Foreign Nationals Starting to Head Home--The Other Side of the Immigration Discussion

I have been in the recruiting business for more than 30 years and for as long as I can recall, the US has been an extremely desirable place to live for foreign workers. The US was a leader in research and, despite the challenges posed by how the H-1b system was implemented (years of indentured servitude to one employer, low wages, less interesting work, an INS that is exceedingly slow to process green cards), this was the country to move to for opportunity.

Recently, I have had several instances that have opened my eyes to the possibility that our skilled immigration problem may become even harder to solve than I thought and that stems from some quick conversations I have had with several people working in the US on H-1b visas.

Each complained about being captive to the US and unable to visit family. They were frustrated with INS delays that caused what is supposed to take a very little amount of time to process dragging on into years.

But there was something new. Several started to talk about how good work was now going overseas and that currency depreciation was starting to make the US far less desirable than a few years ago.

You may have seen the recent articles about how Canadian currency was now at parity with the US dollar for the first time in 25 years. On my recent trip to Singapore, where you received $1.46 for each US dollar, I was surprised to read that it was expected to reach $1.20 by end of year.

That's almost an 18% currency depreciation projected over the next few months!

Couple this with the shortage of university students expected during the next few years (New York schools are being encouraged to recruit foreign students in the face of a 14% shortage of students projected to begin during the next few years) and it begs the question--Where will you be getting your new skilled talent from?

So, as we start to see rising prices for foreign made goods and services, we may see an exodus of H-1b, green card and foreign born US citizen-workers and few people to replace them just as The Baby Boomers start to retire. It suggests looking at F-1 visa employees as replacements for junior staff and examining longer term alternatives.

And the only answer I can see is to increase the number of H-1b employees into the US, sooner, rather than later.

Jeff Altman

The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
thebiggamehunter@cisny.com

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in many disciplines since 1971. He is a retired certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s free job lead search engine, Job Search Universe, to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, or his staffing ezine, “Natural Selection”, or to learn about his VIP program, go to www.jeffaltman.com.

Explore some of The Big Game Hunter's products in "The Universe" series

• Job Search Universe: Search thousand of Job Boards and Corporate Job Sites for job leads at the same time
• Self-Employment Universe: Business Opportunities and Work-At-Home
• The Consulting Universe: Search and Post Consulting Assignments and Consulting Jobs
• The Diet Universe: Health & Wellness Information
• The Resume Universe: Information about Resumes and Cover Letters
• Personal Finance Universe: Taking Care of Your Money better
• The Shopping Universe: More than a thousand stores in this mall AND help a child at the same time.

Plus

• Search4Candidates.com: Refined Searching for Resumes and Candidate Leads
• Indian Job Network: Network for Work in India
• VIP Personal Search: Hire Your Own VIP Personal Search Agent
• The Job Market Blog: Blogging and news about the job market since August 2001

Accounting, CPA's and Auditing Websites from Barry Geiman

Accounting, CPA's and Auditing Websites
http://www.accountantspages.com/

find Accountants US and different countries
>Accounting.

com
http://www.accounting.com
Resources
State CPA Societies

Alabama Society of CPA's
Alaska Society of CPA's
Arizona Society of CPA's
Arkansas Society of CPA's
California Society of CPA's
Colorado Society of CPA's
Connecticut Society of CPA's
Delaware Society of CPA's
D.C. Institute of CPA's
Florida Institute of CPA's
Georgia Society of CPA's
Guam Society of CPA's
Hawaii Society of CPA's
Idaho Society of CPA's
Illinois CPA Foundation
Indiana CPA Society
Iowa Society of CPA's
Kansas Society of CPA's
Kentucky Society of CPA's
Society of Louisiana CPA's
Maine Society of CPA's
Maryland Association of CPA's
Massachusetts Society of CPA's
Michigan Association of CPA's
Minnesota Society of CPA's
Mississippi Society of CPA's
Missouri Society of CPA's
Montana Society of CPA's
Nebraska Society of CPA's
Nevada Society of CPA's
New Hampshire Society of CPA's
New Jersey Society of CPA's
New Mexico CPA Foundation
New York Society of CPA's
North Carolina Association of CPA's
North Dakota Society of CPA's
Ohio Society of CPA's
Oklahoma Society of CPA's
Oregon Society of CPA's
Pennsylvania Institute of CPA's
Puerto Rico CPA Society
Rhode Island Society of CPA's
South Carolina Association of CPA's
South Dakota Society of CPA's
Tennessee Society of CPA's
Texas Society of CPA's
Utah Association of CPA's
Vermont Society of CPA's
Virginia Society of CPA's
Virgin Islands Society of CPA's
Washington Society of CPA's
West Virginia Society of CPA's
Wisconsin Institute of CPA's
Wyoming Society of CPA's

http://www.awesomeaccountants.com

CareerBank.com www.careerbank.com
is the the place to look for the best candidates in accounting,
finance and banking.

http://www.Big4.com
Searching for candidates from big4 accounting and consulting firms?
Take a look at our partner site, Big4.com, a leading resource
dedicated to this community. Alumni of these firms now have access
to news, events, an alumni database, jobs, proposals, financial
services and other information.
The site has just been revamped and includes a careers area powered
by jobsinthemoney. Post jobs to Big4.com to gain unparalleled
exposure to this audience.

Accounting Professionals Resource Center
http://www.kentis.com

AccountingNet
http://www.accountingnet.com

Accountants
http://www.aahcpa.org/links.htm

Accountants World Careers
http://www.salesguycareers.com

American Association of Hispanic Certified Public Accountants
http://www.aahcpa.org

CPA Jobs
http://www.cpajobs.com

CPANet
www.cpanet.com

Accounting Professional
http://www.accountingprofessional.com/

http://www.localaccountingjobs.com

American Association of Finance & Accounting
http://www.aafa.com/

http://www.actuary.com

http://www.aicpa.org/
This is a professional organization and they have online career
postings & forums which are a bargain as postings go.

CareerBank.com is an independent accounting and finance career site
that reports a direct network of more than 81,000 CPAs, and powers
the career centers for associations, such as the New Jersey Society
of CPAs, the Texas Society of CPAs, and the New York State Society
of CPAs.

