This member chose to be shown as anonymous

Like many business professionals, I utilize LinkedIn as a networking resource.  If you use LinkedIn, you may have noticed that you can see people who have looked at your profile.  I don’t utilize that feature all that often, but I recently noticed that 3 of the last 10 people who looked at my profile had no name or picture (I am not claiming that is the norm or average).  LinkedIn states, “this person chose to be shown as anonymous.”  That’s a fairly large percentage of people who had interest in seeing my profile, but didn’t want me to know who they were.

Perhaps readers can give me some insight into this.  Personally, I don’t understand why anyone would want to remain anonymous.  Could it be a competitor checking out my profile?  Perhaps I have an ex-girlfriend who decided to stalk me?  Perhaps those individuals wanted to remain anonymous due to concerns over their internet privacy.  Wait…that doesn’t make sense!  LinkedIn should be an I see you, you can see me forum.  Anyone with privacy concerns should certainly not be checking out any other profiles, least of all anonymously.

“This member chose to be shown as anonymous.” 

Don’t be this person!

LinkedIn can be a valuable business tool, particularly to those in sales and marketing, and certainly for job seekers.  They allow you to create a personal profile that can look different from your company website or your resume.  If you remain “anonymous” you remain unknown.  What good can that do?

LinkedIn is a professional network, so it works best when people introduce themselves with a well-written bio and a reasonably professional looking photo.  Please be yourself and not just some anonymous surfer dude.  And for goodness sake, please don’t scare people into thinking that they have an anonymous stalker.

So, unless your name is Guy Fawkes, or you starred in V for Vendetta, please don’t be anonymous.  Please be the real you!

 

 

 

An open reply to “Lipstick on Pigs”

Having recently read a posting on LinkedIn entitled – Too Many Recruiters Put Lipstick On A Pig– by Jon Bartos –  http://linkd.in/Ug8fch , I felt a need to post my “open reply”.  Perhaps I should let it go, but this article really gets my goat!

To quote Mr. Bartos, he felt that “90% of the recruiters he has worked with in 25 years in the business are focused on making a commission check and not in helping him”.  He suggested that 90% of recruiters “put lipstick on pigs”.   All I can say is…

Surely you get the idea…he implied that 90% of recruiters try to present an inferior candidate, dress them up nicely and attempt to sell them for me than they are worth. I find this assumption to be highly exaggerated and very far from the truth! Naturally, there are bad eggs in any industry, but to imply that 90% of recruiters put “lipstick on pigs” is a completely false statement, based neither in merit or fact.

So, how do clients and candidates find the good recruiters, and not, ahem, the “lipstick” recruiters? Here are some things you should look for –

Being a good recruiter simply means having the ability to provide people with the right skills, attitudes and initiatives, who will make a valuable contribution to an organization.

Professional recruiters excel at developing strong relationships – with both their clients and candidates. Clients and candidates alike should look for recruiters who take the time to truly understand both their immediate needs and their long-term goals.   A good recruiter will get to know their candidates well, to gain an understanding that goes far beyond their resume.

Person-to-Person-to-Person (recruiter/candidate/client) interaction is as important as ever in building strong relationships. A strong recruiter should be able to clearly articulate how they and their candidate can add value to your team.

A professional recruiter responds flexibly to problems and challenges.  A well-trained, professional recruiter asks excellent questions. They possess incredible listening skills.  A professional recruiter is, most of all, ethical, reliable and responsible – they would never consider putting lipstick on a pig.

Always remember that your recruiter is your ally, not your adversary. They serve to help you find the best candidate. They are not a competitor to your Human Resources team, they should be considered a valuable part of your HR team!

Yoga Style Staffing – What a flexible workforce can do for you

 

 

Staffing companies are to human resources departments as yoga is to your body. The goal is to be flexible and fit!

According to the American Staffing Association, U.S. companies rely on staffing services to provide temporary jobs “in the millions”. Three million people are employed by staffing companies every week, and eleven million temporary and contract employees are hired by U.S. staffing firms over the course of a year. (source: http://www.americanstaffing.net/statistics/facts.cfm)

Clearly Staffing Services provide true value. Here are 10 great reasons for using a staffing service:

1. Fill ASAP needs – Helping out clients when they find themselves shorthanded at the last minute.
2. Improve morale and relieve stress – Bringing in additional help when your staff is overworked will help improve morale and relieve potential burnout or stress.
3. Screening, testing and reference checking – Staffing services take specific and necessary steps to ensure that clients receive capable and qualified staff.
4. Compliance – Staffing services protect you by following all proper hiring procedures and legal requirements, including I-9 verification and (following) EEO policies.
5. Build relationships – By getting to know clients and their individual needs, staffing companies are able to find the “perfect” fit.
6. Try before you buy options – When taking advantage of temp-to-hire opportunities, clients can see if candidates are a good fit, prior to making a qualifying job offer.
7. Avoid Unemployment Claims – Since the temporary employee is an employee of the staffing service, there are no unemployment issues if their services are no longer needed by the client. This helps reduces costs and the anxieties associated with “letting people go”.
8. Specialization – Staffing services often have specialty areas. By focusing on their core strengths and expertise, staffing services can find candidates that clients are often unable to find via their own resources.
9. Familiar faces – Many temporary employees are requested back for future assignments, providing value as a proven resource; someone who is familiar with the client’s environment and the duties of the assignment.
10. Flexibility – Temporary staffing provides flexibility by allowing clients to scale their workforce when adding staff due to vacancies, business peaks and large projects. Conversely, clients who rely on temporary staff can decrease staff during slow periods and periods of economic uncertainty.

 

4 Staff, LLC is a full service staffing company that provides highly qualified personnel for Temporary, Temp-to-Hire and Direct Hire positions. Established in 2006 by two individuals with over 50 years of combined staffing industry experience in the Washington, DC metro area.

Give us a call: (202)347-1044
Visit our website: http://www.4staffllc.com
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