Back in 1999, I was working on the development of a piece of software that allowed the recruiter to reach candidates that were coming together in newsgroups, on-line, to converse about their specialist subjects. It was while delving into this world of on-line groups that I had a light bulb moment - I realised that tapping into these communities, or 'special interest groups' as we referred to them back then, could be the future for creating a more robust and credible recruitment supply…

A few years ago I had a conversation about change with Mike Osterling. My lean manufacturing mentor and consultant. The topic revolved around change management and how…

I wonder sometimes if candidates know that they're projecting a bad attitude, or coming off as arrogant, that they talk so much that no one else has a chance to say anything? I spoke with a young man today that was clearly very frustrated, and didn't hide it. I asked what was the problem and he said he was frustrated, didn't apologize, just said he was having a bad day. Why would anyone call a recruiter when they are so totally frustrated that they can't speak normally? I told…

Companies now, more than ever, are shifting to a paperless work environment. As I look at my own desk, bulging with piles of paper, it’s not hard to justify the ROI on making such a move. I must admit, I am a little “old school” about holding on to my files and printing copies of everything that I also file electronically. But I’m finally at the breaking point as my workspace becomes smaller and smaller and my piles become higher and higher. I’m ready to embrace an e-friendly paperless…

Since the launch of Blogger in 1999, the ability to publish content on the Internet has become easier and easier. Savvy recruiting professionals have taken advantage of this dynamic shift to connect with prospective candidates to better meet their organization's recruiting needs. In many cases, these early adopters had to build a web presence on their own because senior leadership…

If You Build It, They Will Come: the story of a successful Boolean search string!!

I talked about the importance of doing your homework before beginning your search in my blog posting…

One year later, and I've changed my mind about working from home, I really like it. I think the key was having requirements to keep me busy and a rewarding commission structure. Took quite a while to build up to a decent monthly paycheck, since I'm paid based on hours my placements work, but I guess I got lucky (by that I mean I worked really hard) and found a good person to work with.

I never thought I would consider it a "real" job, just something to do until I found…

You may get reminded every day, as I am, that you are not twenty anymore. Especially now that both my guys are in their twenties. It's hard to take when things that you thought were so cool just aren't now. As a field HR is no worse than say, law, or accounting, when it comes to not keeping up, but that's like saying big hair is no less cool than spandex.

Take compensation, for example. Most small businesses have adopted religiously the concepts of salary grids, annual salary…

Google is a search engine. Wrong. Google is a reputation management tool.

If asked anything, whether about a band, shop, company, name or place, what is the first thing you do? Google it. Even your grandma Googles it now. It officially became a verb in the Oxford English Dictionary 4 years ago. It is undeniable that information a…