Wednesday, September 2, 2020

Support Local – Exploring and Supporting Your Local Merchants and Business Community

When you choose to buy from a local business you are helping your community create jobs and enhance prosperity by circulating dollars between businesses and residents. 

 

The “homegrown” philosophy is not new, it’s just a little more present given our current economic state.  Looking at communities such as Squamish, BC Canada we noticed an initiative by their local business Chamber that resonated with us…and other communities have implemented similar “Buy Local” strategies. https://www.squamishchamber.com/supportsquamish/.   Another equally positive initiative has been a holistic directive called “We Got This” to unite local Chambers from the North and South Okanagan to ensure business pull through and thrive.  Additional information can be found at https://www.vernonmorningstar.com/news/okanagan-chambers-of-commerce-unite-to-battle-covid-19/

 

Uncertainty can bring about opportunity and being able to support local businesses is a step in the right direction in order to ensure and do your part to keep your friends and neighbours employed and in business.  Although none of us really enjoy paying taxes, this also provides tax-based revenue to your town/city which in turn supports a diverse range of community programs, activities, charities new jobs, and infrastructure projects.

 

The resilience of locally owned and community based businesses shows their strength, commitment, and capacity to stay the course and keep the doors open.

 

The retention of talent and keeping paid employees engaged with the business will continue to be challenging, however the “owner-operator” based platform always seems to find a way to grind it out in order to make it work.

 

We are not naïve to think that all business will endure the current economic challenges, however we can all do our part to assist and support every local business in your community.

 

Local businesses have the bandwidth to adapt and pivot, but tend to lack the resources to diversify and re-invent themselves.  The next time you feel the need to “drive to the city” for what you need…pause… and look at what your local community or town has to offer from online, traditional retail, or business to business platforms.

Monday, August 31, 2020

What’s the next step for the recruitment and executive search sector?

 

Since April 2020 we have seen a significant trend of firms in the search business revising their strategic plans, adjusting their revenue forecasts, reducing operating budgets, laying off of staff (temporary or permanent), and reviewing their office space lease and overall real estate commitments.

 

With active search mandates put on hold, and net new projects at decline levels that most of us have not seen since 2008, this is an adjustment in the market that may not see a recovery well into 2021.   To all our colleagues, partners, clients, and candidates…remain vigilant as all is not lost and we have a number of positives we should recognize.

 

Video Platforms

 

The transition of utilizing video platforms as a business tool, such as Zoom and GoToMeeting, has brought more efficiencies to the interview process.  Admittedly, in-person interviews are ideal, however video platforms are not new to the industry and have now evolved as a great secondary option.

 

Market Opportunities

 

There are a number of industry sectors (traditional and emerging) that are expanding and exceeding market expectations during this current Covid-19 and resulting economic downturn.

 

Although business development initiatives may be challenging, and sales processes much longer, there are opportunities to be had…you just need to actually work for them a bit more!

 

Business Pivot – Be Disruptive

 

One of the most overlooked positives has been the need for firms to be more thorough and diligent with their sourcing and qualification process with candidates.  Never has there been a better time for firms to provide more value to their client and spend the required time to learn more about the backgrounds and careers of the candidates they are representing.

 

Time to Reflect – Do you have what it takes?

 

It’s times like this where we all need to take some time to reflect.  It’s a time that will see those who are committed to the search business as their passion and career, and not just a job in between their next gig.

 

As owner of Elevate Search Group, we have 20+ years of experience in the market and have seen several significant market changes over the years.  Firms need to refrain from being comfortable…firms need to pivot better and adapt to whatever market is being thrown at them.

 

Three years ago, and after years of resistance from me, we restructured our firm.  We reduced our office space by 80%, developed a strategy on how to implement a more streamlined, data driven, and candidate analytic based business offering for clients and candidates, and adopted Zoom as one of our primary interface and qualifying processes in order to complement our in-person interview and selection procedures.

 

It was disruptive, a calculated and educated-risk based on our experience in the industry, and an adjustment for the entire team.  We have not looked back and we are very grateful for the business advice and coaching we received from a close group of business advisors and mentors who assisted us with this transition.

