Sales People Rule!!!!

I love companies that realize that sales people RULE!!!  We ROCK!!!!!   We are the SOLE reason why companies succeed.

(yes, we also have big egos to handle the massive amount of rejection in our area of the world)

I wish ALL companies looked up to us sales 'goddesses' in the same way.  I bet Judy Mod will totally agree with me!

lol

Jacki Neal

President (and sales person)

Peak Resource Group, Inc.

www.peak-resource.com

Updates from the field????

We continue to gather market data relative to hiring trends of technology people.  Can I get some feedback on what other people

are seeing in quantity and quality of IT positions?  Are other companies downsizing or seeing substantial Growth?

Let me know what you are seeing out there

Jacki Neal

Peak Resource Group, Inc.

www.peak-resource.com

Atlanta Market update

Lately we are seeing a little slow down in the hiring of upper level (managers, Directors, Project Managers) technology people.  Not a good sign - but hopefully a temporary event.  We are still seeing a very strong market for technical people with newer technologies and higher end network engineering fields.  (contract and Permanent)

With AT&T 'merging' with BellSouth - I expect that we will start to see some additional people 'taking the package' and joining the job hunting market before end of the year.  AT&T has most of their corporate activities and VP level activities in Texas and NJ - so Atlanta and Birmingham facilities will probably lose some of their importance to the overall corporate structure.   Luckily, most of these people will get long term financial packages as they exit.

Advice to Technology job hunters?  Use your networks early - start looking NOW if you desire a career change to happen in the next 6 months.  Also make sure you skills and talents are with up to date tools and software.

Jacki Neal

jneal (@) peak-resource.com

770 888 1659

IT and Technical Recruiting. How do I get the right talent?

When reviewing some recent articles, one topic seemed to be a prevalent concern.     

I’m facing a mountain of open reqs. Should I enlist the help of a third-party recruiter or beef up internal recruiting resources?

Enlist all the help you can. Usually a combination of tactics is needed.

Internal HR resources can be a great help, especially if they have knowledge of the technologies involved or have hired similiar employees in the past. But an HR recruiter or HR generalist may not be sufficient if they have little knowledge of IT terms and technologies.  Simply 'matching' technical buzzwords from a resume, without understanding the specific day to day job functions (from the candidate work history AND the current job requirement) is very time consuming and usually delivers many candidates that are not qualified to do the actual work.   Presenting a desperate IT Director with 50 'unsuitable' resumes will only waste their time and eliminate their trust in the internal HR recruiter.

 Many organizations have found value in hiring outside staffing firms or engaging Contract IT Recruiters to deliver the appropriate talent.   Most of these specialists and firms have extensive networks within  their speciality and have hired lots of IT professionals in their history.   Yes, there is a a cost involved, but if you have positions that need qualified talent in a quick period of time, good IT Staffing/Recruiting firms and Contract IT Recruiters are well worth the money.   Most can deliver candidate much sooner and with more accuracy than internal HR employees, that share this duty with all of their other daily functions. 

These firms also have their reputations based upon the quality of candidates presented - both from the employer perspective AND the candidate perspective.  Recruiting firms that respect and understand employers enviromnents and 'personality' of their workplaces and can match the perfect candidate from their network quickly, are worth their weight in gold.  Candidates will refer their most talented IT friends and employers can make only one call when they have a position requirement.

“If this is a short-term need to catch up, it might make sense to bring in a third-party recruiter,” says Gartner’s Berry. “Many folks may want to keep the more strategic side of HR within the organization and outsource the more tactical work.” Making the best use of external recruiters takes some extra effort as well. “It’s very important that you get a good recruiter that understands your enterprise, IT organization, culture and the jobs for which you are recruiting,” says Berry. “They will be your face to candidates.”

Jacki Neal

Peak Resource Group, Inc

peak-resource.com

Sales Professional - new to group

Great information.  I agree with most points.  As a career, successful (usually :-)  ) sales professional, it is very

interesting to see how companies view their internal sales people.  I think we all have been involved in many different plans and strategies by now.

My personal sales creed:

1     Customers buy from people that like.  People they can trust.  People that they can identify with.

2      Relationship selling is vital in enterprise or technology focused sales.  Companies that don't value

        the relationships that their top performing sales people have and then are SURPRIZED that they lose

        this customer when a sales person leaves - this fact still amazes me.

3     Be true to who you are and your beliefs.  I mix the personal and business "ME".  How can you have

      true, long lasting relationships without being who you are?  Sales people that 'act' like sales people - always

      looking for an 'angle' in any conversation - are not usually successful.

4     Have some fun and laughs along the way.  Meet interesting, wonderful people.  When you LOVE

       your job, it shows.  People like being around (and buying from) fun people