Today I endorsed Alex Putnam on Linkedin as follows:

“A rustle in the leaves, a water cup stirs circled waves – it is a prelude to what mighty force is fast approaching …. and with force it did and with impact – for I am describing the arrival of teh Social_T-Rex that is Alex Putman.

I was fortunate enough to have Alex as one of my featured interviewees on my blog, sixdegreesfromdave.com and it is still one of the most read of interviews to date. I was flattered to know my blog inspired his goal to be the most networked in Atlanta but that was nearly three years ago and his outreach far exceeds those boundaries.

When I asked Alex what was the most impactful memory in his staffing career, on your sourcing/recruiting career – he answered in a manner much like my own sentiments: “going through a company closure (Panasonic) and a layoff from the very next job. I incorporated myself, built a home office and began my journey of becoming highly networked”

Alex has done it in his own style, with his own witty and thoughtful approach to what he writes and how he engages others. That featured article is the reason this series exists – it allows the unsung heroes to have the light shine on them for their own individual contributions. Alex’s ambitions match his successes. Once decided he proceeds and never fails. I admire Alex and I strongly recommend someone who has done so much to fuel blogging and best practice sharing., I salute him!” September 28, 2011″

When I completed my recommendation, I smiled and decided we needed to share Alex with the Audience again to remind the recruitosphere of someone special:

“Never quit. It is the easiest cop-out in the world. Set a goal and don’t quit until you attain it. When you do attain it, set another goal, and don’t quit until you reach it. Never quit”
Paul “Bear” Bryant

• RecruitingBlogs Profile
• Linkedin Profile
• Facebook Profile
• Twitter Profile
• Personal Blog
• Community Volunteering: Habitat for Humanity of Atlanta (3 consecutive build years), Sentinels of Freedom (Gwinnett County, Georgia), Susan B Komen Breast Cancer Walk
• Personal Causes: Angel Tree Program, March of Dimes, Toys for Tots, and Church Outreach
• Phone: 770-346-7216 (o) | 678-557-0469 (c)
• Email Alex alex@alexputman.com, or aputman@eusebeia.com

Alex Putman is the first of a series on the most active members of the RecruitingBlogs.com community. He has contributed recent blog posts that have attracted attention such as “Dirty Words Recruiters Use“, “Be a Social T-Rex“, “Do Your Prospects Know“, and “Big Shoes Leave A Lasting Impression.”

Alex enjoys consulting & coaching other recruiters in techniques that enhance their marketability and capabilities. He has lead workshops for new and seasoned recruiting professionals via a managed training program focused on goals, objective and time management. In the past decade, Alex’s teams have been responsible for the fulfillment of 3,200+ requisitions and job orders.

Alex has a driven passion for utilizing social networking/social media, to benefit human resource services, talent acquisition, career coaching and assisting people in their search for career fulfillment.

Six Degrees: Tell us of your home world.

ALEX: I have been married for 7 wonderful year to my wife Tifany. We have 4 children including our beautiful twin daughters Alexis & Kathryn (6 yrs old), Gabrielle (3 yrs old) and son Corban (18 months).

I am extremely active in the lives of our children; participating in their many church and school events. I believe one of the greatest gifts given to us is the ability to see the world through the eyes of our children. This blessing has changed my entire outlook on life.

My personal hobbies include home renovation projects, working outside, getting together for cookouts with friends (especially during football season) and reading the Bible. I also enjoy Golf, College Football (Roll Tide), Basketball, pretty much a sports enthusiast. I am a strong family person; I do everything with my wife and children! We have a strong commitment to giving back within our community. I have had the honor of working with The Habitat for Humanity – Atlanta in partnership with 13 other local technology organizations. As a deacon at Shadowbrook Baptist Church, I am embedded in a multitude of activities offered at our church. My wife and I are invested in the College & Career class, Awana, and Children’s Worship.

Warm and fuzzy: Every month I take one of our daughters out for a date night! They enjoy going to the mall, having dinner at McDonalds and getting a giant pretzel. I hope this never changes!

Six Degrees: How many years have you been in the staffing industry?

ALEX: I have been in the industry for 13+ years. I started in executive recruiting and then made the change to the corporate side (Panasonic). Once I made this change my career rapidly progressed from an individual contributor to the HR Manager for Employment, Immigration and Employee Relations. We grew form 88 people to 450 with a Canadian office. After 6.5 wonderful years, we closed the facility.

