Featured Blog Posts – November 2009 Archive (79)

Talent Management Merits Your Board's Full Attention

Most boards focus on annual budgets and financial outcomes, often limiting their involvement in talent management to recruiting and hiring a CEO and managing his or her performance. Successful organizations know that's not enough. Talent is typically the largest single line item in an annual financial plan and the chief factor in achieving strategic objectives. Managing your talent is another critical aspect of asset management and merits the full attention of your board.

Eight… Continue

Added by Kathleen Quinn Votaw on November 30, 2009 at 9:18pm — 2 Comments

Don't Get Scrooged This Season

I wrote this poem last night for my blog and wanted to share with all my friends on RecruitingBlogs, I hope you enjoy!

T’was the month of Christmas and all across the land,

clients and competitors were seeking the upper hand.

When all of the sudden to ACME Inc’s delight,

their big push for 2009 came into the light.

Recession, layoffs and hiring freezes they faced;

all were behind them, they picked up the pace.

But 18 days in December,… Continue

Added by Alex Putman on November 30, 2009 at 1:52pm — 1 Comment

Be Thankful for your Problems

In my “book” the holidays (and not simply the one we most recently celebrated) are a time for reflection and giving thanks in more ways than one. I try every year to take time alone and with my family (especially with my children) to reflect on how blessed we are. This can be challenging during the rush of the season and the many “priorities” imposed as a result of expectations we generally put on ourselves. Add to that my children, who… Continue

Added by Shannon Russo on November 30, 2009 at 9:27am — 5 Comments

The Recruiting Matrix

Recruiting is all about relationships. It is all about building enduring relationships with companies and with applicants. But often there is an unhealthy focus on filling the vacancy.

A major part of the reason is the recruitment sales model, which is sadly broken. Most recruiters are focused to get vacancies, then to get candidates, and then to close the deal. During this transactional approach, there is insufficient focus on developing meaningful relationships. And because of the… Continue

Added by Charles Van Heerden on November 30, 2009 at 3:27am — 5 Comments

Question for Recruiters--should a background firm contact an applicant directly if there is information that needs to be obtained or clarified?

There is an ongoing debate in the background screening industry whether a background screening firm should ever contact an applicant directly if an a issue arises where information is needed from the applicant to conclude the background report. The question is whose professional obligation it should be to obtain or clarify additional information from an applicant, the recruiter or the background firm

This issue can come up in a number of ways.

First, if a recruiter is… Continue

Added by Les Rosen on November 30, 2009 at 1:19am — No Comments

India: If you were me what would you want to know? (-6 Days and Counting)

India. 1.2 billion people. 600,000 are “unorganized”! Ok, I’ll start there. What does “unorganized” mean? Can that many people actually be off the grid? How do you get “organized” when you start off “unorganized”?

Preparing for my ten-day adventure in India (beginning next Sunday) means collecting information from lots of sources. Too much, too early and my learning will color my senses when I’m on the ground. I’ll have too much baggage to be an effective observer. I want as few… Continue

Added by Gerry Crispin on November 30, 2009 at 1:18am — 20 Comments

Jobspiration-When the Going Gets Tough ...

You know the old expression, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going!” Well, these days it might mean you should run! We are in the midst of tough times, no doubt about that. We also need all of the inspiration we can get and we are not likely to find it from our immediate surroundings. It’s times like these we are in need of a little inspiration, or in this case it might be a little “jobspiration.”

The idea that we can be our own source of inspiration might be enough to make… Continue

Added by Lisa Kaye on November 29, 2009 at 11:04pm — No Comments

From Recruiter to Job Hunter…

So my second blog entry was going to be about Google Wave (don’t worry folks – it’s already written and you’ll get it soon enough!) but I read a great post last week on Twitter and decided to change tack.

@grahamsalisbury wrote:

“I am beginning to regard online job boards with the same degree of suspicion that I normally reserve for Wikipedia”

I couldn’t help but smile! I’ve been in the same… Continue

Added by Wendy Jacob on November 29, 2009 at 5:21pm — 1 Comment

There is No Recruiting God

I was a guest on Paul Paris’s ex-recruiter show on Tuesday. During the call I made the statement that there is no recruitment god that brought a flurry of tweets and quite a lot of comment. To clarify for the hard of hearing, I did not say “There is no God!” Please don’t burn my house!

My point is that there is no divine path… Continue

Added by Bill Boorman on November 28, 2009 at 4:45pm — 1 Comment

Choosing the Right Keywords for Search Engine Optimization and Google AdWords (PPC)

Quick quiz…

In terms of Google searches, which of the following terms received the most monthly search volume?

a. Staffing firm

b. Staffing firms

c. Staffing agency

d. Staffing agencies

e. They are all about the same

Not sure? Then you need to find out! Small variations in the wording you use throughout your website and Pay Per Click Ads can have a dramatic effect on your website traffic.

