Are you bored with RBC?

I too have been bored! Not just here, but everywhere online. Too much noise, nonsense and dumbification. There has been a severe suckage situation for quite some time now across multiple venues. Maybe I'm a fool for saying that (more than handful of times) here, over there, or anywhere. Or, perhaps...?

As a regular contributor and commenter within the HR and recruiting blogging community, I was thrilled to be invited to join RecruitingBlogs’ 2014 Editorial Advisory Board. Yeah, I really am that much of a geek that HR and recruiting content actually floats my boat as if I have no other hobbies (hint: I don't).

I’ll share my valley girl translation (as a Southern California native) of this recent development: I’m all, OMG that’s so bitchen… and then I’m like, this is so RAD… and then I go, for realz, like totally count me in and everything… I can’t freaking wait, it’s gonna be so gnarly dude!

But then again, some of you peeps, (you know who you are) think I should convey a more subdued and mature reaction to this occasion. Fine. Teeny-bopper tone aside, as semi-professional industry practitioner, here is where I see this going:

What a treat to have an opportunity to collaborate with an eclectic mix of outspoken, opinionated and multi-talented industry pros, a few of whom I’ve only admired from afar. I am excited to get to know those that I haven’t officially met (virtually or otherwise) and build closer relationships with those that I have interacted with previously.

The unique vibe of RBC has always included challengers of conventional thinking poised to shake up the status quo and call out crap that deserves to be called out. Whether you prefer to lean up against the back wall to listen and learn or pop up to the podium to put forth your own thought-provoking philosophical ponderings, the RBC team is ready to roll with even edgier, wittier and wiser content. Let’s do this!

RBC is where audacious writers and open minded audience members come together to debate, dissect and drive deep discussion to drown out the drab drivel found everywhere else. Not your typical generators of generic generalities or generalizations, this a clever crowd that demands quantifiable quality balanced with quirky quips.

If cultivating conversation, slashing stereotypes and banishing buzzwords is what you are in to, bring it on. Speak up, stand out and tell it like it is in the real world. This is the place for you.

Don’t just sit there scrolling through this site as if you’re wearing swimmies in the shallow end, reading yet another influencer, thought-leader, guru, genius, expert, big data, engagement, culture, branding post. This is the high dive. Put yourself out there. Make your point, then back it up or back away.

Who’s on board with me?

Comment by Sandra McCartt on February 3, 2014 at 2:29am: Oh, KB, it's not an"awesome" post but it is an honest and well written( as yours always are),challenge for change. If you need Cruella DeVille to eat a few "puppies" you know where to find me. :)

Comment by Kelly Blokdijk on February 3, 2014 at 4:59pm: @Sandra - I thoroughly appreciate it any time you pop on here to provide a much needed critique of crap. Whether it's mine or any other contributors. IMHO: there is little to be gained from posting content just for the sake of posting content. And, even less from giving it the proverbial thumbs up w/ or w/out any actual analysis of that content's accuracy or that of it's writer's credibility with the subject-matter. Either way, YOUR opinions are always welcome and wanted! Hopefully, there will be more reason for you to visit and comment in the near future.

Comment by Keith D. Halperin on February 3, 2014 at 5:48pm: @ Kelly, et al:

As a relative "newbie- what used to be here that isn't any longer, and what is here that didn't used to be?

Thanks,

Keith

Comment by Kelly Blokdijk on February 3, 2014 at 8:03pm: @Keith - I've only been on RBC for about ~5yrs so I don't know the entire history. My estimation of what used to be: comfortable place for fellow industry practitioners to post and comment about real life, day-to-day "stuff" that they were dealing with and/or venting about and/or seeking advice, empathy, slap upside the head, etc.

What showed up more recently... See Sandra's post. Lots of non-industry pros writing about all sorts of topics that they have no business posting and/or off topic subjects that have no business being posted here. Here's what I posted about this a couple of years ago: http://www.recruitingblogs.com/profiles/blogs/does-the-rbc-site-int...

Perhaps some others will share their observations from the early days and the unfortunate newer state of affairs that drove many people away.

