Comments on: Hiring Fail – The hard lessons learned hiring & firing over 30 Search Professionals http://www.seerinteractive.com/blog/hiring-fail-the-hard-lessons-learned-hiring-firing-over-30-search-professionals/2010/01/21/ SEO SEM and the world of search marketing Mon, 06 Sep 2010 00:48:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Article Playground http://www.seerinteractive.com/blog/hiring-fail-the-hard-lessons-learned-hiring-firing-over-30-search-professionals/2010/01/21/#comment-130791 Article Playground Fri, 19 Feb 2010 23:50:01 +0000 http://www.seerinteractive.com/?p=743#comment-130791 I appreciate you for this blog my friend. I'm following you on YouTube through Shawn Collins of Affiliate Summit =) http://www.ShawnDrewry.com I appreciate you for this blog my friend. I’m following you on YouTube through Shawn Collins of Affiliate Summit =)

http://www.ShawnDrewry.com

]]> By: Avoiding Client SEO Failures – our near huge mistake | Seer Interactive SEO Blog http://www.seerinteractive.com/blog/hiring-fail-the-hard-lessons-learned-hiring-firing-over-30-search-professionals/2010/01/21/#comment-130652 Avoiding Client SEO Failures – our near huge mistake | Seer Interactive SEO Blog Mon, 15 Feb 2010 19:41:36 +0000 http://www.seerinteractive.com/?p=743#comment-130652 [...] the guys and girl above, I started thinking about what I could share, given that my last post on hiring difficulties was well received I figured I’d write something that combines both. It begins with story of [...] [...] the guys and girl above, I started thinking about what I could share, given that my last post on hiring difficulties was well received I figured I’d write something that combines both. It begins with story of [...]

]]> By: Keith Scandone http://www.seerinteractive.com/blog/hiring-fail-the-hard-lessons-learned-hiring-firing-over-30-search-professionals/2010/01/21/#comment-130499 Keith Scandone Tue, 09 Feb 2010 22:56:05 +0000 http://www.seerinteractive.com/?p=743#comment-130499 Ah, so true it hurts. Bc I too have had to hire and fire people at our company...and I have learned many painful lessons in the process. Thanks for sharing. I appreciate your honesty and transparency. And I think I have now fulfilled my required reading for the month after enduring that white paper. If you were more ADD like me, you'd understand that joke... Ah, so true it hurts. Bc I too have had to hire and fire people at our company…and I have learned many painful lessons in the process. Thanks for sharing. I appreciate your honesty and transparency. And I think I have now fulfilled my required reading for the month after enduring that white paper. If you were more ADD like me, you’d understand that joke…

]]> By: Hugh Braithwaite http://www.seerinteractive.com/blog/hiring-fail-the-hard-lessons-learned-hiring-firing-over-30-search-professionals/2010/01/21/#comment-130143 Hugh Braithwaite Tue, 02 Feb 2010 17:12:54 +0000 http://www.seerinteractive.com/?p=743#comment-130143 Wil, you nailed it. I'd add one more to your personality parade. The Repeater. This is someone that matches and mirrors your speech patterns, vocabulary and gestures to make you think it they are a perfect fit. One great revealing question I always ask: Describe a turning point in your life. It tends to get them to reveal a much truer side of what they are really made of. Wil, you nailed it. I’d add one more to your personality parade. The Repeater. This is someone that matches and mirrors your speech patterns, vocabulary and gestures to make you think it they are a perfect fit. One great revealing question I always ask: Describe a turning point in your life. It tends to get them to reveal a much truer side of what they are really made of.

]]> By: Scott Messer http://www.seerinteractive.com/blog/hiring-fail-the-hard-lessons-learned-hiring-firing-over-30-search-professionals/2010/01/21/#comment-130077 Scott Messer Sat, 30 Jan 2010 21:54:30 +0000 http://www.seerinteractive.com/?p=743#comment-130077 Your comments are directed to search but apply through all areas of the organization. Depending on the job there are other assessment tools beyond DISC that can be effective, as well. Great post, captures the essence of hiring beautifully. One tip: if you can find someone to do an early interview while you watch rather than participate you can better focus on the applicant and conversation rather than try to think, write, talk, etc. Your comments are directed to search but apply through all areas of the organization. Depending on the job there are other assessment tools beyond DISC that can be effective, as well. Great post, captures the essence of hiring beautifully. One tip: if you can find someone to do an early interview while you watch rather than participate you can better focus on the applicant and conversation rather than try to think, write, talk, etc.

]]> By: Wil Reynolds http://www.seerinteractive.com/blog/hiring-fail-the-hard-lessons-learned-hiring-firing-over-30-search-professionals/2010/01/21/#comment-130030 Wil Reynolds Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:12:19 +0000 http://www.seerinteractive.com/?p=743#comment-130030 @Jon, definitely amigo...I don't write too much about the agency side, I can start working on that bossman. @Robert, thanks stick around, I think we post some good stuff here from time to time :) I'm biased obviously. @adam, you got a convert good for you, I didn't mean to make it sound like all of them are not able to make the transition, but they have to want to make it. @Rhea - hells yeah there we go! Now you are really touching on something, and that something will be why you'll be a great person to work with you care about helping people in their professional growth, that kind of genuine concern will help you retain great folks. Isn't it hard when you find a MONSTER? All you can say is...damn I can't wait to find the next them, and you will monsters tend to know other monsters, kinda like gremlins :) Having interns not touch clients lets you see if they are client touching material, b/c eventually you want them to be, I think. As for meeting the team our doors are always open for you. @Jon, definitely amigo…I don’t write too much about the agency side, I can start working on that bossman.

@Robert, thanks stick around, I think we post some good stuff here from time to time :) I’m biased obviously.

