Category Archives: career

Always a McNaker

Posted on December 6, 2010 by McNeill Nakamoto | 1 Comment

A lot of people ask me how I got into recruitment. Is it something I had always wanted to do? Is that what I did before I joined McNak? Will I always be an agency recruiter?

The truth of the matter is that I fell into recruiting – and was wooed by everything that was (and continues to be) McNak. When I first came in to meet with McNak, I was on the hunt for a job…at that stage, a temporary job was top of mind. When the interviewer asked me what sort of work environment I was looking for, I glanced around the funky Yaletown office and answered, “Somewhere like here.” The next question was: “Have you ever thought about being a recruiter?” And the rest, as they say, is history.

I’ve been with McNak through one office move, two database conversions, three job titles, four anniversaries, countless successful job placements, and hundreds of interviews with candidates from every background imaginable. The learning opportunities have been immense, and McNak’s unique corporate culture has both nurtured my professional growth while allowing me the autonomy to develop my own style as a recruiter.

But all good things must (really, is it a requirement?) come to an end. What McNak has also given me is a true sense of where I want to go in my career. It was not my original goal, but I have recognized that my future lies in the broader realm of Human Resources. I now have an opportunity to take that to the next level with an in-house HR Generalist and Recruiter role. And I would never have gotten to this place if not for the winning team at McNak.

My thanks go out to Cheryl and Sarah, of course, but also to the amazing team of McNakers, both former and current. And although I’m moving on, you know that in spirit I will always be a McNaker! (I don’t know, Sarah – should I get the tattoo?)

~ Bradley Cuzen

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Posted in career, Human Resources

Tagged career, corporate culture, empowering, Human Resources, job search, McNak, meaningful work, staffing

The Origin of Job Interviews

Posted on October 14, 2010 by McNeill Nakamoto | 1 Comment

Check out this amusing video clip from BBC’s The Armstrong and Miller Show. We hope your company doesn’t still interview this way!

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Posted in career

Tagged fun, Human Resources, interview, job search, laughter, Management, video

The Economy is Recovering. How are you doing?

Posted on October 7, 2010 by Sarah McNeill | 1 Comment

Appearances may be deceiving. Employees and companies have been through so much in the past 12 months.

~ Sarah McNeill

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Posted in career

Tagged career, economy, employee retention, job satisfaction, job search

May we introduce you? Finding work that creates bliss.

Posted on July 21, 2010 by Julie Steele | Leave a comment

Finding your dream job- here at McNak we are often asked: how do you do it? We believe it starts with your unique vision. From our experience of examining thousands of jobs a year, we know there is a career that plays to your individual strengths. A place where colleagues truly appreciate your concepts and contributions. You just have to find it. It is not a ‘job’ where you fill your time from 9 to 5, but an environment that stimulates you to innovate and create.

The most critical step in acquiring your dream job is networking. Cast a wide net by speaking to former colleagues and acquaintances. Specifically, gather a list of two to five companies you’d like to work for. Articulate your interest in these businesses – what makes these firms compelling for you? By being specific, you give your audience a clear idea of your skills and the culture you’d like to work in. You’d be amazed at the results – when people understand your motivations, they are in an excellent position to introduce you to the right people. You’ve drawn them a clear picture of who you’d like to meet. Securing an introduction to the right person is far more likely, and it can make the difference between loving your career …or not.

Of course if you’ve worked with McNak in the past, you know that we enjoy introducing like-minded people so much we’ve chosen it as a career! We have always been passionate about introducing you to your perfect match.

~ Julie Steele

photo credit: D Sharon Pruitt

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Posted in career, Human Resources

Tagged career, job search, McNak, networking

Dress UP!

Posted on June 16, 2010 by McNeill Nakamoto | 1 Comment

This past month, there’s been a lot of online chatter about corporate dress codes and what (or what not) to wear to work. (Surely initiated by the recent, salacious news that Citigroup is being sued by a former employee who claims she was fired for dressing too provocatively- details here). It reminds me of a message my late uncle passed on to me early in my professional career.

I was 22 years old, recently graduated from UBC, working as a “key-op” for a print and copy centre in Richmond. My duties included greeting walk-in customers and running all the Xerox photocopy equipment. It was a very, very casual work environment and I often wore shorts and a T-shirt during my shift. I was making $35K (good dough at the time) and my colleagues and I goofed off all day long. It was a blast!

