June 29th, 2011 by Amanda Musto, Social Media Marketing Representative at Treeline, Inc
Answers To Job Interview Questions You Don’t Want To Be Asked
Question:
Having an infinite supply of water and two containers, one for 3 liters and one for 5 liters, how would you measure 4 liters?
Answer:
Fill and pour 3 liters into the 5 liter container
Refill 3 liter container, transfer as much as possible to the 5 liter container
Retain the one liter left in the 3 liter container, empty the 5 liter container
Transfer the one liter from the 3 liter to the 5 liter container
Refill the 3 liter and transfer it to the one liter in the 5 liter container…
Fill
Question:
How many scale measurements does it take to know which of eight balls weighs the most?
Answer:
Two
Weigh balls 1,2, and 3 versus balls 4,5, and 6 first. This will result in three possible outcomes:
Case1:
If the weight of balls 1,2, and 3 = the weight of balls 4,5, and 6, then weigh ball 7 against ball 8 for your second measurement.
Case2:
If the weight of balls 1, 2, and 3 is greater than balls 4,5, and six, then weigh ball 1 against ball two for the second measurement. If ball 1 is the same weight as ball two, then ball 3 is the heaviest.
Case 3:
If balls 1, 2, and 3 weigh less than 4, 5, and 6, they weigh ball 4 against ball 5 for the second measurement. If ball 4 weighs the same as ball five, then ball 6 is the heaviest.
No matter which of the three scenarios happens, you still only need two measurements to find the heaviest ball.
Question:
If you were a brick in a wall which brick would you be and why?
Answer:
A commenter who had previously been a brick layer answered: ”I learned that each brick is at least slightly different, and the placement of a brick is essential to the overall performance of the wall. Here are some brick laying tips to consider when formulating a response to this question:
- The first brick laid at the corner of a wall determines the position of every other brick in that wall.
- One brick laid with too large of a head joint, or not being level or plumb can effect rows of brick beside and above it.
- A soldier course of brick provides visual interest to an otherwise monotonous wall.
- Bricks are made of natural clay fired in a kiln; close up each brick has a slightly different design , texture, shape, and color patterns, though all have almost exactly the same basic dimensions, though these can also vary.
- The keystone, or last brick placed in an arch helps support all the weight above the arch (which equally distributes that weight to the ground). Every brick in the arch shares the load equally.”
Question:
If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
(Safe) Answer:
A dog
There is really no right answer, but a safe answer is a dog. Why?
They are loyal and do not bite unless they are backed into a corner.
The wrong answer would be a “Cheat-ah.”
Question:
You are in a room with 3 switches which correspond to 3 bulbs in another room and you don’t know which switch corresponds to which bulb. You can only enter the room with the bulbs once. You can NOT use any external equipment (power supplies, resistors, etc.). How do you find out which bulb corresponds to which switch?
Answer:
Turn on 2 switches.
Turn one switch off after a few minutes.
Enter room with bulbs.
The bulb that is on is the only switch that is on.
The bulb that is off but hot, is the switch that has been turned off.
The bulb that is off and cold is the third switch.
June 20th, 2011 by Amanda Musto, Social Media Marketing Representative at Treeline, Inc
Today’s Job Seekers are Digging Deeper
By: Amanda Musto, Treeline Marketing Manager
In today’s social society, companies more than ever are being judged by their community. Whether it’s the loyal customer that praises them for their business acumen or the disgruntled employee who left on bad terms, these opinions and reviews matter and can either positively or negatively affect a company’s reputation.
For instance, a hiring manager posts a job on their website for a Territory Sales Representative. A potential candidate sees the post on Indeed, clicks on the post and gathers more information about what the job entails. However, the potential candidate’s next step might surprise many hiring managers. They go to a website such as Glassdoor.com that allows them to get an insight into the company via their employees. Therefore, the disgruntled employee that left on bad terms and wrote a bad review about the company, now has a potential candidate questioning whether they should even apply for the position. While, this company may have been voted “Best Places to Work” by the BBJ, that one bad review can have a powerful impression.
