Response Rates on Resumes

This is a subject that we've blogged about and discussed in past SSI newsletters. But with an increase in resume submissions and candidates who are desperately looking for work, we felt the need to explain how the resume submission process works.

So how long should a person expect to wait to get a call back on his/her resume???

Every place is different, but here's how we typically sort through and respond to resumes:

- If a candidate submits for particular position and we feel it's a match for the job, they can expect a call within 1-2 business days. In the recruiting world, getting a call back within a day or two is considered VERY fast turn around...you are a priority!

- If a person's resume is not a match for a particular job OR any SSI openings, we immediately send an email. We often send a list of other agencies in St. Louis the person can contact or, at the very least, a "thanks, but no thanks" email.

- Candidates who are referred to SSI (through a client, former applicant, friend, etc.) are often given priority and are called within 2-3 days. We take great pride in the fact that our best candidates are oftentimes referred to us and try to respond to their inquiries ASAP.

- If a candidate is not a fit for a particular opening OR just sent a resume in "just because", it might take 3-5 business days to get a response. It might take longer, depending on the amount of resumes that we recently received. To date, we've never been more than two weeks behind in contacting candidates with skills that might be a good "fit" for SSI openings!

When should I call a recruiter after sending in my resume? Will that put my resume on top of the pile?

If you are unsure that your resume was received (i.e., you didn't get a "thanks for sending us your resume" message on the website or your email with the resume attached bounced back), you might want to follow-up to be make sure you sent it to the right place. Otherwise, give it at least 5 business days before calling.

Keep in mind that most recruiters prioritize their tasks and list of candidates to contact each day. If you call 15 minutes after sending your resume, hoping to discuss your skills and qualifications, you've officially annoyed the recruiter and jeapordized your chances of being considered for any position!

If you have specific questions about a job, try calling the recruiter after 10 am (so they've had a chance to check their messages, email, start sorting through resumes in the morning) and first ask if they have time to discuss the position in greater detail. It's not considerate or realistic to expect a recruiter to drop everything to talk to you at length. If they don't have time at that moment, ask to schedule a time that's more convenient. Keep the conversation brief and have questions planned out ahead of time.

Hopefully this helps answer some very important questions when initially applying with a company. Although at times applicants may feel like they're jumping through "fiery hoops" to get contacted, we do our best to acknowledge resumes submissions and get back to candidates as soon as we can! By being reasonable and patient with our staff, the process goes a lot smoother and we are better able to place applicants in jobs.

Staffing Solutions Receives "2009 Best of Clayton" Award

Staffing Solutions has been selected for the 2009 Best of Clayton Award in the Employment Agencies category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).
The USCA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.
Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2009 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.
U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a Washington D.C. based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

Career Training Opportunity with the GO! Network

The GO! Network just sent us the following message- looks like a great opportunity for someone interested in learning more about going "green".

Read below:

"Friends of GO! Network,

We are very excited to tell you about a wonderful opportunity for those of you who are interested in pursuing a career in the biofuels industry. St. Patrick Center has been awarded a grant from the U.S. Conference of Mayors and The Wal-Mart Foundation called Project GO! Green. One aspect of Project GO! Green is to introduce dislocated professionals to career opportunities in the biofuels industry, enabling you to gain unique skills for this emerging field.

Project GO! Green entails a 4-week training course (8 hours per day). The training will take place at the National Corn to Ethanol Research Center (NCERC) on the campus of Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville, beginning August 31st. The grant covers the cost of the training, valued at over $8000 per individual and includes both classroom and hands-on experience. We are pleased to announce that 30 GO! Network members will be selected for this training.

This course will provide a comprehensive overview of the skills required in today’s biofuels industry. It is appropriate for anyone interested in plant and laboratory operations, maintenance and construction, management and sales. The training lends itself to opportunities in related fields, such as biodiesel production, life sciences, DNA or microbiology, various types of research, and chemical technology for the petroleum and pharmaceutical industries.

Project GO! Green provides the text book and other training materials including safety equipment and lunch each day. In addition, the grant provides for a GO! Green job developer who will be working on your behalf with the NCERC and their contacts of key leaders in all areas of renewable fuels to identify employment opportunities in this emerging industry.

This is an incredible opportunity for the right candidates. Given the value and commitment required, placing the appropriate people in this course is very important. To be considered for one of the 30 openings, please reply to this email and include your response to the following:

Tell us about your interest in the biofuels industry - and why you feel you should be considered for one of these valuable spots.

All applications need to be received by August 7th. After review of all written responses by the GO! Network Peer Advisory Board, you will be notified by August 14th whether or not you were awarded one of the 30 slots.

We are pleased to bring this opportunity to the GO! Network members and look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,


Chuck Aranda
Director"

For more information, email: info@gonetworkstl.com

Yay to Volunteers!

One of our most recent placements just got a great review from one of her volunteer supervisors (she had volunteered while looking for work). Not only did Diane keep her skills sharp while looking, but she also got a great reference out of the deal. Read below:

"I just want to say thanks for introducing Diane to us; we’ve really appreciated her volunteerism and she’s been a delight to work with. Just wanted you to know the good news and that she’s found a landing spot. We’re absolutely thrilled for her that she’s found her next career opportunity. Thanks again for helping us out and introducing her to us. Looks like she intends to still volunteer on occasion our events if something works out and that is a treasure for us!

