Social Media Recruiting - An Opinion

Social Media Recruiting - An Opinion

Prashanth Vaidyan - Senior Partner, Consulting, MapleCode

It is often seen that recruiting organizations/agents are slow to adopt new age methods and normally stand by traditional methods alone. In the age of growing challenges in hiring the right candidates for their clientele, recruiting organizations often stick to the older methods than, innovating. As I have always highlighted, Innovation is the key to ensure you stay ahead your competition.

Nowadays, Social media recruiting has been a strong stimulus to identify and source passive and ‘right’ candidates and MapleCode has been a relative first mover in this thought process. We define social media much beyond the internet models of LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter. It is important to see that social media also includes and defines the ‘social connect’ that you establish with a candidate from identification to getting them an attractive and desired job. The main advantages of a non-job board/specific hiring are:

1.    Identify a pool of passive candidates

2.    Candidates that are not accessed by most recruiters/recruitment organizations

3.    Builds an organizations’ brand to create value

4.    Easier to sell opportunities to prospective candidates.

The ‘Social Connect’ identifies you with your candidate. Many a time, we hear from candidates hired through us saying, “The role was exactly as was positioned during the first interview call and the opportunity presented to me far exceeds my earlier assignments” Or, “I really liked the process followed from start to finish – I was apprehensive of taking up a senior position with a start-up but, I guess each stage of the personalised discussions helped in shaping my decision to join”. Here, we see that only a value based relationship results in happy candidates and happy employees so hired for our clientele.

Try to establish this 1-1 connection and use internet based social media as a tool for achieving this. As described in the article, candidates seldom tend to hear of their success or failure and this leads to the recruitment process earning a mediocre value. Personalised and Socially connected messages through your telephone or other internet tools help converting recruiting efforts by agents as well as organizations into a critical strategic growth function for any organization.

Happy Recruiting!

Innovation arises from Problems or is it a necessity?

Innovation often is seen as a value-added curve introduced when the existing product or service value sees reduction in value or benefit. This is often termed as multiple 'S Curves'. In high technology organizations, you have various S curves very regularly keeping in mind innovation stemming out of competition.

Unfortunately, though innovation must arise from necessities, innovation often is a birth child of slowing growth and 'problems'. Why?

Most often, innovation is only thought of when your financial statements or your production numbers show a declining trend/slowing graph. Yes, innovation and thinking out of the box is required at this stage but will it really push up your graph overnight? It seldom does. Innovation is required at every stage of business decline and this can be even as frequent as a single week. 

Daily and weekly innovations are a must for every changing business organizations playing in a ever-changing economy or industry. A strike or an economic announcement, hiring freeze among, others can for example affect organizations within the Hiring and Recruitment industry. It is often seen that unless we innovate and develop these innovations quickly, results are seldom seen. 

The global hiring scenario has been choppy since 2008 and the scene in India is not that better.  
I would like to bring in few excerpts from the ILO's Global Employment Trends in 2012 - Preventing a deeper jobs crisis Release in this interim and revert back to our discussions on innovation:

"The International Labour Organization (ILO), India accounts for 74 per cent of of the South Asian region's labour force and the unemployment rates is expected to dramatically arise from 3.8 percent to 7.4 per cent. Though the growth rate in India has driven to a large 7.8 per cent, this has been associated with increased labour productivity and not due to larger employment opportunities. 

Further excerpts from the ILO, Global Employment Trends in 2012 - Preventing a deeper jobs crisis Release:

Between 2007 and 2011, labour productivity increased by 6.4 per cent on average, while employment expanded by just 1.0 per cent. This situation is prominent in India, where total employment grew by only 0.1 per cent over the five years to 2009/10 (from 457.9 million in 2004/05 to 458.4 million in 2009/10), while labour productivity grew by more than 34 per cent in total over this period (Chowdhury, 2011).

Innovation in the recruitment industry is the need of the hour. Organizations must innovate internally vis-a-vis understanding the customer as well and provide inputs and discuss with the latter on realities on the ground. Example: If the hiring trend shows that a premium pay rise of 10% for a specific skills, bring this up. Innovation here is clear that specific targeted Search is adopted to identify high skilled candidates. 

