WiredHive’s Post

As I approach my initial 90 days at WiredHive, I’m overflowing with positive thoughts about my new work family. WiredHive exemplifies true integrity. My IT Staffing journey began in 1996. I’m thrilled to be a contributing factor to WiredHive’s ongoing expansion and success. What sets WiredHive apart? This is a common query for staffing firms. Let’s delve into my career inception. Back in the day, 😊 interviewing candidates was a comprehensive process. In person interviews were mandatory, and we utilized an interview form that took an hour to complete, meticulously filled out by hand. It was a thorough process, yet it underscored the significance of intimately understanding the candidates we introduced to our clients. We had full confidence in their qualifications for the roles, and then it boiled down to personality. The WiredHive leadership and executive team possess a wealth of knowledge that they impart to our recruiters and delivery teams, teaching them the art of conducting proper interviews and fostering candidate relationships. We invest time in calls, face-to-face interviews when feasible, followed by a video-recorded internal technical interview, and a behavioral discussion with one of our specialists before we present candidates to our clients. We don’t just inundate you with resumes in an hour or two. Each candidate is meticulously vetted for the specific role they’re being considered for. The sales side, Business Development Managers at WiredHive have forged remarkable bonds with clients over the years and are continually nurturing relationships with prospective ones. Our ambition for all clients is to become an indispensable ally in their success. We strive to grasp their operations, their corporate aspirations, and how IT propels them towards triumph. Where can we collaborate? We pride ourselves on being a relationship-driven company. After all, who prefers a transactional, rigid partner? Truly knowing your client means grasping their business, their needs, and assisting them in achieving their objectives. We’re excited about expanding WiredHive and engaging with new clients. You’re going to be delighted. I consistently strive to ensure my clients feel valued and recognized as more than just a direct hire, a contract placement, or a project. I trust they’ve perceived this commitment over the years. Here’s to forging more successful partnerships together. #WiredHive Michael Chapman Lisa Smith Haigler, MBA

I’m officially 15+ years into building Conductor… We’ve hired 1000s of employees. We’ve interviewed 10x that. About every three weeks I get a call from someone asking for a reference on a former employee. Sometimes it’s for someone who was with us two years ago, or sometimes ten years ago. Whatever the case, it's clear to me that the decisions you make in your day-to-day work WILL impact your entire career. Let me explain… When you’re early in your career and searching for a new role, 95% of what matters is the substance of your interview process. Did you do your research? Did you answer questions well? Do you demonstrate passion? Does your story/values align with what we’re seeking? etc. References (in this instance) are meant to validate your credibility. After all, how many references do you have just starting out? Now, let’s hit the fast forward button 10-20 years. You’re searching for that VP role or you’re raising capital for a new company. What do the smart companies do? They reference the hell out of you 🤓 And it’s not just the three ‘bowling pin’ references provided by candidates. If I'm hiring a C-level candidate, I’m speaking with prior managers, peers, their CEOs, a board member, etc. There’s truly nothing more impressive than a candidate providing the CEO + their manager from their last five jobs as references. And on the flip side, when you see no prior managers/CEOs (just lots of peers) this is a possible red flag that needs to be explored with backdoor references (when you tap your network for references). If you’ve been working for ~15 years, what should matter more? What you say in the interview, or what the people you’ve worked with the last 15 years say about you? I vote for the latter. This is why I highly favor senior candidates with less jobs, and more growth in each company. It's hard to stay at a company for a considerable amount of time, get continuously promoted, and then have the company be successful. In my mind, this reduces a ton of risk when hiring leaders - especially when you combine it with references. It’s very rare to call someone’s prior manager and have them say something concerning, when they promoted that person three times in five years. Every decision you make in your job today will catch up with you. Here are some of the important ones to consider: 💪 Do you leave when it gets hard, or do you dig in and find a way to succeed? 🏆 When you do leave, did you complete the job you were hired for and leave the company in a better spot? 🛠️ Did you leave responsibly and help the company organize a transition, or did you leave abruptly with your responsibilities in shambles? 🤝 Did you always treat people with respect and act professionally? Poor ethics are hard to recover from. It all adds up in the long game. So remember: jobs may be short, but careers are long. Plant seeds wherever you are (even if it’s not the end game for you), and finish your missions.

