How Do I Video Interview... Unemployed Candidates

How Do I Video Interview... Unemployed CandidatesEvery candidate comes with their own set of unique bewerberinterviewing challenges. Thats why were tackling how to video interview different types of job seekers with this how to series. Today, well be talking about how to connect with unemployed candidates in the video interview.Too many companies automatically discount candidates who are currently without a job. But perhaps behauptung unemployed candidates are exactly the kind of motivated job seekers you need in your organizationUnemployment Doesnt Mean UnemployableWith the tough economy, unemployment is a huge problem right now. At 7.9 percent, the U.S. has the lowest unemployment rate in years. But 7.9 percent unemployment is still very, very high.And not all of these job seekers have been out of work for only a short amount of time. In fact, numbers from the Labor Department show nearly 4.8 million Americans have been out of work for a staggering 27 weeks or more. This is a big p ortion of job seekers to leave on the table just because theyre not currently employed.Many companies, however, are ignoring this huge segment of the talent pool. A recent study for the annual Academy of Management conference showed just one month after being let go, job seekers were facing an uphill battle to get hired. The study proved employers rated identical resumes more positively if candidates were still at a current position. Its hard enough for unemployed candidates without companies discriminating against them because of their jobless status.These workers are not only a big segment of the talent pool, but also theyre a highly motivated segment. While passive candidates are great, unemployed candidates are more likely to be excited and ready to jump in and hit the ground running. There will be no decision process about whether they should leave their current comfy cubicle for your greener pastures unemployed candidates will be ready to work as soon as you make an offer.How to Connect in the Video InterviewThe video interview is the moment to put your doubts about a candidates unemployment to rest. Dont feel strange about asking what might feel like awkward questions. If its something you feel you need to know to move forward with the job seeker, then you should utilize the video interview to ask.So here are a few simple interview questions which can help put your fears at easeWhy were you let go? If your job seeker is wading into the unemployment pool thanks to downsizing or firing, its important you get the full story before making a job offer. Perhaps the economy caused the job seekers company to let go of talented workers. Or perhaps the job seeker was fired for some offense or mistake. Find out what the reason was straight from the source before making assumptions.What have you been doing? Bouncing back after being let go is tough, whether you were downsized or fired. But youre looking for job seekers who stopped wallowing and started getting proa ctive. Asking about what the candidate has been doing during their unemployment is a good way to gauge motivation and drive.For instance, maybe theyve been volunteering their skills and building up their network. Or maybe theyve been working on a contract or freelance basis. Dont make the mistake of thinking just because these job seekers dont work a traditional 9-to-5 job means they havent been working at all.What have you learned? The best job seekers will be the ones who have learned valuable lessons from their experience. They might have learned the importance of networking or even went out and got additional credentials and education.Asking what theyve learned from their unemployment is a good way to find out if the job seeker is the kind of employee who will look at big problems as learning opportunities and challenges to be solved.Unemployed candidates certainly arent unemployable, and they might be just the talent you need for your organization. So use the video interview as a window to ask smart interview questions and find out if these candidates are the right talent for your organization.What interview questions do you ask unemployed job seekers? Share in the comments

Successful Ways to Open Your Sales Cold Call

Successful Ways to Open Your Sales Cold CallSuccessful Ways to Open Your Sales Cold CallThe most important part of any cold call you make on the phone is the first fifteen seconds. If you cant get your prospects focus and attention during that time period, then they will stop listening to you and the odds of your getting an appointment drop dramatically. Thats why you need to come up with a hook, an opener that will grab a prospects attention and give you time to do the actual selling later in the call. Strong Opening Statement A good strong opening statement is critical to cold calling. It piques the listeners interest and gets him thinking about you as someone who can do something for him. Many prospects will automatically say no thanks and hang up as soon as they realize youre trying to sell them something. However, if you can break through that automatic response with an opening statement that engages the prospects brain and gets him thinking instead of reacting, you can get the call moving in the right direction. Surprising Benefit Approach One approach that often works well is the surprising benefit approach. Heres an example from an actualreal estate broker cold calling script Them Hello?You Would you like to save an additional $10,000 this year?Them Who is this?You My name is You, and I show people how to save an additional $10,000 would you like to learn how to do it?Them Whats this about?You Its about saving an additional $10,000 this year would you like to learn more about it?Them Is this some sort of scam?You No, I can show you how to save an additional $10,000 this year, its what I specialize in. Would you like to learn more?Them Who are you with?You Im with your company, and I specialize in showing clients how to save an additional... The idea here is to get the prospect to permit you to tell them more. The surprising benefit approach as used in the above example can be risky because it tends to be confrontational, and prospects can find it annoying if you refuse to answer their questions. But depending on your product and market, it can be a very effective opening approach. You can also try a milder version of the surprising benefit approach (meaning less resistant to answering the prospect) and see if it works better for you. Utilize a Question Most successful cold call openers include a question. If you ask the prospect something, it tends to jolt their mind into gear and get them thinking about the answer (or at least about the question). Ideally, the opening question will provide a reason for the prospect to want to hear more. And if you know your prospects name, work it into the opener. By saying their name, youve already customized the call a bit and told the prospect that you at least know who he is. To use this style of an opener, include the prospects name (if you know it), your company name, what you sell, and how your product can benefit the customer, followed by a request for permission to ask the p rospect some qualifying questions. An example might look like this Mr. Customer, my name is your name, and I am your local what you sell representative. I have helped a lot of local businesses here in your city bring more customers into their stores. May I ask you a few questions to see how we can do the same for you?