How do you know when you have found the right candidate for your firm? Many firms looking to hire someone receive hundreds of resumes these days because the unemployment levels are so high. There are some things to consider when you start to set up interviews.

The first and most important is to really think about the type of candidate you are looking for. This will help you figure out where to recruit. For example, is there anyone in your office that has the same qualities you are looking for?

You should be as detailed about the position as possible and highlight the areas of most importance. Try to let them know why this position is unique so they will be more interested. Remember, this is not the first interview these candidates have been to and may not be their last.

Always make sure you have enough qualified candidates to choose from and make sure you are asking the right questions in your interview. Try to be as detailed as possible so you can learn as much as possible about this individual. If you are in a smaller firm, they will need to be able to mesh well with your entire team. Have other individuals in your team meet with the candidates as well. Your team members may ask questions that you may not have thought of.

Even though you may need to hire someone quickly, take your time finding the right candidate. This includes having multiple meetings with a select few candidates. If you rush, it may end up costing you more money in the long run.

Financial Advisor Recruiters - Recruitment Firm for Financial Advisor Jobs

RBC announced a decrease in percentage of payouts for advisors generating under $300,000 in revenue in an effort to weed out smaller advisors. RBC is moving in a new direction and wants to attract more million dollar producers in an effort to double its productivity in 5 years.

Financial advisors who were generating under $300,000 were happy with their current payout as you can see by their attrition rate of 4-5% in the past three years. Now, RBC is going to get what they wanted; smaller advisors jumping ship. Are other broker-dealers going to follow suit?

RBC seems to be recruiting the larger advisors already and is well on its way to meeting its goal in productivity.

Financial Advisor Recruiters - Recruitment Firm for Financial Advisor Jobs

Once again…seems like only a few weeks ago, ONWALLSTREET‘s 10^th Annual RECRUITERS ROUNDTABLE was reviewed and scrutinized by industry leaders and advisors looking for change or hope during the past year’s financial turmoil.

Current opportunities and pitfalls in the industry are discussed in detail at the 11^th Annual Recruiters Roundtable, so you’ll want to check out all six pages of the dialogue from “The Hire Powers Speak Out.”

Our own Bill Willis, President and CEO of Willis Consulting, Inc. is on the panel again this year, along with seven other prestigious industry recruiters with insight into future trends and opportunities for advisors or financial executives…a MUST read for 2010!

Financial Advisor Recruiters - Recruitment Firm for Financial Advisor Jobs

I had a few days over the Thanksgiving holiday to reflect on these challenging times facing us all. It’s tough to be optimistic when every aspect of the media is pessimistic and predicting doomsday.

So do we, as the “Main Street” taxpayers, succumb to this gloom and accept our fate? Well, I decided not to. (Might have something to do with the fact I have a family to support and business associates who depend on me!)

Anyway, it all comes back to stepping up and conquering what it is that is limiting us.

At Willis Consulting we’ll continue to do what we have always done each and every year:

• Define where we’re headed in 2009
• Set ourselves some challenging and achievable goals
• Create a POSITIVE plan of action!

We’ll be ready to roll in 2009!!

Financial Advisor Recruiters - Recruitment Firm for Financial Advisor Jobs

Blogger Evan Newmark, for Deal Journal, on 09/17/08, posted Dear Main Street – A Letter of Explanation from Wall Street

In essence, he states that Main Street America must share the blame with Wall Street for the financial markets meltdown. “The mess was made together and now we must pay for it together”

Check out the overwhelming responses that came in on this one! My thoughts on this were stated in the previous blog entry. Something has got to change…

Moving forward, how are we to avoid a new era of risky debt making?

Financial Advisor Recruiters - Recruitment Firm for Financial Advisor Jobs

Let’s face it…resume screening is tedious, time consuming, inefficient, and most of all inaccurate!

At Willis-Consulting we have found that many times the best financial advisor candidates are the ones who are already employed and as a result may be turned off by the time it takes to update their resume or tailor it for the requirements of a specific job.

The resume review process is so subjective and unreliable that it is destined to fade away and not soon enough in our opinion.

So what replaces it? Though not there yet, we’re moving toward the “structured screening” approach; it just makes a lot of sense.

As financial services recruiters, we have clearly defined what the position entails and requires. By having a structured questionnaire that not only collects work and educational history, but also data related to specific elements of the job, we would be able to focus the candidates’ attention toward providing relevant information pertaining to their abilities to be successful in the positions we’re recruiting for.

An online structured questionnaire, submitted electronically, and reviewed by job recruiters can save a lot of time and just makes sense!

Comments or input most welcome… Hey, and while we’re thinking about it, what about a “virtual interview”?!

Financial Advisor Recruiters - Recruitment Firm for Financial Advisor Jobs

Want that opportunity at a major Wall Street firm?

Here’s what we know about landing that position in today’s job market within the financial services industry:

Our successful candidates contact us because they know WE know what the industry is looking for.  We have a “specialist” orientation approach; all of our recruiters have been there.

What we demand of our candidates is that they speak and act serious to be taken seriously.

That includes being on time for appointments, acting and speaking in a professional manner, having a business plan to present, and following up the interview with a courteous written thank you.

Oh, and promptly returning phone calls and IF necessary, canceling and rescheduling well before the appointment date!

Can’t do? Then, don’t waste your time, because you won’t get the job!!

Financial Advisor Recruiters - Recruitment Firm for Financial Advisor Jobs

Have recent events and turmoil on Wall Street the past three months created an “event” that has moved YOUR “cheese?”

By now, we all know the current credit crunch has affected numerous industries beyond the mortgage/housing industry. So being a nationally renowned search firm for financial services, we’ve spent some time networking with corporate management and scrutinizing the changes within the financial industry.

Noteworthy are the recent announcements of downsizing by major Wall Street firms. However, it appears the downsizing does NOT include brokers. In fact, Willis-Consulting, Inc. has seen an increased demand for seasoned and entry level candidates within the financial institutions over the past several weeks.

So, if you are motivated for a change in career, or dissatisfied with your current situation within the industry, why not let us help you evaluate today’s unique opportunities…we are experienced, independent and confidential!

Financial Advisor Recruiters - Recruitment Firm for Financial Advisor Jobs