Gary Baker - CCY President's Message

President’s Message

It is hard to believe we are in the final month of 2011! The hiring activity in 2011 has increased over 2010.

I am proud to say that the increased demand, and the diligent work of our CCY team, has brought us 58 new clients since January 2010. Historical data, and our awareness of current market trends, point to a continued increase in hiring next year. All disciplines are being actively recruited for: accounting/finance, tax, sales, marketing, supply chain, engineering, IT and human resources.

Social media – like the fax machine in the 1980s and email and electronic job boards in the 1990s – has changed the way in which we recruit, but as with the changes from earlier decades, the underlying constant that distinguishes CCY is that there still needs to be the personal touch, conversation, engagement for a successful search assignment. The information is available to everyone – it’s how you use it to your advantage that will make a difference.

Even before “continuous improvement” was a necessary mantra in industry, our focus on internal metrics – time-to-hire ratio, interview-to-offer ratio, offer-to-acceptance ratio and how long does a hire stay with a client – has helped us prosper for 32 years by keeping our “eyes on the ball,” retaining what we do best, and refining the rest upward.. Our ratios are in the top 5% of industry standards. Our clients universally find that the time spent developing and adhering to Key Performance Initiatives (KPI), applied to their hiring and to performance of their key people, brings immediate savings in cost and time, freeing up needed company resources for growth-oriented investment in the rest of the business. - Gary Baker

Feel free to contact me at 585-785-5719 or gary@ccy.com

My Job Share Partner Cheryl Yawman is a finalist for the Athena Award !

We wanted to share some exciting news with you!

We learned today that Cheryl is one of the finalists for the Athena Award presented annually
by the Women’s Council of the Rochester Business Alliance.
This award recognizes women who demonstrate excellence, creativity and initiative in their business
or profession, provide valuable service by contributing time and energy to improve the quality of life
for others in the community, and actively assist women in realizing their full leadership potential.
The luncheon announcing the winner will be January 19th at the Convention Center.

Read more about the Athena Award in the Rochester Business Journal.

Hot Jobs Newsletter - November 2011

Happy Autumn!  As the season and weather is changing, please let us know if you or any of your colleagues are interested in a career move/change.  The upcoming holiday season also provides many opportunities for networking at holiday parties and family gatherings.  Take advantage of these social settings to be sure that those whom you meet know what your expertise is and what types of opportunities you are seeking.  You never know when a neighbor, another professional, or a family member might hear about the next perfect move for you.  Click on the link to see a YNN news piece where Gary Baker, President of Cochran Cochran & Yale refers to this opportunity. Link:  http://rochester.ynn.com/content/top_stories/562470/area-continues-to-hemorrhage-jobs/  

Tax Senior/Manager- An established CPA is looking to hire 5+yrs CPA to help manage tax practice, there is an opportunity to purchase the firm in a few years. Salary to $60K-$75K. This could be a great opportunity for one of Kym’s former students!

Sr. Financial Analyst- East of Rochester – BS Accounting and 5+yrs experience with general accounting and analysis CPA/MBA preferred but not mandatory, Salary $55-$65K.

Valuation Analyst- MBA in Finance or Accounting and 5+yrs exp. analyzing financial statements.  Salary to $75K + solid bonus potential

Assistant Controller- Eastside location, CPA required and 5+yrs exp in manufacturing cost, financial consolidations and analysis. Salary to $75K-$85K plus bonus. Client will consider candidates with a straight public background.

Controller- East of Rochester - Must have strong cost and manufacturing operations accounting experience. CPA a plus.  to $80K plus bonus potential

Internal Auditor- Publicly traded company -this can be full time or part time opportunity, BS in Accounting and 1 or more years in public accounting or corp audit. CPA or in progress is a plus. Salary $45-$50K.

Pricing Coordinator- BS in Accounting/Finance and 2+yrs experience with pricing and rebates.  Strong computer skills.  Excellent interpersonal skills. $30-$35K.

Timberline Consultant- Client is looking for a Timberline expert to help manage reporting in the accounting department, Salary $45-$50K.

Internal Audit- Charlotte, NC- 2+yrs experience must be open to relocation after 2-4yrs and 40-50% travel. This is a career opportunity to start with a large international manufacturing company, they will put you on a leadership track that starts in audit and progresses to a plant controller in 2-4years at a different plant, and then to GM down the road.   Base to $  k for internal audit role, but significant upside potential to triple your overall comp when moving into the Plant Controller role in 2-4 year window.  Fast trackers this is the place for you!! Salary to $65K++.

