How Can Working With a Recruiter Improve the Hiring Process?

With Salesforce ranking as the #1 CRM for the 9th year in a row, there are a lot of jobs in the market, as well as a lot of Salesforce professionals. So what is the disconnect in hiring, and how can a Salesforce-focused recruiting agency help?

In your experience, what have the biggest obstacles in hiring been? Among surveyed hiring managers, the largest hurdle is technical skills, followed by salary expectations, candidates taking other offers, and overall culture fit. 

  1. Technical Skills

    There’s a combination of challenges with finding the right Salesforce technical skills. The Salesforce platform is expansive, where skills perfect for one role, aren’t relevant to another. Additionally, with a flood of Salesforce Certified candidates, a certification isn’t a guarantee for understanding business processes. Additionally, there are candidates with falsified experience offshoring their work. 

    Digging below the surface and beyond certifications to understand the specific business needs and how candidates’ experience is relevant is key to a hire that will add value to your Salesforce instance (and not create technical debt and security vulnerabilities).

  2. Salary Expectations

    Now, more than ever, salary expectations are all over the place. It’s much more challenging to base what salary to offer simply on years of experience. 

    Understanding market rate for quality of experience and specialization, as well as understanding candidate expectations, takes the guesswork out of the offer negotiation process. 

  3. Candidates Taking Other Offers

    With so many jobs on the market, there are often a lot of offers being presented to candidates. 

    Having insight into how far along candidates are in process with other organizations, as well as what their main drivers are for accepting a new position is vital to make sure your offer arrives in time and stands out among the rest. 

  4. Culture Fit 

Onboarding someone who is only a short-term fit wastes money and time for the team as well as creates a poor team environment.

Beyond technical fit, matching candidates with organizations that are both a long-term fit and a fit in terms of goals and working styles is key to growing a stable and effective team. 


With almost a decade of exclusively recruiting in the Salesforce ecosystem, Hireforce prides ourselves on our ability to screen candidates for specific technical and soft skills and long-term career goals that are aligned with a long-term fit in the organizations we partner with.

Net Zero Cloud: Sustainability with Salesforce and Formula One Racing

In some exciting news this month, Salesforce and Formula One Racing have announced their 5-year partnership, which will strive to help F1 achieve Net Zero emissions by 2030 as well as serve to increase awareness around Salesforce’s sustainability solutions.

 

Formula 1 Racing began in 1950, and is the world’s most prestigious motor racing competition, as well as the world’s most popular annual sporting series. Salesforce has net zero emissions today and has achieved 100% renewable energy for its global operations.

 

Formula One will join companies such as Cliff Bar, MillerKnoll, Uhuru, and ISDI: Digital Talent in adopting Salesforce’s Net Zero Cloud technology, aimed at helping Salesforce customers easily track, analyze and report on their environmental data and impact. With Net Zero Cloud, Salesforce enables organizations to make strides in the direction of carbon neutrality.

In addition to utilizing Salesforce’s Net Zero Cloud technology, Formula One will also implement Salesforce Customer 360 in an effort to provide greater analysis of the F1 global fanbase. Salesforce Customer 360 will help track communication amongst the F1 fanbase as they engage with the sport. This is all in an effort to increase and enhance the way fans participate with the sport. For example, F1 will broadcast new concepts like ‘Driver of the Day’ via data pulled from Salesforce.

Since publicizing this partnership, Salesforce and Formula 1 have released the following statements.

Salesforce is excited to join the fast-paced world of Formula 1, partnering with them to connect with their global fanbase in a whole new way.  Working with F1 to transform their approach to fan engagement and sustainability will give existing fans even more to love, and open doors for new audiences as the sport continues its rapid growth. It’s an exciting time for F1, and we’re thrilled to be a part of it.” – Brandon Snow, Managing Director at Commercial Formula 1

 “Salesforce is excited to join the fast-paced world of Formula 1, partnering with them to connect with their global fanbase in a whole new way.  Working with F1 to transform their approach to fan engagement and sustainability will give existing fans even more to love, and open doors for new audiences as the sport continues its rapid growth. It’s an exciting time for F1, and we’re thrilled to be a part of it.” - Colin Fleming, Executive Vice President of Global Brand Marketing for Salesforce

 

So, what do you think about this partnership? Are you already an F1 fan or are you curious to learn more about Formula 1 Racing and/or Salesforce, or look into Salesforce’s sustainability services after hearing about this partnership?