Word of mouth reviews and opinions from peers are more influential than the accredited BBB stamp on a company website. Job seekers are digging deeper. Just like companies looking at Facebook and LinkedIn to research potential new hires, top sales talent is gathering as much insight as they can about hiring companies. It should come as no surprise that the opinions of others can deter top talent from considering working at a company.
So how do companies prevent blogs, websites and customer reviews from posting negative feedback about their organization? Simply, realize that we live in a connected community; companies can no longer hide behind a facade when honesty, transparency and trust are identified by what the “everyday man” is saying.
Many companies realize how important protecting their on-line reputation is and have invested in hiring employees to find negative and positive content about their company and reply to the comment or reveiw. Therefore, the company is proactively protecting their company in a manner that portects their brand and image.
What have you done or been asked to do inorder to protect your company’s image?
Does this job posting look familiar? It should, especially if you are a growing technology company. Many companies are on the lookout for similar talented sales professionals. They are looking for a sales person with a track record of success, has found achievement cranking the phones and closing business, and are passionate toward being a top producer. There is a strong need for exceptional talent right now. The challenge is that this type of sales person is hard to acquire.
Why is this task to increase human capital so challenging?
Many hiring managers do not fully understand the outside influences and situations that a 3–7 year software inside sales representative finds themselves in when considering a new opportunity. The misunderstanding occurs when there is not a complete understanding of there audiences’ mindset and the competitive landscape of today’s market. ABC Company is a great organization with the best in class technology; the company is growing rapidly, the culture is one of a kind and the company is well financed. From an internal prospective there is no reason why a talented top producing sales representative would not want to join their team.
However, what if the candidate that they think should “jump through hoops” for an opportunity to work at their company is currently doing well at his or her company and will only move for the “right” opportunity? ABC Company thinks that they are offering a growth opportunity to a candidate who is looking for a change and they believe the role is the ‘game changer’ this candidate is looking for. What ABC Company fails to recognize is that often top sales candidates got into sales at an entry level role, fought hard for years, cranking the phones, building resilience, building respect amongst their coworkers, and ultimately proved that they could do it and made a name for themselves. Even though they are selectively looking for a new sales role, they are not ready to give up everything they established within their company for another role. They may be interested in the stronger technology and environment, but they do not know about ABC’s company, culture and environment.
Are they going to give this all up for the same money they are making now?
What does ABC Company do?
OPTION 1: Pay for talent. Understand that a talented sales representative is finding success. They have worked hard for it. They like the new technology and the great culture, but they are most interested in making sure that if they leave they make more money. Otherwise, in today’s market candidates don’t want the risk. They will have to leave commissions on the table, learn a new product and business process, and leave their client base behind; all of this to make the same money. Ask yourself, would make this type of move in your present career? You can always make the opportunity more attractive by increasing compensation.
OPTION 2: Pay for training. The fastest growing clients that we work with hire talented people with a significant amount of potential. They look for sales professionals that have all the intangibles to be a superstar. This means they have accomplished much success throughout their life. They paid for their education, they are competitive, they played sports in college, they are articulate, intelligent, and are very confident. They do not have direct industry experience and started down a sales career path in an industry that is not right for them. These “diamonds in the ruff” are looking for a company they can commit to. They will become the most committed and dedicated sales people in the company and they are hungry for success. This type of individual needs training, but will build emotional commitment and belief in the direction of the company and its success. This person is a good hire. If you are not attracting this type of person your competition probably is and if you want to hire from that company expect to pay them more.
If this resonates with you take a step back and review your hiring strategy. Review your process and learn from it. If you have been trying to hire and continue to find yourself coming up short you need to find out why. Why are the people you interviewing not taking your job? Define your ideal sales candidate and be prepared to sell your opportunity. Then design a strategy to find success. Is your compensation plan competitive? If not, what type of skills and years of experience are attracted to your compensation structure. Go find those people. Build a pipeline and you will build your sales force. Get out of the rut, restructure you process and the specifications you need to build a top rated sales organization. Make your competition know that your company has the best sales professionals in the industry and wonder how you do it. If you have no pipeline of talent then you should call our team here at Treeline. We can help!
