Rony Lan is the CEO and founder of boutique executive search group L-il (âEl Israelâ) Top Talent Acquisition.
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1) Hi Rony. How did you get into recruiting? |
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I have been working in the recruiting field for many years. I got into this field because I love working with people, helping others and because I believe that people are the organizationâs most important asset, and therefore recruiting the right people and motivating them has critical influence on the success of the company. I worked for more than ten years in HR management positions both in high tech and bio-tech industries. I have also lived and worked in both Israel and in the US. This is how I got into founding and managing L-il Top Talent Acquisition, my own recruiting company. |
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2) Tell us about your company. What are your specialties? |
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L-il Top Talent Acquisition is a boutique executive search group, specializing in placing international professionals with international experience â new immigrants (âOlimâ) and returning citizens â in leading positions in Israel. We help bring to Israel top talent from the best organizations and academic institutions all over the world and we enhance the organizations' managerial and technological capabilities. We also help people who want to live and work in Israel. Thus, we give added value to all parties involved: Israeli companies, executives and the Israeli business environment. |
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3) Where could standards help in Israeli recruiting? |
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I think that companies, job seekers and recruiters can benefit from standards in the Israeli recruiting. Some standards can create order, fairness and prevent chaos or misunderstanding. I think there are certain standards that should be implemented â for example, that before sending a CV to a company, the recruiter must get permission from the candidate and that only a qualified or certified person can recruit. |
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4) What do you think makes a great recruiter? |
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A great recruiter knows how to listen, understand, and analyze the needs of his/her clients and is able to make an accurate match between candidates and companies. |
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5) Do you source candidates? |
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Yes, I use all available social networks to seek the right person for the right position. |
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6) What do you typically do upon receiving a candidate's resume? |
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Upon receiving candidatesâ resumes, we do our best effort to make sure that we answer every candidate. We check if there is an immediate job opportunity to offer the candidate. If there is, we contact the candidate and try to figure out from his/her background and goals if the position might be a good fit. Additionally, we input every incoming resume to our database. Then we make another search to see if there are any other relevant job opportunities which might have been overlooked. If we donât have a position to offer since the candidateâs resume has been inserted into our database, we contact him/her again as soon as we have a position to offer. |
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7) What elements of a resume point to a standout candidate? |
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Elements that point to a standout candidate are education in a top tier institution, excellence in studies, fast progress of a candidate to a very senior position, etc. Usually, for highly talented executives, there isnât just one single element, but several elements that indicate that who is a top talent. |
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8) What do you advise candidates NOT to do? |
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I would advise candidates not to spread out their resumes all over without knowing where and when they send their resumes, especially if they are in a discreet job search. I would also advise candidates that are not familiar with the Israeli job market not to send their resume without preparation. Resumes in Israel look different that resumes in the US, for example, and it would be wise to write in an attractive way that will lead to an interview. |
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9) What is the strangest resume mistake that you've seen candidates make? |
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The strangest thing that happened to me is that I once received a resume that had no contact information at all. |
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10) What do you think of Israeli Job Search Myths Debunked? |
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I think it's a well written article and I agree with most of the points written in the articles. With regards to the myth âHebrew Is a Mustâ, I would say that not only do I agree with the article's writer but that in many advanced industries, including high tech and biotech, English is a must. Many companies have clients, contractors and branches all over the world and their first language is English. Even internally, many companies correspond in English. If you're mother tongue is English, you have a big advantage. Of course it is desirable to be fluent in Hebrew, and some jobs still require it. In these cases, even a few months of learning Hebrew won't change much. Many English speaking people I know manage to work and live in Israel without speaking Hebrew at all (though I would not recommended this).
With regards to Hebrew, I would like to give one tip: unless your Hebrew is very good or the interviewer doesn't speak English, handle the interview in English and don't struggle with the Hebrew. You should feel comfortable and impress the interviewer. This will be easier to accomplish in your mother tongue language. |
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11) What's the best way to contact you, whether as a candidate or as an employer? |
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The best ways to contact me are via telephone: +972-54-6621207, +972-8-9491508 or via email rony [at] l-il [dot] co [dot] il. Also, youâre invited to take a look at our website: www.l-il.co.il. |
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Thanks for your time, Rony. |
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Pingback: Jacob Share
Interesting interview. The question I would like answered is âhave you noticed a change in the market since the current âfinancial slowdownâ started? Are there more people looking and less jobs, specifically in the hi tech field?â
Hessel, Iâve notified Rony about your question. Hopefully sheâll join in here with a reply.
Indeed. I have noticed a change in the market since the current âfinancial slowdownâ started. There are much more people looking for jobs and less available jobs, specifically in the Hi tech and Finance fields. However, new positions are opened all the time, so talented professionals can find new jobs. Determination and optimistic attitude always helps :-).