As it says at http://www.despair.com:

“HAZARDS
There is an island of opportunity in the middle of every difficulty. Miss that, though, and you’re pretty much doomed.”

:)

P.S. Please don’t call me unimaginative!
;)

-kh

What he did – build a talent map – who I want at LaSalle, found a sourcer/recruiter who could call and say, “Don’t Hang Up, Just Listen.” and what he got – total Midwest banking dominance. In a sea of unimaginative naysayers, this IS being done and with disruptive results.

* of or pertaining to or resembling a utopia; an idealistic (but usually impractical) social reformer; “a Utopian believes in the ultimate perfectibility of man”
* characterized by or aspiring to impracticable perfection; “the dim utopian future”; “utopian idealists”; “recognized the utopian nature of his hopes”

Best,
Brian-

Cheers,

Keith

*http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Won%27t-Get-Fooled-Again-lyrics-The-Who/761EF79AAB42FA9C48256977002E72F9

Just because I have a client or position or two and as a 3rd party recruiter hence ‘employed” doesn’t therefore mean the economy is generally roaring. Candidates, I find, specially the passive invisible candidates I speak with appreciate a real world approach.

Bill

When I was younger, I was taught that people are deeply rational beings, and that presenting them with the objective facts is sufficient to have them make correct decisions. Over the past several years, Behavioral Economics and the recent *Behavioral Recruiting (not “Behavioral Interviewing”) is showing that we as decision makers are subject to substantial numbers of hard-wired prejudices and biases, which can’t be eliminated, but rather ACKNOWLEDGED AND WORKED WITH. I suggest we deal with people (in a positive and respectful manner) as they really are, rather than as we would wish them to be.

Cheers,

Keith keithsrj@sbcglobal.net

*The application of Behavioral Economics to Recruiting

I’ve been part of some great things and my colleagues would say a key player. I’ve also seen those great things destroyed and noted the abilities of the destroyers. I live in hope that I will get to do the great things again, to hear once more a junior colleague say “this is the best place to work ever” after she has done a string of unpaid overtime. However, I also recognise that many of the readers here would class me as a c-player and that they may stand between me and a job where I can contribute!

John

1. concern for fact or reality and rejection of the impractical and visionary

2 a doctrine that universals exist outside the mind specifically the conception that an abstract term names an independent and unitary reality b. b a theory that objects of sense perception or cognition exist independently of the mind compare nominalism

3. the theory or practice of fidelity in art and literature to nature or to real life and to accurate representation without idealization

Bill

op⋅ti⋅mism

  /ˈɒptəˌmɪzəm/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [op-tuh-miz-uhm] Show IPA
Use optimism in a Sentence
–noun
1. a disposition or tendency to look on the more favorable side of events or conditions and to expect the most favorable outcome.
2. the belief that good ultimately predominates over evil in the world.
3. the belief that goodness pervades reality.
4. the doctrine that the existing world is the best of all possible worlds.

ERE COMMUNITY: Which definition are YOU? Which people to YOU want to align YOURself with based on there comments on ERE?

Have a GREAT day…
Brian-

2009 : Putchase A-player talent w/ b-Player $ on the understanding that a certain level of performance and an economic trip point trigger a-player $

2010 : find out that a-player is actually a c-player with a loud voice

2011 – Hire a guy you thought was a c-player 2 years ago and discover he is an a++!

The evidence of recent times shows that many of the a-player folks were actually d– dressed up with a series of fancy titles and great expertise at getting hired! To continue the sports analogy – the shiny golf clubs and the nice shirt concealed the fact that they were lousy players.

You should hear what I have to say about my own discipline, marketing!

John

Enjoy!
Jer

The results (Manifestations) in our lives are in direct correlation with our beliefs.

AMAZING how much power people “ALLOW” others to have over them… (CEO’s/EXECS)

“There’s a big difference between “knowing about” something and truly “knowing” it. If you aren’t creating results you don’t really know”

Best intentions,
Brian

As an example, many major companies base their hiring policies on the disproven or unproven prejudices and biases of the founders or major executives of the organization. As most individuals in positions able to act upon this information wish to keep their jobs, this is rarely brought to the attention of those in authority.

In theory, it should be possible to develop Generally Accepted Recruiting Principles (GARP) for a wide spectrum of companies, much as we have Generally Accepted Recruiting Principles (GAAP), and am perplexed as to why the recruiting profession has not developed this decades ago. I can only speculate that if such were to be developed, it would make many influential decision makers look quite foolish in hindsight.

Cheers,

Keith Halperin keithsrj@sbcglobal.net

The comment by Bill above was very good–and quite appropriate. The article talks about “opportunity hiring” but also discusses “low-balling” on salary. The recruiting staff, spends their time finding this key talent, then is going to make low offers?–hmmmm It is never a good idea to try and “low-ball” top talent. It is only a matter of time before that individual leaves, and the company winds up with a negative reputation about how employees are treated. Probably one of the quickest ways for all the branding efforts to go down the tubes. A company may save a few dollars in the short term, but in the long term, they will not only lose talent–top talent, but end up paying more for their future hires–a lot more.

As for putting top candidates on the shelf for the future. As the market becomes positive won’t the Tigers out there overnight have a completely different employment opportunity? Whereas he may not have a choice of a company today he might have a half dozen instantaneously when companies start hiring again.

Finally, in sports you can often sign superstars to multi year deals. In industry one’s employment is “at will” meaning either party can part companies at any point. If Tiger signs today with a company “at will” what’s to keep him?

My point is having access to talented professionals is a good thing. However, the business climate timing can change all dynamics overnight, and all that great planning could all go for naught creating a high expense if all the Tigers simultaenously need to be replaced having left the company.

Bill

The main reason is (among others in your well-written article) our competition is gone. (60% is a # I hear often, but not 100% sure as fact)

We have “opted out” of the recession, and are not participating in this global fear… (sickness)

I have total faith in the future, and believe recruiters/HR/Staffing professionals are some of the most intelligent, dynamic, well-versed, agile folks in the world. We are so excited for the future!

Best regards
Brian-

I’ll risk an analogy with a different sport – boxing. In modern business the boxer, the CEO is paramount. Only he generates ideas and perspectives. He embodies the company. The rest of us? Mere ciphers who are interchangeable and can probably be picked up from the audience at the next fight. Our level of skill and our extended abilities do not matter. All that counts is for us to be able to hold the towel or the bucket or the fist for a few seconds right now. We can be disposed of and replaced with zero effort.

This mess, this chaos around us is the result of poor management, greed and hubris. However, there is little sign of any change for the better in the next upswing. So – although counter-cyclic hiring is a good idea, I doubt that many if any companies will have the grit to try it.

Dr. John Hennessy