Medical Device Medical Recruiters Thu, 18 Jul 2019 20:31:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 10 Tips For Improving Your Phone Interviews Fri, 29 Mar 2019 17:55:42 +0000 Many candidates express concern when we contact them to set up a phone interview with a potential future employer. This worry comes from individuals with a couple years of experience all the way up to Senior Executives. It really isn’t surprising since most of us are uncomfortable and don’t know what to expect in the interview process regardless of whether it is in person or on the phone. 

After all, most of us don’t go through a stressful process like a job transition very often. The good thing is we as a company do this every day. One thing I tell candidates to consider is that a phone interview is just like any other interview and should be taken just as seriously. After all, it is the hiring manager/HR manager or recruiter’s first impression of you. 

  1. Preparation starts from the moment you received a phone interview request. Note: If they ask if you can do a phone interview now, I would recommend you say no unless you know the company, role and are well prepared. Most often you may not remember the company and what the role was for if you have been applying for numerous jobs in a short period of time. It is okay to say you that right now isn’t a good time, but you would love to schedule another time. What time would the interviewer be available? I recommend you provide them some other dates and times where you could ensure you are well prepared and would not be disturbed or pre-occupied. 
  2. Be ready for the call 10-15 minutes before the scheduled phone interview time. This is like any other interview. You want to make sure you have everything ready; you are in the “zone” and ready to “talk about yourself” and not think about anything else. 
  3. Be prepared and dress for success. Would you interview in your PJ’s? Dress the way you would in person. You want to make sure you are in “Character” and feel like you are in a professional interview. 
  4. Have a copy of your resume, the job posting (if available) to be able to reference if needed. Do not read directly off of your resume as you will sound scripted and not very confident about your background, work history and what you accomplished. After all, your resume should accurately reflect who and what your potential new corporation would be getting in you as a new member of their team.
  5. Have a glass of wateron standby just in case you do a lot of talking and your mouth gets dry. The last thing you want is to have a coughing spell or sound unclear when speaking. 
  6. Interview in a private areawhere you will not be disturbed and are free from distractions and noise. Dogs barking in the background disturbs your train of thought and your interview. 
  7. Standingwhen you are on the phone is helpful as it reduces pressure on your diaphragm and helps you speak more clearly and confidently.
  8. Have a pen and paperavailable to write down any important questions or additional information during the interview process.
  9. At the end of the interviewthank them for their time and the opportunity to be considered for a position with their organization. Most importantly, express your interest in the role and ask them if there is anything that they need further clarification on. This is you one opportunity to address something they may have missed or misunderstood. It is also an opportunity to clear up communication with the future employer by handling any of their questions or potential objections they provide during the interview process. There is no such thing as too much detail when trying to demonstrate your abilities. Remember, the goal is to move you forward in the interview process. 
  10. Send a Thank you email reiterating your interest in the opportunity and look forward to the next interview. This is probably missed 50% of the time. 
Need to drive sales quickly? Hire contract sales representatives! Wed, 23 May 2018 00:19:05 +0000 Large companies tend to hire contract sales representatives over in-house staff, as they tend to be more experienced and successful in their particular line of work. Sales reps also tend to net better sales than an in-house sales force. Why? Because reps usually have gone through a long successful career that includes sales and/or management in large multinationals firms. This helps you as a growing firm or established company launching a new product or service. You should seek to hire the best and most experienced sales professionals in the business!
Another huge advantage from using experienced contract sales representatives is that you can learn from them. They know the industry, competitive landscape and provide good ideas with respect to how you may want to approach the marketplace.

  • Experienced representatives also require less management time and less direction from you which will allow you to focus on in-house sales representatives or other more pressing needs of the business.
  • Sales expenses rise and fall with your net sales which is a big plus for businesses that have ebbs and flows in their markets or have a need to increase their sales force with specific product launches.
  • Experienced representatives are resilient, will be around and aren’t very likely to disappear after a few hard months on the road. They know how to manage a territory and their expenses to optimize the value of their time. They get the concept of “time is money”.
  • With every upside there is always something owners need to adapt to. This is the basis in which some clients voice potential concerns with experienced representatives.
  • Will they only promote products they feel they have a chance to sell and make money?
    Are they coachable?
  • Are they are set in their ways?

