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So when I get ideas for  something I want to mention here at the blog, I make a note of it in my drafts folder.  A few weeks ago I was thinking about some of the pointless questions that hiring managers ask candidiates during interviews. So I saved the title "Stupid Interview Questions" in my drafts folder.

Then today I ran across this post over at the Medical Sales Recruiter blog. It’s title?  "Stupid Interview Questions". 

Click the link above and take a look.

Seriously hiring managers, ask good probing questions that will help you learn about the candidate and their ability to do the job you’re interviewing for.  Unless you’re really a psychiatrist the pointless, abstract questions are useless and do nothing to help you evaluate a candidate.

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OK - so this sales recruiter wasn’t actually featured on ESPN, but my email has been blowing up for the last hour or so because I was just on ESPN for the second time in less than a year.

Now the backstory. I grew up about 45 minutes from the University of Illinois.  A friend of mine named Thad Matta is the head men’s basketball coach at The Ohio State University (yes, "THE" Ohio State University.  I know this is the correct name from reading countless numbers of resumes over the past 14+ years).

Now tonight, ESPN was televising the Ohio State vs Illinois basketball game.  Whenever these two teams play one another they talk about Thad growing up near the University of Illinois and how now he’s returning to kick their butts all over the place.

By the way, Illinois made a bad hire a few years back when they hired their current coach and made a huge mistake by not pursuing the hometown boy who just so happens to be one of the best recruiters and coaches in the nation.

Anyway, our high school basketball team was quite the small time dynasty back in high school - the 80’s if you’re wondering - and we finished 3rd in the state our senior year. 

We played our state tournament at the University of Illinois Assembly Hall where they still play today.  Afterwards we had our final team picture taken on the empty Assembly Hall floor.  Players, coaches, managers, cheerleaders.  We were all there. But I was the one standing directly to Thad’s right. 

Whenever they talk about Thad’s hometown roots they show different pictures from our yearbook - one of them being that team picture I mentioned earlier.  They always zoom in on Thad and can’t seem to crop it enough to get my face out of the picture.

Maybe I should ask ESPN if I can promote my blog or sales recruiting firm next time!

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If you’re sales rep looking for a place that you can get consistently good sales training ideas then take a look at this blog by Josh Hinds. 

I’ve probably mentioned Josh’s blog in the past - but I just read this post and it reminded me how he aggregates many great sales training experts at his site.

Take a look - a little extra sales training advice can’t hurt anyone.

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When I first started in sales recruiting I cold called CEO’s of major companies everyday until they either accepted a meeting with me or handed me down the line to someone else.  One day one of those cold calls paid off and I ended up meeting with a newly appointed VP of HR for a $2.5 billion company. 

At one point in the meeting he asked me why happy, successful sales reps left for new sales jobs. 

Being very well read and up on the industry news, I started to recite the results of a poll I had just read about this very topic.  I said something to the effect of, "sales reps leave because they feel no respect from their bosses, they want more recognition, they want greater challenges in their sales jobs, they want more vacation, more flexible hours so they can be with their families." 

I went on and on with this malarkey that I quite frankly didn’t believe but thought was the right thing to say.

He stopped me and said, "Steve, sales reps leave for new sales jobs for one thing and thing only.  They want more money!"

We wrapped up the meeting.  It went well - I ended up with the account and helped them recruit on average of a sales rep a week for quite some time.

But the one thing I learned from that meeting was more important than any number of successful searches that I could ever complete.  I learned then and there to never say anything but what I felt to be the truth.

That said - I just read a post at the The Recruiting Edge

The post lists the results of a survey that seems to be more in line with what I hear and see from sales professionals.  Here it is clipped from the site - click through to see more.

       8 Hiring Trends For 2008

       EIGHT MAJOR TRENDS FOR 2008
#1 Bigger Paychecks

       (here’s more info on this point as it was broken down at http://biz.yahoo.com)

56 percent of employers expect to increase salaries on initial offers to new employees, up from 59 percent in 2007

#2 More Flexible Work Arrangements
#3 Screening Candidates via the Internet
#4 Rehiring Retirees
#5 Diversity Recruitment
#6 Freelance or Contract Hiring
#7 More Comprehensive Healthcare Benefits and Special Perks
#8 Career Advancement

 

 

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As we near the end of ‘07 and start ‘08 most people are making their New Year’s Resolutions.  Inevitably the resolutions tend to revole around getting in shape.

Face it - is anyone with a mirror really happy at what they see looking back at them? 

Once upon a time I was a22 yr old  6′0" 140 lb NCAA strength coach!  Then I became a pretty ripped 30 year old 6′0" 200lb sales recruiter.  Now I’m a 40 year old not so in shape 220 lb sales recruiter/recruiting blogger who needs to get back in shape.

I actually started working off the fat a few months ago.  If you’re short on time or too embarrassed to drag into the healthclub take a look at this guy’s site and use his expertise as a great starting point:

John Wood - bodyweightbasics

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