 

These series of decisions are something that we should have done 10 years ago!    We initially resisted making this decision simply because we were too comfortable with what was considered “normal and traditional” within the recruitment and executive search business model.  Essentially, we tossed the “recruitment rules book” and found a much more efficient and effective way of taking a traditional business model and transforming it into something that was more flexible and conducive to a new economy.


Allan Welyk
President & Director
ELEVATE Search Group
6th Floor - 777 Hornby Street
Vancouver, BC  V6Z 1S4

Phone:(604) 678 5627 
Email: allan@elevatesearchgroup.com
Web:   www.elevatesearchgroup.com
Follow Elevate: www.twitter.com/ElevateSearch

People. Solutions. Culture. Results.

 

Elevate Search Group collaborates and partners with companies to identify, recruit, and retain top-tiered professionals within all levels of leadership and non-leadership careers within business development, sales, marketing, operations, human resource, and supply chain management. Our client profiles range from local, regional, national, and global organizations.

 

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

An Interview is a Bilateral Process

An Interview is a Bilateral Process

Planning & Preparation

The lack of adequate planning for an interview is the greatest single fault found in my 20+ years of reviewing the interviewing process for companies ranging from small business, start-ups, and multi-national corporations.  It is important to start with knowing what you want.  Take the time to figure out what you are looking to get out of the interview and to plan and prepare accordingly.

Building Rapport

The general tone of the interview should be one of helpfulness, positive engagement, and an overall relaxed and organized environment so as to minimize any immediate barriers to forthright communication.

This includes having the interviewer(s) or a representative of the organization greet the individual upon their arrival, offer them a glass of water, a private area to wait so that they avoid running into other candidates or employees they may know, and explain that someone would be there take them to the interview shortly.

Upon commencement of the interview, avoid jumping in and rattling off questions.  Ease into the meeting in order to build trust and rapport.  You will notice that individuals who feel more “at ease” are more apt to provide detail and offer expansive responses.  In addition, they tend to provide more insight into who they are vs what you are reviewing on their resume.

Although not relative for an initial interview, something to consider as a 2nd or 3rd touch point in the interview process would be to meet at a neutral location for a coffee and have a more relaxed conversation.  Try to have the discussion focused less on the role, but more about establishing fit for the team.  This can also be done via Zoom or any other video platform!

Developing Information

As my Marketing 101 instructor reinforced to us…”Clarify. Clarify. Clarify”

In reviewing questioning techniques, we’ve had the opportunity to review thousands of interviews held for the purpose of selecting job applicants, appraising executive performance, or counseling employees in their careers with a diverse spectrum of clients and within all industry segments. One of the many conclusions from this experience was the positive utilization of broad, general questions as an interview pattern. This allows the respondent to answer, which once this information is released, the interviewer can sharpen the focus with specific questions eliciting more specific answers.
 
Life Experience

Life experiences are the significant events in your own personal history you remember because they made you feel good, satisfied, engaged, invigorated, inspired, and in the flow. Looking back, whatever the outcome, you feel proud and fulfilled by those experiences.

It’s important that an interviewer explore this as it will provide further insight into the exposure the individual has with diversity, culture, adversity, adapting, compassion, and empathy.

Examples are vast.  Whether it’s extensive volunteer work with a global initiative, playing professional or amateur sports, being the first person in your family to graduate from University, overcoming tragedy, or traveling the world, all of these experiences build the foundation of who we are and what separates us from others.

 

Art of listening


The art of listening is about finding out what the speaker thinks about. When employees listen to one another, they learn from one another. A free flow of ideas that are truly listened to can lead to a workplace where employees are constantly learning from each other.

The art of listening isn’t simply about staying quiet 100% of the time, it’s also about asking questions.  These questions are for clarification or for further explanation so that you can fully understand what the speaker is telling you.  Other key initiatives in order for you to master the art of listening include:

Make eye contact
Refrain from interrupting
Show you understand
Listen without judgement
Listen to non-verbal communication
Create a suitable environment (privacy/confidentiality)
Observe others

Concluding the meeting


The conclusion of the interview is perhaps the most important as it usually consists of a plan of action—something to be done or achieved by either or both parties. A clear, concise summary of this plan is a useful technique for achieving good results. The summary is helpful to both parties because it enables them to realize exactly what has been accomplished, allows for time to clarify questions, and discuss potential next steps in the process.

