IT Recruiter Training

Mamsys Consulting Services Ltd.

Version 1.0
Oct-01-2013

Training Modules
Business Communication
Basic of US IT Recruitment (Tax Terms, VISA types, Position types,

Sourcing)
Communication Templates (Verbal/Written)
Profile Searching techniques (String making, Job posting, Understanding the

requirement, etc.)
Profile evaluation mechanism
Best Practices (Dos/Donts) (Work ethics, Hard work and smart work)
Demographic Knowledge (Knowing the culture, Knowledge of states and

time zones, etc.)

Question Bank for evaluation after training

Business Communication : Verbal Communication

Written Communication

Verbal Communication

Greeting style
Introduction
Purpose of call
Voice mail
Usage of open ended questions
Speech Variations
Proper Ups & Downs of speech
Information gathering before call
Listening skills
Proper accent
Provide opportunity to speak (Two way communication)

Written Communication

Email writing
Preparing brief about position
Proper subject line of Email
Standard text format
Proper addressing to the recipient
Proper & standard signature
Avoid false commitments
Prompt response

What is Recruitment?

Recruitment is the process of finding and attracting capable applicants

for employment.
In other words recruitment is about finding the right talent, for the right
job at the right time.

What is US IT Staffing?
US Staffing is a Talent Acquisition Industry which brings together HR
Departments of the Clients, the VMS and the managers of staffing
companies to hire the best talent for the vacant jobs in shortest
possible time.

Key Stakeholders in US IT Staffing

Following are the people who play major role in US Staffing industry:
Client
Account Manager or Delivery Manager (Onshore Coordinators of
Staffing Agency)
Candidate / Consultant
VMS (Vendor Management System)

We, the Recruiters !!!

Some Key Facts about US Staffing

After the great recession of 2009, US Staffing industry has created
more jobs than any other industry.
This happened because staffing and recruiting industry is more
resilient to any other industry when it comes to economic expansions
and contractions.
The other main reason why staffing business is ever so expanding is
because of exponential rise in demand of contractual workers.
The average tenure of an employee within staffing and recruiting
industry is around about 24-36 months which is 35 to 40% higher than
the average tenure of an employee within any other sector.
The above statistics are just few pointers which indicate what is in
store for people who are willing to make a career in this industry.

Qualities of a Good Recruiter

Influencing and negotiating

Persistence
Willingness to Excel and Achieve
Judgment and Decision Making
Coachablity and Openness to Feedback

Day - Day Activity of a Recruiter

Picking up the Job (Requirement)
Identifying the Candidates through various job portals and job engines.
Calling Prospective Candidates
Screening them as per the Requirement
Reserving the best match candidates to the given job, and sending them
Right to Represent (RTR).
Once RTR is received, preparing the submission of the resume (formatting,
preparing summaries).

Submitting the resume to the a/c manager.

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US Recruitment Process
In the following slides we will study
What is the recruitment process in US Staffing
How to understand the requirement
How to make a search string and search for resume?
Boolean Search Strings
Tax Terms
W2 Contract
W2 Salaried
1099
C2C or Corp to Corp
The Concept of Per Diem
How to screen a candidate while speaking to him over the phone?
Establishing Rapport and Negotiating with the Candidate.
Closing the Candidate for a particular requirement
Red Flags while screening the candidate.
Job Boards and ATS (Applicant Tracking System)
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Steps in Recruiting Life Cycle

Client
Account Manager
Assignment of Requirement to recruiter
Requirement Understanding
Formulating Search String (Keywords, Boolean Search)
Calling up candidates
Getting updated resume
Checking the Quality of Resume and Matching it to the Requirement
Format the Resume and Submitting the resume to Account Manager
Account Manager consults the candidate for further clarifications, if required.
Resume is submitted to the client.
Client provides feedback / interview request.
Recruiter arranges the interview and confirms it with the client.
Closure.

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Profile Searching techniques

(String making, Job posting, Understanding the
requirement, etc.).

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Requirement Understanding
To understand the requirement is the key to find the right talent for the right job

at the right time.

When looking at the requirement, the recruiter should look for following skills

and attributes.
Location.
Duration
Rate
Primary and Secondary Skills
Start Date and End Date of Assignment
Job Description
Roles and Responsibilities
Client

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Searching Resume
When Searching for Resume, the recruiter must use either of

the following methods to locate a resume.

