Generator Group Weblog

Naturally, we got our Phix (and now feel better).

A few years ago Generator Group was unofficially “sponsored by Redbull” (one of us had the hook up through a family member). We got 7 cases of the high octane drug delivered to the office every month for over a year.  Needless to say, the office was wired in a bad way and experienced the following symptoms: heart palpitations, jitters, yellow tongue, and of course 'wings'. Fortunately, we realized the negative results and switched to just having an Earth20 water cooler. Earth20 water comes from very pure and natural water source in central Oregon.

We recently learned that we now have a more healthy and natural way to get added energy each day. There is an interesting new product called Phix that is starting to get some buzz around Portland. The buzz, however, is an all natural herbal supplement made from yerbamate, NADH, green tea, and 17 different vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Phix is said to provide energy and to help with mental clarity.  You can learn more about the product at www.phix.com/learn.

The folks over at Phix sent us some sample tubes of the powdery mix to add to 12-16 ounces of our Earth20 water. Here are some of the comments heard around the office:

Sandra – “I had the citrus flavor.  The flavor was pretty good, and I really did feel ‘energized’ for about 3-5 hours after drinking it.  I would recommend as a late morning or early afternoon pick-me-up.”

Jesse – “I experienced a slight boost in energy similar to the yerba mate tea I drink normally. The product did not create jitters like as some other pre-work out drinks and there was no obvious crash afterwards”

Teaberry was voted “the best flavor” in the office and the product can be purchased at Whole Foods or online at www.phix.com.

Get your Phix! You can use the code phixFF for 15% off your first order at phix.com!

East Coast Regional Sales Director (New England or Mid Atlantic)

We have a great new opportunity to work with a top consumer products brand.

Position Overview:
Reporting to the Vice President of Sales and Business Development, the Eastern Regional Sales Director will provide leadership and day-to-day tactical direction to drive sales in the region.

Responsibilities:

·         Manage four Sales Representative Groups in their assigned region(s) to develop profitable sales and promotional strategies for the territories.

·         Responsible for the sales interface with several key national accounts headquartered in the assigned region.

·         Works closely with existing customers and develops new customers, negotiates annual programs, and maintains internal communications and follow-up.

Experience:

·         B.S. or B.A. plus 10 years of sales experience required

·         5 years professional sales leadership and management experience needed

·         Experience selling into the specialty, sporting goods, or related channels desired

Travel: 50% travel

>> Apply Online <<

Product Marketing Manager - Analytics (Portland, Oregon)

As the widely recognized web analytics expert and market share leader, our client’s solutions are at the center of it all. They make sure that every dollar our customers spend on their online marketing initiatives is measured and tied to a return on their investment.

Responsibilities: 

·         Grow revenue by crafting strategies and targeted marketing programs that drive demand for the Analytics product line

·         Developing and execute go-to-market strategies, pricing strategies, product launches and sales collateral.

·         Develop, deliver and manage comprehensive portfolio of sales tools that build our client’s competitive advantage in the marketplace.

·         Monitor trends in online advertising, and uncover customer needs to identify new opportunities for expansion.

·         Drive growth in the business by maintaining performance dashboards and financial models that monitor the health of the business.

Qualifications: 

·         Bachelors degree required, MBA desired

·         5 or more years of relevant product marketing experience

·         Experience in creating, planning and executing go-to-market strategies

·         Experience in building effective marketing programs and sales tools that translate into customer wins

·         Experience in planning, executing and maintaining pricing strategies and programs

·         Strong leadership and motivational skills

·         Expert verbal and written communication skills

·         Proven ability to succeed in a fast-paced, matrixed organization

·         Experience in web analytics or digital marketing strongly desired

>> Apply Online <<

We have 7 NEW Product Creation Positions Available!

We have recently been retained to fill 7 great product creation positions with leading brands all across the nation! If you or someone you know is interested in making a change please review the brief descriptions below and if interested contact us for more information or click on the hyperlinks below to apply.