Non-profit - A non-profit organization board that Cheryl is on is seeking a Business Manager with BS Accounting, supervisory, strong financial statements and analysis experience.  Also seeking an Exec Admin who has exemplary computer skills in Excel and solid analytical skills.  Call for more info.

OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH OUR AAFA NETWORK THAT ARE OUT OF TOWN AND INCLUDE RELO:

Controller- Cincinnati, OH- Global Manufacturing company seeks CPA (Big 4 ideally) with 8+years experience combined public and private company (preferred to be with a global manufacturing company), Salary $100-$140K ++.

Sr. Reporting Manager, Mutual Funds- Baltimore, MD- opportunity exists in a very nice suburban location and has a great work life balance.

CFO- Omaha, NE, Salary to $200K, client is looking for with SEC Expertise, & R/E, client will interview and make a decision fast!

Director of Audit- Omaha, NB Salary base $100k plus bonus, travel to 35%.

VP Finance- Physician Network- Columbia, SC.

Hedge Fund Tax Senior to Manager- Miami, Florida.

Assistant Controller-Private Equity- Dallas, TX.

Check out the latest news and the most current  newsletter posted on the Blog: http://kymberlybailey.blogspot.com/

Hot Jobs Newsletter - October 2011

Cochran, Cochran & Yale is one of New York’s largest executive search firms.  We are currently working on several outstanding opportunities we would like to share with you and your associates. The search market continues to improve and our business has improved over 25% from last year. Please review below and feel free to reach out to us directly or share with a respected peer. We very much appreciate your consideration. 

CONTROLLER -  Eastside manufacturing company seeks hands on, roll up the sleeves manufacturing Controller with strong plant/cost accounting experience. To $80k plus bonus potential.

MANAGER/PARTNER -  Unique opportunity with specific defined partnership path! Well established small CPA firm looking at partner succession planning seeks experienced public accounting professional with both solid technical accounting/audit/tax background as well as business development presence. Comp negotiable based on experience.

A/R SUPERVISOR – Must have BS Accounting, previous supervisory experience, proficiency in Excel, and 3+ years relevant accounting experience. to $50K.

PUBLIC ACCOUNTING -  Multiple firms are seeking both audit and tax professionals from the Senior Accountant level through Manager level. If you like what you do and just are not happy where you are doing it, make the move now before busy season kicks into full gear. Comp based on experience level.

PRICING COORDINATOR - Growing privately held company seeks ambitious, smart, detail oriented individual to join their staff. Must have BS, be extremely accurate, good in math, and enjoy spending most of the day working with computers. Experience with pricing/contracts/rebates a plus, but not required. $15-16/hr.

H/R GENERALIST – Privately held manufacturing company seeks HR professional to handle benefits, 401K plan and loans, disability, ADP payroll, multi-state offices. Experience with Excel required. ADP exper +.

INTERNAL AUDITORS (2) – Outstanding opportunities in Charlotte NC for 1-3 yr audit professionals looking for a career track. Must be open to additional relo with the company down the road for promo opportunities into Accounting Manager/Controller positions with other divisions.

OUT OF TOWN OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH OUR AFFILIATE NETWORK (call for more details if interested in location):

GLOBAL CONTROLLER - San Francisco, CA $150-185K

3 SVP SPOTS REGULATORY REPORTING, TREASURY REPORTING, FINANCIAL REPORTING – Tampa, FL - $150K base, $20k bonus

2 spots SR FINANCE MANAGER STRATEGY & PROJECTS; FINANCE MANAGER – San Francisco, CA

DIRECTOR OF REVENUE RECOGNITION – San Diego, CA

SENIOR FINANCE MGR – Columbus, OH Financial services experience required.  $100K - $130K + 25% bonus and long term incentive

Attention:  If you are a student of Kym's and receive this newsletter via your Brockport or RIT email, please send an updated email address.  That email is due to expire soon!

Hot Jobs Newsletter - Early October

Cochran, Cochran & Yale is one of New York’s largest executive search firms.  We are currently working on several outstanding opportunities we would like to share with you and your associates. The search market continues to improve and our business has improved over 25% from last year. Please review below and feel free to reach out to us directly or share with a respected peer. We very much appreciate your consideration. 

