American Millennials v’s Immigrant Millennials Is there a difference? Are Our Kids Are Getting Soft? Recently we had some placements fall apart and the common thread was these candidates were millennials. For one reason or another, these candidates changed their minds and wanted to “keep their... Read more
Setup For Success Accurate job descriptions are an essential part of hiring AND managing employees. One more time… an essential part of hiring AND managing employees. If you want to run a successful team, you must ensure that your applicants and employees understand their roles and accountability... Read more
The most valuable traits in the new economy are curiosity, communication, attitude, and largess. This is the mantra of leading business thinkers. There is a scarcity of top grade employees in most arenas out there. Every day we see clients reject potentially great candidates because they are no... Read more
These days hiring is difficult. Very difficult. It's important to know you're not alone. If you ask around, many of your competitors are in the same boat. For small to medium-sized construction firms, the recruiting process can be about as enjoyable as a trip to the dentist. In the short term, you ... Read more
Here’s an important statistic you need to know if you are charged with hiring talent for your construction firm. In this booming market, a happily employed construction candidate, not actively seeking a new job, being directly recruited to join a new firm, typically expects a 10% to 15% bump in... Read more
Who needs a good pitch when your company culture speaks for you? [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyrP-pwDayE[/embed] About 70% of your employees hate their job. That is some bad PR! A staggering 96% of people think that their workplace culture needs a change. According to a recent Booz &a... Read more
I've spent over a decade in some version of recruiting and I've evolved from the timid girl on the phone coaxing for candidate and client attention to a woman with a passionate conviction, knowing what I have to offer is valuable and if someone isn't ready to receive my value, well... so be it. ... Read more
Let's face it. We are living in a new world of communication and I'm not feeling all that good about what's happening to us. I'm sure I don't need to remind many of you of the days when we called people on their home phones, added our friends to a call with a "party line" or carried quarters ... Read more
Accepting a counter offer rarely has a happy ending. "If you send a signal that you're unhappy, and if your boss personalizes your desire to leave, then staying doesn't make sense no matter what they offer you," says Arlene Hirsch, a Chicago career consultant. "Your motives will be suspect from that... Read more
Do you have a professional recruiter in your corner? If the answer is no, why not? If you are an employee, chances are, at some point you'll be looking for a new job. Having a proactive relationship with a recruiter who understands your motivations can make changing jobs relatively painless. ... Read more
As executive recruiters we get calls from companies every day interested in hiring us to look for talent. The market has certainly changed and after some very rough years things have started to pick up in a big way in the construction industry. We hear time and time again that there is a serious... Read more
If Bill Belichick ran his team like a lot of contractors run their businesses, they would not have won their fourth Super Bowl in 13 years. Bill would have dismissed playmaking superstars because of seemingly imperfect résumés and an inability to see how these players could become important... Read more
In our business, we have a Golden Rule of Recruiting: There are three types of candidates, “A,” “B,” and “C,” and there are three types of employer “A,” “B,” and “C.” An “A” candidate in an “A” company is a good hire. A “B” candidate in a “B” company is g... Read more
Successful construction project managers plan, manage, and handle details in a way that let you and your team relax. Andy Crowe completed a study of 860 (the top 2 percent) of project managers across industries. The study identified the top 10 traits of the rarest breed: a great project manag... Read more
The pursuit of a great career. Is it really just a matter of luck or is that the excuse you’re telling yourself? According to Larry Smith, a professor of economics at the University of Waterloo, people don't pursue their passion because of the fabricated stories they tell themselves. Most peop... Read more
Even though business is booming, we all know the margins in construction are decreasing — at least with hard bid. Profit percentages are so tight, it’s hard to get an edge. With information so freely available, even the laziest of owners can figure out their contractors’ margins, risk, an... Read more
Hiring is a pain in the butt. Let’s face it, everyone knows it, and no one wants to do it. This German job fair has take a pretty "creative" approach to attracting talent but most of our clients don’t have the time or energy to do this. We estimate about 10 % of candidates are top-shelf, th... Read more
Pay your employees fairly. Now, this does not necessarily mean that you should always pay your employees the highest salary in the marketplace. I have successfully placed many high level professionals in positions for "less" money because of different perceived benefits. Factors like more growth ... Read more
What is the economic impact of construction in Massachusetts? Fun Fact: in 2012, 94% of the 16,700 Massachusetts construction firms had less than 20 employees. In 2011, there were 19,500 firms with less than 20 employees. The AGC of America has provided some high level data on the economic impact... Read more
There is nothing worse than starting a new job and not knowing what you are doing? That's why every company needs an onboarding strategy. Being the new kid in town means asking questions about everything, from simple facilitates questions like “where’s the bathroom?” to “how do you log onto... Read more