After a few months at my new, “fun” job, I traveled to Toronto to visit my uncle and his family. At the time, he was a National Account Manager for a Fortune 100 international technology firm. A few days into my visit he asked me, “What do you wear to work?” Not, what do you do, tell me about your job, do you like your boss, etc….but, what do you wear to work? I told him and he responded, “So, where do you see that going…shorts and a T-shirt?” I shrugged my shoulders…”I dunno”. He smiled and said, “Richard, if you dress like a clown, the world sees you as a clown…is that the impression you want your boss to have of you?” He shared more of his thoughts with me and then challenged me to “dress up” for the next job I wanted in my life. It’s a message I’ll never forget.

The following week I showed up at work wearing a new pair of chinos and a crisp, white shirt. My colleagues laughed at me and my boss said, “What’s with the new get up?” I said, “I want more out of this job.” Within six months I was promoted to inside sales rep and the following year I was their number one account manager.

“Dress up” for the next role you want in your career….you’ll get noticed!

Richard King

photo credit: parislemon

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Posted in career

Tagged career, corporate culture, dress code, empowering, Human Resources, personal brand

Are you making Conan O’Brien’s mistakes?

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Dennis Wolff | 1 Comment

It doesn’t happen that often that a disgruntled top employee takes on their employer in the most public of public

spaces. But with Conan O’Brien speaking directly to millions of viewers in prime time America is like a regular day in the office for the rest of us. This is show business, afterall. For some reason I have been captivated by the explicitly public discussions around Conan O’Brien’s departure from The Tonight Show after less than a year into his new job. In a brilliantly written blog post Marc Effron and Miriam Ort take a look at the series of decisions NBC and Conan O’Brien have made over the past couple of years that ultimately led to such a public display of resentment and disappointment. Here is what Marc and Miriam suggest NBC and any company that depends on top talent could have done differently:

Avoid defensive talent strategies: Conan was promised the host role of The Tonight Show in response to efforts by competitors to steal him away from NBC in 2004. Jay was promised the 10PM slot due to fears he would go to another network. Both decisions suggest a defensive approach to talent — keep them because “they’d be dangerous at the competition” rather than “they’re the perfect fit with our strategy.” Talent choices should be made proactively and to hurt the competition, not merely to avoid pain.

Place big talent bets: It can take new talent a while to reach their full potential. Give them that opportunity. Once they’ve identified their “stars,” organizations should focus all their resources on making them successful. Early missteps aren’t necessarily predictive of failure — it’s often just moving up the learning curve. A little patience can result in a big payoff.

Diversify succession risk: Lining up successors against individual jobs is a rather outmoded approach. Is it expensive to have two talk show hosts in the succession pool? Of course — just as it was expensive for GE to have three CEOs in waiting. Yet that gave them tremendous flexibility when it came to replacing Jack Welch. Somehow, GE’s succession planning rigor didn’t seem to reach NBC.

No question, more than ever before companies understand how important it is to nurture their Power Employees and to build a culture that allows for top talents to find fulfilment while realizing their full potential. At McNak we have been fascinated by corporate culture and are amazed by companies when they truly get it. But what if a company’s best intentions still have to yield profit-driven directives? Marc Effron and Miriam Ort recommendations can serve as an excellent reminder for every high potential employee:

No organization can make reasonable promises of future placement — you’re setting yourself up for disappointment trusting an organization to honor that agreement. In fact, that’s essentially today’s career deal. The corporation will give you an opportunity to acquire a bundle of experiences that have some market value. They are under no obligation to take advantage of that combined experience but they have the option to do so. If for some reason they choose not to take that option (or to revoke it) you walk away and apply those skills to an employer who values them.

What do you do to ensure that you don’t end up like NBC and Conan?

~ Dennis Wolff

photo credit: Debs

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Posted in career, corporate culture, Employee Engagement

Tagged career, Conan O'Brien, corporate culture, dismissal, engagement, human capital, lay off

The Importance of Cultural Fit – Part I

Posted on November 16, 2009 by Julie Steele | Leave a comment

Whether you’re aware of it or not, ‘cultural fit’ affects everyone in the workplace. In fact, the higher up you go, the more important it becomes (and you thought it was getting easier!). This is partly as a result of the new way we view our work. The old expectations – that an employer would hire us at age 22 and provide us with a gold watch at age 65 – are gone. We now expect to work for several employers, possibly with more than one occupation. New research suggests turnover is often caused by poor cultural fit, where the values and beliefs held by the wider organization differ from the individual’s. Essentially, the wrong fit can make a high performer far less effective.

Culture is made up of the values, beliefs, and behaviours shared by a group – it’s the unspoken way we relate to each other. When dealing with a thorny client issue, do employees bend over backwards, or avoid calls? Does the CEO solicit ideas, or does everyone solve problems by themselves? The strength of these relationships ultimately affect the success of the you as an individual, and the broader organization.

