There is a link to a post by Kevin Wheeler on my Interesting Reads page http://bit.ly/6Efmse that I think is really worth reading for those of us in the third party recruiting world as well as those in corporate recruiting. It's a short blog but it brings up some very important points about how organizations are challenged in the post bubble world with their recruiting model. Those of us on the third party side know all too well how challenging things got over the last couple of years, and they remain very challenging. The comment that someone made to me not too long ago, that it seems as though there still is not enough business to sustain the industry at its current level, rings true. Wheeler points out why in his post. Companies have scaled back their operations as a whole and their recruiting efforts along with it. They are much more careful not to over extend and over hire. They are running a leaner operation. But it is a real challenge, and one that most in the corporate world are still not used to, to run a lean operation and still be as competitive as you need to be or want to be.

Wheeler says, having a lean workforce means having the right team and working seamlessly with RPOs, third-party recruiting agencies, and contract recruiters. Whether you use some or all of these, the key point that he makes is extremely important. To run lean, you have to have your partnerships and systems in place to act quickly and with real force to recruit to fill your needs as quickly as possible when the need arises. Otherwise you are at the risk of being hurt badly by your competition or missing out on opportunities that could have a big impact on your business. What I love about recruiting is that everyone is on the same side when it's done right. Outside vendors like third party agencies should be focused on becoming part of the team for their clients, there to help at a moment's notice and with real force. On the corporate side, building your team whether they are inside, outside or both is key to being able to move quickly to fill the important needs as soon as they come up.

Todd Kmiec

Todd Kmiec & Associates

todd@toddkmiec.com