June 20th, 2011 by Amanda Musto, Social Media Marketing Representative at Treeline, Inc
Vice President
Vice President of Sales 819 – Boston – Technology
Company Profile: Our client is a rapidly growing Mobile Applications company in Boston, MA. This corporation’s technology is revolutionary and the executive team is proven and impressive.
Job Description: As an integral part of this growing organization your number one priority is to build a successful sales organization. You will have a small team to support your efforts and will be responsible for closing large complex strategic deals. You must be a solutions based Vice President that feels comfort with startup environments.
Requirements:
10 + years of enterprise software sales experience
Proven track record of success achieving quotas and closing business
Entrepreneurial hunter mentality and strong understanding of solution sales
Credible track record and strong board room presentation skills.
June 13th, 2011 by Amanda Musto, Social Media Marketing Representative at Treeline, Inc
Account Executive
Account Executive 774 – Waltham, MA – Technology – $120k
Company Profile: Our client is a fast growing organization and has been named Selling Power’s prestigious Software Sales Organization of the Year Award. They have cutting edge software that updates company information and data automatically and daily.
Job Descriptions: This role is currently seeking talented inside SaaS/CRM/Web-based sales representative. This role requires an individual to source new business opportunities. You will call on enterprise wide accounts building relationships with CMO’s , VP of Sales, and other executives. This is a team environment where following u on leads and creating new business is the primary goal.
Requirements: Experience conducting demos is required. Candidates must have 3+ years of experience in an inside, cold calling capacity. Drive, passion and reliability are a must! Experience selling web-based solutions, BI, CRM, SaaS is a must. Degree is necessary and must be able to get to the office daily.
June 6th, 2011 by Amanda Musto, Social Media Marketing Representative at Treeline, Inc
Treeline is happy to announce the newest member of the team, Ray Mills. His high energy, positive attitude and sales experience are a great addition to Treeline.
Ray has a lengthy background in enterprise software sales with a strong knowledge of database technology, application software and business intelligence platforms.
Prior to his many years in software sales Ray had a successful track record as a high tech sales recruiter for Diversified Communications. Ray has always maintained a relationship with his former manager at Diversified and this combined with his passion for technology and helping others advance their careers has taken Ray full circle back into the recruiting world.
Ray strongly believes that his knowledge of enterprise architecture and sales experience will enable him to represent his clients to the fullest while being able to closely relate to candidates who are looking to better their sales careers.
Ray currently resides in NH with his wife and two boys and is looking forward to leveraging his relationships in the industry and Treeline’s leading search tool, DADO to formulate a win/win situation for both the clients and candidates he represents.
June 6th, 2011 by Amanda Musto, Social Media Marketing Representative at Treeline, Inc
What is the best way to approach a selective job search?
By: Dave Demelo, Treeline Division Manager
Dear Recruiter,
I am a sales representative who is currently employed. I have been with my organization for a few years and, for the most part successfully hit my goals and quotas. I love the company culture and all of the people that I work with. I enjoy going to work each day and the competitive environment my colleagues and I have created amongst each other. However, I’ve recently become curious about other possible job opportunities and I feel an urge to selectively seek for a new sales position.
What is the best way to approach a selective job search?
Dear Advice Seeker,
Looking for a new job can have its challenges. Think of it as a learning period, it takes time and more importantly hard work! It is often said that looking for a new opportunity is a full time job, so how do you do both?
Realizing that you are looking for that next best thing is the first step in the process. If you are not mentally and emotionally ready for a change then it is probably not the right time. People fear change and stepping outside of their comfort zone and into the “unknown.” Once you have prepared yourself mentally, you need to start figuring out what you are looking for and what do you really want to do? You know your background, success, skills and you have the drive and passion, so getting a job should be a piece of cake right? It can be, if you do the proper research, market analysis, and of course get out there and market yourself!
