USING THE INTERNET AS
A RESEARCH RESOURCE
As
a wrap-up for this issue’s cover story about Search Research, we’ll
investigate the role the Internet can play providing key research tools and
resources you can use everyday. There are basically two ways to do research on
the Internet…Do it yourself or pay someone else. We will discuss both. Paying
someone else to do your research will obviously be more costly but you will be
paying for an expert’s time that might be able to accomplish in two hours what
would take you six. Doing it yourself doesn’t cost you much but you will have
to learn advanced search techniques, search methodologies, email campaign
management and how to use a multitude of Internet related tools and resources.
Described
below are a few noteworthy companies that provide Internet research for a fee.
They can often customize a package according to your needs by providing raw or
qualified leads for your search assignments…maybe build a mailing list for
you, research a client’s competitors, etc., etc., etc. Ideally they might hand
you five dynamite candidates for your next search assignment already screened
for skills, geography and salary. Each offers different services and some have a
minimum number of hours per assignment but you should be able to locate someone
here. I have not personally used any of these services, they are not in any
particular order and do not recommend one over the other. We offer this
information as a starting point in your search for an Internet research service
that is right for you.
Tiburon
Group: http://tiburongroup.com
A
Certified AIRS Solutions Partner…the first in the country I am told. At least
a couple of their services are directly related to researching candidates on the
Internet. Straight from the website:
“Internet
research is a combination of an art and a science. TiburonGroup researchers are
trained to follow a methodology that combines specific research techniques with
intuitive and creative thought processes. The results are amazing.
Candidate
Sourcing - Mining the Internet for candidates can be time consuming and
sometimes frustrating. Without thorough training and consistent practice it can
become a burdensome task. Tiburon's consultants have mastered the complexities
and subtleties of researching the Internet for candidates. This not only
includes knowing how and where to find the best candidates but also it includes
knowing how to best contact and network with passive candidates. Our techniques
are professional and non-intrusive.
Competitive
Analysis - Are you interested in learning about your competition? Do you want to
find out what they are saying and who is talking about them? Do you want to
learn about their partners and their marketing strategies? The Internet is the
most comprehensive research vehicle available. Our research team follows a
methodology that utilizes the most advanced Internet search techniques to help
you learn more about your competition.
I
spoke with one of their Principals, Karen Osofsky, about their pricing structure
who said that their pricing proposed on a per assignment basis. Anyone wishing
more information can contact Karen at karen@tiburongroup.com
or 773/907-8330, x502.
EmploymentTool.Com:
http://employmenttools.com
They
claim to be a one-stop staffing source that seems to cater more to end-user
companies than agencies but seems to have a great service that recruiters could
take advantage of. All 10 of their staff are fully AIRS trained and ready to
source leads for you on the Internet. From their website:
“Our
Research & Profiling service enables you to purchase "custom"
recruiting solutions, using a creative "turn key" method. We expand
your recruiting efforts without having to build additional internal
infrastructure or hire additional recruiting staff. Our menu of services,
adapted to your specific needs, will take your company from Internet job posting
and response management to active sourcing of passive candidates utilizing AIRS
advanced Internet research techniques. We use state-of-the-art Internet based
techniques to "harvest" resumes, and other types of information of
both active and passive candidates from the Internet.
We
provide a dedicated, seasoned "Project Lead" assigned to act as a
single point of contact and is responsible for coordinating the various services
out-sourced to us. To guarantee quality equal to your standards, our phone
screening forms are co-developed with you, so that we act as a true extension of
your business, collecting specific information most critical to the hiring
needs. Ours is a three-module program, which may be utilized collectively or
individually.
We
also provide initial phone screenings of ALL resumes from ANY source. Complete
project management and candidate tracking systems provide regular metrics to
fine tune our efforts and insure success. When you use Employment Tools.com
outsourcing on a flexible need basis, you streamline your recruiting process and
maximize your internal recruiting staff effectiveness, thus reducing your cost
per hire.
Mining
the Internet for candidates, not just resumes, can be time consuming and
sometimes frustrating. Without thorough training and consistent practice, it can
become a burdensome task. Our Researchers have mastered the complexities and
subtleties of researching the Internet for candidates. They know how and where
to find the best candidates, how to network appropriately on the Internet, and
how to contact potential candidates in a professional manner.