Even with your own sales team, you would need established representatives that have the potential to make money with the right compensation plan that is clearly and consistently laid out. The difference between a contract representative and an in-house employee is the rep approaches their job as though they are their own boss. If the rep doesn’t perform, they won’t be kept for the current contract or additional contracts in the future. Their sales ability and performance is their product; how they perform and work will be the best predictor of their success in the future.

The benefit of contract sales representatives:

  • Leverage their experience
  • Utilize the time you gain to manage other team members or tasks
  • Achieve accelerated sales results and market penetration
  • Manage your expense budget based on sales results
10 things great salespeople always do Wed, 23 May 2018 00:14:31 +0000 What separates great from average, and what do you need to do if you want to step up your sales performance?

  1. Great salespeople set goals. But unlike average salespeople who also set goals, great salespeople are continually measuring their performance and looking for new ways to achieve their goals.
  2. Great salespeople don’t settle for average. They are continually looking to not just make a number, but also to blow past the number. At the end of the year, they don’t shut down because a number is in the bank. They keep going.
  3. Great salespeople understand what service is all about. They know that is doesn’t matters how they measure service, but how their customers measure it.
  4. Great salespeople value time and never end a day without knowing what they’re going to accomplish the next day. It’s the same way they approach each week, month, quarter and year.
  5. Great salespeople are optimists in everything they do. They’re the people others gravitate toward in all types of situations, and as a result, they understand the importance of leadership.
  6. Great salespeople know they have to be continually evolving their sales process. They understand what worked for them last year may not work this year, and as a result, they are continually looking to refine their process.
  7. Great salespeople own the process. They don’t pass blame and they don’t allow excuses to come up as to why they weren’t able to accomplish something. The last thing a great salesperson will do is blame somebody else to make themselves look good. To them, sales is truly a team effort.
  8. Great salespeople don’t stop at the end of the day. Great salespeople understand how success is being available 24/7. To them 24/7 is not a burden because they truly love what they do and they love even more the ability to help their customers.
  9. Great salespeople are proud of what they do. They love sales not in an arrogant manner, but in a respectful manner. It’s the same way they approach every person with whom they come in contact. The pride and love they have is seen in the level of confidence they have, regardless of the type of situation.
  10. Finally, great salespeople know success is not what they did yesterday, but success is what they will do today. They live in the now but are always mindful about tomorrow.

We all know there is a difference between average and greatness. What is important about this list is each item is not something a person is born with, but rather skills and traits that anyone can learn.

I have always noticed when I train sales teams that there are very minor differences between an average salesperson and a top performer. It is the commitment that top performers make to maintain these behaviours and habits that make them great!
Do you want to be average or great? The choice is yours!

Being prepared for your interview: The research you need to do. Wed, 23 May 2018 00:07:46 +0000 Love them or hate them, interviews are an integral part of the recruitment process. You may be the perfect candidate for the role in question, but if you don’t come across well during the interview process, then it may lead to you being passed over in favour of another candidate.
Preparation is key to success in interviews, so here are some simple tips to ensure you are fully prepared for your next interview.

Do your research about the company, the market and the competitors

Research is the most important activity you can do before any interview. Thankfully, the internet makes this relatively easy. There are three main areas that you should concentrate your research on:

The Company

Having a thorough, 360° understanding of the company is essential and will enable you to answer questions regarding the company confidently. This knowledge will help you ask interesting and insightful questions to the interviewer.
Things to consider when researching the company: Who are they? What is their history? How long have they been in operation? Are they a growing company or are they in a period of consolidation? What do they do well? What could be improved?

The People

As well as researching the company itself, you should research the key personnel of the organization. This research should include the leadership team (especially anyone who you may be directly reporting too) and your interviewer. Having an understanding of who you may be working with and who is interviewing you will help you immensely going forward. As well as enabling you to build rapport, understanding the people of the organization will help you ask them insightful and interesting questions.
Things to consider when researching the company’s people: Who are the key personnel in the organization? Have you worked with any of them before or have you worked at the same company as any of them? Check their LinkedIn profiles and see if you have any shared connections.

The Market

You can’t truly understand any business without understanding its market. Understanding the context of where and how the business operates is key to a complete understanding of the organization.
Things to consider when researching the company’s market: What market do they operate in? What is the state of this market? What is their market position? What opportunities are there? What potential threats are there? What is their market share?


