When it comes to growing your business, do you stay laser-focused only on the product or service that has led to your success, or are you often in search of another product or service to add to your lineup?

We are always assessing our mix of services to determine if we should add a focus area. We planned on introducing a new service last year, but decided to stay laser-focused on our existing services so as not to stretch ourselves too thin.

How do you prevent com-modification?

My philosophy is that most businesses are in a commodity business, and we accept that. Our focus is on striving to improve our services and consistently listen to our clients and IT professionals with whom we work.

Is there a new product or service that you are working on or have recently rolled out that you can tell us about?

A recent growth area for us has been our contract-to-hire service, which allows companies and IT professionals to test-drive before committing to a permanent employment situation. It has been a popular choice for companies recovering from the recession. We are currently working on some IT specialty practice areas that we will roll out in the next year.

The list was based on analysis from over 100,000 employee-generated reviews between February 2011 and January 2012. Employees ranked the value of contributing factors on a 5 point scale.  One’s relationship with the boss and co-workers, work environment, job resources, compensation, growth opportunities, company culture, company reputation, daily tasks, and control over the work one does on a daily basis were all taken into consideration.

Other IT jobs ranked in the top twenty were systems engineer (9), software engineer (15), and system administrator (20).

See the Happiest Jobs in America in pictures on Forbes.com.

In today’s Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, some of the Fast 50 companies weighed in on how to find top employees.  As the 12th fastest growing private company in the Twin Cities, we participated in the survey. Bob Hildreth, president of ESP, is proud of the staff of people he’s hired, and shared his strategies for finding the best employees to work for ESP.

Check out the article here  (our answers are on page 2) or read Bob’s complete answers below:

1. How do you to find quality employees? 

The best and most reliable is direct referrals. But we also run ads on industry specific internet job boards, and occasionally, for a role outside of our expertise we will contact a specialized placement agency.

2. Do you use different sources for different types of employees?
   

We usually rely on referrals and internet ads, but for roles like our most recent hire, Head of Accounting, we went to a placement agency that specialized in accounting.

3. What is the most unique story you have about hiring someone?

I hired identical twins to work in our small office. Although I was warned by several business advisers not to do it, 14 years later they are both still working at ESP. It has occasionally posed problems for identifying who was who.

4. What is the No. 1 pitfall that hiring managers need to avoid in the hiring process?

Hiring too quickly. Typically the cost of a new hire in their first year is three times their salary. It is essential to set up multiple meetings in different settings and involve the team in the process to ensure you get the right fit. When on a short time frame due to a competitive market, I don’t cheat on the number of meetings, but try to do the meetings within a few days rather than over the course of a few weeks.

5. What’s the most important attribute you look for in an employee?

Inquisitiveness. I look for employees who ask really good, pointed questions that are related to the job they are seeking (or working in). In an interview setting, these are people who try to determine if the job and company is a good fit for them and who are really interested and knowledgeable about the industy and job I have for them.

6. What’s more important in a new employee? Attitude, education/skills/knowledge, or experience?

Attitude. It’s important that an employee has an attitude towards their work that fits their job description and their daily activity. I always have a potential employee take a work personality assessment prior to making an offer to them to ensure their personality type, work style, and attitude fits the job.

The video below highlights some of advantages the Greater Minneapolis area has to offer as well as beautiful aerial shots of MN landmarks.  Here’s a few of the job market facts shared in the video:

• Fourth top job market in the U.S. according to Forbes. (Also according to Forbes, Mpls is the best city to find employment.)
• Home of the highest per capita concentration of Fortune 500 company headquarters.
• One of the 10 best cities for young professionals. Forbes
• Greater MSP ranked #5 among “Best Cities for Business.”  MarketWatch, 2010

US employment website, Glassdoor, recently compiled their annual list of oddball interview questions from actual interviews. Rusty Rueff, careers and workplace expert for Glassdoor, said surprising questions can be an effective way to gauge a candidate’s character.

“There’s a bit of pressure to find how you think on your feet, trying to test that a little bit,” he told the BBC. “But more importantly, they’re trying to get at how someone thinks, how they solve the problem.”

You can’t exactly prepare for a question like: “Would Mahatma Gandhi have made a good software engineer?” But if you are ever asked something like this, or the other 24 on the list, stay calm. Take a minute to think, and then answer with confidence.

Check out practical ways to prepare for your interview at ESP’s Resource Center.

While the common use of these buzzwords means that they don’t necessarily help a  résumé stand out, job postings are still calling for dynamic (#10) individuals, with strong communication skills (#9). Usually these postings ask for highly motivated (#6) individuals, who are organized (#2) and have a track record (#5) of effective (#3) or creative (#1) problem solving (#8). So, should job seekers really ditch all these terms, just because they are used a lot? I don’t think so.

As long as HR is asking for people with these skills, your résumé should show you have them (assuming you DO have them, of course). Why should job seekers risk not having their résumé get past the screening because they’ve left out the buzzwords HR requested in the job description?

But job seekers should listen to the second half of Williams’ advice: give concrete examples. Don’t just throw as many buzzwords into your résumé or on your profile as possible; instead think about the ones that are accurate and relevant to the job and in addition, be sure to use specific language that illustrates your accomplishments and strengths. As is always the case, if you really want a job, take the extra time to tailor your résumé (and your LinkedIn profile if necessary) to the specific position(s) you want.

LinkedIn’s 2011 list of overused buzzwords

1. Creative
2. Organizational
3. Effective
4. Extensive experience
5. Track record
6. Motivated
7. Innovative
8. Problem solving
9. Communication skills
10. Dynamic

Interested in more résumé advice from ESP? Check out our latest newsletter article for candidates and find out 5 tips for getting your résumé out of the ‘no’ pile.

“Minneapolis residents breathe clean air, prioritize exercise and keep their weight down, supported by a city that was among the first to add bike trails and ban smoking in public places.”