SAP Recruiter Podcast | ASAP Talent Services

This is part one of my series about the value of recruiting firms. Why are recruiters worth it? Subscribe to my Video Updates Request a Free Consultation ASAP Talent Services is one of the leading SAP-focused executive search firms. We also help clients with direct placement services and contract staffing. Today, I’d like to talk to you about the value that you should be getting from your search firm partnerships. In essence, why are recruiters worth it? 1. Expertise. We’re working with external search firms for hard-to-fill positions with high demand and low supply—firms that have deep expertise, know the terminology, and that have had relationships with the talent pool over the last 10 to 15 years. 2. Casting a wider net. Search firms can really help a company cast a wider net. Active job-seekers account for roughly 25% to 30% of the total talent pool. The only way to get that other 70% is to have the ability to identify a really strong search firm that’s willing to make the phone calls, send emails, and to directly communicate in order to get the word out about your marketplace opportunity. 3. Cost. Although sometimes search firm fees can seem like they’re pretty high, the truth is that in a high-impact position, getting the wrong hire is far more costly than any search firm fee. GE and Jack Welch did a study where it was estimated that a bad hire for an impactful position could be up to 10 times more costly to the organization than no hire at all. Hiring the wrong person is far more costly than any search firm fee. In a relocation scenario, if you can work with a great search firm that can find you local talent instead of having to pay a big relocation fee, it will a great way to save costs. Additionally, if a role is open for too long, it can be extremely costly. It can even trickle down into company culture issues where people feel overworked, leading to people leaving. 4. Confidentiality. It could be that you don’t want the marketplace to know about the search, if, for example, you still have an incumbent in the role you’re looking to fill. Having an external search firm is a huge help in maintaining confidentiality until you’re later in the process and closer to selection. Be sure to keep an eye out for part two of this series. If you have any questions about recruiting, feel free to reach out to me. I’d be happy to help you.

Today I wanted to say thank you and happy holidays for all of our great clients who’ve helped us make 2017 our best year yet. Subscribe to my Video Updates Request a Free Consultation It’s late in December, which means we’re close to the end of the year. I just want to reflect and put out a message of thanks to the marketplace for all of the companies, hiring managers, HR executives, and SAP and IT professionals we’ve been able to work with every day in 2017 to help them take the next step in their careers. ASAP Talent Services and the people who work here on our team are blessed to have such great clients and relationships in the marketplace. Relationships are the lifeblood of our business, being that we’re in talent acquisition. That we’re able to have trusting relationships with clients and hiring managers, as well as with the people that entrust us with their careers, is very important to us. We take those relationships very seriously. We are blessed to have such great clients and relationships in the marketplace. It’s been a great year for us—our best year ever, in fact—in business. We’re looking forward to a great 2018 as well. Everyone here at ASAP Talent Services wishes you happy holidays and a very prosperous New Year.

What SAP skills are sought after the most? Here are the top 10 for you to know. Subscribe to my Video Updates Request a Free Consultation SAP skills are in high demand these days. Part of this is because it’s a skill set that is in very low supply right now. The market is driven by supply and demand, which ties into why certain skills and positions in the SAP marketplace are hotter and more in demand than others. Here are the 10 SAP skills/positions that are in the highest demand from our clients these days: 1. SAP S/4 Hana and anything related to S/4 Hana. 2. S/4 Hana finance leads who have at least one project under their belt. 3. SAP eWM, Transportation Management, and GTS. 4. SAP Project and Program Management 5. SAP BPC 6. ARIBA 7. Successfactors 8. Hybris 9. SAP infrastructure leadership experience, particularly in cloud-based technology for hosted applications. 10. SAP GRC/Security These skills are all in high demand. There you have it—the 10 most highly sought-after skills that companies look for in SAP talent. To learn more about the list or ask any questions that pop into your head about this topic, don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Many hiring authorities tend to think that hiring should slow or stop around the holidays. That’s simply not true, and I have a few reasons why. Subscribe to my Video Updates Request a Free Consultation Today I’d like to talk about common mistakes that businesses make with regards to hiring during the holiday season. As a recruiting firm, we’ve noticed that hiring managers, HR leadership, and other company leaders out in the marketplace tend to think that hiring needs to slow down or stop altogether due to the holidays. But that’s just not true. Some of our best months at our recruiting firm have been November and December. There are a couple reasons why I think that is. First, Christmas and New Year’s are times of reflection. People are always looking at New Year’s resolutions, and one of the most popular resolutions people make is to find a new job or career, especially if they’re unhappy with their current one. November and December can be great times to continue hiring, depending on a company’s fiscal year. If you want to get a head count filled in the calendar year, sometimes it’s better to get that position filled in the latter months of the year, on the slight possibility that the leadership within your company may cancel the role altogether. Some of our best months at our recruiting firm have been November and December. For another reason, companies don’t always think ahead about their calendars in terms of start dates for new hires. If you want someone to start in December, the time to start that recruiting process is now because the recruiting and interviewing cycles can take up to two weeks each. On top of that, navigating that process while also juggling the busy schedules companies and candidates alike have surrounding the holidays can become really difficult. For many, those two weeks are shot. Further still, while the recruiting cycle can take up to two weeks, the interviewing process to get to the offer stage can take up to two weeks, you also have the two-week notice that most people will have to give at their current job before they can start their new role at your company. It’s very easy to see why, even if you think you want to hire someone in January, the time to get started on recruiting new talent starts right now in November. Don’t wait until late December or January, or you'll risk pushing that starting date all the way back into February or March. Hiring authorities may just not have considered some of these things in their process, but these absolutely will impact start dates and hiring all the way into January and February. Again, don’t wait until it’s too late. On that note, I want to wish everyone a great holiday season for 2017. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.

