Reputation is important, but character is the key

All business owners and executives know that reputation is important. However, a person’s character is every bit as important as his or her reputation, if not even more so, and the two may not necessarily match up perfectly.

All business owners and executives know that reputation is important. Especially with growing consumer access to the internet, disreputable companies and individuals are subject to public ridicule and alienation from potential partners and customers.

However, a person’s character is every bit as important as his or her reputation, if not even more so, and the two may not necessarily match up perfectly. Reputation is all about perception: it only refers to what other people expect from an individual. A reputation may be hard-earned and accurate or it may be wildly off-the-mark. Any person could hypothetically have any reputation.

A warrior with a reputation for fearlessness may still turn and run from a dangerous battle. But, those with bravery at the core of their character would stand firm, regardless of the odds against them.

Therein lies the difference between the two traits. Character is all about what a person will do, rather than what other people expect of him or her. And, in business, it is the character of an executive that matters most.

Of course, leaders may often need to take into account the impact that their actions will have on their reputations, but organizations always need to carefully consider the character of any candidate who they are considering for a high-level office. Especially when it comes to filling jobs in finance, it is crucial to select individuals of great integrity to hold the most influential positions. That’s why it pays to always work with a firm of professional recruiters when conducting an important financial professional search.

The staff at executive recruiting firms have expertise in looking past people’s reputations to examine the character of each candidate. This helps a company guarantee that it is really hiring a high-quality performer, rather than a hyped-up pretender.

How businesses can hire, motivate and retain top quality employees

All business professionals want to work with other talented individuals. However, many employers may be unsure of how they can best go about motivating high-caliber workers in a way that builds their interest in the job and sense of loyalty to the company.

All business professionals want to work with other talented individuals. However, many employers may be unsure of how they can best go about motivating high-caliber workers in a way that builds their interest in the job and sense of loyalty to the company.

One highly effective strategy for maintaining employee loyalty is to give workers at least some level of control over their day-to-day situation. Whether it’s allowing flexibility in their time management or simply offering a channel for employees to voice their opinions to those in higher levels of management, making workers feel that they have a degree of influence over the direction of their jobs can provide a great boost to morale.

In the same vein, it is important to recognize that every employee is different. Each worker may respond best to a different style of management and it is critical to account for this. Incentives that may greatly motivate one type of employee may have no effect on others. Interacting with each staff member in their preferred style of engagement can make a huge difference in how management efforts are interpreted and what impact they have on employee loyalty.

This highlights the importance of engaging with employees and encouraging them to make it clear what works for them. Managers and workers should maintain open lines of communication at all times to ensure that good ideas get to the decision-makers and that all employees feel connected to the company as a whole.

Of course, building a quality staff starts with hiring talented individuals. Working with a firm of corporate recruiters helps a company to guarantee that is putting itself in the best possible position to allow it to attract the most qualified candidates with the best attitudes. Professional recruiters rely on the depth of their experience to guide their decision-making and match individual job-seekers to companies where they can thrive.

Advice for forming partnerships with large companies

A business of any size can benefit from forming a partnership with a large corporation.

A business of any size can benefit from forming a partnership with a large corporation. Well-established companies can offer insight into how the industry works and what your business can do to survive and thrive in the future.

Of course, you have to make certain that your team is ready for the challenge before jumping into anything. Dropping the ball in a big-league partnership can embarrass your organization and hinder future networking efforts.

Even if your company appears to be up to par, it is still a good rule to start out on a small scale. You can be building toward a bigger partnership for the future while making sure that you aren’t overextending your staff in the present. You also want to avoid coming on too strong. You may think it shows ambition to pitch a big project, but in the more experienced eyes of your potential partner, it may look more like naivete. Avoiding the “hard sell” is a good general rule when it comes to working with other companies that are more established than your own.

It is also an excellent idea to bring a good lawyer with you when you ink the deal. It may seem like a confrontational action, but real professionals will appreciate that it is simply the smart thing to do.

By far, the most critical factor affecting your ability to form a meaningful partnership with a big business is the overall quality of your executive team. Large corporations want to know that there are level-headed decision makers in charge of a company before they enter into any serious arrangements.

This is just one of the reasons it makes sense to conduct every executive search in coordination with a firm of corporate recruiters. When you work with hiring experts, it guarantees that you will get the most out of your efforts, as professional recruiters are able to apply their experience to each search and ensure that any candidate they bring to a company is capable and qualified.

New research looks at importance of soft skills

Many positions demand specialized skills or training, but new research is looking at the increasing importance of “soft skills” in the modern job market.

Many positions demand specialized skills or training, but new research is looking at the increasing importance of “soft skills” in the modern job market. A recent study by Millennial Branding, using Experience, Inc.’s data pool, explored the current needs of employers and the trends affecting hiring decisions.

Although 100 percent of the employers surveyed said that they believed college prepares students for the workplace, they also stressed the importance of soft skills. Communication skills, positive attitudes and teamwork skills were identified as being important or very important by 98 percent, 97 percent and 92 percent of respondents, respectively.

