Hiring Report: TMP Wants Career Focused Professionals

Company : TMP Worldwide Advertising & Communications LLC. Company business description: Recruitment Advertising Agency Headquarters: New York, New York Office Locations: New York, Chicago, DC, Atlanta, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Massachusetts, Milwaukee, + others Web site: http://www.tmp.com Founded: 1967 Number of IT Employees: 65 Hiring Plans: Will be hiring in the areas of business systems analysts, data warehousing and business intelligence. Expects to add between two and four IT professionals this year. The Company: TMP Worldwide Advertising & Communications (TMP) is North America's largest independent recruitment advertising agency and the only recruitment advertising agency recognized among the top 20 U.S. Interactive agencies. We are a single source for companies to communicate their employment offerings in order to recruit and retain the best talent. Through online and traditional communications, ROI campaign management services, creative and brand management, diversity enrichment, and media planning, IT is critical to our success because TMP delivers Solutions with an Interactive Edge, achieving industry-specific results across virtually every sector in business and government. Headquartered in New York City with offices throughout North America and affiliates around the globe, TMP continues to set the standard for measurable and cost-effective HR communications. Hiring Leaders: Michael Iacona/CIO & SVP Iacona has 14 years of experience in business and technology, having previously worked for Loews Corporation, AT&T, and was the founder and CTO of MyRebates.com. In his current role at TMP, he oversees all technology initiatives for the company. Iacona is responsible for activities ranging from the design and implementation of infrastructure and internal support, customer relationship management, billing, and workflow management systems to revenue generating product development and custom web development solutions for TMP clients.

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Given all the news about the talent crunch, have you or are you finding it more difficult to find qualified IT professionals? If so, is any particular skill set in big demand or very scarce? Yes, primarily because of the size and industry, our company requires technology team members to wear many hats. This means hiring people with deep experience in one area is not always desired, but rather, someone with a good balance of depth and breadth in multiple areas. What are your primary recruiting strategies? Do you work with recruiters, post jobs online, etc. As experts in the field, we, TMP practices what we preach, using multiple on-line media and a variety of recruitment strategies, including outside recruiters where applicable. Most recently we have developed our very own mobile marketing platform to reach candidates across cell phones and other mobile devices. We are also using our newly created TMP Island property on the Second Life virtual world to host various career events. What is the hiring process " how many interviews, with whom and any testing involved? The process starts with a very thorough job description. From this our internal recruiters begin sourcing candidates through various forms of media. A candidate list is built and the recruiters screen based on the job requirements, etc. The recruiter then schedules calls to speak with the candidate. If the conversation confirms a potential match, the recruiter passes that candidate along to the hiring manager and schedules an interview. The interview can be either on the phone or in person. If that goes well, the candidate is then brought in to meet with other member of the team and or with more senior staff members, this may include the CIO. For certain positions where the role and needed skills are clearly defined and instrumental to success, we work with "testing and fit" companies such as PreVisor to help in determining the best match. The process is thorough and takes between four and 10 weeks; expectations are clear to the candidate with the goal to make sure that both parties acknowledge a proper fit. What should candidates know before they interview at TMP? Be prepared and know what we do as a company. Be able to articulate why you are a good candidate in terms of how your accomplishments have made a significant business impact. Ask good, relevant questions when given the opportunity and always follow-up with a thank you letter. What makes for an outstanding potential hire? Someone who has demonstrated upward mobility throughout their career. That is, a candidate who clearly demonstrates career progression. It's okay to hit a stumbling block along the way, but be prepared to explain what you learned from that experience. The capacity to learn, regardless of how much experience you have, is important. As a growing company, TMP needs individuals who have the capacity and desire to grow as well. What are red flags you look for when reviewing resumes, doing interviews—what are some issues that thwart candidates? Job hopping is always a concern. If someone was/is a consultant, then that is okay. But someone who moves from company to company every one to two years is a red flag. Another red flag is someone who cannot clearly articulate the reasons for their career decisions—why they made certain decisions along the way, beginning with their decision of choosing a major in college. What kind of non-IT skills do your IT team members need, if any? A customer service mentality, communications skills (verbal and written), and the ability to work in an environment that embraces change are all very important. We also look for someone who does not need a clear career path laid out for them year by year, but who seizes opportunities in an entrepreneurial environment. How important is the cover letter in job queries " any tips or advice to job seekers on what to do or not to do. The cover letter should clearly and concisely state why the candidate is interested and what unique qualifications the candidate brings to the open position and our company. A good cover letter can help and a bad one will have a negative impact. Is the IT organization looking for certified skills, is that a must have or is there any other qualification that is a must have? Certifications are not required most of the time, but they do show that the candidate has made a certain commitment to obtaining expertise and that may separate them from equally qualified candidates, assuming the certification is known in the industry. Does the organization hire 'newbies' and invest in training and how well does that work, and if not, why not? Sometimes. Because we are a relatively small growing company (approximately 630 people), we don't have formal corporate training programs by position. We tend to require candidates that can come in and hit the ground running. However, we do offer a very competitive tuition reimbursement program, up to $5,500 a year. We also provide one-off training based on skills needed for various IT initiatives. What characteristics or personality traits do you want in a hire, and don't want? It is desired to hire someone who is a self-starter. Undesirable traits are someone who is satisfied with the status quo. What does your company offer IT specialists as an employer? We provide opportunities to work in multiple functional areas as well as closely with business counterparts, because our technology division spans across traditional IT, business systems, custom website and product development. Technology staff members are given opportunities in all of these areas. Other recent articles from TechCareers Hiring Report: Mu Security Seeks Collaborative Security Experts Career Profile: Sr. Director Of Global IT/Interwoven Inc.

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