Old school hiring practice “at work”

Was looking to replace a technical manager for my website.

Used a tech job board where you can view the candidate’s resume along with the types of jobs they completed with ratings given by past customers.

These tech girls/guys are independent contractors and work by the job and/or hourly fee. The job board earns a % of what the employer (me) pays the contractor.

Received a bunch of candidates within a couple of days after posting my ad – all had high ratings and job completion rates.

Sounds good right…if everything written were true.

So I practiced what I preach requesting references from each glowing candidate including a contact name and email address.

The majority of candidates responded that everything I needed to know was right at my finger tips listed on their profile page including former project completion, rates and customer reviews*. No need to bother former customers with inquiries from potential employers like me. I’d say maybe 10% of the applicants (3) who applied to my job gave me references. Of those three, one former customer was surprised he was being used as a reference (from this particular candidate) and eager to speak to me by phone.

His surprised reaction to my inquiry peaked my interest.

We talked the very next day. After exchanging introductions and niceties the conversation kinda went like: I’m surprised Ben (the tech candidate) gave me as a reference because frankly he didn’t do a great job. Ben’s ok for basic work but anything more advanced like app design or writing code forget it – he’s not very good.

Toward the end of our conversation I thanked the Jerry (the reference) for his time and feedback and then asked “…have you used any techs from this site who are good? Yes! Let’s look up his name together on the job board to make sure you get the right guy.”

It was my lucky day…I fortunately asked the right question.

Since then I’ve used Ben multiple times. He’s done a “bang-up” job at a fraction of the cost I was paying my former tech guy.

Point is employing “old school” recruiting methods like picking up the phone and chatting with references is just as valuable today as it was back in the day **.

Not only did I avoid a headache by hiring a sub par candidate l actually found a winner.

Another point.

In today’s world we have technology that often does the busy work for us like ratings and rankings (i.e. Amazon product reviews) sometimes called social proof. I don’t always trust reviews provided by the very same job boards and companies who will profit from my sale. If another source avails itself to help me make a smarter decision, business or personal, I’m going to use it …regardless of whether its “trendy” or not.

If judging a candidate by measures like a solid handshake, eye contact, good phone skills, manners, ability to ask questions and show interest in my company during an interview, thinking before speaking etc. is considered “old school” then I’ll gladly wear the label.

If you’re a little old school too and looking to fill a club position, consider using our Target Search service.

Where vintage recruiting meets technology!

Say your club needs a Chef or Membership Director. We’ll contact just about every qualified candidate actively employed, starting locally and moving our way through out the state, and apprise them of your opportunity via email. It’s tedious work, yet creates results.

It’s budget friendly too!

Check out Target Search details below.

*Beware of customer ratings – I dug a little deeper and found out that tech candidate ratings can be skewed by customers since the customers themselves are rated by the techs and if given low enough ratings, no-one decent will work with the company seeking help. 

**Some club policies do not allow the release of a previous employee’s information. At a minimum, most will provide start and end dates and position titles. If you are not able to get the information you are seeking, you can ask the candidate to provide another reference. 

Magically hire as many golf reps as you need

If you or someone in your company can magically recruit solid sales people without having to deal with issues like brand awareness, demand, quality, delivery, compensation etc then don’t read any further…you don’t need GolfSurfin.com.

However if Houdini is missing from your management team and the above issues must be addressed,  you probably need our help with recruiting.

And another dose of reality… if your company has failed to address these issues sufficiently, regardless of where you advertise or how much money you spend recruiting, no one decent is going to apply.

I’ll share a recent experience I had with a customer who was pissed about their ad response…or lack there of.

A fairly new apparel company used our service to recruit salespeople. They needed lots of hand holding posting their ad and using our resume database – which is cool by us. In fact in most cases we go the extra mile to insure customer satisfaction because we want you back. In the end, the customer was not happy and wanted a refund. We make no guarantees with recruiting results because too many factors are out of our control…like the issues listed above.

Moral of this story is every company who advertises to hire employees, particularly independent reps, has to explain why their product or service is special, how they set themselves apart from the competition, highlight unique qualities and benefits they offer then actually deliver on those promises.

Just because an ad is written and posted on the #1 job board in golf does not guarantee results.

It must be interesting and exciting with substance behind the text…not bs.

We’re not magicians.

What we do better then any other recruiting source in the golf industry is get your message out to the best sales talent in golf.

Our offer is pretty simple.

If your company offers a unique golf product/service where reps can realistically make money with your line, we will fill your open territories.

Make sense?

If so, click here to get started.

Recruiting secret used by the best companies in the world

Ever wonder why some companies and golf clubs attract the best candidates like honey to a bee? Sure some may have oodles of expendable income and five star facilities yet, when it comes to recruiting, they also follow unique, innovative recruiting strategies vs. their competitors. Not every golf club/resort has a kick-butt course, clubhouse and/or tons of cash to burn but any club can improve how it attracts candidates.