Follow-Up

Take a breath and don’t be in a hurry to get to the next interview.  Take 15 minutes to take adequate notes of significant events, impressions, and information while your thoughts are fresh. By documenting a series of events, one is able to see things which, if merely left to the fragile human memory, may fuse into meaningless, disconnected scenes in a panorama of multiple interviews.
Avoid the impatience of quickly moving onto the next interview and succumbing to behavior resulting from a self-satisfying need to prove to yourself that you are busy.

Although not completely lost in our society, send an email (or better yet) a thank you card or gift certificate to the individual you just interviewed to acknowledge their time and commitment to the process.

NOTE:  All of this his can also be adjusted to accommodate interviews via Zoom or any other video platform!

Discover what we have to  offer...

Allan Welyk
President & Director
ELEVATE Search Group
6th Floor - 777 Hornby Street
Vancouver, BC  V6Z 1S4 
 Phone:(604) 678 5627  I Fax: (778) 650 9801 
Email: allan@elevatesearchgroup.com

People. SolutionsCulture. Results.

Elevate Search Group collaborates and partners with companies to identify, recruit, and retain top-tiered professionals within all levels of leadership and non-leadership careers within business development, sales, marketing, operations, human resource, and supply chain management. Our client profiles range from local, regional, national, and global organizations.

Friday, March 27, 2020

When Every Day Feels Like Saturday

When Every Day Feels Like Saturday

Spring Break is coming to an end…I think.  There are way too many people outside for a Tuesday and not practicing physical distancing…The heartfelt support for all first responders and healthcare workers at 7:00 pm feels like we should all be at a party…Parents are playing in their yards with their children at all hours of the day…You can hear the laughter and voices of kids of all ages morning-noon-and-night.  Is it me, or does every day feel like Saturday?

If you are one of the millions working from home, or unemployed, having your kids pulling at you to figure out what they can do today, and your significant other is staring at you - hoping you will leave the house for a few minutes so they can have some “alone time”…welcome to the club!

In order to try to maintain some form of normalcy during this dynamic and challenging time, try maintaining your regular routine.  Here are some examples for you to consider:

Set an alarm (challenging to do when you don’t need to commute to the office and you have the opportunity to sleep in, however this is important)

Drink your GoGo Juice (coffee is a must!)

Shower and get dressed (lounging in your PJ’s, Lulu’s, or less simply won’t enable you to be focused or motivated to perform at your best)

Set up a designated work space (working at the kitchen counter can be unproductive and distracting)

Set a schedule ( as best as you can given the circumstances)

If you feel the need (and it’s not recommended during working hours), block off a specific time to log onto your preferred news/media platform for news/market/health updates vs being distracted and checking throughout the day

Turn off your news alerts on your mobile devices

Speaking of distracting…put your remote away and stop looking in the fridge every time you walk by it

Step outside and get some fresh air (in your back yard, balcony, or deck)

If you are used to hitting the gym or your local community centre for exercise, get creative.  When you are on the phone….walk around your house.  If you have different levels of your home, hike the stairs.  There are endless YouTube videos on any form of exercise your body desires (even if it is Tae-Bo with Billy Blanks).

Stop making excuses…..Every Day is NOT Saturday!

Discover what we have to  offer...

Allan Welyk
President & Director
ELEVATE Search Group
6th Floor - 777 Hornby Street
Vancouver, BC  V6Z 1S4 
 Phone:(604) 678 5627  I Fax: (778) 650 9801 
Email: allan@elevatesearchgroup.com
People. SolutionsCulture. Results.

Elevate Search Group collaborates and partners with companies to identify, recruit, and retain top-tiered professionals within all levels of leadership and non-leadership careers within business development, sales, marketing, operations, human resource, and supply chain management. Our client profiles range from local, regional, national, and global organizations.

