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 Road to Sourcing Leads to Atlanta

     Unless you work somewhere in the recruiting field, you probably don't think much about the profession of sourcing.  A topic on which we wrote several weeks ago, sourcing has a direct relationship to business intelligence and strategic recruiting and is a necessary and important function to secure talent in today's global marketplace.  Sourcing professionals spend their days hunting for specific passive talent (those people not actively in job search mode) and then partner with recruiters to begin conversations which ultimately lead to new employees being hired into the desiring company.  You might say sourcers are quite literally "head hunters" or "talent scouts" but who don't perform the assessment and interview tasks normally associated with recruiting.

     Along the blogging path, I have had occasion to meet a "Sourcer Extraordinaire," as I like to call him.  Moises Lopez is the National Sourcing Manager for PDS Technical Services and has his own blog called The Sourcing Corner.  He is probably one of the most humble people I've met, quietly insisting that he's only good at his job because he loves it so much.  So, it came as quite a surprise to him when after tracking his blog, SourceCon 2007 asked Moises to come and join the global sourcing conference as a subject matter expert.  Moises will find himself in good company this September in Atlanta, among other such notables as Jim Stroud, Krista Bradford, Rob McIntosh, Amy Beth Hale,  Shally Steckerl, Russ Moon, Tim O'Connor, and Glenn Gutmacher.    Moises shakes his head in disbelief and smiles as he runs his fingers over the conference itinerary where he is listed as a speaker.  Sure he blogs and writes about his perspective on sourcing, but doesn't everyone have an opinion and ideas, he asks outloud.  He's surprised and excited at his good fortune.

     For my part, I am not the least bit surprised -- but I am very glad for my friend.  My take is that Moises IS exceptionally good at his job, and he is engaged in his work such that he spends countless personal hours pouring over sourcing materials so he can learn more and provide even more added value to his employer.  Moises is an example for all of us:  he's found work for which he is passionate, happily throws himself into his job, and is precious to his employer.  And, bonus!  He is being recognized by his peers as a result.  For anyone wishing to develop or improve career success, this is a sage road to follow.  Moreoever, he has shown us all how to become more visible to opportunity:  speak up and be heard!  Let that be a lesson -- and you don't even have to go to Atlanta to learn it!

Technorati tags:  SourceCon 2007, sourcing, recruiting and hiring

    

30 hour commute

Once in a blue moon I sit next to someone memorable on an airplane, and yesterday was my day.  Yesterday I met a man who has the job that I actually yearned for in my early college days - and got a brief glimpse of how different my life might have been if I'd actually followed that dream.

Jeffrey (is that his real name? I'm sure I'll never know) is a translator for the UN, with an office in Saudi Arabia, assignments in Iraq, and a 30 hour commute twice a month (I'll never complain about my own commute again).  We talked for two hours that went so fast it seemed like a mere 15 minutes for me - and I was mesmerised: Saddam Hussein's trial, body guards, foreign languages and cultures, and his most interesting statement of all - that you "become" the person whose words you represent while translating for them.  It turns out that my job as a recruiter, although not nearly as exotic, has some strong parallels to his after all - thinking back on all of the interviews and offers I've brokered between candidates and hiring managers over the years.

Before we landed, I asked him if he thought it was possible for one person to change the world.  Here's what he said:

One person makes a difference in another person's life.  To change the world it will take every person making a difference, all at the same time.

Food for thought.

Technorati tags: translator, UN, recruiting

Interview with George Blomgren

We had a great opportunity to drop in and visit with George Blomgren this week, and the resulting interview is published here on his blog, "For Employers and Recruiters."  Thanks to you, George, for letting us tell you more about what's up at Improved Experience.

For those who aren't aware, Improved Experience is launching a new product this fall that can help your company understand the perceptions of candidates and employees at every stage in the employment lifecycle,  and manage those perceptions to improve business performance.

Contact us to learn more: alise@improvedexperience.com, or claudia@improvedexperience.com.

Checkout accounting jobs, UK at AccountantCareers.co.uk.