MapleCode adopts regular 'S-Curves' throughout the year. This enables the team and the organization to be a step ahead of its peers. Communicating innovation regularly also has helped MapleCode create a value space with its customers. 



About MapleCode
MapleCode is a specialized Executive and Technology Search Business established in the year 2009. MapleCode is presently based in Bangalore, India and delivers specialized Search consulting services across India, Asia Pacific, Europe and Americas. 

About the Author
Prashanth Vaidyan is a Senior Partner with the Technology Search Practice at MapleCode. He has been with the organization since inception and manages the Technology Mid Management Search assignments. Prashanth can be reach via prashanth.vaidyan@maplecode.com 

The author has referenced necessary examples from an external source to use as examples. This is duly credited herewith. Other contents are his own and as explained. 

Managing Change - Is it every easy?

Everyone agrees that Managing Change is tough. 

Even more so, once the change is done, implementing it to success is more challenging considering various forces at work. You have your internal structure, internal workforce, external partners and more importantly your customers old and new. Here, your loyal or existing customers and of course your internal structure, internal workforce, external partners too pay for the brunt of what you change!

Constant changes may awake a sense of uncertainty. Why? The reason is simple. From an organization's game changer's (or Leadership's) view point, constant change is important to adapt to the vagaries of the business environment. But, are you adeptly equipped to understand the impact of this so-called change - mostly no. 

And why? Here, I would like to quote, an article written by Jayme Alexandre de Lima for the Harvard Business Publishing Newsletters, published in January 19, 2009. He was categorical in saying that "70% of organizational transformations fail. Rarely is the cause a flawed strategy or lack of commitment by leaders (sic). Usually, says Jayme de Lima, failure occurs because the organization never wins its employees' commitment (sic)". Let us only consider this portion here - Rarely is the cause a flawed strategy or lack of commitment by leaders. 

Surely, every change is viewed as an improvement to an organization's growth or peak in this revenue or general business. But, does it involve all the parties mentioned above - your internal structure, internal workforce, your employees (quoting Jayme Alexandre de Lima), your external partners or your customers - maybe not. 

So, what is to be done? Here, I would like to highlight few areas that could be used in addition to other changes that an organization would like to implement:

1. Communicate the Change - Let the people know what you plan to do or implement. If your internal structure and your employees know what you intent, they will work understanding this intent. If the communication is myopic, it is seldom understood and any effort by a committed leadership will not yield results expected by the Change. If they have concerns, hear them out

2. External Audience - Your external audiences must know what you intent to do or change. They can add useful inputs or help re-align your change thoughts to these business models

3. Why the change - Understand also that, if you really need a radical change or is this change due to immediate past month or quarter performances. It is more possible that a change is not at all required. Form a group within - ask the workforce for reasons for issues internally before launching a change

4. Set a time - If convinced, set a time to implement the change. A change cannot go for ever. A usual formula can be 14 days. If the change cannot be implemented and also act as a success in 14 days, leave it

5. Measure Results - Create a measurable results model. What was expected from the change, has the change worked or added a spoke to the old model or do you want to give more time....assess each to see the change result. 

About MapleCode
MapleCode is a specialized Executive and Technology Search Business established in the year 2009. MapleCode is presently based in Bangalore, India and delivers specialized Search consulting services across India, Asia Pacific, Europe and Americas. 

About the Author
Prashanth Vaidyan is a Senior Partner with the Technology Search Practice at MapleCode. He has been with the organization since inception and manages the Technology Mid Management Search assignments. Prashanth can be reach via prashanth.vaidyan@maplecode.com 

The author has referenced necessary examples from an external source to use as examples. This is duly credited herewith. Other contents are his own and as explained. 

Weblink - http://hbr.org/product/managing-change-winning-hearts-and-minds/an/B0901D-PDF-ENG?Ntt=change+management

BALANCED SCORECARD REPORT ARTICLEManaging Change: Winning Hearts and Minds
Source: Harvard Business Publishing Newsletters 
3 pages.  Publication date: Jan 16, 2009. Prod. #: B0901D-PDF-ENG

by Jayme Alexandre de Lima 

MapleCode Today

MapleCode completed 3 successful years in early July 2012. As we enter our fourth year, we look back at our successes and models used to implement various strategies that we thought of and focused on. 

