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Abby Roberts

DEAR ABBY: I Love Having a Career but Also Love Being a Mom/Parent – How do I Feel Accomplished in Both??

Abby Roberts · March 12, 2024 · Leave a Comment

There is no right or wrong way to approach this. There is no perfect answer. There is only what is right for you and realizing that as your kids grow and demands change, your solution will need to be fluid.

1. SACRIFICE

There will always be sacrifice as a parent whether you are in the corporate world or not. When I am home, I try to put my phone down as much as I can and give my kids focused attention – even if it is 10 minutes of undivided attention, I want my kids to know they are important. When you are at the park, play with them. When you’re in the kitchen, have an impromptu dance party. I’ve had to sacrifice different things at different phases. I’ve started my calls at 7:00 am and I’ve logged in after my kids are asleep to get caught up. I’ve passed on different activities with friends to spend time with my kids. I’ve had to consume more caffeine than I’m proud of on sleepless nights to snuggle a sick kid, and I’ve had to take work calls during carpool while trying to mime to my kids that I’m on the phone or locked in my closet to have a quiet environment when I’ve worked from home. AND IT’S ALL BEEN WORTH IT. There are different seasons and the sacrifices will change as your kids grow.

2. GIVE YOURSELF GRACE

You will have times that you feel like you are dominating everything and times you feel like you are failing at everything. Give yourself grace. Acknowledge the proverbial Mom Guilt, feel it, and then let it go. It won’t always be a perfect balance. Your kids love you. You are doing better than you think you are!

3. GOOD CHILD CARE SOLUTION

When you have a place where you know your babes are being loved, you can focus on crushing your work. We’ve personally lucked out with childcare that has become part of the family. Our kids have an awesome support system built on a foundation of loving people!

4. DATE NIGHTS

I have a non-negotiable calendar invite the first Thursday of every month for a date night rotating between each of my girls. These are just as much for me as they are for them. They get to choose the food, the activity, the treat and we get to spend a whole night just having fun together with just the two of us!

5. FIND A PLACE THAT VALUES HARD WORK AND FAMILY VALUES

Ultimately – work needs to get done. Deadlines need to be hit. Reports need to be delivered. Find a place that allows you to get everything done while giving you the flexibility you need to be the parent you want to be!

What have you experienced as a working parent?? How have you allowed yourself to find success in both? I love hearing everyone’s experiences and having this wide-reaching support system!!

Having 11 working parents here at Prospex Recruiting (8 being working moms) – we’d love to talk through anything!! Reach out! See my original post on my LinkedIn profile.

Why Should I Use a Recruiting Firm?

Abby Roberts · March 12, 2024 · Leave a Comment

Recruiting the right talent is not just a challenge but a critical strategic imperative. In the competitive landscape of the job market, the difference between a good hire and a great one can significantly impact your company’s growth. Given this, the decision to use a recruiting firm is a pivotal step for businesses and organizations to find the perfect match for their open positions. But why choose to entrust this essential task to an external agency when you have an in-house HR team?

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the nuanced benefits of incorporating a recruiting firm into your talent acquisition strategy. Whether you’re an established enterprise, a growing startup, or a job seeker curious about the modern recruiting process, we’ll walk through the compelling reasons that justify this professional partnership.

Expedited Time to Hire

The first and one of the most immediate benefits of engaging a recruiting firm is a significantly reduced time to hire. Many view the recruitment process as a tedious cycle of drafting job descriptions, advertising the vacancies, sifting through CVs, and interviewing. This conventional method, while necessary, can be time-consuming, especially when speed is crucial.

Instead of managing every step of the process in-house, a recruitment agency has dedicated resources and streamlined processes in place to expedite the search. These firms are equipped with advanced tools and technologies that allow for quick resume parsing and match-making, tapping into their networks to target passive candidates, and mapping out competitive talent landscapes.

By leveraging the services of a recruitment firm, organizations can bypass the extensive lead times and focus on the most critical phase of recruitment – selecting the right candidate for the job.

Access to a Broader Talent Pool

Time constraints often limit the capacity of internal HR teams and managers to scout talent widely. A recruitment agency, on the other hand, provides access to an extensive and diverse talent pool, often comprising professionals whose skills and experience surpass the immediate requirements of a job role.