Keyword Search In this method, the recruiter looks for a

particular resume through Job Title, Position Name or

Specific Skill or Function in a Job Board (Monster, Dice,
Career Builder). This method is useful particularly for any
functional position and low level jobs (Technician, Business
Analyst and Project Managers etc.)
Boolean Search (And, Or, Not)

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Boolean Search
Boolean searches allow you to combine words and phrases using the words

AND, OR AND NOT (otherwise known as Boolean operators) to limit,

widen, or define your search. Most Internet search engines and Web
directories default to these Boolean search parameters anyway, but a good
Web searcher should know how to use basic Boolean operators.
Examples
Using AND Operator, search results are narrowed, as explained below
(Portland) AND (Oregon)
Using OR Operator, search results are broadened, as explained below
(Dog) OR (Wolf).
Using NOT Operator, search results are narrowed, as explained below
(Manager) NOT (Program)

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Some more Boolean Search

(TECHNICIAN ) AND (RF ) AND (TES OR TESTING OR

SCRIPTING) Within 75 miles of 92101.

(MANAGER ) AND (ANALYSIS OR ANALYST OR
ANALYTICS ) AND(DATA ) Within 75 miles of 92101 , BUT
NOT = (PROJECT OR PROGRAM ).
(TECHNICIAN) AND ("TIER 1" OR "TIER I") AND ("MS
OFFICE SUITE" OR MS-OUTLOOK) WITHIN 75 MILES
OF 92101.
(RF ) AND (DESIGN OR FABRICATE ) AND(MOBILE OR
WIRELESS ) Within 75 miles of 92101

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Boolean Search on Google to find the Resume

Boolean Search can be applied on Google to find the resumes

too. As we know that people make their personal profiles and also
post resumes on Internet in large numbers, it is always a good
idea to check Google for recruiting purposes too.
The Syntax for finding a resume on Google is
(intitle: Resume OR inURL: Resume OR intitle: CV or inURL: CV) AND

( Manager OR Supervisor) AND (Test OR Testing OR Test Case OR

Test Plans) jobs samples sample resume Resume writers (CA OR
California)
(intitle: Resume OR inURL: Resume OR intitle: CV or inURL: CV) AND
( Mobile OR Wireless AND Chips OR Semiconductors) AND (Test
OR Testing OR Test Case OR Test Plans) jobs samples sample
resume Resume writers (CA OR California)
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Profile evaluation mechanism

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Screening the Candidate Over the Phone

Phone Screening the Candidate is the most critical step in identifying and hiring

the candidate for the a given requirement. While hiring the candidate the recruiter
generally follows following steps.
Greets the Candidate on opening of the call.
Introduces himself and his staffing company.
Seeks the permission from candidate to speak about the position.
Gives the Details about the position (Title, Location, Client, Duration and

nature of job ) and discusses the candidates experience to qualify the resume
for the assigned requirement.
Negotiate for Pay Rate / Salary Range and Summarizes the details for the call
to confirm the candidates interest
Closes the Call and Sends him a RTR (Right to Represent) mail to reserve the
candidate for the assigned position.

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Closing the Candidate for a particular

Requirement
After sourcing and screening the candidate, the recruiter can go

ahead and get the candidates resume submitted to the client.

If the resume is short-listed depending on the clients feedback,
and client forwards an interview request, the recruiter gets in
touch with the candidate, discusses the interview schedule with
him.
If the candidate is appointed by the client, it then adds up to a
closure (Purchase Order or PO) in the recruiters name.
Once the candidate officially starts his assignment, it is
regarded as a placement in recruiters name and the recruiter is
awarded incentive accordingly.

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Red Flags While Screening the Candidate

While Screening the Candidate, it is mandatory that certain check points are

ruled out in order to confirm that candidate in all probability is a willing

candidate and will join the job, provided client offers it following the
interview.
Commute
Pay Rate
Willingness to Join
Willing to Perform a Background Check and Credit Check as per the
clients requirement
An Ex Employee of the same client
Any Pending Interviews or Back-up Offers
Qualification and Experience are neither under or over qualified

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Job Boards used in US Recruitments

Job Boards are basically websites where job seeking candidates post their

resumes and Employers look for a potential candidate who can be hired for
their requirement.
There are various Job Boards available in market where people from US
post their resumes. Some of the Job Boards are: Monster US
Dice.com
Careerbuilder.com
Hotjobs.com
Sologig.com
Netemps.com

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Applicant Tracking System

There are some portals available in US Recruitment market which source

resumes from all major job boards and act as a one stop solution to have
large database of candidates for various type of skill sets.
Some of the such major job portals are
Bullhorn
LinkedIn Recruiter
JobDiva.com
QCOM
JobDiva.com
Taleo.net

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(Work Authorization and Employment Types)