Apparel PLM - Men's and Women's Outerwear (New England)

Our client is searching for a Product Manager to shape and define an outerwear line. The company has tremendous brand equity that is creating a buzz in the market with their category lines. With a strong sales team and a wealth of industry knowledge they are looking to take their outerwear line to the next level!
- Drive the outerwear line (men's and women's) of one of the fastest-growing snow sport brands
- Our client has significant industry experience and uses this to their advantage. The company is nimble and quick, and doesn't have the baggage of established brand
- Work for an authentic core brand with exceptional market momentum
- Salesforce is poised to leverage an exceptional outerwear line
>>APPLY HERE<< 

PLM - Designer Bags, Laptop Cases and Accessories (California or Oregon)

Our client is looking for an energetic, passionate, entrepreneurial PLM to shape and structure a line of diverse bags and accessories. This design driven company differentiates themselves through their bold fabrics, colors and prints.
- Opportunityto create a structured line plan for a dynamic, entrepreneurial company
- Identify and integrate new business opportunities
- Work closely with the design team and the founders of the company
>>APPLY HERE<< 

Apparel PLM - Football Uniforms (Mid-Atlantic)
Our client is searching for a Product Line Manager who is equipped to blitz the competition! As the PLM you can change the course of the game in the industry.
- Establish a point of view for the category
- Orchestrate industry leading product launches
- Identify and integrate new performance fabrics
- Work with designers to infuse innovation in function and style
- Create synergy with other product categories to drive business performance

>>APPLY HERE<< 

Apparel PLM - Men's Training and Golf (Mid-Atlantic)
Our client is interested in finding a bold Product Line Manager dedicated to pioneering apparel product for a new generation of athletes.
- Identify new product opportunities and communicate product vision
- Build upon the brand in core foundation categories
- Orchestrate industry leading product launches
- Work with designers to infuse innovation in function and style
- Create synergy with other product categories to drive business performance
>>APPLY HERE<<

 

Senior Apparel PLM - Men's Compression (Mid-Atlantic)
Internal promotions have created an opportunity for our client to hire a Senior Product Line Manager dedicated to pioneering apparel product for a new generation of athletes.
- Work with players, teams, coaches, and key retail accounts to build market leading product in the company's signature product category
- Identify new product opportunities and communicate product vision for the highest volume product line
- Orchestrate industry leading product launches
- Work with designers to infuse innovation in function and style
- Create synergy with core team sports categories to drive business performance and authenticity for the brand
>>APPLY HERE<<

 

Apparel Designer - Men's, Women's and Youth (Mid-Atlantic)
Our client is interested in finding a bold Apparel Designer dedicated to pioneering apparel product for a new generation of athletes.
- Exercise your eye for style, color and functionality to bring a solid point of view to the women's and men's sport performance lines
- Be the key partner in creating brand identity and current design vision
- Design technically advanced products engineered with superior fabric construction, exclusive moisture management, and proven innovation
- Extend your creative ability across multiple sport categories
- Never hear someone say, "That's how we've always done it."
>>APPLY HERE<< 

 

Product Manager - Luggage and Travel Bags (California)

Our client is the industry leader in Adventure Travel Gear and they are looking for a Product Line Manager for their large capacity wheeled bags and non wheeled gear bags. If you or someone you know loves to travel, loves the outdoors, and has the entrepreneurial spirit and strategic business savvy to manage a line of high quality, technical travel bags, then this is an opportunity worth checking out!
- Have an immediate impact on a category that has been identified as a priority in the business plan
- Manage European specific products and categories
- Get involved in the strategic planning and implementation of new product extensions
- Join a great brand that is very entrepreneurial with the financial backing of a large organization
- Work for a travel inspired company!
>>APPLY HERE<<

Briefing on Payments and Privacy Developments

Recently, Perkins Coie and Generator Group co-sponsored an attorney led discussion highlighting the legal issues regarding Payments and Privacy Developments for the Retail industry.

Payments:
The issues and challenges are increasing on pace with the advancement of new technology, products and payment methods available. For example, retailers are now offering gift cards that reward points for loyalty or that are sent out in the form of a rebate. The complexity comes into play when retailers have to take into consideration individual State laws regarding expiration dates, breakage and fees for gift cards, unclaimed property, rebate cards and loyalty cards. 

