16 years ago I started my recruiting career with a pretty typical IT recruiting agency in Downtown Toronto. I was green and eager to learn. I was surrounded by a blend of savvy and slippery sales guys, shifty-eyed recruiters hovering over sacred databases, juniors weeping in the bathrooms and cracking under the pressure of call metrics, and a handful of solid ethical pros who wanted to do the right thing for customers who treated them like partners. I carefully aligned myself with the later…

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I am often asked for my opinion about adding pre-employment tests to the selection process. It would be easy for me to write a lengthy post about the validity of various test results and their ability to predict on the job success. We could have a heated debate about whether compatibility matters more than competency – if you have the right leadership in place.

But, I’ll save that fun for another day. The question that no one seems to be talking about, is how testing affects the…

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Employee referrals are arguably the most effective way for companies today to recruit.  Here are the stats:

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I had a client ask today about metrics.  How do we know if our search efforts are successful and if we’re effective?

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I’ve noticed a recurring theme in recruitment circles of late. “Frack! I lost another candidate to a counter-offer!”



This reminds me of my early lessons recruiting in the late 90s when the tech market was booming and the war for talent was intense. We’re in a very similar place today and the challenges of signing the perfect candidate are the same. We’ve got multiple offers, counter-offers, and my personal favourite – the Tire Kicker.



If you are a tech company looking for… Continue

I just need to vent for a moment and tell you why I so dislike the title Talent Acquisition that many companies are slapping on their recruiting departments.

Maybe it’s just me, but ‘acquisition’ sounds a lot like a purchasing function. And perhaps this is symptomatic of the underlying challenge that these businesses have with recruitment. If you are looking to purchase some talent, you might put up some postings, clearly stating the skills and experience…

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If the team with the best talent wins the technology race, who are you betting on? With a view from the front row, my money is on the company that can spark passion in its people. This is not the cult-like workplace with people dancing in the aisles, but the one that hires and inspires based on the difference the team’s efforts will make in the world.  This company will successfully build a team that rallies behind their mission, with each individual bringing their best game every day…

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There is talk lately about social media revolutionizing how companies recruit, with some concluding that we’re witnessing the end of the recruiting profession as we know it.



The arguments go like this:



Social media tools (LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, blogs etc.) will change the way companies find prospective employees. Search will be faster and more targeted.



Companies will use these tools to build relationships with pools of highly qualified individuals (who… Continue

I just talked to an HR Manager who told me that they had a no-headhunting policy, so I wasn’t allowed to talk to their people … what a terrific idea! Or maybe not.



I know of companies who train receptionists to block recruiters’ calls, and ensure that Monster and Workopolis are banned from company internet. Heck, while they’re at it, why not block LinkedIn, Twitter and halt conference attendance and rendezvous’ with former colleagues and miscellaneous strangers in coffee… Continue

Lots of people are talking about employer branding these days. While I agree that all companies should be conscious of how they are viewed by employees and prospective employees, I think many branding efforts are misdirected and a plain waste of money and effort.



It’s not about how many people think you’re great. It’s who, and why.



Brains over beans



I work with young tech companies who, by their very nature, are selective in who they employ. Most really are… Continue