Do you remember working on a strategic plan for your recruiting business? Typically, this process involves hours and hours of research and meetings. Did the final document result in differentiating your firm from your competition? Increasing your firm profit?

Recently, I read an interesting book entitled Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee’ Mauborgne. The authors suggest that creating a strategic plan is a Red Ocean Strategy. In this strategy, companies vie against their competitors either on price or differentiation. In the end, though, as more competitors enter the marketplace, a company’s share of the market decreases. Read the rest of this entry »

Do you belong to a recruiting association? If not, how do you build a network of recruiting partners? What recruiting resources do you use for professional development? Or, have you decided that the recruiters you “know” through social media are enough?

It’s my favorite time of year at NPA. Our members-only Global Conference is just a few weeks away, and the excitement and anticipation are killing me (so is the workload, but I digress…). The Global Conference is where the magic happens. I love sitting back and watching what happens when smart, engaged recruiters get together in person: Read the rest of this entry »

Have you been following the latest buzz about mobile phones and other handheld devices? The use of smartphones and/or tablets is exploding. By 2015, 65% of the U.S. population is expected own a smartphone, with more than 1 billion units predicted to ship globally (up from about 300 million units in 2010). That is a staggering increase, and it is going to have huge implications in the worldwide recruitment industry. If you have not already embraced a mobile-centric environment in your business, you are behind the curve. It’s time to catch up NOW. Read the rest of this entry »

As an independent recruiter, undoubtedly you’ve been presented with positions so exclusive there is an expectation that only a select group of candidates with a rare skill-set will be able to fill them. These positions are often open for months on end because the hiring manager is so particular about what they are looking for. Understandably, they take a bit of time and some major elbow grease to fill.

Let’s make sure, though, that you aren’t confusing one of these exclusive positions with a position that can be filled more easily by asking the right questions. Below is a list of questions for the hiring manager that may be useful when starting your search for the perfect candidate:

1. Ask for the profiles of current and past employees.Are there any current employees with similar profiles you can share with me? What was the profile of the last person in this position? What were the positives? What were the negatives?
2. Draw the lines of flexibility. What are the required skills and educational background? If the requirement is an MBA in Actuarial Science, will you accept a master’s in actuarial science? If the requirement is a Bachelor’s Degree with 5-7 years experience will you accept a Master’s Degree with 2-3 years experience? What is the minimum educational requirement?
3. Describe a day in the life. What is the typical day? What are the day-to-day activities? How often are they required to travel? What other departments do they frequently work with? Who do they work with directly? Who do they report to?
4. Define the transition. What are the short and long term objectives? How can a candidate expect the position to change over the next year? Do you expect the job description be the same 2 years from now?
5. Discuss targets. Are there competitors who might have this candidate? Do you have anyone in mind right now?
6. Be culture sensitive. If you are a global recruiter speaking with a hiring manager in a country with an unfamaliar culture, be sure to ask lifestyle questions. Work schedule? Are there any technology restrictions the candidate should be aware of? How will the culture affect their family? Read the rest of this entry »

I have attended several webinars that educate recruiters on how to build lists of hard-to-find candidates. Sometime these webinars are offered by those selling tools that make the process of list generation easier. You know the names: LinkedIn Recruiter Professional, ZoomInfo, and the Boolean search string education seminars. To the non-recruiter, it seems that candidate list generation is what is difficult about recruiting…finding more quality candidates. Even if refining a list of 1000 candidates down to the 20 top prospects is demanding, it is the next step that is really where recruiters separate themselves from researchers. Read the rest of this entry »