Susan P. Joyce has
written a very informative article on Employee Referral Programs (ERP) that has
motivated me to revisit my advice on making direct live contact with hiring
managers BEFORE applying for a job. The link to her article is at the end.
As I have often said I
believe speaking to the hiring manager and learning about what the hiring
managers’ needs are BEFORE submitting a resume is the most effective way of
achieving competitive advantage and getting hired. I have also said getting
referred by a current employee is highly effective.
Susan points out the
value of being referred by a company employee and the need to carefully follow
ERP procedures. This may mean submitting a resume to the hiring manager via the
referring employee before actually making voice contact. If that is the case,
one loses the advantage of speaking to the hiring manager and editing the
resume and cover letter to address the hiring managers’ hot buttons first.
Therefore determining
whether a company uses ERP becomes very important. As Susan states, timing is also
very important. One should find out if an ERP program is in place and how it
works at the company BEFORE applying. So here are my revised recommendations
for finding out who the hiring manager is and making direct voice contact:
1. Your personal network should always be the first
priority. Network with people you know, family, friends and any others who may
know the hiring manager so you can make direct voice contact.
2. If a company you are interested in does not use
ERP, get the hiring manager’s name from a current employee and make direct
voice contact to discover what the critical needs of the position are discuss
how you can resolve those needs.
3. If a company you are interested in does use ERP,
find out the details of their program and follow the ERP protocols as Susan
recommends. Follow up with a call to make direct voice contact with the hiring
manager once you know the referring employee will get credit for introducing
you to the company. You still need the opportunity to discuss key problems and
how you can resolve them with the hiring manager to achieve competitive
advantage.
4. If you are unable to get a current employee
referral, find the name of the hiring manager by any means (I have suggested
many ways in the past) and make direct contact.
5. The last resort is to find the name of the
ranking HR manager on site and make direct voice contact with that person.
While HR is there to help, most likely they will act as a gate-keeper between
you and the hiring manager and will not let you contact that person. They are
well-known as the junk yard dogs of gate-keeping (sorry HR folks).
Notice I have said “make
direct voice contact” throughout these suggested priorities. Do not leave voice
messages or emails. They are often (usually) deleted if the person doesn’t know
you.
This is the link to Susan
Joyce’s article:
Karl has been reviewing resumes for
people at no cost since 1999. He has been counseling job seekers since that
time as well. If you would like his help, email him at kl@hoochresumes.com. And visit his
website, http://ow.ly/dgg2J.