The Association for Financial Professionals has an online job board
where
you can post jobs and search the members resume database.
http://www.AFPonline.org

http://www.ascpa.com
Arizona also has a group- ASCPA

http://www.aabpa.org/employ.html

http://www.controllerjobs.com/

http://www.financewise.com/public/unreg.htm

http://www.fwi.org/Careers/careers.htm

http://www.bigfivetalent.com/

http://www.jobsinthemoney.com/

TEI.org - Tax Executive Institute
http://www.ACCAglobal.com
- Association of Chartered Certified Accountants

- http://www.AICPA.org
- - American Institute of CPA's
http://www.TaxTalent.com
-
- http://www.TheIIA.org
- - Institute of Internal Auditors

TAX
http://www.tax-jobs.com/

http://www.houtscpa.org

http://www.taxtalent.com
TaxTalent.com -TaxTalent.com, a South Carolina-based creator of a
resume database of tax professionals, is partnering with
TopUSAJobs.com. The Tax Career Portal will appear on the TopUSAJobs
board, which features an array of niche sites. The Tax Career Portal
has over 12,000 people registered on the site, and is the largest
portal of its kind.

PAYROLL
http://www.americanpayroll.org

Comprehensive eFinancial Jobs
http://www.efinancialjobs.com/ Pay

Comprehensive Financial, Acct & Ins Job Page
http://www.nationjob.com/ Pay

Comprehensive Jobs in Accounting
http://ww2.itoday.com/jobs-careers/banking/ Pay

Comprehensive MBA Careers
http://www.mbacareers.com/ Pay

Comprehensive MBA Employment Connection
http://www.MBAnetwork.com/meca/ Pay

Comprehensive MBA Jobs
http://www.mbajob.com/ Pay

Comprehensive National Black MBA Association
http://www.nyblackmba.org Pay

Comprehensive National Business Employment Weekly
http://www.nbew.com/ Pay

Comprehensive National Society of Accountants
http://www.nsacct.org/ Pay

Comprehensive Pro2Net Accounting
http://www.pro2net.com/ Pay

Actuarial Actuary
http://www.actuary.com Free

Actuarial Jobs
http://www.sitepowerup.com/mb/view.asp?BoardID=106435 Free

Actuarial Financial Job Network
http://www.financialjobnet.com Pay

Auditor Financial Job Network
http://www.financialjobnet.com Pay

Commerce Global Career in Commerce
http://www.globalcareers.com/commerce/ Pay

CPA American Assoc of Fin & Acctg
http://www.aafa.com/ Free
CPA American Institute of CPAs http://www.aicpa.org/ Pay
CPA MBA Careers http://www.mbacareers.com/ Pay
CPA MBA Employment Connection http://www.MBAnetwork.com/meca/ Pay
CPA MBA Jobs http://www.mbajob.com/ Pay
CPA National Black MBA Association http://www.nyblackmba.org Pay
CPA American Association of Hispanic CPAs http://www.aahcpa.org/ Pay
CPA Financial Job Network http://www.financialjobnet.com Pay

http://www.accountantjobs.com/
http://www.accountingjobs.com/index.html
http://www.rutgers.edu/Accounting/raw/aaa/placement.htm
http://www.jobcontrolcenter.com/ccn/nabainc/
http://www.accounting.com/employment/

http://www.aafa.com/
http://aba.careersite.com/
http://www.bankjobs.com/
http://www.jobsinthemoney.com/
http://www.bankconnect.com/
http://www.jobmag.com/
http://www.jobfront.com/
http://www.accountingjobs.com/
http://www.accountantjobs.com/
http://www.accounting.com/
http://www.fjn.com/
http://www.jacobson-associates.com/
http://www.moneycareers.com/
http://www.nationjob.com/financial
http://www.tax-jobs.com/

WEBSITES FOR CPA
http://www.cpajobs.com
http://www.financialjobs.com
http://accounting.pro2net.com/
http://www.cpa2biz.com/career
http://www.cpadirectory.com
http://www.cpapfs.org

GENERALIST SITES
Accountant Jobs (doorway to ejobstore)
http://www.accountantjobs.com/
Financial, Acct & Ins Job http://www.nationjob.com/financial
Job Front http://www.jobfront.com/
Job Mag http://www.jobmag.com/
MBA Careers (doorway to CareerExchange) http://www.mbacareers.com/
National Business Employment http://www.nbew.com/

NO JOBS OR CANT POST JOBS
Accounting Professionals Resource Center http://www.kentis.com
American Association of Finance & Accounting http://www.aafa.com
CPANet http://www.cpanet.com
Global Career in Commerce http://www.globalcareers.com/commerce/
Jaconson-Associates http://www.jacobson-associates.com/
National Black MBA http://www.nyblackmba.org
Pro2Net Accounting http://www.pro2net.com/

WEBSITES FOR AUDITING & FRAUD (ACCOUNTING & IT)

FROM : http://www.taxsites.com/auditing.html

Auditing & Fraud Examination
Auditing Resources
Fraud Resources

Associations
Regulatory Bodies

Certification

Auditing Resources
• @Auditing & Fraud Associations
• ABREMA: Activity Based Risk Evaluation Model of Auditing
• AccountingMalpractice
• AICPA Audit and Attest Standards Team
• Articles on Internal Auditing and Fraud Examination
• Assurance Services
• Audit Committee Institute
• AuditNet
• Auditors Sharing Audit Programs
• Audit Serve, Inc.
• AuditZine
• Bank Internal Auditing
• Business Publications: Auditing Articles
• Columbia University Internal Audit
• CPA Exam Information
• European Auditing Research Network
• Excellence in Audit Education
• Federal Program Compliance and Audits
• Inspectors General Auditor Training Institute
• Intergovernmental Audit Forums
• Internal Auditing World Wide Web
• International Symposium on Audit Research
• ITAudit.org
• Panel on Audit Effectiveness
• Sampling in Financial and Internal Audits
• Single Audit Library
• Standards & Guidelines for IS Auditing
• U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO)
• WebTrust
Fraud Resources
• @Auditing & Fraud Associations
• Articles on Internal Auditing and Fraud Examination
• Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
• Fraud Defense Network
• Fraud Detectives
• FraudNet
• Fraud Prevention (UK)
• Internet Fraud Complaint Center
• National Fraud Information Center
• White Collar Crime: Loss Prevention Through Internal Control

Associations
• @Accounting Associations
• American Accounting Association - Auditing Section
• American College of Forensic Examiners
• Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
• Association of College and University Auditors
• Association of Credit Union Internal Auditors
• Board of Environmental Auditor Certifications
• Information Systems Audit and Control Association
• Institute of Internal Auditors
• International Federation of Accountants
• International Auditing Practices Committee
• International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions
• National Association of Local Government Auditors
• National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and
Treasurers
• Northeast Insurance Anti-Fraud Group
• Society of Financial Examiners

Regulatory Bodies
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• Financial Accounting Standards Board
• Governmental Accounting Standards Board
• Public Oversight Board

Certification
• Accredited Financial Examiner (AFE)
• Automated Examination Specialist (AES)
• Certified Financial Examiner (CFE)
• Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)
• Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
• Certified Internal Auditor (CIA)
• Certified Professional Environmental Auditor (CPEA)
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
• Certified Quality Auditor (CQA)

Sources for Recruiting Women

From Barry Geiman barrygeiman@comcast.net

Recruiting Women
http://www.recruiting-online.com/course55a.html

Useful Lists

About.com (see women's)
Google's US list of women's business organizations and its other
list by industry
the top 100 companies for working mothers

DiversePRO has a list of 100+ women's organizations broken down by
category.

