Comment by Jennifer Pedde on March 9, 2010 at 2:12pm

EXCELLENT Article. I'm a recruiter, but still hoping to work for one of those "Great" Companies out there soon.

Comment by Samantha on March 9, 2010 at 4:42pm

Thanks so much for the great feedback Jennifer! I am new to blogging, so it's great to hear.

I am certain with your positive attitude you will absolutely be sought out by one of the GREAT companies soon.

Comment by Ken Forrester on March 10, 2010 at 8:39am

Samantha, your post reminded me of a client that had difficulty recruiting quality talent on their own!

It was obvious that the HR person did not have a good handle of the role, skill requirements, or hands-on experience in recruiting passive candidates based on the responses to a series of questions.

However, when I asked, “what attracted YOU to this organization and what has kept YOU there, it was a totally different story. Here is her reply:

The people, their energy; it’s a fast pace environment, with a family feel. There is a culture committee that is run by employees to maintain and promote our culture.
Work is challenging and fun; the focus is on career development.
Managers make quick decisions and put them in operation.
They give you room to grow and challenge you to exceed your own expectations.
You are surrounded with other bright minds that encourage collaboration and thinking outside the box.
Employees sincerely believe in the company and are excited to pitch in and help each other.
Lots of room to grow professionally because the company grows along with our clients.
The company’s focus is employees first; clients second; revenue will come with happy employees.
What we look for in new Employees that:
• Have Courage
• Dream Big
• Take Initiative
• Are Accountable
Our motto: Mistakes made with good intentions can be corrected.
We are building a working environment where you can compete successfully and still have a heart.

This information was provided in less than 30 seconds!

So, why does a company that has so much to offer have difficulty attracting talent?

They don’t have their best people in the right positions, and recruitment is a good example!

Comment by Samantha on March 10, 2010 at 10:31am

That's awesome Ken! I come across the same thing over and over again when meeting with companies. I think all to often HR/recruitment departments are stretched so thin that they don't have the time and are rarely encouraged to be/think proactively. They are constantly forced to put out fires. I don't believe for a second that what I preach is brain surgery. I just think that sometimes it takes someone to ask the right questions that help to point them in the right direction. This is a trend that I think is starting to change especially with all the social media buzz, but it's a slow process.

Comment by Maha Akiki on March 10, 2010 at 12:29pm

Okay Samantha, what's this company's name, and how can I get in there!
As a consultant, I have worked with many companies, and when I think about my best experiences, it's when I worked with people who loved their work, the company, and KNEW why they did. And as a recruiter - and I agree with Ken,- you need to know these reasons, feel these reasons, and be able to relay those reasons to the potential employees you speak with, both by words and attitude.

Comment