Best,
Rebecca"

We can never say enough great things about volunteering your time. We are so happy that Diane got a full-time job and was able to make some connections at a local non-profit. Yay to volunteers!

Benefits of Temping- Proof is in the Pudding!

A few weeks ago, I blogged about the typical arguments against temporary work. Many turn down temporary opportunities because they would like to focus their search on permanent placement only. Well today I have concrete proof of why you should always be open to temping...

A client called yesterday looking for a temporary Executive Assistant for a 6-8 week assignment (while the person in the job was on leave). We sent 2 candidates to interview for the position this morning. Our first candidate was offered the aforesaid temp position AND is being considered for an open job that would start after the temp assignment ends! After interviewing our other candidate, the HR Rep sent her to another department to interview for a different job. She was just offered the position on a temp-hire basis this afternoon!

Both candidates went into our client's office this morning, thinking they might be selected for a short-term assignment...it's now 1:30 pm and both of them are employed!

What we can learn from this story:

1) Being open and available while actively looking for a job can lead to good things! Neither candidate had any reason to believe that the client was going to offer them a job (temporary or otherwise!), yet they were willing to give it a chance.

2) This also is proof that working with an agency can be a good thing- we were able to identify two solid candidates that would be a "match" for this particular client. They were so impressed with our selection that they hired both candidates.

3) Finally, getting in front of people who make hiring decisions is extremely difficult, especially in this kind of job market. Temporary work allows you to meet important people (HR Reps, Hiring Managers, Department Heads, etc.) that you would not have access to as an outsider. Temping is a way to get your foot in the door!

Congratulations to Shannon and Beth- this made our day!

Loosing Your Cool in a Job Search

It's probably no surprise that those who are currently looking for a job are frustrated. For the most part, our applicants have been very understanding and patient (and we absolutely appreciate it), but there are the occasional applicants who loose their cool from time-to-time.

I had a candidate "loose it" today after we sent her an email, letting her know that she was (unforutnately) not qualified for the position for which she applied. Here is her response to our email:
"Thank you for your reply. I have over 10 years as a secretary along with my project management position...I'm sorry it just amazes me how people can look at a resume and never talk to a person to know what they are really like and the experience they have had."

Wow- it's clear that she is frustrated with her search! And I totally understand where she's coming from. How can a recruiter or hiring manager know everything about her (or any other candidate) based solely on a 2-page resume? Surely she possesses some of the skills that the client is seeking, no?

Even in a better economy and better job market, there's no way that a recruiter can take more than a few minutes to skim your skills, qualifications and job history to determind if you are a "fit" on paper. Is it fair? Not always. But it's how initial resume screens are conducted. Therefore, it pays to be smart about how you apply for jobs these days. Here are some tips on how to end up in the "yes" pile, rather than get the "thanks, but no thanks" email.

- Re-read the posting and qualifications required for the position. In a market where there are more seekers than opportunities, you need to be sure this is a job for which you are truly qualified. If you don't possess at least 70% of the skills required, then you probably aren't going to make the cut.

- Tailor your resume to fit the particular job for which you are applying. There is no such thing as a "one size fits all" resume. The seeker above who lost her cool had never thought to edit her resume to highlight her differerent skills/experience. Look for keywords and phrases that match the posting and make your resume "fit".

- Be patient. If you are doing a good job of targeting your search (vs. applying for every posting that seems like it "might" work out), you won't be applying for 100+ jobs per day. Instead, there will be a select few opportunities and you'll have to wait and see if the hiring person feels this is a "fit" for you as well! And maybe the job for which you applied isn't "the one", but there could be future opportunities that could work out.

- Don't get too argumentative. There's nothing wrong with a friendly inquiry about why you were not considered for a particular job. Whether or not you receive a response can vary- some places will be happy to offer feedback while others don't have the time to let you know why this wasn't a match. What's NOT OK is to back the hiring manager or recruiter into a corner and demand that they reconsider. Generally speaking, that has the opposite effect. Coming of like a "Bitter Betty" does nothing but bad things for your search.

Believe it or not, most recruiters like helping candidates find the perfect job. But at the end of the day, our job is also to provide our clients with a candidate who has the skills, experience and personality that is a perfect match for what they're seeking. And keep in mind that we too are frustrated that we can't help every great candidate that comes our way- that's how we stay in business and keep our jobs! That's why it's important for everyone to keep their cool and have faith that this too, shall pass.

Thank You From an Applicant

Received a very nice thank you note from an applicant that we recently placed:

"Now that you have heard the good news, I'm sending a "thank you" to all of you at Staffing Solutions! Words can't really express my excitement in joining my team. I remember sitting at your desk back in February telling you "I just want to love my job", feeling a bit defeated because I couldn't find a good fit during my job search and had struggled over the years to find my niche in HR. Well, I can honestly say that every morning when I'm walking into work, I look forward to my day because I love what I do and know that my little part contributes to the philanthropy of my new employer and the wonderful things they do here to help our community.

My department is also a great fit - my new supervisor has been excellent to work with. He has kept me challenged, trusts me to work autonomously, and offers feedback when needed. So, all in all, I feel I've finally found my niche! Thanks for helping me get my foot in the door here - you were right on the mark.

Please pass on my thanks to the Staffing Solutions team.

Warmest Regards,

Jacquie"