Dear Barb,
I have been researching IT jobs to determine which areas I should focus on. Is it as simple as choosing 10 titles and going for it? Also, is there a specific place I should be looking for candidates to call? I envisioned using LinkedIn (I’m pretty good at finding my way through their site) and searching for people with current titles I will be looking to place. Would that work or do you have a specific technique you suggest?
Jerry S., New York, NY
Dear Jerry,
You only want to select five titles to start. You want to research not only best paying, but fastest growing! Once you determine the titles you want to place, you identify companies that employ those positions. Then start making recruiting or networking calls. This way you will surface your best candidates. If you search the name of a company and the title, the name should appear.
It is simple to locate the talent you can network with to recruit candidates. Eighty percent of all employees working today would make a change if given an opportunity. They are sitting there waiting for you to call! The candidates you surface on LinkedIn are often represented already by two or three recruiters because it easy to find them. Use those individuals to network with top talent they have in their business network.
If you ask an individual who was the best (insert job title) at their last place of employment, you will almost always receive a name. They have no loyalty to their past employer and they can’t say they don’t know anyone. The most important part of this question is the phrase “at your last place of employment.”
Barbara J. Bruno, CPC, CTS