“It’s clear based on the data that employers truly value the so-called soft skills, such as analytical thinking and communication ability,” explains Jennifer Floren, CEO of Experience, Inc. “I think this speaks to the fact that specific on-the-job skills change, and they change more quickly these days than ever before.  As a result, employers are looking for raw material – talent that they can work with and develop, people who can adapt to changes over time.”

This is true across many industries. Even more technical jobs in finance demand on-your-feet thinking and the ability to communicate clearly and effectively. And, while “hard skills” can be taught, soft skills are generally ingrained parts of people’s personalities, built up over the course of their life experiences. However, they don’t always necessarily fit on a resume the way specific work experience does.

This is what makes it so valuable to work with professional recruiters. The staff at these firms have a wealth of experience to draw upon when evaluating job applicants. They can put their full focus into finding candidates who are not only qualified in a technical sense, but are also well-rounded individuals with the interpersonal and critical thinking skills necessary to bring real value to a company.

Never ask a busy executive to meet you for lunch

In reality, there is a very good reason why most executives rarely have lunch meeting. It is a huge time sink.

A lot of people probably assume that those who work in business are always meeting each other for lunch, based on the way such meetings are portrayed in popular culture. In reality, there is a very good reason why most executives rarely have lunch meeting. It is a huge time sink.

Between driving to the restaurant, waiting for service and eating at an awkwardly slow pace because the real point of the get-together is to talk – meetings held over lunch wind up taking much longer than necessary. And when you're dealing with busy executives, you'll find that they don't have time to waste traveling to and from drawn-out lunch meetings that could be conducted quickly and easily in the office.

So, the next time you want to get together and talk with someone who you know has a lot on their plate already, don't invite them to lunch. Take the advice of entrepreneur Mark Suster and be direct. Ask if you can stop by the person's office for half an hour. Offering to pick up coffee on the way can be a great way to score bonus points.

Just as executives don't have all the time in the world to go out for lunch all the time, they are also pressed in many other areas. For instance, running the company's hiring process can be immensely time consuming, involving many separate tasks and necessitating a lot of irregular scheduling. Also, communication during the hiring process is critical and should be conducted with careful focus.

That's why it makes sense to work with professional recruiters. Hiring experts work full time, focusing only on the task at hand, which is to find qualified candidates for a company's vacant positions. This removes a lot of stressful time commitments from the plates of businesses' decision-makers and guarantees the quality of a hiring process because human resource professionals are able to bring their experience and complete focus to the job.

Cast a wide net when fishing for talent

As anyone in business can tell you, it can be tough to find high-quality candidates, especially when a critical position is left vacant at an inopportune moment.

As anyone in business can tell you, it can be tough to find high-quality candidates, especially when a critical position is left vacant at an inopportune moment.

There can be a lot of pressure on a company’s leadership to fill an empty position as quickly as possible. But, conducting a talent search is time consuming, especially when it comes to more complex roles. Executing a proper financial professional search can be a grueling experience.

At the same time, the responsibilities associated with the vacant position have to be temporarily distributed among other workers. Thus, upper-level staff can suddenly find themselves buried in work that they aren’t used to doing at the same time that they are scouring for an appropriate replacement to fill the empty position. The ensuing stress can be significant.

Obviously, the best bet for resolving the situation quickly is to cast as wide a net as possible. This means exploring new and diverse sources of applicants. Placing ads in the newspaper and sitting back to wait for calls will not cut it in 2012.

There are a wide variety of online job listing and search sites and social networks are gaining traction as a source of job information and applicants. Temporary employees can be brought in to help manage the workload while a permanent replacement is sought. Some companies may even be able to implement a recruiting program targeting universities or professional training services.

It is also worthwhile to consider whether or not the person currently in charge of hiring is the best fit for the job. Even outstanding entrepreneurs aren’t necessarily the best hirers.

When it comes to searching for talented financial professionals to fill critical roles, the best thing a company can do for itself is to contact a firm of corporate recruiters. Hiring professionals are able to dedicate their full time and attention to conducting the most thorough search possible, allowing them to use their expertise to bring the right individuals and employers together.

Optimize your business abilities with worldly experience

As much as everyone draws comfort from familiar surroundings, it is essential that business owners and other decision makers at a company have experience from outside of their comfort zone.

As much as everyone draws comfort from familiar surroundings, it is essential that business owners and other decision makers at a company have experience from outside of their comfort zone.

Narrowly focused individuals, even if they excel tremendously in one area, will ultimately find themselves at a disadvantage when it comes to maneuvering in an increasingly diverse business world. Even a top talent in finance will be limited in his or her effectiveness without at least some background in dealing with different people and situations.

Groups of like-minded people making decisions without outside influences or input can lead to an “echo chamber” effect, in which the same ideas bounce back and forth, reinforcing each other and preventing new thoughts from moving in different directions from the standard.

Fortunately there are many things an open-minded person can do to gain world experience and improve their critical thinking and decision-making capabilities.

Travel can be an incredibly enriching experience. Seeing the conditions in which other cultures live – and in which foreign consumers and corporations buy and sell – can offer useful insights into how to approach new markets or build partnerships with international businesses.

