When your job involves helping other people find a job, it's important to be aware of and ahead of economic changes and their impact on hiring practices. And after a rough year, for everyone, I'm happy to report that things are looking up.

Employment Rates Slowly Bouncing Back

Since the 2000 technology boom, employment has fallen 19.1%. But AdAge.com recently reported that last October saw a gain of 2,200 jobs in advertising and marketing, the first positive month in a year. And media jobs rose, albeit slightly, in September and October, the first back-to-back monthly gains since 2006.

While advertising and marketing hiring increased in October, it dipped again in November. However, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel-- employment is down nearly 10% from its all-time high in 2007.

USA Today Predicts Upswing in Early 2010

Staffing and hiring needs--along with the economy--may not be what we would call "stable" just yet, but they are on the upswing. And Ad Age has some predictions for the coming months that paint a better picture than many are used to.

Job Seekers Need to Be Ready to Be Hired

What's that mean for job seekers? Keep at it! You want to be ahead of the curve when hiring really picks up. Don't give up now; keep your resume fresh update your LinkedIn profile and get networking now. And if you have a job but have been considering looking for greener pastures, this should ease up on the pressure to stay where you are, just because it's safe.

If you're in recruiting, now is also a good time to step up your marketing efforts and start reaching new prospects. And with more jobs on the horizon, everyone, whether happily employed, looking for a job, or helping others find jobs, can benefit from reconnecting with old contacts.

Attitude. One word, with a big punch, and some make or break connotations for your career. How many times have you heard people extol an employee for their great attitude, no matter what, or condemn them for having a bad attitude when, by all accounts, the rest of their work performance was fine? Attitude, and other people’s perception of yours, plays a big role in the workplace.

Research suggests that 85% of job success can be “determined by ‘attitude’ and the ‘ability to deal with people,’” according to the Carnegie Foundation. Combine that with our own anecdotal evidence of people’s perceptions, and you can see how important a positive attitude is for any career—but especially in sales, where your “ability to deal with people” is critical.

Attitude in Job Interviews

Attitude is also a major factor when interviewing for a job, in any industry. Knowing all this, it seems logical that anyone pursuing a career in sales would invest in some sort of “attitude adjustment,” but that’s where it becomes tricky. What qualifies as a legitimately “bad” attitude, and what can be chalked up to personality differences? Can you be realistic, or even pessimistic, and maintain a good attitude?

We’ve all heard horror stories of customer service representatives who put their company to shame and inspire nothing but laughs at what they call “service.” But everyone has bad days, head colds, breakups and personal problems. The difference between a great salesperson and an average one really does come down to attitude: who is able to rise above a bump in the road, and who cannot.

Fake It ‘Til You Make It

You don’t have to be an Oscar winning actor to succeed at work, even when you’re having a bad day. You just need to put things in their place and focus. Bringing your personal life to work can be beneficial when it allows you to connect with customers, but on a bad day, you may need to focus just on the 9 to 5. Prioritize, organize and by all means, slap a fake smile on your face—it really can help. Then take a deep breath, and focus.

The ability to segment two parts of your life in order to regroup and refocus on one will help tremendously on bad days, but it can also have residual effects on everyday performance, giving you the edge you need. When you’re able to put yourself aside and focus on the person you’re talking to, you can’t help but do a better job. Whether you’re in sales, customer service or hospitality, people like to feel that they are the center of attention. And when you give them that sense, you’ve automatically done your job a little bit better.

Try it out: give yourself a mini attitude adjustment, and see your performance improve.

Everyone is clamoring for this recession to end--quite possibly, no one more so than sales recruiters. We want our client companies and prospective hires to do well, and that means hiring the best and brightest for employers, and landing the perfect job for employees. Media outlets have been suggesting that the recession is over, and that an upswing is on the way.  While the worst may be over, we must be careful not to celebrate too soon. [http://selectmetrix.com/blogs/2009/10/dont-trust-the-dow/] I don't want to be the one to cast a shadow on this positive outlook, but when it comes to hiring, employers (and employees) need to be realistic. And that means learning from the past, in order to secure a better future.

There are a lot of lessons to be learned from a recession, and as a recruiting firm, we might be in the best place to observe and teach what we've discovered over the past year. When times are tight, we learn to make due without some of life's little extras: bringing lunch from home, making out own coffee, taking public transportation. These little changes are common practice in our personal lives. But what about professionally? There are many recession tactics (besides layoffs) that can help you grow now, with a little caution, without breaking the bank later. Here are just a few ideas to get you started, and we'd love to hear more, so please, share your tips as well.