W-2 A W-2 employee is an employee whose taxes are withheld by the employer
and whose earnings are reported to the IRS at the year-end via a W-2. The W-2
employee completes a form W-4 at the beginning of their employment to instruct
the employer on how to withhold taxes. This eliminates any possible issues that
may arise with the IRS regarding employment status.
1099 Employee A 1099 employee is in most cases a temporary employee
(technically, not even an "employee"). Because they are not permanent, they do
not need to complete a W-4 or have the employer withhold taxes. They are
responsible for paying their taxes directly to the IRS. The IRS requires that the
employer report the earnings paid on a form 1099. The IRS would rather put the
burden of tax withholding on the employer and therefore has fairly stringent rules
regarding when someone can be considered a 1099 employee.
Corp-to-Corp Indicates that the employer would prefer to deal directly with
another corporation. The main reason for this preference is to avoid some of the
potential liability that might exist in dealing with an independent contractor on a
1099 basis. This would include corporations dealing directly with other corporations
or corporations dealing with individuals who have incorporated.
Independent The employer is willing to hire a temporary employee on either25a
1099 or W-2 Basis.

W-2 Employee
Definition:
You are an employee of the broker selected by your client. Your wages
are subject to the same tax withholdings as a regular employee.
W-2 Pros:
Easiest and simplest option.
No bookkeeping needed other than submitting time sheets.
Some limited benefits may be available.

W-2 Cons:
Limited ability to defer income if a 401(k) benefit plan is unavailable.
Deductibility of unreimbursed business expenses and medical insurance
premiums are very limited.
Getting health insurance coverage if none is provided can be a
challenge.
Any benefit package is likely to be less generous than if you were a
regular employee of the client.
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1099 Self-Employed Sole Proprietor

Definition:
A sole proprietorship is an unincorporated business that is owned by one
individual. It is the simplest form of business organization to start and
maintain. The business has no existence apart from you, the owner. Its
liabilities are your personal liabilities. You undertake the risks of the
business for all assets owned, whether used in the business or personally
owned. You include the income and expenses of the business on
Schedule C of your own tax return.
1099 Pros:
Easy to get started.
Easy to discontinue when your contract ends.
Losses might be used to offset other income (limits apply).
Small business retirement plans offer the opportunity to defer more
current income than traditional IRAs.
You might be eligible to take the Home Office Deduction.
1099 Cons:
Unlimited liability for the owner.
All profit is subject to self-employment tax in addition to the income tax.
More administration and bookkeeping than W-2 option.
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You must make quarterly estimated tax payments.

Corp-to-Corp

Definition:

Corp-to-Corp means that your client, a corporation, pays your business, which is
organized as a corporation, for the services rendered by you. Your client may prefer this
as it protects them from the same risks regarding the employer-employee relationship
discussed in the W-2 option above.
Corp-to-Corp Pros:

No self-employment tax.

Using small business retirement plans, you can defer tax on a larger percentage of
income.

Double taxation of earnings is avoided as compared to regular corporations.

Corp-to-Corp Cons:

Most complicated option. Much more bookkeeping and tax reporting required.

More difficult to organize and dissolve.

Some states have a minimum tax you will have pay regardless of profitability.

You must receive at least some salary from the corporation, which means the
corporation is subject to payroll taxes and filing.

S-Corp shareholders pay tax on undistributed profits.

If you don't make the S-Corp election you can get stuck with the 35% Personal Services
Corporation (PSC) flat tax.

The biggest draw back of setting up your own corporation is the extra time, yours or
someone else's, required to set up and maintain the records of your corporation and all
the required tax filings. If you like this kind of stuff, it's not a big deal. If you hate doing
this kind of stuff you should probably hire someone else to do it for you. Or reconsider
the W-2 option above.
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Per Diem
Per Diem is basically an allowance given to candidate in case the candidate

is relocating from his home location to the client site to work for an
assignment. For Per Diem to be applicable, following conditions must be
fulfilled.
The candidate should own a house / should be renting a house at his
home location. (Proof of Ownership / Rent Agreement will be asked at
the time of paper work.)
Distance between the location should be 50 miles or more.
He should have enough expenses to maintain the two houses.
Per Diem will be provided to the candidate for the first year of the
contract only. If the contract extends for more than 12 months, Per diem
will be stopped after completion of 12th month.

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PAYMENT TERMS

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Communication Templates

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Some Basic Questions to Evaluate Consultants during Screening Process

Q 1: Could you please explain briefly your last couple of projects?
Q 2: What was your role in last project?
Q 3: In which year did you graduate and from which university?
Q 4: Is there any gap during your education period? If Yes, then what did you do

during that period?

