Corporate Recruiting Diva

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 16:44:00 +0000

UPDATE

Thanks for stopping by.

I no longer post to this blog. However, if you wish to join the mailing list for my newsletter, you can do so here: http://eepurl.com/t93a9

Or, feel free to visit the new home of my recruiting blog at The Red Shoe Agency. If you have any questions, or are interested in recruitment consulting or career management services feel free to send email to info@theredshoeagency.com.

*Please note, I only work in science, technology and engineering sectors.*

Adrienne Graham
Founder/Recruitment Consultant
The Red Shoe Agency

What is The Red Shoe Agency?

Links for 2011-09-24 [del.icio.us]

Sun, 25 Sep 2011 00:00:00 PDT

Stop Whining, Get Out & Network
Networking success in in the palm of your hand. Make sure you have the right strategy, get in front of the right people, and attend the right events to build a solid network.
Stop, You're Sabotaging Recruiting
Companies and HR executives need to stop sabotaging your recruiting efforts by trusting your recruitment team to do their job, attract & bring in fresh talent, and give them the tools they need to make it happen.
Mom Incorporated: A Guide to Business + Baby | Tour

Links for 2011-09-20 [del.icio.us]

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 PDT

Recruitment Positioning Online/Offline 09/20 by The Power Connection | Blog Talk Radio
Guest Adrienne Graham CEO Hues Consulting Management Inc. Author Speaker Discussion Position Yourself to get Noticed Online Offline Recruitment Climate 21st Sep 20

Links for 2011-09-15 [del.icio.us]

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:00:00 PDT

Adrienne Graham - Google+

Links for 2011-09-12 [del.icio.us]

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 PDT

Business Growth Strategies- Empower Me Next Level Business Coaching with Adrienne Graham- Hourly Counsel
Empower Me Next Level Business Strategy Coaching program focuses on moving past start-up and helps you strategically grow your business past the million dollar mark.

Links for 2011-09-04 [del.icio.us]

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 00:00:00 PDT

Im a Person Not an Application Part 2 09/02 by Views from the Top | Blog Talk Radio
In a continuation of last weeks episode my guests and I will discuss the best practices for following up with recruiters things candidates can do to make thei Sep 02
Disruptive Recruiter Newsletter
Disruptive Recruiter Newsletter Email Forms
Fearless Networking Bootcamp

Links for 2011-08-30 [del.icio.us]

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:00:00 PDT

Rate of Unemployed Starting Businesses Hits 25-Year Low | Inc.com
The number of unemployed starting their own businesses is at a 25-year low, says a new report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Links for 2011-08-26 [del.icio.us]

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 00:00:00 PDT

Im a Person Not an Application 08/26 by Views from the Top | Blog Talk Radio
The job search can be a frustrating experience no matter where you are in your career. Oftentimes job-seekers can feel like to recruiters they are nothing mor Aug 26

Beginning of a New Era

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 22:22:00 +0000

Guess what? I'm moving on up like George & Weezie! OK so I'm not moving to a deluxe apartment in the sky. But I am moving.

I've given this a lot of thought and it makes perfect business sense for me to make that move. From this point on, my blog will reside on the Hues Consulting website. While the site is still a work in progress, I thought it would be best to consolidate the brand and have everything under one roof.

Now, that doesn't mean that you can never ever grace this blog ever again. Quite the contrary. I will keep this blog up as an archive of my past posts. I love that you all appreciate my blogs and thoughts so I would never shut it down completely. All new content will now be seen on the website and you can use this one to find older (but still relevant) content. I promise to do a better job of updating my blog. So make sure you bookmark the new site. And you can always keep in touch via the Hues Consulting Facebook Page or my own Facebook Page.

A heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who has continued to support this blog and pass along my words.

See you in the new spot!

Til Next Time,

Adrienne Graham

I went --------------> That Way!

What's Your in YOUR Staffing Wallet?

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 17:16:00 +0000

We are in the midst of quite a complex time. The economy is showing signs of improvement, and unemployment numbers are (slowly) dropping. But it isn't necessarily translating into new hires. As expected, companies, especially small to mid sized businesses, are extra cautious in making decisions to expand their staff. One the one hand, many are dealing with over worked employees and they really need to hire to alleviate the added stress on their teams. On the other hand, because the economy is not solid yet, companies are scared to dip into their reserves to hire even if they really need the help. So what is a business owner to do?

Staffing planning is extremely vital regardless of what the economy looks like or the size of your company. Even the one man/woman shop needs to have a staffing plan in place. Clients have a way of showing up when you least expect them and you wouldn't want to get caught without an adequate team to handle the new work load or product demands. When your clients are ready on demand, you better be too. Keeping a staffing plan up to date is a smart business move. Here are some things to keep in mind when planning your staffing strategy.

1. Take an assessment of your company. Determine where you would like to see your growth in the next 18-24 months (in worse case economy and best case economy). Visualize how many new clients you wish to sign on, how many existing clients will continue to need your services or products, and how many clients may need to upgrade or increase. Decide if your current staff has the bandwidth to maintain their current workloads plus a little extra or if the extra work would be too much to handle effectively and efficiently. Talk with your team to see how they feel and what they can commit to. Remember, they are a valuable part of your team. Even though you're the boss, without them, you couldn't keep your business running.

2. Start building your pipeline early. Pipelining is what companies do to gather potential candidates before they are ready to hire. Do not confuse it with false advertising. You should never advertise jobs that aren't or won't ever be available just to build a database. Instead, figure out what jobs will need to be filled and in what timeline. Then start passively looking for candidates in those skill sets. Candidates expect there to be a long drawn out hiring process any way. So you can take your time, meet with and review candidates, and keep your notes on the ones you want to hire when you get the OK to hire.

3. Start evaluating recruitment firms. In worst case scenarios, you may need the assistance of an outside agency. While I believe in trying to keep most of recruiting in house, there is nothing wrong with having relationships in place to handle the hard to fills. If you don't have any service agreements in place with a recruitment firm, now is the time to start meeting with them. Research companies that specialize in your industry and positions and schedule time to have a conversation with them. The more complex or specialized you company, products or services, the more focused their specialty should be. Generalist firms are jacks of all trades, masters of none. Their strong suit is volume and not necessarily quality. Yes, even some of the big named firms. Also the type of firm you choose will be determined the type of positions you have. For more senior or specialized positions, you may need to go to a retained search firm.

4. Don't hand out contracts to a lot of different firms in hopes that one will strike gold. Here's a little secret for you. When recruiting firms say that have access to an "untapped market of passive candidates" it means that they are digging in the same wells as other agencies. And in this economy, candidates are going to every recruiting firm and job board they can. Recruiters are using job boards, Linked In, Facebook, etc (not necessarily the right way) to find talent. So chances are if you sign up with four different firms, you'll get pretty much the same candidates from all four firms. Narrow down your vendor's list to 2-3 really good firms.

5. Determine if you need a recruitment team in place. If you are expecting high volume or growth over the next 18-24 months, I highly suggest you get an in house team in place if you don't have one. In the interim, you can hire a Recruiter and a Sourcer/Researcher. The maximum recommended workload for a (seasoned) Recruiter is 20 positions. It seems like a lot, but a well seasoned Recruiter can handle that in a crunch. Ideally you want to keep it manageable to about 10-12 positions per Recruiter. And make sure you provide them with the appropriate tools they need to do their job effectively. That includes an Applicant Tracking System to manage the candidates and interview processes, access to recruiting sites, and the branding materials they need to represent your company well. And make sure they are allowed to communicate directly with hiring managers.

6. Do not confuse HR with Recruiting. They are very different and come from different skill sets. Recruiting can be part of HR, but HR is NOT Recruiting. Your HR representatives have a lot on their plates. Benefits, compensation, training, EEOC, employee relations, compliance, and so on and so on. Don't add to their workload by making them also pick up recruiting. Recruiting is an intense process and sometimes can be a long process. Let your HR people be HR people and go hire some real recruiters for your team.

7. Design accurate and concise job descriptions. As a Recruiter, I've seen job descriptions change during the course of the hiring process. Be clear about what you want, absolutely need and added pluses that would translate into great candidates. Make sure your hiring managers and recruiters are on the same page.

8. Have someone help develop your employment brand. Many companies miss the mark on this. How people view your hiring process also affects your brand. It isn't just packaging, sleek marketing materials, logos and verbiage that makes a brand. Your employment brand will be discussed by candidates. You want to make the process smooth (and HUMAN) for them. They shouldn't be getting canned email responses or worse, silence, after submitting a resume. Treat your candidates like potential future customers and referral leads. Remember, we live in a world of social media. It is very public and people talk.

9. Pay attention to what the competition is doing. Are they hiring more? What kind of people are they hiring? Are they hiring the top talent who unfortunately were victims of the recession at lower rates? Where are they finding talent? Pay attention to their hiring patterns because they may be acing you out of the very talent you need.

10. Make it easy for candidates to find out about your opportunities. I'm not just talking about advertising or hiring a recruiting firm. Make sure everyone in your company knows to speak about the current opportunities. Make them your brand ambassadors. If it's in the budget, offer an employee referral reward. Get involved in the community or a cause. Those are perfect ways to build brand awareness and to share your company and opportunities with others. And don't forget about your social media messaging. Make sure you're building those communities and engaging people. Don't just throw up a Facebook page and call it your social media initiative.

Recruiting is not as simple as putting an ad on Craig's List. It is a process that when done correctly, can contribute to your company becoming an employer of choice. Sometimes applying for a job at your company is the first introduction someone has to your company. Make it a positive lasting first impression. Learn to get help when you need it. A CEO should not be doing his or her own hiring. Let the professionals do what they're best at. You focus on running your company, let them focus on building a great team.

Til next time.

Adrienne Graham

Top Talent Alert

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 13:35:00 +0000

Yes, this is an advertisement/announcement. After all, it is my blog!

Good morning business innovators and CEOs. I have some great executive and C Suite talent looking for a professional home. Are you interested?

