I’m not really a New Year’s Resolution kind of girl. I don’t particularly want to give up any of my bad habits, and I work out just enough to fit into my favorite jeans (most of the time).  I have no real desire to do anything that different. I like my life.

Still, a new year does give me a chance to reflect on the year that just past. I really amped up my involvement in RBC and committed (at least to myself) to blog more frequently. I took to Twitter like… never mind, I don’t…

Here’s a newsflash for you – recruiting is a people business. And whenever people are involved, inevitably, something will go wrong. I think most of us are willing to admit this, and frankly I’m happy to have a place like RBC where I can bitch, gripe, complain then call it blogging. A couple of my recent favorite posts (here and…

…and not a damn thing has changed.

Same president, roughly the same breakdown in House and Senate, not a lot of local changes that I can tell. Oh, except the pot thing. My state is apparently legalizing marijuana so we can all just get high and forget about 8% unemployment. I told my good friend Michelle that I personally had been disappointed with the government since voting for Ross Perot 20 years ago (I was SO NAIVE) and she assured me Obamacare would cover my…

…If you respond to your prospect.

Last week I received a LinkedIn message from a niche job board salesperson. I got it several times actually – he sent it to everyone on our recruiting team and they all forwarded it to me. This particular job board focuses on marketing, and the timing couldn’t have been better – our marketing and ecommerce teams are exploding.  

The message referenced a specific job posting (even though I already had a finalist and was ready to…

How important is company culture to recruiters? I’m not talking about so called “discrimination masquerading as cultural fit”. If you’re looking to read up on that check out this post from back in April.

My question is simply this – should recruiters screen candidates for culture fit with our clients?

Like so many things in recruiting –…

There are many reasons I adore my current boss – I was reminded of one just the other day. I was coming off an especially grueling couple of weeks. One particular search, which should have been an easy fill, had become nothing short of a nightmare. Without going into all the gory detail (I’d like to keep my job) let’s just say there had been a communication breakdown between me and my client. As a corporate recruiter, my only option is to keep working with this…

We’ve all done it. Sent off that form letter email to a dozen or more “qualified” candidates. Maybe it’s an InMail, maybe you actually found someone’s personal email address. You’ve drafted what you think is a rather clever pitch and have shot it through cyberspace hoping a fabulous candidate will see the wisdom and value in writing you back. This guy did.

Ted Goas is a Web Developer who gets roughly one email a day from technical recruiters.…

This is my hair today – at 8:15 AM on my way to work, to be exact. I have less than two years to enjoy my locks, as apparently if I have hair this length after…

As a die-hard Mariners fan since 1994 and dedicated Yankees hater, this week’s trade of Ichiro Suzuki to the Yankees (the YANKEES) just about killed me. Ichiro has been a much loved member of the Bad News Bears Seattle Mariners for 12 seasons. As if his departure wasn’t painful enough, he actually played his first game as a Yankee at Safeco Field against the Mariners. It was so bad that when a hiring manager stopped by my desk shortly after I heard the news, he…

Here’s an interesting email / follow up I got today thanks to Employee Referrals Gone Wild, which I wrote back in April (hint – nothing on the internet ever dies). This person was searching the web for advice on how to handle being an employee referral, and came across my blog. With the job seeker’s permission I am including the text of her email and my…

Wednesday was my one year anniversary as a Corporate Recruiter for Zones. Oddly enough, it was also the day I filled my 120^th position. That’s a lot of interviews. Of course this includes internal transfers and promotions I helped facilitate, some easier than others (that’s still a lot of interviews). Here’s some of what I’ve learned –

Recruiting is (still) a sales job. Just because I’m not working on commission anymore doesn’t mean I don’t…

The one you’re talking to of course. Everyone knows this, right? Here’s the thing – I had an epiphany today and it kinda hurt. I was talking with one of my agency partners and offered to send his boss an email to give him some props – he’d sent some great people and really helped me out in the past few weeks. As it turns out he’s up for a promotion so it was very timely. As I was drafting this email and congratulating myself on being such a nice client, I realized why I like this…

So you want to be a corporate recruiter... I'm not even going to ask why. Now that I’m about a month away from my one year anniversary, I've learned a thing or two about how to survive this adventure. As with any career there are pros, cons, and pitfalls to avoid. One thing I know for sure - recruiting is recruiting - no matter what side of the business you're on. If you're serious about going in house, I hope you're as lucky as I was to find a place that you can actually enjoy…

“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…

This blog had to be posted today. See, today is the first Monday of the month – also known as “New Hire Orientation” day at my company. I had 4 new hires in today’s class, including an amazing employee referral. This candidate had applied to a handful of jobs, but I had not given much consideration to him until one of our employees brought up his name. This employee is one of our rock stars (forgive the overused term) so I thought I should take a 2^nd look. I’m glad I did. After a…

Who likes politicians? Answer - nobody. Ok, maybe you have a favorite, and there are certainly some who really like specific candidates. It’s safe to say as a group, politicians are generally despised and, at best, tolerated – with a few good ones sprinkled in. (Depending on your view, of course)

The disdain we feel for these public servants comes to the forefront in an election year. You can’t turn on the TV without seeing someone bashing someone else. Politicians run…

I received the most unusual email last night – definitely a first. Someone in my LinkedIn network had forwarded my “Open Letter to Candidates” blog to a job seeker who took me up on my offer. We chatted on the phone a couple of times and met in person at a job fair I attended last week. I gave him a few ideas, validated some other great advice he’d already received, and figured that was that. I was so…

This is a trap. You know it, I know it, and my husband knows if I ask I’m probably trying to pick a fight. No matter how well intentioned or innocent this question might seem, there is just no good answer. Furthermore, if I’m bothering to ask, I already know this may not be the most flattering outfit I’ve ever tried on.

I know that uncomfortable feeling my poor husband gets when faced with this query because it’s the same one I get when a candidate asks for feedback after…

I’m starting to notice something. A lot of the complaining about internal recruiters comes from TPRs trying to work with large companies where they’re trapped by or redirected to the dreaded vendor list. You know the ones – Fortune 500 Company, hundreds of positions, and you’ve got junior HR chickie saying you have to be on a list with 40 of your closest friends before you can submit a candidate. Never mind that your guy is perfect for the job. Forget that the VP of Whatever is your best…

I’m sorry. I’m sorry that you’re frustrated, annoyed, sad, angry, and despite your efforts, still trying to get a new job. I’m writing you this letter so that you’ll understand that it was not my intention to ignore you, leave you hanging, or cost you your dream job. I hate that your application got trapped in the black hole known as our ATS. I apologize for taking 3 days to respond to your email and even longer to call you back. In the interest of giving you a better “candidate experience”…