Periodically, you read something that shakes the foundation of what you’ve come to believe. This is exactly what happened when I recently read Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t by Jim Collins. Reading it will make you think very differently about what defines great staffing and what you’re trying to... [full article »]

Cost per hire, the most commonly measured statistic in recruiting, has some unintended consequences. In many cases, it contributes to a perception of recruiting as a cost center or administrative overhead. It also creates a performance metrics for recruiters where they are by necessity more interested in quantity versus quality. Measuring recruiters on quality of... [full article »]

Sourcing is the buzzword of the current recruiting generation. Large companies are racing to set up central sourcing models. Smaller and mid-sized companies are examining more logical ways to divide labor among the members of their recruiting team. What have other leading companies learned in their own efforts to do this? What’s worked, what’s failed,... [full article »]

Last month, I wrote an article entitled, Is Your Job Going to India? In the wake of that article, I received a flood of responses from staffing directors, managers, and recruiters. The staffing industry’s response to this piece will surprise you ó and recruiting may never be the same again. First I’d like to make... [full article »]

Despite advances in technology, the reactionary recruiting model of old is back in full force. Recruiters in many organizations are still spending a majority of their time sorting through resumes in their inbox or finding the “low-hanging fruit” from resume databases ó in many cases I’ve encountered, over 75% of their time is spent in... [full article »]

A common lament among recruiting professionals has been a lack of opportunities for growth and development. Yet with some of the new and exciting roles in recruiting, it will be tough to view our profession as merely a launch pad for a career in HR. Many of these roles are also indicative of a major... [full article »]

For many companies, employment websites do much more than just collect resumes: they provide a distinct competitive edge for top talent. But whether you’re in a large or small company, whether you have a big budget or a small one, whether you act as an in-house or agency recruiter, there are many lessons to be... [full article »]

From my past life as a consultant, I can recall some notable occasions in which a company thought better of hiring me for an engagement. There are a few reasons consultants commonly hear for these decisions: to save money, to save face with management, and even to avoid the embarrassment of someone else seeing “how... [full article »]

There are certain goals in recruiting that always seem unattainable, so much so that they often take on mythic proportions. Critical issues like measuring quality, becoming a strategic partner, and making recruiting a company-wide initiative continue to haunt us as they have throughout what seems like eternity. But until we understand why certain issues continue... [full article »]

Here’s a riddle: Who is 18-25 on average, the first generation raised on the Internet since childhood, and ó strangely ó one of the last audiences for which companies leverage the Internet to recruit? If you guessed retail workers, buy yourself a ham sandwich! But the successes that some companies are having driving retail candidates... [full article »]

For the past few years, companies have had a relatively easy time retaining and recruiting employees in less specialized positions in finance, marketing, accounting, and human resources. But suddenly, the sharks are circling in your talent pool! Some of the employees who were so easy to find and retain for the last few years are... [full article »]

The recruiting industry has come a long way in the last five years. Companies have shifted from, “Should we recruit online?” to, “How do we use technology to gain a strategic advantage for talent?” And now we stand ready to take the next steps. As scientific selection, online assessment testing and skills screening gain critical... [full article »]

In the advertising industry, certain clients consistently drive us to do our best work. You’ve seen this work before in the innovative technology that you decided you had to have immediately, or in the sleek design work that made your jaw drop, or in the words and images that were so powerful it nearly moved... [full article »]

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a revolutionary technology tool that has started to change the way that many of us search for and find candidates. If you have an applicant tracking system that does something called “concept searching” or allows you to easily find candidates that have similar levels of experience, you have likely used AI... [full article »]

The economy seems to be on the mend lately. The unemployment rate is going back down. Corporate spending is up. And it’s been over a month since we’ve seen a CEO in handcuffs. It’s time for talent swapping! Recently, the FCC gave 152 million U.S. wireless customers the opportunity to port their phone numbers over... [full article »]

In my last article, I discussed how technology plays an important role in how your organization is perceived by candidates. An equally important component of building a great employer brand is your hiring process. In today’s employer’s market, this may in fact be the easiest place to gain a competitive advantage. How do you brand... [full article »]

Recruiting and talent management is more technology-enabled than ever. Technology tools support everything from candidate attraction and assessment to workforce planning and performance management. This means that vendors will interface with a large portion of your candidate and employee populations and will directly impact your brand. Before you make another technology purchase, you’ll want to... [full article »]

It seems like all we hear about these days are metrics. Advances in ad hoc reporting have given us applicant tracking systems that can now tell us how many candidates in our database are Hispanic, left-handed, or even chew spearmint gum. But there’s something really, really important that we’re missing: reliable, relevant return on investment... [full article »]

We interrupt our program of Celine Dion’s greatest love songs to bring you a special bulletin. At twenty minutes before eight, central time, Professor Farrell of the Mount Jennings Observatory in Chicago reports observing several Human Resource Information Systems vendors descending very quickly and aggressively on the Applicant Tracking industry. Professor Pierson of the Observatory... [full article »]

Top-performing, passive job seekers have always been the holy grail of recruiting. But recruiting teams are not always structured to actively recruit top talent, often opting for more passive, reactionary recruiting means. So how are leading companies and recruiting organizations structuring themselves in the future to actively recruit top talent? How are they redefining job... [full article »]