Missing in action, sort of

Noticed us missing in action for a while?  We have been heads down here at ImprovedExperience.com.  The week of September 4^th brought us the arrival of our functional prototype of our initial product launch called “Get Better Hires,” which is all about the candidate experience and how it impacts the success of recruiting and various associated outreach programs.  We were busy making presentations to a few of the folks with whom we'd previously spoken on a conceptual basis. Then, the week of September 11^th found us in Miami at the ERE (Electronic Recruiting Exchange) Expo.  Wow, what a great time that was!  We reconnected with old friends and even found a few new ones.  Stay tuned for thoughts emerging from that seaside conference, and thanks for checking back in with us!

Technorati tags: recruiting, candidate experience, prototype.

Checkout London jobs at CanaryWharfJobs.com.

Six Degrees of Separation

This week in preparation for the ERE Expo in Hollywood, FL, Judy Wright , Employment Brand Manager at T-Mobile dropped in on us. 

I have a confession.  Ok, maybe two confessions.  One, this is my first time blogging so be gentle. Two, when I travel, I like to read celebrity magazines such as Ok! and In Touch.

As I head to ERE, I find myself glancing thorough Brangelina pictures and the Suri saga, only to find the TV fall previews.  A blurb on a new show called Six Degrees catches my eye and my mind begins to wander and explore thoughts around the power of who you know.

Recruiting at its core is about the power of connection.  Personal and professional networking is the life blood of our industry. Through technology as well as people, we are able to access a wide degree of information and gain access to at least six degrees of separation.  Not just who you know, but who does that person happen to know.

As sort of a late night experiment, Alise, Claudia and I are curious to know how long it will take someone to admit that they actually know me and respond accordingly.

Trust me, I don’t think it will be Brad or Angelina.

Technorati tags: HR, Brangelina, Kevin Bacon

Checkout nursing jobs in Las Vegas, Nevada at NVJobSearch.

The Employment Customer

Andrew Marritt recently wrote an excellent piece about The Employment Customer, and the value of approaching “talent” with techniques commonly used in consumer marketing circles.

What a concept, when HR can reach right out and assimilate the lessons learned by their counterparts in business.

In working with recruiters over the years I’ve often said that wisdom is a combination of both What and Why.  One without the other is like cause without effect: you never really get to learn the important things.

The truth of the matter is that Why always tells the more interesting story.  Why speaks to motivators, values, beliefs and perceptions.  Why is the starting point for an interesting exchange of ideas.  Why is what separates a good recruiter from an amazing one.

Attracting and retaining great hires is the What that HR gets paid to do.  Understanding the effect that programs, processes and good old fashioned human interaction have on job seekers and employees - well, that’s the Why that leads to strategic branding, targeted outreach, and ultimately better hiring and retention.

HR, your Employment Customer is talking. Are you listening?

What a concept. 

Technorati tags: recruiting employment brand hiring

Brand Ambassadors

When I was little, I wanted to be adopted by my parents' best friends.  They were funny and smart, and they talked to me like I was a grown up.  I always felt good around them because they laughed and smiled a lot - not just with us kids, but with each other too.  I decided early on that if I couldn't be a part of my family, the only other family I wanted to be a part of was theirs.

Talk about powerful messaging for a little kid - without knowing anything about their budget or the difficulties they faced together in life, I tuned into what was really important to me: that I wanted to be on their team.

Every employee is a brand ambassador.

They represent the image of the company, and what it's like to work there. They represent the culture, the work/life balance, the quality of the other employees, the advancement opportunities.  When they interact with others, they are the company.

And when that happens their unique message comes through loud and clear: long hours and tough commutes (because telecommuting isn't an option)...how difficult it is to keep good people because the competition pays more...the level of bureaucracy that slows internal decisions to a snail's pace...you fill in the blanks.

What employees say can help or hurt your employment brand.  And that's important because of the influence it has on the talent that you need to recruit for tomorrow's growth and initiatives.

Let's face it.  Out there somewhere is an amazing contributor that you want thinking, "if I wasn't working here, I definitely would want to work there."

Technorati tags: recruiting employment branding hiring