCloud

Greg Keller is the Chief Technology Officer at JumpCloud. He was responsible for productizing and launching the company’s initial directory service product offering to market in 2014. Greg is a career product visionary and executive management leader with over two decades of product management, product marketing, and corporate development experience ranging from startups to global organizations.

Today we discuss

The challenges of IT in our new ‘corporate’ normal
Some of IT related Hiring challenges
How you can get your company ahead of the curve

What are the IT challenges companies are facing right now?

The brittle on prem It workforce is now forced to move to the cloud
Security when outside the ‘brick and mortar’ offices
For those that still *can* hire, interviewing and onboarding is challenging

IT challenges in the hiring process?

Obvious - you’re not physically with them
Video Interviewing
Time demands required over Hangout/Zoom
- Panel, with follow up 1 on 1
- Typically done in 1 day in person
- COVID = smaller chunks over 2 or 3 days if needed

What IT structure needs to be in place?

DIY
- A patchwork of tools and write own automation
- Access control- active directory
- Be able to manage remote machines
- Governess to maintain compliance- devices
- Remote to on prem servers (VPN)
- Get clients on the machines
Jumpcloud - onboarding through productivity
- All in one access control software

Hiring process?

Onboarding
HR systems (bamboo, workday, etc)
Manage access to systems relevant to your role
Formats the computer direct from the vendor

Key Takeaways:

For IT in the new normal: Think ‘forever remote’ - Consolidating vendors will be key, as will ensuring the tooling will provide an ability for the employee to have zero dependencies to a brick and mortar office.
For hiring remotely: Think ‘Culture must shine through a Zoom meeting’ - Engineering managers and those responsible for engaging the candidate beyond ensuring their skills match or exceed the job need, must ensure they understand that employees motivations, behaviors, etc, in the context of not being physically near a team
For the state of employee mental health: Think ‘We owe our workers latitude and empathy to balance their new realities’ - Two adults at home - screaming kids, at home schooling, work pressures all add up to a degraded and intense life experience. The place of employment should do its part to assist the employee with getting through this.

Using Assessments to Eliminate the Resume with Josh Millet of Criteria Corp

Thu, 30 Apr 2020 21:13:48 -0000

The key to successful hiring is in uncovering evidence in a person's ability to align culturally and professionally with your unique company. … None of this evidence is on a resume! How do we gather evidence? First, not short cutting the interview process. Focusing on deep behavioral questions then confirming your conclusions with data through assessments.

Our guest today: Josh Millet, Founder & CEO of Criteria Corp

Josh started the Criteria Corp in 2006 with a vision to create a SaaS-based pre-employment testing service that would make the highest quality employee assessment tools accessible to companies of all sizes.

Criteria has over 4,000 customers in more than 40 countries across the globe. Their pre-employment tests are an efficient and reliable means of gaining insights into the abilities and tendencies of potential employees.

Today we discuss

Assessments
Why and how to use them effectively
A process to properly assess the person you want to hire

Why are assessments important?

With all the advances in HR tech in the last ten years that have transformed talent acquisition, we aren’t getting better at hiring when you look at results. 46% of all new hires are unsuccessful. The problem is we are relying on 70-year old tools, resumes and unstructured interviews, to gather info on applicants and make hiring decisions. These tools are letting us down. Why is it important? Immense bottom line implications.

Problem with Resumes

Poor, incomplete, unreliable information that in the end does not predict much
85% of resumes contain falsehoods or inaccurate information
Inject unconscious bias into the hiring process
- Boston & Chicago study

Unstructured interviews don’t work much better. Highly subjective, most interviewees make decision about applicants in first 5 minutes, based on highly subjective Criteria

Evaluating for good data - using objective data to reinforce your decision
When you think about how to gather data to make good decisions on candidates you should be focusing on:
- Accurate, reliable info
- Objective data not subjective impressions
- Removing bias from decision-making
- Being forward-looking data: how can this person learn, evolve as job does, rather than just past experience

Why are assessments the answer to resume

Focus on good reliable data
Things that are relevant to the job. Data that is not subjective and predicts job performance
Ie cognitive ability (best predictor or job performance, critical thinking, attention to detail learning ability, problem solving)
Behavioral or personality assessments - Interaction driven roles
EQ/EI- overlapping

Rick’s Input

Confirmation of data gathered minimizes bias

How to do it?

Moving past the resume
Use assessments early in the process (high applicant to hire ratio)
- Right after the application
- Resume submittal
- Link to assessment in the job post
Most common after the application has been accepted
Passive searches (a bit later in the process)
- Assessment become a resume substitute

Process for Active

Choose assessments that are job related
- Measuring things important to the role
- 30-40 minutes of assessment
- Tailor the testing for the role
Run at the Application stage or just after (automated)
Use results to prioritize the people that are more likely to succeed
Interview
- Assessment can generate further behavioral interview questions tailored to the individual based off their results

Process for Passive (recruits)

Smaller number of people
- Lower number of people interviewing
- Use later in the process when the candidate is more engaged
- Assessment after the phone screen
- During the interview or just before

Rick’s Nuggets

Must gain a personal buy in BEFORE giving tests or assessments
People perform better when they want something

Key Takeaways:

Do things in your hiring process to get good data
Make sure everything you are using has a purpose that measures outcomes related to it

The Most Effective Video Interview Structure: Phone/Video Screen! Part II with John Driscoll of Naked Development

Fri, 24 Apr 2020 20:53:34 -0000

How can you tell if someone is good just through a phone screen?

A BIG thanks to our guest today: John Driscoll, Co-Founder & CEO of Naked Development.

Part 1: Outlining Key Points for Episode:

Phone Screening: From reviewing the application to proceed to scheduling a call should be between 2-4 days (MAX)
Ideal timing for phone call: 45-60 minutes

Part 2: 3 components of the phone screen (understanding the person) Why, What & How

*PAIN (Why):

Discussion part 1:
Pain is the person's reason for talking to you
Types of PAIN to be aware of from an employer prospective:

LEGITIMATE PAIN
- Lack of Growth
- Work Content/Technical Exposure
- Leadership Issues
  - Unappreciated, Under challenged, Underutilized & Underwater
- Commute
SELF-INFLICTED PAIN
- More Money
- Personality conflicts
- Always open

John’s role “Hiring Manager”

*DESIRE (What): What is the environment that this person will THRIVE

(This is the part where the employer should look into whether or not the candidate is a cultural fit)

Things to consider when taking a deep dive into their desire:
- Their Vision for where they will thrive
- Fit to your company
Important note for employers:
- Cultural fit and Attitude are far more important than skills. Yes, More important than skills! Skills can be taught and acquired. Attitude and cultural fit are often woven into the fiber of who this person really is at their core.

IMPACT (How?) (Identify Level of performance)

Evidence of Success
- IMPACT - Do they go above and beyond (This should be demonstrated by example they give you of their past success and how they work with others)
- Commitment to Personal Growth
Phone Screen Script:
*PAIN (Locate a solid PAIN) …. Dig, dig, dig!!!
- What is happening with your current role that is making you open to exploring something potentially stronger?(Very important one to begin with)
*DESIRE:
- If you could create your next company, what would that look like for you?
- What is your vision of your next role?
- What type of environment do you flourish? Culture, Size, Role, & Domain?
*IMPACT:
- Tell me about the most significant impact you had in your current role?
*SKILLS:
- What are your core Strengths?
COMMUTE:
- Where are you willing to commute on a daily basis? (push limits)
INTERVIEWING: Currently: Interested:
- To properly pace out the process, where are you in the interview process?
CITIZENSHIP:
- What is your current work authorization status?
SALARY: Looking to make $
- What are your minimum salary requirements?
AVAILABILITY:
- What is your availability to interview this week? (dates/times)
***OFFER ACCEPTANCE MAIN CRITERIA: 1: 2: 3: 4:
- What are 3 or 4 “Main Criteria” that you would need to see in a company for you to accept an offer with them?

Final Step: Connecting the Dots

Embracing the Change of Your Remote Workforce with Rod Trujillo of International Rubber Products

Thu, 23 Apr 2020 19:10:22 -0000

We are now living the new normal.....And that normal is a mostly remote workforce, work/life/self balance and a heavy reliance on technology to lead the business. It is not about keeping what you have but changing who you are to adapt your business to the new world. Companies who will thrive are those who are embracing the change and committing to disrupting their own business. Not holding on to what was. Today is all about embracing the opportunity that has been given to us during this pandemic.

“We are never going back to normal. Too much has been exposed in the inefficiencies of expensive office buildings, amenities, drive time and personal time.” - Rod Trujillo

Our guest today: Rod Trujillo, Founder & CEO of International Rubber Products

A company founded in 1999 with the sale of all personal assets including savings and retirement accounts. IRPG is comprised of three distinct facilities in Southern California focused on the Medical Device industry, Aerospace/Defense industry and the Coating and Laminating industry.

The cornerstone and key component of our success as a business is the principal that regardless of macro and microeconomic changes, the company will be run as a God honoring business that seeks to bless everyone it encounters. As a result, IRPG has been adding 25-40 employees annually the past five years and has an annual five-year compounded annual growth rate of 23%.

Today we discuss:

Why this forced change is a blessing to your business
Where to focus
How to implement change

Why the change is a good thing?

Efficiency!
- We are not as efficient as we think we are… but more is getting done under the current environment and the company is more productive… we are finding that you don't need as many people… realizing how inefficient they have been
Realization
- People like coming to work and appear to be more social than we thought. Along with technology we are able to touch each employee daily and track projects which we are seeing projects getting done much faster.
Question
- Assess what you really need?
- Now that people are isolated, you really start to see how productive people can be especially when you add a little fear of the economy as well as being confined to the home.

Where do we need to focus?

figure out the technology tools and track productivity.
Realize we weren't managing efficiently and were over staffed.
Understand you can do more with less
Realize that the office has really been used for social interaction
- easier to manage people through the lock down than it was

Rick’s Input

Deep evaluation into what the business REALLY needs
Upgrade in Performance mentality

How do we get ahead of the curve and thrive Now?

Pro-activity
- Get ahead of what is being shown. Be proactive and being to embrace the video conferencing technology along with project and daily touching of employees.
- Encourage this change to make the workforce more healthy by having a workout as part of the daily routine for attendance etc. Establish benchmarks and data everyone can become excited about.
Tools
- Using Zoom- and other technologies we are improving with has really changed how we think about our administration moving forward post covid-19.
Data
- Read up to get ahead of the curve. Gobs of information.
- Transparency and pro-activity
- Do more with less while selling a new vision of a healthier work balance experience driven by results and care for each employee.

Rick’s Nuggets

Zoom for Interviewing
Invest in educational growth (self & company)

Key Takeaways:

The rapid changes in hiring, retention and adjusting to a new normal. Being forced to home quarantine has shown the inefficiencies with our administration systems as well as management of personnel.
We need less and can do more. Corporate offices with amenities are monies that should be invested in the workforce and technology. Eliminating an hour of commuting while people are more efficient without the social interruptions make the execution of projects more robust.
Adding by our estimation a minimum of ten hours a week to either personal time or work time. (AVG drive 5 hours, 5 hours of social interaction)

AI: Solving for Ego Hires that Fail with Neil Sahota of UC Irvine

Thu, 16 Apr 2020 18:52:43 -0000

Is AI the future of recruitment? Better yet, will AI replace the need for a resume? Tools are available to utilize AI in improving workflow and screening applicants. The question lies in their accuracy and viability in identifying the strongest people for your unique organization.

Our guest today: Neil Sahota, AI Expert & Author of “Own the AI Revolution”.

Neil Sahota is an IBM Master Inventor, United Nations (UN) Artificial Intelligence (AI) Advisor, Faculty at UC Irvine, and author of Own the A.I. Revolution. He is one of the few people selected for IBM's Corporate Service Corps leadership program that pairs leaders with NGOs to perform community-driven economic development projects.

In addition, Neil partners with entrepreneurs to define their products, establish their target markets, and structure their companies. He is a member of several investor groups like the Tech Coast Angels and assists startups with investor funding. Neil also serves as a mentor in several incubator/accelerator programs.

Today we are going to discuss

All things AI, What is it, how does it help with hiring
Why it is important today
How to implement the effective use of AI into your hiring today

Why is AI important in hiring through today’s landscape?

People looking for work should be looking for more than just a paycheck.
Why is this important?
- People quit when you bring the wrong person onto the team
- Productivity plummets
- Ai can eliminate the need for a resume!

Rick’s Input

Automating workflow
Sourcing/screening
Good at all things transactional

How do we start leveraging AI to optimize hiring in today's landscape?

Using AI to eliminate ego based hiring decisions
Story of Omelveney (law firm)- use pymetrics
Testing for cultural value
Allow you to evaluate for culture and team fit
Ai tools to analyze how well code is written

AI Tools Currently Available:

Pymetrics: https://www.pymetrics.ai/
Paradox.ai: https://www.paradox.ai/
Ayra: https://goarya.com/
Eightfold.ai: https://eightfold.ai/
Xor.ai: https://www.xor.ai/
Pandologic: https://www.pandologic.com/recruiting-with-ai/

Rick’s Nuggets

Add CTA’s into your job postings to allow the cream to rise to the top
Innovation is eliminating the resume

Key Takeaways:

Elimination of resumes
Reduced bias in recruitment
Increased diversity & inclusion (by accessing “non-traditional recruitment pools)
Quantifying cultural/team fit

The Most Effective Video Interview Structure: Timeline & Process! Part I with Rick Girard of Stride Search Inc.

Wed, 15 Apr 2020 00:37:51 -0000

Special Episode!

Video Interviews are the new necessity. But what is the best way to run an effective process? Today we breakdown the framework to run a strong, evidence based video interview. Through partnerships with fully remote based companies, we are sharing what has proven to produce the strongest hires. RIGHT NOW is your opportunity to elevate your companies productivity by hiring stronger talent.

Key Points for Episode:

Timeline for Interview Process

Startup- 7-10 business days max
Review - 24 hours from submittal
Phone Screen - 48 hours (Day 4 max)
- 45-60 minutes
Video Interviews - 72 hours (Day 8 max)
- 1- 45 minutes
- 2- 45 minutes
- 3- 45 minutes
- 4- 45 - 60 minutes
Decision - 24 hours from Final Interview (Day 10 max)

Interview steps

Phone Screen - Phone / Video conversation
- Your Goal
- Learn about the person!
- Understand: Pain, Desire & Impact
- Not to pitch your company, job or yourself
Video Interviews (Same Day Ideal)
- Ideal to line up back to back
- Schedule back to back or split them up 2/2 or 3/1
- Build a knockout question for each interviewer
Interview 1 - Cultural Value Alignment I
Interview 2 - Skills Screen
- Live working session to evaluate skills/communication
Interview 3 - Cultural Value Alignment II (optional) 24 hours from interview 2
Final Interview - Cultural Confirmation III & Offer preparation (Decision Maker)
Decision / Offer (24 hours max)
- Best to give immediate feedback
- Time kills hires, be decisive

Opportunistic Hiring: Now is the Time to Stack the Deck With Talent! with Jeff Erle of MobilityWare

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 18:26:11 -0000

Remember that person who you really wanted to hire but they took a job somewhere else? Now is the time to reconnect. Through no fault of their own, great talent is being displaced due to the pandemic. Now is the time to proactively hire and raise the level of performance through opportunistic hiring! This crisis will pass. And when it does, emerge as a much stronger organization and be positioned to crush your competitors!

Our guest today: Jeff Erle, Former CEO of MobilityWare

Jeff has held numerous C-level positions throughout his career. His experience spans across start-ups, small privately-held and large public enterprises including ADP, Western Digital, MobilityWare and most recently as the COO at Blast.

Jeff focuses on building high-performing teams and evolving award-winning cultures focusing on multi-generational workforces, developing/coaching key executives, and helping companies develop strategies to scale for growth and/or exit.

Today we discuss

Why it is a great opportunity to hire
A-players: what are they?
How to identify and elevate your company performance during this downturn

Why is this important evaluate and proactively hire now?

Talent is your #1 asset
You now have the opportunity to upgrade your talent
Missing an amazing opportunity to settle for the first people to knock on your door
Now you have the ability to find an abundance of a players

Obviously, the Covid-19 virus has changed the world’s landscape like never before in our lifetimes. In particular, for businesses of all sizes, the nature of the workforce has and will continue to evolve, especially given the looming changes to the large number of workers that will be looking for work. Whether already or soon to be unemployed, or working for a company whose business model has been adversely impacted, millions of people will be applying for open positions later this year unlike anything we have seen in a very long time.

What's an A-player?

top 10% of experience, capability, for the compensation you are willing to pay for the role.

Given that, for most companies, people are their greatest assets, the challenge will be to retain your A-players. And the opportunity would be to use this historic dynamic to “upgrade” your team and your organization. We’ll focus today on the latter, using the talent either already available or soon to be to assure our businesses come out of this cycle stronger than ever before.

Rick’s Input

SalesForce, CEO Marc Benioff (tweet- 2200 jobs open…… prioritizing referrals of friends & family who have lost jobs.
A-player - right profile (builders/startups), cultural alignment
- Desire should be workable

How do we start?

First step is to develop a definition of what an A-player looks like for your organization.

One who is among the top 10% “available” for the open (or too be upgraded) position
“Available” means: they are willing to accept an offer given the compensation level offered, in a culture such as yours, in your particular industry and location, with the resources available to them, with specific accountabilities/responsibilities, and reporting to a specific person
Discuss examples...

Second step is to take an inventory, or a snapshot of your people assets and the level of their quality on an individual basis:

Identify the “Pioneers” (A-players), “vacationers” (maintainers), and the “prisoners” (those always complaining… but they never leave; they feel handcuffed...)
Methods to accomplish this include: (1) performance management tools (reviews, feedback, etc.) commonly used at year end for merit increases, and/or (2) “force-ranking” individuals either within departments, or if small enough, across the entire organization. (NB: There are numerous views/debates of the efficacy of force-ranking… but I have used it successfully, especially in circumstances such as this, when economic times demand tough decisions around headcount.)

Last step is to assure your recruiting strategy, methodologies and capabilities can fulfill this goal

Be diligent

Shift focus to finding the best; this may mean balancing identifying and vetting “passive” candidates with “active” candidates.
This means you cant be lazy. Its easier/faster to work only with the myriad of resumes and candidates that will be applying to your company this year, but they may not represent the best pool of A-players available to you.
Ways to assure this include:
- If you have internal recruiting teams, assure they are aligned with your remit of seeking passive candidates as well as active.
- Get a good third-party recruiting partner to find the passive A-players and focus on presenting those people to your hiring manager(s).

Embrace increased volumes and/or new modes of interviewing

Phone screens
Video interviews (zoom, skype, etc.)
- Learn best practices on how to do these; many do’s and dont’s lists now available
- Teach managers how to do an appropriate phone screen and video interview
- Pre interview prep and internal alignment amongst interviewing teams
  - What are the top key capabilities you all want for the role?
  - Who is vetting which ones?
  - Who is determining cultural fit?
  - Who is making the final decision? Is it unilateral, consultative, or consensus?
  - Agree on Who is “buying”, who’s “selling” during the process?

Remember:

The more time you spend up front the less time you spend in the interviews themselves
Poor managers don't want to do the work up front to coordinate
You need to stand out to be the memorable company to attract the A-player.
People go to work for good leaders/managers (converse of that's what they quit), not just good companies.

Rick’s Nuggets

Build a list and say Hi

Key Takeaways:

Now is a great time to re-evaluate your talent, your greatest asset, and upgrade as necessary
To do so, you will need to embrace new internal areas of focus and philosophies, and your org will need to embrace and/or learn new ways of defining, finding, vetting and attracting A-player candidates

Secure Funding Through Your Hiring Process with John Yanyali of JuiceBot

Fri, 03 Apr 2020 17:16:08 -0000

Fundraising is difficult especially when you are missing a hiring process! Understanding who you are and defining your process are critical in bringing confidence to your investors. It is NOT difficult to solidify a process! Bring confidence to your team and your investors by demonstrating that you understand the importance of getting the right people on the bus!

Today’s Quote:

"You must have confidence in your competence." - Elijah Cummings

Our guest today: John Yanyali, CEO of JuiceBot

John is an energetic entrepreneur who jumped into the business world by investing in the agriculture, education, construction, and technology industries.

He is the former COO of Elektronet, a digital technologies provider similarly focused on the Smart Industry. With John’s involvement, Elektronet became the largest manufacturer and developer of custom hardware and software systems in the Middle East and North Africa. In 2017, he joined Juicebot as an executive board member and last year, he was made the Chief Executive Officer of Juicebot. He builds and models a great company culture while providing inspired leadership

Today we are going to discuss

Why having a hiring process is critical in raising funding
How build your hiring process into your capital raise

Why does Your Hiring process affects fund raising

Investors invest in the people more than the idea itself. A great team will turn a great idea into a great product or a service.
The technical people who build the product are the key.
Experienced, key players with a stake in the company will significantly contribute to the business.
Besides creating a great product, they will help the management in creating new revenue streams.
Technical due diligence is becoming more important for the investors. Where your product is from a technical stand-point will define its success. Therefore, the investors are spending a considerable amount of time trying to understand the technology behind your product so they can help you with the product-market fit.
Technology companies need great technical people who own up to the mission of the company. We need to build not only a great company culture but also an authentic engineering culture.
This will give investors the confidence to fund the company as the alignment of business and technical is necessary to succeed.

Why was it important to bring technical talent first?

Technical people (engineers, designers, developers) are actually turning the idea into a product. They own the design process.
We need to connect them with all aspects of the business whether it is marketing, sales, or investor relations.
We need to create a platform where transparency is key to getting things done. We can not and should not compartmentalize. All the stakeholders of the company need to be aligned on the mission and the vision. That can only be achieved by being transparent and sincere.

Rick’s Input

Highest failure rate is after seed funding
Pressure from investors
Most critical hiring happens after raising seed round
- Critical to have a process at this point!
Sloppiness kills talent attraction, without talent no future capital raise

How to build hiring process to attract funding. Where do we start?

We need to surround ourselves with effective advisory board members to bring in the expertise we may not have. For many entrepreneurs, the decision to involve outsiders in their business may be a wrenching step. Some simply do not want to dilute their control by establishing a board of directors with formal responsibilities and authority. However, the introduction of an advisory board can help some come to terms with this decision, by enabling an entrepreneur to feel comfortable with the business of providing information to, and accepting advice from, an external group.

Get the message out there to get help from the startup community
You need a lot of help. Networking at events, forums… ask for help
Figure out what you don't know. Then reach out to people with the problems you are facing and allow them to join you when the time is right
If people are not joining, take a step back and ask why?
We need to be open to working with other people and be open to feedback and criticism.
Not isolating people to their lanes. Letting everyone involved contribute at all levels.

Rick’s Nuggets

Outline your hiring process and timeline
Phone screen, video/onsite interview, Decision/offer

Key Takeaways:

The future of your business is dependent on your hiring practices. Every new employee will either contribute positively to customer satisfaction, growth and profitability, or contrasting have a negative impact on the business.
By adopting a structured and comprehensive hiring process, you’re taking the first step in positioning your business for success by attracting the right talent. The type of talent that will help build the company culture, drive sales and ultimately position the company as a leader in the industry. Failing to instill the right hiring process will do the exact opposite, resulting in under-performing employees and wasting resources, time and money.

Conducting A Powerful Phone Interview with Christopher Wood of Rise Recruitment USA

Thu, 26 Mar 2020 19:52:10 -0000

One of the most powerful tools in your hiring process in the phone interview. The challenge that we have is that it is treated as a screen just to find out if someone has the skills needed. And this process takes on average 5-10 minutes.

It is such an opportunity loss because your first point of contact should be about establishing the connection with the person regardless of the outcome. Your phone interview sets the stage for how you are perceived and severely affects your ability to hire.

Today’s Quote:

"When it comes to success, there are no shortcuts." - Bo Bennett

Our guest today: Chris Wood, Director of Recruiting for RISE Recruitment USA & Managing Director of theRecruitmentCollective

Chris has spent the past 15 years in the Staffing industry utilizing his background in Recruitment and Account Management to help Fortune 500 companies solve their hiring problems by recruiting top talent within the Aerospace, Automotive, Medical Device, Healthcare, Finance & Consumer Goods industries.

In 2017, he took on the role of Managing Director at theRecruitingCollective, an organization of independent, specialized recruiters and boutique firms centered around providing new, custom talent programs. His primary focus today is attracting over and retaining top talent to the Cannabis, CBD & Natural Products industries.

He previously sat on the board for National Human Resources Association – Los Angeles and is currently on the program committees for DisruptHR Orange County and San Diego. In addition, he is an advisor to numerous Recruiting Technology platforms and emerging Cannabis and CBD companies and a member of the National Association of Cannabis Businesses.

Today we are going to discuss

Why phone interviews are a critical part of the hiring process
How to conduct an effective phone interview

Why are Phone interviews more important now than ever?

Understand the person
Goals, skills & interests - Career path/motivations
Passive recruiting - building a constant stream of qualified candidates
Due to the lack of face to face; with Covid-19 restrictions on in person meetings, this is the only way to hire talent during these times
Sets the tone for process

Positioning of your phone interview

Setting a clear objective of what you want to get from the call; feel for personality fit with team, explanation/knowledge of necessary experience, understanding of career path and long term intentions
Asking specific questions that address strengths of candidate that fills a need with your team
Identifying interest of candidate in role & joining your team

How to conduct a phone interview

Self reflection- identifying the hole on the team
- Understand what is really needed
- Identify characteristics of the person so you can create questioning to reveal if candidates fulfills your teams need
How are you going to find what you need
- Creating the profile of the ideal hire
- Establishing must haves vs nice to haves
Contact
- Asking the questions that are centered around the key things you need to know
- Strategic questioning

Rick’s Nuggets

Purpose of the phone interview is to understand the person first
Identify their reason for hearing (pain), what they want to be doing (desire) and what they have accomplished

Key Takeaways:

Don't just look at the resume, definitely talk to someone. Take the phone screen very seriously
Really get to know what the person wants. Get to know them!

Working from Home While Elevating Productivity and Maintaining Security with Collin Mitchell of Monster VoIP

Thu, 19 Mar 2020 14:40:57 -0000

With the drastic changes in the current work environment we are pivoting a bit from hiring for today’s episode. We are discussing how to transition your staff to a “work from home” force by conquering some of the IT challenges.

Today’s Quote:

“Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.” - Stephen Hawking

I’m Rick Girard and welcome to the Hire Power Radio Show. We help Entrepreneurs and hiring managers to avoid costly hiring mistakes by identifying a specific problem and providing proven solutions to enable you to WIN the right hire. We share insights from top-performing rebel entrepreneurs, disruptors & industry experts.

Like our guest today: Collin Mitchell, CEO of Monster VoIP

Collin Mitchell is a serial entrepreneur who is passionate about technology and his mindfulness practice. His first entrepreneurial project was with his wife in their apartment living room which they bootstrapped together to 5 million dollars of revenue within 26 months. Most recently, he has been working on Monster VoIP, a nationwide unified communications provider that gives enterprise features at an SMB price. Personally, Collin is an early riser, consistent meditator, and swimming enthusiast.

Collin runs a virtual organization that is thriving! Which makes Collin a perfect expert for today’s topic.

Collin, Welcome to the Hire Power Radio Show today!

Today we are going to discuss

Why it is important to pivot your workforce to work from home
How to set up improve productivity and security
Why Pivot to remote work now?

What are the basics of what is needed?

Strong Internet Connection
- Is home internet strong enough.
- Minimum internet connection - 50 mb.
- Depends on provider
- Offering a stipend to cover the cost of upgraded
Laptop
- Dual core or higher with 4 gigs of ram north
Phone
- Voip
- Company provided cell
- Proper noise canceling headset
Possible Backup internet connection - overseas
Tools
Productivity
Tracking Software- works as a time clock and checking employee productivity
- Hubstaff, ClickTime, TimeClock Plus…
Messaging Apps for collaboration
- Zoom, Slack, Skype, Loom
Security
- Active directory
- Jumpcloud - cloud based active directory
- Antivirus/malware up to date
Online Training Software
Well Being
- Getting dressed everyday
- Have a plan/schedule
- Taking breaks
- Meditation
- Short Walks
- Standing Desk

Rick’s Nuggets

Clear performance metrics

Key Takeaways:

These Things are all easy to implement
They are not too expensive
Focus on security and productivity by using tracking software and cloud AD

Interviewing for Strong Discretionary Habits with Joseph Hopkins of The IPRESTIGE Emerge Fund LLC

Thu, 19 Mar 2020 05:55:04 -0000

How to evaluate for good discretion in the hiring process. Discretion is defined by Merriam Webster as an “Ability to make responsible decisions”. This is a quality that all leaders expect from their people but as we know, this is not always the case. How do you interview to uncover good discretionary habits?

Today’s Quote:

"A sound discretion is not so much indicated by never making a mistake as by never repeating it." - Christian Nestell Bovee

Like our guest today: Joseph Hopkins, Founder & Senior Managing Partner of The IPRESTIGE Emerge Fund, LLC

Joseph is a thought leader in AI, authentication and security technologies, He leads an innovative emerging technologies firm that serves as a proprietary first-mover advantage IP incubation model that concentrates on growth opportunities in digital identity protection, security and advance encryption technologies.

Prior to Joseph’s AI and digital identity security work, he served in key executive management roles for Fortune 500 companies, including Kaiser Permanente, 3M, GSK, Allergan, and KPMG. He has hired Hundreds of people throughout his career.

Which makes Joseph a perfect expert for today’s topic. Joseph, Welcome to the Hire Power Radio Show today!

Today we are going to discuss

Why it is important to Connect with people while adding value
How to evaluate for good discretion in the hiring process

Connecting with people to add value

Listening skills
No one wants to hear about your problems
Pick up on a person’s cadence
What makes the person tick as a person
Navigate how you engage as to their preference
- If you miss the connection, you’ll never get it back
- Pick up folks who miss the 9-5 mentality

Rick’s Input

No one cares about the words coming out of your mouth
While hiring it is critical to be more concerned about the other person than filling your role.

How to evaluate “good discretion”

Trusting the gut, instincts
Less tricky the older the person is
More experience, the less risk
Interest or passion in the work
Experience
Clear signs around eye contact, body language, smile while talking, taking themselves too seriously, jovial.
Education - important to him.
Live your life based on what you have learned rather than the exceptions

The ingredients that keep people engaged in an

Balance of coolness and professionalism
*Discretion - overly doing something can affect the relationship with the client
The more the client is comfortable the successful the interaction will be.

Rick’s Nuggets

Opener “open to hearing about something career advancing”
Don’t pitch your job, company or yourself
Find out what’s happening with you?

Key Takeaways:

Empirical stuff- education, background & skills
Interpretative- talk to people that have worked with you. Subjective perspective
His Gut instinct- in conjunction with the other two

Building A Company On The Back Of The Gig Economy with Keith Ryu of Fountain

Thu, 05 Mar 2020 20:43:23 -0000

The grind of being a startup entrepreneur is riddled with rejection and heartache. It is often thought that you need the money before you can build your company… And that’s just not true!

The truth is there are so many ways to self fund when getting started and today we are dissecting a case study of how one company utilized the gig economy to fuel their company growth.

Today’s Quote:

"It's not the lack of resources that cause failure, it's the lack of resourcefulness that causes failure." - Tony Robbins

We share insights from top-performing rebel entrepreneurs, disruptors & industry experts.

Like our guest today: Keith Ryu, Founder & CEO of Fountain

Keith is quietly fueling the future of work. As CEO of Fountain, the Series A-backed hiring platform for hourly workers, the Forbes’ 30 under 30 member holds the keys to the secret engine powering the gig economy. Each month, Fountain processes nearly one million applicants and enables companies like Airbnb, Chick-fil-A, Uber, and Safeway to make over 130,000 hires. Keith initially funded fountain by capitalizing on the gig economy.

Today we are going to discuss

Why utilizing the gig economy is a great option to get your company started
How to fund your company through problem solving.
Story of Fountain

How do you hire when you have no funding?

Found a problem that customers had and started building solutions while funding the work
Challenges with creative financing
Creative hiring through upwork

Rick’s Input

Project based bootstrapping solution
Take on consulting projects

How were you able to build your company?

Capitalized in 2 ways
- financed the company initially by selling services
- found backup engineers on upwork
Found someone to hire. Brought in work through upwork and gave the work to their engineer to pay her
Emailed people who raised money on techcrunch. Offering to provide solutions for their business.

Key Takeways

Be resourceful - upwork, email lists, etc.
Do the hardwork - be relentless

Finding Personal Contact Information in Your Recruiting Efforts with Shafiur Rahman of Chatterworks

Thu, 27 Feb 2020 18:55:46 -0000

The value of being able to directly text or call a person you are needing to recruit for your company is staggering. Want people to give you the opportunity to recruit them? Then you need to contact them where they will respond. Hint: It is not through email or LinkedIn.

Today’s Quote:

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time." - Thomas Edison

I’m Rick Girard and welcome to the Hire Power Radio Show. Our mission is to help Entrepreneurs and hiring managers to avoid costly hiring mistakes by identifying a specific problem and provide proven solutions to enable you to WIN the right hire. We share insights from top-performing rebel entrepreneurs, disruptors & industry experts.

Like our guest today: Shafiur Rahman, Founder & CEO of Chatterworks

Shafiur has been the right-hand to founders and has built out the operational infrastructure for several companies, including Airbus Aerial, Specright and Connectifier ( acquired by LinkedIn February 2016) . He has extensive experience driving the day-to-day and long term requirements to ramp up a successful, high-growth startup.

Shafiur’s new startup helps you reach potential hires with their personal contact information!

Today we are going to discuss

Why direct contact is critical to your recruiting efforts
What contact information is most important
How to find the contact information of the people you need to hire
Typical scenario - What most do… industry best practices

Why do we need to find people's contact information when hiring?

Low likelihood of response rate through the LinkedIn platform.
Most people are not daily or even weekly on LinkedIn
Passive people are not logging on at all
People respond to Text directly. Much more than email.
Limited to what LinkedIn offers/shows
- Have to work under their platform

What data is most useful

Social intelligence
Personal phone, email

Rick’s Input

Text messaging has the highest response rate
Open & Response rates

45% SMS, 8% email response rates
98% of texts are read, compared to 20% email
Text messages has a 750% response rate over email

How do we find contact information?

Hire a PI
Background Check companies
Build your own tech stack
Piece together the various social platforms and cross reference data
Your own personal aggregation
- Super labor intensive
- Can waste 30-45 minutes on just one person.
- Can still not get their direct contact information

Aggregate contact information?

Build crawlers
Buy public data
Find tools
- Only gives you listed information, like home phone, no email
- If you want cell phone info, you have to pay for it

Key Takeaways:

First identify who it is you want to hire
Then get there personal contact information
Where people respond the most, like start with text messaging
3rd- have my messaging down to ensure I’m touching people the right way. Not selling them, how can you help them in a career, how your job solves there problems.

Interviewing for Skills is Today’s Coronavirus! with David Kinnear of Vistage

Thu, 20 Feb 2020 20:21:45 -0000

Everyone in a hiring capacity has made a wrong hire in their career. I believe that this is a direct result of hiring for skills first. Here’s the scoop, a person’s skills can change, but you can't change who they are. And technical abilities are not a clear indicator of passion in the work.

Today’s Quote:

“Values should underpin Vision, which dictates Mission, which determines Strategy, which surfaces Goals that frame Objectives, which in turn drives the Tactics that tell an organization what Resources, Infrastructure, and Processes are needed to support a certainty of Execution.” — Mike Myatt

Our guest today: David Kinnear, Executive Mentor & Group Chair of Vistage International.

Dave Kinnear is a Business Advisor, Mentor and Executive Leader Coach. Through his affiliation with Vistage Worldwide, Dave convenes and facilitates peer advisory boards of Business Owners, Company Presidents, General Managers and Chief Executives dedicated to becoming better leaders who make better decisions and achieve better results.

Dave is also an executive-to-executive mentor to Executive MBA students at the UCI Paul Merage School of Business and a coach for the Center for Entrepreneurship at CalState University, Fullerton.

Today we are going to discuss

Why a skills-based interview is dangerous
values alignment is critical
The framework for a successful interview

Why do people interview for competency/skills?

Competency is easy
- This is what people focus on
- Today's workers need mastery, purpose and autonomy
- Shared values aligns well with the way decisions are made within the company
- We all want to do what's right for the tribe
The soft stuff is not easy.
- Most CEO’s don't know what the real values are
- Profitability is what is really valued
- Transparency on the financials are missing
Management decisions are the values
Culture is the way things get done around here
The way things get done is by making decisions
Decisions are made reflective of the values

How do we Hire for Values?

Running, Knees, shoes analog
Know what the real values
Ask questions to determine the person’s values
Uncover the person’s values
How someone works with others and makes decisions
Ask questions that validate the core values
Let the silence do the heavy lifting!
When they have the values
Reveal the mismatch in what they have now and where you align
Skills can be learned
The person you want is not on the street
Hire them

Rick’s Nuggets

Design questions around the corporate values (Amazon's leadership principals)
Ask behavioral questions and dig deep. This uncovers the truth about who the person is
"Walk me through a time"... Then ask why, why, why?
Do not ask leading questions
Ask the question and shut up!

Key Takeaways

· Values are the foundation of an organization's culture.
· An organization’s leader has only one critical job, and that’s to actively manage the culture
· The leadership team must believe in and live the values every day

There is Not Enough Talent Out There.... Wrong! with Marc Hutto of Reveal Global Intelligence

Thu, 13 Feb 2020 16:14:08 -0000

The truth is most of the good players are on the sidelines. Great people are inundated with mindless spam therefore most messaging is getting ignored. Here is the good news, Gallup reports that 7 of 10 people are open to something stronger.

Today’s Quote:

“Great people want to work on things that matter. Inevitably, a great person working on imaginary work will turn into an unsatisfied person.” - Jason Fried

Our guest today: Marc Hutto, Founder & CEO of Reveal Global Intelligence

Marc is the chief architect of Purpose-Driven Recruitment . This methodology focuses the talent acquisition process on the people who are hiring and being hired - as it should be. Revealing hidden and highly-valued talent in this way also aligns to Marc's stated vision for the company of delivering evidential value to every life we touch.

Today we are going to discuss

Why you believe you can't find people
The truth behind the myth (79 % of people on LinkedIn, polled, will not see a posting)
A script to successfully find the people you need - A “pattern interrupt”

Why is the view that company’s can’t find people wrong?

You can easily believe this because most people are not responding to job postings.
Mindset - most people need to be approached.
A lot of people approaching them
A lot of noise, people not responding
Only 21% of people are looking at a job posting

Reach out

Outreach and response is the main challenge
A lot of the same messages
Get rid of the hooks and talk to the person
Pitching the job is the wrong mentality
Get into career coaching mode as quickly as possible

Rick’s Input

Treat people all the same, regardless of where they came
Hit people at their pain point first.
What could be better?

How to recruit passive talent?

Mindset

Approach people who did not come to you
You have to be proactive
Business owners and leaders take great care when investing in hard assets (equipment, supplies, inventory, etc.) - should we not have the same mindset when investing in a new colleague?

Reach out

Don't pitch the job (it’s presumptuous)
Digital video job description (digi-me.com) 1 minute
Polite, professional, persistent - it differentiates

Coaching call

Talk to people about them- their career/career drivers
Look for the opportunity to provide career coaching
Start a conversation around career drivers

Incumbent interview - document

Why did you come here?
Why do you stay?
Challenges you encounter?
Want someone to understand what it is like to work for your company?

