I have to admit I am sick and tired of hearing talk of ‘active’ and ‘passive’ candidates. Even though I admit to freely using the terms myself… until very recently.

But I am going to stop doing that.

People ramble on about ‘passive’ candidates, as if this is a totally fresh breed of human being, that only new-age, especially savvy recruiters know how to connect with. The ‘passive candidate’ has become a mystical ‘super-talent’, somehow superior and different to the bog-standard…

“Give me a job, give me security… give me a chance to survive…”

I don’t normally let candidates get to me. I’ve recruited in good times and bad, been screamed at, threatened, called names, and Lord knows what else by candidates who don’t handle rejection well. It’s rare, but it happens. I typically respond with a shrug and go on about my business. My experience with frustrated job seekers is, sadly, pretty broad (maybe it’s me?). Even still, this latest meltdown was…

Since 1981, I have worked with over 3000 hiring managers across the United States.  Most of whom have never been trained how to interview.  If they haven’t been taught how to interview, they certainly have not been taught how to select the best fit.  Therefore, they bring their own unique interview techniques and questions to the interview party.  Of course, the candidates bring their own special treats to the interviewing party; and I will share some of those also.

The…

So you’ve lost your job because the economy tanked; now you’re beating the pavement in the clouds searching for work and discovering that the job search rules from way back in the 90’s have all changed.  It’s a whole new ballgame and no one has told you about it.  

Talk about being frustrated.  You now realize that you have to shoulder some of the blame and take responsibility for your own career.  What were you thinking-leaving your own career in the hands of an employer! 

If…

(this post is a reprint of my article written Jan 2011)

The one thing economists seem to agree on is that people who already have jobs will get pay increases or bonuses this year. (Keep your checkbook ready.) But there are conflicting data in the news about how many companies actually plan to hire in 2011—and I’m not sure that it really matters. Whether it’s a bull or bear jobs market, companies that continually nurture their people will always maintain the…

Here is our weekly feature in which we share the top articles we enjoyed from the past week about recruitment marketing, social recruiting and anything else in the recruiting space. In this article, we’ll be talking about Big Data, Recruiting Videos, Talent Communities, Work Metaphors and Used Car Salesmen.

Here are the articles our that interested us this week (in no particular order), enjoy!:

 …

If you've worked with a recruiter before (or are one like us), you probably know the s*** recruiters say.  Every now and then, it's fun to poke at the cliches heard around the office. Some phrases Betts Recruiting has come up with includes:

Watch the video that started the discussion: …

This post originally appeared on the SkillStorm blog: www.skillstorm.com/blog

In a down economy it’s natural to assume that your corporate clients aren’t returning your calls because they aren’t hiring and therefore don’t need your services. How about when things turn around? The reality is hiring takes place in all economic states. The more…

I was going to entitle this post Why Recruitment is like the Titanic… but I didn’t.  However, sometimes you do really feel like DiCaprio – you remember, the king of the world scene - standing on the bow of the ill-fated liner, fists pumped and happier than a pig in you know what.  But in the recruitment world you are always only one submerged iceberg away from disaster… in hindsight Why Recruitment is like the Titanic would have probably been a far more apt and…

Many misinformed professionals have no hesitation in considering a counteroffer.  In fact, many will reason that a…

Another week and another social media conference goes by. Another chance for the ever-increasing number of social media experts to tell recruiters how to attract and engage with candidates, create talent pools etc.

But here's the problem.  In this avalanche of 'this-is-what-you-should-be-doing' information, who is representing the views of the candidate? In the social media recruitment equation, candidates are customers and they have a voice.  They are the ones who need to be…

In this special episode of The Jim Stroud Show, Jim interviews Jeremy Langhans to discuss innovation in recruiting. Specifically, Jeremy details how he leveraged Instagram to recruit passive candidates during his tenure at Starbucks. Furthermore, he discusses the choices one makes when managing a career site. Should you create multiple mobile versions of the same site, or do something different? Jeremy opted for the latter. Tune in to get inspired.…

What is the true value of a referral?  It is hard to define and quantify because the referral is more than a transaction, it is an act of faith and an act of loyalty.  People refer others because they have knowledge (or at least a hope) that the referred will not be disappointed.  No one wants to make a personal recommendation and have it backfire because it reflects badly on them (unless they are filled with alternate and sinister motives).  Referrals are the strongest form of…

For the past few months I've noticed more and more self-promo stuff geared toward candidate enlightenment, job hunting tips, etc.

Do the posters have any idea what so ever this is a place for recruiters?  Or do they come here, think "Hey - this is a great place to spam with my candidate BS" and post away?

Yes - I'm an old dog.  Perhaps one of the new tricks I should learn is "How to get business by joining the job hunting and resume writing tips club and…

This post originally appeared on the SkillStorm blog: www.skillstorm.com/blog

The App That Tells You Which iPhone Carrier Is Best For You

You choose your mobile carrier for a variety of reasons. Maybe the choice was based on the latest phone, the discount you received, or a friend’s referral. Regardless of the reason, when it comes to…

Little words that can change the way we communicate!!!

There have been numerous books written on the subject of communication. One of the best is "Conscious Business" by Fred Kofman. I am reading this book now, but have read numerous others on the subject. The one thing that sticks in my mind…

Its a really common thing. You work with a really great candidate, you place them into a great job.

Yippee.…

Open a newspaper or switch on the television and it seems that swingeing jobs cuts are still being announced on a regular basis. While we all acknowledge that the days of the ‘job for life’ are gone, traditionally there have always been sectors perceived as ‘safer’ career choices. 

This is no longer necessarily the case. The reputation of the once lucrative financial sector has been decimated with the banking crisis and a swathe of cuts is still pending across the once safe public…

People who proclaim that most interview advice is simplistic irritate me. These are people who view advice on eye contact, handshakes, how to answer difficult questions, and avoiding smoking before an interview, as obvious and unworthy of  mention. Their "expert" advice is often sarcastic, blunt, and insulting.

But the fact remains that occasionally some of these…