The Emperor’s New Clothes by Hans Christian Anderson is about an emperor who hires two swindlers to create a new suit. The emperor presides over a kingdom of prosperity and peace and is pretty concerned about appearances. The swindlers manage to sell him a new suit of invisible material that they claim is visible only... [full article »]

Originally published April 17, 2007. In an earlier article, I made a case for cultivating a more civil attitude during the interview process as actually a means of growing a long-term referral base and to stem negative reverberation from bad candidate experiences. In this article, I want to highlight some of the actions that drive candidates crazy... [full article »]

I am Generation X, one of the “slackers” who started out professionally frustrated, cynical, and as an underachiever. I read all about it throughout the 90s. I did not choose to be a part of this group; I simply was born into that time. Somehow beating all expectations to the contrary, I got a real job.... [full article »]

Once upon a time there was a recruiter who was bored at his desk and lacking candidates. To amuse himself, he went on to a resume website and typed in a few random keywords to find some lost-sheep candidates. Once he found a few repeat offenders, he called out to all of his hiring managers and... [full article »]

If you have read a newspaper, business journal, or online media outlet lately, you know we are in or on the brink of a serious candidate shortage. The Beige Book, published by the 11th District of the Federal Reserve, said in December 2006 that, “worker shortages were reported by service, manufacturing, finance, and energy firms. A... [full article »]

Even before “Legally Blonde 2,” I just knew I was born to be a lobbyist. After all, I have the heart of a debater and the dogged belief that I can think my way through anything. Then again, there are strong parallels between lobbyists and headhunters. The best ones are the most persuasive, informed, well-connected,... [full article »]

Deep in the heart of darkness in the world of cutthroat recruiting, we all know that we can source the best candidates in the world, but they must meet a hiring manager to be hired. Today most managers are doing at least one job — traveling, managing, training, and selling in the consulting, semiconductor, and... [full article »]

We know we should go after targets to build a pipeline of candidates — but how do you do it? Let’s assume that you start with a list of 50 to 500 people who on paper have the titles that you want and are not off limits. Before you dial, assemble your tools: Hone the pitch.... [full article »]