Starting off from a traditional single delivery system, we moved to an organized system focusing on three main delivery models, namely, the Executive Search Practice; the International Search Practice and the Technology Practice. What we have done here, is to have differentiated focus for each of our customers and give a customer oriented approach as and when they demand or simply ask. Hence, deliver what is asked immediately within a time frame rather than just pipeline projects over time. The writer will go back to more of explaining how the practice model works through a different blog.

On the other hand, it was important to have a specific and clear direction for our workforce to understand such changes considering the fluidity of the recruitment industry alongside the 'new agility' developed by our customers mainly in the Information Technology industry. Teams had to now move away from a simple customer satisfaction model to a Customer-Partner model and, clearly understanding what the customer wants on a day-to-day basis. 

The internal teams were divided based on their expertise under each of these practices and a structure was created. A specific Sales and Farming team came in to redirect the focus of each team on what they must/should do to achieve a customer first approach. A weekly customer location based meeting system was then introduced to check if the approach is working - and this helped!

Inputs from our past and current workforce members were critical to have different perspectives. To this extent, models that worked well and better were brought back and implemented and this worked yet again as an additional channel to the newer models! It was as well important to also align the support systems of the organization alongside the recruitment function. Hence, the Human Resources and the Finance Offices are currently being re-aligned to help the changes implemented in line with the workforce and customer models. 

We look forward to have a Customer and Workforce first approach in 2012-13. Our associates form a critical part of this development initiative. Faster growth prospects for aspiring individuals have been introduced to take up newer challenges and tasks within MapleCode. We look to have associates come forward with their thoughts, ideas and their newer suggestions always. 

About MapleCode
MapleCode is a specialized Executive and Technology Search Business established in the year 2009. MapleCode is presently based in Bangalore, India and delivers specialized Search consulting services across India, Asia Pacific, Europe and Americas. 

About the Author
Prashanth Vaidyan is a Senior Partner with the Technology Search Practice at MapleCode. He has been with the organization since inception and manages the Technology Mid Management Search assignments. Prashanth can be reach via prashanth.vaidyan@maplecode.com 

MapleCode Yearly Highlight

“Winning isn’t everything, it is the only thing” – Vince Lombardi

Dear All,

It is with great pride and exuberance that I announce the entry to MapleCode into its 2^nd year of operation in 2010. I take this opportunity on behalf of the MapleCode team to place on record our deepest appreciation to all our clients, business partners and well-wishers for their continued support and custom since our inception till this period.

At this time, we remember our beginnings and contributions of the initial team-cluster and all the subsequent members who created value addition and growth to the brand and organization as we moved on in 2009-early 2010. 2009 was marked as a recessionary year with no clear focus into the future of business for the year, to say the least. But, just as the global business community was optimistic, MapleCode too decided to strategise its focus and growth plans aiming into the future. This helped us secure significant wins in India and abroad with key clients and ensure success in-line with our vision. We continue to believe that we are young and have many more milestones in cross and achieve.

Few of our key brand strategies included adoption of the Blue Ocean Strategy, Competitive Positioning Methods, Key Account Management Methodology among others assisted our growth forecast and decisions before venturing and commissioning any assignment or project. Our “Customer First” and “Doing things Differently and Away from Competition” approach, helped us see joint successes for MapleCode, the organisation team, our clients and customers.

We opened our first branch in Hyderabad in July 2009 and soon to follow are centres in Chennai, Pune and Mumbai. We also look forward to set up centres and partner offices in the United States, Australia and the UAE shortly.