Finally, see our diversity resources list, which includes some
women-
focused groups.
Business (General)
Advancing Women
African American Women Online
The Albuquerque-

Santa Fe Women in Business Directory - longest
continually published women's directory in the US. AWBD is part of
a nationwide network of women's directories with women-owned businesses, women's services, and resources
American Association of University Women
American Business Women's Association
Asian Women in Business
Association of Women Professionals
Black Career Women
Business and Professional Women Association - has many local
chapters
Business Women's Network - see its list of women and minority
business resources
Career Woman 2000 - part of the Hire-Power network of sites
Career Women - sister site of DiversitySearch.com and
MBACareers.com
Catalyst
Center for Women & Enterprise
Classifieds for Women - powered by CareerEngine.com
Feminist Career Center
Forum for Women Entrepreneurs
General Federation of Woman's Clubs
Hispanic Women's Corporation
Home-Based Working Moms advocates home employment and home
businesses
to allow parents to spend more time with their children
The International Virtual Women's Chamber of Commerce - offers
micro-
businesswomen worldwide an online venue to form profitable
relationships and attend meetings and networking events virtually
iVillage - Online community for women (jobs in CareerBuilder
network)
Jewish Women International
Jobs4Women
lifeprint - formerly AlumnaeResources.com, it's a non-profit
primarily but not exclusively women-focused
National Association for Female Executives
National Association of Career Women
Organization of Women in International Trade
U.S. Women's Chamber of Commerce - plethora of resources; a network
of affiliates that unite the women's marketplace whose mission is
to
develop leaders, accelerate economic growth and provide a community
voice for women.
Women-related Business, Work and Finance email lists - useful
listservs
Women Employed
Women Inc.
Women Leaders Online
Women and Minority Business Enterprise
Women's Professional Network
Womans-Work - Founded in 2000, allows searching by alternative work
arrangements
Women.com Careers
Women's Executive Network
Women's Net (another URL)
Women's JobSite
Women's Wire - search powered by Monster.com
WWWomen Search Directory - Very comprehensive list of trade
associations/career resources for women.
Communications
Association of Women in Communication (AWC Online) - job listing
page
is here
Association for Women in Sports Media
New York Women in Communications
Unique Women Marketing Association
Women in Agriculture
Women in Cable & Telecommunications Information - Founded in 1979,
WICT develops women leaders in cable and telecommunications
Engineering/Science/Construction
Association of Women Industrial Engineers
Association of Women in Metal Industries
Association of Women in Science
Committee on Women in Science and Engineering
National Association of Women in Construction
Professional Women in Construction
Society of Women Engineers
Women and Minorities in Science and Engineering - many
organizations
listed, but list has not been updated so many links are bad.
However,
type the organization name in your favorite search engine to find
the
current URL.
Women-related Science/Technology email lists - very targeted
listservs for women techies
Women Construction Owners and Execs
Women in Engineering Programs & Advocates Network
Women in IT & Engineering
Women's Engineering Society - UK-focused
Finance & Insurance
American Society of Women Accountants - job page here; has local
chapters
Association of Professional Insurance Women
Financial Women International
National Association of Insurance Women
Women in Asset Management
Womens Funding Network
IT/Computing (also see Communications)
Association for Women in Computing (or here) - links to many local
chapters
Cybergrrl - Online community for women; see its Yahoo-like
directory
of sites for, by and about women called Femina
DigitalEve - Professional society for women involved in Internet
industries (Boston chapter is particularly active), founded in
September 2000 by women formerly affiliated with the New York-based
Webgrrls (see below).
GirlGeeks - online community for women and girls interested in IT
created by the Bay Area Video Coalition, a non-profit focused on
new
media education and training for underserved groups.
The Institute for Women and Technology - Founded in 1997 to
increase
the impact of women on all aspects of technology
LinuxChix - a community for women who like Linux and to support
women
in computing. Over 10 listservs plus chat channels and 36 actual
chapters in 10 countries. The membership ranges from novice to
expert
programmers, system administrators and technical writers.
Systers - an informal organization for technical women in
computing.
Started in 1987, there are now over 2500 members in 38 countries;
affiliated with The Institute for Women and Technology
The Ada Project - TAP is a central clearinghouse for information
and
resources relating to women in computing
Webgrrls International - For women involved in Internet industries
(Microsoft ran diversity ad banners on its homepage in 2003)
Wise-Women - a world-wide, online community of web designers,
developers and programmers (formerly Women's New Media Association)
Women-related Science/Technology email lists - very targeted
listservs for women techies
Women in IT & Engineering - started Oct. 2001, but never took off
Women in Technology - has many local chapters and a job board
WorldWit - The umbrella group for 29 local listservs in the U.S.
and
abroad geared to women in technology (e.g., masswit-
subscribe@... is the subscription email address for the
Massachusetts list) as well as a separate jobs listserv for some
metro areas.
Legal
American Bar Assn. commission on women in the legal profession
League of Women Voters
Minority Corporate Counsel Assocation
National Organization for Women
Medical
American Association of Women Dentists
American Medical Women's Association
Association of Women Surgeons
Real Estate
Association of Real Estate Women - AREW is New York City-focused
CREW Network - A national association of women in the commercial
real
estate industry with chapters in many metropolitan areas (also
known
as National Network of Commercial Real Estate Women)
Women in Real Estate (W.I.R.E.)
Other
Association for Women in Architecture
Association of Women in Mathematics
Association of Women in Packaging
Women in Higher Education - tied to a national print publication

If you know of others, please email us and we will add appropriate
ones here.

This is an abbreviated version of the corresponding content from
our
popular Advanced Online Recruiting Techniques course, explaining
methods and resources applicable to recruiting in any industry,
function, geography or level. Learn more about or register for our
live seminar or online course! Or return to free sample content.