We
are your partners for finding and evaluating talent. Recruiters and hiring
managers are often overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work to recruit interview
and place candidates. We can help you reduce your qualifying time so you can
take the time to talk with candidates to ensure they are a fit and not a fix for
your corporation. Finding the quick fix often results in a reduction of turnover
costs. More importantly than reducing your employment costs, we give you the
freedom to spend time on what matters most - your clients.”
I
spoke with Dan Simmons who asked that anyone with any questions or comments
please reach him at dan@employmenttools.com
or 410/529-7006.
Recruiters
Aid: http://www.recruitersaid.com
“Our
experienced Internet Recruiters will source the Internet for a pool of
candidates that match your job specifications for less than the cost of a
standard newspaper ad or a fraction of a typical Head Hunter fee. We can then
contact and screen those candidates and give them to you qualified and ready to
be interviewed in 5 business days. NO CHARGE TO YOU if you decide to hire our
candidates!”
So
goes to intro on the home page of Recruiters Aid. I have not tried their service
but might be worthwhile for some with very specific search specifications that
needed a quick turnaround. For $895 they will source Internet candidates that
match your job specifications and deliver at least 10 and up to 40 matching
resumes within 3 days. For $2495 they will do a resume search for you then
contact and qualify as to their availability, skill levels, salary requirements
and interest level in your position. They will guarantee at least 5 interested
and qualified candidates within 5 business days or you don't pay. Not bad.
AIRS:
http://www.airsdirectory.com
From
the AIRS website: “AIRS teaches recruiters to find candidates - AIRS Solutions
find and screen candidates for you, fast. By deploying AIRS strategies and
search tools to sort through the 80 million passive candidates on the Net, we
find the precise people you're looking for - then contact and pre-qualify them
for skills, interest and mobility.”
Yes,
one and the same. AIRS is well known for their advanced Internet recruiting
training sessions. They also are happy to provide candidate research directly to
you for a fee. They currently charge $85.00 per hour or can provide the service
on a project basis.
I
spoke with Chris Foreman from AIRS who told me they do not actually do the
research themselves but will refer you to their Solution Provider who most
closely matches your needs. You can contact Chris at cforman@airsmail.com
or 800/466-4010
Best/World
Associates, Inc.: http://www.researchexperts.com/
Best/World
does not specialize in Internet research as some of the other firms listed but
is definitely a solid player in the staffing/employment research business. Their
business consists of many services related to employment and staffing for both
agencies and end-user companies. Some information from their website:
“Effective
research is an intricate mix of printed resources, information services, and
most importantly, originally developed research. Outsourcing all or part of the
research function provides the advantages of cost effectiveness, the
availability of a dedicated staff and the application of the latest
technologies. Working with the Search Research professionals dedicated to this
specialty affords you the opportunity to capitalize on our combined resources
while receiving highly responsive service.
Custom
Corporate Research – Strategically defined target lists specifically developed
for client staffing needs to ensure higher quality candidate pool. Experience
spanning a broad range of industries, disciplines and levels of responsibility
for many of the world’s leading corporations. Custom research databases
designed to target and track people with specific functional/industry
capabilities. Diversity specific research. I spoke with Tim Best, Principal who
can be reached at 817/861-0000 or timbest@bestworld.com.
The
Manx Group, Inc.: http://www.manxgroup.com
Contact
Bob Mhoon at 817.784.6775 or BobMhoon@ManxGroup.com
or visit his website noted above for more information.
Although
there is a time and place to pay for research, there are so many free resources
on the Internet, it would be a shame if you didn’t at least take a stab at
your own research from time to time. It’s always time versus money. Doing it
yourself doesn’t cost anything extra but can be time consuming depending on
the research being done. The best place to start is by performing a
search-engine search on your client, your client’s competitors, and any
buzzwords associated with your search assignment. The results you get back will
start you on the road to locating a lot of information you need. Exactly how you
perform the search is beyond the scope of this article. You would do well to
receive some type of advanced Internet Recruiting training and follow some type
of methodology. Below are links to numerous sources of research tools and
information for the Internet recruiter. This list is by no means complete but is
a good starting point.
Many
search engines available. Be sure to opt for the ‘advanced search’ or
‘power search’ feature and also check the ‘search tips’ link to check
for any commands or syntax specific to the engine you are searching.
