Minnesota Morning
After putting up these two posts today What Price Would You Pay For Your Dream Job? and Theme for 2010: Don’t Look Back I think I have said enough for one day :)
Instead I will leave you with some highlights from my Twitter stream going back the past 10 days or so. Most of them are not from me and if you are using Twitter I would recommend giving these folks a follow.
Oh, there is no rhyme or reason to these. Some are work, sports, life related or funny, thoughtful things (I have added some links to names and articles) and are in reverse chronological order (in other words start at the bottom):
December 29, 2009
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Most people say that as you get old, you have to give things up. I think you get old BECAUSE you give these things up!
bcollinsmn the Wolves are just 1 player away from being just 1 player away from just being 1 player away from being just 1 player away from being good.
coudn't find my lipstick, just stole violet's dora lipgloss #mamadateprep
jajessop
doesn't understand why companies bend over backwards for new hires, but not for their current employees.
AlbertMaruggi
My aunt just told me "it's not the years in your life, but the life in your years that count." cool eh?
jwynia
@MNHeadhunter If you are 30, are you still in your 20's? If not, 2010 is new decade.
December 28, 20009
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I think AP needs a code red. Rubber cement a ball to his hands for a day
Boo! #vikings- Still a Favre fan - love AP- and if the team moves to LA, MSP will be the new DesMoines - ick!
ColbyWG
that's a lot of drinks... RT @MNHeadhunter: RT @WCFHester23: ***ATTN ALL BEARS FANS: THEY SAID #BRETTFAVRE 179 TIMES THIS GAME***
WCFHester23
***ATTN ALL BEARS FANS: THEY SAID #BRETTFAVRE 179 TIMES THIS GAME*** *** #Bears #Viqueens #MNF #Gruden ***
libbyjuju
@MNHeadhunter tweeting while watching MN sports makes me feel like i'm in a really nerdy sports bar
btkennett
Best part of being a #packer fan tonight...doesn't matter. Night y'all!
Everytime a #bears fan boos an angel gets it's wings. #vikings
fakesid
I'm too old for this
I could sell Vikings bandwagon space, but I probably won't get much money for it...
kborch88
will someone please buy brad childress a xbox and a copy of madden??? maybe then he will learn some playcalling strategy
Chicago Bears fans: the next few hours are going to be painful. You might want to set your Tweetdecks to 'stfu' ahead of time.
girlmeetsgeek
So I tried to put the tree back in its box. #xmasfail http://twitpic.com/vnjoq
December 27, 2009
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I'm thinking there may be a market in being the guy who helps to un-train you of all the "tips" that the "experts" teach you.
aeklund I'm just riffing here... Fact is there's no certifiable "expert" ranking for social media. So we have to make up our own filters.
- aeklund
A social media persona is one who has cultivated a large personal following through wit, sharing, insights, and/or wisdom.
- aeklund
A social media practitioner knows how to use a variety of social media tools.
- aeklund
A social media expert has repeatedly created measurable value that align with organizational goals.
derickson @arikhanson "Social Media Expert" search volume from Google Insights for Search: http://bit.ly/6Pmi0H CC: @threevolts @breon
The best things: http://twitpic.com/vhhnm
By claiming to be a social media guru you have just tried to fit a square where a circle should be!
December 26, 2009
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it is christmas carnage....
December 25, 2009
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There is a nerf bullet and lego palm trees in the nativity set. Also a wise man fell over and is smothering the baby Jesus.
December 24, 2009
Sir Isaac Newton would like to remind all Minnesotans that his laws of motion have not been repealed just because you're in an SUV.
There is only one cause of unhappiness: the false beliefs you have in your head...question them. -DeMello
amysbryant
I swear I'm hearing bells jingle. I guess I believe.
PerkatPlay
Santa has to hit 843 homes per second to hit the entire world... he's in Mongolia as we speak.... kick butt Nick Dawg!
December 22, 2009
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Turned on fox sports. Thought it was wolves pre-game because of the empty stands. It was halftime. I hope it was pre-recorded.