I then went to work for a DoD contractor in the satellite communications (VOIP) field and found myself in the growth mode again (375 employees to 600 in 1 year!!!!). Too fast, we began to experience the pains of layoffs. I then incorporated myself (Eusebeia Consulting Group LLC www.webstarts.com/eusebeia. I quickly picked up 2 contracts as a consultant, one with Danger (www.danger.com) – they make the Sidekick for T-Mobile and another with Synergis (my current employer). I then decided to go to work growing a staffing firm, and what an adventure it has been! Recruiting has provided for my family over the years and I am grateful to this business and the many wonderful people I have met along the way.

Six Degrees: How did you get started as a recruiter?

Six Degrees: What single event had the most impact on your sourcing/recruiting career?

ALEX: Wow, huge question! I would have to say going through a company closure (Panasonic) and a layoff from the very next job. I incorporated myself, built a home office and began my journey of becoming highly networked. This is about the time I discovered people like Dave Mendoza existed. Prior to this I was in my corporate shell and let people come to me. I established a goal, “be the most networked person in Atlanta!”, Still working on this one, but the point is, I was able to quickly transition to perm placement from home and contract recruiting. I never missed a beat (or paycheck) and learned that having a strong network means everything (the 400 people from Panasonic all went to other companies, many of which I still do business with to this day!)

Do you have a mentor to whom you attribute your overall outlook on recruitment, capabilities, and/or model your career after?

ALEX: Many! Dan Bell from my first role was a recruiting machine. This man billed $1.5 million per year by himself! Many would not call Dan the “easiest” person in the world, however he instilled a sense of urgency in me early on. He once told me that he was scared to go to the bathroom during the day because he may miss a call that would lead to a placement!

I do plan to meet several “on-line” mentors at Recruitfest this year! This may come as a surprise to these people, but Jenny DeVaughn (whom I have met recently), Maren Hagen, Scott Love, Bill Radin (first person I heard speak) and you Dave are people I see on-line and love your stuff! The Recruiting Animal has some great stuff as well! I really try to find the best in their field and learn as much as possible!

Six Degrees: Tell us about your position as Director of Recruiting at Synergis:

ALEX: I am the manager of recruiting and currently have 4 direct reports (have had more prior to this year). I am part of our leadership team and have indirect responsibility for sales. Our total staff (Atlanta HQ) is 15 people. I have introduced a lot of social networking techniques and each team member has a personal branding plan. We boast a national client base with 300+ clients serviced. In conjunction with my recruiting, I maintain a few clients with whom we do a good portion of business (one client was $300k in sales last year — goes back to my Panasonic network). I am also a member of the leadership function and involved in the corporate growth and planning of the company.

Six Degrees: (A) What other companies’ recruiting operations do you admire or have heard are best-practice examples?

ALEX: TekSystems comes to mind, they are huge (12% market share), but what a success story. I respect them for their model, not their size. Apex Systems is a prime example, look at how fast they have reached the $360 million mark (10 years). Many other successful companies have utilized their model and are among the top in our industry.

(B) In what aspects are they superior?

ALEX: These companies have unbelievable training programs! I was fortunate to go through a strong training program, but TekSystems sets the standards. They really invest in the success of their employees.

Six Degrees: What recent general news story or industry trend do you feel will have an impact on your work in the future? Why?

ALEX: I know everyone is still buzzing about social networking / social media, but it is a trend that is here to stay! People are so busy and we are use to getting our information in “bits”. I recently read an article on vlogs (video blogs), I believe the industry and technology are merging and we will see this more the norm!

Six Degrees: Tell us about your broader involvement within the staffing industry:

ALEX: Conferences are great! I am extremely excited to attend Recruitfest this year (booked and ready to go)! I regularly attend the Technology Association of Georgia conferences, The Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce meetings and the High Tech Career Ministries. Our company is a member of TechAlliance (formerly NACCB) www.techservealliance.org and we attend their annual conference in November. Last year I attended a “Lead Like Jesus” conference where Patrick Lencioni presented (great speaker).

This year I will be attending RecruitFest and possibly ERE (potential schedule conflict). I have worked closely with the Georgia Institute of Technology’s career center and participated in roundtable presentations. I am actively seeking opportunities to speak and be published. I am currently working on my first book and my goal is to speak at a major conference or forum in the near future.

Six Degrees: Can you detail how the recession has affected your particular industry niche? Has it effected your job or that of your fellow team members within the organization? strong>

ALEX: We are in the IT industry and although we have not been hit significantly, we have experienced some down time. In January of this year we (the leadership team) scrubbed our budget to the bare bones. We were able to plan for the year accordingly and to date have had a small increase in sales over last year, added to our sales and marketing functions and remained in the black for 2009.

