Technology Staffing Insights

Technology Hiring Managers, What’s in Your Toolbox? PART I of II

As a Hiring Manager, your #1 job has been to help others with their career goals. You’ve dedicated your career to promoting others’, but who is promoting your career? At Peak, we haven’t forgotten that Hiring Managers are employees too, and can benefit from resources and tools that could help grow their career or simply boost their current role. You’ve heard the saying, “The cobbler’s children have no shoes.” It resonates that we sometimes don’t benefit from our own abilities. When is the last time you updated your resume, or even glanced at it? Have you had any recent training pertinent to your profession? How do you compare to your peers? When you get to the answer of these questions, you begin to equip yourself with the knowledge and tools needed to be confident and competitive in today’s ever changing industry, but these tools must be used often and in good condition in order to support your needs year after year as a Hiring Manager. So what’s in your Toolbox? Let’s take a quick inventory of the tools you already have and then determine the tools you may need to replace or obtain. Each tool is a qualification. It’s what makes you successful in your role. A few of the basic tools needed as a Hiring Manager include 1) problem-solving and decision making skills, 2) oral and written communication skills, 3) customer service skills, 4) performance evaluation skills, and 5) leadership skills, to name a few. So how do you know if what’s in your Toolbox is within or outside the industry norm? The fastest way is to hit the internet. Search on open technology jobs on sites like SimplyHired.com or Monster.com to find job openings similar to your own and within your zip code. The results can be a hidden treasure of information. Explore each open job and pay close attention to the QUALIFICATIONS section of each. You’ll be surprised to see how your skills compare and differ. Look for patterns in multiple open jobs, and you’ll begin to understand what the industry norm is for Hiring Manager positions. Did you know technical skills are rapidly making their way to the “Top 5 List of Most Sought after Skills for Hiring Managers?” Today’s savvy Hiring Manager can manage employment processes and people, but also leverage technology to maintain employment records, process benefits and payroll, create metrics, and maintain compliance all within a click of the mouse. There is also a growing demand in the Human Resource profession for experience in Social Media Networking (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) tools. Don’t shy away from these skills, even a little knowledge goes a long way, and there is a plethora of free tools and resources on the internet to get you started. There is also a growing demand for the Hiring Manager to have some business operations knowledge, a strategic understanding of what the organization wants to achieve and how they will get there. Hiring Managers play an intricate role in that process, and understanding how human capital impacts operations and financials, may add value to your role. Now that you have a general idea of how you compare in the industry, where do you want to go from here? What are your interests? What are your goals? What tools do you need to achieve your goals? Do you see yourself navigating more towards operations or the social side of the business, or simply wish to give your current role a boost? Whichever your path, creating short, medium and long term career goals will help you stock and organize your Toolbox. You’ll be able to identify which tools in your Toolbox are outdated and need replacing, and what tools you will need to obtain in order to achieve goals and stand out among your peers. Part II of this series will focus on strategic goal setting, and providing tips and helpful (FREE) resources that could prove beneficial in your Toolbox. Your career is in your hands, Peak just wants to help you reach higher. Continued in November issue of HireStandards; Part II of “Hiring Manager, what’s in your Toolbox” Click here to access more helpful articles.

Get to know Peak Resource Group!

Peak Resource Group takes great pride in forging relationships nationwide and specializing in Technology and Communications driven companies. We understand our customer’s business needs by getting to know them personally. Experience allows us to customize services to meet our customer’s unique staffing requirements and cultural environments. Staying ahead of the curve isn’t a goal, it’s what we do. Peak understands you have a choice. That’s why we are committed to exceeding our customers expectations. We strive to maintain our #1 High Tech Staffing Agency reputation in Atlanta, surrounding areas and nationwide. Our top talent is on stand by, in fields of Web Development, Project and Product Management, Sales and Client Services, Quality Assurance, Software Engineering, Systems Integration, Help Desk and Administration. Let us put our network of qualified resources speclializing in Technology, Communications and/or Engineering to work for you. Email or call to schedule a Strategy Session with your Account Manager or Technical Recruiter today.

