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Vantage Point Recruiting Rebranding – Peer advocacy group, vid casts and social media
In the next few weeks we will be rebranding our message. We plan to enhance the Vantage Point Web site, and develop our LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter presence to better reach and educate our target market – technology companies, upper level management candidates, and hiring managers throughout northern New England.
Vantage Point recently launched a monthly forum and advocacy group called “Peer Camp,” focusing on the importance of “paying it forward” and being “coached” by your peers.
Our first meeting in November focused on networking. In December we discussed marketing, and the topic for January was goal setting. The discussions and participants made for a lively mix! The objective for the meetings is to share experiences and best practices. Members take away lessons to employ in their career as well as personal lives. As the facilitator of the group, my role is to keep the discussion focused while encouraging a free flowing format to maximize the energy and fun of the group. We always seek new people who have a positive attitude and passion for contributing and being a proponent for their fellow members.
With the help of a handy dandy Flip camera, I’ve been putting together a few videos on networking (http://bit.ly/pcnetworking), marketing, and a other key topics related to recruiting and job prospecting. Thanks to my good friend and interviewer Louise Merriman, people get to experience the authenticity of the message. Per John Tantillo, “the marketing doctor” http://mdaltd.com/marketingdoctor_tv/), “People buy brands, not companies.” Each video gives insight and clarity about defining points of interest relating to best hiring practices, perspectives from industry experts, as well as trends in the employment recruitment field.
Peer Camp is meeting Tuesday, Feb. 8, at 7 a.m. at Bernie’s in Falmouth, Maine. The topic is defining communication skills (http://bit.ly/peerccom).
When was the last time you evaluated your communication skills? In your personal or business life, what is the one thing that you have learned about your communication skills and how are you leveraging those skills? What are you doing to improve your communication skills?
Customer focus first and foremost
Having been in the recruiting business for over 20 years does not exempt me from making fundamental mistakes in my day to day business. I became painfully aware of this in a recent meeting with an HR manager at a manufacturer in southern Maine.
I was introduced to the Human Resources manager by a contact I made previously with the company engineering director. He informed me that they had been looking for an operations manager for a while but never ended up filling the position. A rejuvenated effort was in the early phases and my timing was perfect. What was really interesting was that they terminated their plant manager there that same weekl They needed a candidate search conducted where the person could assess the immediate needs, provide the necessary leadership and run the plant operations.
In a meeting with the HR manager, he gave me a very detailed understanding of the position, describing why the last employee left, who the decision makers are, and what the company culture is like. After he summarized the position and the key responsibilities, I assumed that we were done and got ready to leave. As I was getting up, he said, “Let me tell you about my situation and where I’ve been in my career.”
He proceeded to discuss his upbringing in the Midwest, how he moved continuously throughout the country with his family, where his family is now, and even a few details about his hobbies – he owned a small airplane! In the 15 minutes that he shared these details, it was evident that I almost missed the opportunity to do what every service provider needs to do: listen to your customer to get to know them. If the objective is to develop a long term relationship, understanding the customer’s story is Customer Service 101. It is vital to go beyond fulfilling a need to developing a bond that cements a relationship where you become not only a vendor, but an integral part of the team. There is no way to develop a partnership without establishing a personal relationship based on genuine interest.
Meeting with new and interesting people is my favorite part of the job at Advantage Recruiting. There’s no question that when I get to know a customer on a personal level, my motivation in doing everything possible to make a successful deal is stronger.
My candidate was successfully hired and recently started. I think I made a favorable impression and I fully intend on furthering my knowledge of the customer to earn that right to become a key business partner. When they want to fill that operations manager position, I hope it’s me they call.
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