Reasons why people stay (career drivers)

Compensation & benefits
Impact of the work
Environment - culture, people, space,
Personal & professional growth
Leadership or management

Rick’s Nuggets

On average 7-10 calls to get in touch a person today
Write 5 email sequences
Top Desires: Growth, Content of Work, Leadership

Key Takeaways:

Hiring and being hired are big deals. Keep them humanized. Focus on Career Drivers.
If you are an employer, you are in sales mode for top talent.
Post and Pray has to give way to Polite, Professional Persistence.
Purpose Driven Recruitment Toolkit: revealglobal.com/hirepower

Reference Checking is More Important Than the Interview! with Yves Lermusi of Checkster

Thu, 06 Feb 2020 21:43:00 -0000

Reference checking is so important... yet so underutilized. Why? Because it is too time-consuming! But when you fail to reference check you are dramatically increasing the likelihood of making the wrong hire. On top of that, you are missing out on a potential recruiting opportunity

Today’s Quote:

"References drive the industry." - Mark V. Hurd

Our guest today: Yves Lermusi, Co-Founder & CEO of Checkster

Checkster is powering talent decisions of organizations and providers of staffing and HR services. The company aims to improve the world's productivity and harmony by increasing job fit and work achievement, as well as personal career satisfaction and fulfillment.

Yves is a well-known public speaker and a Career and Talent industry commentator. He is often quoted in the leading business media worldwide, and has been named as one of the “100 Most Influential People in the Recruiting Industry”.

Today we are going to discuss

Why checking references is important
Voice reference checks vs digital reference checks
The framework for a successful reference check

Reference checking, what’s the issue?

People don't do
Or they do totally wrong

Why are they doing references wrong?

Only speaking to people that are given
Talking to 2-3
Talking to over the phone (filtered feedback)

Digital advantages

Digitally people are more honest
People pretend to be their own reference
Consistency in the questions

Rick’s input

Design references to evaluate against company culture
Ability to dig deep on the answers

How to do references right

Peers or managers recently. In direct contact
Speak to at least 4 references - the measurement of success 80% in making a good hire vs. just 2 references
Ask the right questions
1. Relevant to the job and non-leading, (leading the witness)
2. “Would you rehire?”
3. Starting broad and going specific
Do it digitally
1. Saves time

Rick’s Nuggets

How are you able to question deeper to understand the motivation of the answer?
Written referrals don't give you the ability to recruit the person

Key Takeaways:

Get at least feedback from 4 relevant colleagues (relevant:recent profesional close experience)
Ask predictive questions
Do it digitally

The Right Way to Advertise Your Jobs with Kelly Robinson of RedDot Media

Thu, 30 Jan 2020 18:52:14 -0000

Posting your jobs can be a very frustrating exercise. Especially when you receive little to no response. Or worse yet, you receive an onslaught of unqualified responses.

Today is all about how and where to post your jobs to attract the right people! So we are going to geek out on advertising and teach the right way to utilize postings in your recruitment strategy.

Today’s Quote:

“Advertising is an environmental striptease for a world of abundance.” - Marshall McLuhan

Our guest today: Kelly Robinson, CEO of RedDot Media

20 years on the staffing recruitment and recruiting technology.

RedDot media is a recruitment ad agency with a particular skill in programmatic advertising and helping companies socialize their jobs with our Paiger platform. Prioir to RedDot Media, Kelly founded Broadbean.com Inc 2001, which he sold to DMGT in 2008, launched in the US 2009, and lead the strategic acquisition by CareerBuilder in 2014.

Today we are going to discuss

Why Job postings fail
Different ways to advertise
Steps to take to implement programmatic job advertising

Where do people fail while posting jobs?

Spray & Pray
Pay no attention to the content
Not thinking about what the person really looks like
What is an important Mindset?
Treating people who apply the same as a direct recruit.
People who apply are just open, not sold on your company

What are the different ways to advertise?

Post & Pray - what most do now!

Programmatic advertising
Rule based job posting
Only paying for results
Click bidding to get your jobs on the top of the listOnly paying for results

Rick’s input

- Need understanding of what needs to be accomplished
- Performance metrics
- Content rarely touches the individual (never answers “what’s in it for me”)

How to implement programmatic job advertising

3 ways to do
Use an agency to do it
Buy a system and DYI & hire someone who is dedicated to doing it.
Effective in duration based advertising.
Cost per view or cost per applicant
Best for 20+ jobs per month

Steps to maximize your job posting

20 or less
Java engineer
One-offs- start with Indeed
Zip recruiter is good because of their advertising
65 mil lookers a month
Identify 2 of 5 skills and talk to them.
Write a good job description
Have a lot of conversations

How to maximize relevancy

Job descriptions: Talking to about emotional factors
Dependent on what and where you are looking for it
Forget the application process.
*treat people not like an application but like they are part of the conversation

Key Takeaways:

And as Jim Collins said it’s the Genius of the AND versus the Tyranny of the OR. and embrace the "Genius of the AND.
Writing job ads is a skill - get better at it, AND have fun with it.
Understand and qualify your job description ****A good question is what is NOT getting done while you don’t have this person.
Job Applications are people who have given you permission to have a conversation with them. Your job is to figure out together if they should quit their job and come work from you.
It’s not all about saving money a 3,6% unemployment rate!

Hiring for Intellectual Value Over Spec! with Scott Hamilton of ENPI

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 00:30:54 -0000

Today’s show is all about challenging your past behavior. What has worked in the past will not work in the future and this is especially true in hiring! Hire people who think beyond the job you are hiring for and give them runway to grow. This is the only way to spark innovation and propel the growth of your business.

Today’s Quote:

"None of us is as smart as all of us." - Ken Blanchard

Our guest today: Scott Hamilton, President & CEO of Executive Next Practices Institute

Scott is a well-known thought leader & speaker in the field of “next practices” improvement of executive and workforce performance for global “Fortune 5000” through emerging companies.

He is also the Managing Director of NextWORKS Strategy, a premier provider of strategy development, alignment, innovation, board effectiveness, and executive performance programs to middle-market companies. Both of these entities have been recognized by Forbes and the Orange County Business Journal as leaders in fields of innovation, INtrepreneurship and strategic transformation.

Today we are going to discuss

Intellectual Value vs Skills
Your talent innovation ecosystem
4 step process to maximize your

What are the blinders that entrepreneurs have

Past behavior
Curiosity about what is coming next
Bigger picture
Different domains other than your own domain

Why is it important that we hire people who can think above and beyond?

The organization needs to remain nimble and adaptable
Give the flexibility to innovate and grow
Allow for managed risk
Learning opportunities

How do we fix it?

Stop hiring for the current problem. Why?
- Boxing yourself in
- Engaging the collective intelligence of the organization

4 Step Process

First Question
- How have things been done in the past?
- What no longer makes sense?
- What can change?
Reduce
- Eliminate or reduce the activity
- What Practices, processes or services can be eliminated in the organization?
Raise
- What can be done to rise above the competition?
- Build it to a better service model
- Re-onboarding
- See what it is really like
Create
- What can you create that is totally new
- Elevating value propositions
- Start doing ROI, customer/employee satisfaction, overall effectiveness

Interview Qualification is a Two-Way Street with Greg Toroosian of Elevate Hire

Thu, 23 Jan 2020 19:29:03 -0000

Each individual brings a unique perspective to every interview conversation. Yet most interviews focus on “what you can do for me” almost entirely from a skills perspective. People want to know what’s in it for them before they choose to engage with you.

Today’s Quote:

"Though we may have desires or bold goals, for whatever reason, most of us don't think we can achieve something beyond what we're qualified to achieve." - Simon Sinek

Our guest today: Greg Toroosian, Founder & Managing Director of Elevate Hire

Greg Toroosian founded Elevate Hire after more than a decade in the Talent Acquisition space. Having previously worked for startups, globally recognized brands, and recruiting agencies, He believes that recruiting and retaining talent is key to having a successful company.

Greg is an expert at qualifying talent for organizations which has led to successful hires for many clients in a variety of industries.

Today we are going to discuss:

Types of qualification
Plan of attack on how to effectively qualify people

What is candidate qualification?

Definition: A quality or accomplishment that makes someone suitable for a particular job or activity
Two types of qualification

Checkbox

Asking yes/no questions
Requirements focused
Doing the bare minimum
Ineffective because you are lying to yourself

Thorough

Have a clear understanding about what the person is actually looking for
Clarify the likelihood of acceptance of the job
Fit for the company
Answer the question (Is this a good candidate)

What's important for qualification?

Look at profile (linkedin, resume)
Longevity, career trajectory, companies/industries, titles
Recommendations (linkedin)

How do we avoid having a checkbox process

Mindset of the call: don’t go into every call wanting or being hopeful that this person will work out. Ask the questions that unearth what you really need to know.
Conversational qualification calls.
Ask open questions, ask scenario-based questions, and ask questions that will determine if this person is a non-starter.
Listen carefully. Be strict and be honest.

Framework for Effective Qualification

Firstly, you need a clear understanding of the role you’re interviewing for, its scope, the immediate need, and the future possibilities.
Be comfortable in leading the conversation so you can get the questions answered that you need.
Conversational and open questions with enough space for the person to really say what you need to hear.
Have a form of the questions to be asked, know what you need the answers to be, but don’t read a script.

Key Takeaways:

Build your own qualification form to use as the foundation for every call.
Questions that unearth a lot:
- Why are you open to a new role?
- What are you looking for from your next role?
- Talk me through your current role and responsibilities. You can tell a lot about someone's role, their involvement, and their overall understanding of their craft by hearing them speak freely about it. Take notes and then clarify any points you need to.
- After telling them about your open position, ask them how it sounds to them as a next step? What specifically appeals to them from what you shared? Get them to sell the role back to you and to sell themselves as a candidate.

Christopher Hadnagy: Hiring Hacks to Help You Hire Better Humans! with Christopher Hadnagy of Social-Engineer, Inc.

Thu, 16 Jan 2020 20:20:06 -0000

Making a strong hire starts with attracting the right people. Knowing who the right hire is the first step. But in order to attract the right people there needs to be a message that resonates with the individual and motivates them to respond.

Today we are talking about hacking your hiring through the use of communication profiles.

Today’s Quote:

"Hacking involves a different way of looking at problems that no one's thought of." - Walter O'Brien

CEO of Scorpion Computer Services and executive producer of the TV series Scorpion

Like our guest today: Christopher Hadnagy, CEO of Social-Engineer, Inc.

Chris Hadnagy is a professional social engineer, author of 4 books, and keynote speaker. He’s the CEO of Social‐Engineer, LLC, a company who serves some of the globe’s largest organizations. Additionally, Chris provides free resources, including the world’s first Social Engineering Framework, via Social-Engineer.Org, and heads the Innocent Lives Foundation, a non-profit that unmasks anonymous child predators.

So Christopher knows hacking! Which makes Christopher a perfect expert for today’s topic.

Christopher, Welcome to the Hire Power Radio Show today!

Today we are going to discuss:

Identifying the right person
Crafting the right messaging to attract
Logical steps to weed out the obvious

Problem

Really bad hires!
- People look great on the surface
- Not showing up for work
- Quitting fast

Why am I having an issue getting good employees?

*** realize how much time you spend on the back end when you hire with the wrong people
- Aftermath
- Lost over 100 hours and thousands of dollars
- Killed company morale
Outline the type of person you want before you start interviewing
- Thinking about the work that needs to be accomplished
- Defining expectations up front
- Managing your own expectations- avoid unreasonable tasks
- Experience expected to have

Rick’s input

- Create messaging around the personality profile of a successful hire
- Pain, Desire & Impact

How do we fix it?

Determine the best communications profile first
Write the job description with keywords that attract the right people
- Describe the words and language to attract the right person.
- Detract the wrong people.
Logic steps to weed out the obvious
A list of questions to determine the right fit, video interview to whittle down to 3
- Give the disc test - confirm communication style
- Weed out the wrong cultural fit
Confirm what is really needed with who the person is

How does one determine the right messaging?

Disc profiling roles (general)
- D- management, leadership, - Aware D - understands how they communicate
- I- Sales, public speaking, Training
- S- HR, support role,
- C- Accounting, office management - detail & organization

Rick’s Nuggets:

One size fits all messaging does not work
Create messaging with a call to action to minimize
Performance metrics attract the right people
Plan and put process in place

Key Takeaways:

Time invested in the prework saves thousands of dollars for the company
Define what it is that a person must have

Business Aligned Hiring Roadmap with Kelly OConnell & Shelley Iocona of ON ITS AXIS

Fri, 10 Jan 2020 03:48:29 -0000

We all get how impressive the hire from a name brand company might be. However, more often than not, making the vanity hire turns out disastrous for both parties. Why?

Too often hires are made based on a particular set of skills or a person’s pedigree. Not taking into account the importance of cultural alignment or the objectives of the business. Your hires should be made on the basis of what is best for the company backed by evidence of performance.

Today we are talking about how to Accelerate Company Growth with a Business Aligned Hiring Roadmap.

Today’s Quote:

"I've found that luck is quite predictable. If you want more luck, take more chances. Be more active. Show up more often."

- Brian Tracy

Our guests today: Kelly OConnell, Executive Vice President & Shelley Iocona, Founder & Principal of ON ITS AXIS.

ON ITS AXIS is a Product and People firm. We help organizations validate new digital product ideas and build the teams that allow them to successfully take them to market.

They have found that just as the launch of a successful product begins with a customer-centric roadmap, Talent Acquisition that is grounded in understanding how a company can most efficiently deliver client satisfaction and adapt to changing client needs is critical to a company's ability to efficiently scale.

Today we are going to discuss:

The common mindset and the problems that are created
The importance of building a business objective roadmap
How to create your own roadmap

Why is this important?

The strength of the company is the people delivering the product in the marketplace. The winning company will have the strongest team. When managers struggle to hire it directly impacts team productivity and company growth potential.

It is important for organizations to approach hiring with a business objective roadmap rather than focusing exclusively on skills and perceived fit.

What challenges Hiring Managers face?

The most common challenges we observe in the market are:

adhoc hiring: where a manager is under pressure to make a hire in response to an urgent perceived team need
confirmation hiring: where a manager tries to identify a replica of their own profile or the profile of a successful team contributor
cultural fit exclusion: where a manager rules out a candidate based on their subjective perception that they won't fit into a current team culture.

Although understandable, particularly for high growth teams, hiring to a standardized and generic target profile is problematic because too much of a focus on matching skills and current team fit can lead to uniformity in the workforce that can unintentionally limit both the potential candidate pool and the potential for innovation in the workplace.

These challenges can result in several problems including

Endless interview cycle with no hires
Offer turn downs
High Company Turnover Rates
The incorrect perception that a company needs A LOT more developers or Sales People etc. to achieve goals which can adversely impact profitability and growth

Additionally, there is often a corresponding negative impact to the existing team culture when organizations approach hiring in this way:

Internal Team Conflict
The current team is overworked and under pressure.
Existing people feel they are doing more than their fair share of work
Poor Team Productivity and Missed Deadlines
Perception that the current team members are the “wrong fit” for the company

What needs to be in Place?

A structured, and efficient interview process.

Align hiring triggers to business model objectives, structure team OKR’s to directly correlate to key company goals and at each hire to modify the generic role job description and interview scoring rubric to address the most essential team gap at that given point in time.

This doesn’t mean that companies should ignore skills and culture. They are important but we see them as part of the larger talent acquisition and internal performance management plan.

Companies that most rapidly grow, are capable of executing nimble pivots in response to changing customer expectations.

Team members must be able to grow and evolve within the company. Rather than hiring for proficiency in a laundry list of current skills, instead, we encourage companies to establish predictive hiring indexes that will help them to assess a hires potential to learn and evolve to changing expectations within the company.

How do we fix it?

Define the core success factors that allow you to best serve your users
Identify the key technical and soft-skill gaps in your core team
Leverage a Data-driven approach to both team composition and hiring capacity (Swarmvision- profiling to predict innovation capacity for teams- this is not personality profiling
Create a regular cadence for review of your talent acquisition roadmap
Provide all employees with a clear path to career development & professional growth

We encourage clients to Hire to fill the most impactful skill-gaps on your existing team and be willing to transfer internal team members into new roles that better serve them and your business objectives.

Creating a business aligned hiring roadmap not only helps organizations avoid several of the pitfalls previously shared but it also has the added benefit of helping organizations attract and retain both gen Z and gen Y employees.

Rick’s Nuggets

Structured Hiring process wins hires!

Key Takeaways:

Embrace a structured interview process that is based on a strategic hiring roadmap to avoid pressured hiring decisions and confirmation bias
Just as you evaluate your company business plan at a regular cadence, develop a regular cadence for review of your organization's talent acquisition plan
Rather than matching employees to a current team profile, view each hire as an opportunity to complement the strengths of your existing team and to support your most critical team business objectives. This will allow your organization to evolve to changing customer sentiment.

Hiring People Who Are Outside Your Comfort Zone! with Aaron Elder of Crelate

Fri, 03 Jan 2020 20:36:53 -0000

It is all too common to look for the person who brings the skills you deem necessary for your role. But the person who brings all the skills may not be the best person in the role. There are a lot of people who are in adjacent industries or sitting on the sidelines who are open to an opportunity like yours.

What does it take to find great people? Looking past the skills for evidence of success that will be transferable to your company. As we all know, past performance is a key indicator of future performance.

Today’s Quote:

“Take a chance! All life is a chance. The man who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare.”

- Dale Carnegie

Our guest today: Aaron Elder, Co-Founder & CEO of Crelate

Aaron is a serial entrepreneur with 4 successful products, 3 companies and 2 exits under his belt. He is a designer, turned coder, turned CTO, turned CEO who is passionate about creating products people love and make the world better.

Crelate exists to help businesses continuously align people with opportunities. Aaron has a passion for taking a chance on people who are changing careers - giving people a shot

Today we discuss:

Hiring outside the norm to combat the talent shortage
a recipe to successfully hire

Solution to the talent shortage

Taking an age blind approach
Considering the skills level
Not just a blind hire

Challenges?

Casting a wider net- seeing through things
Opening the holes in the net
Look past skills to the ancillary skills
Career shows you as a non-fact (switching careers-coming in as a jr person). Measure people based on risk rather than
A propensity for learning new things, being innovative and growing, you will probably be able to bring that to the table

Issue of Compensation

Is a pay cut really realistic? Taking a shot
Until you talk to them, you don’t really know.
*** Training and investment need to be real. The organization needs to be all in on people development

Rick’s input

Look for transferable skills
Adjacent industries
Evidence of success

How do we fix it?

Finding the people who are performers and not just seat fillers
indicator of career changes,
Tenacity & grit, raw materials
- Look for evidence of past success
Hide Easter egg’s in the job post.
Questionnaires
Invest in Recruiters- matchmakers
Have more conversations with people and look past the resume
Internal training programs
The long game is the only solution he knows.
Short term road bumps but long term it is an investment in an approach.
Be self-aware of the game
- optimize for the long game (bring investors on board)
Looking to solve a long term problem - at least a 2-year problem
Education & training which require intense focus and investment upfront.
Benefit? -the path for retention, earned loyalty, path for mutual benefit
If you are not growing, you will have a hard time keeping people who want to be growing
Take more chances on people who do not have ALL the skills
Creating training, review process that career ladder, reviews, culture for people to enjoy
Invest in systems to automate points 1 & 2 more possible

Key Takeaways:

Solve the talent gap/shortage by being able to take chances on people, give them a chance to tell their story and see if it fits. Look past skills to underlying achievements, velocity, grit, etc.
Invest in the long haul - internal learning, time, training, the culture of personal growth and achievement.
Do what you can to make #1 and #2 more efficient. That means the right tools and processes that fit those goals. Not work against them.

Is Fractional Leadership The Key to Startup Growth? with Matt Spooner of GigX

Thu, 12 Dec 2019 20:10:03 -0000

Seasoned leaders are out there and they are willing to work with your startup at more than just an advisory level. They are called fractional leaders and they are easier to find than you might think.

Consider the possibility that in this hiring market, seasoned veterans maybe your best hiring option for building your company!

Today’s Quote:

"We came into a broken world. And we're the cleanup crew." - Kanye West

Our guest today: Matt Spooner, Fractional Chief Business Development Officer for GigX

Matt has nearly two decades of experience within the arenas of Marketing, Sales, Business Development, and Account Management. He has built and led high-performing teams within both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. His cross-industry, cross-function experience allows him to approach opportunities and issues from a unique and valuable standpoint.

Fun fact, Matt is an avid endurance athlete who has completed 3 ultra-marathons!

Prior to joining GigX, Matt worked in the world of retained executive search. His role as a Vice President at McDermott & Bull has kept him close to hundreds of C-Suite leaders and hiring managers. Matt is plugged into the senior-level executive community - he understands what they bring to the table...and how organizations can best attract and leverage them.

Today we are going to cover

The benefits and drawbacks to fractional leadership
where to find fractional leadership
How to evaluate and Hire them

Problem

What is Fractional Leadership?

Why is this important?

Budgetary issues and/or concerns frequently limit companies from hiring senior-level leadership; This is an acute pain point for SMBs and early-stage organizations
Frequently, these companies don’t consider and/or realize that their issues re: talent can be solved by exploring “independent” options such as fractional talent
Even when these companies have a desire to explore fractional leaders, it’s challenging for them to find this type of talent
There are a lot of misconceptions re: senior-level talent. Here are a few:
- SMBs and early-stage companies can’t afford them
- They only want full-time roles
- They’re too set in their ways
- They’re not as nimble
- They’re not current

How do we fix it?

Fractional talent is the answer
Why it is beneficial?
- Most fractional leaders are senior-level executives who’ve pivoted in their careers and are now serving multiple organizations simultaneously
- Fractional leaders bring their numerous business connections/relationships with them; In many ways, they serve as de facto Business Development professionals for the organizations they work for
- They show-up on Day 1 with an immense amount of acumen and skill
- They’re less of a “flight risk,” as their desire is to serve on a long-term basis
- Their experience, talent, and connections allow them to do the work of multiple team members
- Companies can get the acceleration and acumen that they need, and only pay a fraction of the price for it

Steps to hire someone
1. The first (and most important) step: Pursue the in-transition population! Why? Because this population represents a talent market that’s highly-skilled and readily-accessible, yet largely underutilized.
2. The second step: Know the time commitment that you’re asking for. Why? This will show the fractional executives you speak with that you understand one of their top criteria for engaging with a prospective client: How much of their “bandwidth” are you asking for.
3. The third step: Collaborate on expectations. Why? Because you’ll only be engaging with your fractional executive during a portion of any given week/month/year, you’ll want to have clear KPIs that you’re moving toward and monitoring. Similarly, you’ll want to set expectations around how often you’ll be “seeing” each other - whether it’s in-person and/or via a platform like Zoom, Skype, or FaceTime

Key Takeaways:

Fractional leadership is an affordable and powerful way to bring C-Level execs into your organization
There are thousands of overlooked, undervalued senior-level leaders that can be leveraged immediately for fractional roles
The key to success with fractional leaders: Create clarity early-on re: time commitment, KPIs, and when/how to connect

Referrals Vs Applicants with Ladan Davia of Beeya

Fri, 29 Nov 2019 23:01:46 -0000

According to Linkedin, the #1 way to discover a new job is through a referral… and referrals are the top source of quality hires.

Look, there are good people responding to posted jobs but most likely, they are being passed over. Why?

Our guest today says “The answer is serving up less to maintain more” when looking for talent. Using AI and machine learning can help target the right applicants to diversify your talent pool to find the right hire.

Today’s Quote:

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” - Milton Berle

Like our guest today: Ladan Davia, Founder & CEO for Beeya

Beeya, is a meta-search engine for jobs that hosts all jobs on the internet, in one place. It is the only platform that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to accurately match candidates to jobs they are qualified for, solving the faulty keyword issue other online platforms serve users.

Ladan has been featured in publications such as the New York Times, Fox Business, and The Wall Street Journal, and is using her influence to help young entrepreneurs, especially women, break through the tech industry.

Which makes Ladan a perfect expert for today’s topic.

Ladan, Welcome to the Hire Power Radio Show today!

Today we are going to cover

Referrals vs. applicants -benefits to each
Other options for hiring
How to level the playing field and bring the right talent forward regardless of where they came

Why it is wrong to focus on referral candidates?

Unfair advantage to people who are connected
Not based on merit

Why employers are losing good people?

Just because someone is in transition does not mean they are bad
Referrals are not necessarily the best hire

Why it costs employers more?

They are not hiring the right people
Taking the easy out by hiring the easy way.

Rick’s input

Time is the big factor here
Referrals take less time and are partially vetted
Not putting the right amount of diligence in the interview process
Other options
- 3rd option - targeted recruiting
- More time-intensive, allows you to stack the deck with A-players

How do we fix this hiring issue?

Different ways of filtering applicants
- Keyword filtering does not work (no buzzwords)
Needs to go
- What do we focus on then if not keywords??

Time issue?

How to replace the keyword with AI & ML
- Challenges: the AI can become bias
- Need to eliminate name, age & gender

Rick’s Nuggets

Applicant Filtering
Performance metrics in the job description
- Eliminate buzzwords
Call to Action in the JD to self filter… answer to 3 questions
Time issue
Utilize the phone screen
- 30-45 minutes will save hours in the long run

Key Takeaways:

Look for alternative ways to hire and stay away from a keyword match
Don’t be so open to referrals. Open your mind to other people

The Power of Storytelling in Recruiting Talent for Your Company with Michael Goldberg of Hiring Transformed

Thu, 21 Nov 2019 17:52:05 -0000

Telling a story is the quickest way to gain a person’s attention. The challenge in recruiting is telling a story that is compelling to the person you need to hire. And to top it off your story is just like everyone else and it is all about you!

What if we wrote each story differently than everyone else. Would we get better results? Damn right you will, and today my guest and I are out to prove it!

Today’s Quote:

"Storytelling is the essential human activity. The harder the situation, the more essential it is." - Tim O'Brien

Our guest today: Michael Goldberg, Founder & CEO of Hiring Transformed

Recruiting Strategist, Talent Finder, and Hiring Manager Whisperer all describe Michael who advises and coaches Talent Acquisition Leaders through roadblocks. The biggest obstacle is the ability of both recruiters and Hiring Managers to tell stories that are authentic and engaging. Michael also assists talent organizations with strategies to increase productivity, create strong recruiter/hiring manager partnerships, and lead change management initiatives.

Today we are going to cover

The importance of storytelling in recruiting
How to tell a better story and the framework for recruiting success

Why is storytelling important?

Give me people now, make sure they are qualified and let’s just get them in the door and we will be able to close them.
Don’t take the time to engage, just jump in and let’s go
Don’t know how to kick off relationships.
Jump right into it about the position
Most people are not responded

People don’t respond to your messages... Why?

Very overwhelming
4-5 times a day
Information overload
The same exact message
Timing
Area of interest
Miss-targeting, misinformed

Rick’s Input

Text, email, social feeds (paid media)

How do we do it?

Start with a Story
The story is told voice to voice!
Humanize it
Don’t run the story at 30,000 feet
Capture their attention in a job posting or messaging
Could be done as a video or as a blog
Goal is to get to a phone call

Structure of the story

Create the Hero- someone within the company
- A successful employee
- Should be a peer
- Makes it more relatable
Mission or goal and share the obstacles are/were (targeting)
- Immediate and concrete to create rapport to create a connection
- “Have you been in a situation like this before?”
Resolution (get over the obstacles & hit goals… or it didn’t work out, what would you do differently
- About showing, not just telling
- “Imaging yourself just completing X. You have worked with Sally and Joe and were able to overcome these major obstacles. You were able to deliver X with your team....Like selling a car “Imagine yourself behind the wheel of…”

Rick’s Nuggets

The story should not be about you
- Try to make the person you are trying to recruit the hero
Design the story to a specific pain that the person may have
- Make it relatable to that specific person
Tool for crafting messaging
Crystal Knows- messaging

Key Takeaways:

Build trust through strategically crafted stories and will help recruiters differentiate themselves from others.
Storytelling can take different forms depending on where the storyteller plans on sharing info. Videos, Blogs, & Social Media posts but videos prevail because it is the best way to create trust between the recruiter and the candidates.
Storytelling should be told throughout the recruiting process. Not only by recruiters but by hiring managers and would-be peers

How to Really Evaluate & Hire Technical Talent with Aaron Cooley of Kunai

Thu, 14 Nov 2019 20:43:25 -0000

We’ve all done it, hired the person who looked great on paper because they seemed to possess the skills we needed. Only to have the hire turn out to be a major disaster.

Here is the truth: Technical resources have a high failure rate because of how they are interviewed. I am going to argue that Assumptions and expectations alignment is where we fail.

Today is about how to evaluate and hire strong technical talent by uncovering the Truth.

Today’s Quote:

"Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There's plenty of movement, but you never know if it's going to be forward, backward, or sideways." - H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Like our guest today: Aaron Cooley, Lead Consultant - Security & Mobility for Kunai.

Aaron Cooley is senior technical consultant at Kunai. His specialties include high security backend applications, mobile applications, and applications that leverage video. Over his nearly 30 year career in Silicon Valley he’s worked at companies both large and small, to build teams and deliver everything from the first Java enabled handset, to Yahoo’s video player, to secure data processing for the world’s largest accounting firms. Aaron has hired hundreds of engineers throughout his career which makes Aaron a perfect expert for today’s topic.

Aaron, Welcome to the Hire Power Radio Show today!

Today we are going to cover

How to identify & evaluate strong technical talent
How to interview and Hire the person you company needs

Why do we fail in hiring technical talent?

Arbitrary requirements… pass the technical coding test but failed miserably when they were hired.
%of false positives
& false negatives

What to be looking for?

Desire is way more important than initial skillset!
Really want the job, you have to jump on that
In 3 weeks they will know what they need to know for the job

What to Avoid

Do you know what I know? You want people who know things that you don’t know.
Don’t do coding quizzes … it is about you, not the other person
Don’t hire an ‘Architect’ that doesn’t write code every day. A good technical lead is 100% hands on every time, but many ‘Architects’ are actually technical product owners. They only understand technology from the perspective of a customer. They are great at making diagrams, and requirements, not great at leading technical teams to implement solutions.

Rick’s Input:

- Resume Bias
  - Assumptions!
- Look for transferable skills, not skill lists
- Years of experience doesn't really matter
- Impact- What have they REALLY accomplished?

How do we fix it?

Start with the resume
- What did they do
- Progression
- Are the things they have done relevant to you
- Looking for the pattern of starting & delivering
Interview
- Skip the coding quizzes
- Make the interview about them
- What exactly did YOU do?
- Day to day work… detail it out! Dig deep
- Individual contributor vs. lead engineer
- IC focus on tasks that someone else defined. Great at delivering but not the best person to drive things. Documentation not important to this person.
- Lead Engineer: will see the need for documentation and they’ll encourage others to do the same. Comments on the code, write the new code and will see opportunities to write new code through documentation.
- All engineering like writing new code!

Two sides to the interview

You selling to the person
Ego in the room
Finding out if the person is a match
Leave your ego out of the room
Find out what the person has really done
If your interview process it that broken, I don't want to work for your company

Rick’s Nuggets

Resume
- Work history
- What was accomplished. Evidence of impact
  - What did you do?
  - How did you do it?
  - What were the results?
Interview
- Utilize the phone screen!

Key Takeaways:

Skip coding quizzes
Architects and technical leadership NEED to write code!
Make the interview about the person and dig deep with questions based on experience. What someone has done before is the best predictor of the future

The Questions to Ask When Selecting a Recruiting Partner with Amy Arenz of Concero Search Partners LLC

Thu, 07 Nov 2019 17:02:43 -0000

Startups suck at choosing recruiting partners!

There is no magic button to push to have candidates pop out for your roles. Before you hire, put the same thought and care into your recruiting strategy as you would into every other aspect of your business. Just having a strategy will dramatically increase your chances of landing great talent as opposed to just hiring those who are ok.

Today’s Quote:

"It is rare to find a business partner who is selfless. If you are lucky it happens once in a lifetime." - Michael Eisner

Our guest today: Amy Arenz, Founder & CEO of Concero Search Partners, LLC

Amy has been in the search and placement industry for more than 25 years. Due to the high demand for her services, Amy founded Concero in 2010 to increase resources and improve the capacity to better accommodate her many clients. Concero specializes in recruiting sales, technical and go to market talent for high-growth, private and publicly listed technology companies.

Show highlights:

Why picking the right partner is so crucial to your business’s success
Different types of recruiting options & What to look for your particular situation
How to uncover if the recruiting partner is right for you

Why is it important to choose a recruiting partner?

Time Savings:

Too much on your plate
Recruiting is kinda done
Not really knowing what is needed
Grouping too much profile into one person… people that don’t actually exist.
Create more work when you use multiple firms.
Confusing and burning the market
Internal recruiters become process babysitters

What are the options?

Hire multiple firms, Hire an FTE, Hire a contractor, Hire a single partner
How to determine your needs

Challenges in

Single Partner vs Multiple Partners
Single Partner Advantages:
- Learns Company Brand
- Works with the leadership team that they probably hired
- Develop processes that can then be utilized
Broad # of roles - can you fill lots of different positions or just one specialty
Leveraging historical experience

Rick’s Input:

- More is better is wrong
- Retained vs Contingent
  - Dependent on the level of engagement required
  - Higher touch and value in a retained partner

What to ask to determine the right fit for your company

Reporting & Data

Question: How will we know what effort has been put into our search(s)?
Transparency of Process
3-4X pipeline
Weekly reporting
What’s in it for me?

Experience and expertise in the space

Question: What experience do you have in our space? What recruiting tools do you use?
Not educating the firm on the basics of what you do
Have a network
Come in and ramp quickly because of industry niche

It’s not just hiring

Question: Do you have experience in helping a company set up a recruitment process?
Job description
Interview process / candidate experience
branding/messaging

Rick’s Nuggets

Additional questions to ask

What problems do you best solve?
What does your ideal client look like? (independent of our company)
What are the metrics to best define our expectations
- What is your Interview to placement ratio- Every good recruiter knows this!

Key Takeaways:

Find a recruiting partner that provides transparency and gains your trust!
Don’t fall into the trap of the more recruiters the better
Dig into a recruiting partner’s expertise functioning in non-hiring support roles such as recruiting process design and setting up post-offer onboarding

Interviewing 101- Conducting an Effective Interview with Robert Davis of Communities for Cause

Thu, 24 Oct 2019 13:00:00 -0000

The purpose of the interview is to get the truth of who a person is and how they can bring value to the business. Common or conventional tactics do very little to do more than scratch the surface of the individual and so we still make hiring decisions based on likability and bias. Which is why we make bad hires!

The questions that you ask, are the questions that hurt you. Because they are unimpressive and do very little to showcase your organization as outstanding.

This show is proudly sponsored by Vidoori

Today’s Quote:

“Experienced managers interview to qualify. Inexperienced managers interview to disqualify” - Mark W Boyer

Guest Bio:

Robert Davis is the CEO of Communities for Cause. He is a seasoned CEO and entrepreneur who enjoys the challenges involved in trying to run and scale companies. Building the structure and creating the company culture required to commercialize a company's passion and grow business by turning great ideas into concrete, actionable steps that yield revenue, repeat customers, and increased cash flow.

I’ve always been a transparent person who doesn't shy away from conflict. I find great satisfaction in working with teams to identify what may be missing and addressing those challenges head-on to effect positive change and rapid evolution.

Show Highlights:

Preparing for the interview
Conducting the interview

Why is it important?

Interviews are riddled with assumptions - king of all F-ups!
Creating a judgment by the assumption
Bias

Interview preparation

Create questions on the front end and determine “why” you are asking that question

Filter down to the questions the most applicable
Taylor the questions specific to the position
Wants don’t count in the interview process

Qualifications

Personality- can be a qualification
Make sure there is a fit
Skills/experience
View of where you want someone to go from and to.
Growth, mutual path and where the person will fit
Remove likability from the ultimate decision

Preparation

What does the business need?
Align with company values
Prepare questions designed to understand WHO the person is
- Amazon Behavioral method
Do not use the resume as your guide!
Prepare the interviewee on what to expect in the conversation!

Conducting the Interview

Don’t treat interview casually
(no cup of coffee at Starbucks), or meet for dinner alone.
The Start and the stop need to be formal
Perpetuate bad interview practices unknowingly
Group meals are fine
Personal questions- don’t ask (anything about personal lives) If they share, fine

Rick's Nuggets

Interview

Be organized!
- Put into practice a formal structure, stick to the time, provide feedback
Structure
3-5 people for onsite, 45 minutes per person
- Predetermined questions 3-4 max
- Challenging & Take out of comfort zone
- Eliminate questions that elicit canned response
- Behavioral questions are the most revealing… follow up with why, why, why?
- Amazon does it!
- Sample Behavioral question

*Do you consider yourself to be Lucky? (Positive or Negative outlook on life)

Explain
Or Why?

Key Takeaways:

Be clear and concise with yourself on the information you need to extract
Don't make it very personal from your perspective

Recruiting Your Team Before You Raise Capital with Carey Ransom of OC4 Venture Studio & Accelerate OC

Thu, 17 Oct 2019 17:01:05 -0000

Founders, the quickest way to attract investment is to already have a team in place and the wheels in motion. People will join your startup prior to raising capital when they are committed to you as a leader and the mission of the company.

You do not need money to hire exceptional talent. You need to know who the business needs first. Then bring value to them personally and/or professionally based on their pains & desires.

Today’s Quote:

"Teamwork makes the dream work, but a vision becomes a nightmare when the leader has a big dream and a bad team."

- John C. Maxwell

Our guest today: Carey Ransom, President of the newly formed OC4 Venture Studio & Host of Accelerate OC

Carey is an entrepreneurial thrill seeker and company builder, serving team members and customers along the way. He has a founder attitude, even when he joins a business already underway, or take over the reins of a company. Carey excels in business and corporate development, technology and product strategy, marketing, sales, and channel partner development, and has led many startup-to-growth companies to successfully pursue breakthrough business opportunities. He’s done millions of dollars of business via LinkedIn as well!

Today we are going to cover:

Why you should build your team BEFORE you try to raise capital
How to recruit people when you have no money to pay them

Why is it important to build your team before you start to raise capital?

-Sell the idea, gets people excited about it.
Convince people to join, but the employee experience on the inside suck

Where do Entrepreneurs get stuck?

Pretending you have it all figured out is really dangerous
-the opposite of the strong figurehead, being vulnerable
-we are looking for help and we are willing to listen

Rick’s Input:

Best way to prove your company has legs is to have a team
Allow people who are involved to become invested by active participation
- Utilize their talent and keep engaged
“Once I get the Money” syndrome

Mindset:

High ego to start,
Be selfless as you can and give it away.
Want everyone to be a founder in their mind
Being transparent & vulnerable
Not having to make every decision
Not always having to be right

How does one build a team without having the Money?

Create a Safe Environment for people to take risks without penalization
Encouraging risk - leader fails first- set the example

Rick’s two cents:

Network
- Get to know your teammates before you approach to hire
- Understand their career pains & desires
- Look for alignment (do not force it…. Nurture Campaign)
- Plant seeds
Seize the Opportunity
- Ask for help!
- Gain involvement (advisory to start)
- Communicate and keep involved
Allow the relationship to grow & evolve
- Create the ecosystem for each person lean in
Give what you can
- Equity
- Title
- *maintain high integrity

Key Takeaways:

Look at every single person as an investor. Be open to different types of arrangements
Be careful to not oversell/overstate your advisor involvement
Find people who will be really real to keep you grounded. Ultimately the best team wins!

The Challenges & Benefits of Hiring Refugees with Chris Chancey of Amplio Recruiting

Thu, 10 Oct 2019 16:20:31 -0000

We are in a negative unemployment market and there are just not enough workers on the open job market. The solution might be taking a different avenue... Hiring Refugees.

There is great value to expanding beyond your scope of the limited talent pool into unfamiliar waters. Consider people who are motivated, engaged and reliable to elevate company performance.

This show is proudly sponsored by Vidoori

Today’s Quote:

"We must find a way to balance our tradition as a state welcoming of refugees while ensuring the safety and security of our citizens." Bruce Rauner - Former Governor of Illinois

Guest Bio:

Amplio Recruiting is a staffing agency placing refugees into jobs across the US. Chris Chancey launched Amplio in 2014 after moving into a refugee community outside of Atlanta, GA and now leads a team that has placed over 5000 refugees from 40 different countries into full-time employment at over 300 US companies.

As a social entrepreneur, venture capitalist and author of Refugee Workforce, a book articulating the economic impact of refugees in America, Chris believes in leveraging business to create greater stability for the 70M displaced people around the globe.