MapleCode commenced business with the following Business Lines and offerings. Our latest addition include the Recruitment Process Outsourcing vertical operating out of our facility in Bangalore:

(a) Talent Acquisition & Delivery Group

(b) IT Advisory Services

(c) Marketing & Branding Solutions

(d) Learning Solutions

(e) Recruitment Process Outsourcing

Talent Acquisition and Delivery Group

MapleCode’s Talent Acquisition & Delivery Group or TAG as it has become to be known constitutes one of the largest divisions within the Company. The group achieved quick successes on account of new strategies, methods of riding above competition and having a strong client-based team focus. Dedicated account management system along with clear client management principles and quick turnaround to address client needs helped this division grow in 2009. Along with the business, we were successful in hiring talent from cross-functional experience, competition and large corporations that brought value to the entire business model at TAG. At present, we focus this business successfully across India, the United States, Middle East and South East Asian markets. Our clientele in this space includes Fortune 500 companies, Large Information Technology, Engineering, Process, Infrastructure, Consumer Services & Financial Services companies.

MapleCode Executive Search

A noteworthy and distinct ability of MapleCode is to identify leaders and senior executives and as a boutique Search Firm, we believe that we are well positioned to understand the latest trends in the labour market . We believe that the right leader is important for any organization and we adhere to this philosophy before we commence any Search assignment. We ensure to hand-pick the right candidates to present before our clientele.

MapleCode has successfully placed senior leaders in various functions across the globe under various Search assignments that the Executive Search Division was retained for.

IT Advisory Services

IT Advisory Services (ITAS) at MapleCode had an early beginning almost immediately after the Company’s inception in April 2009 with winning a deal for an global electronics conglomerate specifically for its Middle East market. We were retained to ‘IT enable’ the launch of their new product line across the Middle East. The project was delivered successfully that led the ITAS as a team that could take on large assignments and deliver keeping in mind all aspects of Project Management, Control and Delivery. Considering the in-house talent, there was no doubt that the website of MapleCode should also be developed in-house (www.maplecode.com) and subsequently, the TAG function at MapleCode retained the IT division to build an in-house Applicant Tracking System and also to create an IT-based environment within the Company. The functional, consulting and technical expertise of this team has led it to successfully consult, develop and deliver projects in India, Australia and the Middle East for Marketing, Financial Services and other businesses. A portfolio of offerings and delivered assignments are available on request.

Learning Solutions Services

MapleCode’s Learning Solutions Services (LSS) is responsible for imparting training and learning programs to organizations as well as education institutions. The LSS division has trained various teams to enable them to improve and be successful in individual and organizational growth. The focus in 2010-11 is specifically set aside to train and develop young professionals completing their Engineering, Management & Other technical professional education and enable them to ‘be ready’ in the ever competitive environment around them. MapleCode’s training fraternity has extensive experience and training has always been extended to the internal team at MapleCode as well to learn, perform and grow. Training continues to be our motto and key to team performance and thereby provide employee members the opportunity to grow professionally.

Marketing and Branding Solutions

MapleCode continues to be consulted for various solutions to help organizations and individuals brand, develop and commission programs that enable the latter to promote their services and product lines. Apart from professional assistance, MapleCode also consults firms, its partners and individuals on branding programs across geographies.

Recruitment Process Outsourcing

MapleCode’s Recruitment Processing Outsourcing (RPO) arm is one of the newest addition in the brand’s business. Originally a sub-set of the TAG function, the RPO division is aligned to key customers, to deliver recruitment solutions quickly and efficiently. We have dedicated Recruitment teams that include recruitment specialists, market research analysts and delivery specialists that work closely with key customer contacts for their immediate recruitment needs.

The Story ahead....

We are optimistic along with the global business community and aim to build results through our work methodology and Customer-First approach. MapleCode will strive to be a #1 or #2 in each domain and market we operate; ensuring success for its associates, Business Alliance Partners, clients and partners. In 2010-11 our renewed focus will continue on building an organization aligned to our customers, employees, shareholders, society and the general business community as a whole and to improve internal processes and systems to create a world-class organisation . We will strive to continue to adopt the best practices in the various industry sectors we operate.

I, once again, place on record my appreciation to our clients, customers, employee fraternity, business alliance partners and the entire team at MapleCode. We look forward to hear your thoughts and recommendation on how better we can improve. Please wish us the best as we step into Year 2.

