I first met John Williams when I went to work for a large financial services firm. He had been at the company for over a decade and was a top performer. Whenever I mentioned his name, many would respond, “Oh, John! He’s always helped me out when I had a problem.” Or, “He’s one of the... [full article »]

Two weeks ago, I wrote an article about an imaginary Willie who was faced with some challenging issues. He heads recruiting for a large construction company where business is good and hiring strong. There are many open positions for experienced, senior-level people and there will soon be many more as a large number of boomers are... [full article »]

We have been bombarded for a decade with news reports, articles, stories, and books about the looming talent shortage about to overwhelm our industries, businesses, and economies. Taken at face value and looking at traditional work styles and jobs, there is some validity to these stories. Human resources people, recruiters, and some business people will affirm... [full article »]

Web 2.0, Web 2.0! That’s all Willie is hearing from some of his recruiters, and the words seem to pop off every page he reads. This morning he picked up the Wall Street Journal and there was a big headline espousing the many benefits of social networks and Web 2.0-enabled websites. Willie is a progressive guy,... [full article »]

As we enter the dog days of summer here in the United States and Europe, I thought it might be a good time to reflect on some of the blogs and websites that I find valuable. As an avid bog reader, I know how hard it is to sift through the hundreds that are available... [full article »]

“. . .we can say that Muad’Dib learned rapidly because his first training was in how to learn. And the first lesson of all was the basic trust that he could learn.      It is shocking to find how many people do not believe  they can learn, and how many more believe learning     to be difficult.”... [full article »]

This week I will keep my column short and devote it to discussing a few books that I have read over the past few months. These books will fuel your creative juices, maybe get you a little angry, or at least motivate you to look at what you do differently. They are all written by well-known... [full article »]

As we passed the summer solstice here in the Northern hemisphere a few days ago, we completed our journey through half of 2008. It’s been a year where the economy, political environment, and nature itself have all stressed the rhythm of our daily routines. Change most often occurs when systems are stressed and have to respond... [full article »]

Hiring people is rarely based on objective evidence and is, perhaps, the least-objective activity that organizations participate in. When we see a candidate who meets a large number of our pre-existing conditions for employment (i.e., a candidate who has gone to a school our hiring manager likes; has worked at a couple of well-respected companies; or... [full article »]

We don’t usually think of anyone in our profession as heroic, yet there are recruiting leaders who have achieved amazing results. HC is one of those whose modesty means he remains anonymous. He took over a recruiting function that was stumbling along, filling positions only after lengthy delays. Job requirements were not communicated clearly to candidates,... [full article »]

What makes a network valuable to you or me? Is it the number of connections you have? I don’t think so. I have over 10 million first-, second- and third-degree connections on LinkedIn, but I get almost no value from that network, per se. I know recruiters who collect names because they are looking at quantity... [full article »]

Why are people attracted to companies like Google and Starbucks? Is it money? Opportunity? Or maybe for the bragging rights? Certainly a few candidates are drawn by these superficial attractors, but more are subtly drawn by what Google really does and by what it stands for. I call this the organization’s cause. [full article »]

For several years I have been part of a virtual network called NextNow. It was founded and is stewarded by an eccentric ex-Sun Microsystems engineer who likes putting interesting people together. It is for the most part virtual, except for the few locals. A handful of us get together maybe once a year and one of... [full article »]

Over the past 20 years or so, corporations worldwide have focused on a variety of initiatives. The bulk was aimed at improving efficiency, increasing profit, and ensuring quality. They have ranged from business process re-engineering to Six-Sigma quality, and have been responsible for the productivity gains world economies have enjoyed, as well as for the... [full article »]

It is getting harder to find senior leadership talent, key technical staff, and even mid-level management. At least, this is what I hear from key recruitment leaders I poll from time to time. I know of firms seeking vice presidents of sales and of marketing, and many looking for key R&D talent in sectors still largely... [full article »]

Are you overwhelmed with the hundreds of new tools, applications, websites, and services that have sprung up over the past few months? Social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn are all the rage. Some recruiters are charging forward with Twitter and other SMS-type tools. Websites are being revamped with videos, blogs, and simulations. [full article »]

My definition of talent is simple: it’s those people who have the skills, knowledge, and desire to work for your organization. Increasingly, it is hard to find people with either the skills or the desire. When I speak with young people they are generally turned off by what they perceive as the impersonal and uncaring attitude... [full article »]

Last week, I presented a short case study about a recruiter named Maxine. After just a few weeks of employment, she was being criticized by her boss for not getting many open call center positions filled and for spending too much time trying to create a profile of the successful person. She wanted to know... [full article »]

Maxine is in deep trouble. She was hired 12 days ago as a recruiter to work with a manager who had about 200 call center requisitions to fill in a 90-day window. The positions weren’t unusual or particularly hard to fill. In fact, over the past few months, new college graduates, several retirees who were youthful... [full article »]

I am sitting in Vermont this morning reading a local newspaper with the headline: “Vermont lost 2,000 jobs last year.” But the article does not attribute this to the slowing economy; instead, it attributes it to the aging workforce. Now, Vermont is a tiny state and certainly does not represent most of the United States. Its... [full article »]