A new study shows candidates perform better when they give themselves a pep talk before any interaction with hiring managers.

But there’s a trick to psyching yourself up, says psychologist Joris Lammers from Holland’s Tilburg University who led the study. The key is not to just punch the air and tell yourself you’re powerful — but to give yourself proof.

How?  Take a few minutes to think back to a time when you felt sure of yourself, and happy. It doesn’t have to be a work situation.  You can recall any peak moment in your life to help you rev up your confidence when you need it.

The study followed a group of people who – just before they met with interviewers or wrote a covering letter – wrote about an experience when they felt powerful.  The researchers compared the results of this group to another group who wrote about a time when they felt powerless, and to a third group who didn’t write anything.

Sure enough, those who recalled a time when they felt great scored the highest with independent “blind” interviewers  (who didn’t know what the study was about).

The interviewers said they would like to hire:

• 68% of the people in the power group.
• 28% of the non-power group.
• 47% of people who didn’t write anything before their interview.
• Also, the covering letters of the power-group were consistently preferred over the others.

At The Bagg Group, we interview candidates every day for full-time, contract or temporary placements with the best companies in the GTA and beyond.  We know, first-hand, that when a candidate conveys a sense of optimism and self-belief, their confidence is contagious.

Unfortunately, self-doubt and pessimism are equally infectious.  When a candidate feels ineffective and powerless, the hiring manager senses it, and typically takes a pass.

So next time you prepare to write a covering letter, make a tough call, and go for an interview, try the following exercise — or come up with your own way to way to power up.   Just a few minutes spent remembering how strong and sure of yourself you can be may help you hit the ball right out of the park.

How to power up:  

• Think about a time when you felt truly alive, joyful, engaged.
• What were you doing at the time?
• What did you most enjoy about what you were doing?
• How did this experience connect you to your personal value?  A personal value is something that’s important to you. For instance, perhaps this experience put you in touch with your value of learning, or adventure, or fun, or honesty, or independence, or collaboration, or friendship.)
• Was anyone with you at the time?  If so, what was your impact on them?

Finally, don’t forget that a peak moment doesn’t have to be a “perfect” moment.  For instance, if running a marathon was a peak experience for you, you could have finished last and still felt powerful.

By the way, if you want to know how the pro athletes psych themselves up, one of the most popular examples is that of the All Blacks, New Zealand’s national rugby team. The All Blacks have won over 75% of their matches since 1903.  They’re famous for their pre-game ritual that involves a Maori war cry and dance. They do it on the field, in full view of the opposing team. By all accounts, it’s intense and intimidating.  Whatever works for you is great…but if it’s a ritual that involves a lot of stomping and yelling, we don’t recommend that you do it in front of a hiring manager!

At The Bagg Group, we have plenty of experience with active listening.  After all, we’ve interviewed umpteen thousands of candidates over our 40-plus year history to place almost 60,000 people successfully in full-time, contract and temporary positions.  We can confirm what behavioural scientists caution:  When a listener isn’t truly paying attention, the speaker senses it and shuts down.

An often-quoted US study about the relationship between doctors and patients makes the point.  A survey found patients in waiting rooms had, on average, four major questions for their doctors.  However, when they sat down with their physicians, face-to-face, they asked only an average of 1.5 questions.

Why?  Patients felt doctors weren’t actively listening to them.  As a result, patients held back their comments and questions.  The outcome is that patients didn’t share info that could have been valuable for their doctors to know.

But certainly, physicians aren’t the only ones who don’t always listen hard.  Harvard researcher Matt Killingsworth conducted a global survey of 16,500 people that shows when we’re at work, our minds wander 50% of the time.

It wouldn’t be so bad if we got a pay off from having our thoughts dart all over the place like a hummingbird.  But Killingsworth found that being inattentive doesn’t work for anyone –not the candidates we interview – and not for us.  He discovered, “People are substantially less happy when mind wandering, no matter what they’re doing.”

Communication experts have identified two levels of listening, and one of these brings happier results than the other:

Level one:  We hear the words, but our focus is on ourselves. We only listen to answer the question, “What do the words mean for me?”

Level two:  Our focus is entirely on the other person.  Often in level two, the listener’s body language reveals their interest –they may lean forward and make more eye contact.

At The Bagg Group, we know that level two listening is what it takes to develop rapport and prompt people to open up.   And we need candidates to open up to help us assess if they would be happy and productive in a particular work culture.

