Social media, SEO, marketing and writingSocial Recruiting: An Interview with Chris Martin
Recently, I had the good fortune of interviewing Chris Martin, managing director of the technology recruiting firm, BeAboveIt, LLC. He had some compelling insights and advice to share with prospective job candidates. Here is an excerpt from our conversation:
Q: How did you get started in recruiting and how long have you been doing this type of work?
A: I started in IT recruiting back in 2000, so this is my ninth year in the business.
Q: What type of work did you do before recruiting?
A: I played professional minor league baseball for 10 years with the Tampa Bay and Montreal Expos organizations. I played shortstop. The one thing I noticed as I transitioned from playing baseball to working in the ‘real world’ is how easy it was for me to handle the ups and downs of a normal work day. I remember noticing how upset people could get over the smallest things that happened to them on a daily basis. The one thing you have to do in professional sports is stay on an even keel; you can’t get too low and you can’t get too high.
Q: Can you describe what you do on a typical day?
A: Most of the day is on the phone, on the phone, on the phone! Calling clients (companies) and candidates and letting them know we are here to help them bridge the gap between the opportunities that are out there.
Q: I assume a recruiter needs to stay well connected. Any networking insights or best practices you can share that might help business professionals looking to improve in this area?
A: Recruiting is a relationship based business. Especially in tough times like today, it’s important to stay connected with people and let them know what you’re doing and how you can help. As a recruiter/staffing specialist, we can be the eyes and ears of the job market for you.
Job seekers can benefit from online social networking. I sometimes use LinkedIn.com to find candidates because I feel LinkedIn has a more professional approach than other social networking sites. There are a couple others out there though, such as Jigsaw, Plaxo, etc. Online social networking is important because it helps keep your contacts fresh and you tend to stay in touch with what’s really going on in the market.
Q: What are three traits that a successful recruiting company must have?
A: First thing that comes to mind when I hear that question is integrity. No matter how successful you become as an agency, you can’t let the dollar come before doing business the right way; which is a big reason why I started BeAboveIt Services.
Secondly, an agency needs to have experienced recruiters and account managers that have a good understanding of their client’s business units. I see and hear a lot of companies getting slammed with resumes from agencies and the candidate’s background & skills aren’t even close to what the company needs. As an agency, you really need to take the time to make sure the candidates can do the job AND do the job the way the company wants it done.
This leads to the third trait a recruiting firm must establish and that’s TRUST! If you do your job the right way, there’s nothing better than getting a call from hiring managers who have specific needs and they know you are going to find them the resources they need. Their job and reputation are on the line when they call you, thus delivering solid candidates is a must!
Q: What type of employment positions do you focus on—and why this niche?
A: BeAboveIt Services focuses on the IT industry (information technology) specifically. We handle positions from Helpdesk up to CTO level. Since the ‘dotcom’ era back in 2000, we have learned how to implement and use technology in better ways; technology will always be apart of successful business.
Q: What are some recent positions you have filled?
A: We find solutions for Fortune 1000 companies here in Southern California . We can handle contact/consulting positions, contract-to-hire, and direct hire placements. We recently placed a Systems Administrator (SharePoint Consultant) with a major international law firm; a Project Manager in a major entertainment studio, and QA/Business Analyst with a smaller media firm.
Q: How do recruiters make money?
A: This process varies from agency to agency. Some firms pay their recruiters a small salary with a commission structure. Some firms pay their recruiters on a draw vs. commission structure. More specifically, when direct hire placements (I use direct hire instead of permanent; no job is permanent, right?) are made, recruiters usually get a percentage of the fee paid to the agency. Likewise for consulting/contracting positions, recruiters get a set percentage of the gross margin made per hour.
Q: Can you give me an example of a job candidate you landing a job for that was especially meaningful to you?
A: I have been in this business for almost 10 years, that’s a lot of placements. But there was a recent placement that happened that was rewarding. The candidate interviewed with a company and the company really liked him and they wanted to move forward. The candidate was a Canadian citizen and was on a TN Visa. Just as they were finalizing the deal, the company put this position on hold as they were an international company and opening some offices in the Middle East. 5 months went by! The candidate would check in from time to time to see if there was any movement, the company wanted to still move forward but their hands were tied. The candidate called me and said if nothing happens in the next 4 to 6 weeks, I’m going to have to move back to Canada. I was really discouraged because I knew he really wanted to work there and the company did too. Finally, in the last hour, I got a call from the client asking if the candidate was still interested and available. Obviously he was and he started there 3 weeks ago and loves it! When things happen like that, it makes this job worth every penny.
Q: Do you have any recommendations for information technology job candidates looking to increase their chances of getting hired?
A: There are number of factors to increase your chances of employment. Composing a good resume, knowing what to say in an interview, etc. We help all our candidates throughout this process.
Contact Information
Chris Martin
Managing Director
BeAboveIt LLC
phone: 310-779-1417
fax: 310-284-8371
email: chris@beaboveit.com