Diversity Websites

Again provided by Barry Geiman barrygeiman@comcast.net

DIVERSITY SITES

African Americans in Science
http://www.princeton.edu/~mcbrown/display/faces.html

A directory with biographies and Ph.D. statistics
American Association of University Women
http://www.aauw.org

American Chemical Society-Women Chemists Committee
http://membership.acs.org/W/WCC/

American Indian Science and Engineering Society
http://www.aises.org/W/WCC/

American Physical Society Committee on the Status of Women in
Physics
http://www.aps.org/educ/cswp/

Association for Women in Computing
http://www.awc-hq.org

Association for Women in Mathematics
http://www.awm-math.org

Association for Women in Science
http://www.awis.org

Canadian Coalition of Women in Science, Engineering and Technology
http://www.ccwest.org/english/ccwest.html

Council for African and Americans in the Mathematical Sciences
(CAAMS)
http://www.math.buffalo.edu/mad/CAARMS/CAARMS-index.html

Diversity in Science and Engineering Resources
http://www.mills.edu/ACAD_INFO/MCS/SPERTUS/Gender/
wom_and_min.

html

DiversityWeb Bulletin Board
http://www.diversityweb.org/

Search or post the latest news and materials on jobs, conferences,
resources, etc.
Loka Foundation
http://www.loka.org/

IEEE Women in Engineering
http://www.ieee.org/women/

National Association of Black Geologists and Geophysicists (NABGG)
http://www.www.nabgg.org/

National Association of Mathematicians
http://www.math.buffalo.edu/mad/NAM/NAM-index.html

National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in
Engineering and Science, Inc.
http://www.nd.edu/~gem/

National Society of Hispanic Physicists
http://utopia.utb.edu/nshp

National Technical Association
http://www.ntaonline.org/

Northern California Council of Black Professional Engineers
http://www.ncalifblackengineers.org/

Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science
http://www.sacnas.org/

Society of Women Engineers
http://www.swe.org/

The Just Garcia Hill Science Web Site: Virtual Community for
Minorities in Science
http://hyper1.hunter.cuny.edu/JGH/default.htm

the Woman Astronomer
http://www.erols.com/njastro/twa

A quarterly publication about promoting astronomy; the women role-
models in astronomy, past and present and the quickly changing
science, and hobby, of astronomy.
Women in Astronomy Database
http://www.stsci.edu/stsci/service/cswa/women

Women in Endocrinology
http://www.women-in-endo.org/Pages/index.shtml

Women in Engineering Organization
http://www.WIEO.org/

Women in Neuroscience
http://www.beemnet.com/win/

Women in Technology International
http://www.witi.com/

Re-Examine The Requirements

There are a number of clients I have had for many years. They expect me to know what they are looking for.

And I do . . .up to a point.

After all, when a position opens they send the same job requirements they did several years ago for the job.

But I have learned through conversations with mangers and leaders in the firm how the position has really changed and how the job description is a convenient political tool to satisfy HR.

Ridiculous, even though I am advantaged in this over other recruiters who don't have the access I do.

It should also go without saying that very person who interviews someone as part of the evaluation process brings their own unique viewpoint to both the evaluation and the decision making. This is a good thing when diverse views are brought to bear. It can be a problem when good decisions previously made a re not de-constructed and repeated. Failure to do this leaves decisions weak, emotional and ad hoc, rather than reasoned.

So, I implore you to re-examine job requirements from time to time and communicate the changes throughout your "supply chain". Make your recruiting vendors aware of new thinking, going so far as to re-write position descriptions.

Re-prioritize the "must-have" criteria for the position as well as the preferences.

Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
thebiggamehunter@cisny.com

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in many disciplines since 1971. He is a retired certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s free job lead search engine, Job Search Universe, to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, or his staffing ezine, “Natural Selection”, or to learn about his VIP program, go to www.jeffaltman.com.

Explore some of The Big Game Hunter's products in "The Universe" series

• Job Search Universe: Search thousand of Job Boards and Corporate Job Sites for job leads at the same time
• Self-Employment Universe: Business Opportunities and Work-At-Home
• The Consulting Universe: Search and Post Consulting Assignments and Consulting Jobs
• The Diet Universe: Health & Wellness Information
• The Resume Universe: Information about Resumes and Cover Letters
• Personal Finance Universe: Taking Care of Your Money better

Plus

• Search4Candidates.com: Refined Searching for Resumes and Candidate Leads
• Indian Job Network: Network for Work in India
• VIP Personal Search: Hire Your Own VIP Personal Search Agent
• The Job Market Blog: Blogging and news about the job market since August 2001

Leadership Building As a Sales Tool

When we were all young, we were asked the question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Whatever we answered, it helped to set goals in our mind that helped us move through our lives and careers. We may have adapted our thinking at different times, but we still set in our mind that there can be something better for us in the future.

For many, things change when they enter the workforce. Oh, I'm not speaking of the person from the top business school or the son or daughter of the tycoon. I'm speaking of the person who does a solid job.

Organizations seem to have the nasty habit of pigeonholing these people who do good work and having them continue to do the same job or a slightly different one until it is time to fire them in a cost cutting move or until they leave for the next company who gives them a modest flirtation.

You look at them like an old reliable partner or spouse. They will always be there for you until you don't want them any more.

And they need and want some romance, too.

Leadership training and development can take many forms.

It can take the form of the regular round table where everyone has the freedom to gripe and offer solutions. It can take the form of education, mobility programs and training.

It can take the form of using reviews to tell people the truth about how their performance has been instead of sanitizing it to justify a 3% raise.

Teaching people how to lead may involve creativity. After all, being accountable for one's actions is often used to be punitive rather than constructive in many corporations.

However, I was reminded of something by a friend I had lunch with this week of his experiences on the New Warrior Training Adventures I led for so many years. These weekend retreats are not promoted as business leadership courses; they are designed to help men look at the things in their life that work and don't work without their blackberries, cell phones and laptops.

Leadership involves integrity and being accountable for one's decisions. Becoming aware of the consequences of your decisions and actions and how they impact others. Showing care and compassion and treating them as core values i your organizations and helping people see the forest beyond simply trees.

Once many people are on board, they are asked to be nothing more than what they are on the day they hire you. Maybe you will expect them to make no mistakes ever. Maybe you will ask them to deliver more widgets to you.

But they will always be the third drone on the left in the 14th quad from the back for as long as they work for you.

They need and crave romance (hope) that there is more to working for you than that. I assure you that if you speak to people when you hire them about how you will help them learn and grow in ways that fulfill their dreams and desires, you will attract and retain the leaders you complain you aren't finding.

And this will become absolutely critical during the period when a generation of people referred to as the Baby Boomers start to retire and die.

Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
thebiggamehunter@cisny.com

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in many disciplines since 1971. He is a retired certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s free job lead search engine, Job Search Universe, to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, or his staffing ezine, “Natural Selection”, or to learn about his VIP program, go to www.jeffaltman.com.

