Who is Hiring?

091: Who is Hiring? How Do You Find the Companies Looking for People? [Podcast]

by | Mar 10, 2015 | 0 comments

Who’s hiring? That is one of the most common questions I get when I speak to career transition groups. I will start by asking them what questions I can answer that will help them quickly move from unemployed to employed. Someone usually says “Who is hiring? That is what we need to know. And how do we find those employers who are hiring?” The answer to their question is simple, but takes a little explaining.

”Creative Commons” by StefaninLA is licensed under CC BY 2.0  [/featured-image]

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Who is Hiring?

The fast answer is everyone is hiring. There is not one single company or individual (besides those totally destitute) who is not open to hiring someone. The trick is finding out what they will hire you to do.

How do I know everyone is hiring? Assume you are out of a job and frustrated with the search. You are feeling demotivated and feel like you could give up, but you know you cannot. I approach you and offer you this proposal:

I can get you a good paying job that you will enjoy in at most 3 months. But between now and then I will have you on interviews that will excite you and empower you – giving you a renewed hope and energy. It will cost you $6000, paid after you start working again.

Are you listening? Are you interested?

Sure we have to work out the details, but for most sane people, they are at least going to enter into a conversation with me. Why? I am talking about their current pain.

…So in this example, you are out of work, and you have just hired me! (Or at least considering it.)

Pain is the issue. In the above example I have demonstrated that even most unemployed people desperate for work are open to hiring someone. But more important, if I learn about YOUR CURRENT pain and have a solution, you too are hiring. We are all hiring. When I can find your pain and offer a solution for your pain, suddenly you will be open to hiring me. 

What about companies? They are no different. The only logical reason a company will hire is because the boss does not want to do the job he or she is hiring for. Pain. They either need to stop the bleeding and fill an open position to solve problems, or they are looking to grow and need help in the growth. Again, pain.

“Who is hiring? Everyone. You just have to find the pain. #wherearethejobs”]

How Do I Find The Pain

Once you understand that everyone is hiring, then you need to know how to go find the pain and where to start.

Finding the companies

If you live in or near any decent size town (and it can be small) there are more companies and potential employers than you can possibly talk to. So you need to find the right companies. Here are some hints:

  • Companies you like doing business with – Go to the companies you like and buy from. You already know their products and services and since you buy from them, you probably like them.
  • Companies doing what you love – If you love helping the elderly, find companies who do that. If you love outdoor sports, what companies are out there doing outdoor activities.
  • Companies that interest you – Anything else that creates interest. The key is, you need to go somewhere that you will be interested in the products and services they provide.

How to use LinkedIn to find people and companies

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“Look for work in companies that you do business with or like. #careersuccess”]
Getting an interview
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Forget the formal interview. Instead, go ask for advice. Reach out to the person in charge. Think about the person inside that company who has enough power to hire and fire. Ask them for an appointment, not for an interview. Tell them you would like to learn about their industry so you can decide if you want to go after a career in this business. You can tell them you are out of work, but that you want to search for the right fit this time and are just looking for advice.
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When you go in, ask for advice. (Yes, you should be dressed professionally, at least as nice as they are dressed.) Ask them what it is like to work in this industry. Ask them how they got to where they are. Ask them what their greatest challenges are in their job. (I like to ask “What keeps you awake at night?” hoping they do not take me literally and tell me the neighbors dog) Point is, get them talking.
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When you are done, ask them who else you should talk to. Even ask them for an introduction. Then thank them and leave.
“Get an interview by asking for advice, not a job. #gettheinterview”]
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OK, what was the point? 
 What did you just do?
  1. You got them to like you. How do I know? If you did what I said, you got them talking about themselves. And as Dale Carnegie would say, “if you want someone to like you, get them to talk about their favorite subject, themselves.”
  2. You learned about the business, from the inside. Now you know more. You may have been excited by what you heard, or disgusted. Either way, now you know.
  3. You have an inside track. If you want to work at that company, you know the person to start with. Forget HR.
  4. You know the pain. This is VERY important. Remember asking them their greatest challenge? Their answer was their pain. If you are talking to someone at a high enough level, their pain usually translates to lost revenue or expenses. In other words, their pain cost $. Did their pain sound like something you would LOVE to solve?
For most people, they also find this kind of fun. The pressure is off from the formal interview, but it was very much an interview. They got to know you, and you got to know them.
What next?.
Do it again. And again.
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The Results
The result will be job offers. Trust me.
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More Information?
To learn more about this process, see my posts on reverse interviews.

Resources

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Dale Callahan

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