Focus on Employee Satisfaction

You have great people working for you now, but even with the worst behind them, they're probably still a little nervous. Or, as things start to look a little brighter, they might be grumpy and feel safe enough to complain about previous cost-cutting measures. Now is the time to make sure that your core team, your rockstars, are with you not only when the going gets tough, but as it gets better. Brainstorm some easy, inexpensive perks that will brighten their day without busting your budget. If big company lunches are no longer on the table, try offering a beer cart on Fridays, or gourmet goodies on Mondays. Provide employees with a way to unwind, and make sure they know how much you appreciate their hard work over the past year.

Maintain Flexibility for Maximum Productivity

This can help with employee satisfaction, too. Think about it: your employees are adults. Shouldn't you treat them as such? We live in a world where the Internet makes telecommuting possible, and employers should embrace that. Allow employees to work from home when the need arises, instead of faking sick. Encourage them to break outside the box of their cube and take a break while at work, and promote professional development initiatives. Work with your employees to offer them tailored perks and benefits that they really want; it could end up saving you money and making them much happier and more productive.

Value Honesty (In Both Yourself and Your Employees)

Yes, this means you, too. Change freaks people out, and being upfront and honest with your employees can go a long way to curbing rumors and keeping people on track to meet their, and your, goals. Tell your staff before things change, for better or worse, of if they are staying the same when other companies in your industry seem to be in flux. It's human nature to gossip, and once the rumor mill starts it can be hard to stop. If you let everyone know what is going on ahead of time--even if it's not great news--you won't give false information a chance to spread.

These tips are meant to help employers create a better working environment, but employees should take note as well. If you're looking for a new job, try to gauge how well a company is acting on these tips. And if you're happy in your job, see if you can suggest or implement these ideas to help everyone stay motivated.

People have a lot of varied opinions on the state of the economy, but the one constant is that everyone has seen its impact on their business in some way. Now, this leads many to “batten down the hatches,” so to speak, and ride out this downturn. But that is not always the best course of action, and when you’re in the sales industry, it could mean disaster. I’m serious when I say that a strong salesforce should always be your top priority. Always.

To Be the Best, You Need to Hire the Best

It may sound trite, but your company is really only as strong as your weakest link. If you consistently hire the best, brightest and highest performing sales people, your weakest link will still be far stronger than that of your competitors. Now, in order to get and keep these superstars, you need to distinguish yourself from the pack. Think about what you would want someone to say sets you apart, or why they like working there. Then make sure that is a reality for every employee, especially when times are tough. Everyone is nervous; show your employees how much you value them.

Keeping the best all for yourself is a great strategy, but it requires finding them—and that’s where a professional sales recruitment firm can make all the difference. Sales recruiters have an extensive knowledge of candidates, the job market, and the sales industry. You may know your business inside and out, but it’s tough to keep up with everyone else out there; this is where a seasoned sales recruiter can really prove their worth.

Ongoing Recruiting Requires Ongoing Marketing

Somewhat of a chicken-and-egg situation, attracting the best and brightest is much easier if you already have a reputation for hiring the best; everyone will naturally want to work for or with you. But, if you’re still building a reputation, you can fake it with some marketing savvy—and a qualified recruiter can go a long way to helping you in this arena. Developing a strong marketing campaign will lead to a pipeline of qualified candidates, allowing you to pick and choose who will help you become the company you envision in the future. Honestly explain your goals to both recruiters and candidates, and commit to building that future with your employees.

Blindly hiring candidates just to beef up your numbers is a short-term fix that will backfire; you need to recruit, not just hire. Make sure each prospect is the right fit, and will improve your company or help you reach your goals. Be picky, and insist that candidates be candid with you. What does each party want out of the arrangement, and how can you help each other?

We hear over and over again that job seekers feel that employers have the upper hand right now, and that puts you at a great advantage—but perhaps not the one you think. The best will obviously rise to the top, but you need to be in a position to hire them. Again, it’s tempting to stop hiring, low ball candidates or hire whatever you can get, but this will set you up for failure in the not-so-distant future. Work with a recruiter—as well as existing employees—to make sure that you are making smart decisions for the long-term.

Human Resource departments, or anyone involved in the hiring process, put a great deal of emphasis on work experience, and for good reason. However, a single sheet of paper often forces candidates and recruiters or hiring managers to condense experience and skills into just one number for the purposes of a résumé. Screening candidates on the basis of years is a dangerous practice, especially in sales staffing.

