'Twas the night before the interview
and a hangover he had
Crumpled shirt and cold iron, he clutched
an Alka Selzer in his hand
as he stared at the stockings that
were hung by the chimney with care.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
while Dad tried to research his interviewer
dreams of sugar plums danced in his kid's heads.
When all of a sudden there was such a clatter,
He ran to the computer to see what was the matter.
His hard-drive had crashed and all that was left
was a minature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer
on his Holiday screensaver.
Late to leave the house, tie slightly askew
our candidate looks up and much to his surprise
sees on the roof St. Nick and Rudolph too.
He laughed when he saw them in spite of himself
and St. Nick, with a wink of his eye and a twist of his head
let him know he had nothing to dread.
St. Nick sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle
But he was heard to exclaim as he drove out of sight,
"Have a Good Interview and a Safe Flight!"
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from all of us
at Recruiting Services Group!
Recruiting Services Group, Inc. new career postings and occasional comments on the job market
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
Political Mondays
Well, after watching the debate between republican candidates last night, I've decided it is going to be one LONG year of politics and bashing.
You know, in our business, one of the first things you learn before going out on an interview is to never, never talk bad about a previous boss. You also don't talk negatively about your colleagues, former or present. Wouldn't it be nice if that was the policy in politics as well. It sure would save a lot of time and make those one minute sound bites richer in content. Whoops! Maybe that is the problem. Content. Actual Answers versus mud slinging. Actually real mud-slinging would have been far more entertaining last night--all those guys in suits in a ring of mud going at each other, fair and square. Get it out of their system in one fell swoop and let the winners try a content based debate next month--and if they don't stick to the subjects asked, they forfeit their turn and have to sit in a dunking booth and let folks from the audience try their hand with water balloons. Ok. I'm dreaming now, but re-training these guys to stay on track is going to require some out of the box thinking.
Bottom line, is if any of this year's presidential want to be candidates were interviewing for a corporate job, they would have to try a different approach than bashing each other and circling around the questions. Perhaps I should send them all our interview prep book and highlight "the good manners" section.
You know, in our business, one of the first things you learn before going out on an interview is to never, never talk bad about a previous boss. You also don't talk negatively about your colleagues, former or present. Wouldn't it be nice if that was the policy in politics as well. It sure would save a lot of time and make those one minute sound bites richer in content. Whoops! Maybe that is the problem. Content. Actual Answers versus mud slinging. Actually real mud-slinging would have been far more entertaining last night--all those guys in suits in a ring of mud going at each other, fair and square. Get it out of their system in one fell swoop and let the winners try a content based debate next month--and if they don't stick to the subjects asked, they forfeit their turn and have to sit in a dunking booth and let folks from the audience try their hand with water balloons. Ok. I'm dreaming now, but re-training these guys to stay on track is going to require some out of the box thinking.
Bottom line, is if any of this year's presidential want to be candidates were interviewing for a corporate job, they would have to try a different approach than bashing each other and circling around the questions. Perhaps I should send them all our interview prep book and highlight "the good manners" section.
Monday, October 15, 2007
Don't forget to pack the Imodium!!!!
Good morning, I am Suzanne, one of the recruiters working with Whitney at RSG, Inc.
Of course we always want to be current in our blogs so I gave it a little thought over the weekend. As I was doing my weekly grocery shopping the idea came to me.
Roaming the aisles I was thinking about what I would have for my lunch this week since I do tend to brown bag it. I thought gee a peanut butter sandwich would be good, though peanut butter has had a recall. How about a good healthy salad with fresh lettuce and spinach - oh no better not do that - it has had a recall too. Well one of my favorite quick lunches has always been a chicken pot pie… once again, been recalled!
We try and help to prepare our candidates for successful interviews with our clients. Do we now have to prepare them for the possible onset of salmonella due to a bad salad…..?
