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EVIL HR LADY | Suzanne LucasFeb 19, 2013

Dear Evil HR Lady,

My operations manager just came to me and said she has a new job offer–at a 10 percent increase in salary. I cannot afford to lose this person right now, as we’re stretched pretty thin. It will take me at least six months to find, hire, and train a new person in this job.

How do I make a counter offer that will entice her to stay?

–Stretched Thin Boss

Dear Stretched Thin,

You can’t.

Well, maybe you can, but it’s awfully risky and most likely will end 12 months later with this employee leaving anyway and your other employees feeling a bit disgruntled. Because here’s the reality: When your employee starts looking for a new job, you’ve already lost her, and it’s (usually) not about the money.

It’s a rare situation where a person is perfectly happy in her job and a new position falls out of the sky. Most people who change jobs have been looking for months, if not years. While salary is always a consideration, usually it’s issues other than salary that prompt people to start looking. The number one people leave their jobs? They don’t like their managers.

Most likely, then, it’s not about the money, it’s about you. Sorry! Painful, I know. And it may well be money related, because she found out that others value her more than you do. And, like it or not, that’s a huge blow to the level of respect she has for you. Because, if she was so valuable to her, why weren’t you paying her more?

Think about that for a minute. If you knew that costs of losing her would be high, why weren’t you making every effort to see that she’s being paid at market value, even if that is a considerable raise from where she is now?

Often times, people just assume that as long as no one is complaining, everyone is happy as a clam. Problem is, some people are not complainers. They just quietly go about their jobs and even more quietly go about job searches. You don’t know anything until they come in and resign or ask for a counter offer.

As you’ve just learned, this can be a very expensive and potentially devastating lesson to learn. But, even if you go ahead and make a counter offer and convince her to stay with you, chances are she’ll be gone soon anyway. Some people claim that there’s an 85 to 90 percent chance of a person who accepts a counter offer being gone within 12 months.

I wrote “being gone” instead of leaving because it isn’t always a voluntary departure. Many managers begin to resent their former star employee for exploiting the business and using their position to pull in a huge, undeserved raise. Bitterness begins to build and suddenly nothing she does is right any more.

End result? Everyone is miserable and somebody is going to make a move to change the situation–either her by searching out another job or you by firing her. This is unpleasant.

So, here is what you say when your star employee comes to you and asks for a counter offer: “Congratulations on your new job? [Other company] will be so fortunate to get you. I wish you all the best. Maybe we’ll end up working together again in the future and I sincerely hope we do, but that’s a big increase and I can’t match it right now.”

If at that point the person says, “Well, I’d rather stay here, but I’d sure like a bigger raise,” the response is, “Wouldn’t we all? I can’t offer or promise anything, but if you decide to stay, your salary will be evaluated on the standard cycle. Let me know what your decision is by [date]. I’m really sad to see you go, but I’d hate to stand in the way of your career.”

Now, it’s possible that your employee will decide to turn down the job offer at this point and stay. Good for you! But, most likely she’ll leave. Ask her help for a transition plan and even ask if she has any recommendations to replace her.

But don’t counter offer. Instead, make sure you look at your remaining employees and make sure you’re paying them a good, solid, market rate (and if possible a bit higher). That way, you lower the chances of this happening again.

Have a problem employee or a people management question? Send your questions to EvilHRLady@gmail.com.

Source: www. fins.com/Finance/ (Sept. 26, 2011) By Alina Dizik

In the last few years, executive resume writer Mary Elizabeth Bradford has noticed more of her clients seeking a career switch, even after having built successful careers in another field.

Nowadays, mid-level career changers — such as software developers who now work in finance or entrepreneurs who come back into corporate life — make up more than 45% of her practice. Many struggle to create an attention-grabbing resume, she says.

“The ability to objectively match up relevant skills to the position of choice is invaluable,” Bradford says.

Eager to switch careers? Here are 10 ways to improve your resume:

Do a Comprehensive Rewrite

Most job candidates make a few quick changes to their resume before submitting it for a new role. If you are switching careers, re-analyze your skills during the editing process and include every area of the business that you’ve been able to impact, says Jill Smart, chief human resources officer at Accenture, a management consulting and technology firm with employees in 120 countries.

“People changing careers need to make sure their resume shows the full breadth of their skills — operations, leadership, management, communication,” explains Smart.

For example, Accenture hires former doctors to work in their health and public service practice. Their resumes need to demonstrate not only their relationship-building skills but also how they’ll fit into the new business setting.

Use the New Job Description to Write a Summary Paragraph

Experts’ opinions are mixed on the need for a resume summary or objective for those looking to stay in their field, but it’s an important feature for a career changer, says Bonnie Marcus, a New York-based business coach and founder of Women’s Success Coaching, a career coaching firm targeting women.