CONTROLLER -  Eastside manufacturing company seeks hands on, roll up the sleeves manufacturing Controller with strong plant/cost accounting experience. To $80k plus bonus potential.

MANAGER/PARTNER -  Unique opportunity with specific defined partnership path! Well established small CPA firm looking at partner succession planning seeks experienced public accounting professional with both solid technical accounting/audit/tax background as well as business development presence. Comp negotiable based on experience.

COST ANALYST/ACCOUNTANT -  Large international manufacturing company seeks strong cost professional to not only do cost accounting, but also to perform complex analysis. Must be very strong in Excel including pivot tables. SAP experience a plus. To $90k

PUBLIC ACCOUNTING -  Multiple firms are seeking both audit and tax professionals from the Senior Accountant level through Manager level. If you like what you do and just are not happy where you are doing it, make the move now before busy season kicks into full gear. Comp based on experience level.

PRICING COORDINATOR - Growing privately held company seeks ambitious, smart, detail oriented individual to join their staff. Must have BS, be extremely accurate, good in math, and enjoy spending most of the day working with computers. Experience with pricing/contracts/rebates a plus, but not required. $15-16/hr.

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGER- Growing private manufacturing company seeks an HR Generalist to process ADP Payroll and manage benefits. Compensation is $40-$60K or Market Salary.

OUT OF TOWN OPPORTUNITIES THROUGH OUR AFFILIATE NETWORK (call for more details if interested in location):

GLOBAL CONTROLLER - San Francisco, CA $150-185K

3 SVP SPOTS REGULATORY REPORTING, TREASURY REPORTING, FINANCIAL REPORTING – Tampa, FL - $150K base, $20k bonus

2 spots SR FINANCE MANAGER, STRATEGY & PROJECTS, FINANCE MANAGER – San Francisco, CA

DIRECTOR OF REVENUE RECOGNITION – San Diego, CA

SENIOR FINANCE MGR – Columbus, OH $100K - $130K + 25% bonus and long term incentive

 

Hot Jobs Newsletter - August 2011

Cochran, Cochran & Yale is one of New York’s largest executive search firms.  We are currently working on several outstanding opportunities we would like to share with you and your associates. The search market continues to improve and our business has improved over 25% from last year. Please review below and feel free to reach out to us directly or share with a respected peer. We very much appreciate your consideration.

Director of Finance-$80-$110k, Manufacturing Client between Buffalo and Rochester seeks solid financial manager with strong knowledge of cost and hands on plant/operations accounting.

Controller-West Side Manufacturing Client is looking to add this position due to growth. Client needs custom reporting and cost analysis to help drive business. Situation offers FAMILY FRIENDLY or Part- Time hours. QuickBooks and BS required. CPA a big plus. This is a great opportunity to have a flexible schedule that allows you to put the kids on the bus and be home to get them off! Salary- Market.

Controller-Fairport, NY- to $140k plus bonus, CPA required. International manufacturing exp in a large company setting preferred. Must be GAAP reporting expert!

Controller-Seneca Falls, NY- to $115k plus bonus and Relocation CPA and Shared Service experience.

Valuation Analyst- Rochester, NY-to $75k plus bonus potential. MBA mandatory. Commercial credit analysis, financial statement analysis or quantitative/engineering background required.

Credit Manager-Rochester, NY – $50-65K BS or AS and 3+yrs experience with business to business collections and credit, A/R management experience a plus.

Client Support Manager-Rochester, NY- to $50K BS in Accounting or Finance and some investment experience required to manage client relations for a busy wealth management company.

Risk Manager-Rochester, NY- $80-100K Prior experience with RMIS required and min 10 years of risk management experience including supervising staff.

Staff Accountant- Honeoye Falls, NY to $35k. BS in Accounting required. Great position for any of Kym’s students right out of college!

