OK, so I know Im a recruiter, but after seeing countless Top  10 Things I Hate headlines, I realize a little recruiter introspection is in order.

Sure, we see what in-house HR hates about us, which is most everything, but how about those of us who are in the trenches on the dark side. Theres a reason getting new business…

Gay marriage. Abortion. Equal pay for women. Display the 10 Commandments. ObamaCare. Keystone pipeline. Gun control. Global warming.

Where do I stand on these issues? I'm not sure I should tell you. As it turns out, we have gotten to a point in America where no one can share an opinion or donate to a cause they believe in without another individual or group…

If you want something different, you must do something different. Even if you want things to stay the same, change is still required. Everything evolves, including the economic climate, needs of colleagues and constituents, the competitive landscape, and the momentum caused by constantly shifting trends. The status quo, if that is truly a desirable state, requires…

Most recruiters and hiring managers don’t have any idea how many of their candidates are actually customers or potential customers. “Treat your candidates like customers” isn’t just something fun to say; quite often, candidates and customers are one in the same.

A candidate experience isn’t an extra step; it’s a completely vital part of the recruiting life cycle.…

This is a fairly consistent opinion of most agency recruiters and is, for the most part, only partly true.

Unfortunately, most buyers of recruitment agency services wish it wasn’t true at all.

That’s not because these buyers don’t like being sold to – many of them do, because buying the right stuff is part of their job and one of the ways they add value to their…

What is a modern recruiter? Someone who is honest first, knowledgeable second, consistent third, humble fourth, helpful fifth, personable sixth, and resilient seventh – of course these are equally valid in other arrangements.



Too many people who call themselves recruiters don’t take pride in their craft; aren’t continuously learning; believe they have ESP-like…

SuccessFactors (@SuccessFactors) recently released an infographic aimed at “putting your career site on steroids.” We like the sound of that! As one of the most effective tools that recruiters have at their disposal, it’s important to invest in the…

An important part of every business is the human resource department. The HR department is in charge of managing many important functions of the business. An effective and well-equipped human resource department can help streamline the hiring and firing process, saving the business both time and money.

What is Human Resources

Human Resources, or HR for short, is a department within an organization or business that is in charge of managing employees. The HR department is…

If employee recognition isn’t a solid part of your training program, you’re missing out on one of the strongest retention tools an employer can have in their arsenal.  Research done by Leadership IQ tracked 20,000 new hires, and a surprising 46% of them failed…

Each year, PayScale releases a Compensation Best Practices Report with great insights for business leaders to learn and grow from. It is vital for leadership to keep a finger on the pulse of compensation practices and trends in order to stay competitive, attract…

I have made a decision. I think I am going to write a book on the safest way to skydive. Now, I've never been skydiving, nor is it likely that I ever will as I am afraid of heights. But really, how hard can it be? Stick a parachute in a backpack - hitch a ride on a plane - open the door - jump - scream - then pull a cord and let the parachute do the rest. Easy,…

This week I continue with debunking recruiter secrets, which we've already determined, aren't really secrets at all. To catch up on the series, start with the first post here. Last week, I debunked the secret to great client relationships. This week I want to talk…

I read the article by Kyle Lagunas about recruiting, and how it’s not like selling at all. And while I appreciate his thoughts, I think they are misguided, and frankly, I still think he’s speaking as an "expert" in an area where he doesn’t have any applicable experience. This is akin to me giving stock advice. Sure, I have a brokerage account, but I lack the Series 7 that would be critical for me…

Sell Hack has one employee who spends most of his time working at a completely unrelated startup, has no budget and doesn’t even warrant a company profile on Crunchbase, since it’s got no budget, no capital backing and no plans for monetizing its services.

By contrast, LinkedIn is a blue chip, NASDAQ listed global corporation, with a valuation in the tens of billions of dollars,…

I’ve always thought of my profession as sales. Always. I started recruiting in the early days of the internet, where training was basically “wanna buy a chicken? No? How about a duck?” until I got my hands on some Danny Cahill Placement 2000 VHS tapes.Ahhh then I was in the money. So when an article over on…

Go back in your mind to your dating years and think of a time when you first met someone who sparked your interest. No doubt, you made it a point to put your best foot forward, to show them what a great catch you were and then went on to give them clues that you were interested. Whether it was laughing…

The lines between employees’ public and private lives have become increasingly blurred, which has led to a complex dialogue around the enforcement of equal employment opportunity laws. During a recent open meeting at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), panelists were invited to discuss a wide range of issues including recruitment and hiring, harassment, records retention and discovery. I attended on behalf of DirectEmployers Association and wanted to…

“If I could just go a day without having to solve problems, that would be a good day,” a CEO I advise recently shared.

Having heard him say this before, I responded, “The problems aren’t the issue. How you’re viewing them is the real problem.”

This led to a conversation on Making Shift Happen.

We all have a choice of how we view the world around us. Unfortunately, repetitively thinking the same thoughts creates a belief system that stays with us until we…

Over the past few weeks, we've been comparing colleges and universities to see who has the most graduating candidates for in-demand fields. So far, we examined which colleges have the most …

There's an old recruitment joke that's been doing the rounds for years about a recently deceased HR Manager (insert lawyer, management consultant etc) arriving at the Pearly Gates and being given a tour of Heaven and Hell with a view to choosing where they wish to…