I have the great pleasure and fortune of networking connecting with top talent in the industries I serve. These are organically developed relationships. I want to hear from fully funded start ups, and small and mid sized companies on a growth pattern that need top talent. As the economy shifts, companies are finding themselves on the upswing again and in need of play makers, deal makers, turn around specialists and innovators to help take their companies to the next level.

I have Executives, Directors, technology, engineering and managerial talent available. Some active, some passive, but looking nonetheless. If you are looking for the right people to add to you team email me ASAP. To learn more about our services, please visit our website or email us to request a corporate brochure and fee schedule.

Adrienne Graham

Hues Consulting & Management Inc

Are Recruiters to Blame for the Mood of the Job Market?

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:01:00 +0000

Well, are they?

Now hold on, before you go grabbing the pitch forks and torches, I'm not throwing my recruiting brethren under the bus. And I'm not blaming all recruiters. But I can't help but notice that recruiters aren't exactly trying to ease the market woes either.

If you read any of the articles that talk about job search, job market, unemployment, etc, you'll see various comments (ranging from disillusioned to angry) about how a person's experience is going with their job search. There's an air of frustration, and rightfully so. Recruiters aren't getting back to candidates to close the loop. Applicants are submitting resumes into the black hole we call an applicant tracking system. Companies spend thousands of dollars to make their websites look pretty and reach out (and I use that term loosely) to candidates via social media to say "hey come work for us". But through it all, whether or not they even get a phone call, rarely do people hear back from recruiters after that initial contact (unless they are lucky enough to get called in for an interview with the hiring manager).

I've said it time and time again, this is a business of communication and branding. I know we get inundated with resumes on a daily basis. But we are the first representation of a company that candidates see. I'm not perfect, and it often takes me a while to get back to people. But I do try. I don't always 100% deliver but I do try. I'm woman enough to admit that publicly. It doesn't matter if an applicant is applying for a Janitor of VP position, they deserve the courtesy of a follow up. And, no, a canned email is not enough. People want to feel acknowledged, human. It's hard enough for someone who has been out of work for an extended amount of time to go through the humiliation of deafening silence, especially when they know they're a fit. And even if they aren't, don't you owe it to them to let them know they're not and why? I think so.

It's bad enough that people are bombarded 24/7 by the media, Internet, bloggers, etc with the message of gloomy unemployment numbers and stories of company after company laying off by the hundreds (in some cases thousands). But recruiters shouldn't be adding to that anxiety. If you can't help a candidate, at least give them the courtesy of telling them so and why you can't help. In the grand scheme of things ignoring them doesn't make you look as bad as it makes your company look. I've heard stories from candidates who have applied to major companies and never hear a peep. They automatically associate the recruiters non-responsiveness with the overall brand of the company and say "well I don't want to work for them anyway". Then they tell two friends, who'll tell two friends, and so on. Then we come to the point where companies are whining because they can't find good talent. Well, of course you can't! Your non-responsive recruiters turned them off!

I don't say this to bash my fellow recruiters. I say this to get you to open up your eyes and ears. YOU are the front line, the first contact many candidates have with a company. It is your job not just to fill the positions but to make sure each and every person walks away with a great brand experience whether they were hired or not. With the economy being the way it is and people's emotions, patience and tempers heightened, this is not the time to have closed communication. Remember, people are talking, and they're doing it very publicly! Companies (including their recruiters) need to be actively working towards being part of the solution to the job market. It's about creating jobs and putting people back to work, but it's also about how you communicate during the process.

So are you a helper to your employer brand, or a hindrance? While you as a recruiter are not the blame, you're lack of communication is definitely part of the bigger problem. Think on that.

Til next time.

Adrienne Graham

Money, Position, Respect

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 19:29:00 +0000

A few months back I wrote a post about how employers are taking advantage of the job market in order to get talent on the cheap. The problem with getting talent on the "cheap" is that you end up with cheap talent, or should I say workers. Everyone wants to talk about how this bad economy eaves the talent market ripe for the pickings because people will accept just about anything you throw at them just so they'll get a paycheck. But I'm noticing a slowly changing tide here.

Yesterday I read an article on the Wall Street Journal "Talent War Crunches Start-Ups". The gist of the article was how companies like Facebook, Zynga and Twitter are swiping up all the top talent, leaving smaller start ups to struggle to compete. You see, they actually get it. They know that right now, they cannot afford to offer packages at the levels of Facebook and Twitter, but they have the potential. They have resorted to invest more into recruiting and tried to remain as competitive as possible. They have created financial incentives that they are hoping will lure candidates to their young companies instead of their giant competitors. Now don't get it wrong, Facebook et al are offering some pretty competitive salaries and incentives. So they obviously get it. My angst or rather disappointment is towards the rest of you (companies).

I can't tell you how many times I've had a hiring manager tell me that candidates should be happy that they're even being considered and how they should accept whatever is offered and be grateful. HAH! That's a whole lot of nerve. You see, these same hiring managers are also the ones to get their draws in a knot when those very same candidates take a job, get bored or are unfulfilled and head for greener pastures at competitors or other companies. Then we're back to square one with hiring managers whining how they can't seem to find top talent. Talented people are an integral part of your growth strategy. It's time you start acknowledging and accepting that. If they are worth their salt, the returns they bring to the business will far exceed how much you pay out in salary. Makes perfect sense to me! I'll take a fattened bottom line over a safe budget any day.

Listen, I understand that budgets have to be trimmed and sacrifices need to be made. But cutting or undervaluing your talent is a fatal mistake. When the chips are down, you want people who are going to be loyal and be motivated to give their all to contribute to the success of their employer. It all begins with the recruiting process. When you're evaluating your talent needs, you have to decide what takes precedence...salary or skill. As a business owner I'm going to go with skill. When you have great talent, people who want to be a part of your success, that's worth more than any salary you will ever pay. Look at it this way. If you pay peanuts for candidates and they keep deciding this is not for them and it's a revolving door to fill the position, you end up wasting more time and money with really nothing to show for it. Have you ever sat down and calculator the cost per hire? It's not pretty...especially so the higher up the position.

So I ask you, who are you to call talent cheap? Who are you to dictate that candidates should be grateful for whatever crumbs when you have companies like young start ups with phenomenal potential vying for the very talent you take for granted? Remember, at one time Facebook was a nothing business that nobody thought would have any future. Now it's valued at a $400 billion company...that's snatching up all the top talent. Are you prepared to lose out on good people to your would be competition? Or are you ready to give people what they're worth?

Til next time.

Adrienne Graham

Hues Consulting Bridges Communication Gap Between Employers & Job Seekers

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 19:59:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Company Name: Hues Consulting & Management Inc
Phone Number: 866.779.4830 FAX Number: 253.559.4028
Email Address: info@huesconsulting.com
Website URL: http://www.huesconsulting.com

Hues Consulting Bridges Communication Gap Between Employers & Job Seekers

Atlanta, GA – January 28, 2011 – Job Seekers are mad as hell and they’re not going to take it any more!

With the state of the current job market, you are lucky if a company sends an automated “we received your resume” email acknowledgment when you apply. It’s the only communication some people ever get from a company. Others only get total silence. It’s even worse for candidates who have gone through the interview process and receive nothing for their time other than a counter letter telling them they didn’t make the cut. Just take a look at any of the comments left by frustrated job seekers on career articles on blogs and news sites and you will see that people are fed up with the (lack of) communication. They feel disrespected and ignored. It seems companies are forgetting that human element in recruiting.

Hues Consulting & Management Inc, a recruitment consulting firm based in Atlanta, has created a solution…the Recruiter Response Team™. Companies outsource their candidate response obligations to the Hues Consulting to close the gap in communication AND preserve their employment brand. Response Agents provide feedback and close the loop with candidates about the disposition of their candidacy. They give the much needed personal touch that busy recruiters can't give and candidates long for. It takes the burden of closing the loop off of recruiters' plate and gives candidates closure (along with respect and dignity) so they know not only when it's time to move on, but what they can do better going forward with other interviews. It also helps build and strengthen the employment brand and builds (good) relationships with candidates (and possibly turn them into a source for referrals).

“Communication still remains the biggest issue for job seekers. As a recruiter, I see the struggles that recruiters have in maintaining communication with the enormous amount of candidates that apply for open positions daily. Most positions get at least 50-100 applicants within the first day of posting a job! That number goes up the longer a position is left posted” says Adrienne Graham, Founder & CEO of Hues Consulting, and author of the blog Corporate Recruiting Diva. “Over worked recruiters have a high number of openings they work on at any given time. They don't always have the luxury of being able to respond to each and every candidate. But that’s no excuse. Lack of communication can damage an employer’s brand and candidates become disillusioned with the recruiting process”.

For more information please visit www.huesconsulting.com.

Hello, Employers, Please Stop Faking the Funk. Candidates Are On to You!

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 16:44:00 +0000

Ah technology. You've got to love the flexibility and freedom of it all. It's supposed to make life easier for everyone. For Recruiters, job boards, social media, applicant tracking systems and fancy "upgraded interactive" websites are supposed to make it easier for you to manage the recruiting process, keep track of all the wonderful candidates and build brand awareness for your company. For applicants, it's supposed to make a seamless virtual process for you to apply from the comfort of your home and avoid traveling, burning gas, postage, and the cleaning bill that comes with maintaining the fine business wear you own. But guess what folks. All of that is pure grade garbage.

I've been noticing how employers are investing lots of money and manpower in upgrading their websites, getting people involved in expanding the company brand through social media and trying to figure a way to accommodate the overwhelming influx of applicants (thanks to the economy) and make life easier for recruiters. Well you can't without there being some collateral damage. And in most cases that collateral damage is the applicants. Really, who are you fooling with the brand new social image? Social media is...well....SOCIAL. It demands that you interact with candidates. Not, collect their data for your loathsome reporting requirements and quotas you impose on your recruiters, but to engage. A lot of you are missing the mark dramatically and candidates are moving on.