Q 5: When will you be able to join the project?
Q 6: How much are you comfortable with the JD?
Q 7: How much do you rate your communication skill on the scale of 10?
Q 8: How much do you rate your technical skills on the scale of 10?
Q 9: Whats your visa status and validation? (To be asked only from candidates on
work visa)
Q 10: Ask some questions according to JD
Q 11: Are you comfortable with the location of the project?
Q 12: Are you comfortable with Skype interview?
Q 13: How many years of relevant experience do you have for this particular
position?
Q 14: How much total year of experience do you have?
Q 15: What are the reasons for change?
Q 16: Is this a relocation case? If yes, why?
Q 17: Nationality of candidate?
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Best Practices
(Dos/Donts) (Work ethics, Hard work and smart work).

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Demographic Knowledge
(Knowing the culture, Knowledge of states and time zones, etc.)

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UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA
In this section we will be introduced to following

aspects of United States of America.

Demographics
Culture
Geography
Work Visa and Permits

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Some Facts about US

It is commonly known as US, United States, America or States.
It is the worlds economy with a GDP of $15.11 trillion with

per capita income being six highest.

With a diverse population ethnicity, most of the residents are
Native American, Europeans, Asians and Caucasians.
Some of the global industry giants have their headquarters in
this country like Apple, Microsoft, Johnson & Johnson, UPS,
Google, Facebook, Boeing, Colt etc to name a few.
It is the home to several well known federal agencies in the
world like the FBI, NASA, White House, UN, World Bank etc.

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United States Of America

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Political Division and Time Zones

US is divided politically into following zones East, West,

North, South, Mid-East and Mid West.

Due to its huge land area, US is divided into given time zones
EST, CST, MST and PST.
In terms of time difference, EST is 1 hour ahead of CST, 2
hours ahead of MST and 3 hours ahead of PST.
For example Atlanta, GA (EST) will be 1 hour ahead of Dallas,
TX (CST), 2 hours ahead of Denver, CO (MST) and 3 hours
ahead of Los Angeles, CA (PST).

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Day Light Saving

The concept of Daylight Saving Time is the practice of

advancing of clocks so that evenings have more daylight and

mornings have less. In this, typically clocks are adjusted one
hour forward at the start of spring and are adjusted one hour
backwards near the start of autumn.
Normally in US, the daylight saving is applied or starts at the
last week of February and ends at the end of last week of
October following Halloweens day.

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Major Holidays of US
New Years Day
Presidents Day
Memorial Day
Independence Day
Labor Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas

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Work Visa and Permits

Visa is an entry clearence certificate that is placed in a travel or

passport document, which gives us permission to enter into an

applied country.
In US, there are two categories of Visa which exist.
Immigrant Visa
Non Immigrant Visa

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Types of Visa
Immigrant Visa - It is for those people who intend to live

permanently in US
Types of Immigrant Visa
Green Card (GC) An official document issued by US
Government to alliance allowing them to work permanently
in US.
Permanent Resident An allocation of residency to the
incoming immigrants done on the random basis other than
the Green Card allocation.

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Types of Visa (contd.)

Non Immigrant Visa This Visa is given to those immigrants whose

permanent residence is outside US, however they wish to stay in US on a

temporary basis for a certain purpose tourism, medical treatment,
business, temporary work or study.
Types of Non Immigrant Visa
H1B It is a work permit under US immigration in which people can
enter in US for three years if they work in a specialized field and their
employers cannot fill the position locally. It is initially granted for a
period of three years and can be extended up to a period of another
years, hence the H1B visa is valid up to a duration of six years.
The programmers and other technically skilled people especially related
to Computers is enter US under this Visa Category.

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Types of Visa (contd.)

H4 It is granted to the dependents of immigrants who are on H1B
work permit. People on this category are not allowed to work in US.
J1 Basically provided for someone from home country to US for
training which should be useful for home country.
L1 / L2 Intra Company Transfer / Dependent Visa L1 is a Non
Immigrant Visa which allows companies operating both in US and
abroad to transfer certain class of employees from its foreign operations
to US operations for a period of maximum up to seven years.
The employee must have worked for a subsidiary or parent company of
our US company for at least a period of one year out of last three years.

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Types of Visa (contd.)

EAD Employment Authorization Document
An Employment Authorization Document (EAD) is work

permit that authorizes an immigrant to work in US for a

period of time, usually one year.
There are two categories of EAD available :

I485 EAD (Green Card EAD)

OPT EAD

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Types of Visa (contd.)

Border Visas As US shares its borders with two different

countries, Canada and Mexico, there are two work permits

which allows people from these countries to work within US.
TN 1 Visa (Canada)
TN 2 Visa (Mexico)

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Question Bank for evaluation

after training

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Thank You

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