Show Highlights:

Why refugees make great hires
Dispel some of the beliefs
Provide a How-to guide to locate and hire

Why is this a good pool of talent?

Legal to work
High retention (80% @ 3 months & 70% after 1 year)
Drug-free- zero
Increase of productivity - high growth mindset
- Company's reporting back double quota
Mostly Congo, Burma, middle east

What does a company need to know about hiring refugees?

Language barrier
- They learn English faster when they have a job
- Software to help train
Transportation
- Rely on public trans
- Mostly blue-collar
Only 10-20% have advanced skills
Cultural Awareness
- Diversity welcome

How does a company tap into the Refugee pool?

First, open the culture to diversity thinking
- Are safety and other relevant signs posted in the native languages of employees to assure a full understanding of a safe environment?
- Do you have an intra-company multicultural calendar to avoid scheduling important events or meetings on major cultural holidays?
- In the onboarding process, are materials offered in both English and the employee’s native language?
- Are meet-and-greets, building tours, team lunches, and other activities in place to ease the new employee into a comfortable atmosphere?
- Are training materials or presentations reviewed before introducing them to employees of different cultures to see if anything needs to be modified or explained in a different way?
- Top-down approach
- Promote inclusivity: the focus is not diversity, the focus is inclusivity
- Specific examples:
Systems in place to accommodate onboarding:
- Slow onboarding time: What you would typically cover in two days, with a traditional employee, spread it out over a week or so. It’s better to over-communicate on the front-end than have to make amends for lost time, resources and relationships on the back-end.
- Don’t leave anything to chance: Communicate, communicate, communicate. Be direct with instruction and don’t assume the other person immediately understands. Overstate tasks and ask questions to assess comprehension. Avoid demeaning tones and be patient with questions, and don’t assume employees understand even the most basic cultural norms.
Second, search “refugee organizations near me” on google to connect with local non-profit refugee agencies. They will be willing to educate you on the community and can invite you to local community events. If you share a job description with them, they can help refer to potential candidates.

Key Takeaways:

Recognize the value of refugee community (buy the book)
Connect with your local refugee community
Consider ways you can employ refugees at your company

Stacking the Deck with A-Player Talent with Kevin Lawrence of Lawrence & Co.

Thu, 03 Oct 2019 15:56:03 -0000

Today we are making a commitment to hiring excellence! To do this you must change your mindset, your expectations and your hiring method. The transition away from “best practices”, what everyone else is doing, is necessary to stand out.

Fill your staff with A-players! Develop your B-players into A-players and significantly increase the likelihood that your company will crush it. Today’s insight is the spark to set your standard in building an amazing company.

This show is proudly sponsored by Vidoori

Today’s Quote:

"Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work. " - Vince Lombardi

Guest Bio:

Kevin Lawrence is the CEO of Lawrence & Co. CEOs typically place their first call to Coach Kevin with a crisis to solve. They stay because of his business acumen and no-holds-barred, tell-it-like-it-is style. Kevin’s worked with hundreds of CEOs and executives, helping them to break through business challenges, grow their companies and find personal success along the way.

These experiences inspired Kevin’s book, Your Oxygen Mask First, in which he reveals the 17 habits every leader must know to transcend the perils of success and achieve even more.

Today we are going to cover:

The philosophy behind poor hiring practices (attitude)
What A, B & C players look like
Implementing a methodology to fill every position with A-Players

The all too common Philosophy of most startups

Aspirations are equivalent of a beer league hockey team with NHL aspirations
Entrepreneurs drag mediocre people with them and they wonder why they don't win
In your own business, you don't think it applies to them, yet if they were able to take
Founding entrepreneurs
Don't have good mentors that they

Understanding what the Hiring perspective should be

Most leaders don't scrutinize hires enough
Discipline and rigor around the hiring
The result from hiring quickly in the beginning
As they become a bigger business they use the same methodology
Insanely critical all of the time. Each hire can make you or break you… especially you as a leader

You Must understand this

True A-players are being taken care of…. It is a lot of work to dislodge them. A-players never get laid off.
Patterns of A-players

Rick’s Input:

Treat every hire like it is a Million dollar hire, changes your perspective on time investment to the hiring process
Keep raising the bar!

How do we make the transition to hiring excellence?

You Have to believe that you deserve and NHL caliber team
The belief puts you into a different trajectory
Review each of the key people in the business:
A, B or C player - Philosophy is A to stay
Strive for excellence. With a quarterly portfolio review
Calibrating talent every 90 days. Take action, give feedback, support, development,
-treat your review like an investment portfolio

How to Identify the A player

Crystal clear on what you are looking for- a mathematical job description
Get to know who they are… before the offer. It may take 3-4 hours to dig deep
Understanding character, patterns
Being able to rate someone accurately during the interview
Steps Implementation
Have an expert in the methodology
Require key hire diligence & review the summary report before the hire.
Reference checks- Talk to the managers only…. A-players easily give references and the managers will talk to you
*mediocrity cant find their bosses
*** Default to having an amazing team
Find the smartest people who have built systems and follow them
Earn the right to tweak a system. Systems work when you follow them completely, Humans screw it up.
Relentless execution of the basic principles

Rick’s two cents:

Deep behavioral discussion
Gathering evidence of success
Situational / Hypothetical interviews are a waste of your time!

Key Takeaways:

Need amazing people to create amazing performing company
Deep scrutinization is critical for all hires and promotions - these are million-dollar decisions.
You have to focus on your own strength & Resilience to have sustainable success

Innovation & Growth Requires Your Inner Kindergartner with Summer Anderson of MiROR Partners

Thu, 26 Sep 2019 16:28:36 -0000

The work you must-do if you want to see innovation and growth. This work involves letting your inner kindergartner come out. Because this is when people do their best work!

This show is proudly sponsored by Vidoori

Today’s Quote:

"The Universe is one great kindergarten for man. Everything that exists has brought with it its own peculiar lesson."

- Orison Swett Marden (Founded SUCCESS magazine in 1897)

Guest Bio:

Summer Anderson is the Managing Partner of MiROR Partners. She has been spearheading executive search around the globe. With a proven track record of shaping executive-level leaders, guiding leaders to immediate clarity, and simplifying complex organizational matters, she is a trusted advisor to senior executive clients and candidates at Fortune 500 security, technology, and fast-growth companies. She is known for her solid network of long-standing relationships and as a catalyst for funding partnerships.

Today we are going to cover

Why it is important to let your inner Kindergartner take the lead
How to create an innovative environment
The 3 step process to foster innovation

Why is this Important?

When working together a group of kindergartners outperforms a group of MBA's!
CEO- out of comfort zone. Anytime we are in default, we are not in their best selves,
big mistakes are made outside of our comfort zone and operating in default.
Trust on team is more attractive to everyone
Superstar hired will stay when the environment is safe
Curiosity, wonder, sparks innovation

To create the right environment for amazing things to happen

Have to be willing to prep the soil
Get minds clear enough to operate as a kindergartner.
Being willing to empty yourself rather than fill your head with too much.
Listening with care. I'm gonna get curious about what you said
Squeeze all the nuances out of it

Innovation Codified

1) Build Courage: Leadership must lead with courage in order to inspire trust neither #1 or 2 will occur. If thinking differently and openly sharing ideas isn’t safe, it will never happen. The change begins with you.

2) Review Sacred Cows: Get your team to talk about the taboo topics. Examine your thinking. Get an outside party to facilitate and get to the bottom of ‘why’ things are the way they are. It’s more about thinking different. Apple was excellent about bringing this the forward. This is more about different perspectives. You

3) Add Diversity of thought. Take a long look. Is your team thinking differently? Or are you hiring just to increase your ratio of diverse team members?

Rick’s two cents

Stay true to who you are: If you are a jerk, hire other jerks who can challenge you.
Your best people will leave when they feel unheard

Key Takeaways:

Be willing to look within and start with yourself
Be willing to grow, get ready to help your people grow

Evaluating Your Hiring Record Through Data & Polarization with David Patterson of The Kineta Group

Thu, 19 Sep 2019 19:40:03 -0000

Today we are taking an honest look at your hiring record. Data does not lie!

The success or failure of your hiring is a direct result of your interview process. Everything from the messaging, the experience of the first contact through to the way the interview is conducted determines your hiring outcome. It is NOT money!!

A shift in mindset is needed to understand that people have options and your company is not as special as you think. You need to stand out. You can do this by providing growth.

This show is proudly sponsored by Vidoori

Today’s Quote:

"You have to create a track record of breaking your own mold, or at least other people's idea of that mold." - William Hurt

Guest Bio:

David Patterson is the Founder and Managing Director of The Kineta Group and TheSAPRecruiter.com, and also a member of Sanford Rose, a top-10 ranked world-wide retained search firm (Executive Search Review).

He is The SAP Recruiter, and helps CIOs, IT Execs, and Talent Acquisition Pros hire and retain the best SAP talent in the known Universe. In his 15 years as an SAP Recruiter, David estimated that he personally interviewed between 5,000-6,000 candidates for all levels to include Architect up through the C-Suite.

Show Highlights:

Why it is important to really dissect your hiring record
Understanding what success should look like
Evolve your own unique process into an experience that attracts the right people

Why is it important that you take an honest look at your hiring record

Your Hiring record is the result of your interview process.

What data should be measured?

Number of people interviewed to get to an offer
How many people turned down your offer
Last 10-20 hires

What a record should look like?

Where people fell out… timing issues. The truth about taking too long, dropping the ball, the impressions you are leaving
Self-actualization- following the pack,
Different interview process- repel as much as it attracts. How can I scare people off? (the anti-sell) - The Crossfit sell

Rick’s Input:

Retraction: Video interview is all good … one way video interviews- Bad Idea!
Past performance is a key indicator of future performance
TRUTH: Money is not the reason someone turned down your offer
Data
- First Interview to Placement ratio
- Offers extended
  - Accepted / Rejected

How do we fix a broken Hiring record?

Use the strategy to drive the message.

Be polarizing to attract the people who love you
The majority of people don't get what you do, the ones that do become believers
Finding that career wound…the pain that they have become habituated too. That’s where you pivot!
(but you need to first find those common pains that most candidates in your industry have, as well as develop the skill to elegantly bring that out in people during interviews)

Create a “Special Sauce” where you attract the people you want.

Cult-like following. Special tribe
Don't be afraid to repel the wrong people.
People who are attracted to the mavericks

Assessment of why you hire the way you do.

Not seeing all the right people out there
Based on the job descriptions
View on the JD flows into how to recruit
How you onboard/retain them

Rick’s two cents:

Understand your Candidate
- Accept that you are one of many
Fill the gap in the person’s career
Provide a growth road map
Target specific people and nurture
4:1 Interview to placement ratio

Key Takeaways:

If you don’t want to be just another commodity employer, you need to:

Be willing to take a step back and figure out, fundamentally, the pains, fears, and dreams that drive the people you want to hire (and recognize that you are selling a product that solves a pain)
Be willing to draw pain and dreams out of the people you are interviewing (to see what makes them tick, in their heart)
Be willing to be polarizing and repel as much as you attract, if not more so!

Tapping into Veteran Talent Pools! with Brian Erickson of Vidoori

Fri, 13 Sep 2019 23:59:35 -0000

A lot of companies shy away from hiring veterans because they don’t understand the value that they may bring to the table.

Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Cisco & Walgreens have programs in full force but the majority of startups have yet to really get on board. The diversity in thought that comes from hiring a vet may be the competitive edge that your startup needs to propel your business ahead of your competition.

This show is proudly sponsored by Vidoori

Today’s Quote:

"We hire military veterans because they make great employees. They bring proven technical and leadership skills. They understand teamwork, and they're adaptable. Bottom line, hiring veterans is good for business."

Randall L. Stephenson - CEO of AT&T

Guest Bio:

Brian Erickson serves as the Vice President, Strategy and Solutions at Vidoori, Inc. He leads company expansion strategies bringing the Vidoori brand to the west coast. Brian has over 26 years of experience in Naval Aviation, Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Information Operations, Strategic Programs and sourcing/acquisition. Brian is a retired Senior Naval Officer (Captain/O6) with proven experience and expertise across numerous technical domains bringing a warfighters perspective to Vidoori’s mission of delivering excellence.

Brian holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from San Diego State University, a Master of Business Administration (Financial Management) from the Naval Postgraduate School, a Master of Science (Information Technology) from the Naval Postgraduate School and an Executive Management Certification from the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. Additionally, Brian holds numerous defense and industry related certifications to include: CISSP, GSLC, CISSO, CISSM, DAWIA Level 3 PM, DAWIA Level 3 IT, CKM, ITIL.

Show Highlights:

The benefits of hiring veterans
Challenges in the crossover
What is needed to hire veterans today

Why hire veterans?

Advantages of hiring veterans
Hard workers
Trained
All the same, competencies that civilians do +1
Life experience
Much harder workers, disciplined

Why do companies not hire veterans?

Language Translation - understanding of Military terminology
Skills Mismatch -
Negative Stereotypes / Bias - too rigid, formal, chain of command
- “Alpha” mentality
- Aggression / PTSD / disability fears
Cultural Fit
Fear of future deployments

Rick’s Input:

Military ranking & conditioning
- Diversity in thought
Requires a shift in mindset
Impactful behavior transfers

How to Successfully hire Veterans

Preparation is Key!

Process & Structure
Checklist oriented
Understand rigidity in the government process
Outline the Framework, Training & Direction

Rick’s two cents

Embrace the differences in Mindset
- Seek to understand the mindset
More important to have a structured interview process

Key Takeaways:

Have an established interviewing team that works well together; bring in a technical “ringer” as required to round out the depth and breadth of conversation.
Hire military...highly technical, lots of experience, trustworthy, bang for your buck
Transactional vs relational (stick with relational)

Short Cutting Your Hiring Process Because You Need To Make A Hire! with Kevin Castle of Technossus

Thu, 05 Sep 2019 17:34:17 -0000

Have you ever looked at a resume and thought this person is perfect! Only to find out after you have hired them that the person is a total mismatch to your organization. This is the result of being “Shopping Hungry” for the hire.

This is totally avoidable! By keeping the interview process consistent regardless of who the person is, where they came from you will serve you well!

NEEDING to fill a seat is not enough evidence to warrant making a hire!

Today’s Quote:

"If you take shortcuts, you get cut short." - Gary Busey

Guest Bio:

Kevin Castle is the Managing Partner and Co-founder of Technossus. He is responsible for motivating and leading an organization of technology experts who are laser-focused on exceptional client outcomes.

A highly engaged entrepreneur, Kevin has driven the Company’s strategy and supported the expansion of Technossus’ footprint from one office in Irvine to three worldwide. The firm has been recognized three times by the Orange County Business Journal (“OCBJ”) as one of the best places to work and four times by INC 5000 as one of the fastest-growing companies in America.

Show Highlights:

The pitfalls of being “shopping hungry”
How to avoid this pitfall
A process to cure being shopping hungry

What is “Shopping Hungry” for last-minute hire? Why does this happen?

Challenge - at the time you need to hire someone, you scramble to find them, make a hasty decision and do not go through all the of the checks and rigor to make sure they are the true long term fit and strategic hire for you
Short cut the interview process

Why is it important not to shortcut the interview process when hiring?

Hiring the right culture Fit
Challenge - you hire someone who has the skills, knowledge, experience - but fails to make sure that they are the right culture fit. Hard to deal with, hard to get them out, and often can have a lasting impact of damage made with internal and with external people who interact with your company.
- Personal - hired someone that was not rooted in the same values - meaningful relationships, trust, sincere kindness.

Rick’s Input

The purpose of the interview… The Truth!
Short cuts get cut short … like the quote

How do we solve this problem?

Acknowledge that you were the culprit of the mistakes made
Solution - spend 5-10% of your week passively recruiting. Meet key persons, spend time networking and reaching out to people to learn more about background, desires. When you need to bring someone in, then a couple of friendly calls can get you moving quickly. Networking with people who may know other people like you may hire is a key strategy to get some great referrals
Side benefit - a great way to get market aware (can teach you a lot). Also helps to give you a broader breadth of the skills in the market for the position.
Solution - be clear
Important - to only hire people that represent your values
Trust your gut
Incident - several years back. Hired someone that I just knew was not going to work well. Did not click with me, and could not get through and understand why. I could not articulate what it was that made us not connect. The team was ecstatic in interviewing this person, all thumbs-up, and ultimately hired this person.
What happened - It completely did not work out. Had to let them go and nobody was happy in the end. Did not get the job completed, trust was an issue from the start, had to let them go.
Important - to click with the people who work for you. To start off with a genuine interest in someone is critical for them to be successful.

Having to let someone go who is loved by all - but is not performing

Solution - having metrics-based performance tracking - we have this @ every single level in our organization - where goal setting, outcome, performance can be quantified - at times this ends up having to trump likability which is very difficult for people, companies, for us all.
Have specific questions around the culture.

Rick’s two cents

Performance-based metrics.

Key Takeaways:

Passive recruiting- Network 5-10% of your time
Cultural alignment matters
Trust your gut

Interview Scheduling & Calendar Management Optimization! with Olivia Melman of DigitalOcean

Thu, 29 Aug 2019 13:00:00 -0000

We have all experienced it….Trying to coordinate calendars to accommodate an interview. It is a BIG time suck from someone’s day!

How to eliminate some of the administrative tasks and shift into more productive work that moves your business forward.

Today’s Quote:

"There's a lot of automation that can happen that isn't a replacement of humans but of mind-numbing behavior." - Stewart Butterfield

Guest Bio:

Olivia Melman leads DigitalOcean’s Recruiting Operations team, having joined the company as the People team’s first Program Manager in March 2017. In addition to managing the Recruiting Coordinators, Olivia is focused on automation and collaboration within the full-cycle recruitment process, and owns all data and tooling associated with recruitment strategy. She also manages DigitalOcean's external partnerships with talent acquisition and branding vendors, and runs point internally on headcount planning alongside the FP&A team. Olivia started her career in Financial Services as an HR Management Analyst, and most recently, was a Customer Success Manager for LinkedIn’s Talent Solutions business.

Show Highlights:

The issues around Calendar management
The challenges with just coordinating & scheduling interviews
Solution to optimize your interview calendaring issues

What are the challenges in scheduling interviews today?

My team’s responsible for coordinating interviews -- at a really high volume (averaging 200 hires a year), but the challenge we’ve run into is really how to maximize time in meaningful ways.

Limited interviewer availability and limited candidate availability -- coordinating calendars effectively becomes really difficult
70% of my team’s days are spent browsing Google calendars to schedule interviews (more specifically, onsite interviews where we are bringing candidates in to meet several people from our hiring teams)
Interview scheduling ties to candidate experience, employee experience (hiring teams) and the experience of those on my team (it’s frustrating staring at Google Calendar all day!)

Why is it important?

Time spent where people are not contributing their maximum potential/value to the team -- once you’ve mastered how to schedule, you don’t learn from each instance
At this kind of junior level role, it’s important to me that my teams gaining relevant experience beyond the task at hand (scheduling) -- and is in fact as an operations leader, I need them to gain system implementation experience -- program management and change management experience so that I can effectively delegate down the road
(personally, I want to make sure that everything my team is doing is contributing to their individual growth and development).
Navigate gaps- communication upfront

Rick’s Input:

Always one person- have an alternate
A bench of back-up dancers (interviewers)

How do we solve this problem?

Using a new technology platform to automate interview scheduling and eliminate the “calendar Tetris” of trying to schedule onsite interview panels / back to back interviews.
The tool essentially enables the user to build the interview panel or team (select interviewers, interview duration, format, location -- set times) and then the tool does the work for us by using AI to pull in Google Calendars and find time slots where the selected interviewers are available back to back and for the assigned formats/durations.
Cut to 40% of the time using system administration skills rather than scheduling role (30% time savings)

How did we go about finding a solution?

Discovery and assessment -- figuring out exactly what the workflow looks like now (in terms of people, process, and systems)
People -- do we have the right people executing? Who are the stakeholders? Is that who they should be?
What activities are these individuals working on that isn’t adding value? For example, what is being executed that doesn’t bring 1) learning 2) development or maybe 3) revenue or however YOU define value for your org
Let’s break out those individual activities we identified and first, look internally to solve with automation (an example where we did leverage internal resources was with a web-based candidate resource library -- so that we could stop attaching docs to every email and updating links in a zillion place, just have one link do.co/candidates)
If nothing internally available, then go to market to see what external vendors or technology partners exist
Vendor selection: Speak to DO philosophy on vendor selection (simple and elegant, ability to inform product design, contribute to vendor success) → this led us to Interview Schedule!

Rick’s two cents:

Standardize a process where anyone can step in
- Assign questions to each person in the process
- Evaluate based on the company values
Pre-schedule days for interviews

Key Takeaways:

People, process, then systems -- nothing will work if you don’t have the right people in place
Implementation -- making sure you think through user adoption and change management
Metrics for success -- any time you are investing in automation ($$), making sure you have a clear vision for what success looks like

Internal Marketing is the First Step in Employment Branding & Marketing with Angelo Ponzi of The Ponzi Group

Fri, 23 Aug 2019 00:57:21 -0000

We are talking today about the importance of keeping your people informed about what hiring is taking place and allowing your people to become brand ambassadors!

The benefits of keeping your people informed are tremendous as employee referrals harness the highest ROI. Reduce time to hire (55%), Cost of Hire ($3k), improve the quality of hire by 88% and increase retention @45% (after two years).

This all starts with continually marketing internally first, then expanding outward!

Today’s Quote:

"Internal marketing is probably much more important than external marketing. That's even more true today than it's ever been."

- Tom Stewart

Guest Bio:

Angelo Ponzi is the Founder & President of The Ponzi Group. He is a marketing and branding strategist that works with small to middle-market companies as their fractional Chief Marketing Officer in defining market opportunities, developing competitive profiles, audience personas, brand realignment, and strategies, to strategic, integrated marketing plans that help businesses compete in an ever-changing marketplace.

He focuses on three strategic pillars for success: Insights, Brand, and Plan to develop effective and efficient programs for building enduring brands and sustainable business growth.

Angelo is also the host of the radio show/Podcast, Business Growth Café.

Show Highlights:

Employment Marketing
What is it? Why is it important
How to Structure a solid marketing campaign

What is Employment Marketing?

Promotion of the company’s mission, values, products/services to its own employees

Why is it important?

Improve employee engagement

Problem

What are the challenges facing today

In most companies, this is non-existant
Marketing is left up to recruiting
When it comes to marketing, companies focus externally and do not educate everyone internally.
Internal marketing
Creating brand ambassadors for hiring
Everyone has a role in marketing, and need to get involved in what is happening. Get everyone to embrace what they are doing.
Huge risk of alienating potential hires because they do not know how to market the company. Internal communication, internal operations, functionality
Avoid potential issues

Who’s responsibility is it?

C-suite & Marketing
Recruiting

Rick’s Input:

Internal referrals are your strongest source of talent
Informed employees are continually on the lookout
Required Talent Acquisition & Marketing collaboration
Cultivate a referral program
Brand messages reached 561% further when shared by employees vs the same messages shared via official brand social channels (Source: MSLGroup)
Content shared by employees receives 8x more engagement than content shared by brand channels

Ingredients for good candidate Experience

How to deploy an internal marketing program
Set up a monthly meeting- internal chat or social platform to
Get information to everyone
Make the messaging visible as possible
Internal email
Exposure to marketing materials
Educate employees on how the work they do fits into the overall business to build a better understanding of their contributions.

Steps for executing a plan - Process

Conduct an internal survey to better understand the level of knowledge
Develop an internal marketing plan, similar as you would for external marketing
Empower an individual to be the internal marketing champion...not just an additional duty, but true responsibility with KPI’s

Rick’s two cents

Align recruiting & marketing
Cultivate a referral initiative
Encourage promotion through social channels (Gamify)

Key Takeaways:

Incorporate information about the company, markets and brand into the on boarding process
Update employees at least once a quarter, if not monthly on any changes that can impact their jobs and/or give them the ability to talk about the company beyond their function
Make sure employees are marketed to first, so they are aware of campaigns prior to the external marketing activities. This builds loyalty and inclusiveness among the staff.

Cracking the Bootstrapped Startup Hiring Code with Meetul Shah of DemandMatrix Inc.

Thu, 15 Aug 2019 16:05:20 -0000

Why is raising capital more celebrated than building a business that is actually profitable? It may be a smarter play to join an actual business rather than a "concept company".

A bootstrapped company should be more attractive to people but for some reason, it is not. Today we are out to prove that driving a good business does not require venture capital and You do not need VC money to attract and hire the right talent.

Today’s Quote:

"Bootstrapping is a way to do something about the problems you have without letting someone else give you permission to do them."

- Tom Preson-Werner, co-founder of Github

Guest Bio:

Meetul Shah CEO of DemandMatrix, Inc., is a tech entrepreneur, having successfully built 3 companies prior to starting Demand Matrix. His “entrepreneurial” vision and inspiration comes from his desire to create and bring products to the marketplace that can help solve problems he himself has faced in his career. The combination of his years as a successful entrepreneur combined with his tenure at Microsoft has given a strong shape to his business acumen and technical expertise.

Meetul has been featured in several major publications, like CIO, NYT, WSJ, Washington Post, Huffington Post, Venture Beat, and more.

If you were to ask him to introduce himself in less than 5 seconds, he’d probably just say he’s an idea machine, health freak, and wine lover! He is deeply passionate about Sales and Marketing Productivity given his time working for and selling to enterprise companies like Microsoft, DocuSign, Google, Cisco.

Show Highlights:

Bootstraping! What is it?
Challenges & benefits to hiring in this type of organization
A Process to hire when you do not have money to burn

What is Bootstrapping?

A bootstrap is a business launched by an entrepreneur with little or no outside cash or other support.

Why Bootstrap your company?

When you take the capital, you take more risks in hiring. You make bad hires under the pressure of VC money.
The pressure to hire outweighs common sense.

Challenges faced while hiring

Viewed like you don't have money
May not be able to afford people because salaries are supported by the business.
Lowering standards because people are not biting.
Desperation takes over and you hire whoever you can.
Hiring is misunderstood in startups
False perception- you have money, you hiring
Early-stage it costs the company a lot when you make a bad hire!

Rick’s Input:

VC money opens doors but it
Attracting people who are brainwashed by funding yet you will probably won't get a dime when the company exits

Solutions (what you learned):

As an Entrepreneur, where to Start?

Understanding yourself, who you are
Supplement & compliment people to support core values.
Hiring community understand and can divide and conquer

Structure your process to allow for successful hiring

Hire a really good TA person
Build a recruiting process.
-find a recruiting process, glassdoor
Don't be desperation and be non-bias and do not ignore the warning signs
Badmouthing employer, blaming others, sharing things they should not share (internal information), bad culture, bad boss

Rick's Process:

Determine what the business needs, set performance metrics
Build interview questions to gauge with company value alignment
Formalize an interview structure for “Purpose”
- predetermined questions
- Timed
- Behavioral-based interviewing (like Amazon)
Communication/Feedback channel

Key Takeaways:

1. Know yourself, and the values you care about
2. Pay attention to the warning signs
3. Build a solid business foundation so you can use VC money "as a fuel in the fire" to align incentives/goals

Marie Norman: Give Good People (Candidate) Experience with the 3 C's. Concede, Create, Consistency

Fri, 09 Aug 2019 15:30:46 -0000

People are your company’s most valuable asset. Yet the interview process is riddled with actions to support otherwise.

Common Transactional Interview practices like pre-tests, hurdles, hoops, and ghosting do not attract people. In fact, they repel great people. The truth is, people will judge your company on how you make them feel! … not the offer you present to them.

Today’s Quote:

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”

– Warren Buffett

Guest Bio:

Marie Norman is the Director of Talent Acquisition for Adobe. She leads the Corporate Functions team which includes Global Marketing, Finance, Employee Experience, Legal and Corporate Strategy.

Marie brings diverse and innovative industry experience leading and building scalable talent acquisition teams and HR programs in the areas of Talent Attraction and Acquisition, Workforce Planning, Career Development and Coaching, Candidate Experience, Employment Branding, and Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging.

Her passion lies in motivating, coaching and building successful recruiting teams, employment branded story-telling and delivering a unique, memorable and delightful Candidate Experience to all. She is also an Adjunct Professor with the College of Business at San Jose State University.

Show Highlights:

What is “Candidate Experience”
Things that are downgrading your stock in the marketplace
A Process to drive GREAT candidate experience

What is “candidate experience”?

Candidate experience
The attraction is more about relationship

Challenges facing today

Managers can no longer play a passive role.
Managers disengaged
Don't realize they need to be involved
The ability of the recruiter to continue to market the company for future roles
People Fall through the cracks as the process evolves.
When the candidate is not a top pick, things fall through the cracks and the relationship goes sour
Companies Missing out on quality hires because of quickness.
Quantifiable metrics
Candidate experience scorecard
Explain the position
Time to follow up
Overall experience
Hiring manager alignment with the role
*** Stats for success between hiring managers
Alignment between the manager & recruiter

Rick’s Input:

Transactional Mindset
- Out of sight, out of mind
- Give closure
Talent double standard
Miss-judge talent

How people feel determines how they perform. The purpose of every interview is to get to the truth of who a person is by gathering evidence to support making an accurate decision.

Ingredients for good candidate Experience

How to give a good candidate experience
Define who plays what part.
Recruiter owns the first part
hand off
Hiring manager takes over
Others- interview scheduler, hr admin, systems, career page, job ad itself - technology-driven, ATS systems - non-human elements

Process

Easy submittal/application process
Tracking system
Communications set up immediately after application- within 24 hours
Taking action
Establishing a timeline.
Final disposition
Interview or rejection- communication
Final communication- honor commitment to respond back

Rick’s two cents

Communicate!
Be approachable, break down barriers, hurdles
Be creative: call people who the system screened out.

Key Takeaways:

CONCEDE that the Candidate Experience is a crucial part of your recruiting strategy
CREATE your plan and communicate/train participants on their roles
CONSISTENCY - be sure to be consistent and repeat the process for every candidate every time!

Ryan Malone: Building a High Scale, High Performing Remote Company!

Wed, 31 Jul 2019 21:32:25 -0000

Today we are talking about building a high scale remote company. Try this on for size, a 75-person company without an office! The advantages are different than you might think yet you really must be mindful of who you are hiring.

A remote workforce is a time to talent advantage not a save money advantage

Today’s Quote:

“Most of us spend too much time on what is urgent and not enough time on what is important.” — Stephen Covey

Guest Bio:

Ryan Malone is the CEO of SmartBug Media, which he founded to give clients amazing results and employees a lifetime of memories. Before SmartBug, Ryan ran marketing at several venture-backed and public companies. Ryan enjoys the gym, live music, people watching, and playing terrible guitar. He lives in Orange County with his wife and two amazing daughters.

Show Highlights:

Challenges & benefits of a remote organization
The importance of cultural fit
Interview structure for hiring remote employees

Challenges:

Why??

Building a business is hard enough. Why make it more difficult by building a remote business?

Be part of the team and be part of the family
Hire better and faster by being able to hire talent from around the country
Only option to build the tribe

Talent Strategy:

Recruit ahead- create a waiting list. Always interviewing.

Building a Marketing culture:

People are bought in when they join
Structure work culture
Deep challenging relationships
First people hired should be a marketing/pr person. Attract people who are already qualified to the process.
Peer-based reference reviews prior to the interview. Inbound recruiting, skill survey
Video submissions

Benefits of building a remote workforce:

The talent pool is vast
Work/ life integration-
Flexibility
The world will not end if you are not at your desk

Interview process:

Inbound resume flow (into ATS)
No headhunting
ATS- kicks out instructions to make a video to submit
Schedule an interview
All video interviews, mix of behavioral interviewing
One person focuses on skills, values, tools, cultural
- Look for Clean work environment, evidence of value, perseverance, curiosity
Are you an additive to the culture?

Interview structure:

A 30-minute call with everyone on the team
Flexible work model
Psychological permission be available for your customers/ team but the schedule

Key Takeaways:

Hire marketing & pr first
Use video as a screening tool
Reference peer review early in the process
Designate people to be experts in the interview process
Always be interviewing

Martin Herrington: I'm Down With H1B... Yea, You Know Me!

Thu, 25 Jul 2019 18:17:49 -0000

Going old school with the title, don't judge!

STEM (science, technology, engineering & mathematics) hiring today is brutal as there are just not enough people to support the demand. Without bringing policy into the conversation we are going to tackle the challenge of how to hire around the limitations.

Today’s Quote:

"To maintain their own competitiveness, workers need to attain and stay current on the qualifications needed to advance in a constantly evolving economy." - Elaine Chao - Secretary of Transportation

Guest Bio:

An avid entrepreneur from University onward, Martin Herrington established a service industry business before graduation, partnered a real estate development company, and co-founded The Herrington Teddy Bear Company to move to the United States, creating a multinational sensation. As Chief Financial Officer and Managing General Partner, Martin was responsible for all aspects of the business including Sales, Production, HR, IT, and operations of the corporation before seeking additional challenges. Mr. Herrington holds a very distinguished record of service in non-profit organizations in Canada and the U.S. with his most recent focus growing the Youth Motivation Task Force of Orange County. An entrepreneurial graduate of the prestigious Haskayne School of Business at the University of Calgary with a Bachelor of Commerce, Martin also advanced his education credentials into the Series 7 and Series 66 US Securities Licenses and held the Wealth Advisory Associate role with Morgan Stanley before becoming a Financial Advisor as part of his creation strategies.

Martin is currently a founding partner and Vice-President with TEKCORUS Consulting, a Recruiting & RPO Agency based in Orange County, California specializing in recruiting high tech talent Recruitment Process Outsourcing Services. Martin has been a Toastmasters International member for many years, and speaks regularly at community events, business meetings, and consistently competes in Toastmasters International speaking contests.

Show Highlights:

What an H1 is
The benefits & challenges to hiring
How to effectively hire someone under H1 status

Problem:

What is an H1?

Long Term but not permanent work authorization / visa that is sponsored by employer.

Benefits of Hiring an H1

Already has an h1b-
wider pool of talent
3rd party intervention
Better technical skills/expertise
Better rate

Things to be Aware?

Beware of agents
Lying
Different people showing up for different parts of the interview
H1B is looking for a path to Green Card only

Quirks of Engineers - Knowing the individual to prepare for the interview

Biggest challenge
- -Technically sound
- -asking basic questions
- -build a database of technical questions

How to sniff out the quirks, personality & culture fit

Problem lies where
Creating the right environment for an interview
Knowing enough about your clients to be able to properly prepare candidates for interviews

Rick’s Input:

Hire people who are already holding an H1b- Transfer
Timing is S L O W - elimination of premium processing

Steps to Hire H1’s

First step - Go over resumes

Watch for duplication - some resumes look too “familiar” or even identical!
Look for excessively long resumes - ie. filled with same info. at each job experience

Second Step - initial phone call - screening for good communication skills - can be a challenge and if you cannot understand them, then your client or the team will likely not be able to either

Go over each job experience by asking what they did and what technologies were used - making sure that it matches the resume, dates, etc.
Listen for delays or background talking; candidate should know all details her/himself
Confirm relocation details - do they have friends/family in New City; what is the likelihood that they will actually show up in New City? (ie. verify “Relocation Anywhere” and vet out tire kickers.

Third step - in-person or Skype interview

Making sure the same person from phone call shows up for the in-person/Skype
If by Skype - Watch for lip syncing, other people in the room speaking or signalling;
Screening for communication,

Fourth step - get commitment for duration of contract;

If necessary, contact Agency holding Visa to confirm

Rick’s two cents

Communicate!
No assumptions

Key Takeaways:

Be diligent in your communications
Find out Visa details; request copies of Visa/paperwork; allow extra time!
Coach candidates through interview process

MJ Shores: Artificial Intelligence, Employment Branding & Talent Acquisition … Oh My!

Sat, 20 Jul 2019 00:00:58 -0000

The usefulness or uselessness of AI & Employment branding in Recruiting.

Today’s Quote:

"This is what Steve Jobs understood: Brands are defined not by the best thing on the product but by the worst thing."

- Robert Scoble

Guest Bio:

MJ Shores is a Chief Marketing Strategist and technology trends analyst. With a rich and diverse professional background in public policy, business, and technology, she is sought out for her far-reaching, cross-industry and cultural insights. MJ has been a panelist and keynote speaker at industry and special interest events around the globe. She has been featured in Business Week, Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, China Post, and other media.

MJ developed her expertise through a career that spans working as a policy analyst at a think tank, serving in leadership roles at top global business schools (e.g., Wharton School of Business, UCLA, University of Moscow – Russia), and leading marketing efforts at technology firms (e.g., SaaS software, digital streaming or OTT), and others. She is involved in the local business community, where she is an acting Senior Strategic Advisor for Executive Next Practices (ENP).

Show Highlights:

The role AI plays in employment branding & hiring
What works & what doesn’t
A road map of where & how to invest your time

Problem:

Challenges:

What is the relationship between AI & employment branding?

Your brand is created by the experience people have with your brand. AI helps you determine the truth between your perspective and what the market thinks.
How you brand your company and serve your prospects.

Where is it working?

Routine functions *** open up time for HR to engage with People ***
Extracting data
Automated process for scheduling & auto response
Monitoring your brand for good/bad feedback

Where does it now work?

Tasks that require judgement
Inferences between intent and keywords
Still really in beta, not quite ready for primetime

Rick’s Input:

Administrative tasks
Resume screening- Both fail here
Does not engage people

Solutions:

How to best use AI

Roadmap

Spend $ on Training HR to identify and use technology.
Rely on IT to identify and recommend tools. But IT does not understand Recruiting problems
Start with a simple chatbot to automate scheduling and response to website querrys/candidate questions
Social listening tools- candidate identification/sourcing
Red flag/background check piece as a final step
- ethics & morality of this step

Rick’s two cents

AI cannot replace human interaction!
You still need to pick up the phone and find out the truth
Do NOT rely on tools or resumes to filter people in our out!

Key Takeaways:

Brands are No Longer Owned by Companies (in an era of skepticism of companies and traditional marketing, the voice of potential candidates and the public are central to your brand)
AI Enhances the Candidate Experience & Talent Acquisition
AI Will Enable HR to Become Human Again

Ben Mones- Need to Fill VS. Cultural Alignment

Thu, 11 Jul 2019 16:17:29 -0000

The Battle between your Need to fill a role vs. hiring for cultural alignment.

More thought needs to go into “Who” you are going to hire than “What” you are going to hire. Meaning proven performers with transferable skills, not shiny objects.

Today’s Quote:

“Acquiring the right talent is the most important key to growth. Hiring was - and still is - the most important thing we do.”

- Marc Bennioff, Founder, Chairman and co-CEO of Salesforce

Guest Bio:

Ben Mones is the co-founder and CEO of Fama, an AI-based solution that identifies problematic behavior among potential hires and current employees by analyzing publicly available online information. He founded Fama in 2015 to address the needs of organizations everywhere that are grappling with the challenges of protecting their workplace culture and preventing harassment.

Prior to Fama, Ben held a number of executive roles at a variety of startups in the Bay Area, including Acceleprise, an independent accelerator focused on enterprise technology, where he served as Entreprenuer in Residence as well as Lanetix, a leading provider of cloud-based customer relationship management platforms as director, revenue operations. He also spent two years at content analytics and insights company Chartbeat. Ben has been tapped as a guest lecturer at MIT Sloan School of Management, UCLA Anderson School of Management and USC Marshall School of Business, and has also been featured in CNBC, Fast Company, Los Angeles Times, TechCrunch and the Wall Street Journal. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Vanderbilt University and is based in Venice, California.

Show Highlights:

Why & How culture shapes your business
Ego over common sense- Hiring rock stars
Lessons learned and a structure to follow

Problem:

Why is it important to invest in culture?

Shaping the culture of your business.
Human behavior drives business outcomes.
The virtue of power, ability to destroy or drive excellence
When you need a function desperately filled, how do you balance your need to fill with the cultural value
People want to align with products and services that they are passionate about

Why does Ego make decisions over common sense?

Anybody with a legitimate amount of responsibility makes a difference.

