The Applicant

"To thrive, you need to identify those with the highest potential, get them in your corner and on your team, and help them grow."  -- Claudio Fernandez-Araoz

The songwriter who created Ronnie Dunn's hit "The Cost Of Living" originally had titled it "The Application," due to the stress of trying to land a gig you want.

This is about the opposite side of that situation, which can be equally difficult.

Great radio stations - looking from the outside in - seem to be a magnet for the very best people, but when you talk to the programmers of them you learn that the same “average” people apply at those places as do as every other one.

The difference between the best and the rest:  programming management takes time to thoroughly interview every possible candidate for each opening and is much more selective in hiring.

They start by having each person they interview sign a confidentiality agreement and even assure the applicant that they’ll do the same if they desire, making it clear that keeping secrets is important.

They want to know..

• Exact detail of experiences from each radio station they have worked. 
• How they got into radio.
• What interests them most about listeners.
• What they see as their strengths as well as their own weaknesses.
• Name of individuals you can contact that are NOT on their resume.
• What would five of their closest friends say about them?
• Where do they hope/plan to be in five years?  Ten years?  Next year?
• What are their philosophies - whether they have ever programmed a radio station before and even though they are not applying for a PD position - on music, info, personality and promotion.
• Contest some of their assertions just to see how diplomatically they can defend their position and also how sell they handle criticism of their opinions.

Grade on a scale of 1-10:  their appearance, bedside manner, knowledge, on air work, willingness to do more than requested of them, team spirit, availability.

Don’t permit yourself to take shortcuts in this process if your goal is to hire and hold onto the very best people.

Defining Today's Success, From Salt Lake City

KSL PD Kevin LaRue's want ad in today's Inside Radio has some great advice for all of us:

  •  Produce at a blistering pace
  •  Crackle with excitement
  •  Perform in a creative, upbeat contemporary style
  •  Execute precisely during high-pressure

Good Questions

Selecting the "right" job-seeker for a gig has always been important, of course.

Now that savviest managers look at every hire as an exercise in branding as well as people skills and talent, it has taken on even greater value.

As you interrogate candidates for your next on-air opening:

• Describe the type of relationship with the Brand Director that works best for your show?
• The Market Manager?
• What kind of prep system (if any) is used to prepare your content?
• How do you structure it to keep entertainment level consistent?
• How much time do you spend preparing and when/where do you do it?
• Describe one of your best ever bits, stunts or other content that really did exactly what you wanted it to do?
• What characteristics make your persona distinctive?  
• How does that work in your interactions with coworkers, other personalities and listeners?
• What are your strongest/weakest areas as a personality?
• What does "creative" mean to you?  Give an example of creativity in action for you as you work?
• How do you define our station's target listener?  What is cool/not cool with them?
• What is your theory on controversy on your show?
• What if a morning competitor attacks you on air?
• How do you integrate podcasting, social networking, blogging, the mobile web, texting, phone calls into your prep and content?
• Where do you want to be in five years?

Note to applicants:  if your potential employer doesn't address the 'right' issues in your job interview, that may be a red flag for you as well, before accepting the position.

While the employer is quizzing you, make certain that YOUR needs and concerns are honestly discussed as well.

Less Than A One Percent Chance

It's been exactly a week since I ran an AllAccess "help wanted" ad and the applications are still coming in.

The first morning after I placed it, I checked my email and discovered 23 very good packages.
That evening, it was up to 47.
Next day, I had 71!

By that time, I started to realize what an uphill battle for this one job these folks were facing.

To begin with, I sent along a quick acknowledgement stating that I got their submission, would send it to the client PD who had the opening and promised to keep it in A&O's file for future possibilities. But, by the time I had forwarded 90 pretty good resumes and air checks to my client, it was hitting me that just one person was going to get this gig, assuming someone fit with the needs I tried to outline in my ad.

So, now that we're up to 114 responses to one ad, I have taken to letting folks who are now sending materials that the PD originally intended to go through the more than 100 he had received by that first weekend, so it's possible that he already has a short list from those and may be contacting potential hires, so their odds are long at this point.

In reply to that email, I got this one:

"It still amazes me how much you can be driven to a career that can break your heart so much. I think its similar to a drug honestly. You get so much of the rush, the perks, the highs, and when the lows of the business creep in, you forget them as soon as you get another chance at the action."

Talk to any actor or comedian. It's the same for them. And, at the end of the day, the joys when you're on mic outweigh all the difficulties and disappointments. Anything worth doing is worth competing as hard as you can to be able to do it.