Time to find a CEO for me. And for those wondering I mean a business CEO. Although, a work/home boss sounds good too :)
stremcha
RT @lynseystruthers: Considering the sensationalism of this week's impending blizzard, I hereby declare a new hashtag: #snowlyshit. Pls RT.
MnITGUY
We're about to be hit with 3 days straight of global warming
December 21, 2009
Once again, today has been brought to you by the letters W, T and F!
@CincyRecruiter @MNHeadhunter F bomb Mondays? Who's starting that feature on their blog? Anyone? Anyone? It's needed.
georgefiddler
The girlfriend said she wants "new black pumps" for Xmas. Are these them? http://is.gd/5wfhF
GRLitman
Spoken like a true Gopher fan. Still find hope in darkest days... RT @MNHeadhunter: Happy shortest day of the year. It only gets better :)
NickColeman
Economy sux, Congress sux, Afganwar sux, and Minnesotans are in a real funk because??? Vikings suck too. Oh, woe is us.
December 20, 2009
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ME: You doing OK? VIKINGS DIE HARD FAN: Not really ME: Will you be OK? FAN: Yeah, at least I am not a Packer fan
davidtc @girlmeetsgeek @MNHeadhunter @svensundgaard my 4 yo says "if it doesn't snow 12"+ I will find this mother nature and let her have it!"
threevolts @MNHeadhunter Favre not the issue tonight. Said fans are tools.
- girlmeetsgeek
It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are. ~e.e. cummings
MNHeadhunter Panhandle Hooker: No, not that. What the type of storm @svensundgaard thinks we will see later this week in the Midwest 5:28 PM Dec 20th from TweetDeck
- MNHeadhunter
MN snow storm for Christmas Eve? Bring it. We can show those East Coast pansies how to do it right :)
December 19, 2009
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RT @wtongen: 80% of drivers say 'OH SH!T' as they slide into the ditch. The other 20% (from Minnesota) say, 'HOLD MY BEER AND WATCH THIS.'
- MNHeadhunter
WTF: That the Senate is on session on a Saturday in a snow storm should not be news, this is as it should be
Theme for 2010: Don’t Look Back
This is my theme for 2010 complete with a 1970’s rock video from the group Boston (a short live version):
Last year at this time I remember saying I wish that we could go back to a time when as kids there were “do overs”. Those were the best. You could call “do over” whenever you wanted.
I still wish we could go back to those days. I suppose in some ways we can. We can try something again. We can try things a different way. We can say we are sorry.
My meaning though was I wanted to do 2008 over. I made some mistakes and I wanted to make them right. Then I thought a better theme would be “no regrets”. And that is what I did in 2009. I made some changes. I tried new things. I went back to people I had been frustrated with and rebuilt bridges.
I do not have many regrets for 2009. I have done the best I can for my family, friends and business. I have made the best choices I can with what I knew at the time. There are the usual personal ones that come up from time to time but most of those have been taken care of too.
This nearly two year recession (it is that long for us search firm folks) has caused some issues with bills being paid late. I learned post 9/11 that search firm folks tend to be the last to get paid and when you are a “one man band” two or three late or non paying customers can be “lethal” to doing the business. This recession has been no different.
Thankfully the rest of those issues are soon to be cleared up.
So that gets me to 2010 and “Why Don’t Look Back” fits me. I have always been a bit of a late bloomer. It has taken me a long time to figure me out personally and professionally. Working on my own and through a second recession has allowed me to really get to know who I am from the really good parts to those really dark “places” we all try to push back into the corner.
I know this, for the most part I like the man I have become.
I turn 40 this year and while a big deal for a lot of folks not so much for me. However, I am planning a big party with the theme of “The Next 40 years”. I want to get a large group of people together and celebrate not my birthday but celebrate my family and friends, be together and enjoy each others company. I know how lucky I am to have the people around me and this will be a chance for me to say thank you.
I think I finally figure out this thing called life. Well, as much as a guy can.
So I am going to take what I have learned, start trusting my gut more, lean on my friends a bit and see what happens.