Rockstar engineers, leaders, need to fit into the organization, not the other way around

*** first-time founders Story:

They decided to bring in some rockstars. Someone to groom.
Didn't really fit the culture, demographics, hustle & grit. They went for the big dog name!
Knew almost immediately and he took a position of superiority
Hostile, no empathy… what they thought was not the reality

Lesson Learned

Hired but got rid of that person quickly.

Rick’s Input:

Cultural alignment/values alignment increase productivity
One wrong egg
Hire Performers, not “Rockstars”
- Rockstars

Solutions:

What road map should leaders follow?

Get to know yourselves first. What is important to your business to ensure your success, mission & values to drive success. Team-based decision
Structured interview process. Strong candidate experience, all voices/perspectives are heard in the decision process… treat each person like a new hire from the very moment they get in contact with you
If you think you have talked to enough people, talk to a few more.
- Confirmation bias
Be swift. Hire slow, intervene quickly! A closer look on the first 60 days. Course correct early on! With more transparency
Driving synergy is more important than putting a rockstar in a seat

Rick’s Framework

Treat each Person as if they are your only person
mindset eliminates bias

Key Takeaways:

Human behavior drives business outcomes
Before identifying the talent that can help drive your business forward, critical to dig-in and understand the values and culture drivers within your business.
Intervening and course correcting is an easier option than you might think...terminating a person is a last resort.

Lorraine Ladd: Learning Your ABC's. Always Be reCruiting!

Fri, 05 Jul 2019 21:26:28 -0000

That's right people, today we are talking about our ABC’s!

The reality of the talent market. Creativity and Contact are the keys to winning talent. We are going to clue you in on where the gold nuggets are and why you are missing out on great people.

Today’s Quote:

"Great vision without great people is irrelevant." - Jim Collins - Author: Good to Great, Built to Last

Guest Bio:

Lorraine Ladd is the Associate Director of Talent Acquisition for alliantgroup.

She is an experienced sales and Talent Acquisition executive with a demonstrated history of working in the staffing and recruiting industry. Strong professional skilled in Customer Acquisition, Sales, Executive Search, Customer Relationship and Executive Coaching. Lorraine started her career while in college in radio and was a successful radio morning show personality before deciding to go into the world of staffing and recruiting.

Show Highlights:

Why you should always be recruiting
The Truth about responding to your job postings
Where to find great people now!

Problem:

Bold Statement: Recruiting is easier today than it ever has been!

Why is it important to be continuously recruiting?

Creative ways to recruit talent

Not enough talent - Why?
Low unemployment, not tapping into the right pools
Active candidates

The Truth: where you are missing people … about responding to Ads

There really is enough talent, people are just not tapping into it
A lot of people that are out of work 50-65 can't really find a job as a white male.
Perception: Less flexible , set in their ways

Rick’s Input:

Requirements are FLEXIBLE
Look for reasons to screen people IN
My experiment…. Sent out resumes

Solutions:

Where to find good people now?

Unexpected places to recruit talent
Retail, cold calling, conferences
Using every tactic you can
Pick off the 50-65 talent pool

Rick’s Answer

You are missing the people closest to you
- Applicants, former applicants, former employees
Target Passive Talent
- Requires different positioning
- All about “what’s in it for them”

Key Takeaways:

Always be Recruiting
Hire people, not roles
Network

Steve Higginbotham: Employee Engagement Starts From the Interview. Broken Interview, Broken Engagement!

Thu, 27 Jun 2019 22:13:56 -0000

Engagement!

Well, not the type of engagement you might be thinking of.

Engagement in the business sense. Employee engagement is the one critical element that leads to the success of your business! Which I believe starts from the first point of contact with your organization… yes before someone is hired!

Today’s Quote:

“Not what you say, not what you do but how you make people feel.” - Maya Angelou

Guest Bio:

Steve Higginbotham is the Branch Manager of Volt Workforce Solutions. As an executive business partner and inclusive leader, Steve brings two decades’ of experience leading organizational transformations with leading companies. Changing the way Staffing Companies engage with their customers is vital. Having a deep connection with your business and an inclusive approach will continue to add value through a Total Talent Management partnership. Steve has expertise in Technical Recruiting, Business Development, Technology Consulting and Human Capital Solutions. He continues to deliver immense value to companies and business leaders through his strategic partnerships. Steve believes in a customer service approach for business success.

Steve has experience leading multiple types of organizations from Fortune 100, mid-market, private equity, & VC backed start-ups. In addition, Steve has developed 15 different divisions within eight different businesses while managing large business units & increasing enterprise accounts. His track record includes leading, coaching, mentoring and developing people into highly successful business leaders.

Steve has spent his career aligning business professionals with career opportunities. The value that he brings to companies identify with their strengths and opportunities for growth. Steve's experience coaching individuals helps improve communication. He has also conducted numerous presentations to board members and C-Level professionals with highly respected clients and industry associations.

A people oriented leader who drives business collaborative to maximize team performance while mentoring & coaching individuals through aligned approaches to achieve desired results.

Show Highlights:

What Engagement is, what it isn’t
Why engagement is critical today
How to engage people to create emotional attachment!

What is engagement and why is it important? Engagement

How you communicate with your company

Hiring managers - I want to hire the best talent, retain top talent

What happens in the middle from what you want vs what you are getting

The company gave 3 hours of training, no orientation, on the job training.

Employees responsibility - Who owns engagement??

Problem

3 sides of the engagement - Who’s responsibility is it these days

If a person is not engaged correctly, they are going to bounce quickly… first 30 days.
The company needs to train leaders to be better leaders
The dual partnership between the company's & managers

People leave quickly or they stay and are just there because of the paycheck

Belief in mission, vision values.

Outlining issues that you cannot control

Employee: losing engagement with the job… nothing more that is being contributed

Rick’s Thoughts

Engagement starts with your job posting, email or phone call
Critical in attraction & retention
When you care, you win

Human Contact is the key

1:75 people call back.
There has to be a personal approach.

Steps to maximize engagement

Sources are not recruiters…
Everyone with at least relevant experience NEED to be called
train recruiters on what needs to be asked
Discuss career worth
- Poor career planning. No mentoring, support or growth

Once they start:

Not scaling back on your onboarding process
Social media posts are not onboarding
Clearly, have a process

Train your recruiters

What information to gather
The importance of a conversation
Reward finding gold nuggets!
- Create a hiring bonus for people who were passed over because of a resume but are actually good

Pick up the phone and call people!

Key Takeaways:

Differentiate yourself from the standard hiring process
Create a structured and standardized interview process
Train your employees to be Talent minded

Remember in engagement – how you make the candidate feel is more important – please be genuine in your approach, efforts and ensure timely and responsive feedback – always

Dr Deena Brown: The Hiring Power of Relationship Capital! Or You’ve Been Cat-fished

Thu, 20 Jun 2019 12:00:00 -0000

Offers do not get turned down because of the MONEY… They are turned down because you failed to Understand who the person is and then demonstrate a mutual alignment of career & personal goals to your organization.

The Truth is People turn you down because of the lack of care!

Today’s Quote:

"Truth is, I'll never know all there is to know about you just as you will never know all there is to know about me. Humans are by nature too complicated to be understood fully. So, we can choose either to approach our fellow human beings with suspicion or to approach them with an open mind, a dash of optimism and a great deal of candor." - Tom Hanks

Guest Bio:

Dr. Deena C. Brown is the founder and CEO of DC Brown International, a leadership and growth company created to pioneer innovative strategies that transform organizations into culturally diverse ecosystems.

Dr. Brown’s trademark C3 Blueprint for Success provides a strategic roadmap for organizational leaders to communicate and connect across a multi-generational workforce. Dr. Brown’s body of work includes identifying and remediating leadership gaps that are barriers to innovation and growth.

After identifying a significant deficit of women in key leadership roles, Dr. Brown founded The Leadhershift Movement. The Leadhershift Movement is designed to help women shift the way they think about themselves as women and how they develop and respond as leaders. The Leadhershift Movement provides a safe-space for professional women to get clear about their Why, confident about the What, and consistent about the How.

Show Highlights:

Our approach
How we humanize the process to gain greater engagement
Process to Engage

Approach to talent

What is the problem?

Ignoring the root of hiring. The human factor, the relationship capital
Mindset
Ignore the obvious
Organizational view- transaction
We need to fill the hole
Disconnect on the level of importance for the person they are hiring.
Simple things are ignored…
Dealing with a new population of employees that are looking for more than just a paycheck

Why Offers are really Accepted or Turned Down

We lie
Arrogance & Ignorance

Rick’s Input

Our approach is Selfish

We have become conditioned to believe that the company is the PRIZE
Not the case in this market
Positioning is a one size fits all …. Centered around perks & benefits
Listen to understand, not to respond

Solutions

Being aware
transparent

What have we done about this?

Training
Using the data to support the discussion
Awareness
Brought to the attention & proper training
Learning to remove ignorance
Identify the gaps (pain)
Education shift in mindset

The 3 C’s

Clarity in Vision, Mission, and Organizational Values that paint a clear picture for potential hires.
Consciousness about what today's workforce values such as authenticity and relatability which is more influential than a paycheck.
Consistency in regards to expectations and responsibilities of your workforce.

Rick’s Contribution

Engagement starts before the hire is made
- Too much focus on the money & perks
- What a person desires is far more powerful

Key Takeaways:

Care about the Human relationship
Having clear values … are you who you say you are
Provide growth opportunities to augment or improve a person’s life

Ken Middleton: Thank You for Ghosting Me During Your Interview Process

Thu, 13 Jun 2019 15:42:14 -0000

Ghosting has come full circle now that it is a talent-driven market! There is no excuse for ghosting someone on either end of the hiring spectrum. It is a vicious circle that just breeds ill will.

Frankly, as a recruiter, company ghosting helps us to lure your best people out of your company.

Why do companies engage in such behavior? We are going to figure that out today!

Today’s Quote:

Your brand is your public identity, what you're trusted for. And for your brand to endure, it has to be tested, redefined, managed and expanded as markets evolve. Brands either learn or disappear.

Lisa Gansky

- She was the co-founder and CEO of Global Network Navigator, the first commercial website, which was acquired by America Online

Our guest today: Ken Middleton, DevOps Recruiter of yourdevopsrecruiter.com

Ken M. Middleton spent 10 years working for the largest IT staffing company in the world before deciding it was time to bet on himself. He started YOUR DevOps Recruiter to focus on connecting the best DevOps candidates to the best DevOps companies while evangelizing DevOps to the masses.

One way he accomplishes this is through his YouTube channel, The Dhub Repository, in which he posts weekly DevOps career tips, rants on what bugs him about the recruiting industry, and interviews DevOps SME's on different DevOps topic, in a segment known as DevOps Defined.

I have heard Ken rant about ghosting which is what makes him a perfect guest for today’s show!

Today we are going to cover

What Causes Ghosting?

How to Stop Ghosting

What is the problem?

Clients ghosting candidates.
No feedback or super slow feedback after long extended amounts of time with no updates along the way.

Why might companies’ ghost?

Litigation fears
Running too fast to pay attention
Just lazy, inconsiderate or Arrogant …

What are the causes?

HR representatives being overworked with numerous positions.
Not considering quick and timely feedback is important to the candidate experience.
Not have a clean process in place to follow up with ALL candidates, not just the ones they want to hire.
Not giving a sh*t about candidates who they don't want to hire and just letting it fall by the wayside b/c of a feeling of superiority and snootiness towards candidates that apply to them. (i.e. they came to us for a job, right?)

Rick’s Two Cents

Communication

Ghosting occurs on the company side when companies are unsure about a person.
- Interviewers do not know the right questions to ask, how to dig so they did not gather enough evidence to make a decision.
- The key indicator of a bad hiring process.
- No clear structure on the information that needs to be extracted
- Without direction, people fall back on what they know.

Side Note: Your Bad Glassdoor reviews are a recruiter's best friend… How to treat people interviewing at your company

Solutions

Stop having your HR representative work on so many positions at one time - Prioritize what's important...not what you MIGHT need down the road or later.
Create an automated process to respond to applicants - There are CRM's that have this functionality where you can send multiple emails to candidates. Avionte, what I use, is able to do this.
Create a better follow up process for quick feedback - Schedule the feedback meeting within 24 hours of the interview. Don't let it happen by chance. It needs to be planned and everyone has to understand the importance of it.
Create standards for feedback to all candidates and an update process/rhythm - Just because you don't have an answer doesn't mean you shouldn't communicate with your candidates. At least once a week is a good rhythm that will keep them engaged and protect your company's brand to not be a "ghoster."
Give a sh*t - Not Just because it's the right thing to do but because it protects/helps your company's brand and ability to recruit in the future. Understand that feedback is part of the candidate experience (some would argue the most important since primacy and recency (first and last) is often what people remember about most experiences)

Rick’s Process to eliminate ghosting

Eliminate the transactional mentality
- Protect your company brand
- Understand the Reality of the Talent Market
Breed the right culture
Communication, gather feedback quickly *** Realtime Feedback!!
Process for quick decision making & feedback
- Lead person monitoring the interview (founder, HR, Recruiter, Admin)
- Build in Knock-Out questions
- Debrief each interviewer as they exit the interview. (Max 10 minutes) - add that to the managers calendar
  - Evidence to support a “No”
- If they dont pass the knockout, let them go

Key Takeaways

Feedback (good or bad) is super important to candidates and if you want to attract the best talent and protect your company brand you need to get great at delivering this in a timely manner.
This doesn't happen unless you make it a priority as part of your candidate experience process, and if you don't think you have a process, you actually do and I'm pretty sure it's BAD.
We all need to CARE more. Looking for a job is sometimes one of the hardest and most difficult times in someone's life, and we need to treat people with that in mind in relations to our interactions, as opposed to just focusing on fill another job for your company.

Anderee Berengian: Hiring Good People is Hard....Not if You Hire for Culture First

Thu, 06 Jun 2019 13:00:00 -0000

Here’s a shocker for you guys today… Hiring Good People is Hard! Or is it? Maybe we just make it hard on ourselves because we make compromises based on need.

Today we are going to take you on the hiring journey of one startup who have managed to beat the odds to build amazing teams.

Today’s Quote:

“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” - Winston Churchill

Guest Bio:

Anderee Berengian is Co-Founder & CEO at Cie Digital Labs, an interactive development firm and Managing Partner at RezVen Partners.

With more than 20 years of experience steering corporate and product strategy, Anderee is an accomplished entrepreneur, technologist, and investor passionate about driving progress through digital innovation. At Cie, Berengian is responsible for building a world-class execution-focused team and growing Cie’s digital transformation ideas into sustainable, profitable companies.

Show highlights:

What really makes hiring hard
How to make hiring easier

Problem:

“Organism rejects the thing that doesn't belong”

So why do we hire people that are wrong for our companies?
- Used to screen - look at Skills first
Are we truly interviewing and hiring for culture?
*** Biggest pain point is time- Interview 10-12 to get a hire.
Streamlining the process to save time

*The top dictates the culture

Check for cultural & skills fit
Make people comfortable .. Casual setting, get a much better sense of who they are and how they will fit.
*** Bring back for social interaction
Foster a lot of team-based interactions
-heavy screening for culture
Promoting people who propagate the way they think and execute

Rick’s Input

Difference between Culture & Perks
Culture is what happens when no one is looking- how people interact, treat others
The icky stuff

Solutions:

What needs to happen in the interview process?

The shift in recruiting to tell the story very clearly.
The person can self select very quickly if they want to join.
A structured process, lead drives the process
The interview process for onsite
Technical- screened, test-
Artistic-
Recruiting team-
Bring in to interact with people.
Meet with people in their department, adjacent teams,
Offer stage-
Had one candidate they really wanted, lost to another offer

Rick’s Input:

A deeper level of understanding/vetting on the front end… ie: phone screen, recruiting call, introduction
Target no more than 3-5 people to bring onsite for an interview. If #1 is a fit, hire! no need to comparison shop

Key Takeaways

Build right so the organism rejects what doesn’t belong. Look for the cultural fit first
Take your time hiring. Hire slow and then if you need to make staffing changes, do it quickly.

Shane Bernstein: Removing the Obstacles (Comparison Shoppers) that are Slowing Down Your Hiring Process!

Thu, 30 May 2019 14:03:40 -0000

Attention comparison shoppers... waiting to see a “few more people” to compare before deciding to hire? Bad Idea, Time kills hires!

Riddling your interviews with randomly placed hurdles is just madness. Making the interview process challenging is essential but there is a correct order to the journey you create. Each step in your interviewing process must be intentional.

Today we are going to help you bring order to your interview process.

Today’s Quote:

"Comparison is a thug that robs your joy. But it's even more than that - Comparison makes you a thug who beats down somebody - or your soul."

- Ann Voskamp

Guest Bio:

With the resurgence of Big Data and AI, Shane Bernstein realized the tools needed to scale the effective outreach approach were finally available! His C-level customers were continuously frustrated with no viable and consistent solution, and unable to build the teams they needed in order to have the global impact each of their businesses required. So Shane founded Rolebot.

Utilizing the power of AI, he and his team have developed software enabling companies and staffing firms to reach their goals and measure ROI. As a result, Rolebot eliminates the way in which we traditionally pre-qualify talent, from days/weeks to seconds, and increases recruitment output and engagement results by 10x.

Show Highlights:

What is making it impossible to hire Great people
Over Interviewing- How much is too much
Efficient Solution to come to a decision quickly

Problem:

Over interviewing is a direct result of Not having a solid hiring Structure

Clarity of Intention
Clarity of Values, Cultural & Skills Alignment
Not Knowing how to ask the RIGHT Questions to gather clear evidence to support a decision

Where are the Obstacles?

Over interviewing makes it harder to get the hire.

Timing (time kills placements)
Too much time kills interest.
Time allows time for competitors to steal… not an if, but a when
Feedback channel

HR prescreens

HR assesses for culture fit.
The Team should screen for culture, not HR
Take home assignments- Give BEFORE you get… mentality
Pre-screen is a big waste of time.

What is Over Interviewing?

Reality vs. Perception

Comparison Shopping
Hurdles - Mindset Issue (You are not the only pretty girl in the bar)
Demonstrates weak leadership
Feedback channel. Is slow when the process is slow

****people hire on gut feeling…

Rick’s Input

Why? Company does NOT have a strong interview structure
Treat each person as though they are your Only option!

Solutions

The Set Up

Recruiter - recruit & ask questions
Is the recruiter/hiring manager bringing value?
Manipulate time to gain accepted offers
Someone needs to own the process

Interview Process

Two step process

Phone interview - lead, manager (not recruiter or HR)

Credentials
Technical skills assessment
Skills-based conversation run by a team member

Onsite

Get it done in 1 day… do not bring them back
Has to be vesting on both sides.
Have a hiring team & a process in play
Put the decision makers and the people who will have to work closely with them
Make sure the people can sell the position & the company
Be able to sell: Why should I take this role?

Rick’s Input

What’s in it for me???
Phone Interview Establish -Why, Cultural Alignment, Impact
- Point person (CEO, Founder, Recruiter (not a farmer)
Onsite
- Timed
- Structured (3-5 person Interview team)
- Challenging
- Knock Out Questions- aligned with Core Values
A decision in 24 hours!

Key Takeaways:

Assess the current process, does it align with the current marketplace, what ROI does each component bring, what is % of rejected offers, etc…
Figure out what must stay, what can be omitted, or moved around and integrated
The goal is to strike the right balance for your organization

Marinela Gombosev: An Alternate Route for a Startup to Hire Salespeople

Thu, 23 May 2019 19:09:29 -0000

Alternative ways to hire salespeople when your company is getting started. Sales are the lifeblood of a company but what do you do when you need to grow revenue but have a limited budget? You get creative. Today we are talking about an interesting alternative to driving sales in the form of Independent sales reps.

Today’s Quote:

"Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, 'Make me feel important.' Not only will you succeed in sales, you will succeed in life." - Mary Kay Ash

Guest Bio:

Marinela Gombosev is the President & COO of Evoke Neuroscience, a commercial-stage diagnostic company focusing on early detection of Alzheimer’s and other dementias with a vision of ultimately eradicating dementia. Marinela is a roll up the sleeves leader who strives to work across all levels of the organization, lead from a place of authenticity, and effectively represent the company to its clients, partners and investors.

Over 50,000 patients have been assessed using Evoke’s technology and under Marinela’s leadership, the company has twice been ranked in the Inc. 500|5000 fastest-growing private companies.

Show Highlights:

The good bad & ugly of hiring independent sales reps
How to hire them in the most efficient manner

Problem:

Why hire Independent sales reps?

Independent manufactures reps?

Upside
- No money to spend, a great way to get growth
- Don't pay anything until they close a deal
- Fast
- Rephuner.net
Downside
- Control or visibility
- Way to monitor, don't want to be managed
- Misunderstand the product, regulations, Get burned a lot
- Can put you in a legal liability
- Misrepresentation of contacts & skills

Solutions

How do you hire them?

Dirty secret: You are buying their relationships
Hiring because they are trained. Many are pretty bad. Where she has been successful are the ones with relationships. Once they sell their relationships.
Similar types of products.
Who are your call points? Personal network? Other reps that work with you?
Place an ad and make sure profile is written for reps
Who are you selling to, what are you selling, how much $ am I going to make

Schedule call

Evaluate call points
Level of interest
Product Understanding
Amount of time they can invest
How many other clients they have
- Where am I on the priority scale

Hire

Sign NDA
Disclose comp plan
Sales rep agreement

Comprehensive Training Plan

On boarding program & test
Access to all the training materials

Rules

No exclusive territories
Lead registration program / lead protection
Demo product
Short term play once the network is exhausted they usually burn out
Internal expertise helps to close leads
*One to Two phone call hire
3-4 hour time investment per person
Product margins to support it
A revolving door of recruiting. Have to constantly recruit
Need 50 because most of them are not selling
80/20 rule
*** Prepare for a love/hate relationship

Angel Iscovich: Routine Hiring is Great for Business!

Thu, 16 May 2019 17:47:39 -0000

We are hard-wired to follow a routine. This is why we perform certain tasks better throughout various times of the day. So designing your hiring routine to follow a person's optimal performance is crucial making the right hiring decision.

Understanding and evolving your personal and company routines are vital for attracting talent!

Today’s Quote:

"Celebrate life in all its glory - challenge yourself to let the routine sing, and the new dance." - Maximillian Degenerez

Guest Bio:

Conventional wisdom suggests the best way to navigate our noisy new world is to accept change: Open up to novelty. Go with the flow. Embrace the relentless pelting of content minute by minute. Dr. I. is here to say this is not the best way to journey through our lives — and in fact, may go against our very nature.

Dr. Angel Iscovich is the President of Inflexion, LLC and the Author of his new book: Routineology: the Art and Science of Routine. Find out more on his web page www.angeliscovich.com and Routineology for Instagram and Doctor I on Twitter.

The crux of Dr. I’s book is that humans not only require structure, they thrive in it. From the womb to the tomb, we create and recreate numerous dynamic “Time Bubbles,” offering us meaning, fulfillment, and purpose. He is excited to show how implementing routine in one's life can lead to better, health, joy, and fulfillment.

Show highlights:

The science of a routine
Benefits and negatives of a routine
Build a strong routine into your hiring practice

Problem:

What is a routine and why does this matter?

The science of a routine

We are wired for regularity
Change is not necessarily good for us.
Routine is boring because you are doing the wrong things, wrong habits

Leadership

Importance to develop regularity, routine & structure
Routines become rituals and rituals drive the culture of the company
Doing things regularly enhances performance

Solutions:

Personal Routine

Make a routine of spending 45 minutes alone - reflecting
- Turn off the data, social media
- Especially if you are being creative or making a big decision
Wired to regularity: being smart about what we do and when we do it
Knowing your Circadian rhythm
Technology is not able to replace Humanity, “Techmanity”, or how we are wired, is important in hiring talented people.
Company rituals need to be re-engineered to meet the needs of the people

Interview & work productivity routine

Task-related activity 8-10 am
People Engagement 10-12pm (people are most social)
Postprandial dip after lunch recovery time (task-related)
Cortisol levels drop by 3 pm (Starbucks coffee, tea time) - Innovation time
- Least productive time - the body needs an energy boost
- Good time to meditate
- NOT a good time to interview!
- Great time for Innovation though... brainstorming
Another hour of productivity 4-6pm
Send people home at 3 pm and log on for another hour of work at 7 pm
*Optimal interview time between 10-3

Rick’s Input

Hiring routine with the purpose of being impressive
Interview people when they are most

Key Takeaways:

We are wired for Regularity and our unique Routines in themselves give us meaning and purpose.
Our Circadian Rhythm provides us with when we are at our best and when we can be most productive.
We need leaders to make for stable environments for our team members that create Routines, Rituals, and our Company Culture.

Lee Caraher: Boomerang Hires Knock Out All Others!

Thu, 09 May 2019 13:30:00 -0000

Is it a good or bad idea to hire former employees back? In today's job market, people may exit a company to experience life at a startup, change industry, or even go back to school. So why would you have a no-return policy?

Jack Dorsey left Twitter to found Square between his two stints as CEO of Twitter. And Steve Jobs was a boomerang hire. We need to start treating departing employees as future brand ambassadors, potential customers, hiring references, and even boomerang — returning employees.

Today’s Quote:

"There is nothing like returning to a place that remains unchanged to find the ways in which you yourself have altered."

- Nelson Mandela

Guest Bio:

Lee McEnany Caraher is the founder and CEO of Double Forte PR & Digital Marketing, a 15-year-old national agency that works with beloved and up- and-coming consumer,technology, and wine brands. An acclaimed communication strategist, Lee is known for her practical solutions to big problems. Lee has a reputation for building cohesive, high- producing teams who get a lot done well and have fun at the same time. She is a straight talker who doesn't hold too many punches, although she does her best to be pleasant about it. Her big laugh and sense of humor have gotten her out of a lot of trouble.

The author of Millennials & Management: The Essential Guide to Making it Work at Work, Lee based the book on her experience with epically failing and then succeeding at retaining Millennials in her business. Her second book, The Boomerang Principle:Inspiring Lifetime Loyalty From Employees, published in 2017, is a pragmatic and actionable guide to creating high-performing work cultures ready for the future (available on Amazon).

Lee is a popular guest expert on leadership, intergenerational workplaces, public relations, crisis communications, social media and integrated marketing. She splits her time between San Francisco and New York City, and puts her medieval history degree to work every day.

Show Highlights:

What a boomerang hire is
Why you should absolutely integrate this practice into your talent acquisition process
How to acquire boomerang hires

Problem:

Why would you hire someone again?

If they come back to you it means they liked it there
Not going to hire them for the same job
They will be even more valuable to your company the second time bring something of value to your company
Take less time for them to come up to speed 2-4 months (up to 12 months for new hires)
Boomerangs are the highest performing hires at google
More than 45% of millennials say they would absolutely return to a former employer

What would make someone eligible for rehire?

Anyone who leaves in good standing
Building loyalty beyond employment

Rick’s Input

Already familiar with the culture
Boomerang trend pioneered by millennials
Rehires are less risky-
- would not choose over someone outstanding (rockstar)
The decision should be made based on the exit interview

Solutions:

Mindset:

Understanding why people left

Take a long view

When they leave

Be happy for them
Never counter
Ask “how can I help you?”

Steps to create a re-hire program:

Create a program or environment - keep in touch with the people who left on their own volition

Set up an Alumni program (company run) facebook group (not a Linkedin group)
Content engagement

Keep the universe up to speed with what you are doing….media relations

Birthday card
Share wins

Interaction… stay close to the universe of potential

Hiring- share new roles with the alumni group letting them know that hey can came back.

How is Onboarding different?

Rick’s Input:

Why did people leave in the first place
- One survey found 70% of employees say job related training and development opportunities — or lack thereof — impacted their decision to stay at their job.
- Growth & training
- Leadership does not have their back
- Trust - transparency, communication, investment (not perks)
Consider re-hiring people who left due to a poor leader (toxic executive)

Key Takeaways

If we aren’t open to hiring former employees you are SHRINKING your potential talent pool of great employees
Everyone who leaves you can hurt you or help you. Do everything you can to let them help you! Help you find new employees, help you spread the word, help you find good partners.
Take the long view – your business will be BETTER all the way around if your employees are loyal to you – NOT because you pay them but because they WANT to. And then every time someone leaves the company you are actually GROWING your footprint not shrinking it.

Mitch Balzer: Comparison Shopping has No Place in Your Hiring Process!

Wed, 01 May 2019 14:30:00 -0000

Not making a decision quickly is one of the biggest mistakes a hiring manager makes. Often the fear of making the wrong hiring decision leaves people in limbo and ultimately turns them off from working at your company.…....Wanting to see a “comparison candidate” is a clear indicator of a broken interview process!

Today’s Quote:

"Passion provides purpose, but data drives decisions." - Andy Dunn - CEO of Bonobos

Guest Bio:

Mitch Balzer is the Co-Founder & Executive Vice President of Agema Technology Inc, an Orange County based Professional Services focusing on enterprise business systems like Oracle and SAP, Virtualization, and IT Security. Since starting Agema in 2012 he has overseen many of the Fortune 500 clients in the Information Technology, Government, Insurance, Finance, Utilities and Oil & Gas industries ultimately delivering a 77th ranking on the Inc. 500. Prior to Agema, Mitch started his career with a national, publicly-traded technical services firm rising quickly through the ranks. In 2002 he helped start another staffing company driving revenue and delivering a top 100 Inc. 500 ranking before departing to cofound Agema. Mitch Balzer and Agema also hold a Secret Clearance.

Show Highlights:

The Comparison Syndrome
Why this is detrimental to your business
How to structure your process to avoid this costly mistake

Problem:

Why is this important? FEAR

Fear of a bad hire for a mid-level manager.
Want to see another resume, comparison candidate
**Making a decision on the hire - biggest mistake a hiring manager makes!
Setting expectations- pre-commitment, you trial close a candidate (at least you should be) when you have them interview by asking will you take this job if offered? You need to do the same with the hiring managers, if a great candidate that fits X, Y, and Z comes in tomorrow can you offer them the job right away?
Ham & Egg - one good resume with one the recruiter knows isn’t a great fit
Resources

Why this is Bad for your business?

Ramifications of waiting – time kills all hires
Outcome - sent lesser people
Prioritization of the roles – your openings will be a much lower priority whether its an external or internal recruiter

Rick’s Input

Stalling the process kills Momentum, Interest & Engagement
Result of poor planning
- Defining “WHO” is needed
The reason you are unsure is due to the poor interview techniques/process
- Gathering the right EVIDENCE in the interview

Solutions:

How to Structure for a decision

Who has the ultimate authority to make the decision?
- Disconnect in communication and should be involved in the process
Clearly defined process. Get commitment to timelines on resume review, interview scheduling/process, and feedback and final decisions on a candidate.
Feedback channel (ghosting)
Pulling the trigger! Close, Close, Close

Everyone wants to go to heaven but nobody wants to die -Tom Delaney… you all want the best candidate but you can’t be afraid of making a decision.

If you are not sure… try contract to hire or hourly w2 consultants
Don’t treat people like everyone else. Keep it tailored to the individual
- As a recruiter or service provider ask your clients what turns you off and then make sure you don’t’ do that?
- Also, make sure you know how you can provide the most value to them.

Rick’s Input

Mindset:
- Approach each person with Intention to Hire
- Only Choice
- Easier to say Yes than No
- Plan & Know what you need
- Structure the interview to surface:
  - Cultural / Values alignment
  - Evidence of transferable accomplishments/impact
  - Skills
- Behavioral interview structure to make a data-driven decision
Communicate: pace, timing & what happens next
Unsure?... follow up call to address the issue (next day)

Key Takeaways

The harsh reality is that all sales/hiring processes have a cadence. If you have properly qualified your target, and then stay within that cadence, there is a reasonable chance you’ll get to “yes.” But if not, you are almost certainly going to, eventually, get to “no.”

Diane Lee: Interviewing Etiquette Brings Out the Truth

Fri, 26 Apr 2019 18:35:50 -0000

No longer can you, Mr. Hiring manager, get away with bad behavior in an interview and think you will be able to hire the person across the desk from you. When your offer gets turned down and you think it was because of a higher offer, know that was probably not the case. It’s you, not me!

Today’s Quote:

"Etiquette means behaving yourself a little better than is absolutely essential." - Will Cupp

Guest Bio:

Diane Lee is a foremost expert in providing professionals, specifically millennial workers, with the business etiquette best practices needed to successfully present themselves in the workforce. Diane founded Street Smart Etiquette in 2011 to empower millennials beyond the theoretical, offering hands-on workshops and individualized etiquette courses to help them master business soft skills, and ultimately achieve career success. She has conducted business etiquette classes on California State University campuses at Fullerton, Long Beach and Northridge, along with El Camino, Long Beach and Pasadena community colleges. Diane has been a featured speaker for many Los Angeles and Orange County community, civic and business organizations.

This venture builds on Diane’s successful career in journalism and business marketing. After graduating from California State University, Long Beach, with a degree in public relations and business, Diane made a career in Maui, Hawaii, where she played many roles in the hospitality industry and television, and was a freelance writer. In the consumer food product industry, Diane expanded the production and distribution of many Hawaiian brands throughout the Pacific Rim and western United States, and achieved millions in annual sales for her clients.

After relocating back to the Los Angeles/Orange County area in 2008, Diane found herself at the Disneyland Resort, where she discovered her passion for training and development in the Guest Relations department. That’s where the light bulb went off and the urgent need for interpersonal communication skills was identified. Diane earned her credentials as a certified trainer at The Protocol School of Washington, and is also a certified training designer through the Association of Talent Development (formerly ASTD).

Show Highlights:

Why it is important to develop your interviewing etiquette
Provide a checklist on what to do first

Problem:

Why is this important?

The market is demanding it
- Evidenced by turn downs

How should you treat people in the interview?

How do you get someone in the right mindset for your interview
Get people comfortable
Mindset: get the best out of the person by giving them the most
- Charismatic listing
Good first impression & look credible
- Duschene smile - smile with your eyes!
- Offer a drink of water
Be punctual:
- Discuss & contrast - 10 minute cutoff
Story Bad experience:
- Kept waiting 45 minutes & had Dodger game on the whole time

Rick’s Input

The people you are trying to recruit are the decision makers (Sellers Market)
An accurate picture of what daily life is really like. Own your culture
Be present

Solutions:

How does a hiring manager use Etiquette to their advantage?

Here is a checklist of what to do to maximize your interview experience.

Greeting
- Personal presentation- etiquette is making the other person feel comfortable
- An air of credibility, one chance to make a first impression
Remember the person’s name
5 minutes of small talk
Ease the nerves
Then get into the meat of the conversation
Art of listening- leaning into the conversation
Your Physical Cues
- Body posture, body language,
- 70% of people fail the interview due to lack of eye contact & smiling
Charisma- everyone should walk out feeling like they really want to work for you
Setting the person up for success - preparation, sending email re Parking.

Rick’s Input

Approach each interview with Candor & Curiosity
Hiring manager needs to set the example by being prepared
No cell phone

Key Takeaways:

Prepare for the interview, read & organize your info & questions. Check your personal presentation
Make a genuine smile, positive body language, eye contact and active listening techniques automatic habits
Get the most out of your time by ensuring the candidate is comfortable and you are relaxed & focused
Set your candidate up for success with appt details, beyond time and place, such as expectations, as well as, traffic & parking tips to alleviate pre-interview stress

David Ferguson: Do Personality Assessments Create Lazy Interviews?

Thu, 18 Apr 2019 19:55:26 -0000

Do personality assessment tests really work? We are going to discuss the why, when & how to give assessment tests. Personally, I am not a big fan because they do nothing to develop the human connection which is so important in today’s hiring landscape.

Today’s Quote:

"Body language and tone of voice - not words - are our most powerful assessment tools." - Christopher Voss

Guest Bio:

Founder and original software developer, David Ferguson, was born into a manufacturing family by virtue of his father, the owner/operator of a fabrication job shop that still operates today. Now, with over 25 years of experience working in and writing software for the fabrication industry, David is considered an expert in the job shop arena. A sought-after speaker, he has consulted with numerous manufacturing companies around the globe, guiding them to become more efficient and cost-effective.

In the early 80’s, David created and sold his first computer program, Arrow Data Systems, a CAD/CAM system for the Apple IIe computer. During this time, he observed his father coming home late each night, only to begin the estimating process for his shop. David saw an opportunity to automate the estimating process using technology. As a result, the “Quote It” estimating package was born, becoming one of the leading sheet metal estimating packages in the world. Shortly thereafter, wanting to expand its capabilities, David developed the FabriTRAK Production Control Package. Over the years, it had been licensed to both METALSOFT and Amada America.

By the end of 2007, David had regained control of all FabriTRAK licensing agreements, completely re-wrote its production control offering, creating MIE Trak Pro. MIE Trak Pro is a state-of-the-art ERP system ideally suited to manufacturing businesses. It was designed to accommodate most production cycles and optimize the capabilities of repetitive, custom, quick-turn, and mixed mode operations. To launch his newly optimized program, he partnered with Don Clutter and founded MIE Solutions.

Since its inception, MIE Solutions has grown over 500 percent. In addition to North American sales and support locations, MIE Solutions operates offices in Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.

Show Highlights:

Are personality assessments worth the time?
What are the true results you can expect

Problem

Personality Assessment Tests - Why should they be given
- Measuring against what you are looking for in a person.
- personality, Based on traits they think will be successful.
- Screening tool
Do they damage the personal connection?
Cultivate the transactional relationship?
Create a lazy interview process?
What if you are wrong about the traits?
Judge against the company values?

Rick’s Input

Assessments are not an identification tool
- The best tool is still a conversation
Assessments are Transactional
- If used too early in the process, kills the human connection
Personality traits do not ensure a successful hire
Great to tell you how to manage after they have been hired!

Solutions

Order in which tests should be given & Why?
- When should tests be given
For skills, onsite after talking to a live human and engaged
For personality, at the end.
How should they be given

PXT test - cultural fit

Provides more confidence in the hire.

Felt confident in a hire even though the personal side was not as clear
Additive to what they feel they can do
Flags people who give contradictory answers

Willingness to take the extra step has really amplified the level of quality and the people they hired

Results for David’s company

Lower attrition
Better employee treatment based on their understanding of the individuals
Management tools for the tenure of the employee
The exam is essentially the behavioral test?

Rick’s Input

To Judge against a cultural fit, you must know your corporate values first!
HUGE mistake - when company’s use it too early in the interview process.
Must have a person emotionally engaged first

Key Takeaways:

The assessment is just another tool in your arsenal
If you are not comfortable with it, don't hire the person (rash decision)
Don’t be rushed. Hiring is not an emergency

Anthony Camacho- Sniffing Out Excellence When Hiring Salespeople

Fri, 12 Apr 2019 14:00:00 -0000

The average annual turnover in sales is 25 to 30%. That is the equivalent of hiring & training the entire Sales organization every 4 years! How do you know you are hiring a good salesperson? Why you look for evidence of success that is transferable to your organization. Today we are going to really help you sniff out the correct information to hire the right talent.

Today’s Quote:

"There are worse things in life than death. Have you ever spent an evening with an insurance salesman?"- Woody Allen

Guest Background:

Anthony Camacho is the Founder & CEO of Top Producer Factory. Having worked with start-ups to $40 million ‘small businesses’, Anthony is a sales and performance mentor to everyday entrepreneurs as well as Fortune 500 companies. He has personally cold called millions of dollars in sales, using techniques and strategies which he freely shares from the stage. A former Dale Carnegie Coach and certified sales coach through the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching, Anthony, 37, has 20 years of experience in cold calling, generating new prospects, bringing in new business, closing deals and managing sales teams.

Working with corporate clients, executives and small business rockstars; Anthony is currently on tour in the United States and Australia, delivering sales and leadership seminars and keynote talks.

Based in Southern California, Anthony – a father of four girls – is also a yogi, pursuing the lifestyle of Bikram Yoga in his downtime.

