If the Boots fits…

In a spot of post Rudd stimulus shopping the idea came to me that it was time for a new pair of winter boots.

Now for the ladies out there, we know that finding ‘that’ pair of boots can be no mean feat. Trailing the shops, flipping through catalogues, peering into display windows, jostling the crowds as you scramble for that perfect pair in the right size. Sometimes their too high, too brown, too black, too soft, too cheapy looking, the list can go on.

At the risk of sounding like Carrie Bradshaw, finding the right employee can be just like finding the right boot. They need to be that perfect fit for your business, able to bring to the company that unique combination of skill and cultural fit. For the job seeker this is also true, finding that perfect job is a little like finding the ideal pair of boots. Does it fit me now but allow me room to grow? Does it suit me as well as being not too far out of my comfort zone?

So with that in mind, can that give us a new way to think about the job hunt and for a business the search for that perfect employee? Firstly the search is not always straight forward nor is it a fast process. You can purchase boots quickly but you could end up regretting a rash decision when you see another pair that you prefer or a similar pair for a much better price!

Moral of the story is, think before purchasing those winter boots. Are they really the right pair for you? Have you scoped out the market and seen all that is on offer? Boots are for life, not just for winter.

Greg Russell, our main man in San Fran, sat down with Omnisio founder Ryan Junee this week for an Auzzie style catch up.
Greg and Ryan chose the popular Food+Wine Bar 'South' owned by Australian chef Luke Magnan as their location of choice http://tr.im/lGKv Over a few Boags beers Greg and Ryan chatted about startups, incubators, partying in the City and the meaning of life amongst other things!

Ryan's a classic Aussie success story as he founded start up Omnisio in '07 before it was acquired by Youtube/Google for $15m in '08. For more info about Ryan check out http://tr.im/lGK9
Look for the full video chat soon to be posted here on this blog, the mitchellake website and in our newsletter, the Digital Pigeon.

Jess Dunton-Rose - MitchelLake Sydney

Wishful Hiring

I talk to a lot of different folks around Silicon Valley - startup founders, hiring managers from companies large and small, and of course candidates from all walks of life from code jockeys to sales wizards.  Lately when the topic of hiring comes up, I've been hearing two basic assumptions repeated over and over: 1) with the economic maelstrom raging around us there must be some very nice talent sitting idly by, which in turn means... 2)  any opening can be filled very quickly and painlessly.  

Two recent experiences of mine suggest that neither of these is really the case and that even when assumption 1 holds somewhat true, it may in fact cause assumption 2 to be dead wrong...

I recently advertised for an agency style Account Director for a client.  8 or 9 months ago (you know - the good old days) I got 25 responses for a similar role.  Today's version produced over 90.  Of those, I engaged in meaningful conversations (multiple phone calls, emails, etc) with about 18, compared to maybe 7 a year ago.  

So yes, there do seem to be considerably more ADs on the market, and yes we had more "persons of interest" to look at.  But the ratio of quality to noise stayed about the same, or possibly even decreased.  And that means that the process is actually longer and more complex. Think about it - to do the proper diligence on this role today meant looking at over 3x as many resumes and spending at least twice as much time on the phone as I did last year.  And that longer process is also more complicated because I'm comparing more moving parts in order to reach the right decisions.

I've also been looking for Web Developers for a couple of other clients and I can tell you that market doesn't look to have changed at all.  It was tough to find good web devs a year ago, and it's tough now.  I've had the same paltry response, and  the same static in the response (graphic designers, sys admins, out of work mortgage brokers), meaning it could take some real time (and much digging) to find the right person.  Which is how it's always been.

So if you come across this magical place I keep hearing about where "A players" beg to join your team and a startup can fill all their needs in 20 minutes just by opening email, let me know.  And save me a bite of the candy-coated rainbow...