Although the variations above seem very… Continue

Added by Brad Smith on November 28, 2009 at 9:00am — No Comments

Better Without Fences

A real good family hike has become our Black Friday tradition, whether traveling or at home. This year we were home so we decided to check out Hanging Rock State Park in the North Carolina foothills which is inside of a couple of hours from home for us. I’ve never been there but have heard that it is a really good place to hike. So off I went this morning with my wife, our boys (age 5 and 11) and our girls (age 8 and 9). The park is named for a mountain top area that has a stretch of rock… Continue

Added by Todd Kmiec on November 27, 2009 at 6:30pm — No Comments

Business blind dates

I walked into a restaurant for an early morning breakfast meeting. The restaurant opened at 7:30am and there were five people already in the restaurant. Almost simultaneously, they all looked up wondering if I was the one there to meet them.

I looked towards the table where I expected to see my friend. He had a favorite table and there were two people sitting there but he was not one of them. I then scanned the room trying not to make eye contact with the people who were still… Continue

Added by Tom Cairns on November 27, 2009 at 9:30am — No Comments

Tracking Social Media Conversations About Your Recruiting Firm

Shhhh! Be very, very quite. Do you hear that?

People right now are talking behind your back. And if you don’t start paying attention you may miss out on a great sales and recruiting opportunity.

With today’s social networks, it’s easy for someone to become your biggest proponent, or your toughest critic. The key is to monitor conversations–and then respond appropriately.

Here is an excerpt from a social media conversation just last week about a firm in New York… Continue

Added by Brad Smith on November 27, 2009 at 9:16am — No Comments

Do Recruiters really get Social Media??

I had a great time at the Recruiting Unconference (trulondon) last Thursday…lots of interesting and thought-provoking debate and information. Over the next few blog posts I am going to write about some things that have had me thinking.

A key track for me was the one on Social Media…I have certainly tried to embrace LinkedIn, Twitter, Blogging over the last year or so and talk passionately to candidates about the need for them to get connected and get in the conversation. I was keen… Continue

Added by Mervyn Dinnen on November 26, 2009 at 4:30pm — 3 Comments

Do you Woo?

Is Recruiting still Recruiting? Or are we just intermediaries, forging introductions between an individual and a company?

Hard core Recruiting to me is actively finding/locating, courting and convincing talent that our client or company is the place for them. You see it a lot is sporting fields. High level executives etc. It can't happen all the time I get that. But with all the talk of Talent Pooling at the moment. How do we look after our candidates?…

Continue

Added by Dan Nuroo on November 26, 2009 at 4:53am — 3 Comments

A Day Of Gratitude

I'm one of those goofy type A people who use to be uncomfortable on days off because I couldn't work, or at least shouldn't work. Over the years I have been able to adjust and look at holidays and obligatory trips as times to get away from business and regroup in some way. I now see those times as productive and thus look forward to them and enjoy them more. Thanksgiving has it's productive agenda built in. It's a Day Of Gratitude. I like to change the term because, while I like turkey and… Continue

Added by Todd Kmiec on November 25, 2009 at 6:00pm — No Comments

I'm Thankful Thanksgiving is a holiday

Thanksgiving is my favorite day.

Today is November 25 2009. It is the night before Thanksgiving. 38 years ago, Thanksgiving fell on November 25 and, on that morning, in the middle of a snow storm, I was married in small chapel in an inner city hospital to a nurse, Diane, who had Thanksgiving off. As did I! As an orderly working his way through grad school during the early 70's, the world was a very different place...don't get me started. Diane and I had been dating since… Continue

Added by Gerry Crispin on November 25, 2009 at 4:51pm — No Comments

Minimize the 'Hops'!!!

I received an email from someone trying to figure out how to minimize any negative impressions his resume may make to potential employers because he had worked a number of contract and consulting projects. When he lists his entire job history, it looks like he’s been hopping jobs way too often when in fact it’s the nature of the project work he’s done. Some of his assignments were a matter of days and others for several months, but it makes a… Continue

Added by Harry Urschel on November 25, 2009 at 2:56pm — No Comments

Happy Thanksgiving

"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them."

- John F. Kennedy

The day has begun and who among us is not a little distracted at the thoughts of spending time with friends and family and football? I know I am. As I look back over the previous year, I realize there are a few things I should be thankful for.

I am thankful for the troops that keep us safe by fighting our battles in far off… Continue

Added by Brian Meeks on November 25, 2009 at 10:38am — 1 Comment