Well - I find that the end of summer has finally come, and what a memorable one it was.  As I joined my family this Monday for a nice and relaxing movie at our local Library, I ventured upon this statue in the courtyard of that venue.  It is a Pioneer memorial.  In 1847 - LDS/Mormon Pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley after a 1000+ mile trek westward to find and establish their new home.  After their first few days there a group led by Brigham Young hiked a Mountain known as Ensign Peak to survey the land for plans to build the new Salt Lake City.  This area is also one of the best views of the entire Salt Lake Valley - see below:

        It shows me that Pioneering or trailblazing in any venture of our Professional lives is key and important.  This summer with several incredible factors in play in my career including the following I found some humility in delving into the past of my own Pioneer heritage whom helped in establishing Salt Lake City from it's start so many years ago - I owe my pioneer ancestors a debt of thanks for putting some things in clean perspective.  Here are some of those events this summer that caused me to take a step back and really think about the power of Recruiting in general and how it transforms organizations and culture and not only that our very lives:

1. The change of the alignment of the current business model to a perceived more agile one.

2. An area of the business that was spun-off from the main one affecting my recruiting desk.

3. Colleagues changing roles and moving on in their careers.

4. The decision to move to a new city and buy a home.

5. Areas of the Business you support transforming due to Kaizen focus points.

6. Fluctuations in the very nature of the business.

7.  New perspective gained upon changing my own process.

8.  Moving from a place I was comfortable to one that was new - both in terms of process and on what positions I worked on.

9.  Reevaluating your scope and strategic focus/alignment.

10.  The change to a new Applicant Tracking System.

Now these were areas just in my own company and life.  They were eye opening experiences to say the least.  In the midst of the changes to still hire rapidly, and with a focused effort still to realize new scopes of life responsibility it is pioneering attitude and vigor that provide the way to a great staffing function.  So it led me to think on a day where I hiked to take this picture above, how treacherous and even tough the trail was to get to the view that was laid out in front of me when I arrived at that same juncture where Brigham Young et al surveyed the landscape in the Salt Lake Valley for the first time.  It was there that a decision was made on how best to build a city, and how the streets would even be aligned, right down to the core grid system that helps city goers today find their exact spot in relation to the city center.  A few lessons were learned just from standing on this hill, and I'll share a few.

• Staffing is such a wonderful career choice.  Even with change and challenges in front of you being adaptable even along a steep trail can yield a serious view.
• Staffing Pioneers are very important even in your own company.  Whether it is establishing a true sourcing function, or allowing for economies of scale, or even managing your own work-flow better by seeing a different perspective, pioneering and trailblazing, even trying new steps are pivotal.
• Staffing is an exciting business full of possibilities, and sometimes change might just be needed to see the pure potential of the business.
• Staffing is very much a team effort - between hiring managers, candidates, and other stakeholders to get the fill and the right person in the right place at the right time.
• Staffing Pioneers exist in every level of the staffing journey - whether that be in finding, negotiating, interviewing, OR placing the qualified candidates in the right role, but staffing strategy is VERY key.
• Forecasting in staffing whether through Workforce Planning or seeing larger macro economic trends will be important in the future.
• Staffing as a career choice will always be a pioneering effort as you help hiring managers and new associates/employees find new talent for their teams.
• Staffing/Social media will continue to flourish - keep an eye on how these tools will affect future hiring.

At the end of the day Recruiting Pioneers will be essential to maintaining a competitive advantage.  I firmly believe that. Even change enables PIONEER RESULTS.  I suppose that is the true lesson after a summer full of change and Pioneering.