Privacy:
Mobile technology, e-commerce, data storage, and related partnerships also bring along obligations and concerns regarding customer privacy and information security. In addition to a Privacy policy, it is recommended to have a security breach response plan.  John recommended that retailers consider all of the places that customer information resides including: data processors, storage companies, servers, employee's computers and laptops.  The number one source for a breach of information is lost or stolen laptops, but some other stories of insufficient firewalls and other preventable breaches were discussed. The monetary cost to a company responsible for a breach is significant, especially when you consider the cost of a tarnished brand reputation.

Contact Generator Group's technology services team at (888) 621-9934 to tap into our expertise for recruiting your key information security executives. Contact Perkins Coie at (206) 359-8377 for more information on how they can help to protect your business against common payments and privacy issues.

National Human Capital Summit Overview

By Sandra Anderson, business development manager, Technology Services

I just returned from attending the National Human Capital Summit put on by the Human Capital Institute.  There were numerous highlights as well as some recurring themes that we have been talking about here at Generator Group for several months. 

As for the highlights – C.K. Prahalad gave the opening keynote address and he was terrific - smart, funny and full of great insights. He talked about the “experience” that your product/service provides.  He gave a great example using the “Build a Bear” concept.  What parent has not spent 10 times what the stuffed bear is worth, to have the experience of helping their child build a bear from scratch? He also talked about Next practices as opposed to Best practices.  He mentioned innovating the way we innovate, of amplifying the weak signals and to really think about the consumer – company interaction.   

There was also a keynote from Susan Packard, COO and Co-founder of the HGTV Network.  She talked about the four traits she looks for in candidates: audacity, push, humor and upside thinking.  Audacious employees are hard to manage but bring ideas that often cross boundaries within an organization.  Push refers to people who are willing to knowingly move out of their comfort zone – lateral promotions and non-traditional “career-pathing” helps employees to grow and develop.  Humor, as we all know, relieves stress, helps with perspective and relationship building.  Finally, Upside Thinkers are optimistic; they inspire great work, and provide a contagious view of what is possible.  Conversely, she said there is no place for negative thinkers.  She mentioned that these traits have made the HGTV network what it is today. 

The recurring themes that were repeated throughout the conference were the current lack of talent, especially in certain fields.  The looming retirement of the baby boomers has many companies working on succession plans as well as leadership training strategies.  Globalization and the challenge of managing virtual, multi-cultural teams are occurring in many organizations.  The thinking is that by the year 2010, knowledge workers will be on an average of 10 teams, three of which will be external to the company.  With four generations currently in the work force, strategies for recruiting and managing these different age groups are presenting challenges to HR as well as other managers in companies both large and small.   

Candidate Interview Protocol: Bringing your “A” game to the interview

By Enrique Washington, partner at Generator Group

The time spent preparing for an interview is as important as the time invested in getting the interview.  To get to the interview, you have applied or been recruited and likely participated in the beginning stages of a hiring process.  As a result, your interest level in the job has increased and the organization has become more interested in you as a strong candidate.  What can you do to make sure you put your best foot forward, bring your “A” game and get that job offer.

Of course, there are long lists of things you can do to prepare for an interview and I encourage you to “Google” them. However, for the purpose of this article I will share some of the most common areas that even seasoned professionals forget before their interview. In preparation for your interview, here are five areas that will help you develop your “A” game.  They are as follows:

1.         Do your homework – as simple as this may sound, there are still seasoned professionals who do not come prepared for an interview.  You should: a.) understand and research who you will be meeting with       b.) understand and know the organization’s business at a level that shows you have invested the time to learn about them and how that connects to the role they are trying to fill, c.) leverage your network by speaking with individuals who may have worked for the organization, currently work for the organization and/or know people who have worked for the organization. d.) understand the culture down to the level of knowing what is the appropriate way to dress for the interview. e.) if the organization has a retail store, you should visit the space or if they have product in a retail store you should check it out to increase your awareness.

2.         Be prepared to reflect on your experiences- because the interview can often predict future job performance, you should come prepared to communicate your past and/or current work experiences.   The best way to prepare for such questions are to think about your responses by using a simple acronym called S-A-R.  S-A-R translates into “your situation”, “your actions” and “your results”. Remember to be clear and concise!