Please feel free to reach out to anyone of us, anytime:

Ajmal Adiraja

Director – Talent Acquisition & Delivery Group

Email: ajmal.adiraja@maplecode.com

http://www.maplecode.com/ajmal-adiraja.html

Phone: +91-9739.007.131

Vinod Thomas

Director –Executive Search and Client Management

Email: vinod.thomas@maplecode.com

http://www.maplecode.com/vinod-thomas.html

Phone: +91-9845.704.549

Prashanth Vaidyan

Director – IT Advisory, Learning Solutions & Business Planning

Email: prashanth.vaidyan@maplecode.com

Profile: http://www.maplecode.com/prashanth-vaidyan.html

Phone: +91-9663.308.226

The global market is resurgent and the outlook is positive and the India story is strong. MapleCode’s outlook for 2009-10 is bright and august and we all must strive to ensure positive growth and success in all our endeavours.

We will strongly focus in Sales & Delivery within the Talent Acquisition & Delivery (Executive Search), IT Advisory, Branding & Marketing and Learning Solutions divisions. MapleCode will strive to be a #1 or #2 in each domain and market we operate; ensuring success for its associates, Business Alliance Partners, clients and partners. We look forward to your custom, suggestions and wishes as we move to Year 2.

Warm Regards,

Prashanth Vaidyan

Director – IT Advisory, Learning Solutions & Business Planning

MapleCode Consulting Private Limited

Bangalore, INDIA

www.maplecode.com

MapleCode 2009 Highlights

Dear All,

On the onset, let me wish you all a very happy and prosperous New Year 2010. I also join the MapleCode team in extending our wishes to your respective families’ as well.

As we look back into 2009, MapleCode has completed a successful eight months of operations on by December 2009. We have won A+ clients, have done cutting edge assignments that paved our way into 2010. All your efforts and dedication has helped the organization to move ahead on various initiatives that it has stepped forward to achieve. Thank you. I also take this opportunity to specifically thank Revti, Resident Director, MapleCode Consulting, Hyderabad for her support.

Let us work with increased zeal in 2010-11 as well.

Summary of 2009

IT Advisory Services

Early in our incorporation, MapleCode commenced operations with an IT Advisory assignment for a leading IT Electronics giant in the Middle East (Dubai, UAE). We were retained to ‘IT enable’ the launch of their new product line across the Middle East. We successfully delivered the assignment on time with our offshore IT Partner and team in Bangalore.

Talent Acquisition & Delivery Group

Close to 90% of the business in 2009 was through MapleCode’s TAG team. This team achieved early success to work as exclusive partners with leading IT/Non-IT organizations in INDIA. With a focus to target niche sectors, the TAG at MapleCode continues to work and strengthen its presence in its domain of expertise. The team has successfully closed critical positions quickly and effectively.

Team: Thanks and keep up the spirit and continue the dedication. The TAG team has grown from a mere single member team to an 8 member team across Bangalore & Hyderabad. There has been steady closures and we are creating a strong presence among competition which is commendable at such a young age in the organization’s growth.

Learning Solutions

2009 saw MapleCode Training Solutions winning deals into 2010-11 with Antenna Software Solutions (www.antennasoftware.com) in Mid and Leadership level training requirements. The deal was won in just 3 meetings with the client. I specifically thank Ms. Anjali Nair our Training Partner for her relentless contribution to see this vertical grow. MapleCode is in talks with leading Learning solutions companies to partner in Training & Learning initiatives in the year ahead.

Business Alliances Model – Partner Ecosystem

Without the ecosystem of partners, we would not have achieved success. I specifically note Salman @M/s. Blu Bee Web Solutions, INDIA; Ms. Anjali Nair; Miraz Aggarwal @ M/s Ingenix Solutions, USA; Ms. Shabreen, Australia; Suresh @ Globe IT and Pramod Menon. I thank them for their partnership to see MapleCode grow.

New Office Space

MapleCode moved to a new location in Frazer Town CBD area in December 2009. The new office will operate as a Sales and Delivery Management Centre of MapleCode in Bangalore.

MapleCode on the web

MapleCode continues to ensure its presence on the web with links across all Social marketing sites. Links for your perusal are indicated below:

www.maplecode.com

2. http://maplecodeupdates.blogspot.com/

3. www.twitter.com/MapleCode

4. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=82670507660&ref=search&sid=719732282.3782932310..1

5. http://www.linkedin.com/companies/maplecode?trk=co_search_results&goback=.cps_1262414008793_1

The Story ahead....