Explore some of The Big Game Hunter's products in "The Universe" series

• Job Search Universe: Search thousand of Job Boards and Corporate Job Sites for job leads at the same time
• Self-Employment Universe: Business Opportunities and Work-At-Home
• The Consulting Universe: Search and Post Consulting Assignments and Consulting Jobs
• The Diet Universe: Health & Wellness Information
• The Resume Universe: Information about Resumes and Cover Letters
• Personal Finance Universe: Taking Care of Your Money better

Plus

• Search4Candidates.com: Refined Searching for Resumes and Candidate Leads
• Indian Job Network: Network for Work in India
• VIP Personal Search: Hire Your Own VIP Personal Search Agent
• The Job Market Blog: Blogging and news about the job market since August 2001

RESOURCES for Accounting/Financial Recruiters

देवेलोपेद by: "Barry Geiman" barrygeiman@comcast।net greendenny2001

Accounting, CPA's and Auditing Websites
http://www.accountantspages.com/

find Accountants US and different countries
Accounting.com
http://www.accounting.com
Resources

State CPA Societies

Alabama Society of CPA's
Alaska Society of CPA's
Arizona Society of CPA's
Arkansas Society of CPA's
California Society of CPA's
Colorado Society of CPA's
Connecticut Society of CPA's
Delaware Society of CPA's
D.C. Institute of CPA's
Florida Institute of CPA's
Georgia Society of CPA's
Guam Society of CPA's
Hawaii Society of CPA's
Idaho Society of CPA's
Illinois CPA Foundation
Indiana CPA Society
Iowa Society of CPA's
Kansas Society of CPA's
Kentucky Society of CPA's
Society of Louisiana CPA's
Maine Society of CPA's
Maryland Association of CPA's
Massachusetts Society of CPA's
Michigan Association of CPA's
Minnesota Society of CPA's
Mississippi Society of CPA's
Missouri Society of CPA's
Montana Society of CPA's
Nebraska Society of CPA's
Nevada Society of CPA's
New Hampshire Society of CPA's
New Jersey Society of CPA's
New Mexico CPA Foundation
New York Society of CPA's
North Carolina Association of CPA's
North Dakota Society of CPA's
Ohio Society of CPA's
Oklahoma Society of CPA's
Oregon Society of CPA's
Pennsylvania Institute of CPA's
Puerto Rico CPA Society
Rhode Island Society of CPA's
South Carolina Association of CPA's
South Dakota Society of CPA's
Tennessee Society of CPA's
Texas Society of CPA's
Utah Association of CPA's
Vermont Society of CPA's
Virginia Society of CPA's
Virgin Islands Society of CPA's
Washington Society of CPA's
West Virginia Society of CPA's
Wisconsin Institute of CPA's
Wyoming Society of CPA's

http://www.awesomeaccountants.com

CareerBank.com www.careerbank.com
is the the place to look for the best candidates in accounting,
finance and banking.

http://www.Big4.com
Searching for candidates from big4 accounting and consulting firms?
Take a look at our partner site, Big4.com, a leading resource
dedicated to this community. Alumni of these firms now have access
to news, events, an alumni database, jobs, proposals, financial
services and other information.
The site has just been revamped and includes a careers area powered
by jobsinthemoney. Post jobs to Big4.com to gain unparalleled
exposure to this audience.

Accounting Professionals Resource Center
http://www.kentis.com

AccountingNet
http://www.accountingnet.com

Accountants
http://www.aahcpa.org/links.htm

Accountants World Careers
http://www.salesguycareers.com

American Association of Hispanic Certified Public Accountants
http://www.aahcpa.org

CPA Jobs
http://www.cpajobs.com

CPANet
www.cpanet.com

Accounting Professional
http://www.accountingprofessional.com/

http://www.localaccountingjobs.com

American Association of Finance & Accounting
http://www.aafa.com/

http://www.actuary.com

http://www.aicpa.org/
This is a professional organization and they have online career
postings & forums which are a bargain as postings go.

CareerBank.com is an independent accounting and finance career site
that reports a direct network of more than 81,000 CPAs, and powers
the career centers for associations, such as the New Jersey Society
of CPAs, the Texas Society of CPAs, and the New York State Society
of CPAs.

The Association for Financial Professionals has an online job board where you can post jobs and search the members resume database.
http://www.AFPonline.org

http://www.ascpa.com
Arizona also has a group- ASCPA

http://www.aabpa.org/employ.html

http://www.controllerjobs.com/

http://www.financewise.com/public/unreg.htm

http://www.fwi.org/Careers/careers.htm

http://www.bigfivetalent.com/

http://www.jobsinthemoney.com/

TEI.org - Tax Executive Institute
http://www।ACCAglobal.com
- Association of Chartered Certified Accountants

- http://www.AICPA.org
- - American Institute of CPA's
http://www.TaxTalent.com
-
- http://www.TheIIA.org
- - Institute of Internal Auditors

TAX
http://www.tax-jobs.com/

http://www.houtscpa.org

http://www.taxtalent.com
TaxTalent.com -TaxTalent.com, a South Carolina-based creator of a resume database of tax professionals, is partnering with TopUSAJobs.com. The Tax Career Portal will appear on the TopUSAJobs board, which features an array of niche sites. The Tax Career Portal
has over 12,000 people registered on the site, and is the largest portal of its kind.

PAYROLL
http://www.americanpayroll.org

Comprehensive eFinancial Jobs
http://www.efinancialjobs.कॉम/ Pay

Comprehensive Financial, Acct & Ins Job Page
http://www.nationjob.com/ Pay

Comprehensive Jobs in Accounting
http://ww2.itoday.com/jobs-careers/banking/ Pay

Comprehensive MBA Careers
http://www.mbacareers.com/ Pay

Comprehensive MBA Employment Connection
http://www.MBAnetwork.com/meca/ Pay

Comprehensive MBA Jobs
http://www.mbajob.com/ Pay

Comprehensive National Black MBA Association
http://www.nyblackmba.org Pay

Comprehensive National Business Employment Weekly
http://www.nbew.com/ Pay

Comprehensive National Society of Accountants
http://www.nsacct.org/ Pay

Comprehensive Pro2Net Accounting
http://www.pro2net.com/ Pay

Actuarial Actuary
http://www.actuary.com Free

Actuarial Jobs
http://www.sitepowerup.com/mb/view.asp?BoardID=106435 Free

Actuarial Financial Job Network
http://www.financialjobnet.com Pay

Auditor Financial Job Network
http://www.financialjobnet.com Pay

Commerce Global Career in Commerce
http://www.globalcareers.com/commerce/ Pay

CPA American Assoc of Fin & Acctg
http://www.aafa.com/ Free
CPA American Institute of CPAs http://www.aicpa.org/ Pay
CPA MBA Careers http://www.mbacareers.com/ Pay
CPA MBA Employment Connection http://www.MBAnetwork.com/meca/ Pay
CPA MBA Jobs http://www.mbajob.com/ Pay
CPA National Black MBA Association http://www.nyblackmba.org Pay
CPA American Association of Hispanic CPAs http://www.aahcpa.org/ Pay
CPA Financial Job Network http://www.financialjobnet.com Pay

