I’ve written recently about a new job scam where someone is impersonating a member of our team and approaching job seekers about phony opportunities. Since then, I have seen an explosion of posts on LinkedIn from recruiters or people who are adjacent to the recruitment industry, who are also being impersonated. AI is making it easier than ever for bad actors to run scams at scale, so today I am sharing some tips about how job scams work, how to recognize them, and how you can protect yourself. As scammers and scams become more sophisticated, both job seekers and employers are increasingly at risk. Read the rest of this entry »
Protect Yourself from Job Scams
by Veronica BlattSplit Placements: Why Trust and Relationships Matter in Recruitment
by Veronica Blatt
The Resilient Recruiter Podcast with Mark Whitby recently featured an interview with several NPAworldwide members sharing their thoughts and experiences about split placements, our network, and more. The entire episode is available here, but I want to share a few highlights from the interview. Read the rest of this entry »
Are You Looking for Experience—or Looking for Talent?
by Liz Carey
Every recruiter has a placement that didn’t make sense on paper.
The candidate’s résumé wasn’t packed with the “right” titles. They came from a different industry. Their career path zigged when everyone else’s zagged. If you had relied on a keyword search alone, they probably never would have made it into the interview process.
And yet, they’re the person who went on to become one of the strongest hires.
It’s a good reminder that résumés tell us where someone has been. Conversations reveal where they can go.
That’s where great recruiting makes all the difference. Read the rest of this entry »
Choosing the Right Split Placement Network
by Veronica Blatt
You have great clients but no candidates to match them. Or you have stellar candidates and no open roles. Sound familiar? This is the daily bottleneck for solopreneurs and boutique agency owners. A split placement network solves it by connecting you with trusted partners to share fees and close more deals. But how do you separate a network that drives revenue from one that drains your time? Let’s break it down. Read the rest of this entry »
Hiring Demand Remains Positive—But Cooling Slightly
by Veronica Blatt
The latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey offers a timely snapshot of both where hiring demand is strengthening and where caution is emerging. For independent recruitment firm owners, the message is clear: opportunity remains strong, but success will depend on focus, adaptability, and positioning. Read the rest of this entry »
Watch Out for the NPAworldwide Job Offer Email Scam
by Veronica Blatt
I want to share an important warning with job seekers in our community. We’ve become aware of a job offer email scam in which fraudsters are pretending to be NPAworldwide staff members. These scammers reach out with exciting-sounding job opportunities that simply don’t exist. We take this seriously, and we want you to have the facts you need to protect yourself. Read the rest of this entry »
The Post-Layoff Talent Paradox: Why Tech Hiring Is Harder Even When Candidates Are Everywhere
by Liz Carey
From the outside, the tech talent market looks like it should be easy right now.
Over the past few years, major layoffs across large and mid-sized tech firms have released tens of thousands of experienced engineers, product managers, designers, and operators into the market. At the same time, hiring budgets have tightened, headcount approvals are more scrutinized, and executives are asking for “leaner, more efficient teams.”
So the assumption is straightforward: more supply should mean easier hiring.
But that assumption is consistently proving wrong.
Across conversations with independent tech recruiters working directly with venture-backed startups, scale-ups, and public tech companies, a different reality is emerging: the more saturated the candidate market becomes, the harder it is to identify, evaluate, and secure the right talent.
We refer to this as the post-layoff candidate surplus paradox.
What World Cup Coaches Can Teach Us About Hiring Winning Teams
by Veronica Blatt
Every four years, the World Cup captures global attention and reminds us of an important truth: talented individuals and truly effective teams are not the same thing. Success rarely comes from assembling the biggest names. The squads that lift the trophy rely on leadership, cohesion, and a shared approach to achieving results.
Recruitment firm owners and hiring managers face a strikingly similar challenge. Strong hires bring more than impressive résumés. Like elite players, they need to perform within a system, support their colleagues, and contribute to long-term success.
So, what can the world’s best coaches teach us about building rosters that win? Quite a lot, as it turns out. Here are five lessons that translate directly into smarter hiring strategies. Read the rest of this entry »
The True Cost of a C-Level Hiring Mistake
by Veronica BlattToday’s guest bloggers are Bill Benson and Jeff McGraw with WilliamCharles Search Group located in Grand Rapids, MI and Pittsburgh, PA. WilliamCharles is an executive search and professional recruiting firm specialized in finding managerial and executive talent in finance, HR, operations, sales/marketing as well as president/CEO roles. They have a concentration of clients in Michigan, but they also work across the US. Bill and Jeff are both former chairs of the NPAworldwide board of directors. Read the post below for some tips on successfully transition to a role as an executive leader.
Making the wrong hire at the C-level is one of the most expensive and disruptive mistakes a business can make.
For middle-market companies, especially those that are family-owned, ESOP ownership, or private equity-backed, the stakes are even higher. These organizations typically run lean, value trust and alignment, and have limited room for error. A bad leadership hire isn’t just a financial misstep; it’s a cultural, strategic, and emotional setback.
In this issue, we break down the true cost of a C-suite misfire and share how to prevent it with a smarter hiring approach. Read the rest of this entry »
The Interview Preparation Most Candidates Skip — And Why It Matters
by Liz Carey
Most job seekers spend some time researching a company before an interview, but many stop at the basics.
Reading the company website or browsing the “About Us” page may help you understand who they are, but it will not necessarily help you stand out from other candidates. Employers already expect that level of preparation.
The candidates who make the strongest impression go a step further. They take time to understand the company’s current goals, challenges, and direction — and they come prepared to discuss how their experience aligns with those needs.
That kind of thoughtful preparation is uncommon, which is exactly why hiring managers remember it. Read the rest of this entry »