Anthony is the Author of 3 x best-selling books (Buy them on Amazon.com ») Anthony Camacho® has presented at more than 500 live events including TedEx style talks, workshops, seminars, Expos & industry-specific conferences. He has been a speaker/emcee for:

Habitude Warrior Conference (Erik Swanson)
Evolution Seminars (Matt Brauning)
Free to Bounce (Paul Cummings Worldwide Enterprises)
Guest lecturer (University of California, Riverside)
Miss West Coast Beauty Pageant
Corporate America including Fiesta Insurance Corp and Excellence Real Estate Empire
REEMA Beauty Charity Events
Various Chamber of Commerce

Show highlights:

How to identify great salespeople
How to sniff out the frauds
What to do in the interview process

Problem:

How do we identify great salespeople

Both parties need to be prepared. The interviewee should be asking about growth, opportunity, and professional development. Rate people on the quality of questions they ask.

How they interview? No structured interview process. Sometimes they just want a body… mentality about hiring the right person… run on Turn & Burn. Companies don't consider how much how much they really lose by making the right hire. Ultimately, hurts the company morale and customer base. Referral hires - no shortcuts.

Managers take a Narrow view or let complacency set in

Unrealistic High bar…. Looking for “rock stars”
Status quo is a business killer

***Sales management -The reason bad sales hires are made, bad leaders hiring bad people. The biggest challenge is Mid-level Management. Mid managers are delegated.

*** Making people managers without training. How do I duplicate myself?

Letting middle managers learn & grow… giving someone a shot. (hope strategy)
Clarity on job description/expectations or even a clear compensation plan (not defined or clear)
How they get paid…. They lose their enthusiasm

Is the C- level is setting people up for failure?

Rick’s Two Cents:

Be wary of Stars!
- Research indicates an A player at one company doesn't necessarily transfer to another
Train your leadership before they start hiring. I failed miserably when I was promoted to manager
Test answers

Solutions:

What to do in the Interview process

First prepare people & be prepared
- What to bring, and prepared questions to have for us
Show the person that you are serious.
Private office, punctual (preferred early),
Observe how they present themselves, time frame.

Note: Starbucks & Denny’s are for MLM pitches.

What to look for: Anthony’s Ingredients of a good salesperson

Integrity- trust with the customer
Above and beyond in serving the customer
prior job experience/history
Loves door to door salespeople- most grueling job ever
Manual labor- if they know how to sweat, making a phone call is easy
Life goals, financial goals/aspirations = hungry for themselves
Closing ratio/formula to make a sale. Day to day sales activities break down (know their numbers, how do you get to that?

Hiring Management:

Promoting managers- good salespeople need to be trained to be a leader.
Training received before becoming a manager. Time to learn before accepting the responsibility- learn how to delegate, motivate, lead
- Get a curriculum for leadership
Companies managers/ not leaders

Rick’s Insight

Focus on behaviors- Look for evidence
- Understand how customer relationships are developed
- Hire for core Values Alignment
- Cultural fit
Look for transferable skills to provide growth opportunity
- Locating transferable skills requires creativity
Training

Key Takeaways:

Benchmarks •Know your closing ratio and understand the closing ratio for your team
Desire •Does your sales professional and the team have a “BIG WHY” You can teach everything but you can’t teach desire
Buy-in •Sell the objective to your sales team

Mike “Batman” Cohen: Let's stop talking about Diversity & Inclusion as a Strategy

Fri, 05 Apr 2019 18:30:00 -0000

Diversity & Inclusion is critical to your company’s success but it is not a strategy. Here’s why... D&I needs to be built into the DNA of your company instead of being treated with kid gloves. Besides, hiring like-minded people is bad for business!

Today’s Quote:

"Our diversity is our strength. What a dull and pointless life it would be if everyone was the same." - Angelina Jolie

About the Guest:

Mike “Batman” Cohen is the Founder of Wayne Technologies, a recruitment training and search firm. Mike has over a decade of experience placing technologists, recruiters, and business development professionals, and has conducted training for Corporate and Agency Recruiters.

Throughout his career he’s learned several things that he’s committed to paying forward:

We can’t make it on our own - we need community
There is no “secret sauce” - we should be sharing our skills, tips, tricks, etc. openly
Data is extremely important
Being a good human is more important than data

He has worked with a diverse group of clients ranging from GIPHY, Spotify, TripAdvisor, Digital Asset, MacDonald Miller, etc.

He contributes articles to SourceCon, has a chair in the Program Committee with ATAP, helps run SourceHouston, and is a Brand Ambassador for ERE.

Mike has spoken at:

Talent42 (June 2019)
TechRecruit Los Angeles (July 2019)
TechRecruit Chicago (September 2019)
HireConf (October 2019)
HRTX Dallas
RecruitCon
ATAP Webinars
TalentNet
SourceHouston
ERE
HR Houston
Scala Up North
Scala.io

Show Highlights:

Why Diversity & Inclusion is not a strategy
How to embed diversity into your Company's DNA while staying true to your company values

Problem:

Why is Diversity & Inclusion such a hot topic?

- Diverse communities are growing and matriculating faster than any other
- Organizations are realizing that diverse thought doesn’t just come from people who went to different schools or studied different subjects, it comes from background, upbringing, etc.
- We all want females, minorities & orientations.
Candidates are placing a large focus on organizations that put a value on D&I - if you want the best candidates - this is one of the things that’s important to them!

Why is this important to organizations?

Are we hiring because of D&I to check off boxes?
Shouldn’t we be looking deeper into diversity of thought rather than physical characteristics?
Hiring people who are different from you and are included in your culture

Shouldn't we just be concerned with hiring the best person?

Just start hiring people who make you uncomfortable
Embrace the differences
Hiring like minded people is bad for business

What about the alignment of core corporate values?

Define corporate culture.

Solutions:

If Diversity & Inclusion isn’t a strategy, how do we accomplish it?

You don't want to hire someone just because they are a certain classification
- It has to go beyond “skin deep” - this isn’t about the way someone looks, it’s about integrating all different walks of life or trains of thought or images into your brand.
- Not to diversify to make things different, but to create a culture where diversity is the norm - that is how you create inclusion
The desire to have different people is not a business strategy
- It is a top-down mind-set as to how the business operates and what it considers important, successful, and a good fit
- Vetting issue- how does one determine who the best person is. Not the values or mission
Grey area- Defining the gray area or you will fail.
Focus for cultural alignment vs skills
Perks that attract like-minded people, like Ping pong and foosball tables & kegerators, reduce D&I.
The Strategies to achieving D&I are merely the execution of a goal.
- Companies aren’t built on strategies - they are built on vision and mission - Strategy is simply how we get there - is your company built on top of a foundation (mission and vision) that doesn’t celebrate diversity, but instead values it as a competitive advantage?
- These values and mission themselves should come with a very diverse perspective.
The more avenues of thought the quicker and higher quality it will take you to that mission.

Rick’s two cents:

What should be your strategy?

Hire People who perform
Hire People who bring different perspectives
Hire People who will challenge you

Key Takeaways:

D&I isn’t a strategy, it’s a business mindset
Dissonance is a good thing! Just be respectful
Diversity is a mindset, Inclusion is turning that mindset into the norm

Special Event: Erik Huberman from TiECon SoCal

Fri, 29 Mar 2019 15:00:00 -0000

Erik Huberman, Founder and CEO of Hawke Media, Managing Director of Nest Equity Partners, and Operating Partner of Arrowroot Capital Management

Mark Angel: How to Hire, Build Process & Lead in a Distributed Startup

Thu, 28 Mar 2019 17:01:56 -0000

What are the biggest challenges in building a distributed team as a startup? Today we discuss how to Hire, build process and lead in a distributed model. We will learn that uncovering the right people hinges on the Individual's desire and their emotional intelligence.

Today’s Quote:

“Completing one another is more important than competing with one another." - John C. Maxwell

Show Guest:

Mark Angel is the CEO and Co-founder of Amira Learning, the company reinventing learning to read with AI. Amira is a rapidly growing, venture-funded startup bringing the first intelligent reading assistant into K-3 classrooms.

Mark formerly served as Chief Technology Officer at Renaissance Learning, where he led the R&D organization and worked on the two most successful reading apps in the United States – Accelerated Reader and STAR. He has worked for 30 years in the Silicon Valley as a CEO, CTO and General Manager for innovators in the realm of Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing (Ernst & Young, Nuance, KANA Software).

Mr. Angel is the founder of three successful start-ups. He is a chief inventor on more than 10 patents in the areas of search.

Episode Highlights:

The Story of the Challenges faced when building a distributed company
3 biggest issues you struggled with
Tools & solutions that worked best for your team

Problem:

Challenges in Hiring a Distributed Team:

Hire for the distributed model
- Learn to screen for people who are truly able to function in a distributed environment
- People not really self-aware.
Build process around the distributed model;
- Challenge: creating infrastructure and culture of behavior to help people to collaborate
- Choices in tooling that turned out to be wrong
Have to "servant-lead" for the distributed model.

What issues have we struggled with around hiring?

Where they will Thrive!
- People are not self-aware around work mode…
- The focus seems to be around the technologies they want to use or the comp they want.

Discuss the Model

Need to put the issue up front before people get excited about the rest of the story and fool themselves and consequently us

Core Values alignment

We need to be conscious that some folks like talking/collaborating and for others, it’s not the most pleasant part of the day. We aren't going to change a leopard’s spots.

Creating a situation where there is a balance of work and not having too many meetings. Keeping people in a place where they are getting constructive work behavior. Getting that work done but also helping others to get the work done. People are happiest when you find the “groove”.

Rick’s Challenges

An issue of Upfront Expectations alignment
- Continually ask “Why”

Solutions

What have we done about this?

Put this issue front & center in the interviewing process
- Getting out of the skills-based mindset.
- Screening - needed to find people who are able to cope with the nature of the model.
- Intentional about the need for people who are wired to work in a distributed environment.
- -talk about the distributed issue up front.
Hired a recruiting expert
Learned to screen for being at least somewhat "outgoing" and "opinionated"
"Servant-leadership" for the distributed model.

How do we manage work?

Baking collaboration into everyday environment. Tools like google suite/slack/zoom/github/atlassian -- basically emphasis is on creating the norms around the tools. Understand when they should be using the tools

Slack, Zoom, Gmail suite, Google docs works really well, hangouts did not for them.
tools around design thinking.
Set of heuristics and norms around the tools.

Allow people Flexibility

Work at home or at Wework, Techspace

What went right & wrong in the process?

right -- took a "team experiment" approach
right -- recognized they needed help & hired an expert
wrong -- didn’t push hard enough to create norms

Rick’s first step

Take the time to understand a person’s desires before you “Pitch” the company
People will tell you what they want. You just have to ask.
- "If you could design your ideal company, what would that look like for you?"
- A company where you will Thrive!

Key Takeaways:

Hire people who are self-aware - Hire for EQ & cultural fit first
Experiment with popular tools to find the tools that “best fit" for your team
Recognize you are fighting human nature and hire to overcome

Special Event: Beerud Sheth from TiECon SoCal

Thu, 28 Mar 2019 08:21:35 -0000

Beerud Sheth, Co-Founder and CEO of Gupshup

Ernie Basulto: Non-Verbal Clues to Discover the Truth in the Interview

Thu, 21 Mar 2019 13:00:00 -0000

Non-verbal communication and digging for clues to get to the root of who people really are. 93% of our communication is delivered non-verbally. Extracting the correct information starts with your openness and then observing how things unfold.

Today we are going to hone your ability to read people better in an interview!

Today’s Quote

"You don't have to tell me what your limits are when the decisions you make, your actions and body language says it all."

― Marlan Rico Lee

Show Guest

Ernie Basulto developed an early interest in cultural and human relations as he grew up in two separate countries. He was inspired by his father to develop the ongoing needs of the Hispanic workforce, and has done so by providing support and guidance to both business leaders and employees throughout his 26-year tenure in Human Resources. Ernie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Management from the University of Phoenix.

Recently, Ernie was a Senior Human Resources Business Partner at the 5th largest retail mortgage lender in the nation, and is currently the Director of Human Resources at Antis Roofing & Waterproofing. At Antis he provides leadership in all aspects of HR including hiring practices, establishes company culture, and guides employees to find their Purpose at work.

Episode Highlights

How to build rapport
Reading verbal and nonverbal cues (body language)

Problem

Focus on “Skills” clouds our vision so we misread people. Why is this such a problem? First, we need to get people comfortable in a manner that is congruent with your environment

Open interaction
Ask a Basic question: walk me through your resume to gather a baseline.
Settle the nerves, get comfortable
Observe & Mirror to build rapport
Listening to them
Experience questions where they tell him stories to evaluate thought process, how the person treats others, react under stress. You can tell a lot about a person by the way they tell a story
Depends on the type of role they are hiring for.. Look for little signs, hints
Example: story- stories focused on complaining about their company throughout the story. Pivot into what did you do to fix the problem. Tone of arrogance. He released him from the process and gave him the feedback.

Solutions

How do we structure the interview and what should we be looking for?

Opening question to behavioral
Company values, requirements of the position, Fit with the team (cultural fit)
Hiring Manager > on occasion they meet with the team.
So important at all levels, especially where you are exposed.
Raising the bar on performance

Reading Body language

What to look for?
Depends on your culture/environment
Positive body language
Body Language flags

Rick's Points

Be Aware of your own body language! Open & Positive
Past nervousness, fear & discomfort
- Important to make people comfortable first
- Get past
Mirroring- Unconscious sometimes
- person trying too hard to build rapport
Shoulder movements communicate emotions
Positioning & movement
Uncertain or lying -slow rise - lack confidence
Extreme behaviors- pay attention

Key Takeaways

Observe & Mirror
Get past the nerves
Shoulder movement tells all!

Special Event: Brian Frankel from TiECon SoCal

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 18:30:00 -0000

Brian Frankel, Marketing Consultant of Ignite.Consulting, TiE Charter Member, and Founder, of Mentor Matchmaker

Special Event: Ravi Sharma from TiECon SoCal

Tue, 19 Mar 2019 15:52:12 -0000

Ravi Sharma, Co-Founder & CEO of OOtify, TiE Charter Member, Investor, and Mentor

Erik Huberman: Dissecting a Hire Gone Wrong

Thu, 14 Mar 2019 15:19:23 -0000

The mistakes we, as entrepreneurs and hiring managers, make when building our companies. Often our need to fill overrides our logic in determining the fit between both parties and as result Core Values are often ignored. Assumptions, unclear expectations, and lack of diligence make for a perfect storm of a disastrous hire.

Today’s Quote

"Hiring people is like making friends. Pick good ones, and they'll enrich your life. Make bad choices, and they'll bring you down." - Jason Fried

Show Guest

Erik Huberman is the founder and CEO of Hawke Media, the fastest growing marketing agency in the United States. Launched in 2014, Hawke Media has serviced over 1000 brands of all sizes, ranging from startups like Tamara Mellon, SiO Beauty and Bottlekeeper to household names like Red Bull, Verizon Wireless and Alibaba. Hawke Media has taken home numerous industry awards including inclusion on the Inc. 5000 2017 list of “Fastest Growing Companies”, Fortune Magazine’s “50 Best Workplaces in Southern California” and Forbes’ “Content Marketing Companies to Check Out in 2018."

"Prior to Hawke, Erik founded, grew and sold two successful e-commerce companies. Huberman is the recipient of numerous awards including Forbes “30 Under 30,” Inc. Magazine’s “Top 25 Marketing Influencers,” and Best in Biz North America’s “Marketing Executive of the Year.” A regular contributor to major publications like Forbes, Entrepreneur and CS Q. Huberman is also a well-known keynote speaker.

Episode Highlights

Break down one of your early hires and talk about the decisions that were made and why
What we learned and how you can avoid making our mistakes

Making a wrong Hire: Walk through the story

Hired an executive, all-star, great background
“Why would you buy a dog if you're the one barking on the corner”
Discussing expectations, but not the HOW.
Had a budget, revenue numbers, really clear…
Takes time for executives to ramp up
Hired from a large company- a different mindset
Taking people through a more formalized process.
Properly frames the mindset as a professional environment
You are taken more seriously
*Onboarding Process
Didn’t have a process. Throw people to the wind
Unprofessional entrance + people didn't view it professionally
Made the mistake of selling perks
Hired 7 people in the beginning, only one stayed past 6 months.
Bridging the gap with the business.

* Post hire, you are not done once you made the hire. Once someone is hired, real-time investment into their success.

Rick’s Hiring Mistake

Hiring Friends without clear expectations
created an expectations document

Key Takeaways

Stick to a hiring process - It must be Professional
The more senior the hire, the more time investment to align expectations - May take up to a year to come up to speed

Tevis Trower: Re-Humanizing the Interview Process By Shifting Our Language

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 17:49:20 -0000

We don't hire for human competency but for skill set. Our language is inhuman in spite of the very real experience of working with HUMANS. People want Connection and Authentic Interaction. We need to understand What makes you, you?

Today’s Quote:

“Learn everything humanly possible about everyone you do business with." -Harvey Mackay (Swim with the Sharks)

Show Guest:

CEO of Balance Integration Corporation | Advocate for Corporate Culture & Employee Engagement

Tevis Trower is a pioneer in optimizing corporate cultures. Heralded in bestselling Megatrends 2010 as “corporate mindfulness guru for the new millennium”, Tevis has assisted powerful organizations ranging from Disney to Morgan Stanley in optimizing their most precious assets: human beings. She has created and facilitated global executive immersions for prestigious organizations including Harvard Business Review Events, Young Presidents Organization, PWC, Bloomberg LP, Viacom, Google and The Economist on issues including mindfulness, executive lifestyle, personal mastery, innovation, and the role of consciousness in creating radical success.

You can find profiles and expert advice from Tevis featured in respected media outlets including Forbes, Fortune, BusinessWeek, Glamour, YogaJournal, CIO, Pink, RealSimple, Crain’s, New York Post, Financial Times, WWD, New York Observer, MSNBC, FoxBusiness, NY1 and Martha Stewart. As NYU Faculty teaching Business Creativity & Personal Mastery, Tevis has also served as worklife expert to WebMD and Huffington Post. Tevis lives what she teaches spending time in NYC, Montauk and Woodstock, enjoying surfing, snowboarding and entertaining friends at home with her dachshund, Ruby.

Episode highlights:

Why it is important to re-humanize your hiring process
Changing the mindset by shifting the language
The formula for a successful shift

Problem:

Why is this important?

Because we focus upon skill development to get into the roles we aspire to, we buy into the notion that work and life are separate. But the reality is that we are only one person, one being.
Through this buy-in to self-abnegation, we leave ourselves out of the workplace and all but guarantee to burn out and disillusionment. When we approach interviewing that way, we’re bound to forget that the person across from us is first and foremost a human being.
Impostor syndrome of the interviewers (hiring managers!)
IS-is there a place for me here? Everyone feels a little like a fake/fraud.
Myth: This person is only as good as their resume.
- Truth: Most of the best people, have the worst resumes

Mindset

Creating a corporate culture happens one conversation at a time. Talking about what you are passionate about, what matters to you.
Work is home
It is a demand market.
* we forget we are hiring a human being… not filling a seat.
Bring an entire life into the company

Rick’s Thoughts

Stay away from “stinkin thinkin” - Transactional thought
Judging people based on a piece of paper
Restructuring the recruiting department to touch those who apply

Solutions:

By shifting the language we begin to shift the mindset.

Changing the language - humanize

What does it mean to be human at your company?
Don’t talk headcount, filling a seat
- life count, heart count.
Talk about finding the “right new colleague”
- Not filling a seat or role, rounding out our community
Shift to human terms

The breadth and depth of this person.

Talk about the eulogy and not the resume
Think of everyone in terms of a peer
Values -
The framework is in the questions, not the answers

If the adage is that people leave managers, not companies, they probably refuse offers from managers as well. Foster a culture that supports the value for success. Are they Google-ly? And what happens when being googly becomes a weakness? Homogeneity can be a downfall.

Rick's Plan

Cut out words like “candidate”, Job Description, industry terms

Key Take Away:

Tune into your own Humanity
Humanize the language
Slow down the interview process to give more room & space

Greg Toroosian: The What & Why of Your Job Description. Understanding Who You Really Need to Hire

Thu, 28 Feb 2019 15:37:30 -0000

Before you hire, you need a clear understanding of what you need and Why. What is required needs to be focused on the work that needs to be accomplished. And that’s Why it helps to prioritize the level of importance.

The most crucial part of the recruiting process is understanding why this is really needed. It is often overlooked.

Today’s Quote:

"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure." -Colin Powell

Show Guest:

Greg Toroosian has spent the best part of a decade recruiting for technical positions across software, IT, and hardware verticals. He also has experience building non-technical teams including finance, marketing, business strategy, legal and operations. His career started in the UK as an agency recruiter working with companies in various industries and at different growth stages. He’s currently the Director of Talent Acquisition at sweetgreen where he oversees the team that manages all corporate hiring for technical and non-technical teams. sweetgreen is set to grow rapidly this year due to their focus on technology and the recent large round of investment they received.

Episode highlights:

Defining what is needed and why
Our Methods for defining and prioritizing your roles

Problem:

Hiring managers don’t really know what they need
Understand the gap, skillsets, and planning for growth
I need another one of this person
Job description we used last time
Factoring in lead time to make the hire and then bring someone up to speed.
Realistic Timelines
Inefficient time spent on the wrong people because the hiring manager is really not
Sitting down and outlining the work that needs to get done
- Prioritizing the work
- Setting performance benchmarks

Solutions:

Focus on the What and then the Why

Greg’s Intake Process to define the What & Why - Request Greg's Intake Form: andrea@stridesearch.com
Prioritization: is this really needed?
What will the person be doing?
How will that add value here?
How is the work being done right now? (light bulb of urgency)
Forward-thinking- hiring ahead of the plan
Hire toward the body of work

Rick's Input:

Write down the actual work that needs to be done with a timeline
Define the expectations by setting at least 3 Performance metrics for the first 90 days
The Problems that need to be solved help to gain emotional buy-in
Tie the work to Growth - Impact

Key Take Aways:

People are attracted to the problems you solve
For hiring managers: Upfront time spent configuring the process and fleshing out then real need is crucial to a successful, smooth and efficient process. Give your recruiting partner adequate time, think through the real need and purpose of the role, and be clear on what the success criteria is.
For recruiters: Know that this is where you can add a lot of value as a partner. Be confident in the questions you ask, be inquisitive, think about what you need to align on and focus on unearthing that information. This document and the information it contains will be what you refer back to throughout the process to make sure you’re on the right path and to push back when necessary.

Ryan Foland: The Problems You Solve Trump Perk-Based Employer Branding in Talent Attraction

Thu, 21 Feb 2019 16:19:51 -0000

Employer branding is a very hot topic! Today we are here to challenge conventional wisdom and say that people pitch their company and themselves wrong.

They pitch what the company does and the perks they offer rather than the problems they are solving first. Talented people want to solve challenging problems!

Now I am a huge believer in looking at what everyone else is doing and doing the opposite… it works for me!

Today’s Quote

"A problem is a chance for you to do your best." - Duke Ellington

Show Guest

As a global Keynote Speaker and Managing Partner of InfluenceTree, Ryan Foland helps executives harness the power of vulnerability and authenticity to build better, more relatable, more profitable brands. Recognized by Inc. Magazine as a Top Marketer and named a Top Personal Branding Expert by Entrepreneur Magazine, Ryan is the inventor of 3-1-3® Method, a discovery process that helps communicate ideas into three sentences, which is condensed into one sentence and then ultimately boiled down to three words. His book Ditch The Act: Unleash the Surprising Power of the Real You for Greater Success, will be published in October 2019 by McGraw-Hill. When he is not speaking, he is likely sailing.

Episode highlights

Why the positioning of your messaging does not attract people to your company
Share our methods for engaging talent to be drawn to your company

Problem

No one cares what you do or who you are.
Try instead promote the core problem you solve.
Lack of Aspirational influence.
People not Inspired by the impact your company will have on the world

Psychology

The mindset of the person you are talking to when presenting your opportunity
- Reptilian brain- in charge of our survival
- Fight or flight, sexual behaviors, anger & fear reside
- Keeping people out of the fear zones

Rick’s Switch theory
- The words that you chose to come out of your mouth either turn people on or off

Solutions

3-1-3 process - Tease out the problem you solve to uncover the actual pain! Solve the problem of.....

3-problem you solve in one sentence (problem, solution, market)
1- condense to 1 sentence
3- Words (Marriott of marketing)

Pain being solved by the position & pain of the company that they solved by their customers. Alignment of pain points.

Eliminates being another me too company

Example of a good 3-1-3

The difference between success and failure hinges almost entirely on a company’s ability to hire the right team. One bad hire can destroy the company. We provide a step by step process that eliminates wrong hiring decisions. Startups need a competitive advantage when fighting for talent.

Rick’s first step

Open with a slap in the face by Locating a career wound!
Locate the pain first. Match the problems solved with the solutions the person can gain by joining your company.
Lead people down a path and let them draw their own conclusions

Key takeaways

Nobody cares about the words coming out of your mouth
People are attracted to the problems you solve
Change your messaging! Problem, Solution and Market

Ryan's Social Media

Instagram Linkedin Twitter Facebook

Chris Russell: Better Ways to Post & Pray Your Job Descriptions to Life

Thu, 14 Feb 2019 22:15:53 -0000

"Post and Pray" yields mediocre results and yet It is the go-to method for most companies, especially startups. Look, dating apps have evolved so let's take a page from them and figure out creative ways to attract talent. After all, your companies success or failure hinges on it!

Today’s Quote:

"Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work." - Aristotle

Show Guest:

Chris Russell is the Managing Director of RecTech Media. He is a digital recruiting expert. He began his career as a job board owner where he first learned the craft of attracting talent online. He's also a former corporate recruiter with real-world experience in the recruitment process and technology implementation.

As as a recruiting technology/marketing consultant he advises both employers and vendors on how to attract candidates or clients. He frequently blogs on the news site, RecruitingHeadlines.com, podcasts a weekly show called “RecTech” and conducts live video training on recruitment marketing tools and tactics at RecTechLive.com.

Episode highlights:

Why you should look at approaching job postings differently
The best ways to market your opportunities
Tools available to help you automate the process

Let’s talk about the approach almost all companies take

Write “job descriptions” (wish lists)
Do Not copy old ones!
Post on job boards
Farm the Job boards
Passively work employee referrals

The Job Description Format

-short 300 words or less - According to Linkedin?
Employer value proposition
Q&A job descriptions
Video
Cybersn.com
Harry joiner - long form job

Rick’s Format:

Build your job descriptions around uncovering a Career Wound
Build in Performance Metrics! - Let people know how they will be evaluated in their first 90 days

Tools to Use

Ripl- social media video slideshows
Buffer, deliverance, smarterqueue
Legend.im- turns text into animation gif
clipomac

Where & How to Post

Indeed- biggest board out there. - active candidate pool
Linkedin-
Facebook job board-blue-collar, hear
Google for jobs - Take advantage of all the free avenues
Take an Omnichannel approach- you need to be on all the channels. Be where your candidates are and continuously add content
Automate the flow of content out.
Be resourceful - text or email creative pictures (you next to a whiteboard with the person’s name written on it)
Angelist?
**Pushing out to facebook, twitter & LinkedIn. Video gets the most engagement and exposure
Times to post 4-6 pm at night FB- 3 pm on Wednesday

Key Take-Aways

Go Short or Go Long!
- Re-format your job descriptions to Attract people! Define the % of time spent on tasks as well as performance metrics
Market your jobs by taking an omnichannel approach
Get Creative & use Tools to automate getting out your message

Brendan Rogers: Lean & Scrappy, Then…Boom! You Receive Funding. Now What?

Mon, 11 Feb 2019 18:36:10 -0000

Today we are discussing the Steps to building & scaling headcount in growth mode. Making sure that execution & time to fill are aligned.

Today’s Quote:

"Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together." - James Cash Penney

Show Guest:

Brendan Rogers, Co-Founder & Leading Recruiting of Wag Labs, has raised over $360 million in venture capital, most recently $300 million from Softbank's Vision Fund. Wag! connects pet parents to dog walkers and is currently live in over 110 U.S. cities. He co-founded a social discovery service to meet new people which grew to over 50 million users in over 10 countries and was acquired by IAC in 2014.

Brendan's next big event will be speaking at the ERE Conference on April 22-24th.

Episode Highlights:

How to ramp up from 0 to hero
Steps to put in place to avoid making hiring mistakes

You company closes your first round of funding

10 -12 roles from Nothing
no resources & no systems in place
Spreadsheets, manual task-oriented, process

Preparation before go mode

Building out pipelines, similar spaces, consumer-related companies.
How to avoid making the wrong hire.
How to scale for maximum impact
Tools needed. Process in place, a foundation to scale.
Get really good at identifying the right people, connecting the dots, sourcing- research
He does a ton of research, knows his space.
Strive to keep quality really high. Target specific businesses.

Action Plan & Execution

First hire should be a recruiter
Identify what is needed & write job descriptions
Right messaging
Tackled building pipeline, hired.com
Spreadsheet
Hired a recruiter, brought in an ATS (applicant tracking system)

First:

Get an ATS system first! -like Newton, Google (hire with Google) Greenhouse, lever
- take open requirements and intake with each hiring manager. Know the roles from top to bottom

Second:

Build a pipeline, training managers on how to use the ats, become partners with the hiring managers

Third:

Hire a recruiter only after 5+ open roles.
Admin- for cost savings
Having a foundation will only help you to scale.

Key Take-Aways

Be best friends with your Hiring Managers
Be on top of everything
Always be available
Invest in the right tools

Shannon Johnson: Having the Right Mindset to Get Hired

Thu, 31 Jan 2019 13:00:00 -0000

A great hire happens when Career & Hiring objectives are in alignment.

Now more than ever, people want to feel whole in their careers and personal development has taken the lead in the decision-making process. Today we are going to look at hiring from the Interviewee’s perspective.

Today’s Quote:

"The things that bring you the greatest joy are in alignment with your purpose" - Jack Canfield

Show Guest:

As a Success Mentor, Shannon Johnson's passion for people has been the common denominator of her success throughout her 25 year career in corporate America. Today she is founder of her company, Stand Out and Get Hired, inc...taking one of her most successful achievements in launching best-in-class products to market, to now, launching the most exciting product of all...our future leaders.

Shannon worked for leading Fortune 500 companies in the retail, staffing, and pharmaceutical industries. Holding positions in marketing, management and sales, she has always been attracted to innovation and addicted to influencing others to think differently and get better every day.

Her mission is to inspire ambitious, driven, college students to take action in preparing to embark on their careers where they will thrive. She knows that Everything is possible when you believe in YOU FIRST & take action!

Episode highlights:

How to hire & get hired in the right role
The 3 pillars to “Stand Out & Get Hired”

Mindset

Getting your game plan together to successfully get hired
Settling for a “job”
How do you get the interview first?

Preparation

Not performing at 100% in an interview kills your confidence
Interviewing burns people out, then you lose momentum
Emphasis on the Resume- important but not
- The resume is really a screening tool for the company!

Why is this important

Being sold on the Mission!
Bring your value and strengths to life
Mastering the skill of interviewing
Prepare for what will happen
Practice- mock interviews
Put your “Game face” on

How does a person/company stand out to make the right decision

Know your values
Your Why
Target what you Desire
Take Action

Shannon’s plan

Building your Brand
- Expert in You… values, vision, strength building
- Strength dashboard- strength finder assessment
Grow your quality network
- Linkedin network, utilizing, leveraging and maximizing relationships that already exist
Sharpen your Interview Skills
- Skills to beat your competition
- Fundamentals: approach the opportunity, preparation (dress, execution)
- Interviewing is a behavioral test. (highlight stories around 10 different behaviors)
  - Practice, follow up (stand out and be memorable)
  - Be relentless with follow up!

Rick’s Input

Identify target companies (no spray and pray)
Utilize Linkedin, Separate yourself from the pack (rise above)
Be pleasantly persistent & ask for the Interview

Key Take Aways

Align with your purpose
Take action to beat your competition
Self Awareness, Grow your Quality Network, Sharpen your Interview Skills

Katie Weber: Evaluating Your Team to Get the Right People in the Right Seats

Thu, 24 Jan 2019 13:00:00 -0000

Today we are talking about Workforce Planning and our goal is to provide Clarity of what is really needed vs. what you think you want. Evaluating Your Internal Team and Your Mission is crucial to get the right people in the right seats at your company!

Today’s Quote:

"Never look back unless you are planning to go that way." - Henry David Thoreau

Show Guest:

Katie Weber, Founder & CEO of KMW Recruitment Consulting, a recruitment and coaching firm specializing in high-growth and transition scenarios for small to mid-size companies. With nearly 20 years of diverse recruitment experience, Katie has worked around the world with early stage start-ups to Global Fortune 500s. She now utilizes that experience to quickly assess recruitment challenges, recommend and implement best practices, and find creative solutions ranging from engaged search to plug and play recruitment teams for her clients. She has developed a Recruiting Search Framework with supporting tools that facilitates organizational communication, reinforces recruitment branding, eliminates bias, and attracts the right talent. With the addition of High Performance & Career Coaching, she ensures that the candidates she places change the game with levels of confidence, employee engagement, productivity and influence that are off the charts. Her hires are often the company's best hires and top performers. The company motto is: It's not just about filling a position, it's about fueling your mission!

Katie serves on the Advisory Board for London-based start-up, Grad DNA, holds a BA in Psychology from Elizabethtown College, and has a coaching certification from High Performance Institute. She is available for speaking engagements or workshops and will be a speaker at the April ERE Recruiting Conference in San Diego.

Episode highlights:

What happens when you don't plan?
Where to start
How to implement your hiring plan

Why is it important?

Run Lean- Instagram sold for $1B to Facebook with just 13 employees (2013)
Cost of a Bad Hire
- Kills Morale, productivity
- Disengagement is contagious

Planning & Kicking off your hiring plans for 2019

- Evaluating the Mission
  - Defining what needs to be accomplished
- Think about leadership first.
  - Evaluate the team that is already in place (workforce planning)
- Budget & Timeline
- The volume of positions needed to be filled, vs lack of internal leadership to manage them- open headcount before leadership.
Invest in hiring / promoting strong leaders
- To chose the right recruiting strategy (partner, in-house recruiter)

Define who “We” are and Who we need

First Who, Then What - Jim Collins
- Dare to Go From "Good to Great" - “First the people, then the direction”
- Get the Right people on the bus, In the Right seats
- Get the Wrong people off the bus

Evaluating your internal team

- Cultural fit (Values, Attitude, Mission Ownership)
- Education & Training required
  - Provide resources
- Work Performance
  - Current
  - Growth
Accomplishments- Recognize even the small wins
Fulfillment- breeds engagement > Increased Productivity

Employment Branding/Messaging

Define the 3 things that are most important to them in terms of the job search
- (open leadership) for greater collaboration
- Top 3 trait alignment
- What does that mean
- Usually describing a company challenge
Transparency

Take Aways

Evaluate your mission, evaluate your people
Over communicate everything!
Fit people into your Company and not your Job

Liran Kotzer: Will AI Really Keep People Engaged with Your Company?

Thu, 17 Jan 2019 16:14:07 -0000

What do perspective Employees really want? A Personal connection or an automated interaction? I argue personal connection!My hope is that AI will be the disruptor that eliminates the transactional relationship from the recruiting process. AI is here and already starting to affect the way in which people interact with potential employers.

Today’s Quote:

"Automation is going to cause unemployment, and we need to prepare for it." - Mark Cuban

Our Guest:

Liran Kotzer, Founder & CEO of Woo.io. A serial entrepreneur, Woo.io is Liran’s third startup. For the past decade, he has been immersed in helping redefine and advance the online tech recruiting and hiring market sector. Liran spotted a market gap for helping employers and tech talent find each other much more efficiently, without all the hassles and wasted cycles between the two groups.

Show hightlights:

Where AI is already having an impact & where it is REALLY useful
Should you Leverage AI to maximize your impact (employment brand awareness)

What AI can and cannot do NOW in terms of recruiting

very interaction is totally transactional- can not be humanized...yet
Can’t yet fake a “Personal” connection
- The nuances of human interaction
@scale- need technology to do the heavy lifting
Continuing an ongoing relationship
- Automation using AI & ML
What do people (candidates) really want?
- Personal connection to release or an automated release?
- Communication, feedback & closure
Cultivate a relationship for relevant skills for future
- Can automation REALLY cultivate relationships??
- No- Neither can email or texting

What recruiting functions is AI replacing

Transactional components
- Sourcing, Gathering intel (contact information), Farming
Process

Where is AI in recruiting relevant now

AI & ML to keep a pipeline warm.
- Ability to create communication with the candidate in a unique & personalized way to help them to keep them engaged. To be able to recognize changes in behavior.
Understand your relevant audience. Can do the job and feed the culture (flexible)
Expand your target audience ("official" resume vs. True Skills)
Content?
Skills-based recruiting

Take Aways

Shifting from transactional recruiting into a long term relationship is a critical component for winning the right talent ahead of the competition
Technology can mainly assist you in maintaining long term relationships with your pool of talent and also with scouting the right people at the right time
Technology will not replace human interaction.

Craig Weber: Interviewing for Conversational Capacity

Thu, 10 Jan 2019 13:00:00 -0000

Conversational Capacity is the ability to balance Candor and Curiosity under pressure. Critical elements to every entrepreneur and business leader who are building an organization. And yet this element is often overlooked in the hiring process.

The great news is, it can be taught!

Today’s Quote:

"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place." - George Bernard Shaw

Show Guest:

Craig Weber is the author of the best-selling book, Conversational Capacity: The Secret To Building Successful Teams That Perform When The Pressure Is On (McGraw-Hill, 2013) and Influence In Action: How to Build Your Conversational Capacity, Do Meaningful Work, and Make A Powerful Difference (McGraw-Hill, 2019) (Amazon.com). He is also the founder of The Weber Consulting Group, an alliance of experts committed to helping people build more resilient, healthy, and agile organizations. He helps people and teams dramatically improve their performance by treating dialogue as a discipline.

He works with people and teams from such diverse organizations as Boeing, The Royal Bank of Canada, Kaiser-Permanente, PWC, The CDC, the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, and Los Alamos National Labs. He’s also working with legislators in an expanding list of states to help them engage in more constructive policy debate.

Episode highlights:

What is Conversational Capacity & Why is it important
How do you interview someone and accurately evaluate their conversational capacity
What our audience can implement today to hire & manage stronger

What is conversational capacity?

Definition 1: Constructive, learning-focused dialogue about difficult subjects, in challenging circumstances, and across tough boundaries.
· Definition 2: The Sweet Spot. Where candor and curiosity are in balance. Open, honest, direct, yet open-minded, humble, and eager to learn. This is where the best learning occurs. Smart people working smart.
Elements / Communication Traits
- When triggered: MIN Low candor. WIN Low curiosity.
- Need the ability to remain balanced. Everyone struggles, but often in very different ways.

Why is it important?

Defines teamwork. A team that can’t communicate when the going gets tough isn’t a team.
Why good intentions are never enough: The gap between how people believe they behave bow they actually do.
Work the issue on both sides: Hire for Attitude and personality (fit) and then build your team’s conversational capacity.
o Hire right, then create a “Conversational Code of Conduct” – clear behavioral norms; formal or informal– to align team behavior with organizational strategy.

How do you recognize and evaluate

Evaluation of the process
- Well thought through the process
- Preparation emphasis- prep call beforehand

Interviewing for Conversational Capacity

Locate evidence of past experience
Personality Assessment
Behavioral Interview - questions
- Tell me about a time you had to give negative information up the chain to your boss. How did you handle it? What did you say?
- With a colleague?
- To someone who you managed?
- Tell me about a time you were really wrong about something or someone.
- What was your family dinner table like growing up?
Mock Interview!
People can learn to converse in a more disciplined, balanced manner. There are skills.
To be good at working in the sweet spot, everyone needs to do some work. If someone is UNWILLING to do that work, well, let’s just say there are some people you’d prefer were working for your competition.
- CCOC

Key Take Aways:

conversational capacity needs to be on your management dashboard
It affects every aspect of your organization’s performance from decision-making, to managing change, to running meetings, and implementing strategy.
Hire the right people and then make sure you manage them in a way that allows them to bring their best work to your business.
Get the right people around the table (ability to learn; right temperament, etc, and then build CC of team. Each person will have to do some work to stay balanced.