http://www.accountantjobs.com/
http://www.accountingjobs.com/index.html
http://www.rutgers.edu/Accounting/raw/aaa/placement.htm
http://www.jobcontrolcenter.com/ccn/nabainc/
http://www.accounting.com/employment/

http://www.aafa.com/
http://aba.careersite.com/
http://www.bankjobs.com/
http://www.jobsinthemoney.com/
http://www.bankconnect.com/
http://www.jobmag.com/
http://www.jobfront.com/
http://www.accountingjobs.com/
http://www.accountantjobs.com/
http://www.accounting.com/
http://www.fjn.com/
http://www.jacobson-associates.com/
http://www.moneycareers.com/
http://www.nationjob.com/financial
http://www.tax-jobs.com/

WEBSITES FOR CPA
http://www.cpajobs.com
http://www.financialjobs.com
http://accounting.pro2net.com/
http://www.cpa2biz.com/career
http://www.cpadirectory.com
http://www.cpapfs.org

GENERALIST SITES
Accountant Jobs (doorway to ejobstore)
http://www.accountantjobs.com/
Financial, Acct & Ins Job http://www.nationjob.com/financial
Job Front http://www.jobfront.com/
Job Mag http://www.jobmag.com/
MBA Careers (doorway to CareerExchange) http://www.mbacareers.com/
National Business Employment http://www.nbew.com/

NO JOBS OR CANT POST JOBS
Accounting Professionals Resource Center http://www.kentis.com
American Association of Finance & Accounting http://www.aafa.com
CPANet http://www.cpanet.com
Global Career in Commerce http://www.globalcareers.com/commerce/
Jaconson-Associates http://www.jacobson-associates.com/
National Black MBA http://www.nyblackmba.org
Pro2Net Accounting http://www.pro2net.com/

WEBSITES FOR AUDITING & FRAUD (ACCOUNTING & IT)

FROM : http://www.taxsites.com/auditing.html

Auditing & Fraud Examination
Auditing Resources
Fraud Resources

Associations
Regulatory Bodies

Certification

Auditing Resources
• @Auditing & Fraud Associations
• ABREMA: Activity Based Risk Evaluation Model of Auditing
• AccountingMalpractice
• AICPA Audit and Attest Standards Team
• Articles on Internal Auditing and Fraud Examination
• Assurance Services
• Audit Committee Institute
• AuditNet
• Auditors Sharing Audit Programs
• Audit Serve, Inc.
• AuditZine
• Bank Internal Auditing
• Business Publications: Auditing Articles
• Columbia University Internal Audit
• CPA Exam Information
• European Auditing Research Network
• Excellence in Audit Education
• Federal Program Compliance and Audits
• Inspectors General Auditor Training Institute
• Intergovernmental Audit Forums
• Internal Auditing World Wide Web
• International Symposium on Audit Research
• ITAudit.org
• Panel on Audit Effectiveness
• Sampling in Financial and Internal Audits
• Single Audit Library
• Standards & Guidelines for IS Auditing
• U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO)
• WebTrust
Fraud Resources
• @Auditing & Fraud Associations
• Articles on Internal Auditing and Fraud Examination
• Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
• Fraud Defense Network
• Fraud Detectives
• FraudNet
• Fraud Prevention (UK)
• Internet Fraud Complaint Center
• National Fraud Information Center
• White Collar Crime: Loss Prevention Through Internal Control

Associations
• @Accounting Associations
• American Accounting Association - Auditing Section
• American College of Forensic Examiners
• Association of Certified Fraud Examiners
• Association of College and University Auditors
• Association of Credit Union Internal Auditors
• Board of Environmental Auditor Certifications
• Information Systems Audit and Control Association
• Institute of Internal Auditors
• International Federation of Accountants
• International Auditing Practices Committee
• International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions
• National Association of Local Government Auditors
• National Association of State Auditors, Comptrollers and
Treasurers
• Northeast Insurance Anti-Fraud Group
• Society of Financial Examiners

Regulatory Bodies
• American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• Financial Accounting Standards Board
• Governmental Accounting Standards Board
• Public Oversight Board

Certification
• Accredited Financial Examiner (AFE)
• Automated Examination Specialist (AES)
• Certified Financial Examiner (CFE)
• Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE)
• Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
• Certified Internal Auditor (CIA)
• Certified Professional Environmental Auditor (CPEA)
• Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
• Certified Quality Auditor (CQA)

Where do the best come from?

Microsoft Battles for Talent

In case you don't read eWeek magazine (www.eweek.com), I thought I would share a few interesting quotes:
===============================================================
The biggest challenge facing Microsoft today is making sure that it has enough qualified, capable, talented people who can continue to scale with the company.

But the Redmond, Wash., software maker is facing competition for those resources from an unexpected source: the hedge fund industry.

"You have about a third of the number of people entering the IT field than you did during the dot-com era," Microsoft's Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner told eWEEK. "Also, one of the stiffest competitors we face today are the hedge funds, for staff to support all the major systems and analysis and decision support-type activity they do and which is pretty intensive.
==================================================================
Microsoft is pulling out all the stops to try to correct the growing shortage of IT graduates and the shrinking number of people entering the technology field by doing things like lobbying in Washington for relief.

"It's unfortunate that we can educate people here, but they then have to go home. Also, [Microsoft Chairman] Bill [Gates], [CEO] Steve [Ballmer], myself and others are all speaking at universities to get students excited about getting into the technology field," he said.

The shortage of qualified candidates in the IT space is a concern to the entire industry and the one thing that Turner said he thinks about every day, from the time he gets up in the morning until he goes to bed at night.
==================================================================
Jim Foley, a professor in the College of Computing at Georgia Institute of Technology and former chairman of the Computing Research Association, agrees with Turner that the numbers for college students heading into IT are not looking that good.

CRA research found that entering freshmen who indicated they would major in computer science fell by half from the high of 16,000 in 2000, which was just before the dot-com crash, to some 8,000 by fall 2006. "But the good news is that the decline seems to be leveling off; at Georgia Tech we have a slight uptick," Foley told eWEEK in an interview.