You see, there comes a point when all employers start looking the same. Yes, you have people on Twitter and Facebook. You've created your company Linked In page. You've even put up video on Youtube and Vimeo (and even your own site) showing people how wonderful it is to work for you. But almost EVERYONE else is doing that. It's just another flashier filter between recruiters and applicants. It screams "look at us! We're are the best to work for and all of our people are happy". But are you hearing the applicants? Are you answering their questions? Are you ACKNOWLEDGING them? Wait don't answer, I'll do it for you. That's a big fat NO. So tell me, why as an applicant would I give your company any real consideration, when I can't even find contact information to a real person? Submit Resume buttons and careers@mycompany.com don't count. Oh wait, that's right. you don't want them to be able to connect with them directly. I got it. Please, spare me the excuse that recruiters are overloaded. Their job is to connect with and assess people for jobs that you need them to fill. So why the barriers under the guise of keeping up with the times? Do you realize how much great talent you pass up with this insane "logic"? It has to stop.

I read an article over at the Huffington Post that had me quite perplexed. No, let me say what I really was...Pissed Off. The cliff notes version is there was a recruiter who boldly stated (no doubt he knew this would be made public) that if a candidate has been unemployed for a long length of time, they shouldn't bother to apply because they look desperate. Now, I'll rip into this in another blog post. But if companies are allowing their representatives (recruiters) to say things like this, coupled with the fact that even with all the cutesy bells and whistles of social media and new websites, they are STILL not making themselves accessible to applicants, then Houston, we have a problem. It's no wonder there is an overly negative tone about the job market. We are in one of the worst economies I've seen in my 41 years of life. Technology is supposed to make life better, not harder.

Believe me, as a recruiter I truly understand the protocol and data capture aspect. I get it, I live it. BUT people are human beings. They deserve acknowledgment and I don't mean that canned bullshit auto email they get when they apply. It takes you a minute to put together an email acknowledging that you received their resume but they are not a fit. You let them know so they don't continue with false hope or worse dead silence. People want to be acknowledged. And before some smart ass recruiter comes in here and starts to squawk about how much work they have and how little time they have, save it. I've been recruiting for over 17 years (and in a lot of cases with a very heavy req load). So put on the big girl/boy draws, man/woman up and do your job.

But back to companies. If you are going to invest time in social media and fancy "interactive" websites, you better be prepared to do it all the way. That includes having people to man these mediums. Think it can't be done? Take a look at ADP. Now, I don't point them out because they are a former client of mines (well yes that's part of it). I use them as an example because they actually get it. They have LIVE chats, podcasts, an active Facebook Page (that they actually answer people on), and they combine these with real life recruiting AND networking events. They really get it. ADP knows how to build an employer brand that doesn't treat candidates like words on a screen. What can you learn from them? They stay active and they interact with applicants. Even if the applicant isn't a fit, they don't feel dismissed and even feel obliged to refer others. THAT ladies and gentlemen, is how you build an employment brand. I like to think I was the catalyst for what they have become (in the social media landscape). Great job guys!

Employers I would venture to say that you've wasted valuable time and money. Yes your site is pretty and flashy and you're "down" with all the latest social media sites and tools. But you've missed an opportunity to connect with candidates. Posting job openings and links to apply online is not engaging. Putting up blogs, fan pages and videos is one sided conversation at best if you are not taking the time to engage people in conversation. You have violated all the rules and it has resulted in an epic FAIL. Yes, applications are up. You're getting tons of resumes. But are you getting tons of PEOPLE who are willing to champion your company whether or not they receive a job offer? Think on that as you contemplate your next move. You're really not fooling anyone. Hope you wake up in the new year. You've got work to do.

Til next time.

Adrienne Graham

It's Not the Candidates, It's YOU- Your Hiring Process SUCKS!

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 16:46:00 +0000

I often find myself in heated discussions with job seekers (not in a bad way). As a recruiter, my friends and family members feel comfortable coming to me to discuss their job search journey. Sometimes I dread having these conversations because I feel like they put everything recruiters and companies who hire squarely on my shoulders. You know, like because I'm a woman, I should be able to speak for all women on certain topics. Because I'm Black, I should be able to speak for the entire Black community on certain issues. Well I get the same thing regarding all things recruiting and job search. I can't say I blame some of my friends. There are companies out there with horrible job application processes.

When I speak to recruiters, they tend to push the blame off on candidates. There are some who don't follow protocol or try to circumvent the process. But that's OK to me because I think the application process serves as a barrier. Some candidates apply for any and all positions regardless of fit. That irritates me too. But with a little guidance, we as recruiters can educate the masses on the proper way to apply for a job. Let's break down some of these conversations and try to get to some solutions to make things better for companies and the candidates.

They make it too hard to apply and we don't even know if there's a real job! This is the most common complaint even for the most savvy job seekers. The truth is companies fall for the okie doke from ATS (applicant tracking system) sellers. They push the benefits of a streamlined process (no more email resumes), tracking capability (be able to keyword search), and tons of other bells and whistles the company may or may not need. Granted, I firmly believe that ALL companies should have a good ATS in place. But I've contended for the longest time that it makes recruiters LAZY. Yes, I said it, lazy. I'll touch on that a little later. But in the effort to retain and capture data on candidates, companies set these long ass, drawn out applications! I went online to one company's site (KPMG...sorry, I need to name names) to apply for a position just to understand the process and it was HORRIBLE. That application was 10 screens long! I'm sorry, but unless submitting all of that data is guaranteeing me an interview, I don't think you need anything beyond a resume, contact information and a cover letter. Attention spans are short. People are more likely to abandon those applications if they are too long, and especially if there's no guarantee of even a phone interview. Stop letting these ATS companies sucker you into something that's hurting you. The application process is part of your overall employment brand. Do you want people talking negatively about your company? You are losing good people who choose not to apply because of all the hassle.

I never get to speak to or even and email from a REAL PERSON. Just because a system is automated, doesn't mean it gives you (recruiter) license to ignore candidates. You still need to acknowledge them whether or not they are a fit. I fully understand that your time is limited and your workload is bursting at the seams. But you're a recruiter. Your job is people. So start communicating with the people! There is nothing more annoying than being out of work, applying for a job you know you're qualified for, then not hearing a damn thing. Put yourself in their position. Oh wait, some of you recruiters have found yourselves out of work and in their shoes! People want to be acknowledged. There is nothing wrong with sending a quick email saying "we received your resume and will be in touch if there is a fit" or "we've received your resume, but unfortunately you are not a fit at this time. However you are free to check back and apply for appropriate positions as they become available". See, how hard was that? Not very, but undoubtedly there will be some sour head that comes in and says "I just don't have the time". MAKE THE TIME. You as the recruiter, are the front line introduction to your company. You are just as much part of the employment brand as any logo, website or marketing material. Stop hiding behind an ATS to screen people out. How about screening people in?

Why do they need my resume AND an application? Well, I'm in the middle on this one. But I happen to believe that both should be completed once a person is being considered for a position and is to interview. If I were on the market, I would not complete an application until it's time for me to interview. Everything they need is on my resume. This is especially true when there are no real positions open. Stop making it harder to interact with candidates.

I swear, I'll interview with a company then never hear anything again, or if I do, it's month later! OK, I can testify first hand that we do get busy. Hiring managers make it so you have to track them down. But that is no excuse. Especially when you have candidates who have been interviewing with multiple companies but have their heart set on working at YOUR company. It's not fair to them when you hold back feedback. I don't care if you have nothing from the hiring manager just yet. Let them know! And definitely don't cop an attitude when they try to follow up with you. I swear sometimes recruiters can be likened to DMV workers. We can work on the communication a bit more to make sure the loops are closed and nobody misses out on an opportunity. I've heard recruiters say "well if they really need a job, they shouldn't worry about us. They should take that other offer". I swear I wish I recorded some of these people. It doesn't matter how you feel. If you are really all about landing top talent be a top talent magnet. And that includes keeping the communication open during the process.

They (recruiters) either tell me 'sorry we went with someone else' or 'sorry, we're not moving forward with your candidacy' but they never tell me what went wrong. Well, I'm torn on this one. Yes, candidates should be provided with feedback that can help them. Just because they're not a fit for your company (this time) doesn't mean you shouldn't care what happens from this point on. It's called Candidate Development and it's not just limited to those who are in process. I retain all of the information and resumes from every candidate I have ever interviewed. I try to end things on a good note and provide them with feedback as much as I can (unless I absolutely have to refer them to the hiring manager for feedback). Why? Because they can be a fit for future positions and I want to make sure they had a pleasant experience with us, or because they might be willing to recommend others to me. Whether you like it or agree with it or not, candidate development is a crucial piece of the recruitment branding puzzle.

I understand the need to streamline the process and to make it easier on the recruiters. But the candidates are just as much a part of this process. If your team falls into any of these circumstances, you've got some work to do. Don't think of the employment brand as just advertising, or participating in fairs and events, or the company website or even social media interaction. Candidates talk, and you want them to spread good things about your company. Any recruiter who doesn't understand how important candidate development is, needs to quit, be reassigned or fired. Harsh much? Yes it is. But it's the truth. Make candidates feel important and you'll have evangelists who speak and promote your brand.

Til next time
Adrienne Graham
A Candidate's Friend

Expectations of A Natural Partnership

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 16:27:00 +0000

Recruiting has its core function- to seek, assess and recommend quality candidates for an organization. There is more to recruiting, but these are the basics. In spite of what a lot of people (mostly upper management) think, it is a vital component to a company's human resources department that should really be its own entity. However, that does not mean it should function in isolation. Recruiting is a team effort and the major players should include recruiters, hiring managers, human resources AND executive management. For a lot of companies, there is a huge breakdown in communication and it's unacceptable.

Here's the problem in a nutshell. There is a false perception that recruiting is simplistic and that since hiring managers should know what they are looking for in candidates, they should be able to recruit for themselves. There is also the notion that just because one works in human resources, they should be well versed in recruiting (and benefits, and payroll, and employee relations, and so on and so on). Not all hiring managers are skilled at finding and screening talent and not all human resources professionals are skilled at (or even like) recruiting. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's focus on the partnership.

Many times I have witnessed frustrated managers come into my office and tell me they need someone yesterday. They hand a job description and say "good luck" then disappear. Of course I track them down and make them give me some of their time to get an understanding of what they need, then explain that I need their input to make this successful. Chances are you've encountered a manager who never gives feedback other than to say "not a fit" or was so busy you had to get an act of Congress to get interviews scheduled. Sadly, this is how many hiring managers operate.