Include a summary paragraph at the top of your resume and tie “everything in the job description with everything you’ve accomplished in the past,” she says.

For example, if the new position calls for online marketing expertise, make sure any marketing or Web experience is mentioned in this opening paragraph. Since most managers spend less than a minute scanning your resume, make sure the first thing they read ties directly to the job description.

Know What to Exclude

While conveying your skills is important, your resume shouldn’t be a dumping ground for every minor accomplishment in your career, says resume expert Alesia Benedict, president of GetInterviews.com.

“Don’t list tasks that are not relevant to the new career or you will simply reinforce that you should only be considered for your current type of position,” Benedict says.

For example, an accountant shouldn’t list certain routine bookkeeping duties if they are eager to leave accounting. Also avoid using specific company or industry terms or acronyms that are only known to those in your field.

Demonstrate Accomplishments With Numbers

Include bullet points that show how you’ve contributed to the bottom line. Numbers, especially those given in dollars, can quickly give hiring managers an idea of your contributions — even in an unrelated field, says recruiter Craig Libis, founder of Executive Recruiting Consultants based in Dell Rapids, S.D.

While important on all resumes, for a career changer, numbers can be a simple way for hiring managers to relate to an unfamiliar work history. “Specific numbers [allow] the hiring company the ability to apply what the applicant can do for their company in the future,” Libis says.

Add Relatable Job Title Descriptions

Adding a short descriptor after the official job title can help hiring managers easily identify your transferable skills.

“For example, if your job title was ’software engineer,’ but you want to transition to project management, consider demonstrating the job title as ‘Software Engineer (with a heavy emphasis on Project Management)’,” Feldberg explains. But be careful not to exaggerate the truth. “You only want to use this approach if you can do it honestly,” she adds.

Match up Keywords

When it comes to resume writing, keywords help you move past the electronic filters. For a career changer, that’s the first potential barrier in stepping into a new role; a resume full of accounting keywords, for instance, will have a hard time getting past filters for a job in marketing.

Bradford recommends using job aggregator sites like Indeed.com to identify applicable keywords. Find several job postings for your ideal job, paste the job descriptions into a document and find keywords by highlighting any terms that are job descriptors or mention specific needed skills. Then pick out those keywords that match up with your previous experience and include them throughout the first page of your resume, says Bradford.

“Most job seekers are surprised how many matching and relevant skills they find in these job descriptions,” she says.

Use a Mixed Format

When working with career switchers, resume writer Robyn Feldberg creates a functional-style resume on the first page and includes the traditional chronological format on the second page. “In other words, the first page looks like a glorified profile,” says Dallas-based Feldberg who runs Abundant Success Coach, a career coaching and resume writing service.

Since the functional format focuses more on skills, you can use it to draw the hiring manager in with relevant experience without worrying about the chronology. Combining both resume formats helps to highlight the various transferable skills while still providing a look at the job history, she adds.

Drop Names to Show Previous Success

Showing that you’ve been able to succeed and work with established industry leaders in your previous career shouldn’t be saved for the interview; instead, weave it into your resume to get a hiring manager’s attention, says Theresa Szczurek, chief executive Radish Systems, a Boulder-based software firm. A bullet point may read: “Closed $2 million in new sales in 12 months with industry leaders XYZ,” she explains.

Especially when applying for a position where you don’t have prior experience, it’s important to show that you’ve have the support of top industry leaders and were able to make a difference in your previous role.

Highlight Non-Work Related Experience

As a career changer, the extracurricular activities on your resume will carry more weight, say experts. Be sure to include activities that relate to your desired role like professional association memberships, volunteering, internships or part-time consulting.

For example, “if you’re looking to move into Web or database development, volunteer [your] time … creating a website or database for schools, churches, non-profits,” and then highlight your role on your resume, suggests Mike McBrierty, chief operating officer of the technology staffing division of Eliassen Group, an IT recruiting firm based in Wakefield, Mass.

Find Natural Alignments

From a human resources perspective, there are certain accomplishments that are similar across different management structures and firms.

“Look for things about your current position that would have meaning to the person considering you for the new position,” says Luke Tanen who left the music industry to work as the director of the Chicago Innovation Awards. For example, Tanen’s mention of closing sponsorship deals was similarly impressive in both fields. “In seeing that the Chicago Innovation Awards were [free] in the job posting, I was quite certain that sponsors play a big role in this program. So I made a point to highlight it as my top bullet point from my past experience securing music sponsorships.”

Interviewing: How to Build a STAR method Story

(Reprinted from http://www.sentient-recruitment.com/star-method.html) 9.22.2011

A Star story should be about 2 minutes long, and delivered with energy and enthusiasm about a real experience you have had (it does not have to be a work experience, as long as it describes a relevant skill or behaviour).