3.         Be present – there is nothing worse than going to a meeting and not being 100%  present.  Being present will definitely impact the interest level of your potential employer.  Come focused on your interviewers and remember to listen.  You should prepare thoughtful, follow-up questions that you may want to ask your interviewers.  Do not forget to silence your cell phone!

4.         Be organized – it is very natural for people to come to meetings prepared with the necessary items needed to be effective.  So, why should an interview be any different?  You should always come with extra resumes, a notebook and, of course, something to write with.

5.         Do your follow-up – letting people know how much you appreciate their time should never be forgotten.  It is important to write a brief thank you note to the individuals you met with.  To demonstrate how well you listened, you should reference in your note a statement or comment from the interviews.  Do not forget to confirm your level of interest.

All too often even seasoned professionals make simple mistakes that cost them the job.   Seasoned or not, you should always invest time in planning and preparing for your interviews.  Bringing your “A” game to an interview will highlight the difference between you and other candidates being considered for an offer. Spending the time, being prepared, being present, being organized, and following up are all part of your “A” game to help get you that offer.

Deal or No Deal: Getting Top Talent to Accept Your Offer

By Roy Notowitz

The TV show "Deal or No Deal" is a game of chance. Hiring is the real deal and shouldn't be left to chance. Getting top candidates to accept an offer requires market knowledge, proactive communication, and attention to detail.

A recent employer survey* ranked the top reasons why candidates rejected offers as:

1.         Salary, bonus, and benefits package not competitive
2.         Decided not to relocate
3.         Competing offer from another company

Although salary, bonus, and benefits are listed as the number one reason, many candidates who are not truly interested in your opportunity in the first place will stick with the process anyway and ultimately say that your offer was "not competitive" as the reason that they are rejecting it. The reasons why a candidate might continue to the offer stage include: provoking a counter offer from their current company, convincing a spouse to uproot the family and move to a new location (see reason #2), or as leveraging your offer against another offer with a different company (see reason #3).

Here are some of the best ways to ensure that top candidates accept your offer:

1. Make sure the candidate is hooked

I have heard numerous stories of companies delaying a hiring process for months waiting for a candidate to fall in love and commit to an opportunity when they should have cut bait and moved on. It is incumbent upon the search consultant and the company to "hook" candidates with compelling reasons why the opportunity is unbeatable. However, an experienced search consultant will assess the candidate's level of interest from the start of the process and re-verify throughout the process. It is common for the level of interest and associated variables to change as new information becomes available and it is best to pull the plug before getting to the offer stage.

2. Understand the candidate's motivations

The best search consultants will quickly hone in on the candidate's true motivations right from the start by establishing trust and asking the right questions. Some examples include: listening carefully to the nuances of why the candidate is interested in making a move, evaluating the sense of urgency to leave, and understanding what they like and do not like about their current job. It is important to listen for reasons why they would be interested in the opportunity with your company specifically. If relocation is involved, why they would like to move to your area? Beware of candidates whose primary motivation is to move to your location as they may not really be interested in your opportunity. It is important to look for a good balance of motivations and that they remain consistent throughout the process.

3. Pin down salary expectations

What will it take to get the candidate to consider making a move? Test them on their bottom line. Candidates will respond if you ask the questions tactfully and in an effort to ensure that you can meet their needs with a competitive offer. Likewise, it is important for the candidate to determine whether the company can offer a salary in their ball park. It is best to communicate openly and to make sure not to over promise on the salary. In addition to base salary, some candidates place importance on benefits or, in other instances, the relocation package really matters. While some candidates may say that base salary is not as important, they can ultimately become dissatisfied with their base salary after a few months in the job if it is significantly lower than what they were making previously.

4. Watch out for salary creep

It is common for candidate salary expectations to creep up when they realize that a company is seriously interested. Reinforcing the salary range and re-assessing the level of interest in every conversation can help to mitigate unrealistic expectations from creeping up on you at the time of the offer. If you see signs of salary creep, you can test a candidate's level of interest by politely taking the opportunity away to see if they adjust their expectations back to the original salary level communicated. If they don't, then you should cut them loose or communicate the changes internally before moving forward with the candidate.