The number of U.S. students graduating with Bachelor of Science degrees peaked at 14,000 in the 2003-2004 academic year, dropping to 10,000 for 2005-2006, he said, noting that interest in computer science and computer engineering as a major has also dropped from about 3.7 percent of entering students in 1999 and 2000 to about 1.1 percent in 2006.

"Again, this does not include all of IT, but in large part these are the students whom Microsoft would like to hire, and there are not enough of them. There will be another lag until entering students realize that computing and IT are good fields with good jobs. That's what Microsoft and lots of other companies are experiencing right now and are worried about," said Foley, in Atlanta.
===================================================================
While the results of that survey, released in May, found that the number of Ph.D. degrees awarded continues to set records, the number of master's and bachelor's degrees awarded has dropped significantly.
===================================================================
While the results of that survey, released in May, found that the number of Ph.D. degrees awarded continues to set records, the number of master's and bachelor's degrees awarded has dropped significantly.
===================================================================
The number of master's degrees awarded, however, was down 13 percent, to 8,074, in the year ending June 2006. The June 2005 number was 9,286, which was "reasonably consistent with the 17 percent drop in new master's students reported two years ago," Zweben said.

Enrollment in master's programs by new students was about the same as last year, while total enrollment was down by more than 10 percent—all attributable to declines in computer science master's programs, he said.

More than half of new master's students came from outside North America, rising to 56.7 percent from 46.5 percent last year.

On the bachelor's degree front, issuance was down more than 15 percent, following the 13 percent decrease reported last year. "From this year's estimates, it would appear that another 16 percent decline is looming. If this holds true, it would represent a drop of more than 40 percent over a three-year period," Zweben said.

But there is some positive news. "When looking at new bachelor's degree students, for the first time in four years the number of new undergraduate majors is slightly higher than the corresponding number last year. This holds true when looking at only the more robust computer science numbers," he said.
================================================================

What is one way that Microsoft is coping with the talent shortage? They opened a center in Vancouver 159 miles from Redmund.

In the seven weeks since Microsoft announced that it intended to open a software development center in Vancouver, British Columbia, which it hoped would "be home to software developers from around the world," it may have gotten more than it bargained for.

In short, wrote Jenna Adorno, technical recruiter for MSN, on Microsoft's JobsBlog on Aug. 22, "Vancouver has worn me out."

Since Adorno first announced the facility July 9, she wrote, she has been "swallowed up by the endless offers and questions around employment at the Microsoft Vancouver Development Centre," which was built to address international workers affected by an inability to obtain a U.S. H-1B visa that would have enabled them to work out of the company's Redmond, Wash., headquarters.

Vancouver was chosen not only for its proximity to Redmond (less than 150 miles) and Canada's significantly fewer hurdles than the United States when it comes to hiring skilled foreign workers.

On July 12, Adorno implored international workers who had accepted a Microsoft offer but had not received an H-1B visa to contact her directly about a potential relocation to Vancouver, should the involved managers be okay with such an arrangement. The Vancouver location was expected to be made up of different employees on different teams that all had counterparts in Redmond. Microsoft assured rejected H-1Bs that there would be space for all of them in Canada, rolling out "new," comparable offers in late July and early August with start dates between September and November.

However, Microsoft hit a classic "remote work" wrinkle--that some roles function more favorably remotely than others. Software designers and developers would be more than welcome in Vancouver while project managers, media specialists and other roles would not.
==================================================================

Labor shortages won't be eliminated in the forseeable future, particularly if there is a recession. What creative ways can you create to prepare for even harder times finding talent?


Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
thebiggamehunter@cisny.com

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in many disciplines since 1971. He is a retired certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search for openings that The Big Game Hunter is working on, to use Jeff’s free job lead search engine, Job Search Universe, to subscribe to Jeff’s free job hunting ezine, “Head Hunt Your Next Job, or his staffing ezine, “Natural Selection”, or to learn about his VIP program, go to www.jeffaltman.com. Job Search Universe is also available at www.jobsearchuniverse.com To add your firm’s career page to “The Universe” email the url to jobsearchuniverse@gmail.com.

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at thebiggamehunter@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).

If you have a question that you would like me to answer pertaining to job hunting or hiring, email it to me at: thebiggamehunter@gmail.com

So, How Do You Choose Your Human Capital Vendors?

An old client of mine and I spoke this week for the first time in about a year. After chatting about life, the universe and everything, he lamented (at least I think it was a lament) about how his HR organization selects vendors to work with. It seems that every year he is asked for recommendations that they don't act on.

Firms who are contacted are required to complete an extensive form that does little to evaluate or assess the worthiness of the firm to provide service delivery. Although he didn't voice this, I don't work for the firm so I am not encumbered by chain of command or the need to be conciliatory so I will ask the question: Whose human resources are they managing--his or theirs?

This scenario is not unique to this firm.

A state government contacted me two months ago about entering their vendor program. I completed thirty some odd online forms, submitted notarized documentation and then asked, "OK, where is the work for me?" Their answer, "Oh! We're just the vendor management program. We have nothing to do with that!" Huh?

If they are trying to help him, they should at least report back on their contact with his recommendations . . . and they don't. When he has asked the recruiter whether they have been contacted, the typical answer is, "No." So, let's assume you do want to evaluate and assess potential recruiters, what can you ask them? Don't just Google for a business name like "Sales Bananas" that suggests an expertise.

Here are some things to do:

1. I am of the opinion that you can't ask them directly how much experience they have because it is too easy for a beginner to lie and say they have more experience than they have. Instead, ask them, "Where did you go to school? When did you graduate? With what degree? What did you do upon graduation?" Continue through until you have the chronology of their experience. Some may still get through lying, but you will catch others. By all means, if you are in human resources, ask your managers with whom they have had a good experience and what made it good. Then contact them!

2. Do you belong to a trade group? An industry association? A medium where you speak with others doing your job at another firm? Ask them for their contacts. The specific person, not the firm. If you contact the firm in general, you may wind up with the rookie of the day to work with. Why should you break them in?

3. Do you need a specialist or a generalist? There are virtues to working with both. A specialist ostensibly knows the specific type of work you to have done. A generalist can cover a broad arena removing the necessity of you working with many different firms and breaking them all in.

My own history involves extensive recruiting in technology since 1972 but, in 2002, clients asked me to work in different sectors which led me to many new fields. In 2006, I even filled a position for a wood procurement specialist for a liquor company (to purchase hard woods for the casks their liquor was aged in); it was a search like none I had done before but intrigued me (frankly, I thought it was a fun job and took some time and filled it).

