Aloha! I guess you can imagine where I am as I write this newsletter. It also explains why it is a few days late this month.

Well, let's jump right in. I was reading the Wall Street Journal last week and ran into a full-page ad from one of my clients with a fabulous use of the "Unique Hiring Proposition" you learned about late last year. The ad was run by SAP (the software giant) and had the following headline: First day on the job you get to tell people, "I work for a profitable internet company with the world's leading open and integrated CRM solution."

This is the "go with a winner" strategy used perfectly. With this ad, they have put their foot on the throats of the competition and put an end to any and all arguments. How many companies do you know that are hiring, let alone running full-page ads in the Wall Street Journal? Who do you think is getting 100% of the attention of the people looking for jobs or thinking about changing jobs?

For the past six months, I have been trying to convince you that this is the best time you will ever find to recruit and hire top talent. There isn't any competition because "the herd" is not hiring and "the herd" is always wrong (a reference from Napolean Hill).

For the past three years we have faced the greatest shortage of talent in history. YOU STILL DO! Please use this opportunity to upgrade your staff.

On to another subject. I have discussed reference checks with you in the past but the issue came up at a client meeting last week (yes, a client meeting here in Hawaii). This General Manager for a large retailer told me that he relies on the reference check even more than the face-to-face interview. I got him quickly squared away on why that is a mistake but then we went on to discuss the references he was conducting.

I asked him to share with me his list of reference questions and sure enough, he reached into his drawer and handed them to me. As I have said in the past, a standard list of reference questions by definition has to be generic. And, generic questions get generic responses. This forces you to make assumptions, which too often are wrong.

We then worked through how he could get much better results from his reference checks. I asked him what he was trying to learn from each reference. One thing he mentioned was the person's work ethic. I said, "What do you mean by that?" He said, "I want to know if the person sticks with a difficult project or task until it is completed." "Great", I said, "Here is how you get that information in a reference......."

Ask the reference (assuming you are speaking with a past supervisor) what was the most difficult task the person had been assigned in the last three months. Once you get the answer, probe to determine exactly what the person did in the situation. This will get you much better information than a generic question.

I am a firm believer in the value of reference checks when they are done right. Here are the four critical steps.

1. Get the references from the candidate.
2. Determine what information you need to verify or gather.
3. Design a set of specific questions directed at the information you need.
4. Probe for details. Hope this helps!

Commentary
This is a short newsletter because it is summer and I hope you are all enjoying it. But, I did want to share a personal story with you before I end (no rant, no contest, no product pitch this month).

I started working in the recruiting field in 1974. During that time I have seen a lot of ups and downs and have learned some very important lessons. One of the most important is that the employment market is very cyclical. We are coming to the end of a very difficult time. The economy hit a very large pothole and as usual, "the herd" over reacted.

The first thing to get cut was training. Next, the layoffs followed. It happens every time. When the economy turns around, these same companies will be scrambling to hire people and get them trained. You think we would learn from history. It's like going to Vegas and thinking you will really beat the house this time.

I am speaking at a number of major employment conferences over the next two months. My message at all of those events will be the same, "Start Thinking Strategically!"

You have a major advantage over "the herd" - you read this newsletter. You need to get a jump on the market if you want to claim a prominent position in the war for talent. Put your staffing plans in place now. Start recruiting now. Train your staff in how to accomplish these critical tasks now.

You may think this is self-serving, it is. But, if I didn't believe you would get your money's worth a hundred times over, I would just slip off to the beach and forget it. Give us a call and we will be glad to help.

Have a great summer recruiting!

Barry Shamis