It is up to the recruiter to sit them down in the very beginning and establish the tone of the relationship. Hiring managers have their own set of problems, but we need to ensure that we are meeting their expectations and that they are helping us do that. Creating a good working relationship from the beginning goes a long way in keeping things productive. But you have to make them comfortable with you and your work style. I find that by talking to them and making them feel comfortable with me (with my dazzling personality...seriously, ask anyone) there is a lot less misunderstanding and much more communication. Plus I make myself available for them as much as possible. Hiding from, ignoring or complaining about hiring managers is not the best move. Instead, get strategic about it. Sit them down and have a get acquainted session. Show them that you care and value their input.

On more than a few occasions, I was able to change the executive team's opinions of recruiting and encouraged them to give us a seat at the table. Many times, executives feel that staffing just isn't as important. But I have found that when I sat down and articulated strategies, initiatives, and my visions moving forward, they took an interest. They saw that I took an active interest in what happens with the company and how I (and my team) can contribute to their success. Why shouldn't recruiting be included? Recruiting is not just about filling jobs now, but also about planning for the future. Seeing that we had a plan in place made them take notice and not just invite us to the table, but give us the floor during the meetings too.

Human resources cannot be everything to everybody in an organizations. With so many regulations, employee relations and changing directions, the last thing they need is one more component added to their plates. Many of the HR professionals I've spoken to indicated that recruiting was their least favorite part of human resources and they would gladly give that function to the people who do it best. But sometimes they do not articulate that to management. Instead of convincing them the the recruiting function was best left to the professionals, they keep quiet in the name of cost cutting and budget saving, all the while damaging their employment brand.

I cannot leave recruiters out of this equation. We need to step up and be accountable too. Too many recruiters float under the radar. They are content with just putting bodies in jobs, posting job ads and stalking social networking sites calling it recruiting. Where is the push for professional development? I've seen many old school recruiters refuse to learn about the Internet, social media or technology. They prefer to do it the way they have been doing it for years. Well guess what? We live in a new age now. The survivors will know how to tap into their old school methods while taking advantage of new school tools. Conversely, the new crop of recruiters is all about the Internet and applicant tracking systems. This too can be dangerous. I find many of them lacking in social and hunting skills.

There has been a long standing debate about agency vs. corporate recruiting. I've always contended that a great recruiter has a blend of both worlds. Corporate recruiters generally lack that hunter's instinct and fall back on reactive recruiting. As long as they are getting candidates (and they are plentiful with this economy) in the database, they don't really have much incentive to step outside the norm and build relationships. Poll candidates and they will tell you communication is non-existent with corporate recruiters. In fact, how many times have you gotten annoyed because a candidate emailed or called you to follow up? Why are you not taking the opportunity to build relationships? I don't want to hear that you're too busy and there are too many candidates vying for your attention. It is your job to get to know them and treat them as human beings and not just a number in a database. Even if they are not a fit, you still should communicate with them letting them know. Trust me, that goes a long way in building relationships. You never know if this person would be ideal for something else later on or if they have some fabulous connections to people you really do need to know.

OK I was going somewhere with this and got off on a rant. My point is we need to be resourceful, inclusive and consultative in our roles. We need to make sure we have a natural partnership with candidates, hiring managers, executives and HR. Communication is half the battle. We can't be afraid to go above and beyond the call of duty. It's not good enough to just exist. We need to be part of the process. We need our seat at the table. We need to expand our roles and learn every aspect from the sourcing to the closing and everything in between. Ignoring or avoiding hiring managers is not acceptable. I know sometimes they work a nerve, but this is your chance to work on your communication, problem solving and relationship building skills. Ignoring candidates is even deadlier. In a world of social media, they can blast your brand globally by sharing their poor experiences. Don't let that happen to your company. Pay attention to how you represent your company and what people are saying about the brand. It's not enough to have a big household name. People talk about their experiences. Make sure they are saying great things about your company.

There's a shake down coming and those recruiters flying under the radar better look out. The well rounded recruiter will survive. All the others will find themselves on the unemployment line. Get in the habit of making candidates, executives, HR and hiring managers your partners. As the song goes, "We're all in this together".

Til next time,

Adrienne Graham

Social Media Recruiting- Let's Get Real

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 18:00:00 +0000

There have been standard fair articles written about social media and recruiting that can be found everywhere on the Internet. Writers, or should I say "social recruiting experts" are repurposing the same type of content and telling the world's employers how everyone is using social media and social networking sites to recruit talent, and how they would be fools to not jump on the bandwagon. After all, Facebook alone has 500 million users, and that's a lot of eyeballs and attention if you have jobs available. I've even seen some stories where the reader is told that maintaining company profiles and tweeting or posting their jobs will go a long way in branding them. That's only half true. We have to end this madness now. It's irresponsible reporting at best.

Most writers covering this subject are not giving readers specifics about how to actually use social media and engaging beyond setting up Twitter, Linked In and Facebook profiles and posting jobs. The only thing that's evident is that job posting has switched from job boards to social networking sites in just fewer characters. Social Media is about engagement and branding. Sure, for individuals, it's about showcasing yourself, getting involved in conversations, sharing your thoughts, passing along information, and keeping in touch with friends, family and colleagues. But companies have to use it much differently. As with everything else that's considered new and innovative, a few lucky early adopter recruiters tapped into the power of social media, then shared their new experiences with the recruiting community. And like clockwork, as more and more recruiters discovered this new method to attract candidates, it got over saturated and confusing for many recruiters who were still behind the curve. Then entered the experts who claimed to have the strategies and secrets to make social media work for recruiting. All of a sudden, many companies started doing the same exact things, frequented the same exact places, and using the same exact methods. For every success story of using social networking for recruiting you have at least twenty failures. Dispute my numbers if you like, but I think that's about accurate. I base that statement off the numerous calls I get from recruiters who still don't get it.

It's not lost on me that now social media is becoming a requirement for recruiters. The same thing happened when people first discovered the Internet for recruiting. I've seen job postings for recruiter positions where the ad distinctly asks for knowledge of using social media. But I can guarantee that many of those hiring managers who demand this skill don't know how to use it themselves. I bet many of them haven't even set up metrics, a strategy or even tested or bench marked any success in using social media. And what happens? The same thing as with job boards. Recruiters push out job ads or links for candidates to go to their websites to apply for jobs. Here's the million dollar question. If you're not a name brand company, what makes me as a potential applicant want to apply for your job just because you tweeted it to me? You didn't take the time to engage me, but you tweeted me and I'm supposed to come running. Think about that for a second before you read on.

Before you can talk about attracting candidates via social media, you must first identify your goals and develop a strategy. You can't just jump into social media because the boss said to do it or because all the other recruiters are doing it and you want to get a jump on the competition. Don't be afraid to acknowledge that you have no idea and need assistance in figuring it out. When in doubt, ask for help. What are your goals (besides just filling positions)? Are you looking for specific niche talent? Do you want to bring more credibility and recognition to your brand? Do you want to just fill a pipeline for future talent? What end goal do you most desire? This is vital information.

Once you're clear on that, then you can start laying out your strategy. Your strategy should focus on the how. How are you going to reach ideal candidates? How are you going to deliver your message (and how often) so that it moves them to action? How will you engage once you have their attention? Your strategy should be written into your overall recruiting plan. It should not be used as a replacement or even as a cheap alternative. Social media should be used as a component of your recruiting efforts.

Once you've figured out your goals, desired outcome and outline your strategy, you need to be able to measure progress and recognize milestones and benchmarks that will show you where you are successful and where you need improvements. How will you measure success, failure and new opportunities? What are the indicators that something is working or you? When will you determine if you've invested too much time and effort and it's time to move on? What tools will you use to capture this data? Who will be responsible for it and how will you present it?

Next, do your research and find out where your targeted audience (talent) hang out online. What are they doing in that space? Are they sharing knowledge and using each particular social media tool? Are they socializing? Are they building relationships? How are they presenting themselves in social networks? You have to know all of this to move on to the next step which is discovering what tools will best deliver your messages and allow people to receive your brand? What would you like your brand to convey to them? Who else is using the same tools and what are their methods? Who is having success and who isn't? What are candidates saying about this type of outreach? Do they feel it's inclusive, divisive or invasive? Figure out which combination of tools work best for your particular needs. Just because other recruiters use certain tools doesn't mean you have to or even should be using them too. Take the time to test and use the tools to be sure they work for you and are doing their job.

In order to attract candidate attention, it takes more than setting up a profile and sending messages. You have to make the experience interactive and you have to be part of the conversations that draw in the attention. Almost every company has a social media presence. But they all look and act the same. It's not enough to post links to jobs or just mine the social networking sites just to find candidates. You must position your company, your brand as an employer of choice. To do that requires engagement and interaction. It's a two way dialog. You want them to continue to come back and participate, not just apply for a job and never return again. What companies should be thinking is how they can differentiate from everyone else to get candidates to want to check them out.

For more information about social media branding and recruiting, check out my company website.

Til next time.

Adrienne Graham

Divided, We Will Fall

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 19:30:00 +0000

This is perhaps the most inflamed post I've made on this blog to date. You all know that I tend to keep as laser focused on recruiting and diversity as possible. I rarely get political, but as of late I am drawn to really speak my mind. Note, anything I say here should be taken seriously and know that it's nothing I wouldn't say to anyone's face.

Let's face it, as a country, we suck. There, I said it. We are about 50 years removed from the civil rights era, yet I see us spiraling down the same gutter our previous generations wallowed in so many years ago. It pains me day after day, week after week to see how racially divided we have become. Not just racially, but religiously divided as well. From Tea Parties to Mosque Protests to outright cowardly, anonymous racial attacks on the Internet, I see America devolving down a nasty road. Some people are outright with their racism and intolerance...all in the name of liberty and their right to be. But here's the problem with that. Those same people are probably your bosses, hiring managers, co-workers, etc. What does that have to do with recruiting? Everything.