Having an understanding of the company’s market is to have an understanding of its competitors. It’s something that many people fail to consider. By doing so, it can differentiate you from other candidates as it shows that you are someone who goes the extra mile with their research and understands the strategic position that the company operates in.
Things to consider when researching the company’s competitors: Who are the company’s competitors? How long have they been in operation? What market share do they have? Are they growing? What are they doing well? What are they not doing well?
When researching all of the above, always be thinking about how these things affect the company as a whole but the role that you are interviewing for too.

Prepare for common interview questions

It goes without saying that you should do some preparation for common interview questions. This doesn’t mean ‘learning’ answers; it means thinking about the sort of questions you may face and considering how you will answer them in a natural, fluent and friendly way.
Be prepared for ones such as:

  • Tell us a bit about yourself.
  • Why do you want to leave your current job?
  • Why should we employ you?

You should also prepare for competency based interview questions (also known as structured or behavioural interview questions). These are questions designed to quickly evaluate a candidate’s mindset and gauge how they may handle certain situations that may occur if they were to be offered the job. Examples include:

  • Give an example of a time you handled conflict in the workplace
  • Give an example of a time you identified a new approach to a workplace problem
  • Describe a time when you have used your initiative in the workplace

The best way to answer such questions is to use the S.T.A.R. technique. This is a framework that enables you to structure your answer your questions in a logical and insightful way:
Situation: Describe the situation and the background to your answer. It is crucial that your interviewer understands the context of your story.
Task: What was required of you? Why did they ask you? Why was the task important? What was to be achieved?
Activity: What did you do? Why did you do it? Remember to highlight the skills and personal attributes you used.
Result: Explain how the whole situation turned out, and how your actions helped achieve the result. Make the interviewer understand how you achieved the outcome by taking specific actions. Also, don’t be afraid to discuss what didn’t go as well as you expected, but always remember to showcase what you learned from the experience.

Follow the advice above and not only will you go into your interview much more confident, but you will also perform better and give yourself the best chance of securing the role you are interviewing for.

Missing out on top talent? 4 reasons you need to speed-up your hiring process. Tue, 22 May 2018 23:57:34 +0000 There’s an old adage in recruitment, “hire slow, fire fast”. Many of these old golden nuggets of advice are invaluable but I’m afraid this isn’t one of them. When hiring, time-to-hire is crucial. If you’re managing to find the top talent you want but are finding them dropping off during the recruitment process, then you’re hiring process is almost certainly far too long, and that could be seriously harming your business. Here are four reasons why you should reassess your hiring process and make it as speedy, effective and as efficient as it can be.

The best candidates aren’t on the market for long

When a top performing candidate comes onto the job market, they are almost certainly going to be inundated with recruiting requests and offers. This means that in all probability, they’re not going to be on the market for long. If your company’s recruitment process isn’t streamlined and drags on for weeks, your potential candidates will have a number of opportunities to accept an offer elsewhere. When faced with a speedy, attractive offer from one of your competitors, do you really think they’ll decline this in favour of a possible future offer from you?

Slower decision making isn’t better decision making

Many hiring managers assume that the longer the hiring process, the better the decision they will make, having more time to gather applicants, interview and research them. However, as mentioned above, the longer your recruitment process, the greater the risk that your chosen candidate(s) will accept an offer elsewhere. Working with a dedicated specialist recruiter can help to speed-up your hiring process and ensure that you get the best candidate for your business.

Slow recruitment processions make your business look indecisive

Just as much as the recruitment process is about you assessing your candidates, it’s also about them assessing you and your business. A positive candidate experience is crucial if you are going to attract the very best talent to your company. One of the most common issues raised by candidates about recruitment is that they see lengthy hiring processes as a negative. Do the best candidates want to work for companies that take ages to make decisions on things? Or would they like to work for a company that makes considered but quick and bold decisions? Undoubtedly it’s the latter.

The longer your hiring process, the more money you’re losing

You’re recruiting because you have identified that your business needs a particular skill set to make it function more effectively and efficiently. Therefore, the longer that your business is without that particular set of skills, the longer business isn’t functioning as it should. You may be having to deploy staff from other areas to provide cover or you may be having to pay for an interim consultant. Both of these are short-term solutions that cost your business money every day and can soon add up to significant sums. The quicker you can get a good quality member of staff in place, the more money your business will save.