So where do you begin? It is obvious that the market has been turning. Unemployment rate is still not where we would want it to be, but companies are hiring. Before you start to network with former colleagues, friends, and family, you need to figure out some key points and most importantly set your own expectations.
Are you looking to leave the industry that you are in or looking to make a career change?
Are you in a financial position to take a hit? There is usually a 3 month ramp up period, can you afford to invest the time to train and create a new sales pipeline?
How much do you want to travel and how long of a commute will you do?
Are you prepared to spend more time in an office?
When can you interview? (7:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. interviews do not always work)
Are you prepared to be negatively sold?
Are you prepared to leave money on the table? (http://blog.treeline-inc.com/blog/ask-a-recruiter/)
Are you ready to endure a sometimes long interview process?
These are just some of the preliminary questions you should ask yourself. Good sales representatives overcome objections and greater ones anticipate them, so it is wise to prepare yourself mentally and emotionally. Once you have identified some parameters then it is time to start marketing yourself and filling up that pipeline.
June 6th, 2011 by Amanda Musto, Social Media Marketing Representative at Treeline, Inc
Sales Manager
Sales Manager 812 – Boston – Business to Business – $70k
Company Profile: Our client has been in business since 1887 and is growing in Boston. This company has incredible brand recognition and has a macro managed environment. They have invested 1.5 million dollars in their local infrastructure and now are looking to grow their team.
Job Description: The Area Sales Manager will be responsible for the New England market including managing its 4 current sales reps. Other responsibilities include the implementation of the marketing plan and making necessary recommendations to the General Manager.
Requirements:
4+ years of outside sales experience
Management experience a positive but not necessary
June 1st, 2011 by Amanda Musto, Social Media Marketing Representative at Treeline, Inc
Startups Need To Hire A Recruiter…Now
Jeff Bussgang, Seeing Both Sides - Apr. 29, 2011
The unemployment rate in America is hovering around 9%. But if you are a competent engineer, sales executive, online marketer or general manager in Silicon Valley, NYC, Boston, or other startup hotspots, the unemployment rate is 0%.
The talent market has gotten as competitive and aggressive as I have ever seen in the last 20 years. CNN recently reported that 40% of the 130,000 job openings in Silicon Valley are for software engineers. Senior executives have never been harder to secure. That’s why, even though it flies in the face of conventional wisdom, I’m advocating that all my portfolio companies hire recruiters when they are trying to fill senior or key positions. Immediately.
Typically, when a young company gets financing and begins to hire, they seek to leverage the network of the founding team and their investors. This network provides some valuable leads and perhaps a few hires. Leveraging existing networks has greater benefits than simply cost savings and convenience. Teams that have worked together in the past simpy are well-positioned to out-execute those that haven’t due to their common history, language and relationships.
I have read studies that show that one of the factors that correlates highly for success in a startup is if the team has worked together and made money together in a previous startup. But tapping those informal networks alone doesn’t scale. And reacting to inbound people flow generates an adverse selection bias – the best people are not looking, so they will never contact you and respond to your job posting.
As an entrepreneur, I was initially very skeptical of fast-talking, expensive recruiters. I thought hiring them represented a personal failure on my part as an entrepreneur. After all, it was my job to secure the best and brightest talent through my own efforts and my own network. But my years of recruiting have taught me that startup CEOs are at a distinct competitive disadvantage if they don’t get outside help for recruiting.
Here are the top five reasons why:
1) You Never Have Enough Proactive Time. As an entrepreneur, you are always battling dividing your efforts into proactive time (where you direct the activities through your own energy) versus reactive time (where you are reacting to people and forces around you). With the inflow of real-time information and people coming at you from all sides and demanding your attention (employees, investors, customers, etc), it’s hard to find enough proactive time in the day. Recruiting is a proactive exercise. It requires effort and energy from the entrepreneur to generate candidate flow, meet candidates, vet them, check references. It is therefore important to have an outside force push you to react to candidates and help you prioritize the recruiting effort, just as your VP Sales is pushing you to prioritize sales and your VP Marketing is pushing you to prioritize marketing.
