HireBetter Blog

Best Week Ever: The Power of Process

January 23rd, 2009 | by | interviewing, recruiting, topgrading

Jan
23

It’s rare that I find myself writing directly about Hire Better and our team but tonight I can’t help but share what I consider the best week in the history of our company. About 18 months ago we embarked on a path to embrace the principles of Topgrading and become recognized as a company that was not only expert at delivering on its (Topgrading’s) promises, we also wanted to continue to innovate and make it faster and easier to implement for small and middle market companies.

The week of January 19, 2009 I’m excited to say: Mission Accomplished.

We have one fear when working with our clients: if we don’t understand a role and have a complete picture of who will be the very best fit and perform at the level of an A-Player, the Hiring Manager that we work with will probably become apathetic really fast. We knew that apathy towards the recruiting process was already present when we launched American Workforce back in 2004. When apathy sets in, the entire process becomes arduous and it can have a significant (and negative) impact on a company’s ability to hire top talent.

That’s why this week was so amazing.

This week we had a significant impact on the futures of a number of client companies very different industries (Insurance, Media, Technology). But it gets even better. Today we found out that 4 people, each of whom were the FIRST and likely the ONLY interviews that our clients had to conduct, were extended offers of employment. Even more amazing, none of these roles were below the level of Director.

Four for Four. In one week.

Obviously Topgrading plays a big part in being able to truly identify A-Players but our Team at American Workforce has embraced the true need to really understand the needs of our Clients, the Top Accountabilities in each role and the softer side of each client company’s culture. One of our clients even made the statement, “Yeah, the methodology is really great but wow, your team and their processes are incredible!”.

Next week I’ll get back to commenting on industry trends and news but, just for tonight, we can celebrate the efforts of this team of about 20 people who work at Hire Better. I’m proud of each and every one of them.

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1st Time JobSeeker Tips: Graphic Designers

June 11th, 2008 | by | interviewing, networking

Jun
11

I’ll admit, this isn’t original content. This came from the Spoonfed newsletter, a quarterly update on what is happening inside of the company Spoonbend . Tina Schweiger (the Founder) is one of my favorite people in Austin and she offered these tips for 1st Time Job Seekers who are hoping to break into the Graphic Design world:

1. DO Build a portfolio website. DO NOT email me a giant PDF. I don’t want to open it.

2. DO NOT have any broken links [on your website], “coming soon” or strange navigation.

3. DO NOT call. Mail me something cool! That way I can see your craft too.

4. DO NOT ask if “we’re hiring.” Offer to schedule a portfolio review appointment instead. (AMWF Note: there is always room for an A-Player at a company. Asking for permission to send in a portfolio or resume is always a bad move.)

5. DO NOT pad your portfolio with freelance work just because it’s paid. It is OK just to have student work in your portfolio. Often little flyers and small freelance projects bring the quality of the portfolio down because the concept usually isn’t as thought out.

6. DO NOT feel entitled to anything. In this economy, be willing to take internships, production jobs, anything to get your foot in the door.

7. DO NOT leave your MySpace page with drunken party photos around for prospective employers to see. We will google you.

8. DO NOT send long rambling introductions by mail or email. State why you are right for the job, what you can offer the company, and what sets you apart from all of the other applicants in the sea.

9. DO NOT flip through your portfolio too quickly in an interview. Let your interviewer drive.

10. DO NOT have typos anywhere.

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