Is your hiring process too long? Are you missing out on top talent?
If you’d like help speeding up your recruitment process to ensure that you get the best candidates for your roles then get in touch today by calling Linda Robertson @ 905-333-9188 x204 or emailing

Why hire athletes? Sat, 19 May 2018 10:32:10 +0000 When hiring, most companies will ask candidates questions about their skills, their experience and their qualifications. They may also ask competency based interview questions, where candidates are expected to give examples of times they have showed particular qualities or overcome particular obstacles. However, very few companies ask one of the most important questions you can ask in an interview… “What sport do/did you play?”

Throughout my years of experience in the business world, it’s become clear to me that athletes make fantastic hires. This is also backed up by numerous studies. In 2015, EY, the global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services carried out a study with espnW, the female digital sports brand. This revealed that 94% of C-suite women played sports.

Another study, “Anticipated and Persistent Correlates of Participation in High School Athletics” in 2014 revealed that “Men who participated in varsity-level high school sports appeared to demonstrate higher levels of leadership and enjoyed higher-status careers. Surprisingly, these ex-athletes also exhibited more pro-social behavior than non-athletes—they more frequently volunteered time and donated to charity.”

There’s clearly a correlation between athletic participation and success in business and it’s down to the fact that the skills and qualities required for success on the sports field are perfect for success in the business world too.

Athletes know how to collaborate and work as a team

One of the first lessons that any athlete learns is the importance of the team. No matter how good an individual is, without a good team around them they are nothing. Good athletes understand the importance of striving for team success which is why savvy employers see athletes as valuable additions to their workforce.

They are goal oriented and pay attention to detail

Athletes are self motivated and are driven by a passion to win. To compete successfully in any sport requires the ability to come up with creative strategies to achieve targets. This is a favourable characteristic that transfers perfectly across to business. High performance athletes’ attention to detail is another transferable skill for business. The concept of ‘marginal gains’, popularised by Sir Dave Brailsford, performance director of British Cycling is one that has been used by athletes across the world in a range of sports. The idea is that by making a 1% improvement in a whole host of areas, the cumulative gains would end up being hugely significant. Using ‘marginal gains’, British Cycling went on to dominate the sport and it’s a concept that works in business too.

They see projects through to completion and learn from defeat

Unlike the entertainment industry where an individual can seemingly become a ‘celebrity’ overnight, success in sport, as in business, is a long-term process, with years of preparation going into training, strategy and execution. In sport, athletes can spend countless hours preparing for a competition that’s measured in seconds. As crushing as it can be to lose, athletes have the ability to pick themselves up, learn from the experience and take on their next challenge. Perhaps it’s best summed up by Michael Jordan, widely renowned as basketball’s best ever player.


What that can mean to you

Over the last 18 years at Robertson, we have sourced and recruited 100’s of Athletes for our clients. Year after year these clients will request some athletic experience as part of the candidate’s profile. These clients know that the athletic population has a great track record, with a desire to move vertically. Companies are always looking to get a competitive edge and hiring an athlete may be the fastest way to get there.

Three reasons why you should return a recruiter’s call Fri, 19 Aug 2016 22:14:16 +0000 We have all had a phone call, email or LinkedIn message from a recruiter saying “they have a great opportunity with our name on it” or “do we know anyone that we might want to refer for a great opportunity”. Some of us are flattered by the number of recruiters that seem to be contacting us as they must be impressed with our backgrounds and the unique skill set we possess, while others are frustrated and perceive recruiters as pestering vultures whose only interest in us is padding their wallets.

Whatever the motive of the recruiter it is true that their livelihood, business and success depends on them finding great candidates for their clients to hire. Saying that, it might be you. That email, phone call or LinkedIn message may also be your dream job that would have otherwise been missed.

Three reasons you should return an email or call a recruiter:

1. Most new job opportunities happen as a result of the hidden job market. The role the recruiter has contacted you about may not be ideal for you at this time however once you have connected, he or she will now know you and what you may be looking for in the future. They may also be able to market you to a client they work with to determine if they could use someone like you in their organization. Companies don’t usually pass up on top talent if their trusted recruiter promotes you to them. The recruiter can’t promote you if they don’t know you and if you haven’t established a relationship.

2. You don’t know what you don’t know. It doesn’t hurt to find out more about the opportunity. Yes, you may be happy in your current role however you never know what may be around the corner and what another organization or role might offer that your current one doesn’t. Listening can also give you confidence that you are in the right place in your current role or some suggestions on what you would need to do to move up in your career such as taking additional courses or designations such as a PMP.

