There’s no sense in denying it, these are difficult times economically. Unemployment is stubbornly high, our fractious government can’t seem to agree on how to address our economic troubles, the global economy is in peril, and every day brings more dispiriting news. Some argue that large companies, sitting on huge stockpiles of cash, will be the answer once consumer demand rebounds but how will it rebound with so many people unemployed and with wages for the employed stagnant or receding?…

I live in Washington, DC so it’s easy to make things political. This town manages to do that with nearly everything. But this is not really about politics even though it may require politicians to truly have an impact. This is about jobs and the crisis that confronts us. A few points to consider:

• This might take a while. Typically in the past the US economy would return to a normal employment outlook six months after a recession, but the McKinsey Global Institute…

On the occasion of a wonderful long weekend dedicated to family, food, and fun it’s imperative to remember what this holiday celebrates. Over the course of generations, Americans have sacrificed their youth, their bodies, and all too often their lives to protect our nation and its citizens. To pay homage to these incredible sacrifices is the very least each of us can offer, but it is even better to try to repay these brave patriots with something more tangible. For those of us involved in…

Work It Like You Own It

There are times when all of us can get stuck in rote practices. Often we’ve had success doing something in a particular way, sometimes even repeated success, and it forges a belief that the same approach will continue to be successful. At those moments, once critical analysis indicates there is stagnation, it helps to approach the situation by thinking about how you might do things differently if you owned the business. If you’re already…

A Toast To A Great Contributor

I wrote some weeks back about the phenomenal spirit of the recruiting community at large and how it has positively influenced my work and my desire to be a contributing member of that community. I would like to highlight the contribution of one exceptional leader in the field. Kathleen Smith heads up ClearedJobsNet (…

In Praise Of NortonNet

There are myriad groups in cyber space connecting candidates, employers, staffing industry thought leaders, and HR gurus. They vary in approach and in specialty, but most of them incorporate an element of glitz and virtually all of them include a profit model of some kind.

Then there is NortonNet. There is no website, it’s just an email distribution list augmented by monthly luncheons. It is…

Recruiting Candidates With Polygraphs Is Like Executive Headhunting

Sourcing and hiring C-level Executives is a storied art, replete with stories of overcoming adversaries (gate-keeping assistants), clandestine meetings, goodie bags proffered (stock options, signing bonuses), and cutthroat dealings with competitors. Skilled practitioners of the art are held in justly high esteem for their ability to produce these rare and valuable…

Small Steps Into A Vast Community

The staffing community has experienced an explosion over the past few years. It isn’t an explosion of members so much as it is an explosion of information. The use of…

I got laid off in December. It's a pretty common refrain these days. I'd been the Manager of Recruiting for a Federal Systems Integrator for three and half years and in the space of a brief meeting that tenure was brought to a close. The company had worked through some challenges during my time there, but we had begun to win new business and add exceptional talent. I was proud of the work I had done and was completely committed to the ongoing success of the firm. I did not see it coming. As…

Recruiting for highly-cleared professionals has always been a challenge. Even in situations where it is possible to sponsor a new clearance for a qualified candidate, the elongated time frame makes it difficult to ensure the candidate is still available if and when the clearance is fully adjudicated. Without a constant influx of newly cleared, highly skilled candidates the talent pool becomes essentially finite. In the best of times for candidates that led to steady job-hopping, with each…