When Barack Obama was elected then sworn into the Presidency, I had a glimmer of hope. Maybe the US had finally started on that road to true healing and equality. I told my son the bar had been forever raised and that he could indeed do anything he wanted with his life. Then reality set in. Race baiting, fear mongering, flat out ignorance began to permeate my TV screen and computer monitor, and it gets worse as time goes by. Not agreeing with an administration or president on policy is one thing. But I am seeing a resurgence of the words "ni*****", "sp**", "cr*****" and other derogatory words that have no place in our collective vocabulary. Some of these very same people who show up and show out at the protests, tea parties, etc return to work the next day like all is well. How can you fairly recruit or even talk about diversity when the very people in your organization are so racially explosive?

I had to step back and tell myself that we just live in "that kind of time". Then I thought, hell no we don't. We shouldn't! I am a diversity advocate and that means all inclusive. Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, Gay, Lesbian, Baptist, Catholic, Muslim, etc. When you cut us, we all bleed. We all fundamentally want the same things...to provide a quality life for ourselves and family. I recently had a potential client that I thought I would be overjoyed to work with on some recruiting work. No, I won't mention any names (or maybe I should because open dialog and acknowledgment is the only way to find resolution to problems). In one breath, my contact stated that the company was struggling with diversity attraction and that it was a top commitment. Then I find damaging material of this person involved in a hate filled tea-cot uproar. On top of that, I also learned that this person was very vocal about racial issues and not in a good way.

I had to step back and really examine this. Of course I declined to work with the company even if they had assigned someone else. It made me question if they allowed such intolerance what else did they allow? Would this person reject a candidate based on being Muslim? Would they turn down a qualified Asian Woman for a semi-qualified White Man? Are we slowly reverting back to the 1950's and 60's? It's a lot to take in! Sure, some could rationalize that I am making way to big a deal about this. But I don't think so. We have devolved as a nation! No matter how many people we have doing the right thing, the crazies are spreading like locusts. As crazy as I think Sarah Palin and her ilk are, I don't feel she should be called out her name or her family disrespected. She doesn't speak for or represent me, but I can agree to disagree without inflaming anyone to "reload" (ie Dr. Laura).

I see daily "news" (and I use the term loosely) outlets like Fox agitate the situation. I see the comments on simple news stories that are so vile and vicious. I see it in the looks I got a few weeks ago when I went to WalMart for a gallon of milk minding my business when I walked into the store wearing a Barack Obama t-shirt. Hey I grabbed the first clean shirt out of my closet. But now we're labeling people? With things so racially tense for this country, how does a woman, or minority or gay person reconcile in their head that they did not get a job because they simply was not the qualified candidate? How does a white man reconcile in HIS mind that he was turned down because he wasn't the best candidate? How does a Recruiter with such a volatile opinion outside of the office be trusted to make the right decisions and leave race, gender and religion out of the mix? And has diversity served to hurt us causing white males to feel that they are now the discriminated? These are all very real questions I struggle with daily since January 2009.

People, we have to stop and stop it NOW. No, not everyone is a racist/sexist/religious zealot. I get that. But with hate on the increase, it gets harder to determine who is and who isn't. My Dad used to joke that he prefers his bigots open, that way you at least know where you stand with him. But is that better or worse? How does this affect recruiting? What can HR, hiring managers, and recruiters do to counter this "movement"? It starts with shutting up, listening and tolerance. The world is watching and taking notes. How can we be a super power when we are so broken? How can we compete in a global economy if the world feels like we speak with forked tongues? I thought we would see a phase out of diversity programs. Instead I've seen the need to keep them but with a twist. Instead of focusing on minority groups, how about we focus on PEOPLE in general? I consider myself fair and always call it like I see it. If a White Man is the most qualified, I want to be comfortable in my decision to hire him. If a Black Woman is the ideal candidate, I want to be comfortable in that decision as well.

Racism is not owned solely by white people. There are plenty of people of other ethnicities that are just as racist. Sexism isn't owned by just men. Women can be pretty sexist too. And while I am a firm believer in God, everyone is entitled to worship the God of their choice in their own manner as long as it isn't hurting anyone else. And what people do in their own bedroom is none of my concern unless and until they are responsible for paying my mortgage. All of this stuff should be left out of politics and corporations. We need to judge people based on the content of their character and as recruiters, their skills and knowledge. Period. I can agree to disagree and come together to serve a common purpose. Can you?

It's up to the executive team to set the tone and mandates for the company. Personal and professional should be kept separate, but it is clear that it cannot. We can't start demanding that people conform to the corporate culture 24 hours a day. We clearly can't police everyone. But I do say that if we are going to use tools like social media, take heed to what people put out there. There is no apologizing after the fact. If it's said or written, take it as that person's truth and make decisions accordingly. Racism and it's equally nasty cousins are not acceptable. Not here, not in 2010.

Those of us who don't fall into the fray have a big responsibility to push for healing. Not assimilation or conformity, but true healing. So what will YOU do to repair this divide? I already know what I'm doing. Do better America.

Til next time.
Adrienne Graham
Not a "We Are the World" type, but just tired of the nonsense

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:11:00 +0000

I'm reading: Small Biz: The New Job Growth Engine- http://ping.fm/3JoRl at Workforce.com. Amen! mainstreetmatters

Article: Contract Staffing Under Scrutiny- Leave Corporate Recruiters Without Much to Do

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:57:00 +0000

Disclaimer: I did not write this article, but wanted to share it with you. http://www.workforce.com/section/06/feature/27/27/76/index.html

With hiring limited to temporary and contract positions, recruiters are still sidelined. But the trend may be short-lived.
By Fay Hansen

wo job fairs held in July 2010 offered 500 new full-time positions for production workers at BMW’s plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina. MAU, BMW’s staffing partner, will do the hiring, and the new employees will be “contingency associates” employed as contract workers through MAU.

In the same month, ZipRealty, a real estate brokerage firm, announced that as of September 1, 2010, it plans to convert all of its 900 California-based agents from employees to independent contractors. Any new agents signed on in California will be employed as contractors.

Like the jobs at BMW and ZipRealty, most of the positions created in the past six months are temporary or contract jobs, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Hiring for these positions has driven the modest gains in employment since the end of the recession. Responsibility for hiring these contingent workers often rests with the procurement function, project leaders or hiring managers. Corporate recruiters are still sitting on the sidelines, with few permanent positions to fill.

Employment data indicate that the recession simply accelerated an already long-standing trend toward replacing permanent employees with contingent workers. Expanding the contingent portion of the workforce may have served employers well in other cyclical slowdowns, but the current wave of contingent hiring and the broader trend it represents may not survive the new regulatory environment. Federal and state enforcement agencies are shining a bright light on the use of contract workers.

Enforcement crackdown
“Over the past year, federal and state governmental agencies have signaled their intent to more seriously investigate the misclassification of employees as independent contractors,” says Michael Royal, a partner and employment law specialist at Fisher & Phillips in Dallas. “The federal government estimates that misclassification of employees as independent contractors will cost the Treasury Department more than $7 billion in lost payroll tax revenues over the next 10 years.”

The Government Accountability Office released a major report on misclassification in August 2009. The report called on the Internal Revenue Service and the Department of Labor to share information with each other and their state counterparts and to coordinate enforcement efforts that target misclassification.

“Consistent with the report, the IRS has signed information-sharing agreements with labor agencies in 29 states, through which the IRS and the state agencies will share the results of misclassification audits,” Royal says. “Additionally, in February 2010 the IRS began an audit of 6,000 different employers over three years in an effort to uncover occurrences of misclassification and to recover lost revenue. Similarly, the Department of Labor has made the proper classification of employees and independent contractors one of its top priorities.”

Other federal agencies are also moving into position to curb misclassification and pursue the compliance issues that will arise if large numbers of independent contractors are reclassified as employees. “Employers should expect that agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will also maintain a heightened sensitivity with regard to these issues in light of the general level of scrutiny,” Royal says.

In addition to enforcement actions from the regulatory agencies, new federal legislation on independent contractors is moving forward. The Taxpayer Responsibility, Accountability and Consistency Act of 2009, introduced in Congress in July 2009, could expose employers to even more scrutiny. “The proposed legislation allows individuals classified as independent contractors to petition the IRS to determine their proper classification, limits the ability of employers to classify individuals as independent contractors, and increases penalties for misclassification,” Royal says.

Another bill, the Employee Misclassification Prevention Act, proposed in Congress in April 2010, was the subject of hearings by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions in June. “This legislation would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to strengthen enforcement and penalties for misclassification of employees as independent contractors,” Royal says.

“If the misclassification accompanied a violation under the Fair Labor Standards Act’s maximum-hours or minimum-wage requirements, a worker could recover double his or her liquidated damages,” or the amount equal to any wages lost, Royal says. “Additionally, the legislation would require the Department of Labor to target industries it determines to have frequent incidents of misclassifying workers for audits, such as the construction industry.”

Bearing down on construction
Numerous federal and state agencies are already investigating misclassification in the construction industry, where 25 percent of all workers are classified as independent contractors, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This increased scrutiny may foreshadow what employers in other industries can expect as federal and state agencies expand their efforts to reduce the number of contract employees.

“Many states, such as Colorado, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New Mexico, have passed laws aimed at misclassification in the construction industry, which has a history of misclassification issues,” Royal says. He cites as an example the Illinois Employee Classification Act, which restricts the ability of construction contractors to classify workers as independent contractors.

The Illinois law also provides the state’s Department of Labor with broad investigatory and enforcement powers and establishes penalties of up to $1,500 per day for a violation of the act, as well as the amount equal to any wages lost. It also creates a private cause of action, with the right to back pay, lost benefits and lost wages.

“Such damages can be significant,” Royal says. “In December 2009, the Illinois Department of Labor imposed a $328,500 penalty on a construction contractor based on the misclassification of 18 employees.”

Royal advises employers in the construction industry to carefully review their processes for classifying employees.

Construction companies and other service and supply firms that have accepted funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be subject to even closer scrutiny. The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs is aggressively auditing recipients of ARRA funds. If independent contractors at these firms are reclassified as employees, they will have to be included in OFCCP and EEOC record-keeping requirements.