@adam, you got a convert good for you, I didn’t mean to make it sound like all of them are not able to make the transition, but they have to want to make it.

@Rhea – hells yeah there we go!

Now you are really touching on something, and that something will be why you’ll be a great person to work with you care about helping people in their professional growth, that kind of genuine concern will help you retain great folks.

Isn’t it hard when you find a MONSTER? All you can say is…damn I can’t wait to find the next them, and you will monsters tend to know other monsters, kinda like gremlins :)

Having interns not touch clients lets you see if they are client touching material, b/c eventually you want them to be, I think.

As for meeting the team our doors are always open for you.

]]> By: Rhea Drysdale http://www.seerinteractive.com/blog/hiring-fail-the-hard-lessons-learned-hiring-firing-over-30-search-professionals/2010/01/21/#comment-130027 Rhea Drysdale Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:40:49 +0000 http://www.seerinteractive.com/?p=743#comment-130027 You're making me form coherent thoughts? Jerk. ;) I really liked the post, because it verbalized a lot of experiences I've had and a number I haven't. At WBP I got to put together my dream team of link builders for advanced SEO training. I took some of the seasoned vets and some of the noobs. I didn't use a personality test, but there were a number of unconventional tests that gave me insight into their work ethic, ego, passion for learning, honesty, etc. Like you, I discovered that experience had little to do with who would ultimately become my most trusted and exceptional team members. I don't think I've had more passion for anything than I did in building that team and seeing them grow over just a few months. I still get emails thanking me and so many of them have grown into phenomenal, well-rounded marketers. Brings a tear to my eye just thinking about it! :) Outspoken Media is my baby now, but it's a more independent baby. We can't grow a team as fast as I did at WBP, but this is a more natural growth. I've had to fire quick and it upset me for awhile, but it was absolutely the right decision. Meanwhile, we've also found Dawn who still blows me away. We can't wait to find the next Dawn when we're ready for them. We've also had several individuals inquire about interning, one was willing to pass up an incredible full-time job. We couldn't let them do that, but we'll be looking closer at interns in the near future. To your point, I don't want anyone getting close to clients, but we can certainly use targeted help whether they do small maintenance work or give us a chance to clean up a process or finish an in-house project. Building your dream team is terribly exciting! I haven't quantified personalities to the extent you have, but I'm definitely curious about where we lie. Maybe that's the next step? All I know is that I personally love building killer teams. Now when do I get to come visit the Seer office and meet yours? :D You’re making me form coherent thoughts? Jerk. ;)

I really liked the post, because it verbalized a lot of experiences I’ve had and a number I haven’t. At WBP I got to put together my dream team of link builders for advanced SEO training. I took some of the seasoned vets and some of the noobs. I didn’t use a personality test, but there were a number of unconventional tests that gave me insight into their work ethic, ego, passion for learning, honesty, etc.

Like you, I discovered that experience had little to do with who would ultimately become my most trusted and exceptional team members. I don’t think I’ve had more passion for anything than I did in building that team and seeing them grow over just a few months. I still get emails thanking me and so many of them have grown into phenomenal, well-rounded marketers. Brings a tear to my eye just thinking about it! :)

Outspoken Media is my baby now, but it’s a more independent baby. We can’t grow a team as fast as I did at WBP, but this is a more natural growth. I’ve had to fire quick and it upset me for awhile, but it was absolutely the right decision. Meanwhile, we’ve also found Dawn who still blows me away. We can’t wait to find the next Dawn when we’re ready for them.

We’ve also had several individuals inquire about interning, one was willing to pass up an incredible full-time job. We couldn’t let them do that, but we’ll be looking closer at interns in the near future. To your point, I don’t want anyone getting close to clients, but we can certainly use targeted help whether they do small maintenance work or give us a chance to clean up a process or finish an in-house project.

Building your dream team is terribly exciting! I haven’t quantified personalities to the extent you have, but I’m definitely curious about where we lie. Maybe that’s the next step? All I know is that I personally love building killer teams.

Now when do I get to come visit the Seer office and meet yours? :D

]]> By: Crista Gary http://www.seerinteractive.com/blog/hiring-fail-the-hard-lessons-learned-hiring-firing-over-30-search-professionals/2010/01/21/#comment-130018 Crista Gary Thu, 28 Jan 2010 06:52:10 +0000 http://www.seerinteractive.com/?p=743#comment-130018 That is going all over the world, hiring and firing; IT industry also faced some hardship in last 2 years. By the way thanks for sharing all this in article and SEO experiences. That is going all over the world, hiring and firing; IT industry also faced some hardship in last 2 years. By the way thanks for sharing all this in article and SEO experiences.

]]> By: Adam http://www.seerinteractive.com/blog/hiring-fail-the-hard-lessons-learned-hiring-firing-over-30-search-professionals/2010/01/21/#comment-129986 Adam Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:36:27 +0000 http://www.seerinteractive.com/?p=743#comment-129986 Very interesting..having little experience in hiring people for our SEO company, I'll be sure to share this with my partner, who happens to be a bit of a Design Junkie since she did go to school for fine arts and web design, but really has become one of the best in the art of SEO. Very interesting..having little experience in hiring people for our SEO company, I’ll be sure to share this with my partner, who happens to be a bit of a Design Junkie since she did go to school for fine arts and web design, but really has become one of the best in the art of SEO.

]]> By: Robert John Ed http://www.seerinteractive.com/blog/hiring-fail-the-hard-lessons-learned-hiring-firing-over-30-search-professionals/2010/01/21/#comment-129985 Robert John Ed Tue, 26 Jan 2010 16:37:31 +0000 http://www.seerinteractive.com/?p=743#comment-129985 New here, but found this post and the year end round up to be worthwhile. Keep it up. New here, but found this post and the year end round up to be worthwhile. Keep it up.

]]>