What is going on with our food supply? As a firm that has clients and candidates having to travel for meetings and interviews do we have to start worrying about how and where their next meal is being purchased and prepared? Even the best burger place can cause one to think twice about ordering a nice fat juicy cheeseburger! Should restaurants start to include bar codes and expiration dates on their menus? It can be stressful enough just preparing for an upcoming interview. Now a candidate has to worry if the meal they ate for breakfast or lunch may come back to haunt them in the middle of their interview process.
Seems to be an unlikely event but with more recalls on different foods one needs to be prepared for anything.
Oh well, as far as lunch goes for me… guess I’ll stick with a diet coke and a bag of cheetos…..LOL!
Of course we always want to be current in our blogs so I gave it a little thought over the weekend. As I was doing my weekly grocery shopping the idea came to me.
Roaming the aisles I was thinking about what I would have for my lunch this week since I do tend to brown bag it. I thought gee a peanut butter sandwich would be good, though peanut butter has had a recall. How about a good healthy salad with fresh lettuce and spinach - oh no better not do that - it has had a recall too. Well one of my favorite quick lunches has always been a chicken pot pie… once again, been recalled!
We try and help to prepare our candidates for successful interviews with our clients. Do we now have to prepare them for the possible onset of salmonella due to a bad salad…..?
What is going on with our food supply? As a firm that has clients and candidates having to travel for meetings and interviews do we have to start worrying about how and where their next meal is being purchased and prepared? Even the best burger place can cause one to think twice about ordering a nice fat juicy cheeseburger! Should restaurants start to include bar codes and expiration dates on their menus? It can be stressful enough just preparing for an upcoming interview. Now a candidate has to worry if the meal they ate for breakfast or lunch may come back to haunt them in the middle of their interview process.
Seems to be an unlikely event but with more recalls on different foods one needs to be prepared for anything.
Oh well, as far as lunch goes for me… guess I’ll stick with a diet coke and a bag of cheetos…..LOL!
Friday, October 5, 2007
Birthday lunches and employees that count
So yesterday was Anna's birthday--for those of you who haven't talked to Anna, she is our frontline recruiter.
We took Anna out for lunch to celebrate at YiaYia's, a restaurant in Germantown. Our service started out OK, but swiftly went downhill as drinks were not right, food didn't come out in the correct scheduled order, etc....Now one note: Anna demands very good customer service and speaks up when she doesn't get it. (This is also one of the traits that makes her good at assessing talent) As our meal progressed, it became apparent our table wasn't happy and the manager, Brad, came over and apologized.
But Brad didn't just apologize. He made things right. He comped part of our meal, gave us discounts on the whole bill and gave us all gift certificates for future meals. Brad did all of this without being asked and without knowing that this was the third year in a row we had celebrated office birthdays at YiaYia's. Not only did he save the day, but he instilled a loyalty with us that could have easily walked out the door and chosen not to return.
My point? Finding employees and for us, potential candidates, that can exhibit the ability to not only resolve a problem but turn it into an opportunity to create brand loyalty--is a trait that we all look for and unfortunately, is not always easy to find. Creating customer satisfaction is part of everyone's job and occasions like this are are a strong reminder of the power of one person, one employee.
Our hats go off to Brad Skinner. We will be celebrating future birthdays at YiaYia's in the years to come.
We took Anna out for lunch to celebrate at YiaYia's, a restaurant in Germantown. Our service started out OK, but swiftly went downhill as drinks were not right, food didn't come out in the correct scheduled order, etc....Now one note: Anna demands very good customer service and speaks up when she doesn't get it. (This is also one of the traits that makes her good at assessing talent) As our meal progressed, it became apparent our table wasn't happy and the manager, Brad, came over and apologized.
But Brad didn't just apologize. He made things right. He comped part of our meal, gave us discounts on the whole bill and gave us all gift certificates for future meals. Brad did all of this without being asked and without knowing that this was the third year in a row we had celebrated office birthdays at YiaYia's. Not only did he save the day, but he instilled a loyalty with us that could have easily walked out the door and chosen not to return.