Nobody ever said this job would be easy, easy to get or easy on the ego, but it's especially difficult right now.

Just don't tell me that it's hard to find good people.

They are out there, trying to stand out and not lose hope as they attempt to figure out how to make the most of their one in a hundred odds.

Take This Job And Shove It

Gerry House, Mike Bohan, Richard Falklen, Katie Bright and Karla Lawson played the Johnny Paycheck/David Allan Coe tune on WSIX/Nashville at 7:35 yesterday morning in the midst of a hilarious phone topic, “Finger Songs,” as listeners and the House team made suggestions for today’s perfect song to tell someone how you feel.

No doubt, it was pure coincidence that the bit came after the shocker Monday from KGO/San Francisco GM Michael Luckoff resigned.

Bohan reminded House of bad career decisions he had made in the past, going to Florida for awhile and California but always coming back to Music City to greater success.

House admitted that he left for those jobs more because he was getting away from someone than going to anything attractive.

And, of course, hanging in the air is the fact that Gerry leaves WSIX in several months, leaving a vacuum in Music City mornings that no one can possibly fill in even close to the same way.

How did he find a job that was so perfect for him, which lasted so long?

Lots of people are looking for jobs, lots more changes are rumored, so that's more than just an interesting question.

A quick word of advice: whether you’re hiring or being interviewed, do the legal background checks, conduct the drug testing, take the Myers-Briggs. But, also, don’t neglect to check personal references, not particularly searching for skeletons in the closet but just looking for things the person excelled at and also talk directly about what the job requires and experience in doing those things.

Too often a wonderful person possessing certain skills is put into a job which requires a completely different skill set simply because the interviewer and the interviewee failed to tell one another exactly and honestly what they wanted in an employee and what they love doing well in working for someone.

Take the extra time to find your next job/hire and LOVE it.

A Firm Grasp On The Obvious

Considering a job in radio?

* Many broadcast employees have erratic work schedules, sometimes having to work early in the morning or late at night.

* Entry-level jobs in news or program production increasingly are requiring a college degree and some broadcast experience.

* Employment in broadcasting is expected to increase by just 7 percent over the 2008–18 period,

* Keen competition is expected for many jobs, particularly in large metropolitan areas, because of the large number of jobseekers attracted by the glamour of this industry.

Check out the Federal Bureau Of Labor Statistics' facts on their website and you might decide that car sales is more promising, yet the upside to our great business for those of us who know it well still far outweighs the risks and demands.

It gets into your blood. That's obvious too.

It's A Good Time To Hone Your Skills

As news of layoffs and firings come daily amidst this tough economy, one good aspect is that we all are finding our who are friends really are, who's been thinking about the future and who's not.

Two resources worth using whether you still have a gig or not:

1. This month, the Conclave launches an essential two-part webinar series aimed at assisting those who have either lost a job in the industry, or who would like to learn how to explore new opportunities inside and outside of radio.

2. A-Ware Software, Inc. providers of MusicMaster for Windows music scheduling software wants to assist displaced Program Directors and Music Directors who are looking to broaden their skill set as they seek new employment. A-Ware will be conducting a series of free webinars each Wednesday covering not only an introduction to MusicMaster, but basic and advanced topics as well.

If you know of others, please share them!

Numbers That Shape Our Lives, 19 and 23

Country Aircheck this week performed a valuable service by printing the names and contact info of radio and music industry professionals who are currently "seeking employment" in the place in their weekly sheet where the airplay charts normally go. (click to enlarge the image)

With rumors of more cutbacks coming at radio, I feel bad for the unlucky 19 people who are looking for their next radio gig at the 2,024 country stations in the U.S. But, those 23 Nashville-based music industry have only a handful of labels to pitch future employment at.

My prescription: read "What Color Is Your Parachute" annually.

Yes, I have a good job and, yes, business is excellent for us right now, thank you, but no one can listen to today's economic news without singing at least a line from Alan Jay Lerner's "There But For You."

A First For Me: Video Job Posting

Sandra Dolynchuk Progam Director at Thunder Bay's Magic 99.9 earns a tip of the A&O hat for trying something fresh to attract morning talent, while creating local buzz: a Google video (click to watch it)!

Have you ever seen or done anything like this before? How did it work?

PS: I remember when Dolynchuk was on the air herself on the Giant, under the name Sandra Dee and rose from host to PD (so she knows a thing or two about creating morning fun...)