The depth of this talent pool is a result of the agency’s years of industry presence, relationships, and the accumulation of a vast network of professionals. It’s not uncommon for these agencies to have candidates who are pre-screened, available, and eager to contribute to the right opportunity. This accessibility can be particularly beneficial when looking for specialized skills or diverse talent batches.

Furthermore, a recruitment firm’s role is to continuously update and maintain its talent database, ensuring that it is populated with candidates who are ready to be matched with the perfect roles as soon as they arise.

Quality Over Quantity

Recruiting firms are not just about casting broad nets in the hopes of catching a few suitable candidates. Their expertise lies in sourcing high-quality applicants and presenting a shortlist of credible candidates to clients, who can then make informed, efficient recruitment decisions.

This curation of candidates goes beyond just skills and experience. It incorporates cultural fit, soft skills, and long-term potential within an organization. Recruitment professionals are adept at knowing the right questions to ask, how to examine a candidate’s claims, and how to gauge their enthusiasm for a role and company.

By working with a recruiting firm, employers can be assured that the candidates they interview are pre-vetted and align with the vision and goals of the company, thereby reducing the margin of error in recruiting decisions.

Cost-Effectiveness of Expertise

While it might seem counterintuitive to outsource recruitment at first, the long-term cost implications often point in the opposite direction. When considering the overall financial investments required for sourcing tools, job board postings, background checks, and the opportunity cost of employee time spent in the recruitment process, a recruitment firm’s fee structure can offer substantial savings.

More importantly, this cost is associated with the recruitment of better-suited candidates who are more likely to stay longer and perform better, which further minimizes the cost of high turnover rates and the subsequent recruitment cycles.

The specialized expertise that recruitment firms bring to the table is invaluable. They are abreast of the latest industry trends, changes in the labor market, and best practices in sourcing and selecting candidates. This expertise results in more robust and successful recruitment outcomes.

Job Market Insights

In the fast-paced, dynamic job market, insight is power. A recruitment firm’s day-to-day involvement in the market positions them as natural observers and analysts of market trends. They can offer employers a deeper understanding of what’s happening in their industry, including salary benchmarking, demand for certain skills, and competitor activity.

These insights are essential for strategic human resource planning and can guide an organization’s overall talent and recruitment strategy. For example, they can help in managing expectations around recruitment timelines, salary negotiations, and the likely longevity of current market candidate availability.

By being well-informed about the market, companies can adjust their recruitment parameters and be better prepared to attract and retain top talent.

Compliance and Legal Expertise

Recruitment involves navigating complex employment laws and regulatory requirements across different geographies. A recruiting firm with a national or even international presence is well-versed in the legal intricacies that come with the recruitment process.

They can provide guidance on local labor laws, help draft compliant job descriptions, and ensure job adverts do not discriminate. This oversight is particularly crucial in preventing legal pitfalls and protection from costly litigations or disputes post-hire.

Partnering with a recruitment agency can instill confidence in the quality and legal safety of the recruitment process, giving clients peace of mind and allowing them to focus on the functional onboarding aspect of the hiring strategy.

A Sharper Competitive Edge

In the domain of talent acquisition, competition is fierce. Rival companies are also scouting for the same elite performers you may be targeting. Recruitment firms help organizations to stay competitive by assisting in the attraction and retention of top talent.

This partnership allows for employers to access talent quickly, pursue passive candidates who may not respond to their direct requests, and present a polished and professional front throughout the interview and hiring process. In a sense, they act as your brand ambassador, selling the company positively as an employer of choice to prospective candidates.

Furthermore, when employers consistently hire the best talent, their company’s reputation in the market improves, leading to a self-reinforcing cycle of attracting more top talent and, in turn, enhancing the company’s brand.

Specialized Services and Approach

Every business has unique recruitment needs and challenges. Recruitment firms are adept at tailoring their services to these individual requirements, offering specialized approaches, and even niche expertise in certain areas.

This adaptability is especially beneficial for roles that are hard to fill, require specific industry knowledge, or encounter seasonal hiring spikes. It also allows for a more strategic relationship with the recruiting firm, where the agency understands the subtleties of the client’s business and can provide ongoing consultative support.