Of course, there are exceptions, such as higher-level positions where some of the experience and talent required can only be gained with time. However, for most positions a young hire can be the smart choice, for a number of reasons. Major companies have only begun to see the value in hiring recent grads and self-starters, and now the media is taking notice as well. It’s time sales staffing firms take a cue from some of the smaller businesses and give “the young” the respect—and jobs—they deserve.

What makes this younger generation so valuable? Here are just a few of their very desirable qualities:

Adaptable
Younger hires are very willing to learn, and usually quick to catch on. They also don’t need to be broken of bad habits or another company’s differing methods.

Driven
The expectation of being underestimated fuels younger employees with the desire to prove themselves, creating a strong work ethic and a willingness to tackle challenges.

Cheap
Fewer years does often mean lower pay demands, as higher salaries are seen as something to aspire to. 20-somethings also have fewer responsibilities (read: bills), so they can afford to start at a lower rate.

Loyal
A younger employee has more time to stay with a company since they have more years ahead of them. They are also more likely to feel a connection or commitment to their first job.

Of course, you can’t base a hiring decision exclusively on age any more than you can on years of work; my whole argument is not to define a candidate by one narrow number. Think long term and look at all candidates with an open mind. Over and over again we are seeing college-age “kids” do amazing work because of their go-getter mindset. And as anyone in sales staffing knows, that is the key to success.

Oh, what a joy work would be if only hiring sales representatives was as easy as firing them. No, before you ask, I don’t take some sick pleasure in sacking hard working employees, but I am a perfectionist and I find it increasingly difficult and time-consuming to find good, quality hires. To help you out, I’ve compiled a list of some of the do’s and don’ts I’ve learned along the way.

DO have a clear understanding of the job and the candidate before you begin interviewing.
Being unprepared for an interview reflects poorly on you and on your client. Not knowing the position’s specifics or ignoring the candidate’s resume and background could lose you the best potential hire for the job—and your reputation.

DON’T ask personal questions that are unrelated to the job.
Massachusetts, as well as many other states, have strict laws governing what topics are considered discriminatory and are off limits in an interview. Add in the recent identity theft scandals from Monster.com and others, and you can see why discretion is key.

DO remember that the candidate is the reason you have a job.

Treat every candidate with the utmost respect; they may not be the person who pays your salary or serves as your direct report, but they are a direct connection to your success or failure. The hiring pool is not as deep as you may think, and potential hires talk—make this work to your benefit by being upfront, honest and prepared.

DON’T try to intimidate a candidate into talking about the competition.
This may be the biggest “don’t” I’ve encountered. Do not, under any circumstances, try to make a potential hire discuss other job offers, interviews or recruiting firms. Focus on your client and the job you are interviewing them for—because that’s the only one that matters.

These are just a few of my suggestions for successfully hiring sales representatives. For more tips on what to do, and not do, when interviewing and hiring potential candidates, check out these informative articles, including one that specifically adresses hiring upper level employees:

Recruiting Do’s and Don’ts
Interviewing Do’s and Don’ts
Do’s and Don’ts for Hiring Managers
Hiring Do’s and Don’ts

HBO’s hit series Entourage is entertainment for many, but it can also be an education in hiring sales representatives. Massachusetts recruiters and nationwide job placement services can learn a thing or two from Ari Gold, the wheeling and dealing talent agent to the stars played by Jeremy Piven.

Eliot Burdett at Peak Sales Recruiting loves Ari, calling him an “utter selling machine” who is a

 

“shrewd and decisive negotiator—he knows what he wants and what he will leverage to get it, so…he typically gets what he wants.”

This is true, but is it a good thing? Ari may be able to get what he wants, but often it is all about the money, and not in the best interests of his clients. Effective, long-term sales recruiting takes balancing what the client (company) wants with what the candidate is looking for, especially when working to make an executive job placement.

Ari’s aggressive tactics will get a deal made, but it is not always the deal that either party had hoped for. The stakes are high in executive recruiting, because the skills, demands and salaries of executive positions are even higher. Ari’s pushy tactics may work on the silver screen, but successful executive job placement takes more finesse.

           

He’s pushy. Ari is too intense and focused on closing a deal, any deal. Executive recruiting requires fully understanding what both the company and the candidate want, what they will bend on and what is non-negotiable.

He lies. Ari never stops negotiating, but at some point he stops offering things that are really possible. Recruiters who deal in executive job placement need to know their clients and candidates inside and out in order to make deals they can follow through on. They also need to maintain their integrity through honest dealings in order to stay in business. 

There are many merits to Ari’s work “ethic,” but his methods often take his positive characteristics to the opposite extreme, making a good quality (a need to succeed) into a character flaw (greed). Bottom line? He’s fun to watch, but don’t make him your recruiting mentor.