Another good way to easily expand your knowledge base and your ability to work with information is to read. Especially when you expose yourself to a diverse range of ideas and opinions, you can make huge improvements in your ability to work with different individuals and see multiple sides of issues.

Just as individuals and organizations benefit from diversity, so too does a recruitment process. This is a good reason to consider working with a firm of professional recruiters.

Executive search experts can take the time to find the best applicants with the widest range of experience. Instead of relying on networking only with closely-linked candidates, expanding your executive or financial professional search through a recruiting firm will open up the process to include individuals with a variety of backgrounds and experiences. This helps ensure that the most well-rounded applicant is selected.

Economists predict steady job growth will sustain recovery

A survey of 32 leading economists points to strong job creation in the first few months of the year with optimism that the trend will sustain greater economic growth throughout the rest of 2012.

A survey of 32 leading economists points to strong job creation in the first few months of the year with optimism that the trend will sustain greater economic growth throughout the rest of 2012.

Unemployment was 9.8 percent in November of 2010, but the economists surveyed predict that it will drop below 8 percent by November of this year.

From January to March, the economy added an average of 212,000 jobs every month. This growth is expected to decline slightly, with 177,000 jobs expected to be added each month from April through June, and an estimated 189,000 jobs per month for the rest of the year.

Despite the decline, growth is still going to be much higher than last year, when the average rate of job creation was only 158,000 per month.

Also, the economy only grew by 1.7 percent last year. This year, the growth rate is expected to be around 2.5 percent.

Phillip Swagel, a University of Maryland economist, explains that “the job market is improving enough that consumer spending can grow,” which means that “businesses are finally confident enough to hire and invest.”

This is good news, but companies still need to do the dirty work of matching applicants to open jobs. Any businesses looking to expand should be aware of the benefits of letting corporate recruiters play a role in their search for qualified candidates. Nothing compares to the experience of having a full-time hiring firm on the job, especially when it comes to filling high-level executive positions. Professional recruiters bring their experience to the table and are also able to dedicate themselves completely to the task at hand, leaving the client company’s staff free to focus on their main responsibility: running their business.

Billionaire investor Warren Buffett shares keys to his success

In what one attendee referred to as “the best one day economics seminar in the world,” Buffett offered advice for those with jobs in finance and investing.

Businessman Warren Buffett recently spoke at a shareholders' meeting for his company Berkshire Hathaway. In what one attendee referred to as "the best one day economics seminar in the world," the billionaire investor offered advice on getting ahead financially, as well as general predictions for the future. More than 18,000 people showed up to hear him speak at the event.

Buffett was optimistic about the improving economy and had reassurances for those with jobs in finance. He offered an upbeat assessment of the U.S. banking system, saying it was in far better shape than it was several years ago and compared favorably with European banks, which are "gasping for air."

Proudly touting Berkshire Hathaway's domestic investments, Buffett said, "There is no shortage of opportunity in the U.S." He also called the stock market "the most obliging, money-making place in the world." However, he admitted that there was no simple path to riches, and that the market "does strange things."

He urged investors to proceed with caution when considering large-scale acquisitions, telling them to think about the value a purchase would bring, rather than the headlines it might generate.

However, he also said his audience should avoid making investments that will turn out to be unproductive. As an example, he advised his listeners to think about the fact that if "you have an ounce of gold now," in 100 years "you'll still have an ounce of gold."

Buffett also spoke about the importance he placed on elevating only the most capable people to top positions at Berkshire Hathaway. He stressed the significance of filling jobs in finance and investing with extraordinary individuals.

One of the most effective ways to ensure quality during a financial professional search is to use a reputable executive search firm. Experienced recruiters work full time to find the best candidates, leaving a company's current staff free to focus on their business.

Maximize the effectiveness of your networking efforts

A company in need of financial project consulting can obviously send a representative to the next big convention on the subject to find a professional in the field. But, getting that crucial meeting with the most talented expert at the event – therein lies the challenge.

A commonly repeated phrase is that "it's not what you know, it's who you know." But, getting to know the right people is often a challenge, as the best potential contacts tend to be the busiest individuals.

A company in need of financial project consulting can obviously send a representative to the next big convention on the subject to find a professional in the field. But, getting that crucial meeting with the most talented expert at the event – therein lies the challenge.

Whenever possible, the best tactic is to arrange an introduction in advance. Adding a mutual acquaintance to the equation makes it much more likely that a first-time meeting will lead to a productive professional relationship. And in any case, it makes the experience more comfortable.

The most important thing to do when meeting new people is to show respect for their time. Even if someone is too polite to abruptly end a conversation, that doesn't mean they have all the time in the world to stand around figuring out how they can help you. Your focus should be on making a good impression and getting contact information so you can follow up later.

Following through after an introduction is critically important. A new relationship will not last long if it isn't continually built upon and strengthened through ongoing contact. This can be as simple as sending a note to thank a person for their time.

Sometimes a company may not be able to wait for organic networking to drive desired results. In this case, it may be high time to consider contacting a professional corporate recruiting and financial project consulting firm. Whether the goal is to find new permanent staff or fulfill an interim role, professional services are available to help take your business to the next level right now.