Writing in the Harvard Business Journal, Edward Hallowell calls the rapport that comes from active listening a “human moment.”  He insists these interactions don’t take more time, only more attention.  And like The Bagg Group recruiters, he concludes these human moments yield great information and collaboration.

“A five-minute conversation can be a perfectly meaningful human moment,” writes Hallowell. “To make the human moment work, you have to set aside what you’re doing, put down the memo you were reading, disengage from your laptop, abandon your daydream, and focus on the person you’re with. Usually when you do that, the other person will feel the energy and respond in kind. Together, you quickly create a force field of exceptional power.”

Active listening (which ensures “a human moment”) is essential for anyone who wants to attract and retain great talent.  People want to work for those who let them know they are truly being heard.

Stay tuned for upcoming Bagg Group tried-and-true tips on how to listen actively to candidates during long days of non-stop interviews.

Fortunately, IT experts have what it takes to be natural, even exceptional, communicators.  This may appear counter-intuitive for a specialty not often thought of as people-oriented. However, IT specialists do typically possess the three essential qualities needed to be an influencer.

Scott Edinger, a communication expert who writes for The Harvard Business Review, identifies the criteria as the following:

Credibility.  People need to be assured that you possess the technical expertise to be a valid, and valuable, contributor to the discussion.

There’s little doubt that IT professionals have expertise.  At BTR, we know first-hand that IT professionals need top-notch, up-to-date skills to be offered a position, and retain it.

Emotional connection:  Your audience must feel that your proposal matters to them – professionally or personally.

IT professionals almost always focus on ways to improve the work / life experience of those who interact with technology.   They are, after all, problem-solvers in the business of devising solutions to help an organization operate more efficiently, competitively, and smarter.

Logic:  Edinger writes:  “All the authority and empathy in the world won’t help you if people don’t understand your basic idea or how you came to your conclusions. Make a clear argument that people can follow and use data and analysis to back up your points.”

Ironically, this criterion may present the biggest challenge for IT specialists, even though logic is fundamental to their skill set.  Many in the field tell us they find it difficult to explain their thinking and their data in a way that others who are not versed in IT can easily understand.

With that in mind, here are three top strategies used by IT professionals who have hit their stride as influencers.

Strip your speech of all jargon and acronyms when communicating with colleagues from other divisions.

It is easy to assume that your audience will understand language that has been standard techno-speak for years.  But they may not, even though they may not admit it.

Studies show people are more comfortable faking understanding than confessing ignorance.  Research by Timothy Gallwey, a best-selling author on improving communications, shows that not even a group of specialized physicians would admit  –in front of peers – to being unfamiliar with a term which they couldn’t have known as Gallwey had invented it the spot. Gallwey concludes when people can’t understand what you are saying, they prefer not to invite you to the table.

Explain your thinking by telling a story

Steve Jobs excelled at presenting complex ideas as a compelling easy-to- understand story –complete with a villain and a hero. The most persuasive CIOs emulate his technique today.  Jobs always introduced the “villain” first– the problem and why it is a headache.  Next, he presented the “conquering hero” – the solution and how it would make life better.  He was also known to put time and effort into translating his technical concepts and terms into simple English and crystal clear images for those without IT backgrounds.

Think about your audience

Jim Stikeleather, the executive strategist for Dell Services, advises IT specialists to customize their information to what their colleagues care to know, and don’t care to know.  He suggests thinking about your audience in terms of the following categories.

Novice:             New to the subject but doesn’t want oversimplification.

Generalist:        Just needs a big picture understanding, no details please.

Managerial:       Requires actionable understanding of your idea, and the inter-relationships it involves.

(IT) Expert:        Wants to hear about exploration and discovery in detail.

Executive:         Only has time for the significance and conclusion of weighted probabilities.

Finally, in my own experience consulting with clients, I find it revealing to listen closely to the quantity and types of questions asked.  The more questions asked, and the more detailed these are, show that listeners are engaged and interested.  Few questions may suggest that you lost your audience somewhere along the way.  In that case, it’s a good idea to recap your key points, this time in their language and according to their interests.

The bottom line:  It’s hard to establish yourself as a thought leader if nobody can grasp your thinking. Next month, more strategies for building IT influence within and between business units.

Joanne Boucher

Bagg Technology Resources – “Where Experience Delivers”

D: 416-847-4962; Check us out at www.bagg.com

E: Joanne.Boucher@bagg.com

Joanne is the General Manager for Bagg Technology Resources bringing over 20 years of industry experience in Project and Solutions Resourcing, Solutions offshore and near-shore for application development and data warehouse project delivery, Information Technology, Engineering, Management, Contract/Full Time Resourcing.