Considering Salesforce Certifications?

Considering Salesforce Certifications?

Check out some reasons to consider becoming Salesforce Certified!

 

One great thing about Salesforce is that career training is free and accessible to everyone online. Anyone at any time can hop on Trailhead to learn or build their Salesforce knowledge. Once you gain experience with Salesforce, via the platform itself or through Trailhead, you can put your experience to the test to earn a Salesforce Certification. With over 40+ certifications out there, there’s a Salesforce certification for anyone– whether you’re a Salesforce beginner or a seasoned pro!

 

Here are a couple reasons why you might want to consider getting one (or multiple!) Salesforce certifications


Verify Your Skillset

According to Salesforce, “Salesforce certifications highlight the overall mastery of a specific role and are a great way to identify candidates for defined jobs and projects” (Certification). It’s one thing to say you have a certain skill but demonstrating that skill in practice is different. Taking and passing a Salesforce certification exam is a great way to illustrate you know what it takes to do the job!

 

Bolster Your Resume

If you’ve been on the job search within the Salesforce ecosystem, you’ve probably seen Salesforce certifications listed as a required or preferred qualification on at least one job description. Here at Hireforce, we often see companies prefer to hire Salesforce-certified professionals. They understand the knowledge the certification represents and how it equips a professional for various responsibilities on the job. 

Make sure to add your Salesforce certifications to your resume and LinkedIn profile if you haven’t already!


Showcase Your Expertise

Over 40+ Salesforce certifications means there are nearly endless paths to take in the Salesforce ecosystem. And with that, there are ample areas of niche expertise to explore on the platform. Fortunately, Trailhead lays out a variety of paths based on your professional role in Salesforce! 

 

The certifications reflect areas of topical expertise on the platform. Often, companies hire Salesforce professionals based on these areas of expertise. Earning Salesforce certifications allows you to illustrate your unique experience with the platform from past projects, jobs, volunteer roles, etc.! 

 

For Example

  • Maybe you’re a Senior Developer who’s razor-sharp at coding. Check out the Platform Developer II exam to showcase your advanced skill set. 

  • Marketing Cloud is hot these days! Did you know there are six different Marketing Credentials? (I know our team at Hireforce has seen major interest for candidates with either the Email Specialist or Marketing Cloud Developer cert these days!)

  • And of course we can’t forget about certifications for Salesforce Architects– the most advanced and in-depth of them all. These credentials signify those with the most robust, comprehensive understanding of the platform. It goes to show there are certifications for even the most seasoned professionals!


Learn More about Salesforce

Trailhead is all about learning Salesforce– and there are currently 288 trails (or learning paths) to choose from! On top of that, there are countless Trailmixes (aka custom learning paths) on Trailhead– you can even create your own! 

 

The options are truly endless when it comes to growing Salesforce knowledge. Once you hit the trails, you never know where you’ll end up! Leverage the certifications as a way to stay motivated while progressing towards your personal Salesforce goals. 

 

For Example

  • Lots of folks volunteer their Salesforce skills on the side with various non-profits– studying for the Nonprofit Cloud Consultant certification could be rewarding for both their personal and professional interests!

  • Field Service is increasing in popularity. The Field Service Consultant certification could be an insightful next step for someone whose company is looking to implement Field Service to manage their growing operational needs. 

 

Salesforce certifications can help your experience stand out, grow your expertise, and advance your professional career. Make sure to highlight the certifications you’ve earned next time you interview for a Salesforce role– you never know where it might take you on Trailhead! 

 

What certification are you targeting next? Let us know!

 

Certification. Certification - Administrator Overview. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://trailhead.salesforce.com/en/credentials/administratoroverview/

Networks

hi this is pat :) thanks for reading 

Woke up this morning feeling immense gratitude for the opportunity my boss and CEO, Rachel Saks, gave me almost five year ago (!), back in the summer of 2017.

Hoping to share some thoughts on my mindset as a recruiter. 

