How Do You Figure Out Competitive Pay for Specific Roles?

How Can You Determine Competitive Compensation for Specific Positions?

Hello everyone! I have a client who is considering a pay rate of $30/hour for a seasoned SDR with 10 years of experience in the light industrial sector. This seems rather low, especially when potential performance bonuses aren’t included. I’m curious, how do you typically gather information on what other companies are offering for similar positions?

I’m aiming to give my client a comprehensive breakdown, for example, “To attract a CEO, you should anticipate a minimum salary of $130k in your state” or “Top talent in XYZ roles typically commands around $180k.” Any suggestions on where to find accurate salary benchmarks that can help set realistic expectations? Thank you in advance!

What are the best strategies for small businesses to increase applicant volume?

What are the most effective strategies for small businesses to boost the number of job applicants?

As a small business owner, it can be tough to attract a larger and more qualified pool of candidates. What are some successful tactics for increasing applicant volume? This could range from refining job postings to leveraging particular platforms. I would love to hear any tips or tools that have proven effective for others!

Restrictive covenants

Restrictive Covenants

I have a 12-month restrictive covenant in my contract (under UK law) that feels quite limiting. I’m seeking some knowledgeable advice on how to handle this situation. Should I challenge it, consider leaving the industry (which I’m hesitant to do given my over 10 years of experience), or explore opportunities abroad?

The clause states that I cannot solicit or attempt to solicit any Restricted Business from Candidates, Prospective Customers, or Customers. The term “Restricted Business” refers to recruitment within the Finance sector.

I would greatly appreciate any guidance!

Best way to connect with recruiters via LinkedIn

Effective Strategies for Connecting with Recruiters on LinkedIn

I’ve been reaching out to numerous recruiters after applying for jobs, hoping to get my foot in the door and secure an interview. Typically, after I submit an application, I send a friendly connection request on LinkedIn, which is usually accepted.

However, when I follow up with a second message expressing my interest in connecting and wanting to understand more about the role and its challenges, about 95% of the time I don’t receive a response.

I’ve experimented with various approaches, tones, and message formats, but I still seem to hit a wall.

Does anyone have tips or strategies that could help me improve my outreach and increase my chances of getting a response? Your insights would be greatly appreciated!

Should I stay or should I go

Stay or Go? Seeking Advice

Hey everyone,

I’m a 26-year-old male who just moved in with my partner, and I’m eager to start saving for a house. I’ve been with my current firm since graduating college, and I’ve been there for about 3.5 years.

I work in full-desk IT staffing, specializing in the .NET stack. Unfortunately, this means I can only pursue roles related to .NET development or SQL and I have to pass on opportunities in Java, QA, etc., since we don’t get any kickback from those teams.

Last year, I earned $92K on a W2, billing a total of $500K. Just to clarify, that figure represents total fees, not what my firm takes home. My company is a large, national firm with over 10 offices, and my local office has around 30 employees.

So far this year, I’ve billed $382K through permanent placements, contracting, and consulting fees. I’ve successfully picked up 28 job orders and made 10 placements.

I’m currently on a draw of $70K, which is spread across 13 pay periods (about 4 weeks to collect). I earn 13% of the fees I generate, and I receive an additional 3% if a teammate closes a deal.

My team has billed a total of $913K this year. I’ve received $70K in gross pay and just collected my first two commission checks of $6K each during the same pay period last month.

I really enjoy working with my colleagues, though we do see a high turnover with entry-level staff, which can be frustrating at times – we often have people tearing up at their desks.

I have a few questions that I’d love your insights on:

1. Am I being compensated fairly?
2. Is it time to consider moving to another firm where I can transition off the draw?
3. I’m sometimes given pass-through jobs; is it worth giving this up?
4. Would it be better to switch to a firm where I can recruit for all technologies?
5. Any general career advice you can offer?

Thanks for your help!

Opportunity to craft my job title – Purchasing, Recruiting and Personnel…

Crafting My Job Title: Seeking Your Advice

I’m excited to share that I have the opportunity to define my job title as I transition into a Vice President role. Let me give you a brief overview of my background:

I’m a 58-year-old male, married with kids and grandkids, and now an empty nester. I hold a doctorate and spent 21 years as a school administrator, including positions as a principal and central office leader. A significant part of my role involved hiring a wide range of staff—including teachers, administrators, support staff, and more. Over those two decades, I interviewed and hired approximately 1,500 people, honing skills in interviewing, onboarding, and employee relations.

After leaving education, I made a significant career change and became the Purchasing Manager for a large mid-cap light manufacturing company in Arizona. I’ve been here for a decade, overseeing procurement for our main plant and six other facilities, with the company generating about $200 million in annual sales. I report directly to the president, who manages day-to-day operations while the owner retains the CEO title. Currently, I’m earning $135K, with an expectation to reach $150K in two years.

My boss, who has a sales background and tends to micromanage, came to me when our CFO passed away unexpectedly, asking for assistance in hiring a replacement. I successfully found a new CFO and later helped in hiring an Arizona plant manager, which led me to take on the responsibility of hiring for various other positions, totaling around 75 to 100 hires over the past five years. While I don’t hire factory floor workers or office staff at other locations, I manage recruitment for all central office and leadership roles.

