February 2009 Blog Posts (293)

Tough Times for Exec Search Firms in DC

On the front page of today's Washington Post Business Section. Even in the country's best job market, search firms are feeling the pinch. Many are shifting lines of business, shedding poor performers, but uncertainty still reigns supreme. There may be a light at the end of the tunnel however due to upcoming bailout and stimulus spending, which reminds me of my late grandfather telling me stories about how life in DC during the Great Depression wasn't so bad, primarily due to the proximity of… Continue

Added by Ben Gotkin on February 9, 2009 at 8:11am — 1 Comment

For the common good? Seriously?!?

I've heard so many "thought leaders" and "enthusiasts" spout off about what's good for the industry, what's needed and what's not. Well on that premise let us focus on the "Common good" of the industry.

What exactly does "common good" actually mean? It obviously holds various connotations for different people and the true essence of the "meaning" will have great range… Continue

Added by Chad Sowash on February 9, 2009 at 7:21am — 10 Comments

Recruiting Hair Styles - The Mullet and The Bald

Not many teenagers in the 80’s chose to have a Caucasoid afro. I certainly didn’t want one either, but I had thick bushy hair that could house a community of squirrels. I was the goofball kid dressed in tennis shorts, a Polo shirt, and boat shoes. I may have been a teenage Dork with a capital D but I had my own style.

Sometimes Recruiting is like hair. It can be bushy and thick. It can be thin and straight. It can be long, curly, and even bald. Sometimes you just don’t have a choice… Continue

Added by Michael Glenn on February 8, 2009 at 10:30pm — 4 Comments

Digging Into RecruitingBlogs.com v2.06

Spending an Hour

(Feb 06, 2009) Have you tried the "Spend an Hour with..." project? I've been having a great time getting to know new and old people. It's been a way to catch up with old friends (like Ami Givertz), renew old acquaintances (like Mike Johnson) and find new connections like…

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Added by John Sumser on February 8, 2009 at 7:00pm — No Comments

Any advice on how to get companies posting jobs on Monster (or another big job site) to pay a small fee to cross-post the job on our site?

About us: We're a small 3 person staffing agency.

My boss's big new business plan is to generate income by having companies posting jobs on the big job sites pay us a small fee to cross post jobs on our (soon to be completed) new website. We're having a tough time getting job orders so she wants to try something new.

Example: Careerbuilder has an option for cross posting (for a fee) to other sites, which also collect a small fee (a few bucks) from the company… Continue

Added by Erich on February 8, 2009 at 4:30pm — 2 Comments

Women should wear high heals and lipstick to be successful

Female employees at the Bank of England have been advised to "Always wear a heel and some sort of make-up, even if it’s just lipstick." And don't forget that clients like tight skirts and cleavage too...

Personal branding coach Mary Spillane, a partner in the London office of executive search firm Whitehead Mann says, "People move on in their careers because of communication, influencing skills, being able to create the impact that conveys leadership and authority, and that… Continue

Added by Steve Levy on February 8, 2009 at 10:00am — 14 Comments

Legions facing layoffs turn to parties, Internet

Phil Berent of New York, right, with a pink bracelet indicating he is looking for work, speaks with recruiter

NEW YORK – The bar was crowded with well-dressed professionals enjoying drinks and conversation, a typical evening — except that many of them had no job.

The event was a Wall Street Pink Slip Party, where the unemployed mix with recruiters and… Continue

Added by Maureen Sharib on February 8, 2009 at 8:03am — 1 Comment

Recruiters Looking For Splits...

Recruiters on RBC Looking For Splits Is Being Relaunched!!

Within the notion of the splits group, lies some top quality intrinsic value, beyond just the ability to potentially close roles and make money.

With new structure to the group comes increased functionality and ease of use, which in turn creates much more networking strength and value. RecruitingBlogs laid down a fantastic foundation for recruiters of all strips to interact and unionize together.

With… Continue

Added by George Easton on February 7, 2009 at 2:11pm — 1 Comment

The government's January unemployment numbers aren't real

I've been a big fan of John Crudele for many years; he's one of the few good things about Rupert's NY Post, the most highly used black and white at the Fulton fish market.

His columns on employment should be on the must-read list of every… Continue

Added by Steve Levy on February 7, 2009 at 1:39pm — No Comments

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus, and Recruiters are from Uranus

With the potential for more women in the workforce, why do so many recruiters still question women who want to balance work and family? And why can't companies see this and offer more telecommuting options?