Out of Town opportunities offering Relocation:

Baltimore- International Treasury Position - CPA & Spanish $150-160K + bonus and relo

Baltimore- Director of International Consolidations- Market + full relocation

Baltimore- Accounting Supervisor- French & CPA $90k (Big 4) + relocation

Boston- Big 4 Background Sr. Manager of I/A financial services and asset management experience required $90-140K+ bonus and relo

Miami- CPA/MBA with valuation or M&A or any accounting or finance with energy exposure, multiple positions exist

Chicago- Director of Finance- Pharma mfg exp and CPA required $175-180k plus bonus and relocation

NJ- Executive Director of Tax $225k CPA or JD background and exposure to 1441's manage a staff of 80

NYC- VP Global Tax- CPA with FAS 109 experience 12+yrs experience $250-275k+bonus and relocation

The Blacklist Letter

I have 16 years of stories to tell some old and some new. The decision is, where do I begin? Of course the names of the parties involved will be changed to ensure strict confidentiality.

Since my last article was about “reputation” I will share an old story many of you will remember. I can’t remember all of the details but this is what I recall and I filled in some of the blanks.

Bill worked for a CPA firm in Rochester, NY. He was unhappy with his current position and decided to start a job search to find a more challenging opportunity. This is the case with most of our candidates. They are currently employed, but they are open to listening to new opportunities, hoping to find their “dream job.”  This is another discussion topic in itself to be discussed at a later date. Bill used his computer at work and the company intranet to create and send his resume and interview correspondence.  After several weeks his supervisor caught wind that he was looking for a job. He was called into their office to discuss his dissatisfaction with his current position. They felt his job search was disloyal and terminated his employment. .

Bill was upset with their decision and decided to write a letter expressing what he thought about the firm and the partners. Back then email was a new technology.  Without thinking about the potential ramifications, Bill decided to email blast it to everyone in the firm. The content of the letter was “Charlie Sheenesque” and criticized the partners and firm.  The attack was very personal and unprofessional. Bill was upset and writing the letter was a “Charlie Sheen” moment in his career.

Everyone at the firm was horrified at Bill’s lack of professionalism. They decided to forward the email letter to everyone they knew in town. The letter spread like wildfire across the CPA community.  Needless to say Bill had a difficult time finding a new job in Rochester.  It was the most talked about event of the tax season!  Email is a quick way to reach a large audience, but you need to make sure what you put in writing represents you and the “professional brand” that you want everyone to see.  - Kym Bailey

A Day in My Life - Forty Under 40 Ladies Happy Hour

In April, Cheryl Yawman (my job-share partner) and I were invited to a networking happy hour at Restaurant 2 Vine. This informal group consists of women who are Forty Under 40 Alumni. Cheryl is from the Class of 2004 and I am from the Class of 2009. The group has been in existence for several years but this was the first time we heard of it. This group was started as a way to unite all of the Forty Under 40 Ladies and provide a networking opportunity. The email distribution list continues to grow as word spreads. It is open to any woman who has been selected as a Forty under 40 Recipient.

April’s happy hour was a small group of ten women welcoming and embracing us as first-timers. We saw some familiar faces and several new friendly ones. It was a great networking event and we enjoyed our time catching up with old friends and getting to know other successful businesswomen in the community.

Last week we attended our second networking happy hour with the “Forty Under 40 Ladies” . This meeting was at the new Monroe’s Restaurant on Monroe Avenue. There were several familiar faces from the first happy hour and again, several new additions to the mix. Business mixed with pleasure: I came out of the happy hour with a speaker for my RIT class and several new friends. This is a great group and time well spent. I will do what I can to connect with more of my classmates and urge them to come out to the happy hours to meet new people and network with other Forty Under 40 Ladies ! - Kym Bailey

If you are a Forty Under 40 Recipient and would like to join us, email me at kym@ccy.com and I will get you on the distribution list.

Hot Jobs Newsletter Late July 2011

Cochran, Cochran & Yale is one of New York’s largest executive search firms. We are currently working on several outstanding opportunities we would like to share with you and your associates. The search market continues to improve and our business has improved over 25% from last year. Please review below and feel free to reach out to us directly or share with a respected peer. We very much appreciate your consideration.

Local Positions: (Out of the Area Positions all include relocation- listed below)

Finance Manager- Rochester, NY- Client is looking for a Fast-track CPA (Big 4) with some manufacturing experience required. Strong IT and problem solving skills required to manage $450M business unit. Salary to $140K +bonus.

Controller- Rochester, NY- Growing division of a public company seeks a CPA with strong GAAP background and experience managing an international staff to be responsible for all financial reporting for a $500 mm division. Definite career path opportunities. Salary to $130K + bonus.

Public Accounting, Rochester & Elmira, NY- Public accounting firms seek experienced CPAs for Supervisor and Manager roles. Excellent opportunity to advance in great firms. Salary – Market.

Director of Audit, Southern Tier - Financial Services Company seeks a fast track audit professional with a CPA and board level exposure. Must have financial services audit experience in a large company. Salary to $140K +bonus.

Valuation Analyst-Rochester, NY- MBA (Required) and 5+years experience analyzing financial statements. Salary to $75k + bonus.

Controller- Buffalo, NY- Prestigious Non-Profit organization is looking for a financial manager with fund accounting/non-profit experience. Salary to $70K

Manager of Payroll Accounting- Olean, NY. BS in Accounting and 5+ years experience in employment accounting and reporting. Must have shared services experience. This position is on the fast track to a Director position in a few years. Salary to $106k plus an excellent relocation package and sign on!

Sr. Manager-rINTL Tax Group of a Fortune 500 Company, Albany NY- Salary range $150-200k+
Tax Director/Tax Controller and (4 other positions)- Wichita, Kansas – Salaries to $150K ++

Out of the Area:

New Hampshire- Director of Reporting 8-10yrs experience and PWC or Big 4 background 145-150k + relocation

Boston-Finance Manager- Looking for REIT experience and 5-8yrs public audit or tax in Big 4. Salary to $100K base plus huge equity and bonus and excellent relocation. Client is looking to convert from an Operating company to REIT status and needs to set up reporting and controls.

NJ- Director of Global Credit & Collections – Fortune 500 company experience in a global setting (Asia specific) a plus. Salary to $200k + 20-30% bonus and relocation.

Chicago-Director of Finance- Client is looking for pharmaceutical experience with strong manufacturing and operations. Salary to $165K plus 25% bonus and relocation.

Atlanta-Director of Finance- Large division is looking for a controller who has excellent Excel, FP&A skills and packaging experience. Experience with Box manufacturing a huge plus. Salary $150-170K plus 25%. Full relocation.

West Palm Beach Area- Sr. F/A- $90k Base and 100% bonus potential- Must have 2-3yrs M&A with heavy modeling, energy industry exp a plus. Full relocation.

West Palm Beach Area- Sr. Quantitative Analyst- $70-90k with 100% bonus potential – Heavy modeling and analysis exposure to wind or energy market a huge plus. Full relocation.

Baltimore-$3Bil pre-IPO Company looking for accounting and finance professionals that have Spanish/French/Italian and public accounting at all levels! Specifically Director of Investor Relations, Director of International Treasury (Portuguese and Spanish) and Director of Corporate Finance. Director of International Consolidations and Accounting $135-150K plus 20% Bonus and relocation. Relocation is available for all positions.

Tampa- BIG 4 FP&A – SEC experience $120k range – multiple openings full relocation included!

Hiring - The Undercover Candidate

Everyone knows about the hidden job market, but did you know that there is also a hidden candidate pool?

High unemployment means the market is flooded with candidates and job openings are few. It is time for companies to take a good look at their hiring process and evaluate “is it working to find us the best person for the position not just the best available?”

The problem is two-fold. First, most of the good candidates are still working and not actively looking for a job. Companies hold on to the “good” ones – even in bad times they find ways to keep them happy and challenged. Employees, who are taken care of, are scared to make a move and fear the evil they know is better than the evil they don’t know. Notice I used the word “active” above. Many of our candidates are not active but passively looking. In my 16+ years I have compiled a list of “fast-trackers” who have quickly risen in their careers. These “fast-trackers” are held in high regard by the companies they work for and by their peers and people who have worked for them. These star candidates have the total package: political astuteness to survive interactions with top level executives and board members, as well as the “people skills” to be a great manager of people - someone who mentors and cares about their staff. These stars take pride in their management skills and measure their effectiveness based on the amount of success their staff attains. These candidates are my go-to people when I need a referral - they know other successful people they have worked with or who might have worked for them in the past. In conversations with these candidates we discuss how things are going for them and what the future holds. Fast-track candidates think about their future and are always assessing their options. They share with me their “Dream Job” that they would want to know about if I ever see it, and ask for a call when I do. Until that point they are happy and not looking at open postings on Monster.com or other job boards. This quiet list is part of what I refer to as the “Art” of recruiting. Understanding what candidates are looking for and connecting them to their “Dream Job” down the road is very rewarding. Some of the elements could be part ownership or relocating back to their hometown, or changing directions and taking a job in a non-profit, or a CFO looking to get into a COO or GM position - it varies from person to person but to each one it is their dream.