 Joanne’s goal is to deliver distinct flexible resource solutions to meet and exceed the requirements of her clients and candidates by understanding their goals and challenges, by leveraging technology and by respecting the intrinsic value of our each person she comes in contact with.

 Joanne believes that the relationships developed in resourcing are lasting and works with both resources and clients on long term plans and goals. This consultative approach has enabled her to be proactive in forecasting clients’ requirements and assisting resources with their career direction. To enhance her ability to understand the requirements of her clients, Joanne has enhanced her post-secondary education with Information Technology courses at Ryerson University.

Many hiring managers report they’re fed up with sloppiness, and the second they spot a grammatical error in a candidate’s application for a job at any level, they hit the delete button.

Harsh, but true.

In a recent Wall Street Journal article, managers report they “are fighting an epidemic of grammar gaffes in the workplace.”

The question you may want to ask is,  ‘What’s the big deal if you confuse their with there?’  But don’t — the question alone makes managers hit the roof.

Those surveyed say grammatical mistakes create bad impressions with clients, ruin marketing materials, and generally make everyone in the company look – to be blunt – dumb.   That’s why no one wants to hire someone who makes mistakes in their own personal marketing materials.

A survey by the Society for Human Resource Management shows 45% of 430 companies are investing in training programs to improve employees’ grammar, because they just can’t stand the errors anymore.

One marketing company in the US is so frustrated that it imposes a 25-cent fine on new hires every time they use “is” for “are” in speech or in print.

So whether you are looking for full-time work, a contract position or a temporary placement, you need to make sure you don’t make these top four most common grammatical mistakes.   The Bagg Group offers this tip sheet to help you.

1.  It’s versus its: 

• It’s is a contraction of it is or it has.  Here’s a trick the recruiting experts at The Bagg Group share with candidates.  Say your sentence out loud using it is or it has instead of it’s.  If the sentence still makes sense, you know you’re using the right spelling.

• Its is a possessive pronoun, as in the dog chased its tail.   When unsure, use the process of elimination to check.  Repeat the sentence, using it is in place of its and you’ll see that it won’t work.  For example, saying “the dog chased it is tail” makes no sense and so you know not to use it’s.

2. Your versus you’re:

• Your is a possessive pronoun– as in your resume is terrific and your ideas are the best.  Other possessive pronouns are my, his, her, our, their.

• You’re is a contraction of you are.  Again, say your sentence out loud, using you are for you’re and you will instantly know if you’re (you are) using the right spelling.

3. There versus their versus they’re:

This one trips almost everyone up, on occasion.

• There often refers to either a place, real or abstract.  If you can replace there with here and the sentence makes sense, you’re using the right spelling.  For example, let’s eat there (let’s eat here).
• There can also be a pronoun, used to introduce a sentence or a thought, as in, there is no need to worry.

• Their means belonging to them, as in it is their decision to hire you or not.  To check that you have the correct spelling, try reading out your sentence using our instead of their and see if the sentence still works. If it does, you have the right their.

• They’re is a contraction of they are.  Again, read your sentence and replace they’re with they are to make sure you have the correct version.

4. To versus too

To is one of the most used words in the English language. Writing to instead of too is a natural typo.  Still, university professors report they come across this misspelling more often than would be expected for a typo.

• To be on the safe side, remember that too means also, as in I too am applying for the position.  

• Too is also used to mean “to an excessive degree,” as in, you are too finicky, or I’m really too tired to proofread.

At The Bagg Group, we stress to all candidates that time spent proofreading your resume, emails, and other materials is time very well spent.  Don’t count on spellcheck because it only catches words that are badly spelled.  It won’t always catch a “their” that should be “they’re”.

When you get it right, you will begin to notice how many times other people get it wrong.  You may find that if you to start collecting 25 cents per mistake, they’re will be lots of quarters in you’re piggybank soon.  (We just gave you 75-cents right their…oops, make that a dollar.)

Geoff is featured once again on Biz TV’s Guru Gab segment this week unraveling misconceptions and providing helpful pointers for hiring temporary staff.

Please take a moment to watch the segment right here and keep these tips in mind when hiring your next temporary worker.

Geoff was interviewed recently by Sun Media on contract work and why it’s a good time to hone your consulting skills. He was quoted in an article by Joanne Richards of Sun Media released late yesterday. Click through here to read the article: Hone your consultant skills.

Getting people enthused about any proposition is part art, and part science.  Earlier this year, Yale University psychology researchers released the top ten most powerful words that marketers use to influence people.

