Does your boss follow you?

What do you put out there for all to read? Do you protect or hurt your personal brand? What about your professional image? Your reputation? Do you want to be promoted? Do you want to keep your job? Do your boss, co-workers and colleagues follow you? Do you follow them? What about your mom? Your kids? I personally utilize Facebook for personal use only. When I say personal, I mean that I will connect to co-workers but not to network contacts, candidates or fans (no offense). I like to know that my co-workers baby just got his first tooth and that another posted pictures from her skiing trip. But what about your employee’s tweet that morning at 10:05 AM that they got so wasted last night they spent the morning hugging the toilet. Did I mention they came to work at 11AM claiming to have been at the doctor? Holy cow, what if this tweet was written by your boss? You may feel that if they don’t like it they shouldn’t read it. Here is the thing; it is your problem if you hurt your image. What you write today can comeback and visit you years from now.


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Social Networking & Professional Responsibility

I have been driving the use of Microblogging with a few departments (obviously Talent Acquisitions is one) in my company. We have been utilizing social networking sites and blogging for a while. It has brought to mind that we as a company should update our policy on social media. My fear was not with the recruiters. They have been out there representing our brand well for years. What about other employees? Do they understand their responsibility when they attach our company to there profile and answer a question on Linkedin.com as a representative of the corporation? My question is DO they have a responsibility and where does that responsibility end?

I am not talking about censorship; I am talking about being professionally responsible while representing your company’s brand. What are the lines between personal “tweet’s” and unintentionally hurting the company you loves brand.

10 Emailing Rules When Communicating for Business

I sit in front of my computer for an ungodly amount of hours a day. I do embrace the ease of communicating via email and text message. I am cautious as I can be not to take to human element out of dealing with others. There is no replacement for personal contact. The one thing that is widespread and often missing, in this wonderful instant message world is discretion and etiquette. My attention is not to offend anyone by this posting, just to educate. If I didn’t experience these things often and first hand I wouldn’t know about them to write about them.

1- Use common sense. If you do not have any, borrow someone else’s.

2- Email a thank you/ follow up or touch base to a client, potential employer, colleague, contact after meeting is always wise when maintaining a relationship.

3- Don’t over email! Business minded people appreciate good communication. Follow up is great. Emailing every 2 hours “Did you make a decision on the proposal?” is a bad choice.

4- Be the professional that you are. Don’t be cutesy! No Emoticon :) :(, abbreviations (LOL), pictures or backgrounds.

5- Don’t BCC.

6- Spell check. All too often I receive a muddled email from business associates that clearly didn’t reread what they wrote before sending. They just typed in a quick reply email and hit send.

I can safely assume that that majority of these preoccupied emails are because someone wrote me back from a Blackberry. To really make my point about mistyping/spelling from Blackberries being all to common issue, the company in which my husband works provides a high level of customer service and they discourage employees from replying via blackberry email with a clients.

7- DON’T CAPITALIZE EVERYTHING! It looks like you are shouting. I do have a bad habit of writing as I speak. I do my best to verify what I write so it will not be misconstrued.

Once I had a colleague respond to an email with a light, “Whatever.” I worked with him for many years, and didn’t think twice about the email. He meant it as “Whatever you want, I am on the same page.” However, he responded to “All” which copied my boss who only knows him as an acquaintance. My boss called me angry that this person would respond to my suggestion so inappropriately with “WHAT-EV-ER!” Kudos to my boss for getting clarification from me via phone. That could have ended badly for my colleague.

8- When you forward emails, to “all contacts” in your address book make sure you know who “all contacts” includes.

9- Do not forward jokes, political propaganda or spiritual enlightening chain emails, to anyone’s work email. More then once I have heard of someone almost losing and losing their job because of bad discretion.

My mother-in-law, out of all people sent me an email to work; She knows I don’t use my work email for personal use. In the subject line it read “Striper pole.” I almost had a heart attack. What in the world did she send me!? I neurotically forward it to my home email. When I opened it that evening it was a kitten hugging a red and white striped pole. She did it intentionally. Months later, she was still laughing at me.