The Indian economy though displays key concerns, have a positive and optimistic outlook in 2010 across all sectors especially IT, Auto and Steel. As we enter 2010, MapleCode is clear to move ahead and provide the right management and technical solutions to its clientele. We believe to partner with them to grow their businesses with zeal and focus. The Company looks forward in empowering its talent and business leaders as well to take on more responsibilities in their respective areas of work. Another extended focus will be to build operational and business efficiencies and bring in JIT, Six Sigma and BSC Scorecards across the organization. Core strategy teams will lead all activities to jointly achieve synergies in business and value.

Lets join hands in building a more successful business in 2010.

All the best!

Warm Regards,

Prashanth Vaidyan

Director (People, Finance & Business Planning)

MapleCode Consulting Private Limited,

Bangalore, Hyderabad INDIA

Blue Ocean Strategy at MapleCode

All,

What is Blue Ocean Strategy? We hear this new strategic term conversed, used and practiced across organizations globally, nowadays and adding more value than never before:

Authors W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne state clearly “Stop Benchmarking the Competition. The more you benchmark your competitors, the more you tend to look like them (more on the BOS on their website www.blueoceanstrategy.com). I stop to think back on terms like Group Think and at times organizations and teams within also get caught in a complex web and eventually ‘copying’ practices their successful or not so successful competitors. Imitation is not a sin, but, it is important to stay above the rest in most processes.

How blue are we? Competition forms an integral part of business and commercial ecosystems. Competition has been a term that has been perhaps omnipresent since the barter system or early cross continental trading systems were in place. Can we avoid it? The answer ofcourse is a big NO.

The more you are in the midst of competition, the more ‘red’ is the territory around you. Let me consider the example of MapleCode as an organization. The Management Consulting ecosystem to which we belong is riveted with competition and similar traits and perhaps the same promise values to the end clients. I will explain later in this blog on how we devise our practices to overcome the redness in the business waters around us.

Before this, I would invite you to listen to a video of Vineet Nayar, CEO of HCL Technologies - http://tv.insead.edu/video/Blue+Ocean+Strategy/5/2752 (Referenced from INSEAD Knowledge) wherein he clearly states how Blue Ocean Strategy was primarily adopted by a Services company like HCL and its success.

Though Blue Ocean Strategy has many tools to adopt, I am focussing only on the 4 Actions Framework (referenced http://www.blueoceanstrategy.com/abo/4_action.html). The main 4 Actions Framework are listed below:

1. Reduce (Which factors should be reduced well below the industry’s standards to reduce over deliver)

2. Create (Which factors should be crated that the industry has never offered)

3. Eliminate (Which of the factors that the industry takes for granted should be eliminated)

4. Raise (Which factors should be raised well above the industry’s standards so your customers won’t have to make compromises)

What is MapleCode trying to achieve?

1. Reduce: To avoid confusion in the minds of end clients, MapleCode strives to focus only on specific and alcove offerings. In each of its 4 verticals namely, Marketing and Branding; IT Advisory; Executive Search and Learning & Development, MapleCode strives to have a maximum of 3-4 lines of offerings directly in line with client needs and client value growth

2. Raise: Create line managers methodology processes to converse and keep end customers happy. Establish a 24/7 model to address client and end customer needs. We realised quickly that it is important to have a voice behind every conversation to our clients as well as candidates. Many of the future initiatives will include a 24/7 call model, team availability across time zones etc to provide quick turnarounds

3. Create: Create and identify new paths and methods that are unique in the offshore market. Primarily we try to achieve areas that have never been tried earlier to achieve greater success

4. Eliminate: We have eliminated redundant steps and complex team structures. Having a complex interwoven methodology would create added confusion and provide lesser prevalence over competition

Visit us on www.maplecode.com for more information on our offerings.

Regards,

Prashanth Vaidyan

Director, MapleCode Consulting Private Limited

Bangalore & Hyderabad, INDIA

**Referring from its global site www.blueoceanstrategy.com, and clear statements by authors of the BOS, W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne