by Dr. John Sullivan and Master Burnett Becoming a leading-edge recruiter is an admirable goal few corporate recruiters strive to achieve. Not only must a leading-edge recruiter routinely demonstrate a marked increase in positive business impact over other recruiters, but they must consistently monitor trends, devise new approaches, benchmark against emerging practices, and constantly fight... [full article »]

We are looking for professionals who are unhappy/angry with the status quo, and who are willing to confront barriers and “find a way” to help us lead our industry. If you’ve got passion for your profession, well-thought-out ideas about a better way, and are angry with antiquated approaches that no longer work, submit your anger... [full article »]

If it was mid-November 2009 and you were looking to recruit a great golfer to guide your team to a championship, Tiger Woods would certainly top your short list. Competition for Tiger would have been steep, and few organizations would have had a chance at landing the golf legend. That would not have stopped them... [full article »]

by Dr. John Sullivan and Master Burnett On January 13, 2010, nearly 800 ere.net community members converged online to participate in a webinar (embedded at the bottom of this article) discussing the trends Dr. Sullivan predicted will impact the talent acquisition profession in 2010. Over the course of that webinar a number of questions were raised,... [full article »]

Mark it in your calendar that on December 5, 2009, the world of sourcing changed forever. Sourcing, for those unfamiliar with the term (hopefully not many reading this article), is the process of identifying potential candidates who have not applied for employment with your organization. There is no more common complaint in recruiting than “I... [full article »]

In the final installment of this series, I’d like to focus on two remaining action areas that organizations should consider in 2010. Both action areas relate to significant shifts in the broader business environment that talent acquisition leaders must acknowledge, namely a shift in power to global top talent and a shift in privacy concerns. The... [full article »]

Part I of this series introduced my projections for what will most likely become the 10 most notable trends of 2010 related to the recruiting profession. In short, I foresee: Continued churn of labor (simultaneous hiring/layoffs) Increased use of contingent labor types Increasing demand for proving a business impact in $ A return of the War for Talent Increased... [full article »]

As we begin a new business year in 2010, if you are the slightest bit strategic, it is important to look back, analyze the trends, make a few assumptions, and begin planning ahead. Will the same issues that plagued your organization in 2009 wreak havoc in 2010? Will issues your organization has postponed addressing... [full article »]

This is one of a series of what I call “think-pieces.” Instead of casual reading, these articles are intended to stimulate some in-depth thinking and to pose some strategic questions that recruiting leaders should ponder. The questions raised here are, at least in part, designed to make you uncomfortable” with your current approach to recruiting. It’s... [full article »]

It’s hard to argue against the fact that 2009 has been a rough year for corporate recruiters. Budgets have been slashed, training has been all but eliminated, and even with reduced recruiting activity, requisition loads are still onerous. Not everyone celebrates Christmas, but as it falls at the end of the year, it is an opportune... [full article »]

Last week I introduced this series by talking about how general business changes have rendered what many might consider traditional strategy development in talent management more of a hindrance to organizations than a benefit. I did not say that strategy is not important, or that delivering a strategic impact is not important, but rather implied that... [full article »]

In case you haven’t noticed, the economy has gone to hell. It’s been up and down like a yo-yo for the last decade, a fact that led Time to declare the first decade of the new century “the decade from hell” in a recent cover story. If you work in talent management or HR, this yo-yo... [full article »]

Most managers share the fear of hiring a bad fit, no matter how technically qualified the candidate might be. Unfortunately, most attempts to measure fit suffer from a fatal flaw: that being the way cultural screening questions are asked. Too many managers and administrators-turned-recruiters ask binary questions that make it easy for candidates to guess the... [full article »]

Last week I introduced this series by stating that a majority of social recruiting initiatives currently in progress in organizations around the world would fail primarily because they relied solely on the limited resources of the recruiting function to establish visibility online, engage an audience, and service that audience throughout a multi-stage conversion cycle. This week... [full article »]

Social media presents progressive organizations with a plethora of recruiting-centric opportunities. Every day, new ways to directly source talent, support the engagement of people with the organization, market employment opportunities, and influence the employer brand arise. The sheer volume of potential directions to follow is confusing, daunting, and at times, just plain overwhelming. While some organizations... [full article »]

You won’t read it in the newspaper, but it’s a fact that the New York Yankees were the world champions of recruiting long before they were declared the world champions of Major League Baseball. The Yankees are perennial winners (many call them a dynasty) not because of their superior equipment, IT processes, or their financial or... [full article »]

How do you convince cynical executives to fund a social network recruiting effort? It’s hard to argue against the statement that social networking (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) is an extremely hot topic in business. But I have yet to find a single CFO or senior executive willing to fully fund a comprehensive social network recruiting strategy... [full article »]

Some numbers indicate failure so clearly that you can’t help but pay attention to them. For a minute, assume the role of a senior executive who has just been handed a business scorecard containing performance numbers in five critical business areas. After looking at the numbers below, would the data make you cringe? 70% of users are... [full article »]

For more than a decade, I have worked tirelessly to maintain my status as a recognized global expert on employer branding. I have advised numerous firms; developed positioning methodologies now in use by many HR consultancies and recruitment marketing firms; given dozens of employer branding presentations; and have even written a book on the topic. Despite... [full article »]

Parts one and two of this three-part series introduced why focusing on retention is and will be a mission-critical activity as economic recovery continues. The series introduced retention strategies categorized as 1) laissez-faire and 2) all-employee. In many organizations, the subject of prioritizing positions and people is a highly political one. While many accept that certain... [full article »]