WHAT IS AN INNOVATIVE RECRUITING STRATEGY 

An innovative recruiting strategy is bold, different, appealing to candidates and separates your club from the pack.Prime example of trying something different is recruiting on niche sites where potential candidates hang (like GolfSurfin.com). Example. Was listening to a show called “Reality Checked” on Sirius radio while walking with my daughter on a beautiful morning in Miami. The talk show starring Amy Phillips, who btw does a dead-on impressions of just about every housewife (my current fav is Dorit from Beverly Hills), discusses the trials and tribulations of “The Housewives” reality franchise on Bravo. Not the most thought provoking tv but entertaining nevertheless if you like watching middle-aged women who supposedly “have it all” experience fighting, cheating, divorce, lying and back stabbing…all the good stuff. During a commercial break there’s an advertisement for Callaway Clubs.

I was floored thinking what the heck is a major golf equipment company advertising on a reality talk show? 

My guess is they’re trying to appeal to a female audience between 18-60 who probably have lots of expendable cash to throw at new clubs. This is a perfect example of a golf company spreading its message (although this specific example is for products it could easily convert to jobs) to a targeted audience. Who woulda thunk. Maybe your club can’t afford advertising on national radio but other unique recruiting techniques include:

  • texting initial interviews (70% of candidates job search on their phones)
  • using videos to show off your club
  • video testimonials from happy employees
  • well written ads for seasonal employees highlighting job flexibility and creativity… now called “gig” employment a hot topic I’ll discuss next time

Some of these ideas may be a little intimidating esp. for “first timers” however they help set you apart from the competition and reinforce the belief that your club is forward thinking and willing to take chances. Another “stand out from the crowd ” recruiting technique that you can start today is firing-up our Golf Candidate Blast service for your clubs open positions. Check-out details here.

Golf Companys – Too busy to find reps

Lots of golf companies have returned from the PGA show following-up with customer leads and potential sales people they may have met at the show…and they’re REALLY BUSY.

Busy with customers, product returns, product info, phone calls, existing customers, existing reps, problems, planning…

They’re too busy to focus on hiring new golf reps and/or replacing the stinky ones.

We hear excuses like:

I placed an ad on a free job board…waiting and see how it goes

My brother’s sister in law’s sister knows someone who may be interested in working with us

Too much going on right now to add more reps

I have no extra time to talk with anyone right now

Waiting to hear back from a couple of good leads

Busy-ness is a form of avoidance.

We distract ourselves from doing what we KNOW will help us in the long term by doing the easy stuff…

whats convenient

the stuff in front of us…

If your goal is to increase sales in 2018

Ask yourself if you’re really too busy OR are you avoiding taking action.

If you want to be smart about recruiting by getting your ad exclusively in-front of over 4000 active golf reps and distributors, post it on GolfSurfin.com.

Click here to get started.

Club Recruiting – Beware of the sweeping balloon ladies

Always amazed at how reminders and reinforcements for good recruiting habits can pop up in everyday life…like when doing in a half marathon.

Walked in my first (and probably last) 1/2 marathon (13.1 miles) last week at runDisney in Orlando with my daughter.

Everyone I talked to beforehand said “you’ll finish no problem…you’re walking for gosh sakes…no worries”.

Was clearly talking to the wrong people.

Problem with these marathons is keeping up at a 16 minute/mile pace.

In this particular race, walking pace is enforced by “Balloon Ladies” who start in the last corral, are the last to cross the start line and walk the race at a 16 min/mi pace. If you’re passed by these loud yet encouraging gals you’re in danger of getting “swept” meaning you’re too slow and will be removed from the course.

Bye bye medal!

Found myself either running to catch-up with OR constantly peering behind to gauge how close these little buggers were (no disrespect to my new nemesis that morning…the ladies very nice and encouraging).

Keeping up with the balloon ladies became an anxiety ridden problem that I was either trying catch-up to or fend-off.

Which kinda reminded me of panic hiring.

Clubs typically hire when the position becomes vacant then scramble to fill the position.

They fill it with the strongest candidate at the time just to get it filled, hope for the best and fend-off the least desirable applicants.

Best way for golf clubs to avoid getting “swept” by the cycle of panic hiring is to always be in the recruiting mode for talent.

Examples:

  • If someone offers you incredible service at a store, hotel, golf club, restaurant etc… give them a compliment, notice their name and hand them your card.
  • One of your long time suppliers has provided you stellar customer service and you girls/guys seem to “click” let them know you’re always open to talk when they’re ready for a career change.
  • Develop a people pipeline and have other staff members do the same. Have them along with you make a list of dream hires and set-up a call or meet for coffee periodically with these passive candidates.
  • Continuous intake – keep a general job posting on your website at all times letting candidates know if they’re interested in your club you’re interested in seeing their resume.