Time for an example:

Question: Have you ever lead a team before?

This is another reason why the STAR method is so powerful. The above question is a terrible closed question.

You could answer “yes” or “yes” on three separate occasions” and move quickly onto the next question.

But Leadership is an important skill, and you must not miss this chance to shine.

A lot of folks would give the easy answer here, you have a great chance to impress, and basically do all the interviewers work for them.

Let’s build a STAR method story answer

(Situation) “Yes; a relevant example being at my last company, where I was initially a software developer, In a team of 6 developing a new finance module for our core accounting product.”

(Task) “The project was critical as launch dates had been set with a lot of sales and marketing investment riding on the product being ready. However the project was behind schedule, when our team leader unfortunately became ill, and had to leave.”

(Action) “I had been sports team captain at school, where I loved the challenge and responsibility of leadership. So I volunteered to stand in, and by using my technical analysis skills, spotted a few small mistakes made in the initial coding, that were causing the sporadic errors, and slowing us down. I then negotiated with our product director a small bonus incentive for the team, and budget for two pizza evenings, so we could pull a couple of late night shifts to correct the coding and catch up with the critical project landmarks.”

(Result) “Though this took us 1.5% over budget the software was delivered on time with a better than target fault tolerance. The project was seen as a great success as the additional project cost was minimal compared to the costs of delaying the launch, and the negative affect on our product branding. The team where delighted with the extra bonus and I have now been officially promoted to team leader as a result.”

You need to practice your answers out loud, to ensure it’s continuity and that you don’t go over 2 minutes.

The example above not only answers the leadership question asked, but also conveys that you have other skills and behaviours any interviewer would be interested in.

Answering tough interview questions like this will work wonders, but answering poorly worded questions will really set you apart.

Jobs That Are Hard to Fill — Even in 2011

By John Rossheim, Monster Senior Contributing Writer

Excerpted from article posted at: http://career-advice.monster.com/job-search/company-industry-research/hardest-job-openings-to-fill-2011/article.aspx September 16, 2011

In this year of high unemployment and extraordinary economic anxiety, it’s hard to believe that any job openings are taking long to fill. But due to the ever-increasing complexity of the labor market and the constantly evolving needs of employers, some openings are going begging — and creating excellent opportunities for candidates with the right job skills.

The problem of unfilled job postings has increased dramatically since the depths of the 2007-2009 recession, according to ManpowerGroup’s 2011 Talent Shortage Survey. Some 52 percent of US employers are having trouble filling openings, up from 14 percent in 2010, the survey says.

So let’s take a look at six occupations that — against seemingly astronomical odds — offer numerous job listings even in these tumultuous times.

Sales

There’s no simpler way to please the C suite these days than to propose a simple way to add to the top line. Most often that means hiring effective salespeople, who — you guessed it — aren’t easy to come by. “There’s an immense need for people in sales,” Burns says. “Business schools aren’t turning out people who seek sales as their first choice.”

Even in this occupation where earning potential typically rises year after year, turnover is high. “I often get calls from graduates six months or two years out, [saying] that sales job isn’t making them happy,” Langerud says.

While sales pay varies widely depending on industry, product/service sold, commission plan, bonuses and other factors, the median sales rep salary in the service industry is $50,620, according to the BLS. By comparison, the median sales manager salary exceeds $98,000

Corporate Manager

Yes, middle managers took a tremendous hit in the 2007-2009 recession. But managers with the chops to squeeze substantial costs out of business processes are still highly sought after. “Our top demand is for graduates in supply-chain management,” says Kevin Burns, director of the undergraduate career center at Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business.

The median supply chain manager salary is around $96,000, according to the Salary Wizard. The mean annual general manager salary is $137,450, according to the BLS.

IT

In 2011, more and more employers are depending on information systems to help find new business and drive down costs. “More companies than ever are hiring IT people,” says Steve Langerud, director of career services at DePauw University. “It’s creating demand in areas that no one expected.”

IT experts are also increasingly important as facilitators of information sharing within the enterprise. “Accounting and consulting firms now need people to manage information networks,” says Burns. “Not programmers, but people who are prepared to do knowledge management, who understand how to integrate information from marketing and finance.”

The BLS reports the mean annual IT salary at $81,720.

Teacher

Don’t we see headlines nearly every day about teacher layoffs? We do, but there are still areas where available jobs outnumber qualified candidates. “The shortage is in hard-to-fill positions in hard-to-work places that are short on money,” Langerud says. Inner-city teaching jobs, jobs in rural areas and special-education jobs often remain vacant for considerable periods, he says.