As an agency recruiter, self-doubt creeps in when I feel like a gate keeper without the keys. Setting up interviews for clients and candidates, a middle man relaying messages. 

When I’m able to expel self-doubt (about how I’m not the one building apps or shipping products), I come back to the realization that recruiting is a levered play on one of our greatest assets: our networks. 

The fun part of recruiting is matchmaking, helping our clients find awesome/kind/driven candidates. There’s a huge rush of positive energy when someone trusts the opportunity you’ve laid out in front of them. Watching friends set out on new adventures and crush it is amazing. 

I think bottom line I just love connecting people, whether that’s in the Salesforce ecosystem, Seattle homies with college buds, on the soccer field or basketball court, Houston fam with friends of friends, at the poker table, on a chairlift, etc. 

Good recruiters make placements, great recruiters build networks. An even greater joy than one-off placements is building out those relationships with candidates in our networks that, over time, become the hiring managers looking to build out their own team… our clients. There’s definitely a heightened level of synergy with our clients when we helped them get their foot in the door as a candidate maybe a couple years prior. 

Building a network takes time, energy, and trust. Recruiting is sales, marketing, and  customer success rolled up into one. Referrals will always be the secret sauce for anyone looking to build a network of trusted partners.

Quick soap box / some basic advice for folks looking to level up their agency recruiting skills aka networking… pick up the phone. Take the call after business hours. Talk shop with someone repping their company hoodie. Ask questions about new products or funding rounds or team structures. Be honest about what you’re seeing in the market. Your best ability is availability.

You may have noticed that I mostly post contract opportunities on LinkedIn. There are some obvious benefits of being a salaried, full-time employee. But on the flip side, contracting opens the door to some badass projects with our best clients. Prior to covid and even more so now, we’ve seen tremendous growth of candidates in our network setting up their own LLCs and running their own Salesforce contracting shops, with Hireforce as their broker.

We have open roles with SaaS clients, Fortune 500 clients, pre-IPO tech startup clients (contract-to-hire 🤝), highly recognized Salesforce partner clients, non-profit clients, you name it. If you’re looking to dabble in Salesforce contracting, whether that’s  a 40 hour/week, 2 year project or part-time month by month work, let’s chat. Contracting is a great way to build out your network. 

If you’ve ever been confused about one or more of my posts on LinkedIn, hope this helps. I set out a goal to journal and write more long form posts this year. Lmk what you think, feedback is a gift 💜

Get to know Hireforce! Meet Jon, Salesforce Consultant

Jon joined Hireforce in June 2021, and quickly immersed himself in the world of Salesforce, eager to learn the Ecosystem. Prior to Salesforce Recruiting, Jon was in the Marines where he worked on tracking and filling deployment and training rosters. This required Jon to keep track of over 25,000 Marines and where they were at any given time. Jon has taken his extensive training from the Marines and translated that into managing candidates throughout the Salesforce recruiting process with a variety of clients across various industries. Want to know a bit more about Jon? Check out what makes him tick below:

 

Q: What’s the best part of your job/Hireforce?

A: Building relationships with people as I get to assist them with their job search is the best part of my job!

 

Q: What’s the best way you start the day?

A: The best way to start my day is with some exercise or reading; The next book I plan to start is a biography on President Theodore Roosevelt!

 

Q: What do you wish you knew more about?

A: I wish I had a better technical understanding of Marketing Cloud. The automation capabilities of Marketing Cloud are unbelievable and it’s something that I plan to continue learning more about!

 

Q: Where is the most interesting place you’ve been?

A: Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego

 

Q: What have you been doing to keep yourself busy during this shelter-in-place?

A: I have taken time to learn and study in order to get my Salesforce Administrator Certification.

 

Q: What’s your favorite thing about Salesforce?

A: The unlimited potential of it!

 

Q: What’s your favorite AppExchange app or expert?

A: DocuSign – it is such a simple concept, yet at the same time such a time saver!

 

Q: What is your favorite Salesforce blog or MVP?

A: SalesforceBen.com is a great place to learn about all things related to Salesforce.

 

Q: Favorite trailhead character?

A: I would say Appy, because connecting the right people together to solve problems is what I’m all about!

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