Microsoft's SOCL is a social search / social networking site that (at this writing) is in closed beta. Jim Stroud discusses what he knows about SOCL and explores his feelings about another social network. Be sure to download the show notes for links to all of the stories cited in this episode and more:…

It’s been exactly 2 years since the first #truLondon, which took place in Canary Wharfe on the 18′th November 2009.70 people attended the first time, mostly dressed in suits, (me included), crammed in to the top floor of Barclay’s tower. It was only supposed to be one event, and this blog was only supposed to run for three months to promote the event.

On that day, some…

In some ways, I pride myself on being able to recruit without having to spend a dime on anything more then the basics. I grew my LinkedIn network to over 11,000 direct connections and became a master at guessing email addresses. Boolean searching is not only tricky, but really fun. It brings a smile on my face to find the right person just from Google. Its that needle in the haystack game in many ways.

But who really knows how to do this? Is this a lost (or never found) art…

Like most recruiters I rely on email to flag to business leaders the existence of a great candidate. Before you say it or throw a brick bat, I also spend all day on the phone (well most of it anyway). Email is an essential business tool and it allows the transference of quality information such as briefs and CVs etc. that can be considered off-line by our clients.

Too many times, perhaps where the client has no need at the time for my candidate, emails go unanswered and I wonder…

“Your strategy should be reviewed and updated on a quarterly basis.  Of course, that assumes you went through a disciplined thought process and have a real strategy to start with!”  - Stephen Lynch, COO, Results.com

Does your company…

Every day I seem to get an email saying I am perfect for a Java or Oracle or other tech job because someone did a key word search on a job board and just messaged everyone. Sure they might toss in a statement to refer someone else if this is "not quite a fit" for me. What does this say to candidates that see your message? How validated do you feel? It makes me feel like the person sending the message has no concern what my background is and is just tossing things against the wall hoping…

I know I’ve been speaking a lot about Talent Communities on this blog lately but for this post I’m going to use a term I like better, which is Talent Network.  A Talent Network is a collection of candidates that your organization engages with from a recruiting perspective.  The engagement is bi-directional with the hope being that you not only engage with the individual but you are eventually able to engage with the individual’s network as well.  It is not a community in the sense of the…

After you have constructed the perfect resume and applied for the perfect job you will hopefully receive that favourite phone call congratulating you on receiving an interview request. Typically when you apply for a job you can expect your competition to share similar skills, education and experiences as yourself. This is why you need to demonstrate to the interviewer that…

Bank of America was brandjacked on Google Plus! Tune in to see what Google doesn't want you to know. Can you imagine if this hapenned to your employer brand? Owch! Download the show notes for links to the stories covered in this episode.

DOWNLOAD THE mp3

Part way through the show today, Jerry Albright stopped the conversation to tell us that he had just received a Direct Message on Twitter from someone complaining that the show was incredibly boring.

Of course, one man's poison is another man's meatpie, so I'm sure it…

I have a few pet peeves in my life.  Ok, several actually, but only one that will make me stop sourcing, scream, and then run over here and actually write an entire blog post about it.  

Maybe it's just me. Maybe I've read too much Lynne Truss.  Maybe I just need to get over myself and get with the program.  

But I can't.  I love language and expression and to see…

In Missouri, there are only two preciously short weeks in November that you can shoot an antlered deer with a firearm.  Every year, men and women all over the state get out their hunter orange and camo, and prepare to sit in a tree in the wee hours of the morning, hoping that a huge buck will wander in front of their sight lines.

While every season, 40% to 70% of the antlered deer population is killed in Missouri, only 1 in 5 hunters will actually get a…

Tomorrow 11/17/2011 at 2:00 PM RecruitingBlogs will be hosting:

6 Power Boolean Searches and 6 Recruiting Automation Tools (ALL FREE)

We will cover: (No Theory Just Tactical, Real solutions)

• 6 little known / used Boolean powersearches
• 6 completely free and efficient tools that can be used for recruiting
• 1 Very cool free tool that will…

If you look back in time, maybe around 40+ years ago, employees found a job within a company and were expected to stay with that same company for their entire career in exchange for a pension and a gold watch or pen. Now times have changed dramatically, most people have 5-8 career changes in their lifetime.

So now employees are faced with a new decision, how to determine when to leave their current job. This may…

Answer:  Don’t Waste Their Time!

You can stop reading now since I already gave the answer. If you read on, I will talk about best practices for interviewing candidates whose time is limited, since someone in their infinite wisdom has already given this person a job.

Recruiters and hiring managers all want to hire the person who is currently working, yes? Why then do we waste so much of their time, and treat them like our company is God’s gift to their career?…

So you’ve built up your Talent Community or Talent Network and gained a significant amount of followers on your Twitter profile and Facebook page.  The question is what do you do next?

The answer to this question you’ve heard a thousand times: engage!

When I talk about engagement I mean a few things.  First, it’s the bi-directional communication you have with a candidate to promote your company opportunities, understand their qualifications & skill-sets…

Tactics are underrated.  Problem solving is taken for granted.  Business leaders want to hire executives who are strategic, who take a big picture view, who can make long term plans, guide and mentor others in the plan execution, and not get bogged down in details.

Interestingly, when I ask high level candidates about their accomplishments, often the stories are…

It’s been a while since my last post. It would appear a new job and the birth of a 2nd child can be rather draining on ones time. Who would have guessed?

It hasn’t been all inductions and nappies though. No siree.

The last few weeks has seen me putting into practice the theory I’ve been prattling on about over recent months regarding social recruitment… And I’m loving…

Another week, another ‘job boards are dying’ blog post. If I had a dollar for every post like this, I’d be a (moderately) rich man. Truly.

I try to avoid the ‘job boards are dying’ discussion because (a) it’s a flamer’s game (not unlike arguing with those who disbelieve climate change), and (b) those of us in the biz know it…

So, you open up your email and find this waiting for you…

LinkedIn

Norman Timbuktu has indicated you are a fellow group member of The Recruiter Network - #1 Group for Recruiters

I'd like to add you to my professional network on LinkedIn.



- Norman Timbuktu

Hmmmmm… There it is right there…. Should I accept?  I’ll quickly check his profile… Ok, he’s a Masters Graduate (Computer Applications) from…