The median elementary school teacher salary is $51,660, while special ed teachers earn $52,250, according to the BLS.

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The New Resume Rules

For Employers:

Interview Processes that Attract and Repel Candidates

Of course the primary goal for every company with a vacancy is to fill the position. A vacancy, especially in sales, can have a direct and detrimental effect on the bottom line as customers are neglected and competitors swoop in to snatch the business. But unfortunately, too many hiring managers and interview processes focus on “finding the right person” rather than on “winning” the right person.  Brilliant interview questions and expensive psychological profiles may help a company find the perfect person for the job, but what good is all that careful screening if the offer is turned down?

A hire is a marriage, not a draft. Both sides need to fall in love

Most hiring managers are so busy making sure that they select a good candidate—one that will do the job well, make the manager look good and solve the problems created by the vacancy—that they forget that they, too, are being scrutinized throughout the process. Candidates are shopping for a  new work “home”, an organization worth dedicating their experience, education and the next several years of their lives to. Companies who neglect to consider the candidate’s mindset throughout the interview process can lose just the kind of employee they tried so hard to find.

Under Scrutiny

Hiring Managers review resumes, conduct and analyze interviews, check references, compare one applicant to another—obviously all critical steps in the selection process. And what is the candidate doing while all of this is going on? They are doing some substantial screening and evaluating themselves. Conscientious applicants are reviewing the company’s annual report, analyzing their conversations with interviewers, checking the firm’s reputation in the industry, and comparing the new company to their current employer as well as other potential employers. While the company is moving toward a decision about a candidate, the candidate is moving toward a decision about you.

The big difference is this: The candidate is acutely aware that they are under constant scrutiny. They are very cognizant of the importance of presenting themselves well every step of the way–their communication skills and style, their professional image and appearance, their punctuality and dependability, their problem-solving skills. Smart candidates have their game face on at all times, aware that they are being judged. Far too often, hiring companies don’t. Approximately 88% of turn-downs we see are a result of the hiring company not giving enough consideration to what the candidate is thinking (or feeling…more on that later) during the interview process. Instead, it is only at the very end… at the offer stage… that the hiring or HR manager begins to think about the candidate’s perceptions and opinions. At that point it is often too late. If the candidate was “turned off” during the process, even a big fat offer won’t prevent a turn down.

Smart candidates see the interview/hire process as an example of how the company approaches its other business decisions. Employees want to work for a quality company where the procedure for moving ideas and initiatives through the organization is decisive, efficient and effective. In short, they want to work for a good company that can “get things done”.  Often the first–and only– opportunity for a candidate to see this first-hand is while he/she is being moved through the interview stages. For example:

Best and Worst Interview Processes

1.       Too Little: If the hiring process is too fast and incomplete, the company appears unprofessional and rash. The candidate may worry that management is too reactionary or careless in its decision making. After all, every employee has the potential to have a significant impact on an organization. Candidates want to see that serious consideration is given to each hiring decision.

2.       Too Easy: If the interview process is too shallow or simple, candidates can question the quality of the organization. Paraphrasing Groucho Marx, a club that’s too easy to join doesn’t feel exclusive enough to warrant membership. Sales people, especially, like to feel like getting an offer from a company is a “win.” The interviews should be challenging enough that a potential employee can feel proud to have “made the cut”.

3.       Too Cold: If the process is too methodical and impersonal, the company appears not to trust its management to make decisions. If a test or profile can override a manager’s hiring decision, candidates may feel that the managers are not empowered to trust their instincts or follow their own judgment. This can lead them to wonder if they would be given the necessary freedom and authority to do their job, or if policies and long-standing procedures rule the roost.

4.       Too Much: If the process is too slow and complicated, the company can be perceived as overly bureaucratic and sluggish. This is a very common concern. If the interview involves too many people, or too many steps, candidates may feel that to get anything done at this company will be tedious and difficult, involving input from everyone and an endless schedule of meetings.

Candidates want to know that they can get responses and decisions in a timely fashion so that they can react quickly to changes and events in the market.

5.       Just Right. So how to design an interview process that’s just right? Well, of course, you can’t. Every company has their own unique needs. In some cases, due to logistics, proximity or timing, the process may take several weeks from resume to offer. In other cases, hiring managers must adhere to long-standing practices and policies established by the company. And sometimes, the need is so urgent, the vacancy so damaging, that hires must be made immediately with hurried start dates to plug a gushing leak in the organization.

Still, there a few key steps that companies can include in their process to 1) present the company in its best light throughout the hiring process and 2) keep the candidate’s enthusiasm on high all the way to offer time.

I’ll cover some of these solutions next time.

In the meantime, Happy Hunting!

Jennifer