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?