it's ALL about the experience

All you need is 'L.O.V.E.D.'

There are some really smart people out in the recruiting blogosphere, and Michael Homula is definitely one of them.  If you are a fan of engagement and you haven't stumbled across Michael's newly launched series on Creating the Ultimate Candidate Experience, check out the 'L' word here.

The "Real Deal" in recruiting

I read a list this morning that inspired me, and reminded me once again of why I love recruiting.  Tom Peters calls this list the "Real Deal" -- things that set extraordinary talent apart from the average.  Reading it brought back to me more than just memories of great candidates I've met on past searches; it also reminded me of the fire I felt inside when my treasure-hunt resulted in someone with an over-the-top combination of the n-factor for impact in business.

So I share with you the list from Tom, with two questions to consider.  First, does it describe you as a recruiter?  And second, how would you measure each of the following in a candidate, so you could explain it succinctly to a hiring manager?

Displays Passion.

Inspires others.

Loves Pressure.

Craves Action.

Knows how to finish the job.

Thrives on WOW.

Exhibits curiosity.

Embodies “wierd.”

Exudes a sense of fun.

Thinks at a high level.

“Gets” Talent.

As I see it, recognizing talent is not a problem for most recruiters.  Just about everyone has the ability to know talent when they see it.  No, the bigger challenge is the ability to measure and articulate the talent we find as a call to action to raise the bar of business excellence.  This ability is the n-factor for impact in recruiters who create raving fans and consistently out-perform their peers.

If you want to improve your game as a recruiter, start by recognizing, measuring, and testing behaviors that demonstrate the "Real Deal" in candidates. Your hiring managers will love you for it.

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I'm Claudia Faust, and in my day job I’m the head of Products at Improved Experience, where we help employers use feedback to increase competitive advantage in hiring and retention. Learn more about us here.

Technorati tags: recruiting, measure, real_deal

Sins of the Recruiter

I had to laugh when I saw this newly launched blog which is all about the (mostly) clueless behaviors of recruiters trolling for fresh meat. Seen through the eyes of a software development contractor who launched his search for a new gig a few weeks ago, it is an almost-daily log of recruiting behaviors that are least endearing to candidates.  Talk about first impressions...the posting tags read like a scene from a bad bar pickup: clueless, desperate, moron, foot in mouth, rookie.

Call it morbid curiosity, but I'm going to stop by again soon to see what some poor recruiter-schlump has done now to warrant a public flogging.

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I'm Claudia Faust, and in my day job I’m the head of Products at Improved Experience, where we help employers use feedback to measure and manage engagement for competitive advantage in hiring and retention. Learn more about us here.

Technorati tags: recruiting, first_impressions, improved_experience

The DNA of engagement

I spend a lot of my waking hours thinking about engagement -- what it is, how you get it, and how it can be measured and improved.  It sounds strange, I know -- but I'm not alone (and hey, you're reading along).  The more I research the topic, the more I discover the variety of definitions and expectations: some folks think it's what you do to others, others think it's what you're responsible for yourself.

So what is the DNA of engagement?  What are it's most basic, combustible elements that, when combined, create passion, commitment, and competitive advantage?  Over at RecruitingBlogs.com today I'm exploring the topic from a slightly different perspective...here's a peek:

...it took a nanosecond to sum up the chaos: while mommy was speaking to a clerk a short distance away, the 4 year old was methodically loading up the basket with jars of jam. In the spirit of cooperation, his younger brother (about 2 and a half I think, seated in the basket and clearly enjoying the game) was liberating the jars by dropping them back out of the cart and onto the floor below. The baby watched in glee as the jars bounced, crashed, and generally made a really delicious mess...

Drop by for a read, and leave me your comments.  Who knows?  I may even reach out to you for a little more of that product research.

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I'm Claudia Faust, and in my day job I’m the head of Products at Improved Experience, where we help employers use feedback to measure and manage engagement for competitive advantage in hiring and retention. Learn more about us here.

Technorati tags: engagement, recruiting, recruitingblogs.com, improved_experience

Is the Cover Letter Dead?

At the Electronic Recruiting Exchange (ERE) conference in San Diego, we had the distinct pleasure of meeting and chatting with Joyce Lain Kennedy, the nation's first syndicated careers columnist. Her work, CAREERS NOW, is distributed by Tribune Media Services and appears in more than 100 newspapers and websites.  Now, Joyce is a busy woman, what with answering countless correspondence from her readers and revising the 3rd edition of Cover Letters for Dummies, due out January 2009.  No surprise then, after writing career advice for more than 40 years and seeing the paper method of job search move to an increasing reliance in the technological domain, what's really keeping the woman up at night is, "what do recruiters and hiring professionals really think of the cover letter?  Is it dead?" 

Of course, we thought that was a lovely question to pose to those of you who frequent our blog.  So, what do you think?  Is the cover letter a relic of yesterday's recruiting?  Has it been replaced with on-line profiles?  Or, do you still think it has value?  We'd love to hear your thoughts.

Technorati tags:  cover letter; Joyce Lain Kennedy, recruiting and hiring.