Take it from a HR Professional, HR and Staffing are one. How? Why? Because in order for your HR department to add its maximum value, you must realize that Staffing and HR are joined at the hip. HR Managers, and Directors need to be connected to their recruiters, and Hiring Managers need to partner as one in order to reduce time to fill, and increase the performance metrics that are needed to find great talent. It is so key to know each other, to keep that department chugging along at its maximum potential.

Networking, networking, networking, it is still as valid as ever. But the dynamics have shifted and now we find that HR needs staffing and staffing needs HR. Recruiters in the staffing industry balk at HR folks. But you are a part of the greater HR world. Realize that HR is so important to your success and as a recruiter you shouldn't avoid them.

Now, how do you get that brand that attracts even the most elusive candidate? I can think of just one way, customer service. Return those calls from those folks that aren't even in your pipeline. Give them a return call to help them out. Give them some resume advice. Sound like a waste of time? I can't emphasize enough how I have seen those candidates that I didn't think I would ever have an opportunity for, that I found that opportunity come out of the woodwork the next day.

Working for Venturi Staffing I came to realize that all candidates and my service to them made a great difference. In fact I can remember helping these candidates write resumes which in turn led to them getting the job and me getting a nice fee. Realize that the resume doesn't always tell the whole story, dig deep with your questions and you will have a tremendous surprise.

Do you ever feel like a career counselor, advising that great candidate with potential with the exceptional references what it takes to succeed. Do you reach out to your network to find that known candidate? Do you remember calling a friend of a friend. Well I do, and I have found some incredible folks that way. Wow, when I find that missing candidate the one that will make my client's day, that is an amazing feeling.

So what do I think of the pending labor shortage? I think it will be an amazing time for the next generation to find their niche, I welcome the clients with their specific wants and needs, I relate well to finding value, for establishing trust on both sides of the candidate pool and my client hiring managers. I still find myself doing a lot of educating from time to time as you try and win the hearts and minds of those who help me put food on the table.

My family means everything to me. How wonderful they are, without them I would not be where I am today. I remember starting out in HR, I am now mid-career and wanting to make a difference in my company. This means providing great customer service everyday. I relate well to those folks who have career dimension, I look for those candidates seeking to propel themselves forward. A great attitude is really important in today's world especially when you need that extra momentum to move forward. So when I see that candidate with this kind of inward momentum who wants everything to come together but just doesn't know how to get there, it is time to step in as a friend, as a mentor, even a younger professional such as me can teach some great candidates with years of experience how to just brush up on their presentation. I think sometimes we need to do that for them. Heck, if they make the grade and found a great job even though they weren't a fit for my role, if they remember that that recruiter fellow reached out to help them, wow, I tell you that I have gotten some golden referrels for business and for hard to find candidates from those folks I took the time to reach out to. Remember that when you are making those calls and you are looking at that resume that isn't quite a fit but has something on it that catches your inner instinct. Remember that asking for referrels is a powerful tool. When that labor shortage hits, even the less experienced candidates at that time will start coming into their own. You will want to be that recruiter that made the difference in their lives.

Now I am not saying to waste exorbitant amounts of time, but to reach out and remember that you can't live in a bubble called the US any longer. We must branch out, learn about other cultures, diversify and expand our influence and knowledge of the world about us. Martin Luther King, Jr. when he gave his famous speech was also speaking to recruiters as well. What a long way we have come since that time, but there is still a lot of work to do to make this world a better place.

I am an Eagle Scout, I take great pride in this. I am a family man with a daughter and an ambitious and beautiful wife. I have two great parents who take care of my daughter and help us to enjoy life. I have learned that life is all about what I give. So, as a recruiter the best I can do is help people find work who are looking for it, build great relationships with my clients and make their lives easier. Oh what fun that is. I think life is what we put into it. Yeah so HR and Staffing are one. There is a great deal of value add we have to give as recruiters. I think that is why I love it so much.