Today I want to go over a few common mistakes that companies and hiring authorities often make in the later stages of the interview process. Subscribe to my Video Updates Request a Free Consultation Today I want to discuss five common mistakes companies and hiring authorities are making in the interview process. 1. A slow process. Recruiting firms often say that time kills all deals. When it comes to recruiting, you need to get to the offer stage within two to four business days after the final interview. One to two weeks or more is way too long. Too many things can come into play and kill the deal. 2. Playing the “lowball game.” There are companies out there who just want to tempt fate and come in low. Maybe this is just a strategy, and they believe that people are going to come back with a counteroffer. But I think it’s bad policy to lowball a candidate. Come in with your best, strongest, and final offer first. 3. Putting all your eggs in one basket. Too many companies and hiring managers are doing this. You need three to be five strong candidates in play. Just because you think you may have found the right person, you can’t focus all the energy on a single potential candidate. Healthy competition is good. It’s good for other candidates to know they aren’t the only one in play. Healthy competition is good. 4. Not knowing and validating the key numbers. If you’re using a search firm, you should know their base salary, target bonus, and information about their W-2. You should validate all of these things throughout the interview process. 5. Not selling the succession plan. You need to show candidates where they can be three to five years from now. What are the extra things that make it great to work with your company? Really aim to show candidates the total package. I hope this will help you tidy up the recruiting process. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

What are the hottest skill sets you could learn to get ahead in the information technology industry? I’ll give you the full list today. Subscribe to my Video Updates Request a Free Consultation In this industry, it’s important that you know your skills to remain relevant in the next five to 10 years. So, make sure you study some of the top 10 hottest skill sets: 1. Cybersecurity. If you watch the news, you know that Equifax had a major data breach just this week. Cybersecurity is very hot right now. Companies are hiring everyone from chief security officers to middle management to lower technical positions. 2. Access identity, segregation of duties, and SAP security (systems, applications, and products) are really relevant as well. 3. Cloud software. Within the SAP and ERP (enterprise resource planning) market, there is a huge push going toward cloud software. 4. Service hosted solutions within SAP. A lot of companies are starting to move to HANA or S/4HANA, so those are extremely relevant. 5. Many companies are hiring in infrastructure and management-levels; they are looking for people with hosted services experience utilizing programs such as AWS (Amazon web services). Cyber security is incredibly important right now. 6. SAP Hybris is an important skill to learn. E-commerce solutions are competing with salesforce right now. There is a lot of demand for talent in e-commerce solutions, and hybris is the program SAP is looking for. Many companies are moving towards Ariba as well. 7. Extended warehouse management, global trade, and transportation management are all in high demand. Companies have a hard time hiring those people. Analytics is another hot area. 8. The internet of things, or IoT. The IoT is about connectivity: connecting cars, watches, and more to the internet. Connecting things we wear or drive to the IoT will be in high demand, especially in the next five to 10 years. 9. Big data is a super hot skill and there is a continued need for this skill set. Anyone with experience in these areas will be extremely employable and paid good compensation. 10. Soft skills and visionary leadership. As older generations retire from the marketplace, there won’t be as many people in coming generations to replace the baby boomers. As a result, there is a shortage and strong demand for mid- to upper-management people with great soft skills and visionary leadership. Hopefully this top 10 list has given you a few things to think about. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to give me a call or send me an email. I would be happy to help you!