My point? Finding employees and for us, potential candidates, that can exhibit the ability to not only resolve a problem but turn it into an opportunity to create brand loyalty--is a trait that we all look for and unfortunately, is not always easy to find. Creating customer satisfaction is part of everyone's job and occasions like this are are a strong reminder of the power of one person, one employee.
Our hats go off to Brad Skinner. We will be celebrating future birthdays at YiaYia's in the years to come.
Friday, September 28, 2007
Fridays at RSG
The behind the scenes life at a recruiting firm wouldn't make a good movie. By Friday, our desks are covered up with people's names, notes, who has returned our call, who hasn't....the latest buzz words in the industries we recruit and a list of things to do that rivals the size of my laundry basket. Not the makings of a thriller for sure.
Hundreds of phone calls and emails later, we look back at our week and evaluate our success by the number of talented people we have made contact with and then reduce that by the number that actually are interested in making a move NOW and then reduce that by how many actually are interested in the opportunities that we are currently working on. I can assure you, at then end of Friday, it usually is a small number.
On that note, if any of you folks out there, know any "Cost Profit Planning" folks or great Controllers out in Nevada or California that might like to live in Lake Tahoe (Yes, I thought it would be an easy search), I would appreciate a heads up and in return, dinner will be on me. Have a good weekend!
Whitney
Hundreds of phone calls and emails later, we look back at our week and evaluate our success by the number of talented people we have made contact with and then reduce that by the number that actually are interested in making a move NOW and then reduce that by how many actually are interested in the opportunities that we are currently working on. I can assure you, at then end of Friday, it usually is a small number.
On that note, if any of you folks out there, know any "Cost Profit Planning" folks or great Controllers out in Nevada or California that might like to live in Lake Tahoe (Yes, I thought it would be an easy search), I would appreciate a heads up and in return, dinner will be on me. Have a good weekend!
Whitney
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Looking for a LEAN Leader
Plant Manager/General Manager
LOCATION
COMPENSATION
JOB TYPE
Roanoke Area, Virginia
140K to 155K plus bonus
Manufacturing Operations/GM
Job Summary:This leading consumer manufacturing company is looking for an experienced Lean Manufacturing Leader to run its largest facility of 750+ people. This person will need to be knowledgeable of Lean Manufacturing, Kanban, Visual Systems, 5s and other manufacturing management techniques. Six Sigma will be considered a plus. This Leader will help create the overall vision and organizational structure necessary to remove roadblocks that prevent the success of the team from the supply chain to the delivery of quality products to the customer.
Qualifications:10+ years of high volume manufacturing experience with at least 5+ years in a leadership role; 3+ years of P&L experience. Proven background of creating a lean culture, reducing cost, improving productivity and creating a synchronized approach to manufacturing across the board. Experience with wood products a plus.
Experience:10+ years
Education:Masters preferred.
For more information contact Whitney Hodges or Anna Franks at resumes@rsghunt.com.
LOCATION
COMPENSATION
JOB TYPE
Roanoke Area, Virginia
140K to 155K plus bonus
Manufacturing Operations/GM
Job Summary:This leading consumer manufacturing company is looking for an experienced Lean Manufacturing Leader to run its largest facility of 750+ people. This person will need to be knowledgeable of Lean Manufacturing, Kanban, Visual Systems, 5s and other manufacturing management techniques. Six Sigma will be considered a plus. This Leader will help create the overall vision and organizational structure necessary to remove roadblocks that prevent the success of the team from the supply chain to the delivery of quality products to the customer.
Qualifications:10+ years of high volume manufacturing experience with at least 5+ years in a leadership role; 3+ years of P&L experience. Proven background of creating a lean culture, reducing cost, improving productivity and creating a synchronized approach to manufacturing across the board. Experience with wood products a plus.
Experience:10+ years
Education:Masters preferred.
For more information contact Whitney Hodges or Anna Franks at resumes@rsghunt.com.