Additionally, I’ve taken on employee discipline responsibilities and often act as a sounding board for employee concerns, handling issues that range from salary discussions to interpersonal conflicts. I also assist the president with various tasks, including drafting correspondence.

Currently, my official title is Purchasing Manager, and I have no direct reports or assistants, which has proven to be a challenge when it comes to my hiring responsibilities and interactions with the HR department. To distinguish my role, I’ve referred to my work as “personnel” instead of HR, although that doesn’t entirely capture everything I do.

Now, as I step into the Vice President role, I need to create my own job description. Although my core functions—procurement, hiring, and employee relations—will remain the same, I won’t have management responsibilities over a team, and my pay and benefits will see minimal changes, aside from reaching $150K sooner.

I’m considering several title options, and I’d love your feedback on which one might be most fitting for my role, taking into account the dynamics with HR and my responsibilities. Here are my options:

1. Vice President of Purchasing and Personnel, Chief of Staff
2. Vice President of Purchasing, Chief of Staff
3. Vice President of Purchasing and Personnel
4. Vice President and Chief of Staff
5. Chief of Staff
6. Other suggestions are welcome!

I appreciate your input and any career guidance you might have, especially if you think I should explore opportunities elsewhere. Thanks for your help!

Need Help Developing Impactful Job Interview Questions

Seeking Assistance in Crafting Engaging Job Interview Questions

Hi everyone!

Quick Summary: I’m looking for guidance on crafting meaningful interview questions to identify the best candidates for a newly created position in my team.

We’ve recently established a role for a contracts and procurement administrator that will report directly to me. This is significant for me; it’s my first time both developing the position description and participating in the hiring process.

The role requires around five years of experience, making it a junior-level position rather than entry-level. As the current manager handling all procurement tasks as a one-person department, I’ve successfully advocated for the addition of this new role.

The administrator will oversee daily tasks such as issuing purchase orders, managing suppliers, and processing change orders, which will free me to concentrate on strategic initiatives. I need to formulate questions that will help me identify strong candidates who can work autonomously and enforce procurement procedures while also identifying process inefficiencies and proposing solutions. Since our team operates mainly remotely, this individual must be both independent and trustworthy.

What questions can I ask to ensure candidates possess a solid understanding of procurement and contract management requirements? I’m particularly interested in finding someone capable of managing responsibilities in my absence, such as overseeing RFPs.

I’m aware that many candidates excel in interviews but may lack the necessary expertise, while others, like me, may not interview well despite having extensive knowledge. What impactful questions would you suggest to help me uncover the ideal candidates for this position, beyond those who simply excel at self-promotion? Thank you!

Best lead generation tool for finding Australia-based contacts?

What’s the top lead generation tool for locating contacts in Australia?

I’m in search of an effective tool to help me find professional contact information for individuals based in Australia. I’ve previously used Lusha, ZoomInfo, and RocketReach for contacts in the APAC region and the US, but I’m curious to know which tool performs best for Australian contacts. Any suggestions?

How much of a fee do graduate schemes take

How much fee do graduate schemes charge?

Hi everyone,

I’m wrapping up my graduate scheme in data science, which I began two months post-university. The program consisted of 3 months of training at an annual salary of £22,000, followed by a 9-month placement at £25,000 annually. During the training period, I attended five in-person courses over three days each, received interview coaching, tackled case studies, and successfully completed my SAS Base exam—all funded by my company.

As my contract comes to a close, I’ll soon be negotiating my salary with the company that has chosen to retain me. I’d like to get an estimate of what they might be paying the graduate scheme company for my placement to help guide my negotiation. I expect it will be significantly more than £26,000 since the scheme covers training, provides equipment, offers ongoing support, and finds placements for participants.

Any rough estimates or insights to kickstart my salary negotiation would be greatly appreciated!

A bit more context: I graduated with a first-class degree in Mathematics and Data Science, have one year of experience, and am proficient in SAS (1 year), Python (7 years), and R (3 years). Thanks for your help!

Call expectations and requirements.

Call Expectations and Requirements in BD Recruitment

I’ve recently transitioned into business development recruitment, and my daily expectations are quite demanding. I’m required to make 100 calls each day, aiming to secure 10 business conversations with the right contacts. Beyond that, I’m also expected to submit 8 speculative CVs, conduct candidate qualifications, perform RTMs, and attend 2 client meetings each week.

To be honest, the target of 100 calls daily feels overwhelming, especially alongside my responsibilities for speculative CVs and various administrative tasks. We also have continuous meetings scheduled throughout the week, and there’s an unspoken expectation to stay late; it seems like leaving at 6 PM isn’t well-received. I’m consistently engaged in job searches and reaching out to the appropriate individuals to maintain an active pipeline.

I’m curious about how others in this field manage their workload. Is this level of expectation typical in the industry? Would love to hear your experiences!