If you’re establishing a contract with a recruiting partner, there are a few key things you need to consider. Today, I’ve got a list of the top five things to think about. Subscribe to my Video Updates Request a Free Consultation Today I want to go over the top five things you need to consider when establishing a contract with a recruiting partner. 1. The performance guarantee. This can manifest in many different ways. The following is just one example of how a performance guarantee might work: The firm will present five candidates who meet all of your minimum qualifications within 30 days. These candidates will all be within your compensation range and should be genuinely interested in your opportunity. No matter how this performance guarantee is arranged, it is a great thing to put into your contract. 2. The fee itself. Is the fee flat, percentage-based, or off of total compensation? If your fee is off of total compensation, the key thing is to consider is if it’s well-defined. A lot of retained fee agreements are off of total compensation, so this will be an important thing to consider. 3. KPI—Key Performance Indicators. A KPI is a set of mutually agreed-upon bullet points about the way the search is supposed to go. Personally, I like to put these on a one- or two-page statement of work. These really help to solidify the expectations of the firm by putting them into writing.  In any case, the most important thing is that both sides agree. 4. Your retention guarantee. If something doesn’t work out with this new hire within a certain amount of time, what are your possibilities with that firm? Will the firm re-recruit for free or for a discounted replacement fee, or will they perhaps offer a 100% money-back guarantee? In any case, both sides need to agree to what will happen in this scenario.  5. Your non-solicitation clause. This type of clause is found in most contracts, but it’s worth understanding the wording of yours nonetheless. One key thing to consider is when the non-solicitation clause goes into effect. One or two years are the most common lengths for a non-solicitation clause. If you have any other questions or would like more information, feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Today I wanted to list 10 things you should consider before making a counteroffer to an employee. Subscribe to my Video Updates Request a Free Consultation Today I wanted to talk to you about counteroffers and list ten things that you need to consider when making a counteroffer.What is the real reason this person is unhappy or considering leaving your company? What are the non-monetary reasons that they are unhappy?Is this person a true top performer in your organization? Is this someone you cannot afford to lose and would be extremely costly and challenging to replace?Do other employees already know that this person has been going to other interviews and wants to resign their position?Has your company or department specifically evaluated who your top performers are in advance?Have you really considered the ramifications and unknown consequences of developing a reputation of doing lots of counteroffers? You have to be extremely selective as to who you give a counteroffer to. You have to be extremely selective as to who you give a counteroffer to. Go with the 80/20 Rule- only give counters to 20% of your top performers and let the rest go. The counteroffer is not a retention technique. They really are a last-ditch effort to keep the best top performers at your company.Is this someone you should let go without a fight?Do not become a victim to the threat of other interviews. Some employees use it as a form of leverage in order to secure a raise.Keep in mind that the majority of employees who accept counteroffers are no longer with that company 12 months later. If you have any questions about this topic or any other topic, please give me a call. I look forward to speaking with you.

When examining potential candidates for a job there are a few important things you must consider when looking at resumes and during the interview process. Subscribe to my Video Updates Request a Free Consultation During the interview process, there are a few things you need to keep in mind when it comes to questions you should ask and also what you should look for in a resume. The first thing I look for in a resume is the chronology—the titles, dates, and names of companies listed in reference to a person’s employment history. This information can tell you a lot about the person behind the resume. You can learn how frequently they tend to change jobs, how long they stay with companies, and whether the companies they’ve worked with were reputable. Ultimately, the past is the No.1 predictor of the future. Looking at titles is one good way to see examples of this. Has the person experienced promotions or changes in title throughout their chronology? If you see the person has steadily climbed in their career, you can expect the same of them in the future. Additionally, when looking at a resume it’s important to note whether it utilizes an appropriate aesthetic and also what the person has done to differentiate their resume from the rest. A resume that stands out in a good way tends to indicate a person who does the same. Ultimately, the past is the No.1 predictor of the future. It’s also important to examine any additional information found on a resume, such as skills, technological proficiency, and more. Usually, my team and I are able to determine whether we want to interview a person based on their resume within 60 to 90 seconds. Another point which solidly indicates a good resume is its use of quantitative statements and numbers. Specifics such as the number of people managed and the size of budgets can help to concretely show how adept a candidate is at what they do. But not everything can be found out from a resume alone. There are also five key questions you need to ask in the interview itself. What do you love about your current role? What do you want out of this role that you do not have now?What are your career goals for the next three years?Have you ever been placed by a recruiter?What is motivating you to make a move?If you want more information about looking at resumes or conducting interviews, or have any other questions, feel free to get in touch by giving me a call or sending me an email. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Work visas are a hot topic to those in the SAP service. Considering candidates with work visas can actually be very good for a business in the long term. Subscribe to my Video Updates Request a Free Consultation The subject of work visas is one which is near and dear to the hearts of those in the SAP service. There are a few different types of U.S. work visas that are commonly seen in the IT and SAP marketplace. Today we’ll be covering two. The first type that is very common is the TN visa, which allows for the hiring of Canadian or Mexican citizens with a four-year degree in computer science. This type of visa is associated with NAFTA (The North American Free Trade Agreement.) This type is low-cost and simple. Another very common visa is the H1B Visa. This type is very good for those not originally from North America but who want to stay and work long term. It’s very difficult to hire someone who doesn’t have a H1B visa as it is a very lengthy process. But if you aren’t legally prohibited from hiring outside of people with an H1B visa, you should definitely consider hiring those without it as it is a great opportunity for finding people with appropriate soft skills. H1B visas help with retention, because candidates with this type of visa are very unlikely to want to move around. In the event you are hiring someone with an H1B visa, be sure to ask when it expires and if it is their first or second visa. H1B visas last three years and can be renewed once for an additional three. An additional requirement is that during this time they must begin their Green Card process. So, if you are considering a candidate with an H1B visa be sure to ask about their status in that process as well. There are many benefits to hiring an H1B candidate. H1B visas help with retention, because candidates with this type of visa are very unlikely to want to move around and will be more likely to take long-term positions. If you have any other questions about visas or want any more information, feel free to get in touch by giving us a call or sending an email. We look forward to hearing from you soon.