Like the mutual fund advertising ads said, "Past performance doesn't guaranty future returns." Ask questions like:

1. Tell me about some of the searches you've done in the last year? (Ask this question BEFORE you tell them about the positions you have open in order to preclude them from repeating back your job as one they just completed).

2. Is your firm a multi-office operation? Does it do local, regional or national searches? At what scale does it operate? Scale may be important if you are trying to find a resource for 2000 positions as part of a ramp up. Multi-office operation may mean that your contact person may get help supporting your work in Timkuktoo or not; many recruiters only work on their own assignments, preferring to keep 100% of commissions instead of half. As a result, your contact person with the 50 offices may not get as much support as it sounds.

3. What can I expect of you? What steps will you take to locate, assess and refer someone?

4. What is your firm's practice about recruiting from a client? What is a client company to you? Who are your current clients (and this, who is off limits)

Since entering this field what seems like a hundred years ago, I have seen how firms do nothing to evaluate and assess the firms that will supply their talent and then wonder why they don't like the results they get. It's like hiring someone who you never interview. Does that make sense to you? Of course not. Yet isn't how you have accepted working with many vendors?

Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
jeffaltman@cisny.com

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a practicing psychotherapist and is a retired certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues.

To receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, search job openings, use his free job lead search engine, Job Search Universe. to subscribe Jeff’s free job search ezines, Head Hunt Your Next Job and/or Natural Selection (his free recruiting ezine), or to find out about his VIP Personal Search Agent service, go to http://www.jeffaltman.com.

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff or locating consultants, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at thebiggamehunter@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).

Is Your System Set Up to Select Mediocre People?

How does your firm choose who to hire?

Often the promise is somewhat ad hoc--a position description is crafted and approved with minimal questioning except to insure that it conforms to process. From there, someone, sometimes from HR, sometimes from the department, does an initial screen by telephone. The person is evaluated based upon their ability to string a few sentences together that relate to the job description.

From there, an in-person interview is constructed where the person is quizzed on one or two things that relate to the job, and quite a few that are extraneous. From there, the person is pused up the chain of command until, ultimately, they are rejected or hired.

Why were they rejected? They were "too light." In other words, they were judged by a person earning less than they earn, who was "winging it" through the interview, rather than asking questions that mattered to the manager and follow ups that were irrelevant to job performance.

Have you ever heard the old saying, "A camel is a horse designed by a committee?

What can you do?

Before you ask a question, before you ask a subordinate to ask questions, make it clear to them what you want them to cover in the interview. BE SPECIFIC!

Unless you make it clear what you are looking for, you will wind up like one of my clients who rejected a job applicant based upon criteria that in no way shape or form related to the position description (and, no, the issue was not about "fit").

Look at your hiring process in advance of interviewing and be clear with everyone what you are looking for and how you want them to screen and what you want them to screen for.

Otherwise, you will wind up with the best person who can get through the committee, rather than the person who is best qualified to do the job.

Email resume in Word to thebigamehunter@cisny.com. Please include the job code for the position with your resume.

NO RELOCATION. NO VISA TRANSFERS. NO OVERSEAS RESUMES. NO 3^RD PARTIES.

To search available positions, sign up to receive a daily digest of positions anywhere in the USA, use a job lead search engine, subscribe to Head Hunt Your Next Job, Jeff Altman’s free job search ezine, or his staffing ezine, Natural Selection, or learn about his VIP service, go to www.jeffaltman.com.

I Have That Person in My Data Base (a brief rant)

I can accept the notion that a person has been spoken with or contacted.

I cannot accept the answer that they are in your data base.

Respectfully, so what if it is in your data base?

I am not investing resources to be a firm's tickler system, prompting them to contact potential employees.

Place yourself in another's shoes.

You are spending time (money) to find, evaluate, assess and refer someone. That person has not been contacted by the client (you) yet and then you are told, "They are in my data base."

Is that the way you want your firm to do business?

Is that fair? Do you believe you are being honest when you have failed to take action on someone and use someone to remind you to call them?

I understand that mistakes happen. I make them and you make them. Everyone does. Don't punish someone who works for free to help you unless they are successful by setaling their efforts.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter has been a recruiter for more than 40 years.

Sign up for a complimentary subscription to No B.S. Job Search Advice at TheBigGameHunter.us.
Connect with me on LinkedIn.

Trying to hire someone? Email me at JeffAltman@TheBigGameHunter.us.

Subscribe to TheBigGameHunterTV on YouTube for advice about job hunting and hiring. Like videos, share and comment.

Listen to Job Search Radio, No B. S. Job Search Advice Radio and No B. S. Hiring Advice Radio in iTunes and other podcast directories and apps.

Do you someone at a manager level or above and need more in-depth job search coaching? Join my VIP Personal Search Agent program.

Are you someone who would not fit my VIP program and would like to ask me a question via email, chat, or phone? Reach me via LivePerson

Like this article, podcast or video and others from The Big Game Hunter? Make a donation through PayPal to TheBigGameHunter@gmail.com

What are Your Values? How would You Decide?

In some situations, there is no right or wrong. Sometimes, a person just need to be conscious of their values when they make a decision (and their biases but that is another article).

A client had two finalists for a position, both with comparable professional skills.

As they went into the final round they were left with an interesting decision.

What criteria should we use to choose between the two.

One is a relatively experienced person. The other has several years less experience.
Advantage to the experienced person

The less experienced person has been a consultant for several years (advantage to the experienced person) but with one client for several years (advantage shifts to the less experienced one.

The experienced person has been working in industry where he is knowledgeable and has done an extremely good job; the else experienced one is extremely service oriented. As a consultant, he understands that everything he does should be done with service at heart and wears that as a badge of honor and responsibility. Not every consultant does, but he does..

What would you do to decide?

Jeff Altman
The Big Game Hunter
Concepts in Staffing
thebiggamehunter@cisny.com

© 2007 all rights reserved.

Jeff Altman, The Big Game Hunter, is Managing Director with Concepts in Staffing, a New York search firm, He has successfully assisted many corporations identify management leaders and staff in technology, accounting, finance, sales, marketing and other disciplines since 1971. He is a former certified leader of the ManKind Project, a not for profit organization that assists men with life issues, and a practicing psychotherapist.

To subscribe to Jeff’s free job search ezine, Head Hunt Your Next Job, or receive a daily digest of positions emailed to you, go to http://www.jeffaltman.com

If you would like Jeff and his firm to assist you with hiring staff, or if you would like help with a strategic job change, send an email to him at jeffaltman@cisny.com (If you’re looking for a new position, include your resume).