Interview with a recruiter

[#1]

Hiring at many companies has slowed with the economic environment, but companies do continue to hire critical positions.  I had the opportunity to talk with a recruiter recently about an example about that, and get another perspective on social media and hiring. 

Here’s my discussion with HP University Recruiter Toni Goggans.  Toni has been with the combined Company over 20 years total and has worn several hats (HR Consultant, Staffing Manager, Program Manager, Service Delivery Manager), with a current role focused on recruiting recent university grads for sales positions in the U.S.   One of Toni’s career highlights was having an opportunity to travel as part of a team to Guadalajara, Mexico and Istanbul, Turkey to train other HP recruiters.

Steph K:  I was on the network site for former and current interns and I noticed that you have an upcoming recruiting event at the University of New Mexico for Sales Trainees and Technical Consultants.  What can you tell us about that event?   

Toni:  This is a follow-up to a series of on campus recruiting events.  We will have hiring managers present to interview students for positions for our Albuquerque/Rio Rancho Contact Centers.  The event is to recruit for full-time positions and candidates have typically received their degree in May 2008 or after.  Those interested in these positions can apply online at www.hp.com/go/jobs.  We will be hiring 600 at the temporary Albuquerque site and will have over 1300 employees at full capacity when we move to the permanent Contact Center in Rio Rancho, NM in February 2010!

Steph K:  Social media is an evolving area.  You used the online intern social network to let people know about a specific recruiting event.  Are you seeing a change in the ways people connect with companies, and do you see that changing the way companies attract talent now or in the future?

Toni:  Definitely! The key change is that most of our recruiting is done online. Positions are posted online and interested candidates need to apply online.  This way their applications can be viewed immediately by both the hiring managers and the recruiter.  Recruiters also mine resume databases to proactively find candidates with the skills we need as well as post our positions on several major internet job boards.  With the significant increase in student use of social networks, employers are beginning to explore ways to appropriately use these networks to interact with students.

Steph K:  From what I’ve seen in the current economy, companies are still doing some hiring but it’s more targeted than in the past.  What’s your best career advice for people who are graduating in this economy?

Toni:  First, take the time to do some research on the company of interest. Next, spend time creating your resume.  Make sure you tailor it to the actual job you are applying for. I’ve seen major errors like addressing the cover letter to the wrong company or applying for positions which clearly aren’t a skills match.  Follow the company process for applying for positions, i.e. if resumes are requested online via the company’s job website, apply online.  Also, make sure you complete all portions of the application process including answering any prescreening questions, attaching your resume, etc. 

Steph K: Anything else you want to add or comment on?

Toni:  Be willing to expand your vision of your ideal job to include additional potential career paths that are using your knowledge and talents in other ways.

Steph K:  Thanks Toni for sharing your perspectives!

[#2]

very nice ..

[#3]

Toni,

If I had an interview for the location in Albuquerque, NM and I would like to send a Thank you letter to my those that were interviewing me, can you help me find where to send that.  I am afaird I do not remember all of the names of those who interviewed me.  Thank you for your help in advance.

[#4]

Alex, you bring up a good "best practice", which is good advice for others -- make sure you get the names and business cards of people you interview with, so you can do a prompt follow up afterwards.

We'll see if we can help you out -- if you can post a comment with the details including your name and requisition number and email address, we can try to help you track that down.  Comments are moderated, so your details won't be posted.  

For others who find themselves in this situation, another good solution is to follow up with the key person who interviewed you, or the person who set it all up.

[#5]

Name: Theodore Rooney

Requisition Number: 274930

Phone Number: 505-292-1517

Email address: tjmickey1069@yahoo.com

I interviewed on Tuesday April 21 at 3:30pm at the location in Albuquerque, NM.  I had an interview with four other gentlemen, but none of whom had any business cards to give out.  Thank you again for your help.

Also do you know the address in which to send the thank you replys.  I don't know if it would be the same place in which we did the interview or where they would be.

[#6]

dear

sir/mam

i want to apply for country manager 2 vacancy in gurgaon

please tell me how to apply

thanks

rahul sahu

[#7]

Rahul,  

the best way to apply is to visit the Jobs link on hp's website and to submit your resume there and to apply for specific jobs that meet your skills and qualifications.   If you narrow your search by country, then you should be able to find the jobs posted in a particular city.  If you don't see that city, search on locations near it, or restrict your search to country only, to see all jobs in all locations in a country.

Steph K

[#8]

i am already done with hp but i want the jop in

Hyderabad so please help for htis i want to do job in-

Hewlett-Packard India

please help for this

[#9]

Aruna, for confidentiality I deleted identifiable detail from your comment.  

