Ask Kathy – Tips for Your First Interview

Posted on 6th September 20186th September 2018

Kathy Orcutt is the founder and president of Preferred Staffing & Recruiting. She has twenty years of experience in the recruiting industry in the great Boston area. As a woman-owned and DBE business, Kathy and her PS&R team provide permanent and temporary workforce solutions for a broad range of businesses.

We asked Kathy what advice she would give a candidate who is trying to make the best possible impression at a job interview. Here are her thoughts:

Dress professionally and be punctual.

Even if the company comes across as casual, you will make a better impression if you are overdressed rather than underdressed. Also, make sure you are on-time for your scheduled interview. It sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised by how often candidates arrive late without any communication.

Be a good listener and ask thoughtful questions.

Your interview is an opportunity for the hiring manager to learn about you, but you don’t want to drone on endlessly about your background and skills. Make sure not to talk over the interviewer and give them a chance to ask follow-up questions. When it’s your turn to ask questions, go beyond the basics. Inquire about the culture of the company and how the position fits and interacts with the broader organization. These types of questions show that you are interested in learning more about their business and the opportunity at hand.

Watch your body language.

Again, it might seem like a no brainer, but often when we’re nervous we lose sight of our body language. Make sure to smile and make eye contact. Try not to slouch or fidget while answering questions. As they say, you never get a second chance to make a first impression!

Making the Most of Online Recruiting

Posted on 2nd August 20182nd August 2018

Online recruiting is how recruiters and candidates connect using the web. Job recruiting websites offer an efficient way to share job posts and resumes. With the use of Skype, Facetime and other video call apps, interviews and meetings can take place anywhere and anytime. Online recruiting has saved job seekers and hiring agencies both time and money.

One thing to keep in mind is that internet recruiting makes job opportunities more accessible to everyone. The ease of applying means that any single job post can be flooded with applicants. A human resource manager or recruitment specialist may see hundreds of resumes per post. This is great news for that recruiter, as they can quickly scan and pluck only the top applicants. But if you are looking for employment, you want to do what you can to stand out.

Here are some things for job seekers to keep in mind as you navigate the online world of recruiting:

Pay attention to detail– Make sure your resume is updated, proof-read, and that it is appropriate for the job you are seeking. If you are sending your resume via email, be sure to use correct grammar and spelling. Your resume is less likely to be opened if an employer sees errors right away.
Network – Check in with your professional network or use LinkedIn to see if you already know someone who works for the company. An internal referral can go a long way.
Clean up your social media presence – Don’t be surprised if your Facebook and Twitter accounts are being viewed by hiring managers. Delete incriminating photos and inappropriate posts – these could turn off potential employers.

Find the best recruiting website for you and consider the tips above, and you are one step closer to your next great opportunity!

3 Ways to Improve your Company’s Image

Posted on 24th July 201825th July 2018

You are a busy HR executive with the goal of attracting, hiring, and retaining the best staff for your business. Whether you have partnered with a recruiting agency or you are doing the hiring on your own, here are some steps you can take that can leave a lasting impact on the brand of your company. These actions will help get like-minded candidates to your door faster and make you more successful.

1. Networking

Be proactive in cultivating relationships outside of the office. Hiring managers should be engaging in network-related social gatherings, communicating through career-related blogs, and joining job seeker networks. Put yourself out there to create a positive and viral message about your company and the culture it provides. If your company is part of the broader community, you are bound to attract more talent.

2. Perpetuating Culture

The key piece here is awareness. Use social media and job review web sites such as Great Place to Work and Indeed to learn what employees are saying about your company. If you are informed, you can respond to questions or inquires in a way that will build on your business reputation. For example, if you know an area in which your company is lacking you can discuss your focus on improving that area. You can also use positive feedback to reaffirm and reinforce where your company is currently exceeding.

3. Transparency

Consider the fact that job seekers touch dozens of companies a week, either by sending resumes or going on interviews. A future employee is bound to remember the hiring manager who responds to their emails, sets timelines on when they will hear back, and follows through on those timelines. Whether that person lands at your company or another, they will have a positive feeling of their experience with you. Communication and transparency are key to creating a good reputation and brand for your business.

If you’ve hired Preferred Staffing & Recruiting to help with your hiring, you can be sure that we are taking all of these steps to find you the best candidate for the job.

Top 3 Recruiter Myths and Truths

Posted on 10th July 201810th July 2018

Recruiting agencies are hired for their knowledge and the networks they use to find the best candidate for your open jobs. Using a headhunter can be very beneficial for a busy HR executive. There are some misconceptions about the recruiting industry that may have been true at one time but are not now.

Here are a few myths (and truths) about executive recruiters…

1) Why do I need a recruiter?

You may have noticed that even some very large corporations with substantial human resource departments always work with recruiters. Corporate HR staff often partner with professional staffing agencies because recruiting requires a lot of time. Additionally, it requires some specialized skills that your team might not have. Recruiters have a broader network to pull from and we focus solely on your job vacancy until we find the perfect candidate for your company.

2) It’s a myth that Recruiting agencies are costly

Yes, you do have to pay recruiters for their work. Because, it’s that exact work that frees you up to get your daily responsibilities completed. You won’t need to scan resumes, actively recruit, post to online job boards, or field phone calls from unqualified applicants, all because we will do the preliminary work for you. The value of a professional recruiter can be seen in your personal productivity.

3) Another myth is that working with a Recruiter takes extra time

A recruiting agency can actually streamline the process for you. We have the experience to handle the initial steps of the search quickly and thoroughly so that you see only the most qualified candidates. Your valuable time will be utilized when it counts – to choose which of the final top-notch applicants would be the best fit for your company.

What to Expect When You Work with a Recruiting Agency

Posted on 21st June 201828th June 2018

A recruiting agency can offer a wealth of knowledge about recruiting, hiring, and retaining staff, so make sure you are getting the most from the agency you pick. Here are some things you should consider when interviewing an agency. Your professional recruiter should be happy to answer all of your questions and act as your perfect partner.

Communication is probably the most important piece of your partnership. Your recruiter is the liaison between your company and your next new employee. If you and your recruiting agent have a good rapport and communicate effectively, then you will have confidence that they will find you an employee who is a good fit for your company. So, when choosing a professional recruiter, make sure to partner with a good communicator who will provide relevant updates and ask the right questions during the search process.

Typically, you will sign a contract with an executive recruiter outlining certain aspects of your partnership. Some smaller details may not appear in the contract but are still very important. For example; what is the screening process that your recruiter uses? How many applicants will they present for each job opening, and how soon will you see these resumes? If you know that everyone has the same expectations, the process is bound to go smoothly.

It’s also important to give your recruitment manager the tools they need to find you the best possible candidates. Teaching them about the culture of your company and providing detailed job descriptions will help them find the right match.

Now that you’ve chosen the best candidate for the job and are ready to extend an offer, it’s time for your recruiter to really shine. It’s possible that this person is entertaining other job opportunities or is concerned about the details of your offer. Your recruiter is there to help you communicate and negotiate to get that perfect candidate signed.

Above all, remember that top recruiting firms are the ones that make the client their main priority!