No do overs, no regrets and no looking back.
Whatever you wish for and whatever big plans you have for 2010 I hope that you at least get what you need.
Best Wishes to you and your families in 2010.
Cue the next video...
And lyrics:
Don't look back
A new day is breakin'
It's been too long since I felt this way
I don't mind where I get taken
The road is callin'
Today is the day
I can see
It took so long just to realize
I'm much too strong
Not to compromise
Now I see what I am is holding me down
I'll turn it around, oh yes I will
I finally see the dawn arrivin'
I see beyond the road I'm drivin'
It's a bright horizon and I'm awakin' now
Oh I see myself in a brand new way
The sun is shinin'
The clouds are breakin'
'Cause I can't lose now, there's no game to play
I can tell
There's no more time left to criticize
I've seen what I could not recognize
Everthing in my life was leading me on
But I can be strong, oh yes i can
I finally see the dawn arrivin'
I see beyond the road I'm drivin'
Far away and left behind, left behind
Oh the sun is shinin' *and I wanna go*
(guitar solo)
Don't look back
A new day is breakin'
It's been too long since I felt this way
I don't mind where I get taken
The road is callin'
Today is the day
I can see
It took so long just to realize
I'm much too strong
Not to compromise
Now I see what I am is holding me down
I'll turn it around, oh yes I will
I finally see the dawn arriving
I see beyond the road I'm driving
Far away and left behind
Don't look back
Don't look back
Don't look back
Don't look back...
2010 Hiring and Job Forecast
CareerBuilder released its’ 2010 Job Forecast this morning. The forecast finds that the encouraging news regarding the economy may be easing hiring fears, as employers signal an increase in their plans to hire in the new year. Twenty percent of employers say they plan to increase their number of full-time, permanent employees in 2010, up from [...]Hiring Commissioned Salespeople? Don’t Use a Standard Selection Process
I’ve only had brief bouts with commissioned salespeople but I learned two things from my experience that I carry with me to this day whenever I talk to people about this subject:
- It is one of the toughest jobs to start and be successful in.
- It is one of the toughest jobs to hire for.
As for point one, I don’t know what to say. We’ve tried a ton of different programs to help people get their start in these sorts of positions. The most successful people don’t seem to need too much guidance though. We’ve tried giving training pay for a month or two just to see if we could get them over the hump but it never made much sense in the dollars and cents department.
As for point two, that’s really where my mind took a flip. I couldn’t figure out why our selection process, no matter how well defined and executed, still ended up with 75%+ turnover in the first 90 days. Behavioral assessments be damned, something wasn’t adding up. Here’s a quick shortcut on something that took me a couple months to figure out:
Most selection processes assume that the company has the most at risk in making the selection. Given that assumption, questions are asked in a way that will reduce that risk or make the risk more acceptable.
Whenever you are hiring a commissioned salesperson though, that risk now falls squarely on the candidate. There is a serious opportunity cost for that person if they take a job that they don’t succeed in (because they won’t get paid). So if you are looking to reduce risk in your selection process (as you would typically do), you are actually increasing the likelihood of a bad fit hire. You throw a hitch into their risk assessment efforts that make it difficult to determine if they could be successful.
So we started talking to sales candidates like we would talk to a partner. We talked about our process, our business, success rates, failure rates, industry trends, leads, turnover… whatever. We focused questions of the candidate on past results, skill sets and industry or job specific knowledge. We helped them decide how they could handle our risk factors as a willing partner and we would evaluate their talents (and possible pitfalls) like we would a partner. If it meshed, great. If not, no biggie.
Was it a grand slam? No, but it was significantly more effective than the behavioral based, scientific process we used to use. It also helped us identify those who were entrepreneurial minded and interested in growing their own portfolio of business (because that’s what it really takes to be successful in this environment).
It didn’t change the fact that commissioned sales positions still stink to identify the right talent for but it at least made it easier for us to identify quickly those who were wholly unprepared to take the risk that commissioned sales demanded.
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