5. Maintain momentum in the offer stage

Once you know that you want to make an offer do not lose momentum. If you wait too long to make the offer, the candidate may perceive a lack of interest and can go into "self preservation" mode. This can result in loss of the emotional connection with high potential finalists convincing themselves that they did not want the opportunity in the first place. It is much harder to land candidates who lose their emotional connection to the opportunity.   

6. Don't low-ball the offer

If you set the right expectations from the start and maintain consistency, then you can put your best foot forward and reduce the amount of negotiation needed to land the candidate. Low-balling a candidate immediately undermines credibility and does not reflect well on the organization. It can place doubts in the mind of the candidate and often derails the whole process. 

At the end of the day, companies and candidates are part of a market economy. Scarcity of talent, employment brand reputation, cost of living, and lifestyle decisions all dictate what companies need to pay attention to in order to attract top talent. Recruiting is one of the least efficient and most costly processes in an organization, so getting top candidates to accept your offers can save your company time and money in the long run. Paying attention to all the details assures that getting top candidates to say "Deal" won't be left to chance.

*Generator Group Hiring Trends Survey, 2007.

OIA Launches Outdoor Industry Career Center

March 14, 2008 -> Outdoor Industry Association WebNews
(re-published with permission from OIA)

Strategic Recruiting:  Finding the Right Niche

Over the past several years, the big names in internet job search like Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com have captured media attention and a large base of jobseekers and employers.  These generalized job search sites are now giving way to more specialized niche job boards, however, as employers become increasingly strategic in their recruitment efforts. "Strategic staffing is a topic that is gaining more attention with executives and board members concerned about generating consistent and sustainable business growth in the future. The recruiting landscape continues to change and the Internet will continue to be a key driver in creating new ways for people to connect and exchange information," says Roy Notowitz, partner in Generator Group, "At the same time, hiring has clearly shifted from being an administrative process to a strategic process as companies look to gain market intelligence, develop employment brand equity, and increase the sophistication of their interviewing and selection methods." For Kate Lee, Director of Human Resources at Keen Footwear, her biggest hiring challenge is "finding recruitment resources that target our industry and that top candidates consistently use as a job search tool."  In addition, "there also need to be more resources that target women in our industry."

Quality versus quantity

According to a 2007 hiring trends survey conducted by Generator Group, the number one hiring challenge facing companies today is a lack of qualified candidates.  This trend is forcing employers to focus even more on quality versus quantity in their recruiting efforts. 

In the past few years, online job-search sites such as CareerBuilder.com and Monster.com have made it easy for employers to broadcast their available jobs to a large universe of prospective candidates.  These sites have also made it easy for jobseekers to apply for any job with the click of their mouse, whether they are qualified or not.  As a result, employers spend the bulk of their recruiting efforts combing through resumes to identify the small percentage of candidates that are actually qualified for their position.  As a result, it seems that both employers and candidates might be finding these resources less helpful. To combat this problem, employers are increasingly turning to online recruitment advertising and social networking sites that will allows them to reach more targeted audiences with a higher likelihood that the candidates will be a fit for their positions.

Finding the right niche

Generator Group's survey ranked the most effective candidate sources, with the more personal channels of networking, employee referrals and industry specific search firms coming in as the top three.  The top online candidate source in the survey was niche job boards, coming in ahead of the respondents' own company websites and broad-based online job boards, such as Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com.

"Screening tools are getting better on large job boards, but don't get the quality of candidates with specialized skills as I do on niche jobs boards.  Those are the ones that got me the best candidates," says Dave Knutson, HR and Sustainability for Chaco. The use of these specialized job sites is a trend that has gained in popularity and effectiveness over the past several years.  According to a 10/9/07 article in the Wall Street Journal, "Job-Search Sites Face a Nimble Threat," niche job boards accounted for almost 50% of the $5.9 billion spend on online recruitment-advertising in 2006.  Niche job boards focus on a specific industry, location, profession or segment of the population to help employers target qualified candidates more cost effectively.  Not only are the posting fees for these niche sites typically lower than those charged by a Monster.com or CareerBuilder.com, employers are less likely to get the barrage of unqualified resumes in response to their postings. "We are constantly on the lookout for industry-related job boards.  They are a primary recruitment vehicle for us and typically provide quality applicants," says Kate Lee of Keen Footwear.