Comment by Sandra McCartt on February 3, 2014 at 9:27pm: Keith, either you have bumped your head on a jagged piece of sky or you have a memory loss. You were an active poster here in 2008. If you really think you are a "newbie". Do a search of your own name on the site and refresh yourself on the many comments back in '08. And forward.

Comment by Jeff Dickey-Chasins on February 4, 2014 at 8:40am: Steve L, as always you are 'on point.'

Comment by Keith D. Halperin on February 4, 2014 at 11:54am: @ Kelly.Thanks. So, it looks from what people are saying that RBC has lost focus- there's lots of stuff for candidates and lots of s non-recruiting stuff, too. Is that basically it?

@ Sandra:. While I evidently did say some things back then, I pretty much dropped off entirely- accordingly to a quick Google, I commented three times before 2013. I pretty much missed all the hullabaloo (or was it brouhaha?). I was contributing (if you can call it that) on a "certain other recruiting forum" (I still do.).... I look forward to helping RBC out of the gutter (apparently where some people think it has fallen) back into to the sewer!

YOWZA!

Keith "Last of the Recruiting Sewer Rats" Halperin

Comment by Amy McDonald on February 5, 2014 at 3:17am: I see what you are all saying here, really I do. Kelly, I found myself nodding "yes" while reading the majority of your post. BUT...I have to tell you, my favorite thing about social media. is that I can run my big mouth off at my pleasure when something motivates me to do so. I can take 20 minutes to write a 3 line come back if it pisses me off considering each and ever word. OR I can bite my tongue, roll my eyes and pretend I don't have an opinion with NOT commenting. You are none the wiser and the only one that hears my wrath or possibly un-justified or weakly supported criticism is my husband. Sometimes silence IS golden, even in a forum like this where the goal is engagement.

What I'm saying is, just because you don't see a post from me, does not mean I don't have an opinion or share your post with others, or talk about it in live situations. I just have to manage my time (Tom Bolt, I'm still open to tips) I've trained myself to stop and consider whether a public post is the right place to share my views and if I have the time to check what I'm spurting out for spelling and grammatical errors. God forbid anyone know how bad they REALLY are. I don't think every post needs a typed response to be worthy, even excellent for this or any site.

That being said, I agree, there is a lot of content right now that feels SO regurgitated. I find myself not publishing something I write because within minutes of finishing what I feel to be good, I'll see a similar view on a blaster site and I just can't stand the thought that someone might think I "copied" them. That's not good either. There are those would read my post that never see the other even if a handful of die hard, suck-in-all-the-information-you-can-get, recruiting nerds like us. I think sometimes we need to just go with it and accept that the beauty of internet social and professional networking sites is the perceived anonymity of it, and the fact that everyone can put their spin out there for those who will take the time to read it. Maybe a fresh-out-of college, go-getter that has to research half of the buzz words or industry specific terms that I use. Please don't guilt us in to thinking we need to comment more or become more engaged or grouped in with the rest of the sheep that are really saying the same thing as a hundred other people have said. The fact that I don't have to, but I can, is what I love most about sites like this.

Comment by Sandra McCartt on February 5, 2014 at 4:13am: Keith, not that it makes any difference but I meant search your name on this site. You have 5 pages of comments.

Comment by Kelly Blokdijk on February 5, 2014 at 6:36pm: @Amy M - thanks so much for taking the time to join the convo. Agreed. Time is a factor for most of us when it comes to posting and/or commenting. I'm with you on balancing the option of expressing your opinion or zipping your lip to avoid the drama too. Believe me there are many times that I keep my thoughts off the screen - and perhaps many times that I don't, but "should" keep it to myself.

I don't think there is any guilt or pressure to post anything or participate in discussions if you aren't comfortable with it or simply have better things to do with your time. I think we can all agree that quality shouldn't be measured by quantity of comments, shares, etc. Just check out the traffic on any of those LI influencer articles. Most are mediocre at best, but you wouldn't know that by how prevalent they are all over everyone's LI timeline every day. Thanks again for adding your thoughts! ~KB

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