10- If you decide to forward these ever so valuable “10 emailing rules when communicating for business” via email, go back and read # 1, 8 and 9 first, then proceed.

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Passionate Worker or Workaholic?

I always tell people that I am very lucky because there is fine line between my work and my hobby. I am not really sure when this happened, it just did. I am passionate about what I do and really enjoy the strategic side as well as the chase. I am sure that some people have a hard time grasping that concept and think I have no life. I do have a life and I am fortunate I can make a living doing something that truly interests me.

Seth Godin wrote a little something that caught my attention.

He wrote: Workaholics

A workaholic lives on fear. It's fear that drives him to show up all the time. The best defense, apparently, is a good attendance record.

A new class of jobs (and workers) is creating a different sort of worker, though. This is the person who works out of passion and curiosity, not fear...

READ MORE
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/01/workaholics.html

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31 of the Best Careers for 2008

Good article in US News & World Report.

It also lists:

-Ahead of the Curve: cutting edge careers
-Most Overrated careers
-Get the Scoop on Salary and More
-Follow These Steps Toward a Second Career
-Jobs Sites Boom for the 50-Plus Set
-Here's What to Do When You Hate Your Job
-The Best Jobs for Six Personality Types
-Speaking Well Can Fast-Track Your Career
-Best Places to Work in the Federal Government

read more | digg story

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Continued training & development in all areas of your organization

Continued training & development in all areas of your organization

Never, never stop training and developing talent.

All too often programs come and go with no real impact on the organization. What a waste of time and money. Often promising programs are developed and implemented. They come out of the gate full force, EVERYONE is trained and energized! Then, that it. No continued support or development of the program and the developers want to know where they went wrong. Often they didn’t do anything wrong, they did exactly what they were to do but take the blame when it fails. It was a failure after the initial implementation when it was out of the hands of the developers and trainers. The program gets passed over to the people it was designed to benefit and they are trained and then sent out to put it into practice and they don’t.

Why? Did the program stink? Probably not. How about this for a concept; Are the people that should be executing the plan, actually trained on executing the plan or was the “training” just understanding what the plan is designed to do?

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Discover underutilized & underdeveloped talent in your organization

Discover underutilized and underdeveloped talent in your organization. To put it plainly and simply “Use um’ or Lose um’!” To quote Marcus Buckingham author of First Break all the Rules and Go put your Strengths to Work, “People are not an organizations best asset, peoples strengths are.” This is actually one of my all time favorite quotes.

How many times have you heard variations of “It is too bad he left us for them, he has so much potential.” Potential!? Potential!? The definition of potential is the capable of being or becoming possible. Is it possible? DEVELOP HIM! Don’t lose HIM!

I speak to hundreds of talented candidates in a year. Of course I often ask the obvious question. “Why do you want to leave your present position? All to often I hear “I am looking for a better opportunity” This can mean so many things but can it be I am just speaking with someone that is under developed or underutilized? Am I speaking to a person that may work for you?

Often employers are under utilizing talent. I am not saying everyone can be promoted to CEO I am saying if you have people that unmistakably stand above the rest as consistent, high performers and/or leaders, you better pay attention, these are the companies future. Many companies like to refer to these people as “High Potential.” If you know they stand out, often they know they do as well and are in waiting for you to notice. NOTICE! If you aren’t in a position to promote this person, or if that is not an option in your company, show appreciation, provide them with ability to lead, develop others and themselves. Do something! Make sure they do know that you notice! Because if you don’t, I promise you, other companies will.

Strategic Business? How about aligning the talent you have. Now that’s a Strategy! Move your company forward by utilizing current talent, these people already work for the organization, and they are invested in to the future of the organization that is why they are there. Stop over analyzing the past, learn from it, and use this talent to move forward, discover future goals and future threats.