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Physical Distancing – How an Extrovert Can Manage in Self-Quarantine

If you're an outgoing and overly expressive individual, and you’ve just been told to self-quarantine for a minimum of two weeks, rest assured, your anxiety level likely just went through the roof…….and this in normal.
Let’s look at what an extrovert likes –
Being around people
Engaging and likes to talk (generally about themselves)
Tends to enjoy being at the centre of attention
Enjoys group settings
Feels isolated when they spend too much time alone
Expressive
Many of the individuals we collaborate with on a day-to-day basis are extroverts.

Elevate Search Group collaborates and partners with companies to identify, recruit, and retain top-tiered professionals within all levels of leadership and non-leadership careers within business development, sales, marketing, operations, human resource, and supply chain management. Our client profiles range from local, regional, national, and global organizations. 

The term physical distancing, not necessarily social distancing in terms of social connection, can be a significant challenge for an extrovert.  Get over the fact that you are not able to meet with people in person for a while...but this does not mean that you don’t have access to face-to-face communication.
In order for an extrovert to remain sane and active during this time it’s important to be aware of virtual “touch points”. 
Video based platforms such as Zoom, FaceTime, or Skype are fantastic platforms for image based communication.  Whether this is for business or personal, they all enable the interaction needed by an extrovert.  It may not be real life, but it’s the next best option.
Telephony platforms such as picking up your home phone (not sure if that’s a thing any longer) or your trusted mobile device is another way to engage in communication and let people know you are still great J
Get creative…..This may be a challenge for some of you, however embrace the new-found time you have.  When was the last time you wrote a card to someone?  Host a virtual “Happy Hour” with your friends/colleagues/co-workers with your favourite craft beer, distillery, or winery.  Make a point of calling someone vs sending a text.  Set up group chats on WhatsApp with family members and stay “tuned in”.
If you’d like to take it to another level in order to let people know who you are, step onto your balcony and belt out your best rendition of Tom Petty or Barns Courtney track.
It’s important that you practice physical distancing, not social distancing.

Unless you are quarantined, get out for some fresh air….but use some common sense.   Sit in your backyard and listen to the sounds in your neighbourhood…..go mountain biking, hiking, grab your motorcycle and go for a ride,  

It’s important for an extrovert to keep busy.  There is no better time than the present to learn how to play the guitar, learn something new on TedTalk, watch a documentary (or 10), take an on-line course...I think you get the picture.

Just remember that we need you to be sharp...once this health, social, and economic fiasco is over, we’ll be reaching out and discussing details about a fantastic career opportunity and we don’t want your brain to be like pancake batter!

Now you need to figure out what you are going to do tomorrow!

Allan Welyk
President & Director
ELEVATE Search Group
6th Floor - 777 Hornby Street
Vancouver, BC  V6Z 1S4

Phone:(604) 678 5627 
Email: allan@elevatesearchgroup.com
Web:   www.elevatesearchgroup.com
Follow Elevate: www.twitter.com/ElevateSearch

People. Solutions. Culture. Results.

Elevate Search Group collaborates and partners with companies to identify, recruit, and retain top-tiered professionals within all levels of leadership and non-leadership careers within business development, sales, marketing, operations, human resource, and supply chain management. Our client profiles range from local, regional, national, and global organizations.


Friday, March 20, 2020

Committed to Connection - Elevate Search Group

COVID-19 presents a challenge for businesses such as Elevate Search Group, where human interaction and connection is at the heart of what we do. Our goal is to respect the processes and protocols with your people and culture strategies while ensuring an engaging and thorough experience.

In conjunction with most companies and industries, we are adjusting to the short term challenges everyone is facing...whether this is overall health and safety of employees, staffing requirements, in-person interviews, or the temporary closing/suspending of offices, we are working with each client on a case by case basis.
Fortunately, we are set up to work remotely to ensure business continuity. Working remotely and utilizing video platforms is something we are well-versed with and are continually refining.   We are well equipped to have our team work from home, and we have a solid plan in place to ensure we can conduct business in a fluid, supportive, and professional manner.   Corporate clients, as well as candidates shouldn’t experience any interruption in the quality of service you receive from us.

We appreciate your understanding and patience as we adjust through these dynamic and challenging times.  