The personalized attention and the flexible, problem-solving approaches of recruiting firms can be a welcomed change from the one-size-fits-all methods that can sometimes be the Achilles’ heel of in-house recruitment strategies.

Focused on the End Goal

Recruiting firms are naturally incentivized to provide candidates who are not only qualified but genuinely interested in the roles they present them for. After all, their fee is contingent upon the successful hiring of the candidate. This alignment of incentives results in a pool of candidates more focused on the end goal – securing the position for which they are being recruited.

This contrasts with the general candidate pool, where job seekers may apply for numerous positions concurrently, sometimes without apparent interest in a specific role or company. The shared objective of securing a long-term, quality hire benefits both the recruiting firm and the client company.

This shared goal of ‘find the right fit’ can result in higher job acceptance rates, lower turnover, and a smoother recruitment process overall, where the priority is quality over quantity.

Long-term Relationship Building

Partnership with a recruitment firm is not merely transactional; it can lead to valuable, long-term relationships that yield recurring benefits. The trust developed over time between the client and the agency enables better communication, understanding, and a shared vision of the recruitment process.

Furthermore, as the firm consistently delivers quality candidates, the client’s viewpoint of the agency evolves from being a transactional service provider to a strategic partner. In turn, the recruiting firm invests in understanding the long-term business goals and becomes an extension of the client’s recruitment and talent management efforts.

This collaborative partnership approach brings insights and processes that contribute to more effective talent acquisition strategies, long after the initial hire has been made.

Conclusion

The decision to engage a recruiting firm is not just about offloading the time-consuming aspects of talent acquisition; it’s about adding value to the strategic goals of the company and securing the right talent that drives those objectives forward. By providing faster, high-quality talent solutions that are cost-effective and legally compliant, recruitment firms act as catalysts for a company’s growth.

For job seekers, a recruiting firm can be the gateway to exciting career prospects, offering not just a job but a meaningful connection that advances personal and professional growth.

In an era where human capital is the bedrock of organizational success, a judicious and collaborative relationship with a recruitment firm is an investment that yields multi-dimensional returns.

Contact Prospex For Your Hiring Needs.

For those seeking a partner in navigating the complexities of the contemporary hiring landscape, Prospex stands ready as your ally. With our comprehensive suite of recruitment solutions tailored to meet the unique demands of your organization, we’re here to elevate your talent acquisition strategy to new heights. Contact us today to discover how Prospex can transform your hiring outcomes and fuel your organization’s success. Reach out at josh@hireprospex.com or call us at 801-721-2217 for a consultation. Your next top performer is just a conversation away.

Dear Abby: Does the Job Title Really Matter?

Abby Roberts · March 12, 2024 · Leave a Comment

I have an offer with an awesome company but the title is below my current title – am I ruining my resume??

I’ve gotten this question quite a bit recently and my answer, as it often is, is it depends. Titles are so nebulous – a Controller at one company could be equivalent to a Sr. Accountant at another company and an Assistant Controller at one company could be the same as a CFO at another.

Modern office space with tables and office supplies.business background

So much goes into just a title. I always take into consideration the size of the company, the size of the team, where this position is in relation to the executive it funnels up to, long-term growth for the company and the specific role, etc.

Take a look at where you want to be in the next 5 years and does this give you the right starting point to get there. I never want someone to title chase and I never want someone to dollar chase. I want someone to make their next career move based on the factors that go beyond the title. Companies will have different naming conventions depending on their size, industry, functional roles, etc.

One way to highlight this on a resume (we want to be proactive in answering any potential question marks on a resume!!) is to put the company name and then have a brief sentence that describes the company size, revenues, industry, etc. (i.e. Controller for a $5mm company with a team of 1 transitioning to an Assistant controller at a $250mm company with a team of 4).

In short, it won’t kill your resume by taking a lesser title, just make sure the opportunity itself fits what you are looking for as the next step in your career!  If you like the people, you like what you’re doing, and money makes sense – you can’t make a bad choice!!

Have you ever made a transition for a lesser title? How did it turn out? What were your factors in making the decision??

Feel free to reach out to anyone here at Prospex Recruiting if you want to talk through an offer or your interview process in general!!

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