“You want to play house you got to have a job. You want to play nice house, very sweet house, you got to have a job you don’t like.” (John Givings – Revolutionary Road)


I agree, on the surface it is not the most likely of movies that one could relate to Recruiting but I loved the movie Revolutionary Road – I found it to be an insightful and intriguing look at the human psyche. I saw it last night for the first time and will likely watch it again tonight. If you happen to be someone who knows me well, you know that I crave learning more about people and what makes them tick – why they make decisions they do, what drives them to become what they become and what role society plays in this. (I amjust finishing a great book called The Impluse Factor about human decision making & will do a post about it next week!) If you haven’t seen it – Revolutionary Road follows a young couple through the ups and downs of marriage and has a focus on the impact that his job has on their lives (and inability to follow their true passions).

For most people, our lives have become so entangled with the who we are and what we do that we don’t take the time to seek out our passions and real goals in life. We do what we have to in order to live the life we want – only to not really live our life at all. So much talk is made today of building a personal brand – but the reality is our personal brand is still closely linked with what we do.

Recruiters have a role in this – like it or not, it is part of our job to find out if the passion is there for someone before we offer them a position. I often wonder if for some recruiter’s the metrics matter more than the people, the brand more than the promise and the close more than the impact. We need to take some time to think each day about the impact we have on each and every candidate we do and don’t talk to. What the messages are that we are sending to them and challenge you to accept the messages you are getting back. Some of my best professional growth came at the suggestions and words of candidates.

As you go out and face the onslaught of candidates today, tomorrow, this week, this month, this year…try to think of the true life impact you could be having on each and every one of them. A job isn’t just a job – it is a way of life for so many. Try to hear the passion and the voice behind the words on the phone, try to make a fit – not a placement – try to really manage talent.


(cross posted on www.hrtechnologyblog.com)