On Talent

It's Clearer Than Reading Tea Leaves

Last week the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its employment numbers for April. The summary is as follows:

Employment rose in April, and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 5.2 percent, the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today. Nonfarm payroll employment increased by 274,000 over the month. Job growth was widespread, with gains in construction, mining, and several service-providing industries.Total employment grew by 598,000 in April to 141.1 million, and the employment-population ratio--the proportion of the population age 16 and over with jobs--edged up to 62.6 percent. The civilian labor force increased by 605,000 in April to 148.8 million; the labor force participation rate, at 66.0 percent, also was up over the month.

These numbers exceeded most estimates substantially with increase in total employment and total civilian workforce both exceeding industry observer's estimates.

What does this signal for staffing organizations. This is the part that is easier to read than tea leaves--the pool of easy pickins is getting smaller. It is time for staffing organizations to begin (or return to) innovative recruiting, and maybe even more importantly sourcing, techniques to woo candidates. The active candidate population is dwindling and we are closing in on sub 5% unemployment. It will become tougher and tougher to find candidates to fill open positions in the coming months.

All of us need to begin to get creative.

A Scavenger Hunt - For People

I spent last week with customers and prospects. And 3 weeks ago talked to a LOT of people at ERE West. The verdict is in and the sentiment has definitely shifted with recruiters. Just as Hank posted a couple of weeks ago about the pendulum swinging to candidate control in recruiting, it has also swung to sourcing becoming a major topic of interest for recruiters.

It seems that everyone I talk to is talking about filling the "hard to finds," or reaching out to passive candidates, or becoming more personalized and segmented in recruiting efforts. I will be posting a lot more on segmentation and personalization in upcoming blogs and talking about a couple of new partnerships that Hire.com is engaged in that will help in this area.

Speaking of partnerships and finding candidates, Jeff Bloch will be co-hosting a free webinar tomorrow at 2pm EDT/11am PDT with Dave Lefkow of Jobster on creative sourcing and searching techniques. It should be interesting. I'm looking forward to it. If you want to attend you can register here.

Leapfrog

Wake up.

 

When it comes to solutions for Talent problems we in the west are not necessarily proposing the best solutions. Other parts of the world may leapfrog U.S.

 

Read on...

 

Headline: Reuters

"Kenyans Text Messaging Their Way to Jobs"

Tue Apr 19, 8:47 AM ET

By George Obulutsa 

NAIROBI, Kenya

In the rural parts of Kenya, jobseekers wishing to use the Internet used to have to travel long distances to the nearest town with a cyber cafe.

That changed last year with the creation of OneWorld International, a Kenyan firm offering a mobile phone text messaging service that advertises jobs and allows candidates to apply from wherever they are.

"It's relatively easy. All you need is access to a mobile phone with a Safaricom connection," said Anthony Mwaniki, OneWorld International's business manager.  

OK....text messaging is not new...not my point. Just as Asia has a much wider and deeper usage of the cell phone than the West and

South Korea has 76% of their population on broadband to our 43% it is apparent other parts of the world are using technology to solve problems while we may be just using technology.

And what about China?  Masses of their population are moving from farm to city. The need to match workers to jobs begins with a hawker in a mall in Zhingtou looking for talent from the passers by. Do you think companies will move to a reliance on newspaper classifieds and paper resumes? Doubt it. They will move straight to Internet phone interaction based on personalization, immediacy and results....Leapfrog!

A friend just got back earlier this year from two weeks in Thailand and her immediate exclamation..."they're so advanced...so far ahead of us...phone use, Internet, technology - they believe they can accomplish the next big thing...whatever that is!"

Really? Probably can...and will.

And when it comes to Talent how are other parts of the world dealing with the problem? They are quietly and effectively developing talent for their growing economic needs. Good friend Kevin Wheeler made me aware recently that the 10 fastest growing Universities in the world are in India, Pakistan,  Africa, etc. ...and that all have student populations over 100,000 and that all are using distance virtual learning techniques. Mmmmmmmmm…

Note: Interesting education solution on our shores...check out Acton MBA

Text messaging...maybe not the ultimate panacea....or maybe it is. In  Kenya it radically changes the recruitment supply chain, making the country more effective and productive. The results....more people find work faster...economy begins to thrive...consumers have the money to consume...more goods are produced...and so on and so on.

Is there room for optimism on our side of the pond? Of course. There are new ideas and models popping up everyday. I hope they are designed to solve real problems - big problems and are not just attempts to automate pieces of the existing recruitment supply chain…in hopes of garnering immediate riches and the second home in Cabo. Bless you if you do, just understand the rest of the world can and will meet their challenges head on with no legacy of process or method...a clear deck as it were.