Joe Mullings: How to Choose the Right Recruiting Partner for the New Year.

Thu, 03 Jan 2019 13:00:00 -0000

A true partner has your back! Look for the person who shares your values and invests the time to understand the intricacies of your company.

Today’s Quote:

"Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for, it is a thing to be achieved."

- William Jennings Bryan

Show highlights:

Reflect on your internal process
Walk through understanding & managing expectations
Provide you some tools to evaluate the right partner for you

Be honest about your internal process

What are your main hiring challenges
- moving too slow?
- Too many cooks in the kitchen.
- Recruiter relationship
- Type of search you choose makes a huge difference

Clearly define & communicate Expectations

Partner for process
- Partners ask for a slide deck & messaging collateral at a minimum
Diligence
- Ask for a synopsis of what they think they heard, what the positions about what methodology and the messaging they are going to use
- How you are being represented is crucial
Candidate Management expectations
- What will I become? Make it easy for the individual.
- Make it easy for the person to plug in. put together a landing page, catered toward the person.
- Ghosting is unacceptable on either front
- Live document to get them to lean in.

Recommendation for evaluating the best firm for your needs

Evaluation of the process
- Well thought through the process
- Preparation emphasis- prep call beforehand
Ask for references
- The last 3 candidates placed- How well did you service the people who did not get the job
- How did you represent your candidate on behalf of your client?
Agility and endurance

Learn about the liability of the organization

How do people handle information
Over-indexing toward behavior way too far to the left
- Stability is really an illusion, It doesn't exist

Words of Wisdom

Compensation goes up and down due to interest level.
Cadence- value of cadence
Provide a flex deck tease

Joe Mullings is a serial entrepreneur, Founder, and CEO of The Mullings Group (TMG), the world’s leading executive talent acquisition firm in the medical device industry. TMG specializes in cultural transformations for emerging technology start-ups and has placed over 5000 people in over 500 companies. Joe is an innovator and thought leader who has been featured on CNBC and in The Wall Street Journal. Joe’s philosophy ‘Build, Inspire, Teach’ has guided his work over the past 25 years specifically through his establishment of The Mullings Foundation, a non-profit with a focus on supporting veterans of war during times of transition. Joe recently served on the board of MassMEDIC and holds a BS in Engineering from the University of Dayton.

Brenan German Part Deux: Overcoming Your # 1 Hiring Failure for 2019

Fri, 28 Dec 2018 13:00:00 -0000

The One change you must make for 2019. Overcoming hiring failures. Spoiler Alert: it is your Interview Process… 1950 called and they want their process back!

Today’s Quote:

"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination." -Jimmy Dean

Show highlights:

Divulge the secret of an effective interview
Halos & Horns
Layout our interview structure

Up front, What is the secret to an effective Interview?

Process
Alignment
Engagement

Halo’s & Horns

Bias, Conclusions & Assumptions
- Your attitude determines your altitude
Gut decisions
Coin flip methodology

Effective Interview Structure

Brenan’s Format

Plan
Build
Decision
Scoring methodology
Practice

Rick’s Format

Structure (Organized, Timed, real time feedback)
Pre-determined questions
Give & Receive Feedback

Differentiate your company by closing the process with Everyone you decide not to move forward with!

Brenan German is Founder and President at Bright Talent Resources, Inc., a boutique Human Resources Advisory, Project Management, Training, and Recruiting Services firm.

As lead consultant, Brenan acts as an advisor to organizations wanting to re-engineer or develop a high performing, measureable, technology enabled, human resources function. Brenan has over 20 years of hands-on Human Resources leadership experience developing intelligent and successful talent management functions within some of the country’s most respected and well-known companies such as The Gallup Organization, Edwards Lifesciences, and Black & Decker. Brenan’s particular expertise involves the alignment of talent management strategies to business goals, and the implementation of systems and processes to reach measureable objectives, demonstrating clearly the bottom line impact expected of strategic Human Resources programs.

A graduate of the University of California, Irvine, Brenan is an active participant in a number of organizations: Chair of the Orange County Employment Managers Association (OCEMA), Founding Board Member of the Talent Acquisition Group of San Diego (TAGSD), Member of the Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM), and Advisor to Sigma Pi International Educational Foundation.

Christian Spletzer: Managing Expectations of Time to Hire Key Talent

Thu, 20 Dec 2018 16:26:02 -0000

After years of experience in the challenging world of executive search, Christian Spletzer founded Clockwork Recruiting to improve how search firms and their clients work together on retained search projects. He designed Clockwork to help recruiters demonstrate their consultative value to their clients at every stage of each project.

Prior to founding Clockwork, Christian worked as a recruiter and in operations at CT Partners, a Top 10 Global Executive Search firm. Previous to that, he worked within the Private Client Group of Merrill Lynch, and in an e-commerce start-up, 86.com, where he met his Clockwork co-founder, Jay Greene. Christian has a BA in Economics and a Juris Doctorate, and is a licensed attorney in NY, CT, and SC.

Today is all about Timing! Managing expectations for time and performance to make a key hire is more important than ever. The data is in and we are going to give you performance benchmarks of what your expectations should be.

Today’s Quote:

“If you are going to achieve excellence in big things, you develop the habit in little matters. Excellence is not an exception, it is a prevailing attitude.” - Colin Powell

Show highlights:

The challenges and data to support today’s hiring challenges
Measurement for performance and what a Great search looks like

Measuring your search performance

Data from over 30,000 search projects
- Placement rate
- Days to Placement
- **Missing: Quality of Hire
Key hires are taking an average of 123 days with a 71% placement rate on retained search
People don't know how to pick a retained search firm. Most buyers of a retained search run off of bad data. No objective criteria to measure a search firm.
Time matters- the longer it takes to get the seat filled, the shorter the ROI. Amazingly costly if a search fails.
22% failure rate
Motivations may be wrong.
The company is 50% of the equation in a successful outcome

Companies can go to:Benchmarks - Clockwork Recruiting

What good search looks like and how to choose the right partner

Detailed analysis

Great- Average under 115 days and over 83% success rate
- Seniority
  - Managers- lowest placement rate, 80+ days to place
  - C-Level 130+ days, 78% placement rate
- Department
- Industry
- Region
  - New York City - 60% success rate with longest days to hire

What to look for in a search firm

Judge on time/success rate. Buy based on the experience and track record of success.
Access to that information. Pick based on the one best suited for the search.
Do not bet on the relationship only. Find the company with the track record- if you don't know where to look, you don't want to be sold. Getting more data before buying
Track record
Specialization in that particular department
Inquire about Success rate/Stick rate: good hire vs. bad hire. Still around after a year, two years.
Expectations: are very different than contingency search
Meta data on actual projects. Who does it the best
Hire the firm who brings value above and beyond just presenting candidates

Charles Antis: Discovering Your Company's Purpose

Thu, 13 Dec 2018 15:46:54 -0000

It’s all about Purpose... Why? Because if your model exists just to make money, you won’t be relevant anymore. What is your companies purpose? Today we are going to help you discover your purpose and share ways to build purpose into to your hiring process.

Today’s Quote:

“When you're surrounded by people who share a passionate commitment around a common purpose, anything is possible.” - Howard Schultz

Show highlights:

Discovering your purpose
Getting others to rally around your company’s purpose (super power)
How to hire Purpose-driven people

Let’s start by talking about how you discovered your companies purpose

Origin Story:
Reason to exist other than making money
you have to have a Why
“We exist to keep families safe and dry” - Antis purpose

Why is it important to have a purpose?

The purpose of a company is to make money!
Involved in changing people’s lives
Benefits of Purpose
- Retention
- Increased productivity

Hiring with Purpose

Have a reason why
Getting others to buy in
Knowing your “Why” and building it from the inside out.
Helping employees discover their “Superpowers”

Tribal leadership- when the culture goes wrong. survival

Demonstrating that as a leader, you are there to serve them

Interviewing for Purpose

Messaging
- Clear and consistent with how the leaders lead
Interview
- Core values alignment
- Hire for alignment over skills
- Discovery of superpowers in the interview

Results

20% culture lift in a month- gift card that they can donate to a cause that is near and dear. To someone who did
Retain 93%
Melt away silos builds a stronger bond between individuals and departments

Charles Antis, Founder & CEO of Antis Roofing & Waterproofing is a well-respected and widely known roofing expert, entrepreneur and humanitarian. Charles began his career as a roofing professional in 1984. Since then, he has become one of the most trusted names in the Southern California roofing industry, as well as an inspirational business leader championing social corporate responsibility.

Charles has been the recipient of many prestigious awards over the years and was recently honored with the 2017 US Chamber of Commerce Foundation Corporate Citizen Award, Small and Mid-Size Business. In 2017, he was also named as National Philanthropy Day Honoree, Outstanding Corporation or Business, Mid-Size; the Civic 50 Orange County Honoree; and received the top honor with the CNA Insurance/National Roofing Contractors Association (CAN/NRCA) Community Involvement Award.

Brian Breth: Sourcing the Right Players Creates a Company of Legends

Thu, 06 Dec 2018 13:00:00 -0000

Sourcing! Knowing who to target is far more effective recruiting strategy than casting a wide net when it comes to hiring correctly for your company. Even without a recruiting team, business leaders must be sourcing to engage and hire the right talent.

Today’s Quote:

"Finding good players is easy. Getting them to play as a team is another story." - Casey Stengel

Show highlights:

What is sourcing and why is it so important
Sourcing strategies
How to execute on your strategy!

What is sourcing?

Sourcing Definition according to SHRM

“Sourcing is the proactive searching for qualified job candidates for current or planned open positions; it is not the reactive function of reviewing resumes and applications sent to the company in response to a job posting or pre-screening candidates.

Sourcing is typically part of the recruiting function performed by the HR professional, but it may also be conducted by managers within the company. Sourcing can identify either candidate who are not actively looking for job opportunities (passive job seekers) or candidates who are actively searching for jobs (active job seekers).”

Identifying your players
Building your ShortList
Collecting data needed to engage them
Figuring out your Positioning
Where is time best spent?
Most important capital investment is your people. Good hires always provide ROI

Sourcing Strategies

ATS (applicant tracking system) /Database …
- Job boards are recruiting databases
Social Media
Job Postings
Misc. (recruiter networks, internal, alum networks)
Referrals - Should be the place you start

Where does Sourcing fit into the recruiting process?

Brian’s formula
- Kick off meeting- Identifying needs
- Sourcing -a place (ats, rolodex, spreadsheet)
- First Contact

Rick’s Formula
- Understanding your core values
- Benching needs of the work to be done
- Sourcing - building contact collateral

How to Source (Small company sourcing/business leader sourcing)

*** Plan and develop the relationship before you need to hire the person.

Database/Referral Network first-

Best Methods for sourcing:

Under limited resources (self-recruiting)

Identify competitors - Your Talent competitors
Connect and network with everyone to become known and build brand awareness
- Give before you take
Do your homework on the person, let them opt out then ask for referrals

Best tools for Sourcing

Referrals - internal/external
Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram
Sourcing Tools: Hiretual, Entello
Resume Data Bases - Internal ATS, Angellist
- Archives
Portfolios - Carbonmade, Github
Creative sources
- Meetups

Here’s How I source

Identification of Source companies
Target list
- Define what to look for in potential people
- Contact directly outside of social platforms and augment with social connections
- Personal email, text messaging - Highest response rates

Engagement

- Marketing/Messaging aligned with company values
- Job Descriptions with clear performance metrics
- Application process…. RESPOND!

Brian Breth is a talent acquisition leader and US Marine Corps veteran with proven of experience forging, adapting, and applying best practices to complex business challenges in recruiting. He has a proven track record as an entrepreneurial leader whose ability to align teams, enact change, and build sustainable frameworks enables businesses to attract top talent and become more efficient, productive, and competitive. Brian currently leads recruiting for the Publishing and Esports teams at Riot Games.

Not only is (Brian etc) speaking at the ERE Recruiting Conference in April in San Diego but yours truly is too! Join both of us there.

Sang Huynh: Extreme Transparency, Tech Startup Style

Fri, 30 Nov 2018 13:00:00 -0000

The good and great results of full company transparency. There is a growing movement for full openness within companies which is pretty common in Tech startups. The more open you are, the more engaged your people become!

Today’s Quote:

“A lack of transparency results in distrust and a deep sense of insecurity.” - Dalai Lama

Show highlights:

What is Transparency & Why it is important
What works & what doesn't
Transparency in the hiring process

Let’s start by talking about your experience at Tint

How was the company transparent?
- Open door meetings
- Open Financials
  - Employee compensation
- Group decision making
Different levels of Transparency
- Extreme transparency

What works and what doesn't?

Ownership
- Decision-making process
- Compensation Transparency
- Reduces distractions
- Open venting/surveying
- Open transparency to customers did not work so well

Process for transparency in the interview process

Structure for Transparency

Preparation for roll out

Engagement

Job postings
Personal awareness with an assessment to determine the data
Contact - demonstrate transparency
Managing expectations- positive experience… expect to hear from us by x date

Interview

Interview process
- Discuss people challenges
- Product/company challenges
Preparing the candidate,
- What happens when & time frame
Lower the barrier of nervousness - must get them comfortable

Sang Huynh is a Mentor at Quake Capital Partners and former COO for TINT (tintup.com), A marketing tech startup in SF that recently exited. One of TINT’s guiding principles is to “cultivate transparency both internally and externally.” From open door meetings, exposed financials (including compensation) and group-based decision making. Prior to TINT, Sang was a VP in the Global Security Group at Bank of America Merrill Lynch which has the traditional corporate culture. He’s here to share his experience as a former leader at two organizations with polar opposite approach to culture.

Monica Lukoschek: The Immigration Mess!

Fri, 23 Nov 2018 21:35:20 -0000

The Immigration Mess ie: Immigration 10.142! Turning away great people due to immigration issues is just tragic.

Today’s Quote:

“The U.S. immigration laws are bad - really, really bad. I'd say treatment of immigrants is one of the greatest injustices done in our government's name.” - Bill Gates

Show highlights:

The current immigration landscape
Changes in policy for 2019
Creative steps to navigate today’s immigration laws

Quick breakdown on the different types of Visa:

Hirable visa categories
- E1, E2, - investor visa
- F 1 Visa- Student visa practical training
- H1B – Specialty Occupation (Cap vs. non-cap) 65,000, plus 20,000 for US masters/PhD last year 190,000 petitions filed. Highest in 2017 236,000 filed (historical: annual cap to 115,000 for Fiscal Year 1999; 115,000 in Fiscal Year 2000; and 107,500 in Fiscal Year 2001. The cap would return to 65,000 starting with Fiscal Year 2002.
- J-1 Visa- exchange visitor can work, receive training, study or do research
- L-1A/B- Intracompany Transferee (manager, executive, specialized knowledge)
- O-1 Extraordinary Ability in the arts, science or business.
- TN Visa- NAFTA
- R-1 Religious Worker

Immigration policy

April 18, 2017 Executive Order Buy American, Hire American – seeks to create higher wages and employment rates for U.S. workers and protect their economic interests

Allows for rule-making, policy memos and operational changes. Ensure H-1B visas go to only the highest skilled and highest paid.

The H1 B Visa Changes
Focus on wages is a Level I wage a specialty occupation?
Challenging if a degree is necessary for the job… specific degree required? Can you prove alternative eligibility requirements?
Computer Programmer Analyst – March 30, 2017 Rescinded 2000 memo. Now stating that Bachelor’s not required for job. What other computer-related occupations could this extend to?
Third party worksite/direct employer/employee relationship. i.e., even accountants at an accounting firm. February 22, 2018 policy memo supersedes prior memo
Rescission of guidance allowing USCIS to defer to prior
*Change in the information required for approval
Policy changing almost daily and hurts smaller companies most

Just last week, the DHS and the DOL proposed new regulations:

Electronic Registration for Cap subject petitioners by next April. Initially Proposed in 2011
- Only open two weeks?
- Multiple registrations?
Elimination of work permits for spouses of H-1B workers waiting more than 6 years for green card (taking more than 10 years for certain countries)
Hiring challenge- Foreign workers need H-1Bs
Missing out on A-players

What we need to do to navigate this mine field:

Consult your attorney before investing too much time
- What to ask? What to look for?
- Does the position require a degree and does the applicant have the specific degree?
- Will the employer be required to seek a work visa? H-1B employers required to pay for attorney’s fees and filing fees. Can employer wait until October 1 (or beyond) for the employee to begin working?
- If transferring from a previous H-1B – how many years on H-1B, do they have an approved immigrant petition (could extend time beyond 6 years). Premium Processing suspended until at least February. Will employee risk transfer?
- Will the employment be “off-site”? Must show proof of right to control the employee and cannot “bench” Can you provide SOWs, itinerary, etc. See itinerary requirements.
Creative solutions to still be able to hire the person your company needs!
- Is the applicant from Chile, Singapore, Northern Mariana Islands, Canada, Mexico, Australia? May be other alternatives.
- Is spouse on a visa category which extends work authorization to employee? (E-3, L-1, etc.)
- STEM OPT extension to 36 months.
- 3rd party firms as a protective layer?
- Offshore options - Canada or Mexico?
- Work remote

As a founding partner at U.S. Immigration Law Group, LLP, Monica Lukoschek’s practice focuses on employment-based immigration law, assisting businesses in hiring and retaining foreign personnel and managing their immigration compliance programs, assisting entrepreneurs and investors in the United States, and providing advice to employers and employees with all aspects of immigration law compliance.

William Tincup: People Have Options & Will Walk Away From Your Opportunity in a Heartbeat!

Thu, 15 Nov 2018 13:00:00 -0000

In today’s hiring market, People have options, know they are in the driver's seat. It is really not entirely your choice anymore! Here’s the kicker, People are totally willing to walk away from your opportunity if you can not effectively communicate value above and beyond a paycheck. “What’s in it for Them”.

Today’s Quote:

Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses your understanding.

- Khalil Gibran

Show Highlights:

Why, in today’s market, people are willing to drop your company in a heartbeat
What to do to stop the madness
Provide a framework

What is it that people want?

They don't want to be sold!
- want to know what’s in it for me?
- How are you going to make me better, train me or develop me?
- How are you going to recognize me?
Understand their needs & desires
- People with options know they have options
- If we don't answer the question correctly, they move on
- Unearthing motivation for change.
- Experiential learning.
Listen
- Emotional engagement
- Heal their pain
- Fulfill their desire
- Provide growth
Three Truths:
- Nobody cares about you, your problems or your company
- You are just adding to the noise- Good people are busy
- Adapt or Perish
What to stop
- Making the conversation all about you.
- Hiring Managers & Recruiters want the easy work.

Structure to attract rather than repel:

- Personalized toward the candidate
- Preparation of the questions asked
- Think through the solution for each individual person
- Fitability- don't push the wrong candidate into the wrong role
Pacing
- Fast but still check off all the boxes,
- Pacing according to the candidate. Let the candidate drive the search. Be adaptive, meet them where they are.
- Recognize how they want to be recruited
- Make it about the person
Positioning
- Give before you take
- Gain understanding of the person first
  - Understand their career wound
- Stop thinking - “how can I close this person”
  - Let the person close you
- Play devil’s advocate
Connect the Dots!
- People will tell you “Why” they want to join your company

William Tincup is the President of RecruitingDaily.com. At the intersection of HR and technology, William is a sought after Writer, Speaker, Advisor, Consultant, Investor, Storyteller & Teacher. He's been writing about HR related issues for over a decade. William serves on the Board of Advisors / Board of Directors for 20 HR technology startups.

Lindon Crow: The Anatomy of a Recruiting Call. Stop Triggering Fight or Flight!

Thu, 08 Nov 2018 17:56:58 -0000

The Anatomy of a Recruiting Call. People do not respond to you because you are sending the wrong message! What do You Say that is Triggering a person’s Fight or Flight Response?

Today’s Quote:

“Human behavior flows from three main sources: desire, emotion, and knowledge”. - Plato

Show highlights:

What happens in the brain when someone is trying to recruit you
What Triggers Fight or Flight response
Techniques to approach the conversation to avoid triggering negative responses

I call you to recruit you for a new job.

What happens in the brain
What is naturally desired by people - intrinsic desire
What choices or options mean to a mind. What too many/too few options means
What motivates people - primal instinct, reptilian brain
- Tune out to the sales pitch
- How do I get rid of this person?

What triggers Fight or Flight response?

Recruiting is disruptive to the brain. It breaks safety
Create environment of loving, self esteem, self actualization

The Conversation

Creating a process that creates a sense of Familiarity & Achievement
Authority (achievement) Daniel pink's Drive
- $ is a motivator up until $70k
Positioning:
- Purpose of the call is to get to the Truth
- It’s not about you!
Listening:
- Stop Fishing
- People are busy and don't care about what you are selling
- “What's happening in your current role…”
- Test the waters - Question the timing & the Why
Lead the Path:
- What problem needs to be solved?
- How they desire it to be fixed?
- Wound, Desire, Achievement - like Plato’s emotion, desire, knowledge
- Celebrate their wins

Lindon Crow is the President of Productive Learning. As a workshop facilitator and trainer, he has helped more than 2,500 clients achieve higher levels of emotional awareness, self-mastery, and personal fulfillment. Lindon is known for his provocative, straightforward, and compassionate communication style and his keen ability to forecast potential outcomes. This helps his clients make better educated decisions about their current directions and opportunities for growth.

Brenan German: Can AI be the Solution to a Bad Interviewing Experience?

Thu, 01 Nov 2018 15:22:15 -0000

Did you know that according to LinkedIn “83% of talent say a negative interview experience can change their mind about a role or company they once liked, while 87% of talent say a positive interview experience can change their mind about a role or company they once doubted.” Candidate Experience Matters!

Today's Quote:

“The only source of knowledge is experience.” - Albert Einstein

Show highlights:

The impact of candidate experience on your ability to hire
AI
Our solution to create a positive candidate experience

What is candidate experience? Why is it important:

- Job descriptions
- Application process
- Interview Experience
- Feedback/Closing the Loop
- Nearly 60% of Job Seekers Have Had a Poor Candidate Experience & 72% Talk About It (GlassDoor)

The VALUE of AI:

AI- Recruitment Automation
- Sourcing 58%
- Screening 56%
- Nurturing 55%
- Scheduling 42%
- Engagement 24%
- Interviewing 6%
AI will eliminate the transactional pieces of recruiting but it won't solve the most critical portions….Engagement, Interviewing

Let’s lay out our structure for creating an impressive candidate experience:

Engagement:

- Marketing/Messaging aligned with company values
- Job Descriptions with clear performance metrics
- Application process…. RESPOND!

Interview:

- Set Expectations
- Structure (Organized, Timed, real time feedback)
- Pre-determined questions
- Give & Receive Feedback

Closure:

Professionally release each person from the process
- Do Not Ghost
- Listen to your bad glassdoor reviews

Brenan German is Founder and President at Bright Talent Resources, Inc., Which is a boutique Human Resources Advisory, Project Management, Training, and Recruiting Services firm..

Brenan’s particular expertise involves the alignment of talent management strategies to business goals, and the implementation of systems and processes to reach measurable objectives, demonstrating clearly the bottom line impact expected of strategic Human Resources programs.

Sherry Benjamins: Build a Strategic Plan to Avoid Costly Hiring Mistakes

Thu, 25 Oct 2018 13:00:00 -0000

Do you and your company have a strategic hiring plan? If you are like most companies, you don’t. Today we are going to help shift your model from a reactive to a proactive hiring model and change your world!

Today's Quote:

“Everyone chooses how to approach life. If you're proactive, you focus on preparing. If you're reactive, you end up focusing on repairing.”

― John C. Maxwell

Show highlights:

Why you hire poorly
A structure to build a strategic hiring plan

The problems with a reactive hiring process (why you can't hire):

- Transactional
- Paying too much for people
- Not solving a problem
- Your company is just a paycheck
- High failure rate
- 67% of people earning $100K+ plan to make a job change in the next 12 months.

Companies in React mode all the time
Forecasting recruiting like you forecast your finances

Creating a Strategic Plan for Talent

Five elements you must have to develop a solid strategic plan:

1) Define your value agenda –
- what is the source of value in your business? Is it in operations
- How you structure the teams,
- Where the highest value resources are in the organization?
- How are you dealing with automation, big data, AI, innovation, customer satisfaction.

2) What is your leadership agenda?
- Do you have the right people in the highest impact roles

3) Strategic priorities –
- what is the hottest priority for success given where the value will be most critical?
- Does the leadership team agree on these?

4) A Winning culture – with this focus, is everyone ready and believing and behaving in what it takes to win?
- Energy required – where is the energy and if there are “vampires” sucking the energy from the team, truly evaluate the pay off or drain

5) Road map
- Specific & Actionable… Need to get some early wins
- Send a message to the organization
- Accountability & results

Ricks Input:

Know who you are- Company values
Break down the work that needs to be accomplished & timeline
Establish Performance metrics 90/180 day
Establish Interviewing strategy and process
-Closing the hiring managers and candidates for mutual success

Sherry Benjamins has over 25 years of experience in business management, HR, consulting services and helping companies solve for their talent challenges. Her expertise is helping clients shift from the old model of reacting to talent needs to starting a new conversation that is forward looking and focused on adding value to their business.

Sherry is the President of S.Benjamins & Company. Her company does three things; they find management talent for their clients, they help clients create a strategic talent plan and lastly, she brings talent together in quarterly executive learning sessions. Her experience includes work in the HR corporate world, P&L leadership of a regional career services firm, and founder of her own firm for the past 21 years. She has an MBA from Pepperdine and speaks frequently to new MBA graduates about the world of work today.

Nicole Washington: You Closed Your First Round of Funding, Now What?

Thu, 18 Oct 2018 13:00:00 -0000

Congratulations! You closed your first round of funding, what's next? To scale, you better have a plan, a structure and commitments for who’s on board.

Today's Quote:

“If you're trying to create a company, it's like baking a cake. You have to have all the ingredients in the right proportion.”

- Elon Musk

Show highlights:

The importance of having a structured plan
Stick to the plan
Layout structural elements

Stick to the defined plan!

Cause, Mission, Vision
Should have an active pipeline ready to go
Key positions in place, partners, hr strategy in place
Hiring without compromise- values and mission driven alignment
Investors should have dig into core company values and compromise levels of hiring
Just a bunch of people winging it… you won't be able to hire right in today’s landscape

Create a team that investors will continue to invest in

No, no’s
- Knowing the difficulty creating a team
Hard for people to find a good technical people
- Don't hang out in the same places
Setting Expectations & writing them down
What happens when it doesn't work?

Structure… Have everything lined up!

Company values in cement
Define your Road map
- Set the stage for what happens next
All documents & agreements in place
Getting people to join before you have funding or a product
Leverage university talent, students, - easier to get people to resonate with them
- Students: finding the ones who are doing research in your particular field
- Develop the relationship with the professors
- Reach out directly to the student *attractive to investors

Takeaways:

Do not make compromises!
Goals of the company first
Hire with the end result in mind

Nicole Washington, Director of Innovation and Growth of OCTANe OC, focuses on engaging with strategic partners to accelerate the growth of early to later stage ventures and small to medium size business throughout the entire Southern California Ecosystem.

She currently serves as Chair of the Academic Committee and Trustee of the Board of Education for Samueli Academy. A (STEM) high school that delivers state of the art education to a large population of underrepresented youth.

Nicole is a member of the Ohio TechAngel Fund, the 2nd largest Angel Investor Network in the United States, where she served as the due diligence team, technology lead for several years.

Rocky Romanella: Define and Build Your Core Company Values

Thu, 11 Oct 2018 14:54:14 -0000

Define and build your core company values. Companies with clearly defined values & purpose consistently outperform their competitors by as much as 10x. Today’s episode is focused on helping you define who you are.

Today's Quote:

"Effectiveness without values is a tool without a purpose." - Edward de Bono (1933 - ), Author and Inventor

Show Guest:

Rocky Romanella is currently the Founder and CEO of 3SIXTY Management Services, LLC, a management consulting firm specializing in Executive Speaking, Leadership Development, and Consulting Services.

Rocky is an experienced CEO who led one of the largest rebranding initiatives in franchising history – The UPS Store, revolutionizing the $9 billion retail shipping and business services market. He steered UPS’s entry into the healthcare industry and created the mantra, “It’s a patient, not a package. ®”

He also led the integration of more than 20 acquisitions to improve financial performance, capabilities and global network footprint. Rocky has the rare ability to see a clear vision of the changing business landscape, the passion to develop strategies, tactics and metrics to drive desired results. He is the Author of Tighten the Lug Nuts: the Principles of Balanced Leadership(Amazon.com).

Episode highlights:

Who you are?
Defining your company values
How to align your hiring with your values

“Without a strong set of values, the best leadership strategy can go awry. With a good value structure in place, the worst leadership approach can right itself and eventually lead to the desired outcome.” - Rocky Romanella

Why is this Important?

People desire a sense of purpose to really thrive
Core values are the Foundation for defining your Mission & Purpose
Attrition issues/bad hires
- *small business don't believe they need to have values well defined... Wrong!

How do you define who you are?

Start with your personal brand
- “Your true character is defined by your honesty of purpose”
- Ask peers
- Company Survey
- What won't I compromise

Step by step of how to define and build your core company values:

Rick’s process:

Start with Personal values first
KPI driven VS. People driven
Established Leadership Team
- Define everyone’s core values and build from there.
- Prioritize top values
- Own your Values!
Understand your values? You must:
- Articulate clearly in writing.
- Test your values through daily decision-making.
Rocky’s Structure:
- Mission
- Vision
- Strategy
- Roadmap

How to transfer your values into your hiring:

Values Alignment
- Values drive hiring
- Behavioral interview process
- Assessments: Disc, Predictive Learning
- Don’t compromise on hiring!

Kathy Dawson: Capitalizing on Current Employer Fails to Win Critical Hires

Fri, 05 Oct 2018 13:00:00 -0000

Are you shocked that your offer was turned down? Today, We are discussing the reality of the current hiring landscape.Spoiler Alert: It is ultra competitive and it is a employee’s market! We are going to teach you ways to capitalize on the current conditions and have your offers accepted.

Today's Quote:

“You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.” -Walt Disney

Show highlights:

The current talent landscape
Where your company is screwing up (why you lose great hires)
Teach you how to take advantage of the current market to land great people

What is the current landscape:

Unemployment rate
- All time low (3.9% in US)
- OC 2.9% -Mar 2018
Job Satisfaction
- 51% people looking -all time high
- 71% disengagement

Where companies are missing the mark:

Not understanding the person …. Just the demographics
Job descriptions not in alignment w/ actual role
Engagement with candidates
Interviewing strategy and process…. It sucks!
Closing is a transactional process

How do we take advantage of this disparity to dramatically improve YOUR ability to hire talent:

Change your mindset
- It’s Not about you! -You are not that special
- Flip the script
- Making a person whole in their career

Locate the Pain (Career Wound)
- Growth
- Content of Work
- Leadership

Engagement of the candidate
- How You Represent your company
- 1st contact with the candidates
- -Interviewing strategy and process
- -Closing the hiring managers and candidates for mutual success

Kathy Dawson serves as Founder and CEO of Dawson & Dawson, Inc. She is the firm’s Nonprofit Liaison, and oversees the Executive & Retained Search, Temporary & Contract Staffing, and Business Development practices. She is a CSP (Certified Staffing Professional) with over 36 years of experience in the local and national market place. Prior to establishing Dawson & Dawson, Kathy served as a Regional Vice President for a National Search and Staffing firm. She managed 120 employees with revenues up to $120M while developing a forte in the search and staffing industry.

Kathy has had the pleasure of helping thousands of business owners hire the right employee at the right time. Her business approach involves a genuine understanding that every client is unique and every candidate is an individual. Her years of experience in making great connections consistently is a highly sought after skill. Her clients get to enjoy quality matchmaking at the highest level. Her hands on involvement and partnership approach makes her a sought after talent broker and business partner. What sets her apart is an innate ability to develop long-term growth oriented strategies to make lasting placements as though it is her own firm. She is a well-known speaker and trainer in the industry, traveling locally and nationally.

Scott Hamilton: Disruption will impact your business and it is coming faster than you think! Are you prepared?

Wed, 26 Sep 2018 18:27:19 -0000

In honor of this weeks DisruptHR, today we are talking about disruption. Disruption will impact your business and it is coming faster than you think! You can either eat your own lunch or someone will eat it for you. Are you prepared?

Today's Quote:

"Disruptors don’t have to discover something new; they just have to discover a practical use for new discoveries.” - Jay Samit

Show highlights:

What is disruption & are you prepared
Confirm that someone is going to eat your lunch for you
How to disrupt your business starting with how you hire

What is disruption?

Term synonymously used with both innovation and transformation
Disruptive innovation is happening at a staggering rate.
(uber, airbnb, facebook)

Where does disruption come from? How will it affect your business?

Blindsided disruption?
Self-disruption
Technology (ie: AI, ML, Blockchain, Automation)

Why it is important to start by innovating the way you approach hiring?

Values
- Live & breath your values
business strategy
What can I eliminate
Reduce
Need to expand
What to create
Automation is making recruiting more Transactional
- Less engaging
Problem-solving is the Key!
- Solve a real problem for the candidate / heal the career wound
- Desire: What does someone really want?
- Listen …. Channel potential

How to disrupt your organization

Not forcing the talent to the job specifications but hiring talent and allowing them to innovate.
Building a Tiger Team
Change your mindset!
- The game has changed…. Adapt or Perish!
Approach
- Solving a problem for your customer- potential employee (Career Wound)
- Desire alignment
- Accomplishment- evidence of success
Do the Opposite of what you are doing now!
- Shift the focus from the work to the person
Organize-
- Build hiring process like your sales process

Scott Hamilton is CEO of the Executive Next Practices Institute, a large C-suite research and forum organization that is a community partner organization located at the University of California-UCI Applied Innovation. He is also NextWORKS Strategy (2018 Innovators of the Year nominee- Orange County Business Journal), a premier provider/advisors of strategy development, alignment, talent management, board effectiveness, and executive performance programs to middle-market companies. He serves on the boards of several organizations.

Hamilton is a well-known thought leader & speaker in the field of “next practices” improvement of leadership and organizational performance for the Global 1000, emerging and mid-market companies. Scott helps leaders and organizations be more effective in how they strategize and perform.

Shawn Andrews: What Is Emotional Intelligence And How Is It Relevant To Hiring?

Thu, 20 Sep 2018 19:37:17 -0000

Why should we care about Emotional Intelligence when building a company today? People with high EQ, work better with others, manage customers more effectively and cultivate an accepting company culture.

Today's Quote:

“Emotion is more powerful than logic” - Albert Einstein

Show Guest:

Dr. Shawn Andrews is a keynote speaker, organizational consultant, and the founder and CEO of Andrews Research International. She serves as adjunct professor at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, where she teaches courses on Organizational Behavior, Women in Leadership, Diversity in Organizations, and Leadership and Ethics. She was the 2017 Diversity & Inclusion columnist for Training Industry Magazine, and is the author of the book, The Power of Perception: Leadership, Emotional Intelligence, and the Gender Divide (Amazon.com)

Episode highlights:

- EQ, What is it?
- How to you get it?
- Incorporate into your hiring

What is EQ?

Set of emotional and social skills that collectively establish how well we:

Perceive and express ourselves
Develop and maintain social relationships
Cope with challenges, manage stress and make decisions
Use emotional information to guide our thinking and action
Managing emotions
- Manage stress
- Overcome obstacles
- Inspire toward collective goals

Self perception, Self expression, interpersonal, decision making, Stress Management
Tied into core company values

Why is it Important?

Low Emotional Intelligence breeds bad cultures
“Hire hard, manage easy”

What if you don’t have EQ? How do you get it?

Get EQ assessment
Read a book

EQ for different roles:

Leadership:

Interpersonal relationships
Assertiveness
Self-awareness

Sales:

Self-actualization
Assertiveness
Happiness

Marketing / Creative:

Optimism
Reality testing
Independence

Customer Service:

Stress tolerance
Assertiveness
Happiness

Product Development /Manufacturing:

Flexibility
Problem solving
Independence

Interviewing for EQ

Behavioral Interviewing
- Comfortable candidate- feel conversational, warm & informal
- Start: difficult challenge that was solved, commend… then go granular
- “Hire hard, manage easy”
Deep reference checking
- Evidence of low & high EQ behaviors

Darrell Gurney: Breaking Bad, Career And Hiring Habits!

Thu, 13 Sep 2018 14:40:14 -0000

Why is it that we put more thought into lunch choices than we do our career or hiring decisions?

Today we are going to discuss the top three bad habits that both candidates and companies do throughout the hiring process that kill their ability to make a smart decision.

Today's Quote:

“To change habits, we must study the habits of successful role models.” – Jack Canfield

Show Guest:

Darrell Gurney is a career expert, executive coach and authority in supporting people through successful transitions. He brings back the power of social connection by teaching professionals that you’re simply one face-to-face relationship away from your dream job life.

He is the author of the Amazon bestseller “Never Apply for a Job Again: Break the Rules, Cut the Line, Beat the Rest."

As founder of both CareerGuy.com and TheBackForty.com, Darrell’s motto for both career and life is, as Frank Sinatra sings, “the best is yet to come, and won’t it be fine!”

Episode highlights:

The top 3 bad habits we need to stop right now!
Why these habits are so detrimental
Good habits to replace the bad

Hiring bad habits from both sides:

Darrell’s top 3:

1. Looking to see what jobs are available & Going through the front door by applying for open positions.
- Take charge of their career path vs be at the effect
- Get out of your box: the house, the computer screen, the phone, and get in front of people.
- 80% of all jobs are filled before they are ever advertised by the people in the know bringing in the people they know
2. Failing to develop relationships beyond the job search process.
- Never submerge in your job or your life. Get out, be making connections, be talking to people about your interests and passions
3. Not treating yourself like a business
- Realize that you have your own business, and you always have -- you simply lease out your employable assets
- A business owner is always concerned first and foremost about two measures: ROI (Return on Investment) and ROE (Return on Equity). You want to similarly always watch, manage and monitor your own Return on Individuality and Return on Effort.

Rick’s top 3:

Winging it-
- company values -clueless
- Not clear on what the business needs
- Work that needs to be accomplished
- Listening!
Interview Process
- Not clearly defined
- Following the pack -
- Accepting the Status quo
- Testing people before engaging
Transactional relationship
- Not understanding the person across from you
- Focus on skills
- Protective of the culture

Why are these habits bad?

How can you get where you are going when you don’t know where you are?

How do we fix these habits?

Winging it- not clear on what the business needs
- Build preparation time into your schedule
- Define what the business needs (not your wants) and who you need to take you there
Interview Process
- Structured, Organized, Timed & Purpose Driven
- Get to the Truth!
Transactional relationship
- Heal the person’s wound with your opportunity

Melinda Kim: Select Your Founding Team For Your Business Like You Would A Marriage. Only When Your Values Are In Aligned Will It Stop The Breakup!

Thu, 06 Sep 2018 21:56:54 -0000

Founders need to build the cultural foundation before building the product! Building the right team is more important than just any team.

Today's Quote:

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” ― Helen Keller

Show highlights:

The importance of taking the time to select the right team
Recognizing the team challenges
How to set the right foundation for building a great team

Challenges we see with teams:

What you really need in a team...Taking anyone is not the right thing to do
Hiring anyone or for skills dramatically increases the likelihood of failure.
Founder need to develop their muscles to make smart hiring decisions
The foundation- transparency & culture
Purpose- What's in it for me?
How and who makes decisions?
Most importantly, How does the team solve problems?
Develop the EQ to have the difficult conversations

Framework for Building the Right Team from the Beginning:

Establish mission, vision & values (as a team)
Communication standards
Foster transparency
Business Model Canvas (product driven)
Establish process
Define who you are BEFORE you make your first hire
Only hire people who mirror your core values and align with your vision
Great things often come out of conflict

Takeaways:

Culture first
Transparency
Hire people who will take you where you want to go

Melinda Kim is the Executive Director, co-founder of PeopleSpaceOC, an incubator and workspace located in Irvine, Ca. She is a proven executive/entrepreneur who facilitates collaboration and innovation between developers and business entrepreneurs from around the world.