A Word from Jacki Neal

Hi everyone, Well, here we are headed towards the end of October already, and it has already been a month of bitter-sweet and mixed emotions; somber and celebratory. This month we celebrate life and survival through our participation and support of the 20th Annual Breast Cancer Awareness “Walk for the Cure,” but also somberly reflect on those that did not win the war against this dreadful disease. On October 5, more loss was felt as we learned of the passing of one of the worlds’ greatest innovators and technology icons of all time; Steve Jobs (co-founder of Apple computers). Loss is inevitable. By definition loss is, “the fact or process of losing something or someone.” Loss can come in all shapes and sizes and usually with minimal advance warning. In the Staffing Industry we deal with loss everyday; job loss and assignments ending. Did you know that Job Change is ranked #2 in the list of Top 5 Most Stressful Life Events, even ahead of Divorce? Peak understands how stressful job loss can be to everyone involved. We also understand the urgency needed to get clients projects staffed with the right talent resources. Helping a person that has experienced job loss with the perfect client opening, if there is a good fit on both sides, helps us to get up in the morning. Working with consultants and clients is more than just a job to us, it’s a passion. We strive to bring great employers and great candidates together every day. I guess you could say we are in the business of building happy tomorrows, today! Cheers! Jacki – CEO Friend on Facebook Follow on Twitter Forward to a Friend

Peak is tickled PINK!

Don’t forget! OCTOBER is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. Join Peak Resource Group in supporting the Susan G. Komen “3-Day Walk for the Cure” at Stone Mountain Park on October 21st. This celebration is for everyone! Become a sponsor or cheer on participants. Come out and show your support. See Susan G Komen 3-Day Spectator Information

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CHANCE TO WIN AN iPAD!!! Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for a chance to win a Peaktastic prize. Drawing held each month for new Followers and Fans. You will then be automatically registered for a chance to win an iPad at the end of the year.

For the Fun of I.T.

What is this? GUESS THE CROPPED IMAGE shown above for a chance to win a Peaktastic prize. Drawing will be held each month. The first correct response wins. Winners will be announced in the next HireStandardsNewsletter. Congratulations to James Welch, winner of the September “HireStandards- For the Fun of I.T.” image contest. The correct answer was an Office Phone. Enjoy your prize! Don’t miss out on your chance to win an iPad at the end of the year – LIKE US on Facebook or FOLLOW US on Twitter. Submit your guess to win an iPad.

Peak Technology Staffing Performers

Suzanne M is an Information Technology Recruiter who has worked for Peak and our clients for many years. Her most recent engagement was working on site with one of Peak’s top Cable Industry clients, where Suzanne excelled in identifying and staffing specialized cable industry candidates to help meet this groups hiring needs. Her success was closely tied to her commitment to both the customer and candidates; going that extra mile to ensure the best possible fit. Suzanne’s excellent communication, organization and networking skills are key contributors to her success in the industry. Suzanne is ready to put her experience and passion to work as a contracor or employee for an onsite Atlanta Technical recruiting organization. Please contact Jacki Neal directly jneal@peak-resource.com if you would like further details. She ROCKS!!! Click here to request Top Talent resumes.

Hot Atlanta Technology Jobs

Peak has been busy matching our top-notch Technical and Communications Consultants to our customer’s specific hiring needs. We are filling Atlanta IT jobs, computer jobs, and telecom jobs. Start you Atlanta job search here.

• Cable Project Manager Alpharetta
• Integration Engineer Georgia
• Help Desk Analysts Duluth Georgia
• Java Developers Georgia

InterestedPlease send us a resume today

Ask an Atlanta Technical Recruiting Expert

Technology Staffing Specialists give you their personal recommendations. Q: How do I best represent gaps in employment on my resume? For example, once I was unemployed for 9 months, and another time I took 6 months off to care for a chronically ill parent. A: Explaining gaps on your resume is important. I suggest being direct and to the point. During extended periods of employment, it is helpful if you can cite volunteer work that you performed (plus it is good to be “out there” giving back and networking). You might list your title as “Volunteer” and then list the organizations with which you volunteered. With respect to the time that you took off to care for your parent, I recommend putting “Caregiver” on your resume followed by a brief explanation such as “Provided care for terminally ill parent.” Jim Bennett – Human Resources Executive http://www.linkedin.com/in/jimbennettmba Got a question for one of our Technology Staffing Experts? Click here to submit your Questions. We will respond to questions within 2 days of your inquiry, maybe sooner! General audience questions may be published in future issues.

Quote of the Month

“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice, and most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” Steve Jobs October 2011 6510 Holland Drive, Ste. 200 Cumming, GA 30041 770.888.1659 www.peak-resource.com follow on Twitter | friend on Facebook | forward to a friend Copyright © 2011 Peak Resource Group, Inc., All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are a valued business partner and friend of Peak Resource Group, Inc. Thank you! Our mailing address is: Peak Resource Group, Inc. 6510 Holland Drive #200 Cumming, GA 30041 Add us to your address book Contributing Writer L. A. Grainger copyright@2011