 Your Team at Elevate Search Group
Discover what we have to  offer...
Allan Welyk
President & Director
ELEVATE Search Group
6th Floor - 777 Hornby Street
Vancouver, BC  V6Z 1S4 
 Phone:(604) 678 5627  I Fax: (778) 650 9801 
Email: allan@elevatesearchgroup.com
People. SolutionsCulture. Results.

Elevate Search Group collaborates and partners with companies to identify, recruit, and retain top-tiered professionals within all levels of leadership and non-leadership careers within business development, sales, marketing, operations, human resource, and supply chain management. Our client profiles range from local, regional, national, and global organizations.

This email may be privileged and confidential.  Any dissemination or use of this information by a person other than the intended recipient(s) is not authorized.  The sender accepts no responsibility or liability for any errors and omissions, loss or damage from use, including damage from viruses, or breach of any confidentiality related to the contents of this message which arise as a result of e-mail transmission.

Thursday, March 16, 2017

Personal Branding - Interview Awareness


Personal Branding and How to Improve Your Chances for an Offer…not just an Interview.

Your personal brand goes well beyond a resume, a LinkedIn profile, a Twitter page, or Personal Blog.  From a first impression to a lasting impression, the interview process is what separates the “boys from the men” so to speak and says a lot about your personal brand.

The way you dress:  Right or wrong, politically correct or not, you will be judged by how your dress.  Ensure you know your audience, the workplace, and culture prior to the interview.  Believe it or not but wearing “joggers” or “chino’s”, or Lulu “yoga” pants with flip flops is not recommended nor a great way to express yourself at any stage of an interview.  In more corporate settings, the decision to not wear a tie or a more conservative outfit in your initial meeting is also something to consider.   Although I can’t believe I’m actually including this, any “ink” or inappropriate “rings” of any kind should not be able to be viewed by your interviewer.

The way you prepare:  The single most important piece of feedback we receive from clients on who receives and offer vs who doesn’t, comes down to who is the most prepared.  If you think you can simply “show up” for an interview…..you’ve wasted your time, the client, and ours.   Keep in mind that when we present a final group of between 3-5 qualified candidates for an opportunity, their level of experience, qualifications, cultural fit with the organization, remuneration expectations, etc. are likely to be virtually identical or very complimentary to each other.    If you want the role, you need to separate yourself from the rest of the group.  Simply reading a company web site and job description will not get you the role.   You may want to consider reading press releases, industry news, finding out who their competitors are, research who you are interviewing with, come prepared with qualified questions, etc.  As an example, if you are applying to a Digital and Social Media Manager based opportunity, be prepared to discuss what potential changes you can recommend based on their current digital and social media footprint.

The way you finish.  Simply put…if you don’t’ ask for another interview, clarify any areas the client may want you to further explain, or do a “soft close” so to speak, be prepared to walk out the door and never return.   We fully support that part of the interview process is to “interview the client” per se, however nothing will change the fact that they want to see a commitment from you.  To compliment your commitment, it’s imperative to make a follow up call and debrief with your recruiter on your interest level and how the interview went.  If you are not interviewing through a search firm, you need to take the initiative and either phone, email, or send a follow up “thank you” card (yes people still do this and it’s very well received), in order to further show your interest level.   Even if you decide the role isn’t for you, politely decline and leave things on good terms.

Following these three recommendations really relates to simply being prepared….as you should be with most things in life :)

Allan Welyk
President & Director
ELEVATE Search Group
6th Floor - 777 Hornby Street
Vancouver, BC  V6Z 2H7

Phone:(604) 678 5627 
Email: allan@elevatesearchgroup.com
Web:   www.elevatesearchgroup.com
Follow Elevate: www.twitter.com/ElevateSearch

People. Solutions. Culture. Results.

Elevate Search Group collaborates and partners with companies to identify, recruit, and retain top-tiered professionals within all levels of leadership and non-leadership careers within business development, sales, marketing, operations, human resource, and supply chain management. Our client profiles range from local, regional, national, and global organizations.


















600-777 Hornby Street Vancouver, BC V6Z 2H7
604.678.5627
People. Solutions. Culture. Results.