The Houston Gulf Coast Symposium on HR Issues was this Wednesday and Thursday.  The sessions that I attended were excellent.  Thank you to the exhibitors for their financial support!  A couple of the presenters mentioned that in a recent survey, more CEOs interviewed sited Human Capital as their top challenge than any other concern.  HR expertise is more important now than ever and it is finally being recognized.  Recruiting, engagement, and retention are now key concerns on the minds in the…

After almost five years, I have returned to the IT staffing industry in order to be a founding member and recruiter at Kranect. I have found the industry somewhat changed in that social media and technology have changed how people interact when it comes to jobs. For example when I was last recruiting, Twitter was barely in existence, Facebook was just becoming available to non-students, and LinkedIn wasn’t the recruiting tool it has become today. People were still on MySpace for goodness…

"All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them." - Walt Disney

There you have it.

As working class adults you are witnessing unprecedented times. As many of us are parents, the fear that times may get worse and our children will be suffering the same or worse fate than us a frightful thought. The world in a period of extreme concern. Civil unrest,…

I am a big fan of METRICS. Year after year, they are the best way to gauge your performance & effort, and the ROI accompanying your output. Some recruiters drill down to "dollars per dial" (CASH-IN / CALLS) to measure how they are doing compared to years past.

That being said, the recruitment industry provides all of us with a tremendous…

In looking for people to hire, you look for three qualities: integrity, intelligence, and energy. And if they don't have the first, the other two will kill you." 

— Warren Buffet

(CEO, Berkshire Hathaway)

Recruitment isn’t an easy lark. As a recruitment consultant I am often on the phone to candidates of an evening, arranging interviews and hearing feedback. There is an argument to be made that some…

One of the most important jobs of a recruiter when making a match between candidate and client is salary expectations…or is it?  Salary is one component but what should be considered is the total compensation package + non tangibles such as culture and advancement opportunity.  However I am sure we can all recount those who get stuck on salary and that is often because salary reflects status and an interpreted success (along with job title).  We are after all social creatures and what others…

Good Workers + Great Values = Success.

Most employers/employees alike seek career success and the path to success is paved with hard work. As winning the lottery is not always an option, most people know success means hard work, working with people, understanding corporate objectives and managing challenges. Take enlightened footsteps on a career path to success; implement these steps into your day to day career life, if you haven’t already.…

What is a good recruiter?    How would you describe one?   I decided to make a list of phrases of what I think describes a successful recruiter.

A Good Recruiter is:

1. Having relationships with a side of good timing.
2. A partner/advisor.  
3. A candidate and client…

Over the last few months we have seen some recurring themes with some of our pivotal clients.  There is a massive struggle to secure the best of the best in the market – everyone wants the same thing – and this is summed up simply, “People with emotional intelligence who want to work hard, have fun whilst doing so and get great results whilst building a business/business…

I’m not 100% sure if these tips are “officially” from Warren Buffett, but this set of advice is widely attributed to him, and there are plaques in various public places that list these as his ten basic principles of success.  They seem to dovetail with how he…

Your objective in a transactional sale is to sell your product or service: “This is what I have, do you want it?” There’s nothing wrong with that, especially if you make the sale!

But if more business and a long-term relationship with clients is what you’re after, you need to think about selling solutions. Selling project solutions is a different objective, which requires a different approach: “What do you need? I’ll provide it for you.”

A relationship sale is based on your…

If you ask the same questions, you’ll get the same answers, and these answers won’t get you anywhere. When you’re making sales calls, adjust your mindset. Instead of seeking out orders, try to…

Every so often on this blog I like to highlight some of the companies that we work with that are doing some interesting things in their recruiting.  I highlight these companies as they are leveraging data and Talent Networks to drive innovation in their recruitment marketing strategies in a way that I believe can help other organizations potentially improve their recruiting processes.

Here are a few examples of companies that are utilizing their internal…

Dressing professionally is one step to getting promoted

In our last post, we outlined some of the key trends (and implications) you’re going to face in 2011. So how can you ensure that you have a great year?

1) Have a Plan

a. Define your target client – what kinds of employers are the BEST match for your capabilities and approach to service?

b. Clearly define your positioning – determine exactly how you want to be…

As most of you who follow my blogs know, I am an avid reader. I read and re-read many books that are often referenced in my blogs and I am always on the lookout for interesting stories, observations and bits of information from newspapers, magazines and other blogs that I find interesting and that I think others might find interesting as well.

The February issue of Inc magazine is filled with a number of articles and observations that are all blog worthy. Two items…

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Preparing for a job interview is tough work. You rehearse answers to common questions, decide on what clothing to wear and ensure you have done an adequate amount of research into the company. But what about the color of your clothing – does this matter? Is wearing a white shirt with a blue tie going to help you get the job over wearing a blue shirt with a…

When you think about the full cycle of a job placement, you should have 5 main concerns. Without them, long term success in unachievable. This is true for third-party recruiters (fee based), corporate recruiters (HR based) and for educational career services professionals (placing graduating students).…

A true story… A candidate was applying for a job that he felt was probably beyond him in terms of experience and skills, however he figured he’d apply and “hope for the best”. The job application asked for a resume and personally written cover letter to be submitted to the hiring manager. When the candidate went to send the resume and cover letter he decided that instead of writing the generic “To whom it may concern” on the top of…