The pathetic part is that with the inventory of people on the rise, more companies than ever are demanding that people work on site when I suspect people would happily take a less in salary for more flexible… Continue

Added by Steve Levy on February 7, 2009 at 9:53am — No Comments

Part IV: "Guess how much I love you?" - Gen Y v Gen X and Baby boomers.

I can't help it... I was going to write another blog tonight, but was given this book from my kids to read tonight and couldn't resist.

"Guess how much I love you" is a charming little tale of a little Nutbrown hare and his older, bigger, wiser friend Big Nutbrown Hare. It does sound a little sucky really, and the language is simple and easy, the kind that is easy to read to my kids, and fun to hear them recite. Hit "play" above and you'll see what I… Continue

Added by Dan Nuroo on February 7, 2009 at 8:16am — No Comments

Money Mindset

“The problem is not the economy,...it’s all the stuff it’s stirring up.” ~ Dr. Eric Dammann, Psychoanalyst

Learn about this stuff here. You won't get any… Continue

Added by Maureen Sharib on February 7, 2009 at 6:30am — No Comments

The art of being WRONG!

This was a good week. I either learned something or crystallised a thought I had bubbling under the surface, depending on the hour and my ego will depend on which way that falls.

I have been with my company for almost 7 years now, and thought I had the whole place worked out, well I hoped I had. I know the IT industry, and how it works in my market, and I know the main players. I work for a company which provides IT services to tier one tier two companies, and my job is to hire… Continue

Added by Dan Nuroo on February 6, 2009 at 9:20pm — 7 Comments

Is it ever okay to 'shut it off' and just disconnect?

Earlier this week I posted about my distaste for the clock watcher. That employee (or candidate) who does the bare minimum and better not be bothered off the clock. With this in mind, how does a dedicated, hard-working recruiter ever unwind? Are we doomed to be perpetually connected and risk burning out too soon?

I'm reminded of one of my mother's favorite sayings; all things in moderation.

Although I generally opt to go a little past moderation (or a lot past depending on… Continue

Added by Gino Conti on February 6, 2009 at 4:26pm — 1 Comment

Why is it always the economy that sheds jobs?

The economy hasn't shed a single job but companies have. This is called passing the buck.

In this article, the chief economist for Moody's says, "Businesses are panicked and fighting for survival and slashing their payrolls. I think we’re trapped in a very adverse, self-reinforcing cycle. The… Continue

Added by Steve Levy on February 6, 2009 at 3:55pm — 2 Comments

“Pealse hyer mee” What is setting YOU apart from the other hundred billion job applicants and landing you the job?

This morning I logged in to my email and received this warning from the System Administrator:

“Your mailbox has exceeded one or more size limits set by your administrator.”

My InBox has filled up with tons of applicants applying for active openings. The sheer amount of applicants isn’t what amazed me. It was the amount of people applying for postings that don’t match the skill set in the listing. One missed requirement that stood out most… Continue

Added by Heather Gardner on February 6, 2009 at 3:41pm — 3 Comments

Take the networking "test"

Here.
(Penelope Trunk pointed me at this.)

Added by Maureen Sharib on February 6, 2009 at 2:31pm — No Comments

The is no business like snow business

What a week! Britain has been faced with the worst snow for 18 years, and its impact on the working world has been immense!

The economy has reportedly suffered losses of £3 billion thanks to the blizzards, as office numbers become depleted with masses of workers taking ‘snow days’.

While the rest of the country has been building snowmen, here at Allthetopbananas.com we have finished building our new site and the redesign goes… Continue

Added by David Martin on February 6, 2009 at 12:25pm — No Comments

6 ways they have changed how your FICO score is being calculated this week.

FICO is tweaking their methods of calculating the ever important credit rating. You may want to be aware of the changes and how they might affect you.

A new system for determining your credit-worthiness, FICO '08, rolls out this Thursday, and there's nothing you can to do stop it. By these 6 changes, ye shall be judged:

1. Spouses and children can improve their credit score by being an authorized user on a credit card… Continue

Added by Julia Stone on February 6, 2009 at 11:26am — No Comments

The Client Side - Super Bowl Recap.....A recruiter's perspective

Great Game. Lame commercials. Being at a Super Bowl Party at the house of a HUGE Steelers fan was fun and a real experience considering how the game went.

But from a business perspective, what did we learn? For one thing, I'm not counting on any business at all from US Auto Makers or suppliers for quite some time if ever. There was not one US Auto Maker commercial. There were a couple of foreign car company commercials, but not much there either. I'm maintaining contacts, especially… Continue

Added by Todd Kmiec on February 6, 2009 at 11:01am — No Comments