Is it really almost the end of January? I'm a big fan of, "Set goals and you will achieve goals," mentality. I usually start putting my business and professional goals down on paper right after Thanksgiving . Then, I write a blog or a memo or something telling everyone else how to do so in early December. Then, I study my goals and get very prepared to make them…

It occurred to me today that we are just about ONE week from 2015. Where did the fourth quarter of 2014 even go? I know those of you that follow my blog have probably thought I fell right off the face of Earth, right? Well fortunately, I did not. I could give you a long list of reasons why taking time out for a blog post wasn't possible the last few weeks, but I'd…

Let’s face it, job interviews are not something that most candidates look forward to but they know they are a necessity for a new job. They can be pretty stressful in any circumstance, but if your candidate is unemployed, or feels that they could be soon, the stress factor just increased 10 fold for them. Some recruiters I have worked with in the past won’t even present a candidate that is presently unemployed. I’m not that strict with my own candidates, but I do make sure that if they are…

Jill Krasny had a good article earlier this week on Inc.com called The Awesome Power of Empathy. This of course being the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. The article reminded me of when I first applied to be a search consultant at an Indianapolis MRI…

I 'm working on a job order for a retained client right now. This will back-fill a position within their organization that I like to call their "Joan". Joan - like on Mad Men, you know? I love…

Last week I received a message from a candidate I placed in 2003 about where she might send a friend who was job searching. Her email indicated that her career had advanced significantly since we last met and she is someone that I might market my services to. We had a nice time catching up when I called her.  I softened my questions about her own hiring needs by  getting reacquainted. I…

This week I made my debut appearance on The Recruiting Animal show.  For anyone that doesn’t know this show, compare this to getting the opportunity to meet with the best client you could ever ask for with the reputation of being a lot like the Wizard…

Have you ever had a candidate that you really liked but just couldn't place?  I make it a policy to be completely honest with these candidates as soon as I realize I can't help them, but it doesn't keep them from "checking in" with me from time to time. That's ok, because I can usually count on them for leads on positions they've struck out with or…

If you’ve been in recruiting for very long, you may have heard the term “purple squirrel.” I remember the first time I heard it. It was probably my first week in marketing training for agency recruiting. I came to my mentor smiling ear to ear with my new job order.  He looked at it and said, “Do you hunt squirrel?” Confused I said, “Uh no, but my grandfather used to…

I ask almost every applicant I screen the following questions: One, “What have you personally done in your career that has either saved your employer money or increased their revenue?”  and two, " How much in dollars and cents ? ”

I guess I don’t have to…

This is the final post in the series I've been working on for the last few weeks. To start from the beginning you'll want to go HERE. We've talked about  great client…

This week I continue with debunking recruiter secrets, which we've already determined, aren't really secrets at all. To catch up on the series, start with the first post here. Last week, I debunked the secret to great client relationships. This week I want to talk…

If you missed last week’s post, be sure to read it first HERE.

If you have read it, you know that I came clean and told you that there really are no secrets to great recruiting. The real secret is just following through on the standards of recruiting that we…

Were you one of the 11.3 million that tuned in to see Jimmy Fallon's premier as host of The Tonight Show this week? I'm already a Fallon…

If you have been unemployed for more than 6 months and have no prospects on the horizon, I'm afraid it is time we had a little talk. First, know that I offer this advice with love. You are clearly not alone. There are millions of others in the U.S. that find themselves in a similar situation.

If you happen to be one of the over 1.7 million that have already…

This morning I relished in a few moments of  that sweet silence that those of you who are parents will relate to. It’s that time before the children are awake when I can sip my coffee and consider my agenda. Sometimes I do some non-essential reading. Before I was a parent, it was the time in the morning when I arrived before the…

As a recruitment professional, setting goals, especially in anticipation of a new year, is an important part of achieving your long term vision. If you haven’t started planning for 2014, it is time to get busy!

Besides the self confidence you build each time you attain a predetermined goal, just the act of putting down your goals in writing will help you to organize your time and…

Wouldn't it be cool if for just a few days out of each year, we could really just hit "pause" and everyone take a day off? I mean everyone; on the same day. Can you imagine it? You probably wouldn't want to. Think beyond Walmart being closed. How about no gas stations, no hotels or restaurants open? No police or fire rescue available. No hospitals?

Obviously,…