Monday, July 23, 2007
New Sourcing Role Available
Strategic Sourcing Director, Logistics
LOCATION
COMPENSATION
JOB TYPE
Michigan City area, Michigan
120K to 145K plus bonus
Procurement
Job Summary:This global manufacturing leader needs a procurement and logistics professional experienced in sourcing global transportation services, material handling equipment, and rail and inter-modal. You will assist in network optimization studies, co lean negotiations and establish key metrics for measuring supplier performance and effectiveness.
Experience:7+ years
Education:Bachelors degree required
For more information contact Whitney Hodges or Anna Franks at resumes@rsghunt.com.
LOCATION
COMPENSATION
JOB TYPE
Michigan City area, Michigan
120K to 145K plus bonus
Procurement
Job Summary:This global manufacturing leader needs a procurement and logistics professional experienced in sourcing global transportation services, material handling equipment, and rail and inter-modal. You will assist in network optimization studies, co lean negotiations and establish key metrics for measuring supplier performance and effectiveness.
Experience:7+ years
Education:Bachelors degree required
For more information contact Whitney Hodges or Anna Franks at resumes@rsghunt.com.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Senior Buyer, indirect procurement
LOCATION
COMPENSATION
JOB TYPE
Kalamazoo, MI area
70K to 80K plus bonus
Supply Chain/Procurement
Job Summary:This procurement role is focused on purchasing Human Resource services, such as Health Benefits, Compensation Benefits, HR BPO as well as Recruitment and Contingent Labor. You will work on strategic initiatives for supply base management practices to include the management of supplier reviews, performance tracking and agreement conformance.
Qualifications:4+ years in procurement with direct experience in procuring services, preferably HR services. Strong analytical, statistical and organizational skills as well as a strong customer focus and ability to communicate with business partners at all levels of the organization.
Experience:4+ years
Education:BS degree
For more information contact Whitney Hodges at resumes@rsghunt.com.
LOCATION
COMPENSATION
JOB TYPE
Kalamazoo, MI area
70K to 80K plus bonus
Supply Chain/Procurement
Job Summary:This procurement role is focused on purchasing Human Resource services, such as Health Benefits, Compensation Benefits, HR BPO as well as Recruitment and Contingent Labor. You will work on strategic initiatives for supply base management practices to include the management of supplier reviews, performance tracking and agreement conformance.
Qualifications:4+ years in procurement with direct experience in procuring services, preferably HR services. Strong analytical, statistical and organizational skills as well as a strong customer focus and ability to communicate with business partners at all levels of the organization.
Experience:4+ years
Education:BS degree
For more information contact Whitney Hodges at resumes@rsghunt.com.
Purchasing Manager
LOCATION
COMPENSATION
JOB TYPE
Evansville, Indiana
70 to 90K plus bonus
Supply Chain/Procurement
Job Summary:In this fast paced role, you will lead multiple procurement projects and represent the procurement organization on cross functional business teams that affect multiple manufacturing divisions. Projects can include working with Marketing on new project scoping, working with commodity management to establish and implement supply base strategies and evaluating supply base capabilities and procuring various components associated with new product launches.
Qualifications:4+ years procurement experience with background working in a cross functional teaming environment.
Experience:4+ years in procurement
Education:BS degree
For more information contact Whitney Hodges or Anna Franks at resumes@rsghunt.com.
LOCATION
COMPENSATION
JOB TYPE
Evansville, Indiana
70 to 90K plus bonus
Supply Chain/Procurement
Job Summary:In this fast paced role, you will lead multiple procurement projects and represent the procurement organization on cross functional business teams that affect multiple manufacturing divisions. Projects can include working with Marketing on new project scoping, working with commodity management to establish and implement supply base strategies and evaluating supply base capabilities and procuring various components associated with new product launches.
Qualifications:4+ years procurement experience with background working in a cross functional teaming environment.
Experience:4+ years in procurement
Education:BS degree
For more information contact Whitney Hodges or Anna Franks at resumes@rsghunt.com.