I'll use this opportunity to reiterate that people will not find a job by posting to the blog.  It's just a forum to share advice and tips, and to find out what specific things folks want to know.  The volume of people applying to HP and the standards for hiring are continually very, very high. - Steph K

[#10]

I interviewed twice in June 2009.  Once at the Santa Ana Star Center (which was with three people).  Then I was invited for a second interview the next day.  I attended the interview and was told after that I would be contacted in then next few days.  Well, it is now Aug 3rd and NO RESPONSE.  No response to my thank you letter and no response to my reminder asking for a response.  Is this normal HP practice?  If so I wish HP luck with this call center as their clients will need it.

It is quite saddening to see a large company treat job seekers with such disdain and ill respect.

God Bless

[#11]

Hi Kyle, no, that's not typical, sorry to hear that was the case here.    It's a great illustration of why hiring teams need to be sure they follow up effectively, which most hiring teams do.  On the other hand, I caution job seekers to not jump to conclusions about the outcome.

I'm not speaking on behalf of the company or the hiring team but here's my personal theory on what sometimes happens in the time continuum of hiring, not just at HP but at any company...

Candidates expect managers to move quickly through the hiring process.  Time ticks by slowly when you're interested in a job.  Hiring managers are balancing their hiring with other things and may not always be able to move as quickly, for any number of reasons (vacations, illness, workload, huge number of candidates, etc.).  Time ticks by quickly when you're trying to get a position filled.  This results in a gap between candidate expectations and hiring pace.  There is always the possibility that the interviewing process is taking longer than they expected.

That said, of course you want your hiring managers to have strong candidate management practices and you do everything you can to make that happen.  I don't excuse slowness or lack of responses in this case, just trying to explain what sometimes happens from a hiring manager perspective.

To any hiring managers at any company, my advice is this: always follow up quickly with candidates, or you risk creating bad impressions of your company, as illustrated here.  

- If you're delayed in your hiring decision, tell the candidates.  

- If you're not going to select them, or not sure they're right for the company, let them know.  

- If they're not right for your open position but you think they could be a fit somewhere else in the company, let them know to keep trying.  

Even in high hiring volume or significant candidate volume situations, good candidate management practices are very, very important.

My advice to candidates is to be patient, and always stay professional and optimistic in your follow up.

Steph K

[#12]

I have applied for numerout sales management positions, and have yet to have the opportunity to interview.  

Can you help?

[#13]

I have applied for probably 25 different inside and outside sales positions over the past 4 months.   To date I have not had an opportunity to interview.   Is there anything you can do to help?

[#14]

I have a job order for our company for a Systems Administrator for the DC area with HP Data Protector.  Any ideas for where I can post this besides, Monster, Hotjobs and Dice?

[#15]

Hello Sir/Madam,

I have completed my MBA in Finance specialization from Bangalore Managment Academy(Affiliated to EDITH COWAN UNIVERSITY,AUSTRALIA )and i am a fresher. I AM looking for an internship.

So please let me know if there is any vacancy, My email i.d is anshulkhandelwal232gmail.com

Regards:

Anshul Khandelwal

[#16]

Hello Sir/Madam,

I have completed my MBA in Finance specialization from Bangalore Managment Academy(Affiliated to EDITH COWAN UNIVERSITY,AUSTRALIA )and i am a fresher. I AM looking for an internship.

So please let me know if there is any vacancy, My email i.d is anshulkhandelwal23@gmail.com

Regards:

Anshul Khandelwal

[#17]

Dear recruiters,

Hello my name is Jung W. Jang from University of Texas at Dallas. I am in a school organization call ACM. Every semester we invite companies to our school so students can learn more about a company.

I'd like to invite guest speakers from HP to our school. Please let me know if this is a possible?

Thank you

Sincerely,

Jung W. Jang

[#18]

Jung Jang, can you send me your email address via a comment?   I have found someone who may be able to speak at UT to your organization.

All comments are moderated before posted, so I will not post your email, but need it in order to connect you with the right person.

Steph K

[#19]

Hi.. I Applied for hp graduate program,technical role,saudi arabia and i got a positive reply on my application. It has been a long since i got a reply and there was no updates after that..  can anyone tell me how long do i have to wait??  I'm awaiting for call day by day.. please help me..thank you!

[#20]

Syed,

It really depends, hard to answer without the details.  

If you heard from someone specific, it's ok to follow up with that person after a couple of weeks just to check on whether they're still interested. 

The volume of great people who apply is always really high, so not everyone who applies will hear back.  If you don't have a contact name yet, they may still be determining who they'll interview for that position. 

Good luck!

Steph K