Aside from her responsibilities, Melinda is also a Startup Weekend Facilitator and NASA Space Apps Lead. She specialize in Statistics Driven Product Analysis, Business Strategy, Growth, Community and Social impact.

Chris Dyer: How to Analyze and Hire For Your Company Culture

Fri, 31 Aug 2018 00:19:26 -0000

Culture has a profound impact on company performance, often there is a disconnect between what management thinks the culture is and how your people perceive the culture. Most business leaders don't understand it so they are disconnected from their people. What is your culture?

Today's Quote:

“There’s no magic formula for great company culture. The key is just to treat your staff how you would like to be treated.”

– Richard Branson, Founder, Virgin Group

Show Guest:

Chris Dyer is a recognized performance expert. Constantly intrigued by what makes some businesses and individuals more successful than others, Chris has dedicated years of research to uncovering what drives productivity and profits. As a sought-after speaker and consultant, Chris works with leading organizations to help them transform their cultures to boost performance and gain an even greater edge in the marketplace. A certified SCRUM Master, Chris is highly adept at helping teams work through obstacles and find solutions quickly and effectively. He leverages this experience in all aspects of his work.

Chris is the author of The Power of Company Culture, which was released in 2018 (Amazon.com). He is also the Founder and CEO of PeopleG2, a background check company that has appeared on the Inc. 5000 list of the Fastest Growing Companies.

A passionate talent management enthusiast, Chris is the host of TalentTalk, a popular business podcast that features interviews with top executives about their strategies for hiring and promoting talent.

Chris strongly believes in community involvement, and he is active with a number of organizations. He regularly serves as a judge at entrepreneurial showcases and contests, such as Miller Lite Tap the Future. Additionally, he runs two book clubs for Senior Level and HR Professionals in Southern California. Chris also serves on the board of Working Wardrobes, a non-profit organization that empowers people who are overcoming difficult challenges, such as abuse or homelessness, to confidently enter the workforce and achieve self-sufficiency.

In his free time, Chris enjoys traveling with his wife and kids, and playing live music with his band. He resides in Orange County, California.

Episode highlights:

Explaining what culture is
How to analyze your culture
How to attract the “right” people to your organization

What is culture?

Corporate culture refers to the beliefs and behaviors that determine how a company's employees and management interact and handle outside business transactions. Often, corporate culture is implied, not expressly defined, and develops organically over time from the cumulative traits of the people the company hires.
7 pillars of culture:
****Transparency- the most important element of a GREAT culture
*Positivity
Listening,
**Recognition
Uniqueness
Mistakes
*Measurements terrible decisions are made because of lack of data
The Weinstein Company vs. General Motors
Every company has a culture, good or bad

Ways to analyze your company culture:

Great team (according to Google)
- Determine what makes a success, what equals a failure and how do you deal with conflict
Employee Survey -one question a week! Will impact the results
- How is the CEO messing up your job?
Open your eyes!
There is nothing wrong with having a bad culture (just hire accordingly)

Changing your culture:

Exposing to the 7 pillars
*Transparency- more you give the better off things are going to be. Holding information breeds bad ideas.
*Recognition
*Positivity
Weekly improvement with a weekly survey

Embracing your culture:

If you have a harsh culture, hire harsh people
Plenty of successful companies with harsh cultures (Weinstein, Wall Street, *Kraft, sears, Xerox, Forever21 -Huffington Post
Own it
Amazon - Nice but intense, side of intense
Not all cultures need to be serendipitous - They need to be honest
Hire for fit into your culture

Lori Torres - Diligence and Vetting are Critical in Building an Outstanding Company

Thu, 16 Aug 2018 16:17:48 -0000

Invest the time to really get to know the people you are going to hire. Especially in the beginning stages of your company. Be picky! Your companies success hinges on your ability to hire people who will help push the car uphill. Do not let your need to hire override the fit for both parties.

Today's Quote:

"Chaos is inherent in all compounded things. Strive on with diligence."

-Buddha

Show highlights

- Experience hiring at the early stages
- Hiring challenges as you grow
- Provide solutions for hiring through the various stages

Your experience when you first started hiring & received the funding, what happened next?

Hard to hire- Keys: networking & due diligence
First 60-70 people came from referrals
Plan out company needs
Build, cultivate and maintain a candidate pipeline
Utilize your Referral network

The challenges you faced

Attraction in a tight job market
Company’s mission vs. $$
Think in a bigger way
Ignoring people’s bias
Ways to measure ownership in an interview
- needed big thinkers & doers
Desperation takes over & bad hires result
Your need overwhelms your reason sometimes
Hired a person hastily, due to desperate need and it was not a good fit for either party.

Start with your Core Company Values

Why these values?
Integrity
Comradery
Customer Centric
Relentless
Solution finders
Knowing & Living your company values!

Interview process:

Garnering accurate information! -The Truth!
Interview process:
Interview tools for vetting-
- culture index
Interview- multiple times, 3+ interviews-* test endurance … up to 5 people interviews - own agenda.
Due diligence & vetting
- Checking references!
- Backdoor references
Leading people down the path
- Betterment of both parties -healing a wound
Preparation for the desired outcome

Take Aways

Use outside resources to hire
Ask for help... people are willing help you!
Believe in and listen to your Gut
Planning for the desired outcome
Hiring is not a sprint, it is a marathonResult of proper veting is a great company

Lori A. Torres is the founder and CEO of Parcel Pending, the nation’s leading provider of innovative package management solutions. Prior to Parcel Pending, Lori was SVP of property operations at The Irvine Company.

Erin Wilson: The Power of Feedback in Your interview Process Stops Ghosting and Glass Door Fears

Thu, 09 Aug 2018 15:31:26 -0000

Don't underestimate the power of giving and receiving feedback in the interview process. Feedback helps your company improve your hiring process and it provides a positive “candidate experience” for the interviewee!

Today's Quote:

“Feedback is the breakfast of champions.” – Ken Blanchard (one minute manager books)

Show highlights:

- The Whys’ of interview feedback
- Giving & receiving feedback
- Provide the tools to create feedback channels into your Interview process

You must first have an interview process:

Feedback is process improvement
Candidate Experience
Time management &
Candidate Attraction

Feedback Challenges:

Don't have it - Go get it!
Have it but not sure how to deliver it
Companies not required to provide feedback
Legality of feedback - fear of litigation
- Fear of Discrimination lawsuit
Not everyone can accept feedback - low EQ
CASE STUDY: 70% of companies do not provide unselected job applicants with any feedback
Make feedback a constant throughout the process- give & receive
- Is there any reason why you would not hire me
- Is there any reason why you would not accept an offer with our company

*Mystery creates distrust

What you can and cannot give as feedback:

Skills
Problem solving abilities
Interview Preparation
Alignment with Cultural/Values
Evidence based feedback
Discriminatory in nature
Your too Old
Never give a woman feedback that she is not assertive enough
Body odor

Aaron’s process for giving & receiving feedback:

Balanced
Build in feedback time (10 minutes after the interview has ended)
Feedback based on competency - bullet points, not short stories

Rick’s process for giving & receiving feedback:

Feedback starts at the first contact (gauge ability to give/receive feedback)
- discuss concerns & fit between career & company goals
Ask Questions:
- What are your thoughts?
- How do you feel about that?
- Why is that important?
Assign a facilitator of Feedback
- Ie: recruiter or admin
Provide something constructive
Give & Get feedback in Real Time -interview wrap up

How to professionally release a person from the process:

Call Them!
A 5-10 minute phone call to ensure a positive image of your company.
Be specific. Facts without any value judgment.
Help people to learn. Focus on improvement & help them to find the right fit
Be empathetic.

The candidate experience: Integrity & Transparency in the hiring process creates less likelihood of a lawsuit, especially when you leave the door open.

Erin Wilson is the Co-Founder & Talent Engineer of Hirepool, Inc. He has personally interviewed more than 10,000 job seekers. Erin has helped build a company that exited for $640M, and just released a consumer Interview preparation software product (Hirepool.io) being used by job seekers around the world.

J.C. Ruffalo: Team Chemistry Either Attracts or Repels Investors, Customers and Top Talent

Fri, 03 Aug 2018 19:40:49 -0000

Today we are talking about the chemistry of your team! Look, you can have the greatest product in the world but without a strong team chemistry, your company will ultimately fail.

Today's Quote:

"Skills are Cheap. Chemistry is expensive" ― Mal Pancoast

Show highlights:

Why chemistry is so important
How to Monitor your team chemistry
What to do to encourage or change the chemistry

Elements of good team chemistry:

Constructive Chemistry
*Good chemistry, Your brains produce more Oxytocin, which is the hormone that helps us feel more connected to other people. Higher levels of Oxytocin produce more pleasure, deeper trust, and stronger intimacy.

Warning signs of bad chemistry:

Destructive Chemistry
Identify bad chemistry early on… disrespectful, not being productive, dropping the ball, personal issues.
Adding value or afraid of adding value
Lieing, false information or not saying anything.
Personal Issues- ie: How do you deal with someone involved with drugs? (JC’s Story)

Monitoring your chemistry:

Proactive, Honest
Best Monitor: Praise is the most important element of a team. People will give more because they feel valued
checks and balances, always questioning

Interviewing to uncover chemistry:

Understanding Yourself & Your business needs…. Vision - opposing working styles
How to identify in the interview - Wound, Desire, Accomplishment
Best job in vetting people. Honesty is not that common. People can turn in a heartbeat
Optimistic pessimism
Behavioral Questions - Evidence & Knockouts!

Ways to omit bad chemistry:

Communicate
Identify & change with minimum impact to the organization
Hire slow, fire quickly

J.C. Ruffalo joined the OCTANe OC team in June 2014 and is the Director of LaunchPad SBDC and Investor Relations. JC Mentor's hundreds of companies each year and has assisted LaunchPad companies to achieve over $750 million in capital infusion and, as a result, create over 3,500 new jobs in Southern California.

Prior to Octane, JC co-founded a small startup (Double Splash Media), which was involved with email marketing. He also worked for LKQ, a large corporation that is the world’s largest supplier of automotive replacement parts, as a buyer and general manager.

Hank Levine: Gamifying Your Entire Organization - Accounting Needs to Have Fun Too!

Fri, 27 Jul 2018 15:17:11 -0000

According to Wikipedia, Gamification is the application of game-design elements and game principles in non-game contexts. Gamification commonly employs gamedesign elements to improve user engagement, organizational productivity, employee recruitment and evaluation, and more.

We are all used to being gamefied. In fact, our lives have been programmed to do things based on reward. Everything from our GPA to buying a new iPhone pulls from principles of Gamification. A lot of Companies Gamify pieces of the organization, mainly those associated with revenue. It is not commonly implemented throughout the whole organization, especially the operational side of the organization. Full organizational gamification has increased employee engagement by 92% and productivity is hitting record strides!

Today's Quote:

“The Game gives you a Purpose. The Real Game is, to Find a Purpose.”

― Vineet Raj Kapoor

Show highlights:

Discuss the benefits of gamification to your business
What's needed to gamify your company?
The structure to implement gamification into your company

Why did your company decide to gamify?

Our lives are gamified
Isn't gamification a form of behavioral modification or conditioning?
Skinner’s Radical Behaviorism or Pavlovian response
Benefits to the company?

The gamification you use at iPlace. How does it work?

Launchpad
Customer, Employee & Company goals
*Launchpad: each person earns a star each week for successfully completing tasks. Each week mini performance review- Agile sprint?
40 stars = pay raise, 120 stars promotion.

Why does gamification work in terms of Engagement?

Build a culture of performance and healthy competition
UNDERPERFORMERS CAN NOT HIDE
Put management on auto pilot. Unscheduled leaves have declined over 93% since they have eliminated by escalations (they and all of team loses stars)
Sets expectations up front

Hank Levine is the President and CEO of iPlace USA, which is widely regarded as the highest quality company providing professionally managed sourcing and recruiting services for US-based companies from India. Over the past twelve years, he has helped over 240 American companies establish offshore recruiting operations.

Hank spearheaded the development of a very innovative “company operations system” based on gamification. He was the keynote speaker last May at the StaffingTec conference where he spoke about how progressive companies are using gamification to scale their operations, align company and client goals, improve the health and wellness of their employees, and even eliminate performance reviews.

Dane Petchul: College Debt Is Hindering Your Ability To Hire the Strongest Talent!

Thu, 19 Jul 2018 16:07:02 -0000

Student loan debt is certainly a major issue and yet it is not often addressed in the hiring process. Some would argue that the overwhelming pressure to start paying back the loan often results in a person making the wrong career decision out of necessity. Companies could do more to alleviate some of that pain by targeting talent out of their specific industry and creating benefits or incentives to help with this burden.

“When you get in debt you become a slave.” - Andrew Jackson

Show highlights:

The effect student loans have on career choices
How companies might capitalize on debt to help attract talent

Ways in which an individual can reduce the amount of student loan debt:

Planning
Cost reduction programs
Hidden gems of free money?

What are the inherent challenges related to student loan debt:

Default on the loan -7 million people are in default
Limits ability to get a job- ie:govt related
License suspension -nursing, teachers, lawyers, realtors emergency technicians
Shackled to what you hate to pay the bills

When people make poor career choices because of necessity it impacts the company that they join. The regret over poor job choice does not only impact the employee but the employer as well. Job regret leads to:

Apathy
Low motivation
Poor employee performance
Spend work time searching for other employment

How might companies be able to attract the right people by helping to alleviate the student loan debt wound?

benefits
Recruit people from outside industries (look outside the box)- accomplishment based hiring
Opportunity
Provide an avenue
Look at the debt as an opportunity to provide performance incentives to offset the debt

Dane Petchul is the Founder and President of Oracle College Planning. With a long history of helping people with their retirement in the finance world, Dane shifted the focus to help families – parents and children – identify the best path to take for a financially responsible college experience..

Dane committed himself to helping families carefully protect their life-savings from soaring college costs while ensuring that a proper financial pathway would be in place so that students wouldn’t be saddled in debt after graduating. Therefore enabling them to make better career decisions.

Anita Kanti: Abolish the Resume!

Fri, 13 Jul 2018 16:00:00 -0000

A majority of the most talented people have terrible resumes. Why? Because they are busy making things happen!

Companies miss out on great people because they never make it past the resume screen. Automating the process and screening for buzzwords is just not an effective tool for finding the right people for your business. We are in the people business when we recruit. So, pick up the phone and judge based on your conversation and not the resume.

Today's Quote:

"Insanity is knowing that what you're doing is completely idiotic, but still, somehow, you just can't stop it."

- Elizabeth Wurtzel

Show highlights:

Positive points of resumes
Everything wrong with a resume
Alternate solutions to resumes - solve the resume black hole

What resumes are good for:

Contact information
Career History
The “white space”

What is wrong with the resume:

Keyword dependent -wrong keywords or no keywords
Designed to match with wish list of skills
Too heavily relied upon in the interview process
People lie

Alternate options to a resume:

Video clips
Video talent snapshot (resume) - Why is this a good idea?
-discrimination bias?
- how can a 1 minute video give you an accurate picture?
AI
Actual assessment - conversation
Wound, Desire, Accomplishment

Effective use of a resume and how to identify great people:

Just a tool, not a wall
A guide to formulate skills based questions - Transferable skills

Anita Kanti is the Executive Talent Manager of Huawei Technologises. She is a global business partner and senior manager supporting executive leadership deliverables' for leadership talent acquisition needs for the US and China marketplace.

As both a motivational life coach and strategic talent manager, Anita Kanti offers progressive solutions to help her company and clients optimize their strengths and create a pathway of success. Anita is a proven expert in talent recruitment, both in leading corporations such as Broadcom Inc., and United Healthcare, as well as building a company of her own, Anita K Solutions. Anita K has combined her expertise in talent development and leadership with her training in motivational techniques to create a unique and effective life coaching philosophy.

Brenda Diederichs: Public Sector Versus Private Sector - What's the Sexier Career Option? Startups, Pay Attention!

Thu, 05 Jul 2018 19:19:35 -0000

Public sector VS private sector! We put on the gloves in an epic showdown of today's episode, to settle the differences and find out the better career option. Let's see who will come out victorious!

The 3 rounds for the undisputed championship:

Round 1: Brenda - bashes up the logic behind joining a startup
Round 2: Rick - negatives of the public sector
Round 3: Each counter the punches from their opponent

Round 1: Why do you think it is silly to work for a startup?

No career security
Lack of stability

Round 2: Cons of working for the public sector (federal, state, county, city)

Slow moving
Not entrepreneurial, Doesn’t attract the strongest people
Clamored with politics and red tape
Ability to innovate severely limited
Mediocre Pay / No Stock Options
Not sexy… at all (unless you are an officer or firefighter)

Round 3: Counter Punches! Closing argument Evidence

Pace
Innovation
Career Growth
Challenging
Compensation & Benefits
Attractiveness- to attract talented people
Engagement- the perception of each worker
Brenda’s Knock out Punch! *Interview Process - You probably do NOT have an effective process!

Brenda Diederichs has been serving as the Chief Human Resources Officer for the County of Orange since June 2016. Brenda began her HR career at San Bernardino County, while earning her BA in Political Science, from California State Polytechnic University Pomona. She next worked for the Southern California Rapid Transit District for 10 years in both HR and Labor Relations. While there she earned a law degree from Loyola Law School.

Brenda went on to practice labor and employment law providing and serve as the labor and employment law department chair for two major public law firms for 10 years, before returning to public service as the Executive Officer for Labor and Employment, Human Resources and Training for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. She opened her own law firm in 2007, which she operated until returning to public service in 2014 as the Human Resources Director for the City of Riverside.

Meredith Fish: Transforming Your Leaders Into Talent Magnets

Thu, 28 Jun 2018 16:00:00 -0000

As an Entrepreneur or business leader, it is crucial in this market, to brand yourself to attract talented people! One company is developing their managers to become thought leaders and influencers. A fantastic example of how your company can increase engagement and retention. Making your company safe from guys like me!

Show highlights:

Your journey @ Alteryx
Why it is important to brand yourself as a hiring manager
How to make yourself attractive to talented people

What were the challenges you faced when you joined Alteryx?

Lack of candidate flow, people not responding
Low awareness
Lack of engagement felt it was a TA problem not a business problem
Did not know what to do with people when they had them in for the interview
Managers not involved in the hiring process, not engaged, not sharing, not networking- not taking an active role in hiring & attracting
Disjointed

Internal/organizational solutions:

Candidate flow- posted jobs to get recognition
Ownership of glass door
Updated LinkedIn recruiter page, moved careers on the website to show the importance of careers
Open houses- the Wrong time of day. First one bombed. Changed to a networking event for developers- Huge success- resulted in 6 hires.

Leadership alignment. Making yourself attractive to the talented people you NEED to hire!

Start by listening! Demonstrate high EQ
Helped to understand through education & enablement that TA is a joint effort.
Marketing yourself

- Leveraging networks, networking as a tool for talent attraction & career development
- Communicate: Linkedin & employee referrals- let everyone know
- Develop a Thought leader mentality- sharing content, pictures of the team in a team meeting, sharing ideas, etc.
- Personal Brand- thinking broadly about the needs of the company, not just their roles.

Career Focus:

Own your career development, 20 minutes a week to share interesting content, pictures, write new content.
Elevate those around you to achieve more!
Partnership with other thought leaders- both parties are interviewing each other. Successful managers connect people.

Strong Process:

Tight interview plan, no overlapping questions, interview team prepped, own and respect the process.
Structured, Timed & Impressive

Meredith Fish is the Global Director of Talent Management for Alteryx, Inc (NYSE: AYX). With over 15 years of Human Resources experience, Meredith has worked in a variety of industries and organizations including retail, finance, real estate, and information technology companies. She has the proven ability to build strong relationships and obtain organizational results. Meredith is an approachable and effective leader who motivates employees to maximize productivity. Her areas of expertise are Talent Acquisition, learning, and development and employee relations.

Mark James: Preparing for Your Interview is the Key to Winning a Great Hire!

Thu, 21 Jun 2018 17:48:46 -0000

Today’s show is all about Preparation! Preparation is the first step in conducting an effective Interview. Both interviewer and interviewee parties need to be prepared. Just showing up without an idea of where you are going is the quickest way to lose an opportunity. An Interview without Preparation is really just PreparationH! In this episode we stressed the importance of preparation and how it needs to happen.

Show Guest:

Mark James is the Founder and President of Hire Consulting Services and the author of his new book, “Keys to the C Suite”. (Amazon.com) Mark is a Certified Personnel Consultant and has been providing executive career transition coaching and executive search consulting services for over 20 years. He is also a Certified Partner with the Predictive Index suite of behavior assessments. Mark coaches executives in career transition on a daily basis which makes him an expert in today's topic.

Episode highlights:

Interviewee/candidate preparation
Hiring manager preparation
Provide a process for how each party needs to prepare

Why is it important to prepare for an interview?

Preparation puts you in the right MINDSET … sets the tone, eliminates surprises
Set proper objective - get the offer/make the hire
Being prepared = being impressive- demonstrates success

Interviewee:

Research the company to determine something that the company may not know themselves
Not prepared to tell their story
Ask for the interview schedule & format

Hiring Manager (company):

Research the person
Knowing what needs to be accomplished
Prepare your interview team

The dangers of not preparing for the interview:

Wasted time, frustration
Inaccurate picture of who you really are
Lose the person
Increase the likelihood of making a bad decision

How to best prepare to get hired:

Self-assessment, presenting yourself, researching the company
Research company
Ask targeted questions
Know how to showcase your accomplishments to make them relevant to the company mission
Proactive

Best preparation practices to attract the right talent:

Schedule time to prepare - assuming all else has been covered
Review assessment notes, LinkedIn profile, social channels, resume- look for commonalities, interests & data points to cover
Prepare interview team- provide targeted behavioral questions

Look for cultural fit, evidence of success & transferable skills:

Performance Metrics- what needs to be accomplished
Have a plan: Connect the dots- competitive advantage
Give & receive feedback -in real time

Event Interview: Maryam Rofougaran From Octane OC's Technology Innovation Forum

Fri, 15 Jun 2018 18:30:00 -0000

Maryam Rofougaran, Co-CEO/COO & Founder, Movandi Panel member on the topic of the Anatomy of Success.

Nicole Arvizu: Human Resources VS. Recruiting. Who Will Come Out Victorious

Fri, 15 Jun 2018 16:00:00 -0000

We are putting on the gloves in an epic showdown today. Answering the age-old question of Why we can't just get along.

3 rounds for the undisputed Podcast championship:

Round 1: What Human Resources dislikes about Talent Acquisition
Round 2: Recruiting issues with HR
Round 3: Solutions to get the two working together

Round 1: Issues that HR has with Recruiting

Fixing problems or adding to the problem
Spray & Pray
Transactional
Low hanging fruit
Clear expectations of what is acceptable
Understanding our business

Round 2: Recruiting perception of HR

HR doesn't really understand or care about hiring
Relationship with Hiring manager(s)
No understanding of the Job description

Failure to Communicate:

Blame game
Market conditions (low unemployment)

Round 3: Working effectively together

Control
Restructuring HR bonus structure (cost per hire)
Separating responsibilities
Trust
Structure

Nicole Arvizu is the Chief Human Resources & Compliance Officer for MeriCal, Inc. She is a very progressive and disruptive HR leader! Nicole is a change Agent who joined Merical in January 2017 and has done an amazing job of transforming the organization to bring in HR as a business partner rather than an administrative arm.

She loves to geek out with her quest for scientific knowledge and is also a surfer!

Event Interview:Paul Pickle From Octane OC's Technology Innovation Forum

Wed, 13 Jun 2018 21:01:03 -0000

Paul Pickle, Former President & COO, of Microsemi & MC of Octane OC's 2018 Technology Innovation Forum. We discussed the future of Semiconductor and whats on the horizon.

Event Interview: Ryan Permeh From Octane OC's Technology Innovation Forum

Mon, 11 Jun 2018 19:10:58 -0000

Ryan Permeh, Co-Founder & Chief Scientist of Cylance! I had the pleasure to sit down with Ryan for a quick interview at Octane OC's Technology Innovation Forum Event. He shared some great Insight on Leveraging the Cybersecurity hub in SoCal.

Tom Chaparro: How To Pick The Best Search Partner For You And Your Company (a somewhat biased perspective)

Thu, 07 Jun 2018 16:00:18 -0000

Picking the right recruiter partner is not easy. Today’s episode is all about the different options available and how to find a search firm who has your company’s best interest at heart. Start by establishing the following.

Show highlights:

Defining & understanding your company - values, culture, & plan
Expectations of your team, company goals, needs
How to evaluate a search firm and chose the one that best fits with your organization

Begin with the root of where we should start. As a company, who are we?

Company’s core values
Culture
Plan for success

Understanding your Company’s “Needs” and defining expectations:

Needs vs. Wants - your company needs trump ego
Speed vs. quality
Recruiting mentality Driver vs. Order Taker

Determining the best type of search for your specific needs:

Staffing
Contingency
Retained
In House

How to pick the right recruiting partner:

Process
Cultural & Business understanding
passion

Tom Chaparro is the Executive Vice President and General Manager of The Newport Group - Executive Search Consultants.

As EVP & GM, Tom is responsible for firm-wide management of day-to-day operations and quality control, as well as providing leadership and training to managers and staff.

Mr. Chaparro combines deep, hands-on expertise in a variety of verticals, with an uncanny business insight for the international marketplaces in which his business partners operate. With proven executive search experience, and an unmatched knowledge of the real estate development, construction and oil & gas industries

Lynn Taylor: Is It Possible To Transform Underperformers Into A-Players Just By Changing Seats? Spoiler Alert…...Yes!

Thu, 31 May 2018 16:34:49 -0000

On Average 20% of your company provides 80% of your value. Which poses the following questions that we covered on today's show:

How many A&B players would you need to produce 100% of the productivity generated now
If everyone in the company were A&B players what would be the capacity?
Solutions to transform and/or hire top performers

On Average how many people at a company are A players?

20% produce 80% of the work…
Startup should be flipped

Can we transform people by just moving them to a different seat? How?

Aligning passion & growth

Why is important to shift people to a different seat rather than letting them go?

Shows commitment to people in company and doesn't downgrade the morale of the company

If everyone in the company were A&B players what would be the capacity?

Increase ROI by 300-400% with the same people every time. Just moved people in the right position.
Most people are in the wrong seat

How do we transform current under performers into A players?

Job description process: be able to show what is really needed in each role
What needs to be accomplished and when it needs to be done
Growth, Attitude & Passion
Clear statement about the most important contribution will the person make and how much $ does that turn into with an A-player.
Prioritize responsibilities & percent of time doing each tasks.
Where are they, what do they have as tools, & the biggest task (4-5 kinds of tasks) of everyday-functioning at the task level
Type of communication- break down (telephone, data)
Who I am matched with these areas- deliver core value energy
Weave CVI and detail the How

Lynn Taylor is the President and CEO of Taylor Protocols, Inc. He is a business optimization expert in the areas of human capital, C-level performance, executive coaching and organization design. Lynn is a creator of the Core Values Index (CVI), the only assessment to identify the unchanging human characteristics that dictate future job performance and align these with the responsibilities of a given role for guaranteed success.

Lynn stakes his company and his reputation around his “right person, right job” mission. He has performed more than 200 successful turnaround projects over the past 20 years.

Ron Herrera: Benefits Strategy For Attraction And Retention. Thoughtfully Crafted To The Demographic Of Who Your Company Is Attracting

Thu, 24 May 2018 19:13:32 -0000

Is your benefits strategy the right one to land great people? Highlights discussed on the show:

How Benefits drive Retention
Effective vs. Ineffective benefits
How Benefits can help land Talent

How benefits drive retention

Hard for employees to leave when employers demonstrate the value. Employee feels like they can not get as good of a package somewhere else.
Total compensation statements- powerful tool

What benefits are Effective? Ineffective?

What people expect & at what level?
Strategy for different company sizes
Botique benefits- pet insurance, Financial well being.

How do benefits help land talent?

Reduces days to fill
Impact cost to hire associate
Strong release pitcher role.
Medical needs

Ron Herrera is Vice President of Consulting Services with the Precept Group, a national employee benefits consulting firm and insurance brokerage. Precept offers a variety of services including health and welfare consulting, health management programs, benefits administration and technology, retirement plan services and more.

Ron partners with employers across the United States to reduce healthcare expenditures and stimulate organizational culture. Prior to joining Precept, Ron led Human Resources operations in Vice President and Director roles with multiple healthcare organizations.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Richard Franzi:Unintended Consequences Of A Poor Hiring Process

Thu, 17 May 2018 15:45:41 -0000

Bad hires are the negative effect of a unstructured hiring practice and will manifest itself in the performance of your company. So how do you minimize the risk of bad hires? A hiring structure needs to be in place to drastically increase the chances of making a great hire.

Show Guest:

Rick Franzi is the Founder & CEO of Critical Mass for Business. He is the author of the best selling book “Killing Cats, Leads to Rats” -Mitigating the unintended consequences of Business Decisions.(Amazon.com)

Rick currently chairs CEO Peer Groups® throughout Los Angeles and Orange County, CA through his partnership with Renaissance Executive Forums. He is the host of Critical Mass Radio Show & Podcast here on OC Talk Radio.

He is a nationally recognized thought leader on the power of peer learning for CEOs and business executives. Rick's work has been featured in national media forums such as Forbes & Inc.com

Topics covered in “unintended consequences”:

Symptoms
Diagnosis: the disease is not Hiring with a process
Secure Model for Hiring
Prescription

What are the symptoms (issues)?

Company’s hire for Skills
Winging it
Asking the wrong questions
Down hiring

The diagnosis: disease is not having a hiring process. Why?

Repels great talent (unstructured is unimpressive)
Unstructured interview (only a 6% chance of making the correct hire)
Bad hire will infect 30% of the people around that person - drop in performance

Prescription/solution - implementing the SECURE Model

S stands for slow down the decision-making process.
E stands for expand your knowledge.
C stands for clarify the desired outcome.
U stands for unify the team
R stands for retain control of the process.
E stands for ensure you stay outcome focused.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Ville Houttu: Maximizing Transparency And Trust. This Bold Step Thrust One Company Toward Massive Success!

Thu, 10 May 2018 16:58:28 -0000

True transparency maximizes trust and enables a company to thrive! Vincit promotes proactive leadership and a bottom up leadership approach. The results: a rediculously successful business with no attrition and incredible engagement and productivity.

Episode highlights:

True Transparency- what it looks like to a company that is thriving
Proactive leadership
How this structure attracts outstanding people!

Explain what transparency looks like in you company

Publish Salaries openly- colleagues nominate for raises. Twice a year
Satisfaction guarantee for new employees. Pay people to leave within first two months
Eliminated middle management
Company credit card

How does transparency Maximize Trust?

Bottom to top approach to leadership - focus on listening and reacting. Leadership as a service- created a platform. LaaS
Increase Management workload? - lowers load because you are not predicting situations to handle situations. Individualize the model. People end up managing themselves

Transfer into your hiring process?

What do they do in hiring?
Screening to eliminate the mediocrity? they test interviews in teamwork based situations.
Look for collaboration, skills and cultural fit. Have to be able ask questions, “having dialog”

Results?

Attrition
Engagement
Productivity

Ville Houttu is the Founder and CEO of Vincit California, Inc. Previously, he helped to take it public in Nasdaq First North marketplace. After the IPO, Ville moved to California to start Vincit’s local subsidiary. During the first year of operations he built a team of 20 developers in Irvine and acquired OC’s hottest digital branding agency, XTOPOLY. The team operates in Irvine and Palo Alto, where they help companies such as Logitech and Yamaha to develop their mobile apps and digital services.

Ville is passionate about creating lean working environments and scaling operations without creating policies. He is also one of the few Ironman triathletes who plays steel guitar on several albums on Spotify.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Chris Steely: Unconscious Bias And How To Eliminate It From The Hiring Process

Fri, 04 May 2018 15:16:22 -0000

We all have unconcious bias. It is important to recognize and identify them, especially in the workplace. When we acknowledge these biases, then they can be eliminated in the interview process, creating smarter hires for your business.

Episode highlights:

What Unconscious bias is
How to acknowledge it
Eliminate it from the hiring process

What is Unconscious Bias?

Relative to gender, race, age
We all judge but the key is not to pass judgement until…
Unconscious (or implicit) biases are learned stereotypes that are automatic, unintentional, deeply ingrained, universal, and able to influence behavior

How do we recognize and identify our bias?

EQ, Self Awareness
Roots

The value of Bias in the workplace

Diversity in thinking
Leverage Enlightenment

How do we Eliminate Unconscious bias from the interview process?

Understand the value around bias in the workplace
Harvard Business Review:
Seek to understand- “Organizational conversation”,
Job descriptions- perception words, gendered words-balance:”build and create”
Blind resume review- ignore the name
Accomplishment focus
Structure Interviews
Value fit
Diversity goals

Chris Steely is the Managing Director of GPS Business Group. He is a transformational business leader, author, trainer, and business coach, who has trained thousands of business leaders worldwide on how to refine and apply optimal capabilities to their business. Chris focuses on delivering business effectiveness services to clients across the globe. He’s co-authored two books, and has been featured as a business expert on countless international stages.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Nick Livingston: Improving Communication For The Interview Process Will Increase The Likelihood Of Making A Great Hire!

Thu, 26 Apr 2018 15:52:21 -0000

Insights on Proper Interview Communication and the ways to incorporate them effectively for the Hiring Process:

What are the broken issues in the Interview communication
Fix the crucial areas
Utilize Solutions and Tools that are available to enhance communication and overall candidate experience

With all the technology & tools available, Why is this still a problem today?

We try really hard to take out the human element from the process
Lost art
Transactional

Where the challenges lie

Recruiter & Interviewee
Recruiter & hiring manager
Interviewee & hiring manager

Forms of Communication & Issues

Video interviewing vs phone interviewing, Video cons: implicit bias
Chatbots- engagement /screening tool
Text messages

How do we make interview communications effective?

Recruiter & Interviewee
Recruiter & hiring manager

Tools

Interview Data/Evidence
Remember your Conversations
Reduce misinterpretation and bias
Remove redundant interview steps
Other Tools:videos, Chatbots
Technical tests
Take home tests

Nick Livingston is CEO of Honeit Software. He has been scaling recruiting teams and companies in San Francisco and New York City for 15 years. Nick started his career as a technology headhunter in NYC. After a successful IPO at TubeMogul (now Adobe) while attending business school at UC Berkeley, he co-founded Honeit Software to rethink interview communication and simplify the hiring process. At MTV, Nick was the Recruiting Director responsible for digital media and interactive technology talent. Nick worked at HR Technology companies Taleo and NextSource. He received his MBA from Berkeley, with BS in Applied Mathematics.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Todd Raphael:Hiring Practices That Are Driving Great People Away From Your Company!

Thu, 19 Apr 2018 15:29:58 -0000

Companies complain that they can’t find people yet they do a lot of alienating of potential hires through their actions. Identifying and fixing what drives people away in each stage of the interview process, looking at data of where the best hires are produced, and learning the trends in the Industry will increase the pool of better candidates for your business.

Episode highlights:

What drives candidates away?
How do we fix these issues

What drives people away?

Job description- selfish, not engaging,
First contact - too selling job focused
Interview - prepared, structured, Format
Follow up process

Hurdles in Applicant tracking systems/Interview process

Tests
Missing human connection

Job boards are getting less traction

Evolution of video interviews & ai… matching
Candidate experience- cannot do @ scale
Automated process & gaming

Look at your data. Where are the best hires produced?

Changing the mix of were you recruit. *do the opposite of what you are doing now!
Job ads- alienating people….need to Engage people, *contact & follow up
Blind resumes? *eliminate bias
Messaging- party environment
Getting past bias

What needs to be fixed?

Job description
First contact
Interview
Follow up process

Trends in the Industry

What’s working & What’s not

Todd Raphael manages global publications and conferences for ERE Media, a global community of recruiters and others in the talent field. He has appeared on Sirius XM, VoiceAmerica.com, Wall Street Journal, Time, Forbes, and more.

Todd was named DevSkiller's 2016 "50 Most Game-Changing Influencers In Recruitment." Named Glassdoor's "2015 HR & Recruiting Thought Leaders" and HR Examiner's "Top 100 Influencers" list in employment/human resources and its top 25 Online Influencers.

He was listed on Mike Vangel of TMP's "60 Or So True Influencers In Social+Mobile Media and/or Recruitment."

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Special Episode: Brenda Diederichs And Hilda Gracia From Orange County's Largest Mixer Discussing The Ways County Of Orange Creates Growth Path For Their Employees

Mon, 16 Apr 2018 18:35:46 -0000

Brenda Diedrichs, Chief Human Resource Officer and Hilda Gracia, Employee Relations Analyst of County of Orange

Special Episode: Ryan Logan From Orange County's Largest Mixer Sharing His Expertise On Succession Planning For Your Company

Mon, 16 Apr 2018 15:07:38 -0000

Ryan Logan, Certified Financial Planner & CEO of RAL Financial & Insurance Services

Special Episode: Tom Hobbs From Orange County's Largest Mixer On How To Build A Sales Organization

Thu, 12 Apr 2018 19:17:42 -0000

Tom Hobbs is the Founder and CEO of Atlas Commercial Cleaning LLC

Leisa Reid: The 3 Keys To Transformation For Yourself And Your Business!

Thu, 12 Apr 2018 16:03:14 -0000

The 3 keys to transformation and how to apply them for success:

-Understanding of yourself (past)

-Awareness (present)

-Compelling vision (future)

Leisa Reid is a presenter with Productive Learning, a boutique personal growth company founded in 1992, and has trained thousands of people on the power of the mindset. After 20+ years of Management, Sales and Executive Leadership, Leisa dedicated her life to assisting others invest in their personal development. Why? Because she personally experienced the powerful results as a client of Productive Learning. She loved the company so much she joined them in the pursuit of living an extraordinary life.

Leisa is also the Author of the book “Manage to Success: A Guide to Cultivating Happy & Productive Employees” (Amazon.com)

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Ken Schmitt: Building Your Talent Bench. How To Develop Strategies For Planning, Building Pipeline And Developing Relationships With A-Players!

Thu, 05 Apr 2018 18:16:08 -0000

It is important to have a proactive talent strategy when planning and building your pipeline for your hiring process. Know when and how to tap into the pipeline. Developing a solid foundation, always recruiting by using your referral resources, and utilizing the tools and changes that companies can make promotes successful hiring searches.

Show Guest:

Ken Schmitt grew up in an entrepreneurial household with a father who was a Jack in the Box franchisee for 25 years, and a mother who left the accounting world to become a real estate agent. After spending 9 years working for a local boutique firm and one of the world's largest Executive Search firms, Heidrick & Struggles, he launched TurningPoint Executive Search in 2007. The past two Years, TurningPoint has been ranked one of the Top 150 Fastest Growing Private Companies in San Diego (SDBJ).

Ken is also the Founder and CEO of the Sales & Marketing Leadership Alliance (SMLA), and the annual Sales & Marketing Leader of the Year Awards (SMLYs). Ken is a thought leader in executive search and takes a high touch, concierge-style approach to placing first class talent. Which makes him the perfect guest for today’s topic! He is the Author of LinkedIn Hiring Secrets for Sales and Marketing Leaders. (Amazon.com)

Episode highlights:

The importance of a proactive talent strategy
Building your pipeline
When & How to tap into the pipeline

The Why… Process is Reactive

Starting at Ground zero (Avoid reinventing the wheel with each new search)
Pre plan questions
Organize- time, pace, resume/profile

Foundation - Developing The Plan

Proactive mindset
Always be recruiting (ABC….)
Consistent message, not being transactional
Look at recruiting as a revenue generating or sales process.