One life-changing decision I made for the #recruiter in me! ✨🙂 It's been nearly 18+ months since I decided to do all introductory/screening conversations via 'video call only'. I know how this might sound unrealistic, given the volume of conversations recruiters typically have. However, it is entirely feasible if you prioritize quality over quantity. What changed for me? 🎥 While it may sound simple, getting on a video call with a recruiter when you're working from home (or even office🫣) takes effort. So when a candidate signs up for it during the first call itself, it's a significant investment :) 🤝 The magic of face-to-face interactions can never be discounted. In a market consistently buzzing with smart talent, this becomes even more evident. When a candidate is approached by multiple recruiters in a week, they're more likely to remember the one whom they connected with face-to-face. 🙌🏼 The success of my evaluation of their candidature and fitment significantly increased. Being able to see the person while we talk establishes a stronger connection. The nuances and subtle clues that help us know more about a candidate's interest in the role are better understood in this setup. Ofcourse, this applies both ways; I can keep their attention intact when I introduce the role and Rocketium's solution to them. As someone who is associated with a product that enhances the power of visuals, I can't emphasize enough the role visual communication plays in every aspect. 🔮 Also, ofcourse there are certain steps I follow for filtering profiles even before a call happens. This ensures I am speaking only with the folks whose profile and interest closely aligns with what we have to offer at the moment. ✌🏼 P.S. Yes, I understand this approach can be subjective. For organisations focussed on mass recruiting, this might not seem like a viable option. But if you're in a space where you can afford it, I can't recommend this enough! 🙂 #humanresources #talentacquisition #recruiting

I've onboarded hundreds of people. In no particular order, here are some things I've learned for recruiting 👇 🔀 Job Hopping/Gaps: The Dreaded Question. Lead with compassion, especially after 2020. Ask them about those gaps or the "hopping", but be sure to frame your question to relate to retention tactics, not turnover: "What makes you want to stay?" "How could we earn your tenure?" 🏆 Be the recruiter YOU want. +Be communicative. +Be transparent. +Set them up for success. +Lead your process with a people-first approach. Candidates are people, not quotas. 💬 Hiring teams may not be thinking about the "best candidate experience". Advocate on the candidate's behalf and communicate + educate your hiring teams on the "why" behind your needs because at the end of the day, this experience reflects how your company operates. 🎬 There is no shame in giving yourself a script. Just make sure you tailor it for each call based on what you know about the candidate. 📈 Candidates need to have read the JD, viewed your website, gotten off the call with you, and think, "Yeah, that all makes sense". Your JD, the company's mission/capabilities/bio, and how you present yourself + the business need to align. You need to know the role as much as you can. You will not have every answer, but the best recruiters are able to paint an accurate picture of what the role will entail on the first call. ✨ Align your culture with how you interview. Example: If having an engaged, genuine culture is important to the business, let that shine through in your interview and engage with them beyond their resume. I always love to start with "What brings you joy?" 🔊 Encourage strong, thoughtful communication within your hiring team. Set. The. Standard. Deliver detailed notes, check-in and ask questions, set the hiring team up for success by prepping them for the interviews, be empathetic to their workload and bandwidth, pivoting to ensure success and efficiency, and gather as much info as you can after each interview. 💆♀️ You can only control so much. Research, learn communicate, maintain touch points, encourage best practices/timeliness, and be authentic. However, not everything may be up to you, so do your best to control the environment you CAN and give yourself peace and patience with the things you cannot. Though there are many challenges, recruiting comes with even more blessings. After all, you're helping an individual secure what is hopefully a career-changing opportunity. #recruiting #hiring #humanresources #thoughtleadership #people #recruitment #transparency #hiring #memes #hr

Happy Friday y'all!!! Next week, I will be starting a mini video series about Recruiting/Talent Acquisition. I actually think there are many people who don't know what recruiters actually do and/or what recruiters are responsible for. I've literally heard this before... 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨: Sometimes, people think recruiters have a magic wand. ✨ Just wave it, and poof – the perfect candidate appears, checking off every box on a list a mile long. What they don’t see is the behind-the-scenes work it takes to find, vet, and present these top-tier candidates. It’s more than just luck – it's a strategic, detailed process that takes time, expertise, and a whole lot of effort. They probably think you pull them out of a hat or something. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨: Some days, it feels like people expect recruiters to be straight out of a magic lamp 🧞♂️— here to grant all their job search wishes. Didn’t get the role? Must be something we did wrong. But when they land the job, we’re suddenly the hero! 💫 The reality? It’s a team effort, and the right fit takes time, collaboration, and persistence. We’re here to guide, support, and celebrate with you—every step of the way. Yeah.... Sorta right but sorta wrong. Again, we all know what happens when we ASSume. It might be helpful to learn. Also to learn that recruiting/TA is a little different at each company, and even more different in each division/craft. The way you recruit for health care, is different than welders. The way you recruit for C-suite candidates, is different than staffing company recruiting. There's so much to learn and I'd love to offer to insight from my experiences in the industry. It might be able to help you understand why something does or doesn't happen in your application/interview process. Here are some things I will cover. 👉🏻 Ghosting. By recruiters AND by candidates 👉🏻 A day in the life 👉🏻 What does relationships have to do with it? 👉🏻 Basics of sourcing 👉🏻 What's a requisition? 👉🏻 Two ears, One mouth 👉🏻 The Passion 👉🏻 Personality or Skills 👉🏻 Candidate Champions 👉🏻 Strong Backbone 👉🏻 First Line of Authenticity 👉🏻 What makes a recruiter successful? Will you tune in? Are you excited to learn? What else about recruiting/TA would you like to discuss? 🤍 Ash

𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐟𝐟 𝐖𝐞 𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐓𝐚𝐥𝐤 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐄𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 👀 In a competitive market, companies are always trying to 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙩 but sometimes, it's the 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 adjustments that can really make a difference in attracting candidates. Here are a few things that often get overlooked: 💻 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞: Is it up to date, appealing, and easy to navigate? A modern, professional website can go a long way. An outdated one? Not so much. It can make candidates wonder if the company is serious or secure. 🖋 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰𝐬: Everyone has good and bad reviews—it’s normal. But are you actively asking candidates, clients, or even current employees to share their honest feedback? Reviews give potential hires a sense of your company culture and what it’s really like to work with you. 📩 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Are your interview invitations clear and detailed? It’s more than just the time and place—make sure you include who they’ll be meeting, dress code, a link to your website, and a contact number just in case. A well-crafted email shows you care about the candidate's experience. Any other details that companies often miss? 🤔 #Recruitment #CompanyCulture #HiringTips

If you're thinking about doing any senior level recruitment in Q1 2025 - then you should start now. Why do I say that? 👉🏻 Because it will take you a month to properly map the market and ascertain who your targets should be. 👉🏻 Then another month to have them approached, interviewed/assessed by your executive search partner. 👉🏻 Before you then meet them/take them through your (usually multi-stage interview process). 👉🏻 Then you'll have a potentially tricky decision to make, an offer process to navigate, and often a lengthy notice period. BUT… ⏰ The most time-consuming part of this process happens well BEFORE you go to market. And It's also the most important part. And it can take months to get right. 🤯 I call it getting 'Talent Ready'. You'll need answers all these questions and more, plus you need to capture them in a clear and compelling way, so that your recruitment partner can put your campaign out into the market/make a convincing pitch during any approach. ➡️ Why are you hiring? Getting clear on exactly what results you're hoping to achieve within the first 12 months of this person joining the team - what does success look like? ➡️ What are you willing to invest in this person to achieve these results? The package on offer. ➡️ What are your non-negotiables? What is it that's absolutely critical this person can do? Which traits do they definitely need? Consider your current team/culture. ➡️ Who will this person report to? What's their profile type? Leadership style? What kind of person will work best with them? ➡️ What is your pitch? How will you attract top talent to even consider this role? And hiring a recruiter isn't the answer here. They will still need a pitch - a compelling message and supporting collateral to put together any marketing material. ➡️ What interview and assessment process are you going to follow? What will the candidate experience look like? ➡️ What's your pre-boarding and onboarding plan for the successful person? Too many organisations wait until they've made an offer to think about this and it's usually too basic for what follows a lengthy/expensive process. You need a structured plan to set this person up for success. Once you're 'Talent Ready' then you can genuinely begin hiring. But if you're not 'Talent Ready', then going to market - with a recruitment partner or not - usually results in failure/a bad outcome, typically not identifying the right person. The only thing worse than that? Not having the right process and appointing the wrong person. 🤦🏼♂️☹️ Sometimes it's not the market … it's your approach. 😬 #executivesearch #recruitment #employment #jobs

Recommendations like this remind me why I love doing what I do! The candidate experience from that very first point of contact is absolutely crucial to get right. The first call isn’t just about screening – it’s where you build trust, set expectations, and leave a lasting impression. It’s the foundation of a relationship 💜 Starting off strong with candidates shows them they are more than just a number; it's about respecting their time, understanding their goals, and guiding them through a process that can often feel overwhelming. Building this trust early on ensures that they feel supported and valued, from that first chat through to onboarding. If you’re a Recruiter who is feeling disheartened by a lackluster candidate experience in your own current interview processes, I want to remind you that there are companies that prioritise this. Propel are hiring, so feel free to reach out for a confidential chat. It could be the start of something special! ✨ #CandidateTestimontial #WeAreHiring #TogetherWorks #Recommendation

Dear HR/Founders, Please stop sending emails like this. They do not help at all. If you were really impressed by our skills and experience, then why were we rejected? It takes a lot of effort to complete the tasks or attend the interview, and receiving a vague rejection email leaves us wondering what went wrong. I followed all the best practices and completed the task to the best of my abilities, yet I still got rejected. When shortlisting candidates for an interview, please invest more effort at that stage. By the time you have to make a final selection, there will be fewer candidates, allowing you to provide proper feedback to those who didn't make it. Instead of sending generic rejection emails, please take the time to give specific feedback. It will help us identify our gaps and improve, and it will also create a positive image of your company in the eyes of candidates. Startup founders should implement this kind of process for their hiring teams from the start, rather than interviewing in bulk and then sending out impersonal emails. Thank you. #CandidateExperience #HiringPractices #JobSearch #InterviewFeedback #CareerDevelopment #HRBestPractices #StartupHiring #JobRejections #LinkedInCommunity #ProfessionalGrowth #JobSeekerSupport #ImproveHiring #FeedbackMatters #CareerAdvice #RecruitmentReform #startupfounders