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Innovative Minds Don’t Think Alike

This is an interesting article from The New York Times.

Innovative Minds Don’t Think Alike By JANET RAE-DUPREE
Published: December 30, 2007 Experts in a field can benefit from an outsider’s perspective

"As our knowledge and expertise increase, our creativity and ability to innovate tend to taper off. Why? Because the walls of the proverbial box in which we think are thickening along with our experience."

I find this article personally interesting because as an SME/ recruitment professional you can easily get sucked into processes that can constrict your focus when looking for that one, specific candidate. This can be particularly easy of you recruit for the same or similar positions the majority of the time. It is just too easy to narrow you focus on a specific background. I am sure I have had moments in which I have been guilty of this very thing. I continually step back and do my best to not let that happen. I care too much to forget everything that made me good at the selection process in the first place. I also find that it helps me remember that people in other roles in my organization don’t see what I do and I have to be sensitive to that. Networking online and in person helps as well. For me, networking is more then just making contacts; it stimulates creative juices and sometimes just helps refocus from a clear, invigorated prospective.

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Challenge the same old to change the status quo

Challenge the same old to change the status quo

How can an organization move forward if no one scrutinizes what they are doing today to make it better?

Staying the same doesn’t grow an organization. Not ever being complacent with status quo does. The biggest hero’s in the business world are never referred to as the man/women that just showed up each day and did the same thing over and over day in and day out. Personally, I would be uncomfortable to be known as someone who is just consistent. I prefer to be known as someone who is consistent, BUT consistently passionate about growing the business, taking action and inspiring others to do the same!

You have heard the saying- “If you do what you always do, you will get what you have always got” It doesn’t even fit anymore. It should now be “The companies that do what they always do, get a bankruptcy attorney.”

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Foster a Work Environment that Truly Embraces A “Bias for Action” Atmosphere

Foster a work environment that truly embraces a “Bias for Action” atmosphere at all levels. In many organizations if you just act in the best interest of your customer, client, subordinates and then ask for permission, you get in trouble.

More often I see organizations that are inconsistent with this philosophy. In reality it is more of a "some people can be take action, and others only can take action sometimes but only if those actions are nominal.”

Other companies will claim to encourage employees to be to take action but in reality they are really “if you are part of upper management or in HR you can bias for action but if you are lower on the totem pole, there will be career consequences for your actions.” Pretending to take action is not taking action.

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Listen To Your People

Listen To Your People
Many companies like the idea of saying they have an open door to all employee’s ideas. BUT do they really? Many companies like to say they are “focused on the people” and I am sure they would really like to be. If you dissect the actual facts, they are not. If you look at the “Best Places to Work” in the USA they have one thing in common, no matter what the product, it is people focused first. It is amazing what you can learn about your organization when people are truly encouraged to speak up.

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5 Concepts To Really Being A People Oriented Company.

Almost anything I delve into has HR/Business concepts or elements that are in common. Most things that I personally agree with are integrated in one way or another with the next and it is not because I am being one sided in my research. It is because the books, articles, and website and blogs I research are by people that have proven success in HR and Business and are sharing their knowledge, successes and failures.

So what do WE (The organization as a WHOLE) do join all forces inside the company?

REALLY be people oriented.

1-Listen to your people.
2- Foster a work environment that truly embraces a “Bias for Action” atmosphere at all levels.
3- Challenge to change the Status Quo
4- Discover underutilized and underdeveloped talent.
5- Continued Training and Development in all areas.

HR is part of the organization making it whole. As a HR professional stop trying to get a seat at the table in which you sit. Just be a rational, influential, motivating part of the business strategic plans moving forward. Acknowledge past good and bad patterns make informed suggestions and decisions to move the organization forward.


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We were candidates before we were recruiters

We were candidates before we were recruiters so fundamentally, that began our career. In reality, how can you be a recruiter if you never had to search for a job? It is part of our training, development and often our character. I still on occasion search as a candidate, not because I am unhappy in my job but because as a recruiter it is my job to understand things from all perspectives. What does the candidate see out there? What is my competition offering to attract talent? Is my company competitive? How is our employment branding/identity compared to others?

