--Look for Workstream to expand in Europe next year. It believes that this growth will be easier for it than for some of its competitors. That's because Workstream's data centers are in Canada, not the U.S., making Patriot Act compliance easier.

--At Dave & Busters, turnover is down both among management and among front-line employees. The company, however, isn't yet satisfied with its retention and is working to improve it.

--"The opposite," I was told this week, when I asked someone from Cisco this if the company is feeling an economic slowdown. He says the company is bustling because of the expansion of "Web 2.0" on the Internet.

--From R. W. Baird, a stock-analyst company: "The labor market data appear weaker than it was during the last (1995) mid-cycle slowdown. However, a recession similar to the 2001 recession does not appear as likely as many companies have been more disciplined with respect to hiring than they were leading up to the '01 recession. For example, in each of the last three expansions employment levels increased by approximately 20% relative to the trough whereas employment has increased only 6% relative to the '01 recession trough. While most economists still aren't calling for a recession, if one were to occur, we believe it would be more like during the '90-91 recession … "

--A couple of people have asked me in recent weeks what Dan Hilbert (known for award-winning work at Valero) is up to. Hilbert has left Valero and is doing consulting and speaking on his own, particularly related to workforce planning. Meanwhile, he's having workforce-monitoring/workforce-performance-related software built by 11 developers in South America. He hopes to have this software ready by late this year or early 2008.

--Speaking of recruiting-leaders-turned-consultants … Susan Burns (an award-winning recruiting director who has worked at Waggener Edstrom and Federated Department Stores) was telling me yesterday that she's looking to talk with people who are going to ERE's Amsterdam conference, maybe do a little exploring of Amsterdam after the conference. Let me know if you're going, and I can hook you up.

--It has been a busy fall for ERE. Been working on the annual ERE Recruiting Excellence Awards (applications will start soon); getting ready for next month's conference; getting ready for the Spring conference in San Diego; November in Amsterdam; the ERE daily newsletter of course; and the print publication, the Journal of Corporate Recruiting Leadership. I'm excited about the next (November) Journal -- will be one of the best issues so far, and includes among other things a list by Michael Kannisto of 100 questions you should ask yourself to better understand your company's recruiting brand. It's an awesome list.