Back to Basics

Couldn’t I argue that most of us hate being uncomfortable?! Couldn’t I also argue that some of us don’t like change? But couldn’t I also argue that change and being uncomfortable are the two things that hold us back from realizing our full potential as human beings?

Several months ago, I was forced to get out of my comfort zone and make a change. The couple years before that, I was engulfed with Social Media and utilizing it in my everyday recruitment routine. I was that guy….You know…. the one who thought he was too good to pick up the phone and call people because I thought I was above making 250 pipelining calls a week. I really thought that Social Media was my saving grace in the recruitment process. I had what The Boolean Blackbelt, Glen Cathey would call “OESS- Obsessive Exotic Sourcing Syndrome”. I was that guy.

Last December, I did the unthinkable and landed back in agency. What was I thinking?! Ugh! But you know what? I knew I was getting out of my comfort zone and making a change I knew I had to make….for the better. So here I am…..in a metrics driven environment forced to pick up the phone *insert music of terror*. Was I scared to pick up the phone at first? YES. But why?!? I’ve been doing this for 8 years and I know recruitment very well. Because I leaned heavily on messaging, tweeting, In-mailing, emailing, etc. The phone was like kryptonite to me while I was “Social Recruiting”, whatever that means nowadays. I’ll save that for another post.

I was forced to go back to basics and learn how to get my swagger back on the phones. It was like picking up a surfboard or bodyboard you haven’t ridden in years and picking up where you left off. It took me a little while to get it back, but I got it back. Smooth as ever and building an awesome pipeline of candidates in an area that for me was/is foreign to recruit in….Central PA. But YES, I’ve fallen back in love with the phones, but I still LOVE Social Media and using it as a tool to supplement my sourcing and recruiting efforts.

I was pretty good with the “Social Recruiting” thing. But you know what?! I’m even BETTER picking up the phone in combination with using Social Media to recruit and source. So getting back to basics of picking up the phone has served me a big piece of humble pie…straight to the face. But I’m savoring that taste to take me to new heights in an industry that I love immensely.

I’ll leave you with a quote, an inspiring one to say the least……

“Look down at that little black box right in front of you. You see it? It’s a wonderful little invention called the telephone. Here, I’ll spell it for you: T-E-L-E-P-H-O-N-E. Now, guess what, everybody? This telephone won’t dial itself! Yeah, that’s right. Until you take some f*cking action, it’s nothing more than a worthless hunk of plastic.”…..“So don’t you ever f*cking forget that that phone sitting on your desk is a deadly weapon. And in the hands of a motivated Strattonite it’s a license to print money. And it’s the great equalizer!”” ~ The Wolf of Wall Street

Rad Recruiter……OUT!

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Comment by Matt Charney on August 11, 2014 at 3:53pm: Mike - rad post, too. Hope to read more from you here in the future - this is pretty awesome. Appreciate you.

Comment by Mike Chuidian on August 11, 2014 at 4:02pm: Thanks for the feature, Charns! I was waaaaaayyyyyy over due! I have another one coming out this week.

Comment by Tim Spagnola on August 11, 2014 at 6:59pm: For real!!! So many forget the #1 tool for recruiting.......the Phone!

Comment by Fred Pierce on August 12, 2014 at 9:48am: Mike...you might have saved a few careers with your article. The foundation for effective recruiting has always been e2e and f2f interaction. I'm sure there are many who have wandered away from the basics and toward the magic pill of digital recruiting who won't make it back...but thanks to your article, those who are struggling as a result of the magic pill who happen to read your suggestions may be able to find their way back onto the path of success.

Comment by Mike Chuidian on August 12, 2014 at 10:11am: Thanks, Fred. After being in this business for 8 years, I find myself constantly learning. I learned a lot of lessons the last couple of years that have made me into a better recruiter. One of those lessons, one cannot live on just recruiting from Social Media platforms. I love "LIVE" interaction with people. The impact of recruiting is much bigger when talking on the phone of meeting face to face.

Comment by Fred Pierce on August 12, 2014 at 10:24am: No worries Mike...After three decades of recruiting I began to worry about the "LIVE/Human" piece was giving way to key word search engines. Every downturn in the business cycle of recruiting normally culls those who were in the business for no other reason than the "easy" money it appeared to bring and I am seeing that happen now. But for those who enjoy the other aspects of recruiting, and who were caught up in the cool technology that magically generated "winning" candidates, your suggestions (if followed) could lead them back to the path of success. I was happy to read your piece because I believe it timely and offered simple and effective solutions for them.

Comment by Marilyn King on August 12, 2014 at 1:20pm: Hi Mike,

These are great thoughts. Recruiting expert Steve Lowisz wrote about this very topic (and the phone!) a while back, I thought it was important to share! http://stevelowisz.com/2013/09/23/enough-excuses-recruiters-get-bac...

Comment by Recruiting Animal on August 19, 2014 at 10:45am: Mike you're going to be my guest next Wednesday. Come on. Agree. On twitter to @animal or email: RecruitingAnimal@gmail.com