Search
Engine Watch
http://www.searchenginewatch.com
Alta
Vista
http://www.altavista.com
Fast
http://www.alltheweb.com/
Snap
http://www.snap.com
HotBot
http://www.hotbot.com
Go
/ InfoSeek
http://www.go.com
Northern
Lights
http://www.northernlight.com
Google
http://www.google.com
Lycos
http://www.lycos.com/
Ask
Jeeves
http://www.askjeeves.com/
Excite
http://www.excite.com
Inktomi
http://www.inktomi.com/
Netscape
http://search.netscape.com/
Web
Crawler
http://www.webcrawler.com/
Yahoo
http://www.yahoo.com
Telephone
Area Codes Searches
Aegis
http://www.aegisbooks.com
ProDial
http://www.prodial.com/codes1.html
555-1212.Com
http://www.555-1212/com/
UseNet/Newsgroup
Searches
Deja
http://www.deja.com
Free
Agent
http://www.forteinc.com
All
Who Is
http://www.allwhois.com
Vivians
http://catalog.com/vivian/interest-group-search.html
Boardwatch
http://www.boardwatch.com
Internet.Com
http://thelist.internet.com
Geocities
http://www.geocities.com
META
Searches
Remember
that no search engine indexes the entire Internet.
Your search results will vary, requiring the use of several search
engines. If you want to try a meta
search engine (one search command is run on many search engines at the same time
for increased coverage), try:
Dogpile
http://www.dogpile.com
ProFusion
http://www.profusion.com
Remember
that a meta search engine can’t do the detailed searching that an individual
engine can, because the command syntax is not standard across search engines.
AIRS
http://www.airsdirectory.com
Recruiters
Aid
http://www.recruitersaid.com
Business
Network
http://www.interbiznet.com
ER
Exchange
http://www.erexchange.com/
Email
Lookup
World
Email
http://worldemail.com/wede4.shtml
Relocation
/ Zip Code Information
Virtual
Relo
http://www.virtualrelocation.com/
USPS
http://www.usps.com/ncsc/lookups/lookups.htm/
Email
Campaign Management
Arial
Campaign
http://www.arialsoftware.com/
Address
Grabber
http://www.egrabber.com/
As
always there is something for everyone. If you are willing to be a serious
student of Internet researching, willing to learn the advanced techniques
required, then by all means dive into the links above and locate as many leads
as you can. If you do not have the time nor inclination for that type of work,
contact one of the organizations above for a reasonably priced, extremely
thorough research process that will get you closer to your next placement.
Integrating
an Internet recruiting effort with “Voice Mail Mapping” to quickly build a
cold call list in a specific “source” company.
Let’s
say that you’ve taken a great job order and done the research to identify the
5 top competitors of your client as the best places to source.
By applying the Internet techniques we regularly write about, you can
build what I call a “foot hold” in each company – that is, you can get
some names and some phone numbers/email addresses of people in the function you
are targeting. At this point I like
to build a voice mail map. Being an
“early bird”, I like to start by calling in between 4am and 6:30am to use
the source company’s voice mail system directory to identify the names of the
people 5 to 10 extensions above and below the extensions of the people I’ve
already identified in my Internet research.
If the Internet research went well, I may see a pattern that lets me fill
in the gap between several extensions. As you build your voice mail map, listen
to the tone and content of the voice mail messages…
you can tell who the sales people are versus the techies, versus the
admin staff in many cases just from their communication style. The work goes
quickly and I can often build cold call lists of 100+ people before regular
business hours. Many of these calls
connect with good candidates later in the day – AND – I don’t lose time
rusing, as I already have the names and direct phone extensions of the people I
wish to speak with.
Last
month’s article, OUTRAGE, generated more comments and responses than any other
article to date. We evidently hit a nerve with many of you. I heard from many
ex-Monster and ex-Headhunter clients who are now using other resources and
making more money. Write us with your stories about Monster and Headhunter.
Loved every one of them.
Chandra
Bodapati of eGrabber says:
“I got the Fordyce letter and saw the Tip of the month. Thanks to you and Mark for the article. FYI - For future reference our company's name is eGrabber and our web site is http://www.egrabber.com. The article referenced our old site – http://www.prodexusa.com. Thanks a lot for the article - we got some calls and that is how we found out about the article.”