We're all stalkers, aren't we?

Especially when looking for unusually well-qualified candidates, as most of us are these days... Tip o' the fedora to smart sourcer-girl Kelly Dingee for this true article on Fistful of Talent: http://fistfuloftalent.com/2013/07/first-do-no-harm-stalking-on-linkedin.html I found myself today doing a third and fourth touchpoint with several candidates. I border on being annoying, but I do same thing in my personal life - so don't shoot me :^) Seriously, all recruiters turn into stalkers at some point. We just hope our targets see it as flattering and not too stalkerish, if the fit really IS as good as we think it is. If I can stalk some great talent for your organization, drop me a line at info@broadbandhr.com

Feeling racy

So I just discovered a whole bunch of Google tools I didn't know were out there. Check out the new look of this blog and let me know if it is more readable this way. Thanks for the feedback - it looks better to me.

Recruit me like you mean it!

Love, love, love this post from Fistful of Talent's Kris Dunn: http://fistfuloftalent.com/2013/05/recruit-me-like-you-mean-it-v2-0-dont-recruit-lexus-candidates-if-you-drive-a-hyundai-people.html#comment-32196 I've always been a Cadillac or Mercedes girl, even when I wasn't driving one. And it's important to match up with the caliber of the client. If you're looking for great talent, chat me up and I'll work with you. Deb@BroadBandHR.com

Rude candidates vs. Rude recruitment processes

Tip o' the hat to Jason Pankow for this great article on Fistful of Talent: http://fistfuloftalent.com/2013/05/rude-candidates-are-annoying-but-maybe-i-should-be-nicer-to-them.html I do believe that recruiters - yes, you too! - have an obligation to improve the processes used by their employer or client. And a big part of that is manners... What Mom taught us was valuable. And we need to set higher expectations for ourselves on manners in the process of recruiting. It is too easy to fall into bad habits and excuses. Like, everybody does this these days... What a cop out. Take responsibility. Take the time to prep your candidates well. Build a real relationship with them. Talk to them, understand what drives them, and know that they are more than the skills on their resumes. End of sermon for today!

Hiring is broken

Tip o' the hat to Steve Gifford for this one: http://fistfuloftalent.com/2013/05/hiring-is-broken.html The issue of the long term unemployed is a big one - so many people have been out of work for such a long time, and here are the stats to prove it.

Are the "non-hip" our next protected class?

Tip o' the porkpie to Dawn Burke of Fistful of Talent for this one: http://fistfuloftalent.com/2013/05/hipster-bias-another-hr-hurdle.html#comment-31097 I run into this all of the time with young organizations. They often don't realize the difference between selecting for cultural fit and selecting for talent. And then they end up firing people who can't do the job they were hired for. It's a delicate balance always to hire for past performance or future potential. But the idea of not hiring someone who isn't hip enough raises a whole new spectre of discrimination.

Remember the basics

Your LinkedIn profile and your resume are great tools, but only is they are crisp, to the point, and free of typos and chronological errors. These are things that bug most recruiters and bother Silicon Valley headhunters even more. If you can't attend the basics, you're probably not a very good candidate generally. And this applies to software developers just as much - if you make mistakes on your resume, your code is probably not error-free either. So, proof-read, proof-read, and then put it down and proof it again later. Better still, ask someone else to proof it a third time. It is worth the effort, I promise.

LinkedIn - Job Board or Social Network?

Tip o' the hat to Raj Sheth of Recruiter.com for this interesting article: http://www.recruiter.com/i/linkedin-job-board-or-social-network/?goback=.gde_4930685_member_236839301 While I'm tempted to say it doesn't matter, it really does. LinkedIn continues to develop new products for recruiters, a primary customer target group for the company. But I am finding, and hearing from other recruiters, that LinkedIn is now so overrun with recruiters that candidates aren't responding. When a passive candidate gets 5 or more requests per day from recruiters s/he doesn't know, the efficacy of LinkedIn drops way down. I have noticed that response rates to my InMails are dropping as well. With an average of 20% response rate over the long haul (I was a charter member of LinkedIn in beta), my response rate is probably half that today. So, I'm looking at other ways to reach out. I still use LinkedIn as much on identifying people I want to connect with. But I'm getting more creative about the "candidate acquistion" piece. What are your thoughts?

Resume or Tweet?

As a headhunter, I really want to know my candidates... I think trying to make a selection of any kind based on 140 characters is flawed. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323820304578412741852687994.html?mod=dist_smartbrief And a 6 second video doesn't do it for me either. I'm just sayin'

In vs Out part 3

Tip o' the hat to Steve Boese for a little more intelligence on another aspect of the telecommuting debate around Yahoo's policy change: http://fistfuloftalent.com/2013/04/would-say-500month-be-enough-to-get-you-to-move-closer-to-the-office.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FistfulOfTalent+%28Fistful+of+Talent%29 I like the incentivize aspect of this idea - rather than the "thou must" approach. Work-life balance is a key idea in why people choose to work from home. And removing barriers to employee productivity are as important as providing collaboration tools that enhance productivity. All of the moving parts need to be in place to have a productive team.