If you are considering a promotion or a new role, here are some helpful hints to choose the right culture for you!

1) Begin by knowing a bit about yourself. There are excellent Behavioural Analysis Assessments available online (ie. DISC, Myers-Briggs, etc). Discuss the results with someone you trust.

2) Evaluate the criteria that are important to you, which might include: sustainability, community involvement, sports activities, flexible working hours, parental leave, etc.

3) During the interview process, ask individuals how they would define their culture. A great question to ask is, “What kind of person thrives here?”, or “how do you get things done around here?” These questions go to the
heart of operating norms. You should expect a relatively consistent response across different levels of the organization!

4) Consider that the culture of your immediate group/division may be slightly different than the overall organization.

5) Finally, before you accept the new role, use your network to verify your own conclusions. Former employees provide excellent information. Also consider speaking to external consultants and suppliers, they’ll have a
slightly different perspective on both culture and efficiencies.

There are so many exciting and diverse organizations, with different goals and attitudes – choose one that is right for you!

~ Julie Steele

photo credit: oskay

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Posted in career, corporate culture

Tagged career, corporate culture, job search

How I harnessed the wind

Posted on November 12, 2009 by Jessica Rozitis | Leave a comment

William Kamkwamba: How I harnessed the wind

Sources of inspiration can manifest in so many ways. Because inspiration is such a deeply personal thing and is unique to every individual one never knows where it may be found next. This short TED talk is just so. We have all endured so much this past year with the economic roller coaster and never ending turns and bumps in the road. To find such a simple message is exactly what we are looking for. Nothing manufactured about it. Its a reminder to us all that we don’t have to find inspiration in things that are perfect. In fact, the more raw in format the better to consume. When you hear William Kamkwamba speak and his universal message of the power to persevere, it will warm your heart. William says “Trust yourself and believe whatever happens, don’t give up”. Thank you William. You were just what we needed.

At the end of his TED talk, the audience applauds, and you can see William start to quietly clap his hands with them. Perhaps you will too.

~ Jessica Rozitis

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Posted in career

Tagged community, empowering, meaningful work, video

Your Career as a Pyramid

Posted on November 4, 2009 by Sarah McNeill | Leave a comment

Pyramids are the talk of my house right now for my 6.5 year old so when I happened upon the Pyramid concept in a recent Fast Company article it easily caught my eye. Pyramid style thinking in relation to a career progression is a current way to look at traditional statements like the ‘corporate ladder’ or ‘ladder of success’. These statements are so 1999. Life just doesn’t work that way anymore.

Nowadays some have even likened career growth to that of a jungle gym. Getting the picture? With corporate mergers, acquisitions and just about everything in between there will definitely be curve balls. You need to be nimble and agile and open to go in directions different from those you initially intended.

Carol Bartz, the CEO of Yahoo, shares her best career advice: “You need to build your career not as a ladder, but as a pyramid. You need to have a base of experience because it’s a much more stable structure. And so that involves taking lateral moves. And it involves getting out of your comfort zone.”

Bartz’s advice is sage for Managers leading their teams through career progression. Awareness of pyramid style movement helps managers work together with their teams to ensure their team get the most out of each level of experience and potential within their organization. The pyramid is a great concept as you can build it as wide and as high as you see fit. Fast company writer, Lindsay Pollak writes, ‘It (the pyramid) suggests that a career is something from which you can’t “fall off” or “fall through the cracks.” It connotes stability and strength.’

Chris Brogan’s recent article, How to Level Up, gives a different take and for many, a nostalgic one. He references Super Mario Brothers and states that ‘leveling up is when you reach the end of a series of activities, face a big challenge, and then move to the next level’. For me I remember Pac Man and more recently Halo!

Two of my favourite points from Level Up:

Do the small stuff. In games, especially early on, there are repetitive tasks that bring you early victories.

Accept difficult challenges. Some games require you to fail over and over. They simply can’t be beat the first time out. Learning about failure is a huge thing.

And what I’ve learned over the years of building my pyramid is to not forget to laugh. You will find yourself on new levels this way.

Category Archives: career

Always a McNaker

The Origin of Job Interviews

The Economy is Recovering. How are you doing?

May we introduce you? Finding work that creates bliss.

Dress UP!

Are you making Conan O’Brien’s mistakes?

The Importance of Cultural Fit – Part I

How I harnessed the wind

William Kamkwamba: How I harnessed the wind

Your Career as a Pyramid

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