To be an exceptional recruiter, you must ALWAYS with out exception be able to view the process from all prospective, first and foremost, without negotiation through the candidate’s eyes. I am not being naive with that absolute statement. I do understand the politics of the internal and external recruitment processes but remember why you actually are in this field.

ATTENTION INDIFFERENT RECRUITERS:
Hey you! Yah you! The one with sandwich in your hand, I am talking to you! Go ahead, take another bite of your ham on rye while you are meeting with a candidate, take another phone call during an interview and answer that incoming email while meeting with a vender.

Don’t you get it!!! It is all about the people! The people you work, for, around and with were all candidates once! Your most respected colleagues and role models got where they are by developing their talents it wasn’t by osmosis! Maybe you are really in it for the payday but, really, get another job and leave this to the passionate people, it is too important! This is people’s careers, their lively hood. Take it seriously, I sure do!

Learn something about this process or GET OUT OF MY BLOG!! You do not belong here! Poser! Wash Up! Go find a different seat on another bus!

If you are offended or smiling should really determine if you belong in this recruiters playground!

Wow, that was cleansing. I needed that.

My husband, who is also in the field on the vender side told me once that I have to be patient and remember not every recruiter has the passion I do, I shouldn’t offend.
I don’t want to offend…much; I am sensible, I don’t expect everyone to be overly-enthusiastic and live and breathe the process. I just hope for recruiters/hiring managers while on the job remember that we were candidates before we were recruiters.

As for patience, I try to be, I am…well, Uhh, wait until my husband reads this tangent!

Through the Eyes of a Recruiter: Part One: The Candidate’s Perspective

Most of us one time or another have found ourselves with the task of looking for a job. The last time may have been years or minutes ago but we have all most likely had to experience this process in one form or another.

The Internet is how we pound the pavement. It is how we find the job we think is a fit and how we apply.

As a job seeker you go on to a job board and you search for a job in which you THINK your days or years of experience leaves you more than qualified. Some people are meticulous in there search not leaving any stones unturned to find the perfect fit. Other job seekers just applying to all positions on the Internet. And yes, I said all positions posted on the Internet. OK maybe ALL is a bit of an exaggeration but these are usually the same people we recruiters refer to as “stalker candidates” but that is for another day.

But I digress; you the job seeker then cut and paste or attach your well planned or not so well planned resume into the space provided. Wondering where your resume goes, you close your eyes and hit the “Apply” button.

That’s it….silence…

Your destiny is now in the hands the person who can potentially start your career with your desired company and change your life as you know it.

There is another side to this coin….and the answers to those questions all candidates would love to know.

“Who now has my resume!?” “Do they even know they have it!?” “Do they care they have it!?” “Do they know how great I am!?

Through the Eyes of a Recruiter: Part Two:
The Recruiter's Perspective (coming soon)

Through the eyes of a recruiter: The intro

Coming soon-"Through the eyes of a recruiter: Part One


Caution: If you do not have a sense of humor nor understand sarcasm you may, on occasion find my Blogs offensive. A lot is going on in my head that must get out or I will explode! (In reality, if you actually are intrigued to read something by someone who refers to themselves as "RECRUITNIK," you are already condemned to love me!) Sorry! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

By no means is my intention to offend anyone. I truly hope not to. I just, on occasion want to take an entertaining look at the very serious job search, hiring, recruitment process.

I may even, on occasion choose subjects that are somber (or partly.) Or go on an irrational rant, who knows. I do however reserve the right to educate, inspire and invoke thought. I hope to make you smile, laugh hysterically or just role your eyes because you know exactly what I am talking about! I hope also to learn through the connections I make by writing.

I am excited to see where this will take us.


Please enjoy!



–Love, Recruitnik