Guest Blogger: JobSyntax's Zoe Goldring on Asia Pacific Headhunter

This is a guest post by the talented and extremely influential Zoe Goldring of JobSyntax, as part of  the recruiting blog swap.

What I learned recruiting from India   

At first, as part of this blog swap, I wasn't sure that I would have anything to contribute from the point of view of an expert like The Asia Pacific Headhunter.  Then it dawned on me that I spent a great deal of time in my first job, at a little ole software company you may have heard of in Redmond, Washington, recruiting candidates from international sources to join software development efforts at the US headquarters.

When I first started in the job I had absolutely no experience in recruiting.  I liked working with people and was interested in new technologies, so that helped a bit.  It was exciting to know that I was being given to chance to combine those two interests and learn a new profession at one of the world's leading employers.  Who could ask for more?  My world got completely flipped upside down though when I found out that I was going to be responsible for finding and evaluating candidates from India to come to Redmond.

Looking back, it was probably the best way for someone new to the industry to learn about sourcing and evaluating candidates.  I had to completely change my headspace to think not only about how to find candidates in a completely different country, but also learn about customs and cultures that were completely foreign to me in order to properly evaluate a candidates credentials.  When I was eventually asked to recruit candidates from domestic resources, I found that I had a leg up in finding the proverbial "needle in the haystack".

Along the way though, I learned some interesting things that were helpful in recruiting and doing business in general:

    * Foreign resumes are very different then their US equivalent.  Most folks had pages and pages of information which often started with a picture and personal information such as age, gender, marital status, and number of children.  While this seemed strange to me, I had to remember that in many cultures this information was required on resumes.  A tip for jobseekers interested in positions in the US; consider preparing a separate US style resume when applying for positions.

    * Finding candidates at a distance doesn't have to be that hard.  Spend time researching the top universities, get to know the programs that graduate the best students, interact with professors on campus, offer to sponsor software or host get together for some of the professionals clubs and associations, find the top employers for your industry and start networking with recruiters and HR professionals at these companies.  The list could go one, but be creative in your approach and you will be able to connect with a great network of individuals.

    * Getting the opportunity to spend time in India was probably one of the best parts of the job.  I could learn all I wanted online, or from friends or reading books, but there is nothing like being immersed in the culture.

    * Respect and politeness are underrated virtues in the US.  I'm no heathen, but I was never treated as well as when I was in India.  They also taught me how being respectful can win you points in the business world.

    * When it comes to making offers you should learn how different cultures view money and how people negotiate.  I think that some of the folks I dealt with in India were the toughest negotiators that I ever met.  They taught me how to be a good negotiator and how to present offers.

    * Want to know how to greet someone, offer your business card or what different body language means?  Then Kiss, Bow, or Shake Hands is a great overview to learn about interacting with business people from different countries.  The biggest lesson I learned was that a head nod that means "no" in the US is typically a "yes" gesture in India.   

Now, my knowledge is fairly limited to India but I would imagine that I probably would have had the similar points to make if I were assigned to another Asian Pacific country or region.  What I do know is that these experiences really shaped the perspectives I have today.  Even more so, they helped me to have a fierce interest in creating a unparalleled candidate experience that planted the seeds for founding the company I co-own today.

Zoë

Comments

[Todd N]

Thanks for the book reference, Zoe! I have been looking for something exactly like that for some time. And your points about politeness are well taken. Not that I've been a rude person before, but a renewed mindfulness of politeness, especially when working with people from other cultures has resulted in some great new friends (and placements) recently!

[Zoe]

You're very welcome! I am glad it is a helpful reference - I guess politeness does pay off :)

[gautam]

Hi Zoe,

Just a small point...the head shake that means No in most parts of the English speaking world also means No in northern India.

It's in Southern India that the complications occur. A full shake of the head still means a No, but a wobble-shake means Yes :-)

Difficult to explain over the net. Maybe in detail when we meet !

[zoe]

Thanks for the clarification Gautam! This is probably a really important distinction. :)