Project Manager, Customs & Logistics
LOCATION
COMPENSATION
JOB TYPE
Kalamazoo, MI area
65K to 85K plus bonus
SC/Procurement
Job Summary:This Project Manager will be responsible for identifying, developing and implementing systems that insure Customs Compliance. You will establish a standardized method for Total Landed Cost Analysis and work on creating a process that the organization can use to insure process compliance.
Qualifications:Solid understanding of NAFTA, CAFTA, GSP and other trade agreements and how they relate to procurement.
Experience:5+ years
Education:BS degree, Masters preferred
For more information contact Whitney Hodges or Anna Franks at resumes@rsghunt.com.
LOCATION
COMPENSATION
JOB TYPE
Kalamazoo, MI area
65K to 85K plus bonus
SC/Procurement
Job Summary:This Project Manager will be responsible for identifying, developing and implementing systems that insure Customs Compliance. You will establish a standardized method for Total Landed Cost Analysis and work on creating a process that the organization can use to insure process compliance.
Qualifications:Solid understanding of NAFTA, CAFTA, GSP and other trade agreements and how they relate to procurement.
Experience:5+ years
Education:BS degree, Masters preferred
For more information contact Whitney Hodges or Anna Franks at resumes@rsghunt.com.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Human Resources Business Partner
| Career ID: MB0225WH | | Contact: Anna or Whitney |
| | ||
| LOCATION | | JOB TYPE |
| South Bend, Indiana | | Human Resources |
Job Summary: Fortune 500 client group needs a HR generalist with 5+ years experience in the areas of talent management, leadership development, succession planning and positive employee relations. Masters degree preferred and experience supporting a professional organization. Qualifications: Experience: Education: For more information contact Anna Franks or Whitney Hodges at resumes@rsghunt.com. | ||
Compensation & Benefits Manager
| Career ID: WB0312WH | | Contact: Anna or Whitney |
| | ||
| LOCATION | | JOB TYPE |
| Baltimore, MD | | Human Resources |
Job Summary: Large government services business needs a HR generalist with a focus on compensation and benefits, as well as exposure to PeopleSoft. Experience with executive compensation and the design of comp and benefit programs to ensure competitive posture for new contracts. Must have experience with DCAA/FAR and SCA compliance. Qualifications: Experience: Education: For more information contact Anna Franks or Whitney Hodges at resumes@rsghunt.com. | ||
Human Resources Manager
| Career ID: RA0314WH | | Contact: Whitney or Anna |
| | ||
| LOCATION | | JOB TYPE |
| Colorado Springs, CO | | Human Resources |
Job Summary: This defense contractor needs a strategic HR Partner to handle a wide range of HR functions including employee relations, staffing, compensation, OR/OE and business partnership. Focus is on assuring alignment and synergies of HR Strategy with the business and being able to manage a complex work environment. Qualifications: Experience: Education: For more information contact Whitney Hodges or Anna Franks at resumes@rsghunt.com. | ||
HR Generalist
| Career ID: LG0423AF | | Contact: Whitney or Anna |
| | ||
| LOCATION | | JOB TYPE |
| Waverly, OH | | Human Resources |
Job Summary: Fortune 500 company start-up manufacturing facility needs a strong HR Generalist to work with the Site Director and Corporate to build the policies, practices and talent pool for the 2008 opening. This is a ground floor opportunity to build HR practices! Qualifications: Experience: Education: For more information contact Whitney Hodges or Anna Franks at resumes@rsghunt.com. | ||
Senior Buyer, indirect procurement
| LOCATION | | JOB TYPE |
| Kalamazoo, MI area | | Supply Chain/Procurement |
| Job Summary: This procurement role is focused on purchasing Human Resource services, such as Health Benefits, Compensation Benefits, HR BPO as well as Recruitment and Contingent Labor. You will work on strategic initiatives for supply base management practices to include the management of supplier reviews, performance tracking and agreement conformance. Qualifications: Experience: Education: For more information contact Whitney Hodges at resumes@rsghunt.com. | ||