The shift toward temporary and contract labor is a global phenomenon that is attracting the attention of national and local governments worldwide. In the Canadian province of Ontario, for example, legislation designed to protect temporary workers and promote permanent employment took effect in January 2010.

Some European nations are tightening controls on contract work and temporary staffing agencies. And international organizations, such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, have called on governments to restrict the growth of “informal” employment arrangements.

Fay Hansen is a contributing editor for Workforce Management. To comment, e-mail editors@workforce.com.

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 17:49:00 +0000

Have you voted yet? Going for the WIN this year as Savviest in Social Media or Most Innovative. Cast your vote often! http://ping.fm/ZWD5C

Why Your Recruiting Strategies Suck & Will Remain That Way

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:54:00 +0000

WOW. I thought taking a year off from recruiting, I would come back to some new and innovative things. What was I thinking? You would think with all of the hoopla surrounding social media ATS companies would come up with some kick ass ways to integrate it with the recruiting process. Or companies would find the value and build new fresh strategies to net them some great candidates. Or that recruiters would FINALLY learn the art of schmoozing and networking now that social networking had a name to it and social media gave them more touch points for talent. You’d think so, right? I so hate to be wrong.

Companies are still trying to make sense of and justify the cost (yes cost, not all of it can be free) of using social media. ATS companies have integrated some cross functionality with Linked In and a few with Wordpress plug ins. Recruiters are still looking for the lazy way out so that they don’t have to build actual relationships with candidates. All in all not much has changed, and I’m disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, some companies like Kodak (big shout to Jeffrey Hayzlett), Ford (big shout to Scott Monty) and ADP (big shout to Rachel Gunsberg) have done a great job in “getting it” and translating it into not just recruiting but also marketing and customer service. But the “have nots” far outweigh the “haves”.

Granted I understand the pains of the recruiters. Company budgets have been slashed, HR departments have been downsized, and being overworked is still a common complaint of many. But why haven’t you learned how to work smarter? I was involved in a conversation about the recruiting process and how unqualified candidates seem to be the bane of recruiters’ existence. Blah, blah, blah. I need that needle to be picked up and broken off. It never once occurred to my sparring partner that the fault did not lie with the candidates, but with the recruiter and the strategy. When you put out manufactured, canned, textbook job ads that read like descriptions, what do you expect? When you get on social networks and blast job postings without giving thought to a strategy or targeting your audience, what do you expect? When you “set it and forget it” (aka Applicant Tracking Systems) and tell people “go apply at this link”, what do you expect. And most importantly when you leave your strategy up to reactionary methods (post and pray) WHAT DO YOU EXPECT?

Here are 5 things you can do to be more successful at this game called recruiting:

Learn the art of writing a proper job ad. Job ads need to be clear and concise and move a person to action. It should give some detail (not the entire company history) and why the position is open. It should give clear instructions on what skill sets are required and what they’ll be doing in the role. Not possibly doing, but actually doing. I can’t tell you how many career coaching clients come to me saying they feel like they were duped. What they thought they were applying for and what they actually got were two different things. If you don’t know how to write your own job ads, hire someone who does.

Unautomate your process. Yes, you heard me. Recruiters are turning into robots. “Please apply online at www.idontgiveacrapaboutyouoryourresume.com” is the battle cry of the lazy recruiter. As a recruiter, I don’t want a whole bunch of people rushing to apply at my website because chances are those candidates aren’t in the skill sets I’m looking for. So why in the hell would I want them to fill up my database? Oh wait, I know, pipelining is the national past time of recruiters. It makes our jobs easier when we have a robust database chock full of candidates. WRONG! If I have a database with 2 million candidates and 1% of them are actually a potential fit for the industries I work, then I have 99% crap. I pay a lot of money for the upkeep of my database and I prefer to only have people who have a shot to be a fit for my positions (now or in the future). If I’m recruiting only for engineers as my specialty and I get a ton of zookeepers, admins and customer service reps, clearly I’m putting out the wrong message and fishing in the wrong ponds. Be more exclusive. And besides do you know what candidates are saying about your company and the crappy process you have in place? If not PAY ATTENTION. See it’s this kind of stuff that makes hiring managers and the “suits” think recruiters are expendable and that anyone can do the job. I’m damn good at what I do and it’s not because I hide behind the internet, and ATS or job boards.

Build relationships and you’ll increase your band awareness. I don’t know about you, but I don’t join networks to be examined, researched, dissected and tagged. I join them to engage in dialog, learn from others, and share my knowledge. I’m sure by now candidates know that recruiters are actively using social media and social networking (there is a difference in case you didn’t know). Make them feel like you genuinely want to learn about them and from them. You can’t sign up for a social network then sit back and wait for some juicy dialog. It doesn’t work that way. Nor can you sign up and start blasting your openings. Did you take the time to get to know the players? What are the topics of conversation? Who seem to be the thought leaders and what information are they sharing? Who do THEY know that might be interested? Now some smart ass will come in and say “I’m busy, I don’t have all day to chit chat on social networks”. Well then too bad for you! Whether online or offline you still have to communicate. Do you know most people don’t even read job ads in certain forums? Bet you didn’t! But some “guru” told you it was OK to post your job ads on discussion forums, didn’t they. Sucker! Look, it’s about the engagement, not the text. Remember that and it’ll take you far.

Stop relying on social media as a cheap free way to get talent. Learn how to actually use social media tools, determine where your audience is, and what methods of communication they are most receptive to. Are they more drawn to audio, video or written word? Can you effectively use all three? There are millions of people using social media and engaging in social networking sites. But not all of them are your ideal candidates. Don’t just sign up for a social networking site and expect people to flock to you or your jobs. There is an art and science to using social media to get your employment brand out and building an audience. And to the executives and hiring managers out there hell bent on replacing recruiters (HAH) with social media, get a clue. Are YOU going to sit there and screen and qualify candidates? NO. Are YOU going to take the time to create the ads and messages that best represent your company? NO. So have a seat and shut up. Recruiters are necessary….good ones any way. Let them do their job. But make sure you hire the best to do just that.

Stop throwing spaghetti against the wall to see what sticks! Lord help me, I still get email from recruiters telling me I’m in their database as a (fill in the title here) and asking if I’d be interested in some contract jobs they have available. It shows me that a) they don’t research (hello, Google, Linked In anyone??) and b) they don’t care about knowing the person on the other side of the email. I’ve long since stopped responding (remember that email I posted about a year or so back?). The days of keyword searching, gathering everyone with those keywords in their resume, and mass mailing to see who’s interested are gone. They should have never been around to begin with, but what can you do. Stop being lazy and do your damn job. Get out there and search for talent and build relationships. Trust me, if you build it, no, they are not coming.

I am so disappointed to see we as an industry have not evolved. Everyone thought job boards would replace recruiters. Everyone thought applicant tracking systems would eliminate recruiters. Everyone thought Sourcers would put recruiters out of work. Now everyone is predicting (HAH) that social media will do away with recruiters. Well guess what? NOT HAPPENING. Instead what I predict is that innovative, smart and dedicated recruiters will take all of the above and develop kick ass strategies that will help them leverage the tools and their talents (including relationship building) to make their company employer of choice. I don’t care what industry you’re in, technology and social media is present and accounted for in our society. It’s part of our daily lives. Ignoring and hoping it’ll go away won’t work. It’s not meant to replace anyone or anything. But it is meant to give your company a chance to stand out and deliver a message and an image. Learn how to tap into that and use it properly.

Ignoring candidates and hoping they’ll go away won’t work either. All you’ll do is piss them off and start building an unflattering reputation for your company. If you have open jobs and you really want serious candidates, then you’ve got to be serious too. I read the email from the Ruthie List, Kim Allan’s list and a few others out there. Recruiters will send these job ads over for positions they desperately need filled. (Let’s be real, if they had the network or the database they wouldn’t need to beg on lists and groups). Some will include their contact information. Others (my favorites ones) will say “do not email me. Please go to our website and apply online”. Oh but wait, they get pissed off because unqualified candidates are filling up their database! LMAO!!!! Of course they are silly. You haven’t done a damn thing to find out about them or qualify them first. But it’s all about pipelining right? Riiiiiiight. Remember, you get what you give.

Recruiters it is 2010. It’s time to elevate your game. Do better, want better, be better!

Guess what world, I'm back! So who's recruiting team do I need to fix next?

Til next time,

Adrienne Graham

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:24:00 +0000

Am I an Influencer for you? Do I bring value? I sure hope so. Fast Company Influencer Project- http://fcinf.com/v/br79

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 01:10:00 +0000

Want to know how to succeed in social media? Read my new article at Forbes.com: http://tinyurl.com/23k2jsa

But I Can't Find Talented Black Women for My Technology Positions

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 22:18:00 +0000

If you listened to my radio show Views From the Top this past Friday (June 4, 2010), you would have heard a very interesting conversation. I had Shireen Mitchell and Chris Curtis on my show discussing Black Women (or the lack of) in Technology. These are two women who are great examples of Black Women who started off in technology early (think Radio Shack Tandy computers that hooked up to the television....wait, I'm dating myself because I was one of those geek girls early on) and spent all of their adult lives in the heart of technology. My path was different in that I went into Recruiting in the technology space, but I still continue to keep a healthy interest in technology.

The heart of the conversation was about the many excuses that companies and hiring managers use to justify or excuse the fact that Black Women are poorly represented in the space. Now I'm an advocate for all women in tech, but for the purposes of this blog post, I'm focusing on Black Women. In my 17+ years of recruiting, most of those years in the tech industry, resumes of Black Women rarely came across my desk for technology positions unless they were in web DESIGN or Business Analyst. I'd get the occasional Technical Writer or "Sales Engineer" but anything deeper than that it was a ghost town. Being the type of Recruiter I am, I never waited for them to apply. I would always have to go out and hunt for them. And trust me, it wasn't very easy in the beginning. I can't tell you how frustrated I was to get these meaty technical positions and get the same profile of candidate: male, 20's or 30's, White or Indian. Sure, I would get the occasional Woman candidate, but more times than not, she was White. The more I noticed that a pattern was developing, the more I counseled my clients to step out of the norm and do something, anything to attract more women of color. I would always be met with subtle resistance. "Well Adrienne, you're the Recruiter. We'll leave that to you". It burned me up to no end to hear that. I KNOW I'm the Recruiter. I can identify your sore spots and bring you the talent you need. But I need some help to do it! One woman shouldn't be charged with taking on the diversity initiative for a major corporation. Recruiting need buy in, resources and support to build and cultivate relationships with communities and organizations to be able to attract these talented ladies. Yes, I know where to look and build organically. Can you say the same about YOUR recruiting team?

