We're All Out of Friends

Maybe not what you think. Don’t worry, we probably still have a sufficient number of friends. You know, the people we can call at two in the morning to hold our hair back while we ride the porcelain bus – well, not you... but you get the point. I was prompted to vent on this topic (We’re All Out of Friends) because the…

No big news here. I often write simply to crystallize thoughts, so much so in this case that I changed my mind 3 times during the writing. I've read serious articles from ERE to The Fordyce Letter aimed at this painful subject, as well as, lots of blog posts. I just refuse to believe, or even understand, why staffing firms and their customers still bang their heads against…

Maybe not what you think. Don’t worry, we probably still have a sufficient number of friends. You know, the people we can call at two in the morning to hold our hair back while we ride the porcelain bus – well, not you... but you get…

I’m finding an inordinate volume of dialogue in recent times regarding theexperience of things – user experience, viewer experience, consumer experience, patient experience, traveler experience; and yes, candidate experience. I guess we’ve come to thrive on labeling stuff so we can carve out panels for discussion, conferences, award…

Yes… no…. depends? It is a question I most often ask of every manager or leader I meet for the first time, whether a prospective client, an existing client, or a new colleague. One simple answer speaks volumes about mindset and puts a stake in the ground indicating where the conversation, if there is to be one, needs to start and where it needs to lead. We are…

Am I the only one who has finally reached the end of the proverbial rope regarding the much chucked around term “culture fit?” I find myself in a whirlwind of fed-up-ness. Odd that this irritation manifested in almost an instant. The concept of culture fit, in some form or fashion, has been a thing for a decade or so. But, today I filled up, tipped over, and am sick of…

Everyone – I mean every recruiter, manager, interviewer, interviewee, et al – has an opinion about what should happen in a job interview. Opinions aside, I want to explore one thing that should rarely, if ever, happen. Few exceptions withstanding, I’m going to say that you shouldn’t make a decision during, or even shortly after, an interview. That’s it. Could end right here,…

Most resumes suck. And, most job descriptions suck equally or worse. Let's put that stake in the ground. It's a miracle companies ever find candidates for open positions who have any chance of succeeding long-term. Most companies don't know how to articulate what they want and most interviewers wouldn't know it if they saw it. I guess dumb luck must play some role in the…

When it comes to interviewing candidates, regardless of the position, interviewers and interview teams often make critical mistakes. Does that mean there is some magic formula that produces perfect results every time – not in the least. After all, humans are involved, and we are all far from perfect. Among ego, unpreparedness, and just plain lack of interviewing experience,…