Remember there’s a difference between hiring and recruiting.

Hiring is filling an immediate need…its reactive.

Recruiting is a mindset and a great habit to practice to avoid the “panic” button.

Dawn Schlesinger
GolfSurfin.com

PS. I did reach the finish line…still recovering.

Golf Manufacturers – Too busy looking for freebies

We get inquiries, lots of them, regarding our service from golf companies desperately in need of finding golf reps… especially around this time of the year light of the upcoming PGA show.

Many of these companies are just “shopping” for free info and/or service with zero-point-zero intent of making a purchase.

The conversations include questions like:

  • how many reps are in your database?
  • can we get access to your database?
  • are there any guarantees?
  • explain the current the promotion?
  • how long is it?
  • can we try your service for free???

We understand and welcome inquiries and questions from serious buyers, appreciate negotiating a fair deal AND realize not every inquiry is going to convert to a customer.

However the type of shoppers we’re talking about have no real intention of buying.

They’re simply trying to get comped, free stuff. Always in search of something for nothing.

We all know the type.

They’ll do anything to avoid taking action unless they’re desperate or its free.

Typically the conversation ends with “let’s see how we make out at the show”.

Then 9 times out of 10, once the show ends (with zero success getting good rep leads on their own) they call back wanting the promotion at which time it’s too late…done, ended, kaput!

Steer clear of owners/managers with a”freebie mentality”. It’s usually indicative of how they run their business. They’re takers not givers.

Not the type of customers we want.

We want customers who see the value of getting the sales recruiting word out before during and after the show.

We want customers who use all their sources to recruit including word-of-mouth and reaching out to reps directly.

We want customers who provide a valuable service/product that sells along with great customer service and appreciate the value of paying for a quality service.

These type of golf companies find and keep sales reps through GolfSurfin.com.

If recruiting salespeople is a priority and you see the value of using all resources,including direct contact with over 4,200 active golf sales pros, then click here to register and get started.

 

Good Deed Speaks Volumes

Had to have our house treated for termites (2nd time within 12 months) which is a major pain in the butt and major headache for home owners in South Florida.

Open food and medications have to double wrapped in plastic and tied with duct tape…and you have to leave house for 48 hrs ughhh!

I have a greyhound so stayed in a pet friendly hotel in Coconut Grove, a very cool, urban town in Miami.

The long/short of it was my dog, out of her comfort zone, got overheated on a walk and basically collapsed on a sidewalk.

Kind strangers stopped, including a car with 2 young men.

Noticing the fear and panic in my eyes, these young samaritans asked if I needed a ride and wound up driving me and Pearl (my dog) 6 miles out of their way to a pet emergency center.

During our ride, between thanking them profusely, my 2 new heroes said they were chefs at a major hotel in Miami and were on their way to work.

Despite being late and inconvenienced they both said they were “dog people” and just doing the right thing by stopping and helping.

When we pulled in to the hospital, assistants were waiting and swept Pearl out of the car. I gave my final thank yous and handed them a $20.00 bill, the only cash I had in my fanny pack, for a car wash.

Weeks later I wrote their boss and explained what happened and how lucky he was to have these gentleman as employees.

His response was:

” …They did let me know what happened and they both did the right thing! These guys both show the same care and comfort to our guests and employees here at the hotel so it sure doesn’t surprise me that they act this way outside of work…”

-Michael DeGano

Director of Food & Beverage

EPIC Hotel

Here’s the catch.

When interviewing a candidate for any job in golf/hospitality find out what they do on their free time. What makes them feel good? What’s important to them outside of work? Maybe ask for an example of a kind or generous deed they’ve recently performed or experienced. Do they volunteer or give back to a charity or friend or relative…whatever.

You can gauge the quality of a candidate by the way she/he lives their lives without getting too personal.

9 times out of 10 if doing for others turns them on, they’ll be stellar employees.

Learn an Interviewing Tip or Two Ordering Mock Cocktails

Was in NYC last month and one of the things my husband and I like to do is watch broadway plays and eat!

Before seeing “Glass Menagerie” starting Sally Fields, which by the way was a pretty intense show, grabbed dinner at The Lambs Club, right across the street from the theatre…couldn’t have planned an impromptu reservation any better.

The Lambs Club is an old established thespian club (started in the 1800’s) with a dining room dripping in history including one of those big 10ft high and wide fire places.

Got the feeling that it was the type of place that probably makes killer cocktails.

My instincts were spot-on.

Once seated, the waiter came with a drink menu.