Building the pipeline. Always be Recruiting

Employee referrals
Industry leaders
Top performers

Tools & Tweaks that companies can make to succeed

Simple spreadsheet on excel
Poor job of mining their own data.
Someone owning the process.
Employee referral program- on going notification

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Hicham Semaan of Tech Coast Angels: Metamorphosis From Solopreneur To Entrepreneur

Fri, 30 Mar 2018 16:37:05 -0000

What is needed to attract investors, the importance of a team, and how to enagage the right people for your company. Develope a plan that will scale. Hire the needed technical, marketing and leadership expertise to raise capital and to build the business.

Episode Highlights:

What is needed to attract an investor
The importance of the team
How to attract and scale your team

The Foundation - What really needs to be in place to attract seed round investment?

Pick up 1-2 key customers with a working prototype
Seed round: Have team, some customers, some revenue, working model. & need funds.

What is typically the right scenario for a TCA investor?

TCA- a 20-40% small percentage are open for execution delivery role.
*Understanding, awareness & belief

What is the biggest hurdles you see from entrepreneurs?

Giving up equity is often the big issue.
Angel members open to teaming up as a co-founder.

Building the Team - How do we attract the right person?

Resources
How to scale a team. Long term engagement, needs of the business.
Operator, needs to give up “control”.
Use advisors to vet talent, first reluctant to bring in the help.

Scale

When to start?
Evaluation & Planning
Analogy of championship sports teams- key pieces of the puzzle but not all the right pieces at the right team.

Hicham Semaan is an experienced CEO, GM, senior executive, angel investor, senior, and board member to CEOs, management teams, private equity, startup companies. He is a respected leader with strong vision, value creation, turn around, and acquisition expertise, and has successfully grown and exited businesses. Hicham is considered an expert in the technology, education, and real estate industries and has been a featured speaker at several industry events.

He is the newly elected Tech Coast Angels-Orange County President and has received the “Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award” from the OCBJ and was recently named “New Investor of the Year” by Tech Coast Angels.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Deborah Kantor: How To Treat People In The Interview Process. An Interview Is A Two Way Street. You Need To Sell The Person As Well As Them Selling You

Thu, 22 Mar 2018 16:17:40 -0000

All interviewees should be treated with the same positive hiring experience, rather they be an active or passive job seeker. When you eliminate pre-judging and biases, build rapport, and follow up with your candidates, it creates positive results: brings the truth, leads to referrals, and produces positive reviews.

Episode highlights:

How to treat all candidates
Contact & Feedback
Results

What is a Active job seeker vs. a Passive job seeker?

Why do we treat an active job seeker and a passive job seeker differently? What are companies missing?

Eliminate: Pre judging & Bias
The Resume… laziness by not calling. Leads to referrals if not a fit.

Why no feedback when I apply to an ad?

Eliminate: Pre-judging & Bias

Act as if you are the candidate… Process for relationship building.

Looking for value in the conversation.
Follow through… set timeline, being considerate

Results

The truth
Referrals
Positive feedback (Glassdoor)

Deborah Kantor is the President of Kantor Sales Associates. She has mentored and trained countless sales professionals in her four-decade-long sales career path. Deborah has been a student in every aspect of the sales cycle, from prospecting to close, and in the building of trusted partner relationships along the way. She has been a top performer in the staffing and real estate industries prior to her current coaching/training business. Beyond the sales skills necessary to open doors, Deborah is passionate about knowing how to present VALUE PROPOSITION, and communicate the WHY.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Scott Kuethen: Structure Your Interview For Success! Plan, Prepare And Execute A Process That Gets To The Truth Of Who The Person Is Across The Table From You

Mon, 19 Mar 2018 20:23:02 -0000

What should a proper Interview Structure should look like, how to Prepare and Plan the candidates for the Interview, and the right way to Execute the interview process. Having the right hiring structure will audition the interviewee for the company's cultural fit and determine those that may or may not be congruent to your organization's core values.

Episode highlights:

What a proper Interview Structure should look like
Preparing & Planning for the Interview
How to Execute an outstanding interview process

The Foundation - How should an interview be Structured?

Timed with a person leading the process
3-5 individuals, auditioning for cultural fit

Preparation

Pre plan questions
Organize- time, pace, resume/profile

What does an interview plan look like?

Share the plan with the candidate before hand

Executing the Interview

Alleviate the pressure … keep congruent with your environment
Conversational
Knock out questions
Testing & digging
Wrap up… set timeline

Checking References & Referrals

Challenge the white space

Scott Kuethen is the CEO at Amtec, Inc., a professional recruiting organization specializing in placing professionals in Contract and Regular-Full-Time positions with companies ranging from small entrepreneurial start-ups to the fortune 100. He is an avid teacher, and writer in the areas of talent acquisition and selection, organizational planning, and business management. Scott’s life purpose is helping people find meaning in their work.

In his spare time, Scott enjoys photography, SCUBA diving, swimming, drone flying, and other activities that keep him young-minded.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Jordan Ritter!: Hire For The 3 C’s In Your Company! Culture, Capacity For Mastery, And Craft

Thu, 08 Mar 2018 15:35:15 -0000

A 5x tech entrepreneur and his unique approach to hiring great people for his companies, using the 3 C’s: Culture, Capacity for Mastery, and Craft. Utilizing this interview methodology can take your company from good to great!

Episode highlights:

What the 3 C’s are?
Apply this methodology to your hiring for your company

A really unique approach to hiring, the 3 C’s

Culture: Values- evolution of culture, Ethos (montrose), Traits
Capacity - critical thinking & problem solving skills
Craft- skills (not defined by)

How to apply this methodology

Narrative arc interview
White space interview

Jordan Ritter is an accomplished entrepreneur and technologist, having co-founded several companies including music company Napster, messaging security platform Cloudmark, labor-as-a-service platform CloudCrowd and most recently, personal digital search engine Atlas Informatics. He also served as the CTO of entertainment company Columbia Music Entertainment, as well as fan interaction platform Zivity. Jordan is also a regular open-source contributor, having authored free software commonly included in modern Linux distributions as well as Windows software licensed by Microsoft. Several of his projects have been featured in well-known publications and books, and incorporated into University-level curricula.

His works have won numerous nominations and awards spanning across Comdex, DEMO, SIIA, PC World, PC Magazine, and WIRED. Jordan speaks at technology conferences around the world on topics ranging across entrepreneurism, startup culture, AI, computer and messaging security, and the music industry.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Jean Latu: Fractional Leadership As A Viable Option In Building Your Business!

Thu, 01 Mar 2018 15:26:06 -0000

The benefits of fractional help in your organization. Fractional work can bring important value while companies are experiencing change, such as a new leadership, merger and acquisition, or a resignation. Knowing when and how to engage a fractional person will provide the solutions needed for your company.

Episode highlights:

What is Fractional - High end Temps!
When & how to engage fractional help

Jean Latu is the Founder & CEO of Ingenio Solutions, a consulting firm focused on accounting and finance. She leads a talented team of experts in finance and accounting who work with clients to solve problems, create efficiencies, and improve the bottom line.

Jean has worked on projects for companies like CarrAmerica, Coldwell Banker, and Marriott as a consultant. She joined Jefferson Well as a Director of Finance Operations and led their finance and accounting practice. She grew the practice to 40 consultants from 5 and increased annual revenues to $10M from $1M in 3 years.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Robert Curtis: Using Analytics And Behavioral Models To Attract And Retain Great Talent!

Thu, 22 Feb 2018 17:18:24 -0000

How to use analytics tools to first understand the role you are needing to fill. The importance of placing the right language to attract the right person to your job description. We share a format to make your company stand above the pack in impressing and engaging passive talent!

Robert Curtis is the Founder and CEO of Alpha Quantix, a leading provider of people analytics, metrics, performance solutions, and consulting and training. Alpha Quantix is a certified partner with Predictive Index. Robert actively engages business owners and senior management, both direct to management and jointly with industry-specific consultants, in a variety of capacities focused on: hiring the best people, developing employee engagement and delivering employee performance, and generally shaping organizational culture to help companies be the best they can be.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Brian Andersen: Gamification! Improve Employee Engagement, Provide Better Customer Interaction, And Enhance Productivity In Your Company

Thu, 15 Feb 2018 16:21:06 -0000

Gamification is leading by using the best ideas from games. Companies are using loyalty programs and behavioral economics to drive performance and engagement in their employees. Gamification in the workplace has been around for a long time but what's new is the introduction of tools, technologies, design disciplines and frameworks that are allowing us to do gamification in the workplace in a more scalable and repeatable way.

Brian Andersen is Founder and CEO of Telecomprehensive Solutions, a telecommunications & technology brokerage headquartered in Orange County. Brian is a keynote speaker and Chair of the Business & Workforce Development Committee for the Greater Irvine Chamber of Commerce. He leads Business Attraction & Retention efforts to unify our local Startup Ecosystem, connect business & provide education to empower Orange County's Workforce and other strategic Economic Development initiatives. In addition, He also serves on the Advisory Council for the Southern California Hospice Foundation.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Stephanie Paul: Communicate Your Message. The Keys To Crafting An Effective Presentation!

Thu, 08 Feb 2018 17:39:38 -0000

Ineffective communicators can shut down an audience in seconds! Especially with nervous, outdated or too technical presentation styles. This translates throughout your business and can definitely kill your ability to raise funding and hire top talent.

Stephanie Paul is the Founder and CEO of Stephanie Paul, Inc.. Stephanie has an expertise in Working with people who have a significant message that needs to be inspirationally transferred to a variety of audiences. Helping clients get away from "Selling" to Storytelling and turn facts and figures in to "Edutainment". All this with a professional, entertaining, funny and unique style of coaching. Her clients have FUN while being coached ultimately learning how to communicate on a deeper more connected and entertaining level. Bringing a new refreshing air to the culture of the traditional corporate "Bored Room".

From an international background as an actress and a comedienne, including producing and directing Stephanie Paul has combined her knowledge and experience with writing, acting, presentation and production for both on camera and the speakers stage, to bring the “Mastery of the Message” to her clients. Executive Producer and Co-Organizer of TEDx Mission Viejo 2016, Official TEDx Orange Coast Presentation & Connection Coach 2014, 2015, and Official TEDx - Kish (Iran) Presentation & Connection Coach April 2015/16.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Robert Yonowitz: Bad Job Descriptions Breed Bad Hires! Success In Building An Outstanding Organization And Mitigating Legal Risk Starts With The Quality Of Your Job Description

Sat, 03 Feb 2018 00:35:29 -0000

It is imperative to have comprehensive job descriptions! Robert Yonowitz and I discuss why this is important and how they are used in the workplace. Lawsuit prevention, ADA accommodation, Performance Reviews and disciplinary action are the cornerstones of why. Learn the components of an effective "defensive driving" job description and a description that attracts top talent!

Bob Yonowitz is a partner in the Irvine office of the national law firm of Fisher Phillips, one of the oldest and largest firms in the country practicing exclusively in labor and employment law representing management. Prior to practicing law, he also worked for the United States Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Courts. Yonowitz has proven expertise in many aspects of labor and employment law including litigating harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination and wage hour class action claims, drafting key executive employment agreements and incentive compensation plans. Robert developed and is the co-chair of the firm’s nation-wide Unfair Competition and Trade Secrets Practice Group and has published numerous chapters, articles and lectures on the benefits of arbitration, drafting employee agreements, and prevention of employee theft of trade secrets.

He is a member of the California Bar, and the Labor and Employment Law Section of the American Bar Association.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Rodney Burris: Prioritize And Hire For EQ Over IQ! Mastering The Identification Of Emotional Intelligence In The Hiring Process

Thu, 25 Jan 2018 19:41:47 -0000

Emotional Intelligence, or EI, describes an ability or capacity to perceive, assess, and manage the emotions of one's self, and of others. Our EQ, or Emotional Quotient, is how one measures Emotional Intelligence. EQ is the Motivation, Empathy, Self Awareness, Self Regulation, and Social Skills. Emotions have the potential to get in the way of our most important business and personal relationships. But understanding the importance of EQ and having an in-depth process in place to evaluate each component, will uncover the truth and reveal any red flags of your candidates, preventing a hiring mistake for your company.

Rodney Burris is the President, COO and Co-Founder of Care Partners at Home. Founded in July 20, 2016, Care Partners At Home and its parent company, Post-Acute Care Partners Inc., was a career-long vision of Rodney's, a healthcare leader looking to turn his personal stories of caregiving and love into a completely different approach. His professional philosophy focuses on compassion and love, yet is built on a foundation of skilled associates with true expertise, delivering exceptional care.

Over the past 15 years, Rodney has had the opportunity to serve as a leader in Regional, Executive and Board Member roles across a spectrum of Healthcare organizations. These ventures have spanned from large corporate structures to small start-up companies. His intensity, drive and passion to care for others is a derivative from playing the role of “patient” many times throughout life. These events have inspired Rodney to build high performance teams that desire to broaden their positive impact through creation and innovation.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Craig Cooke: Knock Out Startup Pains By Learning How To Properly Evaluate The People You Are Looking To Hire!

Thu, 18 Jan 2018 19:26:32 -0000

How do you REALLY discover if the person you are trying to hire is competent? Great incites shared by today's guest to avoid this major hiring mistakes that those before you have made. Besides having a Hiring Plan in place, providing in-depth evalution of your candidates, and implementing the right questions, will help hire the right people for your company.

Craig Cooke brings more than 20 years of interactive, marketing and management experience to Rhythm. As CEO, Craig drives the direction of the company through his vision, strategic planning and execution. He is actively involved in marketing initiatives, research and development, business development, vendor selection and strategic partner development. He also participates in hiring and producing high-quality solutions that deliver true value to clients. Craig takes a consultative approach to problem solving with clients. Essentially, he believes in helping people, delivering quality, demanding excellence and being accountable.

Craig’s leadership has driven Rhythm to be recognized as a fastest growing private company for five years in a row by Inc 5000, Orange County Business Journal, as well as a “Top Places to Work” in Orange County by OC Register and Orange County Business Journal.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Karl Hardesty: Feel The BURN! Burn Rate Management At Various Stages Of A Company's Life Cycle!

Fri, 12 Jan 2018 20:50:28 -0000

It is pertinent for companies to manage properly the rate of their spending through the varies stages of the business life cycle. Each level of growth, development/seed, startup, growth, expansion, and maturity has its monetary and talent challenges. But incorporating specific plan of expectations at each stage, hiring and delegating experts, and monitoring the burn rate accurately will encourage growth and success of your business without breaking the bank.

Karl Hardesty is the CEO and Founder of Hardesty LLC, a national executive services firm providing both executive search services and on-demand executives to companies. The Hardesty firm has built their reputation in the CFO space based upon their rapid deployment of experienced financial management resources through interim and project based engagements. Hardesty also specialized in other C-Suite rolls including CEO, COO, CIO and VP of HR.

Hardesty has grown rapidly since its inception in 2011, making Orange County’s Fastest Growing Company list for 2014 and 2015. The firm and it’s affiliates currently have offices in 10 major markets in the US.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Paul David: Start Caring About Your People! Watch Your Business Thrive!

Thu, 04 Jan 2018 19:45:21 -0000

To build an outstanding Company, you need to start caring about your people. That is to listen, understand them and achieve mutual loyalty. Caring about your employees can be incorporated through Leadership, Investing time to get know the person at the Interview Process, having an Interview Structure with Behavioral Questions, and focusing on Engagement and Growth. When you really appreciate your employees, it transfers to your customers and the business!

Paul David is the founder and CEO of Identified Talent Solutions, an Irvine, California-based recruitment and human resource consulting firm. Paul has been featured in numerous business publications, and his firm was named one of the "Fastest Growing Private Companies” by the Orange County Business Journal and listed on the “Inc. 500” by Inc. Magazine as part of its annual list of “America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies.”

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Dr. Deena Brown: Eliminate The Complaints About The Millennials! Learn To Properly Engage Talent To Elevate Into Valuable Employees!

Thu, 21 Dec 2017 23:52:56 -0000

There are two types of engagement, before the hire and while employed. Recruiting is not about you or your needs anymore. The proper engagement in the recruiting process is focusing on work life balance, social consciousness, benefits… opportunity for growth.

To retain talent once you have a person as an employee, you need to build the right cutlure by providing growth, communication, and having a Purpose, Intention, and Execution process in place.

Deena Brown is an Executive Director and certified speaker, coach, and trainer with The John Maxwell Team. She is an international best-selling author, The A-Z Guide to Mindful Leadership (Amazon.com) and has been featured on ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox as a highly sought keynote speaker, business and leadership growth expert.

She is affectionately known as The Millennial Whisperer. Her clients have identified her as The Catalyst because she makes Shift Happen. She is the founder of the Millennial Leadership Institute that provides leadership development and lifestyle coaching to Millennials. Her signature C3LeadershipTM Program helps professionals have more Clarity, Confidence, and Consistency by teaching how to Communicate with Influence, Connect Authentically, and Collaborate Strategically.

Dr. Brown’s expertise helps organizations and individuals build a clear path to significance that bridges their philosophy, vision, mission, and goals to their optimal organizational identity.

Check out Blog A and Blog B on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Scott Krawitz: The Trials And Tribulations Of Finding The Right Technical Leader For Your Company

Wed, 13 Dec 2017 20:52:08 -0000

It is important to have a strong technical leader for the success of your company. Entrepreneurs often make the mistake of bringing in the wrong type of person. Today we discussed best options for technical leader for your business.How do you get a strong leader to join your company? You need to know what a strong technical leader looks like and have a plan of action to make sure the right ingredients are present in a person to ensure their success.

Scott Krawitz is the Founder and CEO of People Driven Solutions (PDSI), a technology services firm specializing in fractional technology leadership, curated technology solutions, along with talent acquisition and retention. For over 20+ years, Scott has consulted executives and lead teams through all project phases from strategic planning, analysis, design, and development to implementation, iterative improvement and ongoing support. Industries served include: Financial Services, Healthcare, Software, Retail, Business Services, Legal, and Education Technology.

In addition, Scott passionately serves on the Technology Advisory Board of the National Foundation for Autism Research supporting a software quality assurance training program. His greatest satisfaction is creating a win-win situation orchestrating the hiring of graduates.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Karen Bajanov: Two Major Changes In California Law That Will Impact Your Interviewing Process In 2018!

Thu, 07 Dec 2017 16:00:00 -0000

As of January an employer can no longer ask a person's salary history. They also can not ask about any form of compenstion and benefits. This includes 3rd party recruiters and reference checks. Companies with 5 or more employees will also be required to Ban the Box on job applications. This means that the criminal history section will be omitted and can no longer be asked during the interview process.

With over 15 years in the “People Business”, Karen Bajanov is a seasoned Human Resource Compliance Specialist. After graduating from Cal State Los Angeles with a degree in Health and Human Services, Karen began her career as Director of HR for a major corporation that had over 500 employees.

While in the corporate environment, Karen realized that small and medium businesses had a real need for human resource solutions in order to grow and protect their business. After 13 years as the Director of Human Resources with a corporate firm, she began KEB Business Consultants. KEB Business Consultants now serves small and medium businesses, across a variety of industries, with all of their human resource, talent management and benefits administration requirements.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Ash Kumra & John Reed of Youngry: The Secret To Creating A Movement Around Your Company!

Thu, 30 Nov 2017 18:50:28 -0000

If you can find a purpose for your company above and beyond just making money… You will ignite passion in your Influencers & Advocates.

YOUNGRY™ - an united community of entrepreneurs that hustle, profit, expand, and inspire with original content, events, and e-commerce.

Ash Kumra, CEO and Co-Founder is an award winning entrepreneur, author, speaker and syndicated radio show host. He has been recognized by the White House and President Obama as one of the top 100 entrepreneurs in the country under 30.

He is the author of book series "Confessions from an Entrepreneur" (Volume 1) & (Volume 2) (Amazon.com), spoken to over 10,000 people on entrepreneurship, over 100 articles and conducted over 1000 interviews with business mavens, entrepreneurs and celebrities.

John Reed is the COO of Youngry.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Dalip Jaggi: Investing In Your People Above And Beyond The Standard!

Wed, 22 Nov 2017 19:40:17 -0000

We learned about a company that was truly built by: Valuing people more than anything else. Invested in people first. Foster education first, allowing room for growth. Doesn't cut corners and gives benefits freely. He caters to the company and is big on creating value for company and clients.

Dalip Jaggi has been recognized as a young entrepreneur, an active soul who is always looking to do more and do better. He is the founder of the respectable brand and digital agency, Devise Interactive. Inventor, he co-founded the world’s first smart shower device, EvaDrop Smart Shower and an interactive kiosk for brick-and-mortar shops, Fraxtion. He co-founded Forge54, a non-profit, that hosts a 54-hour hackathon weekend to provide a marketing makeover to one non-profit every year. Dalip enjoys spending time with his family and friends, playing chess or even the saxophone, and snowboarding.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Rod Swartwood: Human Capital Return On Investment! HCROI

Thu, 16 Nov 2017 17:13:30 -0000

Most companies look to HR for Compliance and today we take a look at how Human Resources can positively affect profit rather than holding down costs.

Rod Swartwood is the Founder and President of HR Prime, a full-service HR consultancy specializing in the strategic and tactical creation of best-in-class talent management practices and world-beating teams. From HRIS roles with government agencies in the early days of LAN based business computing through his strategic HR leadership roles at startups and Fortune 300 companies. His 26 years of practical HR leadership in a wide variety of verticals, coupled with his degrees in organizational psychology and business give him the unique opportunity to guide both young organizations and established entities to greater productivity and profits.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Robert Davis: Investor Adoption And What To Do When You Are The Root Of Your Hiring Challenges!

Fri, 10 Nov 2017 02:22:26 -0000

This is a bit different of an approach to investing where the investor takes a much more active advisory role in the company and is often adopted into the leadership team. Hiring challenge- How to solve your issues when the root of the issues is YOU! Focus not on what you want but what the company needs.

Robert Davis grew up here in HB , started in Aerospace, to a snowboard manufacturing , Thermal Snowboards. Thermal snowboards made products for companies like 5150 & Joyride. The company was acquired in 1995 by RIDE, a publicly traded Company and then obtained by k2. At that point, Robert was the VP of Operations. In 1997 Robert left and started Avid Ink. He effectively built the company from one employee to over 250 and $24 mil in revenue. This all from a 25k loan from his family! He successfully exited the company in 2015.

Today, He is Founder and CEO of both Y7 Collective and his newly acquired company, Communities For Cause, a mobile app that works with local merchants and allows the merchants to give money to specific non profits chosen by the user. He is also Member of Tech Coast Angels, Orange County & OCTANe's Launch Pad Panel.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Peter Polydor: The Importance Of A Strong Team When Shopping To Investors!

Thu, 02 Nov 2017 03:31:49 -0000

One of the most critical elements to being funded is the team who are leading the charge. Know your weaknesses and have a plan to fill those gaps! Be honest in your approach and realistic in how your company will grow.

Points covered:

- Importance of a strong team
- Having a Plan & When to Pivot
- Strategy for how and when to engage a recruiter
- Position your team to be attractive to investors

Peter Polydor is the CEO and Founder of ERGO Capital and the startup accelerator Ergo Accel. In 2014, he founded the Eureka Building, a three-acre startup and tech community based in Irvine, California, designed to foster innovation and house entrepreneurs. The site is home to over 30 companies ranging from startup to a large public company. Peter sits on the Boards as well as Advisory Boards of a number of portfolio companies and startups. Further to his work at ERGO, Peter is a Professor of Practice at the University of Wales, is a Charter Member of the Canadian C100, recipient of the Greek 40 Under 40 award and the Power 30 Under 30 award. He received his BA from Occidental College and his MBA from the University of Oxford, Said Business School.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Brad Hendricks: Creating An Environment That Fosters Personal Growth And Smashes The Glass Ceiling!

Fri, 27 Oct 2017 02:38:14 -0000

The results can be astonishing just by giving people the opportunity to learn & develop new skills!

Take Aways:

Maintain “family culture” & Creativity
Daily/weekly engagement, focus on keeping people involved
Promote creation of games through contests. Pitch ideas, if they are not interested, the IP is the employees to develop on their own. Use the company’s resources to build.
Winning with uniqueness: family environment, they play where the big companies can not offer. Ambidextrous, ie: take and engineer & teach rendering, AI, leaders are willing to teach.
Career manager- making sure people are learning what they need/want to learn.

Brad Hendricks is the CEO and a serial entrepreneur/business development specialist who started up Blind Squirrel Entertainment, Inc. in 2010, a AAA game studio that creates original content and provides full game development services to various publishers and developers. Under his leadership, BSE has quickly become the top collaborator for industry leading titles such as Disney Infinity 3.0, Bioshock: Infinite, XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Borderlands 2, Sunset Overdrive, and Evolve.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

John Crittenden: What Is The Right Time To Exit Your Startup?

Fri, 20 Oct 2017 03:51:22 -0000

The trials and tribulations of when a founding member of a team should step away from his company in order to let it grow. When to exit and how to do it in such a way to benefit the company!

John R. Crittenden, is the Founder and CEO of Mondigi. He is an entrepreneur with broad experience across asset management, sales and marketing, consumer financial brands, and digital wealth management platforms. Prior to Mondigi, he was one of the first four employees at Acorns and earliest executives as Director of Institutional Services, one of the first and most successful robo-advisor platforms focused on wealth management.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

A Founder’s Story…. First Hiring Pains And A Unique Culture Developed Around A Baseball Theme with Sean Ferrel

Thu, 12 Oct 2017 20:54:06 -0000

How does the baseball theme transfer into their interview process.

Strength finding exercises
Provide growth plan in interview
Put gameplan together for each employee
Involve different departments in interview process in a panel interview process.

Sean Ferrel founded Managed Solution in 2002. He recognized the need for consultative IT services for small-to-medium and enterprise clients and with little capital, Sean and his dedicated team grew the company organically to success. Within 3 years, the company was recognized as one of San Diego’s 40 fastest growing companies, awarded one of the 40 companies with owners under 40 years old and recognized as the 27th fastest growing IT company in Southern California.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Startups! You Must Build A Solid Board Of Advisors. Learn Creative Ways To Recruit Amazing People with Jon Shower

Fri, 06 Oct 2017 02:49:15 -0000

Jon Shower a multi industry entrepreneur here in Orange County with his most recent venture being in the tech space. Currently, Jon is the founder and CEO of iNK, a new business networking platform geared towards helping people build better networks. They were funded earlier this year and are finishing testing an alpha version while preparing to launch live within the next month.

Following your passion and not being afraid to take risks are two big factors that have led Jon to this point in his journey. A lot of his core values and mindset came from the men in his family as well as his time serving in the United States Marine Corps through the mid 2000's. Jon did two combat tours to Iraq over his 4 years and then decided it was time to move on. Moving to Orange County in 2010, Jon dove into the fitness industry. He started a training company geared towards professional athletes and executive clientele. He created programs for dealing with post surgery rehab, injury prevention and strength and conditioning. After proving successful over the last 7 years, the itch to follow another idea and passion took over. The tech space was uncharted territory in 2016 for Jon but he had an idea and the passion to see it through. "I knew that building the right team around my million weaknesses would be paramount in a completely new territory....and that's what we have done".

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

The Way Your Company Writes It‘s Job Descriptions Can Get You Sued! with Usama Kahf

Thu, 28 Sep 2017 17:45:17 -0000

While there are many hurdles out there, the biggest legal challenges companies have in hiring today boils down to two main issues: when employees don’t disclose the truth during the hiring process and when employees bring over trade secrets from their previous workplace.

When potential employees don’t tell the truth during their interview process, whether they’re hiding things or holding back crucial information that could pertain to their ability to perform the duties of the role, it can cause major issues and put businesses in sticky legal situations.

Usama Kahf is an attorney at the Irvine office of Fisher Phillips where he practices employment law. Fisher Phillips is a national firm that only represents employers in all aspects of labor and employment law. Usama’s focus is on litigation prevention and compliance. He has a passion for educating business owners and HR directors on how to minimize legal risk and comply with complicated employment laws.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Executive Director Of Global Entrepreneurship Institute-Interview with Robert Price

Thu, 21 Sep 2017 13:50:58 -0000

Robert W. Price enjoys world renown as an expert in the field of entrepreneurial capitalism. He is the Executive Director for the Global Entrepreneurship Institute and has a bio that looks that it could belong to three people!

He is a respected strategist, innovative thought leader, public speaker, creative educator, and prolific author. Robert has written or edited more than a dozen books including, Roadmap to Entrepreneurial Success: Powerful Strategies for Building a High-Profit Business, & Entrepreneurship, which is currently in it’s 6th edition (Amazon.com)

Advisor to global entrepreneurs and private equity investors: angel, venture, corporate executives, board members, and chairmen.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

The Revolving Door Of Employee Attrition with Brian Montes

Thu, 14 Sep 2017 05:51:18 -0000

Stopping the Revolving Door of Employee Attrition. People leave your company because they are dissatisfied. If you are running a company and driving things too fast, you really need to take a minute to look around you and ask yourself, “are the people around me getting what THEY need from our organization”?

Brian Montes of Strategy & Business Development for KEB joins us to discuss Organizational behaviors that can lead to employee dissatisfaction. Brian oversees the day to day sales and operations of KEB, a Southern California based HR Management & Payroll firm. Since 2014, he has helped hundreds of companies better manage their talent, optimize their business operations, bring an ROI to HR and increase stakeholder value.

Brian can be reached at KEB

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Creative Thinking Must Be A Premium For Your Company- And It Starts With Building The Right Team with Carey Ransom

Thu, 07 Sep 2017 22:27:41 -0000

Having a strong team is so important and how to build it properly.

Carey Ransom is an experienced Internet and software entrepreneur and executive, having started, grown and led many technology companies during their startup and growth phases. Most recently, he was Chief Innovation Officer of Experian Consumer Services, where he led the new portfolio of consumer credit, financial and identity products, as well as partnership across other Experian business units. Previously he was Chief eXploration Officer (CXO) of Payoff, a venture-backed consumer-focused digital financial services company, where he led new initiatives and strategic partnerships. He was also the CEO at RealPractice, a venture-backed marketing software and services company, which he sold in 2012 to ReachLocal (RLOC).

Carey is active in the Orange County startup and business community and is a long-time board member of OCTANe. He has frequently spoken at software, financial technology, and online media conferences such as AltFI, Innovation Project, INBOX, The BIA/Kelsey Group, OMMA, and others. Carey’s expertise is identifying new partnership and revenue opportunities, product and technology initiatives, and creating and leveraging market trends.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Lou Adler And I Discuss Recruiting From The Inside Out!

Fri, 01 Sep 2017 17:17:23 -0000

Lou Adler, CEO and Founder of The Adler Group joins us to discuss referral based recruiting. Knowing where to start looking is really the most important element when taking on a search. You must put some thought and creativity into your process!

The Adler Group is a consulting and training firm, implementing performance-based hiring at companies around the world. Lou is the author of Amazon's top-10 best-seller, Hire With Your Head (John Wiley & Sons, 3rd Edition, 2007), & (2nd Edition)The Essential Guide for Hiring & Getting Hired (Workbench Media, 2013) and the Lynda.com Performance-based Hiring video training program (2016). Adler is one of the top bloggers on LinkedIn’s Influencer program writing about the latest trends in hiring, employment, and recruiting. His articles, quotes and research can now be found in Inc. Magazine, Business Insider, Bloomberg, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and The Wall Street Journal.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Anything Less Than A 98% Offer Acceptance Rate Is Unacceptable with Erin Wilson - Part II

Wed, 23 Aug 2017 17:23:35 -0000

Co-Founder of hirepool.io, Erin Wilson returned to talk about what a career wound is and why it is important to identify career wounds when deciding to interview a prospective employee!

Erin Wilson has been a candidate advocate for the better part of a decade. First as an agency recruiter, specialized in technical recruiting. Then as an internal recruiter and head of talent. Lastly, now, as the co-founder of hirepool.io He is passionate about empowering job seekers of all backgrounds and committed to improving the world's candidate experience one interaction at a time.

To learn more about Erin Wilson and his work with hirepool.io, check out his LinkedIn here.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

A Candidate Experience Based Framework Is Crucial For Hiring Success! with Erin Wilson - Part I

Wed, 16 Aug 2017 21:06:40 -0000

Erin Wilson, Co-Founder of hirepool.io, joined us to discuss the importance of developing a candidate experience based framework in your hiring process.

Erin Wilson has been a candidate advocate for the better part of a decade. First as an agency recruiter, specialized in technical recruiting. Then as an internal recruiter and head of talent. Lastly, now, as the co-founder of hirepool.io He is passionate about empowering job seekers of all backgrounds and committed to improving the world's candidate experience one interaction at a time.

To learn more about Erin Wilson and his work with hirepool.io, check out his LinkedIn here.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Givers Gain! Magnetically Attract Talent To Your Company By Giving Back with Gui Mendes & Mason Monsevais

Thu, 10 Aug 2017 01:01:59 -0000

How can the power giving back attract talent and benefit your company as a whole?

This week on Hire Power Radio Show, Gui Mendes and Mason Monsevais of the Art of Jiu Jitsu Academy (AOJ) joined us to discuss the power of giving back and how doing so has benefited their organization.

Gui Mendes is a 4x black belt world champion originally from Rio Claro, Brazil. Moved to Costa Mesa, California in 2012 to open up the Art of Jiu Jitsu Academy with his brother Rafael and RVCA founder PM Tenore. Created the Believe & Achieve Program in 2015 as a way to give back and help support young athletes in Brazil. Mason Monsevais moved to Costa Mesa, California in 2012 when the academy opened as a white belt after meeting the Mendes Bros two months before. Trained all day for the first few years, receiving all his belts (white - brown) from the Mendes Bros. He has won major tournaments at all belt levels but stopped focusing on his own competition when they started the Believe & Achieve Program.

To learn more about Gui Mendes, Mason Monsevais and the Art of Jiu Jitsu Academy (AOJ) visit www.artofjiujitsu.com/

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

Manage Your Career, Or Your Career Will Manage YOU! with Mike Gellman

Wed, 02 Aug 2017 20:55:05 -0000

Manage your career, or your career will manage you!

This week on Hire Power Radio Show, Mike Gellman, Founder of High Five Career Coaching, joined us to discuss effective career management, common mistakes people make, and how to position yourself to progress your career in a fulfilling direction.

Mike Gellman, M.S. is the Founder of High Five Career Coaching and coaches highly-motivated professionals and leaders in various stages of their careers to gain greater clarity, create sustainable change, and achieve higher levels of excellence. He is also the author of Pipe Dreams: 7 Pipelines of Career Success (Amazon.com) that has received rave reviews from readers.

To learn more about Mike Gellman, visit MikeGellman.com.

Conquer The Elephant In The Room And WIN Over The Talent You Need To Hire To Succeed with Marcus Sheridan

Fri, 28 Jul 2017 21:33:53 -0000

What is the “elephant in the room,” and how can you conquer it? Trust!

This week on Hire Power Radio Show, Marcus Sheridan, president of The Sales Lion and author of They Ask, You Answer, (Amazon.com) joined us to discuss how a company’s reputation, and the unspoken issues surrounding it, can impact hiring/recruitment, and how being open with candidates about the “elephant in the room” can build trust and win over the talent you need to hire.

Called a “web marketing guru” by the New York Times, the Story of how Marcus Sheridan was able to save his swimming pool company, River Pools, from the economic crash of 2008 has been featured in multiple books, publications, and stories around the world—and is also the inspiration for his newest book, They Ask, You Answer, which was dubbed the #1 marketing book to read in 2017 by Mashable. Known for his incredibly unique ability to engage live audiences, Sheridan has become a highly sought after global speaker and consultant in the digital sales and marketing space, working with hundreds of business and brands alike to become the most trusted voice of their industry while navigating the ultra- fast rate of change occurring within consumers and buyers today.

To learn more about Marcus Sheridan, visit thesaleslion.com.

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

On-Boarding, Where Companies Fail After The Offer Is Signed! Employee Engagement Will Transform Your Company with Elizabeth Pate-Morton

Sat, 15 Jul 2017 01:01:06 -0000

The offer has been signed. The candidate is committed. Now what?

Ever had a person sign your offer then not start? Most likely you failed to keep them engaged in active participation while awaiting their start date. Or maybe, you had a person start, and they didn't come back to work the next day, it’s not their fault; it’s yours.

This week, Elizabeth Pate-Morton joined us on Hire Power Radio Show to discuss the crucial steps your company should take after an offer is signed to keep employees engaged and invested during the onboarding process, and how doing so contributes to organizational effectiveness.

Elizabeth Pate-Morton has extensive experience creating a solid Human Resource foundation for companies looking to grow rapidly into their next phase. With 30 years of progressive Human Resource Management experience, 20 in Silicon Valley and International tech companies, Elizabeth brings a unique and refreshing style of HR to the table. With the strong belief in “HR as a Service,” she has been very successful creating amazing cultures that encourage employees to be creative, work on hard problems together and have fun doing it. She has been a part of eight Mergers and Acquisitions and an IPO. She has most recently been a key member of the HR leadership teams at Apigee (now Google), Lockheed Martin, and Savi Technology. Elizabeth is currently the Human Resource Leader at Snowflake Computing.

To learn more about Elizabeth Pate-Morton and her work with Snowflake Computing, visit www.snowflake.net.

The Reason Talented People RUN After Going Through Your Company’s Interview Process with Peter Leffkowitz

Thu, 29 Jun 2017 06:13:39 -0000

Why do great candidates run after going through your company's interview process? The answer: disorganized Mess!

This week, legendary recruiting trainer Peter Leffkowitz joined us on Hire Power Radio Show to discuss why implementing effective interview processes is essential for your company’s success.

Peter Leffkowitz is the founder and CEO of Morgan Consulting Group and Morgan 20/20 Search. Peter has developed and guided the largest training and consulting company to the staffing industry, and has personally trained over 60,000 recruiters from around the world. Peter also runs his private brand, Morgan 20/20 Search, a firm that specializes in very tight, high demand/low supply niches such as artificial intelligence within the drone, the driverless car industry, and international taxation.

For more information about Peter Leffkowitz and his work, visit: www.morgancg.com/

Check out the Blog on the Stride Search, Inc site for the supplementary “show recap” article with detailed takeaways/insights from the interview.

A Proactive Recruiting Model Will Transform Your Company & Improve Offer Acceptance Rates with Michael Krug

Fri, 23 Jun 2017 21:50:28 -0000

Is your firm proactive or reactive when it comes to recruitment strategy?

This week Michael Krug, Talent Acquisition Manager for Hoag Hospital in Orange County, California joined us on Hire Power Radio. Michael’s expertise is in building quality talent pipelines and developing effective recruitment and sourcing strategies through the use of technology and advanced analytics. During his time on Hire Power Radio, Michael discussed the difference between proactive and reactive recruiting, and how organizations can best strategize to improve their hiring and recruitment processes.

Prior to working at Hoag, Michael was a Technical Sourcer at SpaceX.

Setting Framework: Avoid Growing A Toxic Company Culture! TED Style with Rick Girard

Wed, 21 Jun 2017 02:13:18 -0000

Rick Girard, Founder and CEO of Stride Search Inc. and Host of Hire Power Radio Show

How To Place Talent At A Company With A Crappy Reputation with Tom Chaparro!

Thu, 08 Jun 2017 22:35:31 -0000

Listen to our interview with Tom Chaparro from The Newport Group on HirePower Radio. Our topic: How to Place Talent at a Company with a Crappy Reputation. Live on Orange County's only business radio station, OC Talk Radio!

As Senior Executive Recruiter and Division Manager of our Orange County Office, Mr. Chaparro combines deep, hands-on expertise in a variety of verticals, with an uncanny business insight for the international marketplaces in which his business partners operate. With more than 25 years of executive search experience, and an unmatched knowledge of the real estate development, construction and oil & gas industries, Tom identifies and places proven mid to senior level executives in his respective practice areas, helping candidates achieve new career goals and clients build the teams that both shape and lead their respective markets. Prior to joining Newport in 2010, Tom spent 9 years as Founder and CEO of Chaparro Advisors, a top-tier, nationally recognized retained executive search and consulting organization. Prior to founding his own firm, Tom served as VP and GM at Management Solutions, Inc., until its acquisition by TMP World Wide/Monster.com in late 1999.