2) Hiring Inexperience. Most entrepreneurs are first time CEOs or even second time CEOs who simply do not have a lot of experience hiring, particularly hiring the particular executives they’re hiring for (Try this exercise – ask your favorite CEO/entrepreneur how many times they’ve hired a CFO. Most never have but even if they’ve done it once or twice in the past, are they really now an expert at it?). Like anything else, hiring is a science. A recruiting friend of mine likes to say, “interviews are inquisitions, not discussions”. Too many entrepreneurs don’t actually know how to interview well. Further, they’re not experienced at assessing their current human capital needs, analyzing the gaps of management team members, and then understanding the market and how to fill the gaps. Good recruiters are invaluable in this regard.
3) Shallow reference checking. Busy entrepreneurs and busy VCs typically do cursory reference checking when making even senior hires. They allow themselves to be swayed by their own conviction, let the candidates spoon feed them their top fans from past jobs and ignore the opportunity to push for a deep understanding of candidates’ histories and claims. When I make an investment in a company, I typically do 8-10 reference checks and get a wide variety of perspectives from people who have worked with the entrepreneur in the past and seen them in a range of different situations. It’s hard to have the discipline to replicate this thoroughness when making a senior hire, particularly when trying to move quickly in a competitive hiring market (see “You Never Have Enough Proactive Time” above).
4) Quarterbacking the Selling Process. Many hiring managers don’t realize that the due diligence process for a candidate is as thorough, if not more so, than your due diligence on them. The best candidates have choices and are sought after. Even though you are deciding whether to “buy” over the course of a series of interviews, you need to be in a position to sell every step of the way. “Everyone’s trying to be the coolest place to work,” observed one Stanford junior who is being barraged with job opportunities. Recruiters can be very helpful in quarterbacking the selling process – proactively surfacing objections and handling them with data and follow-up conversations, linking candidates to the right people at the right time in the process.
5) Focus on closing. Closing candidates in this competitive a market is very hard. ounter-offers, compressed timeframes and personal considerations all get in the way of smooth closes. Again, if you don’t have alot of proactive time available to you (and who does?!), there’s great benefit to having a focused closer.
Further, I have found having an intermediary helps tremendously with the negotiations. A candidate will be unafraid to tell a recruiter what it takes to get the deal done, and a tough back and forth with the help of an intermediary can avoid bad feelings aftewards between two principals that will need to work together as a team when the dust settles.Too often I hear entrepreneurs say, “I’ll work my network for a few weeks and then we’ll hire a recruiter.”
Many VCs are over-confident about their own recruiting prowress and will tell entrepreneurs to wait until they talk to their partners and surface a few great candidates from their network. The problem, of course, is that everyone gets busy and distracted. A few weeks turns into a few months, a few candidates get turned up and interviewed but then discarded, and finally when the network comes up dry, the group reconvenes and decides to hire a recruiter. Now the recruiters need to be selected, interviewed, reference checked, negotitated with and ramped up – causing more delay. By the time you get around to getting the recruiter ramped up, the board and CEO feel frustrated that they are already behind.
To be clear, not all recruiters are created equal and some are a waste of time and money. But if you can find a good one, don’t let them go. Paul English, cofounder of Kayak, is a truly gifted recruiter and there has been alot written about his approach to hiring. If you can be that exceptional, perhaps you don’t need a recruiter. And, believe me, the price you pay for these folks feels exorbitant, particularly if you are in the scrappy, lean start-up phase of development.
My bottom line advice is to just bite the bullet and hire a recruiter now. The difference will cost you an incremental $50-100k, but everyone knows hiring an “A” has a massive positive impact as compared to a “B” – and that impact is compounded if it can be achieved 3-6 months sooner.
Bussgang, Jeff. “Startups Need To Hire A Recruiter…Now.” Business Insider. 29 Apr. 2011. Web. 01 June 2011. <http://www.businessinsider.com/hire-a-recruiternow-2011-4#ixzz1O2UQlX3I>.