3. Everyone should always be interviewing to keep their skills sharp. In our office we are always discussing how surprised we are at an individual’s lack of interview skills and inability to even understand the basic interview process and how to conduct themselves. They often don’t know how to talk about their work history and what they currently do in their present role and most importantly what they would be looking for in their next position. By returning a recruiters phone call or responding to a LinkedIn message to set up a phone call, you will stay current and build the confidence and skills necessary when you really need to interview to ensure you land that perfect job.

You may be thinking that you don’t return the recruiters calls, set up a phone meeting or interview with them because you don’t want to waste their time. A good recruiter values all candidate interactions as they recognize the importance of networking and connecting with a candidates that may be the right fit for their current or future roles. At our firm we strive to bring value to candidates when we connect with them by providing resume or LinkedIn tips, coaching or connecting them with other individuals that will help them if we can’t. It is never a waste of time for you or them!

When the Recruiter calls, here’s what to say Sat, 20 Aug 2016 01:13:34 +0000 In our firm we often come across individuals who inaccurately represent themselves given that they have submitted their resume for a particular job posting we have, or have indicated they are open to opportunities on their LinkedIn profile. These candidates occasionally respond negatively during our initial follow up, or question why we are calling them. We even get some potential candidates that hang up the phone right away.

Here are a few tips for future job seekers to help provide an understanding of the value of networking, and what there is to gain from engaging in a positive, trusting relationship with a recruiter.

* It’s like your mother always told you, be nice to everyone; you don’t know who they might know and always treat people the way you would like to be treated. These two rules will always apply in professional settings.

* That person you were rude to may have influence on the hiring manager of that next great job you are trying to land. Many hiring managers have close relationships with recruiters that they will call to check out a particular candidate that they are thinking of hiring

* Since most recruiters are experts in their field, they get to know their industry and the individuals that work within it. They are a wealth of knowledge regarding market trends, future opportunities, corporate cultures and provide intimate knowledge of their clients strengths and weaknesses. Recruiters are a valuable resource to candidates and strive to create engagement so the hiring process is completed more effectively.

* Recruiters work with the candidates they can trust. If you aren’t interested in changing roles, don’t waste the recruiter’s time. It is important to say the same thing to the recruiter as you do the hiring manager. Inconsistencies result in slow hiring, ultimately preventing you from getting the job you want. No one wants to hire someone who doesn’t respect the hiring process or people’s time. Recruiters will only want to work with candidates that will make them successful with their clients, given that hiring is a costly investment of both time and money of all parties involved.

* A recruiter can be your mentor, best friend, teacher and confidante. You may have to meet with a couple different groups before you find one that you feel a connection with. Once you develop that professional relationship, the opportunities and knowledge you will gain can be invaluable.

* A great recruiter will work to ensure you find a role that is a great fit for you both professionally and personally while helping you continue to progress along your career path. We always maintain the philosophy that we need to ensure we work every mandate on the fit not the fee which enables us to achieve a successful fit for the company and the candidate.

Making the most of today for tomorrow Sat, 20 Aug 2016 00:32:16 +0000 Why is it that some of us have more than others while the income gap continues to increase between the rich and the poor? Most of us work harder every day, yet it seems that we aren’t really getting any further ahead. What is the problem? Is it perspective, or reality?

If you look at successful people, most of them have had similar circumstances to the rest of the people around them. So why is it that they have more money, bigger houses, nicer cars and have the opportunity to have lifelong success?

It really isn’t that complicated. If you look at the people you would consider successful, who are they? Some would say they look up to the professional degrees such as doctors and lawyers. Others would say they look up to business moguls like the entrepreneurs on Dragon’s Den. Some people would argue that Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg are two of the most accomplished entrepreneurs ever; but what is it that made them so special?

  • They worked hard, continuously for many years
  • At some point, they all started off with nothing
  • They offered something of value
  • They were willing to DISRUPT their industry with their product or service
  • They continued with their journey, regardless of the setbacks
  • They set a goal, and made sure that above everything else, they would accomplish it

So the next time you criticize successful people for the companies or business they own; think about how hard they worked to get there.  Use your downtime in a positive way by reading success stories, or self-help books to ensure YOU can be better. Learn from their mistakes. Listen to their advice, and apply it to your life. All of us have to make the most of today in our jobs, with our families and friends. That is what will help us build a great tomorrow. It’s what we do today that will change tomorrow; and it’s what we do tomorrow that will change the world. Put everything you have into your passion, and you will see the effect in years to come. Work hard, work smart, and be thankful for the opportunities you have been given.