These are some of the lessons we’ve learned from being in business for 20 years. All these lessons helped us get to where we are now:

Most leaders will experience "hero to zero" in their lifetime

Working at a startup is full of high-highs and low-lows. One day you’re at the peak of your career and the hero, other days you’re wondering why you even got into this, but most days you're just someone grinding it out. 

It is important to remember that work is just one part of your life - it’s not all of your life. The more you adopt this mentality the easier it is to ride out the peaks and valleys.

Many people have a bad resume written by a "professional resume writer"

Most of the time these resumes are not worth their cost as resume writers aren’t skilled in your field or able to accurately capture the essence of what you do. Keep your resume concise, neat, and tailored to the job posting you are applying for. 

Looking to update your resume? Follow our Infographic.

Eye contact, a smile, and a firm handshake go a long way

Remember these when going into every interview. Making a good impression and showing your interest are key pieces to landing a job.

Go into every interview with your eyes on the prize 

Always put your best foot forward. Your interest and desire for a role will translate during your interview. 

You can tell a candidate “be ready to ask 3 questions” but that doesn't mean they will 

A recruiter can give candidates as much guidance and advice on what they need to do to land the job, but ultimately it is up to the individual to execute it successfully.  

People hire people they like 

We want to surround ourselves with people we don't mind spending 40+ hours a week with. When you make others feel good and listened to, they are more likely to want to spend time with you. It’s the law of attraction. 

"Heck Yes!" Is the hiring bar

It’s amazing how many times we’ve engaged a client and every time we asked them to describe when they met the person they wanted to hire, it’s an excited “heck yes” type answer. People hire people they like and emotion plays a big role in the decision-making process.

Be wary of people who worry about how much notice they need to give before they leave 

This scenario never ends well. Someone ready and excited to be part of your company will want to join as soon as they can; they should be as excited as you are. 

Struggling with when to give notice? See our video with expert executive recruiter Heidi Ram 

The best hiring leaders make every candidate feel like “the one”

People always remember how you made them feel. The best hiring leaders evoke a sense of excitement and enthusiasm so every candidate they meet wants to continue progressing through the interview process. 

For most people, money is not the number one motivator 

Yes, a lot of people look for a salary raise when looking for a new opportunity, but always remember that it’s not their only motivating factor. Most candidates, especially at a senior level, don’t make their employment decisions with money as their number one driver. Money is part of their decision but it is often about the quality of the work and the people they are going to be working with that are most important.

How you accept a job offer will communicate a lot more than you think 

How you accept an offer marks the start of your relationship with your new employer. One thing to avoid is delaying or dragging out an offer acceptance. This is the number one red flag that gets employers worried. You don’t want to cause your new employer to regret choosing you. 

When you accept a counteroffer, you'll only last an extra 6-12 months

Remember this, money doesn’t keep people. Our experience has taught us that when someone accepts a counteroffer, the clock starts to tick and they are gone within 6 to 12 months because most of the reasons they wanted to leave are still there - money doesn’t change that. 

Tips on how to navigate counter offers

The searches that seem easy, aren’t

It’s natural for hiring leaders to perceive that a search can be done fairly quickly whether it’s believing that it’s an employer’s market or that everyone wants to work for their company, but it’s not until we start talking with the market and reaching out to the profile that we discover the reasons why a search won’t be easy. From our experience, every time we thought that it was going to be easy, we’ve always been proven wrong. 

Almost everyone is open to chat with a recruiter even when they aren't looking

Because no one stays in the same place forever. When an opportunity catches you at the right time, it’s hard not to be curious.

Timing is everything

As per the great words of Todd Stocker “Execution is something, but timing is everything.” Opportunities come and go but learning when to seize the moment is essential for both your career and personal growth. 

Not everyone wants to work for “the latest tech darling”

This is a common misconception, but reality has shown us not all candidates look for that in their next opportunity. There are a lot of factors that go into decision-making processes and part of it is liking the mandate of the role and recognizing that they are a right fit for the organization.

Company culture will never be the reason your company is financially successful 

Companies that lead with culture as their number reason for hiring are opening up a search with very subjective requirements. The best companies aren’t the best because of their culture - the journey to a successful business boils down to whether people want to pay money to buy and use your product/service. 

It used to be that the company rock star was the VP Sales - today it’s the VP Product 

Today, there are lots of successful companies that don't even have sales teams. The rise of consumers procuring software and everything being a tech platform has encouraged companies to move to a PLG business model. Over the past 10 years, we’ve seen companies put more resources and efforts into growing their product teams. 

There is a job for every person and a person for every job

We always strive to find candidates that are the right fit for our client’s organizations. Connecting clients and candidates and helping them find a place in each other makes this job worthwhile.

The only constant is change  

The world, the industry, the market is constantly changing so know when to pivot and be quick to adapt to change so you can continue to grow, these are important qualities to maintaining your success.