The most powerful one of all is, not surprisingly, “You”.

The next most powerful word:  Results.  The study found people like reason to believe.

“Love” makes the list, as does “discover” and “new” since people crave a sense of excitement and adventure.  Yet the study shows we also need reassurance which explains why “proven”, “guarantee” and “safety” are included in the top ten.   Finally, “save” and “health” appeal as these words connect with our desire to have money and be healthy.

Still, even though we know how to talk a good story, the recruitment experts at The Bagg Group urge their clients to never  “sell” a candidate on a job.  Instead, simply keep to the facts, and tell it like it is.

We have both the  “results” and “proof” that this works.  And that’s not marketing gab.  At The Bagg Group, we’re renowned for our 98% stick rate  for candidates.  A big reason for this is because we never spin anything.  We ensure our candidates and our client make informed decisions based on facts – not fantasy.

Now, a new study confirms candidates who don’t get a true depiction of a job feel misled and resentful almost as soon as they start work.

A recent survey of 2,300 workers and 250 staffing directors in 28 countries who were hired in 2012 found the majority were disillusioned.

Their number one complaint:   “The hiring process failed to paint a realistic or accurate picture of this job.” It just wasn’t what they thought they’d signed up for.

Here are two key findings of the study by US HR consulting firm, Development Dimensions International that quantify how it backfires to embellish a posting:

• 51% of respondents had “buyer’s remorse” after accepting a position.
• 88% of the recent hires said they are already looking to make a change.

But there is good news.  The study confirms what our follow-up with candidates and clients shows:  People who accept jobs based on an accurate picture of it are more confident in their decision, more highly engaged, and more committed to staying long term.

We passionately advocate for straightforward no-fluff honesty in the interview room.  At The Bagg Group we make a point of discussing with our clients the challenges, as well as the advantages, of a position and the company culture.  That’s how we can source the right fit. It’s how we’ve managed to place almost 60,000 happy people in full-time, contract and temporary positions over 40 years.

When push comes to shove, hype can get us only so far – it may get us into the office, but only the truth will keep us there.

Launched today, Bagg Professional offers an innovative, holistic, approach to recruiting by providing temporary specialists-on-demand and hard-to-find high-achievers to maximize every staffing dollar.

“There’s no turning back time to pre-2008,” says Jackie Chua, head of Bagg Professional.  “The new business reality is lean and focused.  Canadian companies today are looking for experienced, hit-the-ground running professionals who can jump in and fill multiple short-term roles as needed to suit limited staffing budgets.  Similarly, full-time candidates need to show more flexibility and initiative than ever before.”

Bagg Professional answers today’s realities with an exacting recruitment process that matches candidates with the company’s overarching needs and culture.

“We don’t just think about how to fill an empty chair, we think about how that particular chair fits into the bigger picture.  That’s the starting point for our match-making, whether it’s for a full-time, contract or temporary placement,” explains Ms. Chua.

Bagg Professional takes the unprecedented step of quarterbacking all full-time, contract and temporary placements within a company for across-the-board consistency.  For this new approach, which requires close relationships with both clients and candidates, Bagg Professional has implemented a low client to recruiter ratio.

“We’re all about quality over quantity,” says Ms. Chua. “It’s not about numbers at Bagg Professional.  We’re operating in a new era where the emphasis must be on maximizing the impact one person can make on a company—and that applies to us as recruiters, as well as to our candidates.”

Bagg Professional falls under the auspices of multiple-award winning The Bagg Group, a recognized leader in recruitment for 40+plus years, having placed almost 60,000 people in  full-time, contract and temporary positions over its history.

Bagg Group CEO, Geoff Bagg, notes, “We’ve maintained our leadership position by continually evolving to stay in sync with trends fuelled by changes in the economy.  Bagg Professional is one more example of how success doesn’t happen by looking at what was, but by looking differently at what is.”

Jackie Chua has been General Manager of The Bagg Group since 2000.  Currently The Bagg Group operates Bagg Professional, Bagg Technology Resources, Turn Key Staffing and Bagg Managed Resources.

Bagg Professional

Superior Matches, Superior Problem-Solving, Superior Reliability

After all, one day it could be us showing a gap on our resume – and we too will come back stronger and better than ever.

Check out the segment right here!

At The Bagg Group, we know how important it is to make the right hire, so we don’t take anything for granted – not even the questions we ask. Improve your questions, and you’ll find candidates will give you back answers that will help you make a more informed hiring choice.