Bridging the gap

As the trade association responsible for ensuring the growth and success of the outdoor industry, Outdoor Industry Association is focused on helping the industry solve its biggest business challenges, including recruitment of qualified candidates. In order to better serve our members and the industry as a whole, we recently launched the Outdoor Industry Career Center. With the trend favoring niche job boards, the Outdoor Industry Career Center is poised to attract the most talented individuals available to the outdoor industry. "OIA recognizes the relationship between the success of the outdoor industry and the strength and vitality provided by hiring passionate and qualified employees to be the foundation of the outdoor recreation economy," says Frank Hugelmeyer, president of OIA.  "Investing in the Outdoor Industry Career Center to promote the outdoor industry as a viable career path will be an opportunity from which the entire industry can benefit." With more than 29,000 visitors a month to the OIA website, the Outdoor Industry Career Center offers OIA members - and the industry at large - the resources to identify candidates with the right combination of passion and skills.  Long-term benefits for outdoor businesses include the opportunity for more cost-effective recruitment for qualified candidates.  The Outdoor Industry Career Center is the largest database in the industry, providing an opportunity for companies to hire the best potential candidates.  The new site also provides tools for employers to manage their candidate recruitment, including searching for qualified candidate resumes based on specific job criteria, generating online reporting on job activity statistics and opportunities to feature their job postings on the site and in weekly email news letters to job seekers.

Unlike OIA's previous job posting site, the Outdoor Career Center is available to all outdoor industry employers, though OIA members do receive a substantial discount on posting fees.As employers continue to be more targeted in their online recruitment advertising efforts, the Outdoor Industry Career Center will continue to grow and evolve to a passionate, qualified and strong talent pool for outdoor industry companies. Check out the new Outdoor Industry Career Center at www.outdoorindustry.org or call OIA at 303-444-3353 for more information.

VP of Global Sales (Portland, Oregon)

Our client is a manufacturer and distributor of premium consumer durable goods. For more than 20 years they have held a position of dominance by providing their customers with innovative and creative solutions for their everyday needs. They are now looking to embark on an aggressive strategy to become a market-focused company, an organization even more responsive to the needs of the customer and are seeking an accomplished Vice President of Global Sales. As a member of the executive management team the VP of Global Sales will play a key role in expanding distribution and gaining market share for all products.

Responsibilities:
o Develop and manage annual sales operating budget.
o Prepare, communicate and execute a comprehensive strategic plan for the sales organization.
o Partner with marketing to develop and manage pricing, distribution, sales policies and procedures for all products.
o Promote effective cross-functional teamwork with marketing, design engineering, manufacturing, finance and other functions.
o Identify and develop new markets, channels and breakthrough sales opportunities supported by appropriate market research.
o Develop a scalable organizational structure for the sales group that can grow as the business grows.
o Contribute to a strong professional image in the market place by developing innovative market approaches and by assuring that each individual market is properly served.

Qualifications:
o Superior business and sales management acumen with ten (10+) years of experience, an undergraduate degree and, preferably, an MBA.
o Experience providing strategic and creative leadership as a Senior Sales Executive of a complex, high performance manufacturing company known as a market leader.
o Have partnered with a senior management team in an environment of continuous improvement and on-going growth.
o Had success working in a process-driven organization to achieve scalability and predictability within the sales function.
o Have experience, contacts, and credibility selling through multiple distribution channels.
o Leadership experience that includes: recruiting, training, developing, and retaining a high performance sales team
o Have worked in a customer focused business and understand the commitment needed to put the needs of the customer first.
o International experience preferred.

APPLY ONLINE NOW

http://jobs-generatorgroup.icims.com/generatorgroup_jobs/jobs/candidate/candidate.jsp?from=login&jobid=1715