Employer Branding part deux

A critical piece of employer branding is all of the moving parts that result in a new hire for an organization. So many things CAN and DO go wrong. Great article that details some of the moving parts, and some stats on the how-to's and best practices. http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/225915 If you find any of this painful in your organization, I can help. The truth is often hard to hear, but having an outsider deliver the messages can ease the process. Contact info@broadbandhr.com for more information and HR Consulting.

Software Product Managers?

We're supposed to be at the heart of Silicon Valley... where are all of the experienced, high level, strategic, enterprise-class Product Managers with software expertise gained in an agile environment? All I'm finding are newbies that have 3 years or less of solid true product experience. And they're missing any of the depth of field that's needed for the combined enterprise to mobile and cloud systems that my clients are working with/in. I need people who can manage their way out of a paper bag and into a cloud-ready environment... and that takes an understanding of multiple distributed users on a big system. These positions also require an understanding of marketing and campaigns and marketing automation. So, if any of this sounds like you and you live in the neighborhood, drop me a resume at info@broadbandhr.com and we'll talk immediately. This company is not tiny but it's not huge and it ain't Google :^) Thanks!

Hire slow - fire fast

Many companies think they do a great job hiring because they go through a lot of candidates to get to the "right one" for the particular job. Many companies are fast to fire someone who they think is not top-notch in the first 90 days. Here's the article that prompted the post: http://www.fastcompany.com/3006206/why-hire-slow-fire-fast-better-idea-you-think Both of these approaches tell me that the companies are off track. A better screening process upfront, usually run by a professional recruiter, can save huge amounts of organizational time and effort in interviewing only the few right people to form an adequate qualified pool or slate. That doesn't mean a rush to judgment, but it does mean a consistent process with a small number of well-qualified candidates. And then a review of all of the candidates to pick the winner. Both the hire slow and fire fast approach also tell me that the company doesn't invest in its people. Consistent processes which identify people who fit both the specific role and the larger company culture and its issues at the time lead to longer term employment and individual success for the candidate/employee. If I can help your company with these issues, email info@broadbandhr.com

LinkedIn Endorsements

Too much of a good thing? Like every recruiter, I look for endorsements of my candidates from people who really know their work - that is, former managers, close colleagues, long time workmates. Every time I see one of these endorsements from people I barely know, it devalues the endorsement process to me. But Kelly Dingee refutes that theory, and has another one about stickiness, the web generally, and search engine optimization ala LinkedIn. You go, smart girl... http://fistfuloftalent.com/2013/02/from-the-sourcers-desk-those-endorsements-theyre-a-good-thing.html

Do you really want to do your job search on a 3" screen?

Don't get me wrong... I use my mobile devices for more and more things these days. But if I were a job seeker, I wouldn't be relying on my iPhone as my device for my job search. It's nice that the job sites are thinking about this issue. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/02/24/mobile-job-search/1938177/ But many companies have online application processes that don't work at all, let alone work well on a mobile small landscape screen. Most companies, even in Silicon Valley, need their online employment application reworked for ease of use. Just my 2 cents - let me know your thoughts.

Social Recruiting? Yes, but...

I think I'm pretty hip about recruiting using social media. But this article sort of lights me up - and shows little respect for the recruiting or HR functions of the company. While online reputation is important for a social marketer, I want more than street cred if I'm running the search. I want real accomplishments in the non-social world of marketing, and I want a track record that shows me this person is analytical and data-driven - that's a key success factor for anyone trying to make a difference for my company's/clients' bottom line. http://blogs.enterasys.com/hiring-a-social-marketer-no-paper-resume-accepted/ If I can help your company hire a smart social marketer or some other technically qualified role, drop me a note at info@broadbandhr.com

Manufacturing as a Growth Industry?

We haven't seen it here yet in Silicon Valley, but if Apple does the onshoring they are talking about, this could be a whole new wave of employment opportunities. And not just for software engineers... Take a look at Bill Humbert's theory here: http://www.recruitingtrends.com/manufacturing-employment-in-the-united-states-is-not-dead/ I am rooting for the home team!

Getting back to recruiting

So, since I'm having some success with re-energizing the HR blog, and a lot of new folks are following my "Love the Skin I'm in" blog, I guess I better get back to working on this one as well. I'm very excited to see that there is real discussion in D.C. about immigration reform. Our system so clearly does not work - the restrictions on H-1B's are just part of the problem. I personally want to help my clients take the risks of bringing on legitimate H1-B candidates. In the past few years, much of the limited quota numbers were devoted to use by consulting companies or "body shops", which was not what either H1-B's or L-1's were intended for. So watch for more activity here soon. www.BroadBandHR.com