I would try to connect with the Diversity departments and some times they were absolutely clueless. They were more concerned with avoiding discrimination lawsuits, meeting certain "quotas" and providing sound bites to the public. Sure, they would have their marketing departments create the touchy feely warm and cuddly "look we employ everyone and our people look just like YOU" ads. But I knew the truth. My job is to get the most qualified PERSON for the job who can deliver and fits in with the company culture. But it's also my job (with the backing of the executive suite) to make sure the company gets in front of a cross section of people. But when you have companies that care more about avoiding lawsuits than truly creating a diverse environment, you're fighting an uphill battle.

But back to the subject at hand. I would really like to see the numbers of Black Women or any women of color for that matter in the hands on development and leadership technical positions at companies like Microsoft, Apple, Cisco, Intel, Google, Yahoo, etc. Yes, I'm calling names. I NEVER EVER see any visual representation of any Black Women in prominent technology roles. I see them as end users or customers. But never as developers or contributors. Now, I'm sure someone from these companies will come back and challenge me. Bring it on. This is not an attack. I'm just curious about your numbers. I have recruiter buddies and some tech folks (I won't name names) who share their stories with me in confidence. If you're worried about who would be telling secrets, maybe that's a sign that you should be focusing on getting more women of color in the mix, not alienating or ignoring us.

Let's turn the focus if you will to the media and conference organizers. Are you not looking hard enough for women of color to showcase? Fast Company, Inc, Wired I'm talking to YOU. Hold on now, Black Enterprise, I'm not leaving you out of this. I rarely see a Black Woman tech business owners or executive adequately covered. You have a Black Woman as a Tech Editor! Come on, we need better representation. And hey all you conference organizers, you mean to tell me you can't find ONE Black Woman to have on panel? Oh wait, from what I understand, one of my associates said that you were more concerned with the "quality of the content and sessions". Hhhhmmmm. I don't know about you all, but to me that reads "a Black Woman would not be able to bring anything to the table to intelligently connect with the audience. OK got ya! To the women focused organizations out there, please, I beg you, do a better job of outreach. Start tapping into the women who are fortunate enough to be in the spotlight. Connect with recruiters because they (well some of them) should know how to tap into that market. Have a Black Woman on your board, facilitate sessions, or work with you to drive membership. There are a whole segment of Black Women out there who are frustrated because they feel left out or alienated. Reach out to them and I guarantee your membership will diversify....if you truly want it to.

Now as I said on my show, Black Women please don't think I'm going on the war path. Because we have a role in this too. There have been many times where I had solid Black Women candidate who opted NOT to go after certain roles because they didn't want to be part of the politics and bullshit (their words, not mine). They knew that it would be an uphill battle to get hired, then accepted into the fold by their tech comrades. I've heard the horror stories, I've seen the treachery. But what does not kill us makes us stronger. Now this is for all women. We cannot hide away in the shadows if we want to be recognized for our achievements. I want to see apps developed by Black Women (or Latinas or Asian Women, etc). I want to see platforms and systems created by women of color....hell, by women period! Don't keep your ideas and projects under wraps. Be proud of what you bring to the table and take every opportunity to show people what you can do. Reach out to other women and start building relationships. Be vocal in meetings. Don't just sit back and let the "boys" speak at the table. Be heard and respected. I you start feeling left out, minimized or disrespected, nip it in the bud from day one. Continue to upgrade your skills and keep your finger on the pulse of what's going on in the industry. Get better at what you do. And stop denying yourself opportunities because of the likelihood of bullshit and politics.

Ladies make sure you connect with your HR representative and managers and map out your career path. Don't let anyone talk you out of your path. If you're gunning for the CTO title, do whatever you need to do to improve your skills, volunteer for projects, network, keep up certifications and training, showcase your expertise and everything else you can do to climb your way to that CTO spot. Let your skills speak for themselves. Open the lines of communication with Recruiters in the tech industry. If you're in a company where you are under appreciated or devalued, take your skills elsewhere. Recruiters can help you find the best environment for you. And if you don't find the right fit, take your knowledge and talent and start your own tech firm. When you do, I'll be that one to find you the talent you need....a diverse cross section of talent, male and female, White, Black, Latino, Asian, etc. The most successful companies with the happiest employees are the most diverse companies.

You can only use how the corporations treat you as an excuse but so long. Own your part in it then work past the corporate politics to excel at your craft. Companies, pay attention. Technology is not just a guy thing. There are plenty of women, especially women of color, who have a lot to offer. Don't let ignorance keep you from hiring the best.

Til next time,

Adrienne Graham

It's Finally Here! Well, the Website at Least

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Wed, 05 May 2010 16:13:00 +0000

Hello, hello! As you can probably imagine I am just giddy about my new website launch. After much blood, sweat, tears, prayer, false starts, hard work, and yes sometimes cussing, the official website for the Fearless Woman Magazine is now live! I have waited so long for this and have encountered so many obstacles along the way. I even considered quitting....yes, the "Q" word because I had a few people tell me I would not be able to get it done. But I'm here to tell you that not only am I still standing, I have a real live functional website to show for it.

Now I know a few sour heads are going to say "hey the site is up but what about the magazine itself?". It's a great question...and I have a great answer. As you may already know, Empower Me! is hosting the Fearless Woman Summit at the Georgia International Convention Center June 16-17 right here in Atlanta. Originally, I was planning to do a simple launch party to announce the magazine to the world. But my team has taken over and transformed this event into the must attend professional development event of the year, in addition to a kick ass launch party! So the soft launch or unofficial launch of the physical magazine will be June 16 and it will be revealed to the attendees of the Summit and Empower Me! members (they of course get their subscriptions for free with their membership). Everyone who attends the event will get an advanced copy and will be able to help us celebrate the launch. I am so excited I can barely contain myself. For the rest of the world, the official launch is July 1st.

Our first issue is focused on Diversity from Her Perspective and we have a stellar line up of articles that make you think, reflect, and take action. The magazine will motivate you to live your best professional life...fearlessly! From Dr. Ella Edmondson Bell to Barbara Corcoran to Audrey Lee, to Sarah Evans, to Aliza Sherman, we have some phenomenal ladies who share the distinction of being in our debut issue. I can't wait for you to read it! Trust me, the website has NOTHING on the actual issue!

In the mean time, we want you to feel like the magazine's website is your community. We have a top notch roster of Contributing Bloggers who will share their wisdom, encouragement and expertise each week. You can catch snippets of our videos, listen to Views From the Top Radio Show, join our Facebook Fan Page, and even follow us on Twitter. You will even be able to catch previews of our shows in the brand new EmpoweredWoman.tv. Soon, you will have the capability to translate the site into your chosen language!

Be sure you bookmark and share the website with all your friends, family and co-workers. If you're a man, be sure to send your wife, girlfriend, sister, mother, female colleagues over to the website. I guarantee it'll be the best thing they can do for themselves in the name of professional development.

Please stop by and let me know what you think.

Til Next Time.

Adrienne Graham
PUBLISHER
Fearless Woman Magazine (an Empower Me! Corporation publication)

Views From the Top Selected Top 100 Radio Shows for Small Business, 1 of Only 8 from Blog Talk Radio

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 18:42:00 +0000

I am so very thrilled. Last night I received an email from the Director of Programming over at Blog Talk Radio. I found out that my show, Views From the Top was not only selected in the Top 100 Heavy Hitter Shows for small business, but it is one of only EIGHT shows selected from Blog Talk Radio's roster to have made the list! I am humbled and honored, not to mention totally surprised! Thank you to everyone who continues to listen to the show and support it.

http://blog.blogtalkradio.com/books/small-business-trends-radios-top-100-list-top-heavy-blogtalkradio-shows/

Small Business Trends Radio’s Top 100 List Top Heavy with BlogTalkRadio Shows

If it wasn’t already apparent that BlogTalkRadio has got what is arguable the Internet’s best business-show roster, now comes a ranking to prove it.

Small Business Trends Radio has released its annual list of 100 Best Small Business Podcasts and guess what?

In all eight of BTR’s business shows made the list, right alongside those of such powerhouse media outlets as The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, The New York Times, CNN and the BBC.

To boot, one show from BTR’s Cincast.com community—where creating short, snappy podcasts are a cinch—made the list as well.

“Each year we scour the Internet for you and choose 100 of the most useful and informative podcasts we can find for entrepreneurs, small businesses and small
business owners,” the weekly show says on its website.

Congratulations to all our heavy hitters:

Blake Landau: Customer Management IQ

Adrienne Graham: Views From the Top

David Mathison: Be The Media

Kenneth Darryl Brown: The Passionate Entrepreneur

Sherry Borzo: Entrepreneur People

Barry Moltz: Business Insanity Talk Radio

Wayne Hurlbert: Blog Business Success

Zane Safrit: Zane Safrit

Robert Scoble: Scobleizer

To read the Small Business Trends Radio report, click here.

To check out Cinchcast.com, click here.

They STILL Don't Get It!

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:03:00 +0000

OK, so my last blog post was on Christmas Eve...not really a post as much as a holiday greeting. I was sitting here thinking to myself how I have absolutely nothing left to say about recruiting. I've been contemplating retiring (again) from the game because I'm bored with it. No real challenges have come my way in quite a bit. So as I'm sitting here struggling to find the words to tell you all I'm going on hiatus, God sends this lovely gem my way!! And guess what? I'm not going anywhere! LOL

So I'm going through the Ruthie List (love that list...very useful tool for Recruiters) deleting out all of the unread mail in my inbox (I told you I'm uninterested in recruiting lately). I come across a posting that made me want to look. It said "Director of Social Media". Hhhmmm. I love social media and am fascinated with it's growth and and development. So let's take a look at the listing. It's starts off saying:

Do you eat, sleep and breathe online communities, forums, blogs, virtual worlds, and social networks?