Second is the technology the company is using to recruit and process potential candidates. Companies are integrating several different hiring forums into one standard platform. The big boards are attracting large numbers of candidate resumes and many companies are having candidates fill out generic profiles and populating their internal database. This systematic processing of candidate information is essentially getting rid of the paper resume and in the process getting rid of what makes each candidate unique. It is this creative work of “Art” where you can view the key accomplishments and not only assess what they put on the resume but how they chose to construct it. When you deconstruct a resume and check off the boxes on requirements the candidates start to look the same. Call me old fashioned, but the resume is the “first impression” of a candidate and can tell you more than the words on it. How they constructed the resume is as important as the words on it. Hiring someone is not about checking off the boxes but making a good match. The streamline process of stockpiling resume information is making it easier to match experience with requirements but you are missing an important piece of who they are.

Technology is changing how we do business every day, but sometimes you have to stop and ask yourself is it actually making it better? - Kym Bailey

Job Search - Counteroffer: Career Suicide

You should ALWAYS turn down a Counteroffer.

It feels nice to be wanted and to have your current employer give you more money to stay. Don’t be fooled by this gesture; it will not fix what was wrong in the first place and you should not expect that things will go back to normal.

If you like your job except for one or two minor things, you owe it to yourself and your employer to try to fix the issues before you start interviewing. Have an honest conversation with your boss explaining what you are dissatisfied with and how they can improve it. If improvement is made, you know that you are working for an employer who values what is important to you and will do what it takes to keep you challenged and satisfied working for them. If your employer is not sympathetic and there are no improvements made, you will know exactly where they stand on the issues that are important to you. They had an opportunity to make improvements and decided not to implement any changes that would improve your job satisfaction. Knowing that you did everything possible to fix your current position the right way, you will be able to decline any counteroffer with a clear conscience down the road.

Candidates look for a new job because they are missing something in their current position. They find their “Dream Job” and then give notice. Some companies will offer a plethora of benefits to a wandering employee just to get them to stay. Recently, we placed a controller with a mid-sized company and upon giving notice he was countered with a new title, a promise of part ownership in the future, an additional week of vacation and they matched the compensation. He took the counteroffer and stayed.

This employer failed to tell him that they were going to sell the company to a private equity group and within seven months this candidate was out of a job. He burned the bridge with our client and now had to start a job search.

In my 16+ years of executive recruiting, I have seen this scenario way too often, typically with the same horrific results: the candidate leaves or is fired within twelve months about 85% of the time. Think about the pain you inflict on your boss when you give notice. All of your responsibilities just landed in their lap and they react accordingly. First they feel betrayed and view you as being disloyal. They remember all of the long lunches and the late arrivals over the past few months as you were on interviews and they feel they can’t trust you anymore. I put trust up there on my list when I look at my employees and my employer. I could not work closely with people that I did not trust completely.

Most employers will do whatever they can to change your mind and entice you to stay. They want to retain you, keeping you in place and doing your job, at least until they replace you or figure out a plan to redirect the work. Two weeks is not enough time for them to conduct a search for your replacement. They need to stall you so they can cover themselves. Many times when a counter offer is accepted we get a call from the manager looking to confidentially replace the disloyal employee. The work environment has been thrown into disarray with many loyal employees in the group feeling unsettled that their co-worker just received an incentive to stay that they did not get. There is no magic in a counteroffer. You do not get to accept one and have everything go back exactly the way it was. Loyalty issues cut deep: bosses will take it personally that you wanted to leave and co-workers will view you as not being a team-player.

It is natural to want to stay. Career transition is not comfortable in any way. It is the unknown road and the change can tough. Ask yourself this: Do you want to work for someone who does not recognize your value or potential until you quit? Do you have to give notice in order to receive the raise you wanted? Isn’t it ideal to have a company offer you a larger salary or promotion because they see your potential and they want you on their team because they see your long term value? Don’t be tempted by a counter offer. Understand they are responding to you making their life miserable and that you need to look after yourself and continue down the path of building your career.

What is your Online Reputation?

It is important to examine your online reputation and know what your “digital footprint” looks like to others when they search for you. This is just as important for companies as it is for candidates looking for work. This topic touches my life in many ways, guiding my activities as an Executive Recruiter at Cochran, Cochran & Yale, as an Adjunct Professor (RIT and SUNY Brockport) and as a mother raising her children.

