Cold and Flu Season
Someone recently asked why I haven’t been writing daily Monday through Friday blogs like I had been in recent months. The answer is complex but I’ll attempt to share it here.
I spent four hours in a car with someone on January 1, 2010. This person was sneezing, coughing and frequently blowing their nose. You probably already know where I’m headed. You can pretty much assume that I was sick in one way or another for all of January.
To this day, I’m still coughing. The moral of this story is pretty simple. Don’t ride in a car with the windows closed when your passenger is sneezing, coughing and blowing their nose. This risk can be controlled to some extent.
Now For The Tough Part
The first part of my story is pretty easy to understand. Here is where the story gets more challenging.
I’ve spent a significant amount of time in the early part of 2010 doing collections for the first time in my career. I have a collections company in my Rolodex for the first time since starting my own business in 1994.
The daily thought process that comes from engaging in collections with unethical people is what I recall Zig Ziglar referring to as “Stinkin Thinkin”. It is a daily battle to focus on forward moving, positive business opportunities and to not get bogged down in “Stinkin Thinkin”. Some days I win this battle and some days I come up short.
Imagine if you’d delivered services to your employer and the employer randomly chose to not pay you for 1/3 of your year’s work. What would you do with such a situation? I'm working through it for the first time so you'll have to wait until I have more experience with such matters before I'll share advice.
For the first time in two decades of recruiting, we have multiple clients who have consumed our security recruiting services but are now not paying according to the mutually agreed upon contract they signed before consuming our services.
The truth is that it is difficult to come up with forward-thinking, positive and educational blog topics when getting bogged down in dealing with white collar criminals and the things they do.
You think I’m being too harsh? Think again. Just over a week ago I learned that one of the clients who owes us money has been indicted for multiple counts of wire fraud connected to his previous software company. He is in the security professional services business today.
In the AM hours of the day in which I read about the federal indictment, I told a recruiter friend that it seemed like I had been working with a number of white collar criminals who ought to be in prison. It puzzled me that they were providing security, risk and compliance services to other companies given the way they handle their business affairs.
An hour after our first conversation, this same recruiter friend called me back and asked if I had psychic skills. No, I certainly don’t but it sure seemed that way on that particular day. He pointed me to the article mentioning the indictment 45 minutes after I told him I thought my client should be in jail.
So, in case you’re wondering who these white collar criminals are, they’re Founders, Presidents and CEOs of security consulting firms and security product companies.
No, not all Founders, Presidents and CEOs of these types of companies are doing shady business but I find it ironic that someone can sell security, risk management and compliance services to another company but then not pay their own bills according to the contracts they sign. Something is wrong with that picture don’t you think?
I know an indictment is not a conviction but I was only surprised for a brief moment when I found out that one of my clients had been indicted. My gut and personal experience working with this person told me that he should have already been invited to prison.
Looking Forward!
In recent weeks, we’ve been fortunate to pick up new security job searches in both the information security and physical security domains. We’re working with brand name companies whose security departments are led by people whom I believe by way of both personal experience and reputation to be upstanding, honest and ethical people.
My Promise To Security Job Candidates
The shady Founders, Presidents and CEOs will continue to surface in our universe but my word to every candidate we serve:
- We’ll do everything in our power to only represent security job opportunities that are connected to law abiding, ethical and professional people.
- We’ll represent the positions we have on our desks in a way that is open, transparent and straight-forward.
- We'll call it like it is and won't candy coat anything.
- We’ll do our best to assist security professionals in making outstanding security career decisions, security training decisions, security education decisions and security certification decisions.
Your security professional peers have frequenlty commented on how we do business at SecurityRecruiter.com. Consider what others have to say about our business practices rather than taking my word for it. Security Recruiting Testimonials
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4 comments:
Unfortunately, unethical people surface in every domain of life. It is refreshing when someone is willing to "call it like it is" and "not candy coat" things. We need more people who are willing to stand up for what is right. This seems like a "common sense" approach to me. However, I once had a freind tell me that if it was "common sense" everyone would be doing it. I want to say thanks to Jeff Snyder for his "UNcommon Sense" approach and his refreshing honesty.
Jeff:
I love your article and agree with your thoughts.
Being a former professional law enforcement officer for 25 years and having worked in the corporate security field for11 years…All I can say, is the world has certainly changed.
It is sad to see that you can provide a service under a contract and have yet to be paid.... by what I perceive as as a respectable firm. Yes the times and ethics have changed…..
The professionalism that we once enjoyed, has diminished greatly over the past 5-10 years in many sectors.
I have seen some of the worst professionalism over the past 5 years than I ever thought possible.
I have come to accept that this is almost a given: People will not follow-up on many aspects in the job world or fail to deliver services.
One would think that the security business would be above and beyond that….but I can tell you first hand that it seems to be the opposite.
Over the last year, I have met some of the most un-professional managers, recruiters and others in the security industry. After interviews, receipt of resumes ect., most executives do a lousy job of follow-up on all fronts. If they worked for me, I would terminate them. This seems to be more the norm than
one might expect and I am sure others have experienced the same frustration that you and I have.
I can say that Security Recruiters has been 100% professional, in my personal and professional dealings with you and your firm. You always seem to set the standards that others should follow.
I wish you the best in getting paid for your services.
I hope that others read your blog and respond.
In closing, I follow what was taught to me early on: “Treat others the way you want to be treated”, and the world will be a much better place.
Regards,
David G. (CCSO)
Dazed and yet not amazed..
As I read your article I was reminded of a number of recent experiences we have had with our small business. A few weeks ago we delivered services on Friday with the understanding we would pick up the payment check on the following monday... you got it... come monday the building was empty. Did I feel like I had just been robbed! You Bet.
So the economy is bad, people are out of work and we are plugging into a recession or depression but that really is no excuse for committing INTEGRITY suicide.
You article should be sent to Time/Life and broad cast to as many people as possible. Somehow there is a generation of folks that dont think it is wrong to stiff your service provider, small business owner or neighbor.
So Jeff good job calling a spade a spade or a crook ad crook. The bottom line your only defense is to learn to read the signs. If they look you in the eye they are probably speaking out of both sides of their mouth.
In general people are good. Business is good and you just have to accept the fact that once in a while you will find a fly in the ointment.
To your ownself keep true.
Cheers
I myself have experienced individuals representing some large organizations that were less than ethical. In fact I dealt with one company that could have determined a successful year from one in which we lost money. The good news was they did eventually pay me. ( though very late and less than what we originally agreed to.) I certainly don't work with that company any longer! I also assume that they must be a good source of candidates. (If they are unethical to strangers I make the assumption they don't take good care of their employees) The key for us as small business owners and individuals is to maintain our integrity despite the ignorance of those who disappoint and take advantage of our contingency method of working. I know Jeff Snyder personally and know him to be honest and ethical. I can certainly understand why these disappointments can be such a hindrance to focusing on our work. I have been there and have had to work hard despite the obstacles others throw in our way. We are part of a great industry and we will continue to provide quality services despite those that take advantage of us. This I believe what goes around comes around. As mentioned in your article the individual was about to find out that decisions have consequences.
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