We would be well served to clear our own.

So, where are the dreamers in our space? They are all over the world.

Wake up!

Dreamers...

Channel surfin this weekend between the yard work and the errands, I caught a show (forget the channel) about transportation. The show focused on a few inventors - Talent - who have dedicated their lives to finding new modes and methods of transportation.

The inventors had a common theme, personal air travel...think George Jetson and the flying car he used on the air ways that took him to 'Spacely Sprocket' every morning for work. Could it be that we are on the verge of turning an animated future into our daily reality?

Read on.

As reported by John von Radowitz, PA Science Correspondent Feb 2005

'NASA System Could Make Flying Cars A Realiity'

A “highways in the sky” system developed by Nasa could be the first step towards turning Hollywood’s vision of the flying car into reality.

Later this year Nasa will demonstrate the Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) before an invited audience of engineers, scientists and members of the public.

The event at Danville Airfield in Virginia may “one day be viewed as one of the most significant milestones in aviation history,” according to The Engineer magazine.

Nasa will have plans in place by the end of 2006 and the race to design the flying car of the future is on. Fueled by the fuel crisis (no pun) finding new, less environemntally intrusive ways to travel may be in the offing. Notice I didn't say cheaper....darn!

But very interesting. One inventor is a former Bell Helicopter Engineer with a shop in Olney, Texas and he's built a prototype helicopter, airplane that holds two, flies anywhere and lands any way. He has plans for the next beta to have wings that fold up turning the flying car into a land machine. And there were at least 6 other designs. The show had me walking outside looking up in the sky excited at the technology aspects and wondering about the future value of land under open skies and bright stars.

The other thought went to our space...not outer....talent. Who are the 6 inventors in our space? Who is taking us from the highway to the sky? And I'm not talking social networks. Who's out there thinking about the next wave?

Future Shock in the late 70s was a great book at forecasting the future. It's time for our industry, the talent industry to do more than go out on a limb. It's time we took technology to the next level and really added value. I don't need to go into all the reasons why we don't today....do I?

OK, said it before, you've heard it before from more than me...we store resumes and contact people later...usually much later. In a world of immediate response and communicationm when how we are treated on the Internet matters sending in resumes and waiting simply is not the way to fly.

So, I have ideas...some I keep to myself and some I share. Mine are likely not quite pie in the sky. But someone out there has pie in the sky notions. And I'll bet that soon, very soon someone is going to rock our world.

I can't wait!

A Welcome Respite!

Maybe you have noticed that I have not been a very active blogger lately. Even if you haven't noticed, I haven't been very active. I spent a few days at ERE West in San Diego which I will report on in a subsequent blog. But right after that I went for a wonderful respite in the desert--Texas' Big Bend country and Big Bend National Park.

If you've never been there I highly recommed it. It always recharges my batteries. Big Bend National Park is 850,000 acres of desert surrounding the Chisos mountains in west Texas. It is some of the most amazing open spaces you can imagine. The vistas are incredible, and yet it's one of the--if not the--least visited national parks. It is pretty far off the beaten path.

In the spring, between March and May, the desert blooms in varying degrees depending on moisture over the winter. This year was a particularly good winter so the bloom is awesome. The cactus pictured in this blog is the Claret Cup which blooms at altitudes over 4000 feet. This is the first time I've seen it in bloom and it is spectacular.

All in all, the trip was awesome, and did a great job of recharging me. Big Bend always seems to have that effect on me.

So what does any of this have to do with talenteering? Absolutely nothing! But it does help to explain where I've been for the last week or so. Big Bend is pretty primitive country, so I was without high-speed (or low-speed for that matter) Internet or cellular phone coverage. Hmmm--maybe that's why I'm feeling relaxed and recharged :-) At any rate I'm now back in civilization so I thought I'd share some of the grandeur. Hope you enjoy it.

I'll be back to talenteering soon.

Who's Got The Power?

Candidates have the power - again! See Michael Mandel's BusinessWeek commentary "Now Workers Can Flex Some Muscle" March 21, 2005.

"In any economic expansion there comes a moment when the balance of power shifts to employees from employers - a moment when the question of the day switches from "Can I get a good job?" to "Can we find enough good workers?" That moment may have come for the U.S."

Michael explains that the the recent rise in unemployment was driven by 'job leavers' versus unemployed 'job losers'. In other words the churn predicted by so many for so long has begun and it is no longer a buyers market for talent.