Included were 3 beautifully described Mock Cocktails. Been laying off “the juice” (alcohol) so was excited to order a special “virgin” libation.

Couldn’t decide on which one.

Torn between the Cucumber Cooler or Rosemary Blush…the blush caught my eye.

However instead of going with my gut I asked the server for her recommendation.

After a couple of qualifying questions she suggested the Cucumber Cooler which arrived beautifully presented.

Took one sip and immediately knew it was too tart!

Wound up timidly, sending back my drink and getting the citrusy Rosemary Blush which was perfect.

What the heck does all this drink talk have to do with recruiting?

I’ll tell you what…once you know what you want don’t deviate from the plan OR let someone else change your mind.

Same rule applies to hiring.

When you’re interviewing a club candidate, know the qualifications you want and the type of person that will excel in the position. And never deviate from needed qualifications.

How do you know what you want?

Learn from past employee/employees, what you liked and disliked about them and write it down. (For new positions list your top qualifications needed for that particular postion).

For example, if you’re seeking a General Manager did the last one have great people skills, did he give good “warm and fuzzies” by interacting with the membership and guests daily or did he prefer staying behind a desk?

Did he communicate with the Membership Director and help create new marketing ideas or did he have poor sales skills .

Was he weak or strong on budget management?

Were employees motivated or was there high turnover?

Did Board members push him around or did he command respect from the Board?

You get my drift.

Go a step further and develop a job ad and/or job description (or at the very least update an existing one) around these wants. Theres a big difference between job ads and job descriptions….we’ll discuss this topic another time.

Once you figure out your “Want List” (notice I use Want vs Wish list…wishes are something you would like to have, wants are needed), Don’t deviate from the list when interviewing candidates.

If you’ve done the work and know what you want, do not let a candidate or anyone else for that matter talk you into hiring a someone for the wrong reasons.

Don’t sway from the plan.

You’re more likely to hire the best candidate if you develop a plan and stick to it!

Resume Cluster – Find Bigger Needle in Smaller Haystack


Was listening to Sirius radio the other night while driving home and there was an on-line dating expert giving advice on finding the perfect mate.

Not in the dating market but the conversation peaked my curiostity nevertheless.

Forgot the guy’s name but the most important tip he gave was to pursue a limited amount of dating candidates. Reason being too many options creates indecision.

Better to stick with a “finite” number of potential “love connections” and go from there.

Got me thinking…the same theory applies to club management recruiting.

When searching hundreds of resumes on large job boards there’s so much information and so many candidates, the search becomes one big cluster you know what!

You would be much better off with a quality pool of candidates vs. quantity.

This brings me to our offer.

When purchasing a Golf Candidate Blast, Triple 7 Membership Package or Target Search Service receive FREE access to our resume database.

All of our golf club candidates are either employed in the golf industry or want to break-in.

This narrows the “playing field” so you can focus on the most qualified candidates available…and it’s FREE with the above services!

Save Time.
Save Money
Increase Number of Quality Candidates

If you’re ready to uncover a bigger needle in a smaller, high-quality haystack, click here to get started.

St. Valentine was beaten and stoned…then decapitated!

Yikes…what’s with that?

I thought the meaning of Valentines Day was an expression of love and appreciation.

How does one spin a tortuous death into a day of “gushing” love?

Let me explain.

Back in the day, around 260 AD, society was permissive, lot’s of promiscuity and partying. Polygamy was very common.  A mean old emperor named Claudius ll banned marriage because he thought single men made better soldiers. Meanwhile, a roman priest named Valentinus secretly married Christian couples. He was eventually caught, imprisoned, tortured and beheaded. Poor guy.

Now here’s the twist.
Legend has it while imprisoned he fell in love with a young, blind female visitor, the jailer’s daughter named Julia. On the eve of his death he signed a note to her “From your Valentine”.

Fast foward to this modern holiday as we know it and according to Money Mazazine, Valentine’s Day spending reached approximately $19.7 billion in 2016.

Quite a profitable spin on a tragic story line! Here’s my point.

Anyone can take a negative event and spin it into a totally different meaning or to what they want you to believe. In fact, this rendition of Valentines Day is just one of many and for all we know the whole thing could’ve been made up.

Same spin happens in business all the time.

Take job boards for example. Maybe a small percentage of golf companies have actually had success using general job boards but they don’t tell you that.  They  promise tons of qualified candidates and great results to anyone willing to shell-out hundreds of dollars worth of fees for a 30 day ad, even though these claims are based on a very small percentage of users.

Bottom line is they don’t care what you post as long as they get your money!

At GolfSurfin.com, we don’t make false promises. If you post a crummy ad you’re going to get crummy results. We urge our customers to write a solid job ad that’s honest, sells the company’s benefits and clearly spells out “what’s in it” for the candidate.