And I'm thinking alright, finally a non-boring job! Let me read on! So I'm going through the day to day duties thinking to myself yep, some lucky person is going to have a fabulous, exciting job. Wow, wish I was interested in going back to corporate (I'm so NOT). This stuff really is in line with things I do with my other company (won't get into it, just Google me to find out!). Then my face drops. I knew this was too good to be true! LOL We stumble upon the Qualifications for the job. You know, the absolute must haves that would even get you in the door for just an interview (or at least not get your resume thrown away). Here's what it says:

Qualifications:
- Bachelors degree in Communications, PR, English, Marketing or other related field
- 8+ years B2C marketing, communications or PR experience
- 2+ years of social media experience
- Deep familiarity with social media, viral and word of mouth online marketing practices
- Excellent consulting, writing, editing, and communication skills, including an engaging written voice
- Experienced builder and executer of online social media strategies
- Experience moderating group discussions and managing community leaders

Now, hold up. Check out the first two bolded requirements. Are we in 2010? Has anyone, ANYONE been paying attention over the last decade? Anyone at all? That is besides me. Now don't get me wrong. I do believe one should have some form of education to go with those skills. But dammit, we are no longer living in a traditional society! Even before that, think back to the billion dollar man Bill Gates. Many of you use the very software he created WITHOUT HAVING A DEGREE and all those extra credentials. Fast forward to the Google Guys of the Facebook Kid and many other pioneers (or opportunists depending on how you look at it) of social media. There are high school kids who have better put together branding campaigns on social media than big corporations. There are housewives starting whole movements with social media. There are people becoming (social) media moguls (myself included) without all of that stuff they ask for above.

I thought it was all about getting the best talent in the market. I thought it was more about change and innovation and less about pedigree. I mean seriously, can someone explain this to me? The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over expecting different results. Here we are in 2010 and big companies are STILL holding on to the old ways of work. STILL holding on to traditional requirements while expecting change, innovation and fresh talent to conform. Hello, is this thing on? Have you been paying attention big business? I mean for the lack of a better term, What The Hell!!??

So you see, every time I get the thought of retiring from the game in my head, something comes along and pulls me back in. So thank you big company for reigniting my interest in recruiting and this blog. Oh trust, I have a lot to get off my chest and I most certainly will this year. So if you don't want to be called out, spotlighted, or checked, maybe you need to unsubscribe from my blog or simply DO BETTER!

Til next time,

Oh, and Happy New Year!

Adrienne Graham

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 01:33:00 +0000

From my family & staff to you and yours, wishing you a very Merry Christmas. Thank you for your continued support.

Happy Holidays!

Adrienne Graham

There's No Such Thing as Discount Talent

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 22:30:00 +0000

There is always a fear associated with bad economies. Companies instinctively look to slash budgets, and unfortunately, hiring is the first casualty. It starts out subtle. At first they trim the recruiting team. They will shrink it down to a virtual skeleton crew and put recruiting duties on regular HR folks. Then they look at advertising and recruiting partner programs. That is the next biggest expense they believe will save them dollars. The knee jerk reaction is to pare down to the bare minimum and keep a few job board sites that they have had some moderate success with and reason that they don't need recruiters to man those. They can put them on autopilot. Finally, you will begin to see them less visible in the conference circle.

Well in a perfect world, companies would not make such hasty decisions. I do not blame Human Resources. They only do what they are told from the "suits" in the executive office. It is unfortunate that they are left with the perception of being the hatchet men. What the "suits" do not get is that during the down economy it is not the time to skimp on talent. This is when people are more compelled to start feeling out the market because they fear their own jobs are not secure. How can you expect them to find your company, if you shut out the lights (so to speak)? Now is when you should be moving ahead full force with your talent acquisition plans. People are the life engine of a business. It is not your products or services. If you have nobody around to sell or produce them, how do you stay in business?

I know you want to keep things lean and feel the need to trim where you deem necessary. But you want to position yourself to snatch up top talent during bad times, not miss out on them. Those are the people who are going to bring new life and power to your company. Why would you want to jeopardize that? This is the time where you can get the top talent you want and maybe negotiate a mutually acceptable compensation package. But by no means, do not fool yourself into thinking that you can use the economy to undercut them on salary. As bad as the market is, trust that they have other options. If they are that good, other companies will seek them out and it will be your loss, not theirs.

These are the steps you SHOULD be doing now to attract top talent:

• Align your brand with a cause. People are more comfortable with companies who put their face on a mission. It shows they are willing to speak out and commit to what they stand for. This lets people know that not only are you there, but you are willing to make a difference.

• Continue courting top talent. As I mentioned before, now is when people are exploring other opportunities. Look at their track record. Can you afford to NOT have them on your team?
• Let Recruiters do what they are paid to do. Just because someone works in HR does not make them a recruiting expert. Recruiting is all about relationship building. It is not as simple as putting butts in jobs. There is an art to making the right match and Recruiters (worth their salt) can do this. Plus they are the first contact with your company. Would you rather have a resentful, overworked HR person who is not used to actively recruiting be your representative, or knowledgeable Recruiter who gets the job done and delivers results?

• Look for ways to boost your company brand. This means getting involved in conferences. Send your best employees to represent the company. Let people see what makes your company so dynamic and what you (collectively) bring to the table by sending knowledgeable staff to speak and/or host a vendor booth.

• Give candidates a reason to want to apply for your jobs. By continuing to strategically assess and meet new talent, you show that you value your people. Candidates tend to shy away from companies who always seem to lay off staff. Even if you must do that, show them that you are always open to hiring for key positions.

• Do not take advantage of candidates. They may be out of work or in jeopardy of being out of work soon. But that does not give you license to pay them dramatically less than fair market value. That is not only unrealistic but also unethical. You want people that will bring their "A" game to the table. What incentive do they have if you pay them below their asking price? Invest that money in real talent. The payoff is incredibly high.

Do not skimp on talent. Your people are your most valuable asset. You cannot abandon hiring strategies just because the market scares you into it. Make sure you are constantly assessing your talent and identify areas you need to keep strong staff. In the end, you will be guaranteed to have a stronger, happier more productive team.

Til Next Time.

Adrienne Graham

There's More to Social Networking Than JUST Twitter, Facebook & Linked In

noreply@blogger.com (Talent Diva) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:53:00 +0000

I know, I know. I've kind of slacked off on my blogging duties. Well, not really. I've been really involved with career blogging, my radio show (Views From the Top), preparing courses, and the other millions of projects I have going on. But I have been keeping my eye on the recruiting landscape and how social media and social networking have infiltrated it. or should I say how recruiting has infiltrated social media!

I've been flooded, as I'm sure you have been, with these "free" teleseminars and so called training on how to harness the power of social media to recruit. There are beginner recruiter classes, executive level classes, and everything in between. The one thing these all have had in common is that they focus squarely on Twitter, Facebook & Linked In. Now don't get me wrong. In the times we live in, these are the front runners in social networking. Twitter leading the way in micro-blogging, Facebook leading the way in "community" and Linked In still holding it's own (barely) in the professional arena. There have even been articles and blogs that suggest that job boards and other traditional methods of recruiting are going to soon be extinct. Well I say BS. Why do I say that? Let me explain.

First of all, everyone thought Myspace was going to rule the world. Like any other community, forum or supposed networking tool, it lost it's luster. The teeny boppers and entertainment set took over. And let's not forget the creepy weirdos. But I digress. The point I'm making is that every site, no matter how popular has a shelf life. I have been an early adopter of many site and tools, scoping them out then trying them to use as part of my recruiting arsenal. Some remained, some changed, some faded away. But the one thing I always made sure of was that I was diversifying my resources. Now, if you've been reading my blog for any length of time, you would know that I was using the Internet as a whole long before it became the "cool thing to do". So I'm pretty well trained in spotting trends that pertain to using the Internet as a recruiting tool. I did it more so because I had no other choice. As a small business I didn't have to resources of a Fortune 500 firm. I had to get creative. But even now I'm, always scoping out new and exciting sites.

Facebook, Linked In and Twitter are the holy trinity of social networking strategies for individuals and recruiters alike. But I challenge you. What happens if they stop being the "cool spot for the in crowd"? Where will you go then? Where else are you setting your looking to find new and exciting talent? Are you listening to Blog Talk Radio or any other Internet Radio stations? Are you tapping into not just YouTube, but other video (including live) streaming sites? Are you paying attention to how people are using various platforms to showcase their knowledge, talent and expertise? What about sites like Viadeo or the sub-sites of Ning and other social networking forums? Are you paying attention to what's being said (or not said)? Are you going where no other recruiters are going? What about the mobile computing wave? Are you reaching candidates in real time where they want to be reached? I propose that you continue using Linked In, Twitter & Facebook. Use them until you can get nothing more from them. BUT don't sleep on other sites and tools. You have to have a comprehensive strategy in place to be successful. And while we're at it, can I just say that Social Media and Social Networking are NOT the same. Social Media are the tools and Social Networking is the communities. Any so called trainer or expert who doesn't define that for you from the beginning isn't really an expert. That's common sense!

So I would be wary of any expert shopping their so called classes to you in which they only focus on Twitter, Facebook & Linked In. Recruiters, just like job seekers, need a comprehensive social media plan in place before diving right in. Without a strategy, you will encounter wasteful hours playing around on the Internet. If you need to, find an expert who truly understands social media across many mediums who can help you define your goal, create your plan and implement your strategy. Anyone else is just talking noise. Also, be sure you're learning the correct way to use these tools. For example, you can't just set up a Twitter account and start blasting jobs with the hopes of people finding them. You have to be ENGAGED. Are you engaged? If you're not engaged, how will people know you exist, or worse, feel compelled to hear anything you have to say?

Think about these points as you refine your plan. I do coach Recruiters and part of the coaching includes Social Media Strategies. So get out there and tap into the power of social media. Let me know how it works for you. And if you're not getting the hang of it, feel free to hire me as your coach!

Til Next Time,

Adrienne Graham