That's right...employees leave for better opportunities. Counter offers may not be up to snuff or too late and they leave...or the competition just does a faster and better job at understanding and valuing talent in all they say and all they do. In other words...companies who are and do what they profess to be have a better shot at acquiring and retaining talent.

What...we had to figure this out on a blog? No, no, no...we know, know, know what to do and why, it just hard to get corporate backing for home page real estate, marketing support, dollars for top recruiters and great talent relationship technology - and of course hiring authorities who appreciate the difficulty and value of recruiting in a world of churn...it's hard!

And it's not going to get easier...

A recent article by Amrita Sidhu in the East Bay Times titled 'Uncle Al Wants You', is not just a good story on the beginnings of Al Gore and Joel Hyatt's attempt at creating a revolutionary cable channel but is a look at how technology can be used to build talent excitement and relationships. Hot websites, vlogs, etc...problem learned by Al and team...first, figure out who you are, why you are and then attract the talent. To their benefit the company announced last week they have changed their name from IndTV to Current TV. Still as Amitra points out they pissed off alot of talent and may have created a competitive Frankenstein from the very talent they first attracted. Read the article..

So Talent has the power...about time. The result? We in recruiting will be asked to do a better job...no sweat - we've done it before.

• Align the position with corporate and department goals
• Market the position - what is so compelling? Ask the happy gal or guy doing the job! Create a compelling story not just an internet post!
• Figure out what it will take to source...time, money, where, how...
• And make the hiring team agree. Don't throw stuff up against the wall and waste time - get agreement on parameters first.
• Plan for contingencies...keep sourcing great talent - don't stop until position is filled and candidate is on the job.
• Completely understand the deficiency of any candidate before you say no...they may be worth training and the loyalty gained may keep them from looking in the future.
• Compile and answer objections from the candidate and hiring team from the beginning...this is a bi-directional selling process. Done correctly it is not easy!
• Close. Set time lines for all involved and make them stick to them.
• And lastly, be nice...the candidates have the power so treat them well...that's all of them - those you turn down and those who turn you down.

Who's Got The Power? The Talent...

Recruiters have to get back to blocking and tackling - do the basics and do them well.

Companies must understand and invest in the resources necessary to do the job...you can't cut corners anymore.

Technology must innovate and scale...how many resume storage systems can one company buy? Get over it and and invest in leading edge technologies that enable Talent Relationships and Collaborative Hiring. Concentrate on scalable solutions that drive productivity and most importantly better talent results than your competition.

Again when the recent grad with two offers comes in asking for an offer with more money, smile...

When the engineer resigns for a better offer, smile...

Or when to Customer Support rep working your top account demands a career path to sales, smile

because chances are good you will have to find a way to make it all happen.

Good Luck and Great Recruiting!

Candidate Segmentation

I've heard it a lot more in the last few months than ever. Customers and prospects are talking about candidate segmentation. Again the (lagging) parallel between marketing and sourcing is producing an increased interest in market segmentation and personalization in sourcing. This is especially important in passive candidate sourcing. Identifying the wants, needs, and hot buttons of particular candidate groups and then tailoring the candidate experience will greatly aid in the attraction of those candidates to the right opportunities. Getting passive candidates to make the move requires that they see a compelling reason. This won't happen by posting a job description on a job board.

John Sumser said it well in today's post. Here is an extract:

...candidates must always be at the center of all of your employment marketing decisions, their influence radiating out to every point of contact you have with them. It's up to you to know their behaviors and preferences and tailor your employment marketing strategies to cater to their needs. Companies who recognize this and build their strategies around retaining and deepening their relationships with their potential employees are the ones who will succeed.

This kind of "micro" segmentation and personalized targeting have been the subject of good marketing for a few years. As we enter an economy where control of the recruiting process is shifting from the employer to the employee, this precise targeting, messaging, and candidate experience will mark the winners in the recruiting battle. The Talenteering Manifesto calls out this kind of personalized communication.

 

More March Madness

There was an interesting comment posted last night to my first "March Madness" post from *Joe* (I think Joe is an alias because the email address posted was bogus, but that's OK I'll reply to anonymous comments:-)

Joe's whole comment can be read here. This extract captures the gist of it:

For you to compare what HR/staffing folks do to a “college recruitment” campaign is insane.

When your out in the field talking to clients/prospects, you constantly here that cost/cost containment are important, in fact always top of the list.

Ask the college coaches about cost………laugable, they are given open ended $$$ and creative folks to almost prey on young kids…….yes kids……17-18.

I still think there is a lot to learn from recruiting practices of sports recruiters--sorry Joe, but that's my opinion. They do several things right (and yes they certainly aren't perfect or in some cases even model citizens) to land the best talent they can for their teams.