Business Reputation

I worked at Robert Half International for eight years. Current employees found it entertaining to check out the career intelligence on “Vault.com” - an active bulletin board full of personal opinions and feelings - and read the comments former employees made about the company and even certain RHI employees. It was unsettling to discover a publicly-traded company could have a dark side so publicly available. Any potential employee or client could check out the “online reputation” of the company as seen through the eyes of anyone who cared to write a review.

All of the information I have on the web is there because I put it there: my blog, my LinkedIn page, my Twitter account all are carefully executed. I do not have a social link online - arguably because of the set ways of my generation communicating differently, but certainly also by design. I want my visible online reputation to be solely professional, leaving my life outside the office private. You can call me old fashioned, but I think it should be that way – so too, do most of the “decision makers” in the business world of the early 21st century.

Candidate Reputation

For candidates entering into the market this concept is even more important. A major element in my course syllabus at Rochester Institute of Technology and The State University of New York at Brockport is “managing your public information”. The clean up phase should start before you enter into the workforce and should be something everyone online is thinking about every time they post to a blog or upload a photo.

This day and age anyone can be an online publisher and upload information to the web, and many social problems can result from these activities. I recommend people for hire every day and one of the first places I go to check a potential candidate out is the internet. Facebook, Myspace, Google and LinkedIn all of these provide a permanent digital record of your life, if your personal information is online there is a chance that anyone can find it. You do not want to be looking for a job and have an outrageous high school or college photo of you surface online portraying you in a compromising environment or doing something illegal. These photos might have been ok and “cool” at the time but will not represent you well with a prospective employer.

In the end all we have is our integrity. It is a result of the decisions we have made in our life, how we interact with people and how we impact the lives of those around us. The principles we will not compromise will set us apart from the rest. You should assume everything you do can be photographed with a cell phone or taped with a microphone and act in a manner that you would be proud of.

- Kym Bailey

"It should be easy to find the right person - unemployment is still so high."

"We've had this position open for six months, advertised it constantly, interviewed 28 people - haven't come close to making an offer."

These are comments I hear regularly in talking to clients. What's wrong with this picture?

Well, not much. Those observations are accurate.

Although unemployment remains high, the fact is that the more impact-making a person's track record is, the more specific his or her skills are, the less likely it is that the person is actively pursuing a new opportunity. This is borne out by regular outreaches I do to a broad base of contacts. The "yes I'm still available - what do you have?" and "I'm really eager to switch jobs again" responses come principally from people with little or no sustained track record of accomplishment. The "job is going well, thanks for checking" and "can't believe it, but just got a good promotion" responses tend to come from the people who any company would covet - but clearly, these people feel happy in what they are currently doing.

So a friendly (and admittedly self-serving) reminder that, even in a "recovering" economy, companies looking for good talent, even in a market supposedly rich in candidates, are likely to need to approach specific people, with a track record of accomplishment that aligns with the company's need.

Where has hiring been taking place in the first half of the year?

As usual, medical devices and food, two areas with a firm base of demand coupled with steady growth, have been strong. General and specialty manufacturing companies have been strong as well, more so than the impression one would get from listening to business news.

Independent of title, the common theme I'm seeing among interviewed and hired candidates is their ability to optimize processes, improve quality, "get more from less" and stand out as the contributor who most makes the whole be more of the sum of the parts. People like that turn the losses of a struggling company into a profit; they help a profitable company suddenly have a bit more money to invest in better equipment or new product development - and they help companies seemingly already hitting on all cylinders find record growth.

But again, by and large, these people are employed, well-compensated, and usually happily challenged, so they need to be approached in a way that outlines the benefits of perhaps doing something else.

In terms of what CCY as a whole has seen this year, it's a confusing but promising picture that perhaps maps to the economy in general.

We started the year with more searches than we normally do at that point. Many took longer than expected - likely a function of good candidates being harder to find than it initially appeared. Realigning our search processes and contacts has positioned us for a strong second quarter, and with the quarter closing in on its final weeks, we're again seeing a resurgence of new companies reaching to us for help.

Wishing you a good summer - one that keeps you busy enough to not worry about fall, yet well-paced enough to enjoy while it lasts. Please reach to me if I might help you in any way.