Your hiring process may be great, but if your job posting doesn’t lure enough of the right candidates, then nothing else matters. With that in mind, … Read more
Spotting the Brown M&Ms in Your Recruiting Operations
It’s the stuff of rock-n-roll legend: In their peak touring days, Van Halen’s contract required every concert venue to place bowls of M&Ms in their … Read more
Bias, Interrupted: 9 Ways to Create a Fairer Hiring Process
You will not eliminate all the bias at your company with a single effort or in a single year — and that should not be the goal. The goal should be to take … Read more
How to Check If Recruiters and Hiring Managers Are Out of Sync
It’s often taken for granted that an organization’s recruiting function and its hiring managers are on the same page in terms of who should (or … Read more
Why Should Recruiters Write Job Postings?
Have you ever ordered groceries online? I can’t allow that level of trust with a stranger. They aren’t going to compare prices and make sure I … Read more
The Problem With Emphasizing Employer Branding in Job Posts
Job postings often emphasize employer branding by focusing on the company. The problem with that is that a job post should focus on…the job. In his … Read more
“Is My Job Post Any Good?”
I get an email about once a week from an old friend, event attendee, LinkedIn connection, or student from my online course. They usually begin with a nice … Read more
The Rise of Skills Taxonomies
Let’s imagine you had a comprehensive and accurate list of skills for your employees, candidates, and jobs. You could do many useful things with that. You … Read more
Addressing Scarcity by Empowering Recruiters
I often think of scarcity in terms of goods available. If you live in Indianapolis and you need a new swimsuit in September…best wishes. However, if … Read more
Stop Using ‘Exciting,’ ‘Growth,’ and ‘Motivated’ in Job Ads
Why would a great candidate want to work at your company? I’m not talking about someone with no other prospects and who’s willing to work anywhere as long … Read more
How to Create Better Job Titles
Around 2009, some companies got a great idea that they would create unique job titles. Witty, right? These job titles would be ultra-unique and use hip … Read more
Finding Fluidity: Hiring for a Skills-Based Culture
As uncertainty persists and market demands continue to shift, the people we hire today may very well need to be reallocated or reskilled tomorrow. This was … Read more
How to Write Recruiting Emails People Will Actually Open
If you’ve never been in charge of mass-marketing email sends, you probably feel no guilt as you hit delete on yet another promo code. But if … Read more
Strategy Safari: A “Dream Maker” Job Post Is a Recruiting Nightmare
Why do so many organizations completely miss the mark when it comes to job titles? I haven’t been able to get this question out of my head after seeing a … Read more
Women Apply From Venus, Men Apply From Mars
It’s no surprise that corporate America was built by men, for men. Men are three times more likely to get an interview. For every dollar men make, women … Read more
10 Things You’re Probably Doing But Shouldn’t Be Doing in Your Job Ads
Your organization’s job ads, job descriptions, and application process all have a dramatic impact on the number of candidates you attract to your open … Read more
It’s Raining Candidates! Hallelujah?
If you’ve been in recruiting for any length of time, you’ve dealt with that one hiring manager. You know the one. The one who is never satisfied, who wants … Read more
The Fart Test: Figuring Out How Gender Bias Tools Improve Job Descriptions
When I started my company, I read a book called Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller to clarify my marketing message. Miller identifies the seven … Read more
Industry Experience Is Overrated
In the past, the only way to become an Army Special Forces soldier was to have prior military experience. Then, in 2000, the creation of the X-Ray Program, … Read more
It Took a Pandemic to Prioritize Soft Skills
For years, talent experts have been urging employers to weigh a candidate’s soft skills over their hard skills when hiring. After all, employees can learn … Read more