First--they are proactive. They don't wait until the end of the season and the day after signing day to start identifying their targets. If they did they would certainly NOT have a good recruiting year. This would be the analog of waiting for a requisition to open to start identifying candidates on the corporate side.

Second--they build relationships with their targets. They reach out using many communications channels to develop a relationship with their recruits (the kids) as well as other influences (parents and coaches). Developing relationships with potential candidates ahead of demand is a good practice.

Third--they create a positive recruiting experience. They get the recruit to feel "moved in" during the recruiting process. IMHO, this is an area where many staffing teams fall short. And I use the team here intentionally because during the interview/assess/select stages of recruiting a large part of the process lives with the business unit and hiring manager. The talenteer has to do a good job of facilitating the visit, and preparing the hiring team for the visit if the candidate is going to have a good experience. Many companies do the reverse--the candidate that is all fired up for the position has a negative experience at the time it matters most--the end of the process. This is sort of like the waitperson who takes great care of you through the entire meal and then disappears at the end after leaving the check--right when you are about to decide how much to tip them. See my previous post on experiential talenteering.

As far as cost containment, I too hear that but I think it makes a very strong statement that staffing is being treated far too tactically. The right metrics should be focused on staffing proficiency and return on talent investment. Jeff Hunter's post on this topic is very eloquent and should be read by all HR executives.

As far as fantasy--I fully realize that corporate recruiting is vastly different from sports recruiting, and can't be executed in the same way. Can we learn something from their best practices? Damn straight we can! If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you always got. I welcome further discussion on this topic.

March Madness: Where Does Experiential Come In

Like many people I spent a good portion of last weekend watching college basketball's March Madness. The opening rounds this year produced some of the best games I remember in a long time in both the men's tournament and the women's tournament. And how about the number of low seeds winning?!

Watching the games this weekend got me thinking about one of the keynote speakers we had last fall at HireWorks: The Hire.com User's Conference. The speaker was Jody Conradt, hall-of-fame coach of the University of Texas women's basketball team. Jody spent an hour over lunch one day discussing the talenteering involved in sports recruiting--particularly for a major program. There are a few points Jody made that apply to corporate recruiting as much as they do sports.

1. Create the experience. Jody talked about how they turn the campus visits of key recruits into a full-fledged UT experience for the recruit. They work with the communications and media colleges to create a multi-media experience that is tailored for the recruit. They create life size stand up photos of the player in UT uniform that welcomes them to their visit to Erwin Center--UT's basketball arena. Their name is in lights on the scoreboard. They take them to the dressing room where they "stage" the players locker--full gear laid out including a jersey with the recruits name and number hanging in front of a spotlit locker. They want them to feel the Texas experience. Do you treat recruits this way? Do you have the experience your company? If so is it a good experience?

2. They stay in constant communication. Jody talks about how her assistant coaches, student assistants, and even some of the players find ways to stay in touch with recruits personally. This might involve IM or chat sessions late at night, or email conversations. They want to stay top of mind. They want to continue to reinforce the Texas experience, and to be there to answer any questions or deal with objections proactively. Sports recruiting is cutthroat. So is corporate recruiting. Do you stay in touch with recruits before and after the interviews? How about after the offer and before they start? This is an easy time to get cold feet or to consider another offer.

3. Recruiting is broader than just the recruit. In the case of UT, they are recruiting high school students--so the parents are clearly a big piece of the recruits decision process. Jody and team accommodate this by appealing to the parents wishes as well. Tell them about academic programs, student affairs, and other concerns the parents may have about their child attending the university. They make sure they feel part of each step along the way. This too applies to corporate recruiting. Outside factors like a spouse, a significant other, and even parents can weigh in heavily on a career move. Do you factor in these outside factors in your talenteering efforts? Do you provide information to make them more comfortable as well? Many companies do some of the this for relocations, but it is just as important for local hires.

As talenteers, we can all learn a lot from sports recruiting. Many of their processes have been honed to a science. But those practices could help you win the next key sales hire, or engineering hire, or nursing hire. Learn experiential hiring.

Talenteering -- Online Recruiting 2.0

Jason Goldberg has a great post from yesterday on the Jobster blog on Online Recruiting 2.0. The thesis is a direct hit with my talenteering manifesto. Jason makes some great points in his post--read it.

I am a firm believer that recruiting must move to talenteering and begin to develop more targeted, segmented views of the market as well. Automation will help to refine targeting, identify top talent ahead of demand, and use those talent relationships to facilitate a flow of candidates that is more about quality and less about quantity.