More on Teammanship:

· The ability to be coached and to coach.

Discuss & negotiate issues in an open and fair manner, and change your position when it’s good for the team. Deal with differences in a constructive manner, being sensitive to the needs of others.

· The ability to influence superiors and be influenced by subordinates.

More next week.

Harvey Dorland

Money in the Bank

Teammanship is one of the most important traits that your current employer, or new one, are looking for regardless of what position you occupy on the organization chart.

Team skills that include cooperating with others, collaborating on projects, influencing others (but not always having to win), and working on cross-functional teams, can typically represent up to 75% of your workday.

Those that do it well in their current job are rewarded in terms of influence, promotions, and better reviews.

Some tips on doing it well later!

Harvey Dorland

More recession-proofing ideas:

5. If your boss gets laid off, the higher-ups may not know you well enough to keep you from being vulnerable, also: Stay visible at company events, introduce yourself to execs that you don’t know, and copy them on any laudatory emails from customers / 3^rd parties that come your way.

6. Consider a bonus instead of a raise: It makes the bottom-line look better and won’t raise your employers outlay for things that are tied to your salary.

7. Mentor more: You’re more valuable if you can teach others how to fish than just catch the big ones yourself.

Harvey Dorland

HIRE BY COMMITTEE – THE GROUP INTERVIEW

I cringe when I hear a candidate will be interviewed by five or six people at once and that the hiring decision will be made as a group and not solely by the person who will be his/her manager. Why?

1. It is best to be sure that everyone in the interview group have the same vision of the job, duties, the role the position plays in the organization, and the experience and personality traits required to perform in the position. It is my experience this is never the case.

2. Team members may have hidden agendas that influence their decision on a particular candidate. One candidate walked into a team interview to meet a person on the team he declined a promotion for, earlier in their careers. Guess who didn’t get the job.

3. It’s not easy to make a good first impression on five or six people at once. One or more is bound to feel “less noticed” (less important, snubbed?) than the others.

4. Team interviews seldom follow a specific question set that will identify strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, motivational factors, management style and cultural fit. When a group conversation starts going one direction it is difficult to turn it back to interview mode.

5. If you interview a candidate long enough and with many different people, sooner or later you can find a reason not to hire that person.

A hiring manager should have candidates meet with other staff one on one, take all interviewers comments into consideration and trust his own judgment to make the correct hiring decision.

This blog posting was submitted by NIRA member Jim Peterman of JR Peterman Associates, Inc.

Let’s take a look at the recession that we may be in or heading towards.

Here are some strategies that should help you deflect any pink slip that could be heading your way: (i.e., keeping money in the bank).

1. First lay-offs are usually given to those that occupy positions that cost money, rather than those that create income. Try to figure ways to create new revenue and bounce the ideas off your boss. Even if not implemented, you’ll be thought of as a part of the solution, not the problem.

2. Make cost-cutting suggestions.

3. Maintain visibility. It’s harder to lay-off people that you see every day versus those you only occasionally see.

4. Make sure your boss knows what you’re doing and how well you’re doing it.

More later.

Harvey Dorland

...money in the bank

The nuggets can come in the form of competitor intelligence, internal intelligence, or perhaps – who is newly entering the marketplace in your general area.

All of these insights are potentially profitable pieces of information for enhancing your career where you are, or, perhaps new opportunities elsewhere.

We can’t and don’t place everyone we speak with in new positions (or we would probably all be retired!), but if we give you a nugget of information that is of assistance, you often return the favor some other time.

That often leads to money in our bank!

More later.

Harvey Dorland

NIRA Convention Update from Phoenix!

The National Insurance Recruiting Association is meeting this week in Phoenix, Arizona. “Once a year, the top insurance recruiters in the land get together to discuss the industry and how we can better serve our clients and candidates” , Jay Cohen, NIRA president said. “ NIRA recruiters have some of the best jobs in the country that can’t be found anywhere else!”

About 70 recruiters are basking in the sun and fun of the dessert. The schedule includes meetings, dinners, golf, sightseeing and most importantly networking and education. “We talk about the trends in insurance recruiting and how each one of us can find the best jobs and locate the best candidates” mentioned Gail Audibert. “We have the opportunity to really make a difference by having so many experienced insurance recruiting professionals share their experiences. It is only going to help our candidates get the best insurance jobs.”

The conference concludes Sunday.