From the Other Side of the Desk: How Retained Executive Search Firms Experience Candidate Outreach
We are still early in the year. Resolutions are fading, but there is one I am still seeing. It is one that I see at the start of each new year. People start looking outside of their current position to see what else might be out there. While the job market gets a great deal of press lately (not necessarily all good either), people start to more actively explore at the start of the year.
The type of outreach we receive and the varying follow-up interactions we have are quite diverse. That said, and while we work for employers/organizations (covered more completely in last month’s Blog – see https://www.abelnmagy.com/blog/retained-executive-search-what-it-isand-what-it-isnt), I want to provide a few ideas of what I will call ‘best practices’ for people looking to explore the job market.
160 +/- E-Mails Per Day
That is the average I receive each day. Some of these are ‘solicited’ – things I have signed up for in the past. Many relate to current search assignments – correspondence with clients and candidates. Some are ‘cold’ outreaches. I would love to tell you that I open/read them all . . . . . that would be a lie. I do try to, but the time is not always available to do so. How do I choose?
Because of the number of daily e-mails I receive, I do not use an Outlook Preview Pane. I look quickly at the e-mail address (do I recognize it?) and the Subject Line. I like to refer to the Subject Line as ‘Prime Real Estate’. It is a chance, in one line, to give the topic of the e-mail. Hint – here is what I do not open . . . . . e-mails with a title that only says:
- Introduction
- Referral (without a referral name)
- CFO (or another title) Candidate
- Your Next Hire
- Opportunity To Connect
- Let’s Meet
- Any reference to me as ‘Dave’
Tell me how you found me or what you want. I’ll do my best to answer. And you will never see me listed anywhere as Dave . . . . . I have been David for decades.
LinkedIn Invitations
Everyone uses their LinkedIn account differently. Some people are what is termed a LinkedIn LION – LION stands for LinkedIn Open Networker . . . . . this person will likely accept all invitations. Others use their account in a different, or to them, specialized manner. I would be that ‘other’ person (I am not a LION).
First and foremost, if you send an invitation (to anyone), always send a note. Statistically, there is an increased likelihood that an invitation with a note (call it context) will be accepted or that you will get a note back in response.
If you were introduced (to me) by someone through an e-mail or InMail, sending a LinkedIn invitation should not be your next step. There are so many other alternatives. My connections on LinkedIn are primarily people I have known for years. Being connected means my network is more visible/available to those connections. I take my network very seriously and openly sharing it is not my default behavior. Your next step – follow-up on the introduction (which most likely started as an e-mail to me and the person that is being introduced) with an e-mail.
Dates and Titles
While this was the subject of an entire Blog (see https://www.abelnmagy.com/blog/titles-and-dates), it bears mentioning again. If you send a resume, I will look at your LinkedIn profile as well. Titles and dates need to be aligned. If you are in transition, do not say ‘to present’. Having an end date is not an issue if it is the truth. If we are talking and your ‘to present’ is not accurate, I will immediately want to know what else needs ‘updating’ on your resume or LinkedIn profile. That is not an area of questioning you want anyone to pursue.
Staying on this topic, many people think they need to send me every version of their resume and bio. We keep one version (most likely the actual resume) in our database. If we are interacting about an executive search we are conducting, at some point we will want your resume (not all of your documents). With that said, if I get two, I look quickly at each. Very recently (actually, the day before I started writing this), I received two resumes from a person who had two very diverse job focus areas within their most recent position. When I reviewed the two resumes, the titles were different. My 'guess' – only one of those titles was the correct title. My first question back to the candidate was to find out which title was correct. My second question, and one no one wants to hear from me is, what else isn’t fully accurate or truthful on the resume. (As of this first draft writing, I am still waiting for a response from the person who e-mailed me.)
Do Your Homework (Ahead of a Meeting)
When doing research at a library was ‘a thing’ (pre-Internet or when dial-up was the best we had), we told people that they needed to spend at least an hour researching a company and the person they were meeting. We recommended an hour of research for every hour being scheduled for that meeting or interview. Life is easier now – we Google things. We can ask AI for assistance. (We can – and should – do both.)
In networking meetings that I conduct, I commonly ask people if they know my background. A ‘no’ or ‘please tell me’ is not the right answer. This has happened twice in the last month. When I get ready for a candidate meeting, I take the time to prepare – reading resumes, LinkedIn profiles and other online findings about the person. I expect the same. A senior level executive should know to be prepared. My company website has my bio; my LinkedIn page has my chronological history. If you Google me, you will find all sorts of things (hopefully all positive and fun).
You won’t necessarily be tested in a meeting (except for the simple question asking if you know my background), but the questions you ask and the comments you make will be better ‘informed’ when you do the homework. It will pay off.
Zoom (or Teams)
I remember when Zoom was ‘new’. Yes, it existed pre-COVID but if you were local and your company was primarily local, you did not use it frequently. You went to live meetings. You fought traffic during rush hour. You found parking. And you arrived early (more on that in a moment). That changed quickly. Prior to COVID (December, 2019), Zoom had 10 million daily participants. In April 2020, that number increased to 300 million daily participants. (These are global numbers.)
So many of us were trying to ‘figure it out’ with regard to Zoom. Where do we set up our computer? We used to go to an office on a daily basis. Then we were at home ‘negotiating’ for space with our spouse/partner and kids (for work and school purposes). What was the background you used? I remember interviewing candidates who were in their bedroom or a large closet. I saw unmade beds, bathrooms (with open doors) and closets (also with open doors and clothes all over).
While I can’t design your space, think about what people see – that includes seeing you as well as your background. The technology does not do well with blurred and artificial backgrounds. A real background is the best. Make it professional (with a bookcase or credenza in the background). Add a plant for a nice touch. And make sure the camera lens is the same height as your eyes. A laptop computer on a traditional desk will result in the lens being below eye level – and the view is one of looking up at your face and ceiling. Put books (or at my house, tupperware) under the laptop to raise it up.
When we had live meetings, we commonly showed up early and sat in a reception area. Do the same with a Zoom meeting – show up a few minutes in advance. If there is a technology challenge, you have time to address it. If not, you are viewed as ‘ready for the meeting’ rather than ‘just in time’.
‘First’ Impression(s)
My 10th grade English teacher told me on my first day in class – “David, you never get a second chance to make a first impression”. This was well before the Head & Shoulders® commercial – and it was not a good thing to be told by the person who would eventually be grading you.
Each interaction with a search firm or job search related contact is indeed an impression. While the impression might not be indicative of the quality of your work product, it is an impression of how you show up and interact. Your outreach efforts and interactions need to be as professional and planned as the work that you do within your profession.
If you have questions, ask a trusted career coach. Or e-mail me your questions – I will do my best to answer.