Six Degrees: Aside from simply the generic term “Networking” what specific efforts have you made on your own behalf, or on behalf of colleagues to broaden your opportunities.

ALEX: So many! For two years I have aggressively encourage my team to develop their personal brand. We developed plans and events for them to attend. I created my own Yahoo user group (ConnectHiTech) as my initial platform into the social networking world. Recruitingblogs.com has been a real catalyst for blogging. This is something I always wanted to do, so I took the chance and my first blog written was a feature. After this boost of confidence, I have become a blogging machine ? I created my moniker “The Social T-Rex™” and have been running with this brand! I am currently developing a logo, website and many other features around this brand!

All of these have proven to be fruitful in extending my personal brand. My on-line brand has widened tremendously and has actually led to referrals, contacts and placements!

Six Degrees: Given your own Trial and Error experiences as a Networker, what advice do you have for your peers on what NOT to do?

ALEX: Don’t be scared! I know talented people, writers, speakers etc that are just scared of what people will think. I have learned, some people will like me, some will not…part of life! But by all means, put yourself out there and see what happens! In conjunction, be yourself, don’t be something you are not. If your personality can come out in writing or interviews then you will gain respect of peers and others (even if they don’t like you personally).

Six Degrees: What is your next career goal? What do you need to do to get there?

ALEX: My ultimate goal is to be a motivational speaker! I want to write a book (professionally and personal ideas) to incorporate my life experiences to help others maximize their potential. I want to be the guy that is sought after for speaking engagements works hard from home and creates a socially big personal brand….maybe as big as a T-Rex!

What do I need to get there? Advice and assistance from people already there! Jenny DeVaughn has a “pay it forward” concept and I firmly believe in this. If those who are already there can pull us up and then we become the ones pulling others up, everyone wins!

Vice President of Workforce Solutions
Synergis

“Alex is a great manager and very results-driven. He is fair and always willing to take time and discuss anything that you feel is important. Alex has many years as a successful recruiter himself which makes him a more understanding manager over recruiters. He’s open and honest and most trustworthy. Alex is a great family man and a very devoted father as well as an effective manager…always has a smile.” August 24, 2007

Sharon Greco Spangler, CPC, Sr. Technical Recruiter, Synergis

“I have been working for Alex for about 2 years and he has been a great manager, mentor and leader for our recruiting team. Alex is constantly trying to find ways to improve our recruiting processes to make us more efficient in our jobs and is always willing to jump in and help out when needed. He truly cares about the success of every member of our team and will do whatever it takes to ensure that we achieve our goals and satisfy the needs of our clients. I have a lot of respect for Alex because he is very honest, ethical, diligent, and hardworking, and doesn’t believe in the word “can’t!” He has also been instrumental in getting the sales and recruiting teams to work more cohesively and effectively together to produce greater results.” September 10, 2009

Denise Wicks, Principal Recruiter, Synergis

“Alex is one of the most well networked, ethical individuals I have ever met. He has made a huge impact in transforming Synergis into an organization with efficient policies and procedures, and he has a knack for recruiting and training amazing people. I have enjoyed working with Alex not only on a professional level, but also a personal one. His positive enthusiam for the industry is contagious. I am honored that I have had the opportunity to work with him for the past 2 1/2 years.” September 25, 2009

Shanna Bradley, Account Executive, Synergis

“Alex is an excellent manager with outstanding leadership skills and work ethic. Alex leads by example and has made me a better professional through his mentoring. I would highly recommend Alex!” October 7, 2009

Rob Larson, Senior IT Recruiter, Synergis

“I’ved had the pleasure to work with Alex Putman on many occasions. He is very professional and always provide excellent service. I would definitely recommend anyone considering him to utilize his services.” July 12, 2010

Darius Hunter, MBA, Owner, 1st Class Resources

“Alex is an individual who takes his profession very seriously. If he tells you something, believe it. Alex is also “just one of the guys” with great communication skills, and a high level of integrity.” July 13, 2010

Ben Kirkland, Sr. Forensic Investigator, Fiserv

“Alex brought the best of all worlds to HR at Panasonic. He not only had a unique ability to locate and acquire the talent we needed in the company–he also had his finger on the pulse of the employee population. His keen insights and advice kept us from getting off track more than once. I would welcome the opportunity to work with Alex again.” July 14, 2010

Dr. Jim Marion, PMP, President, Panasonic Mobile Communications

“Alex is a dedicated and skillful recruiting professional. I had the pleasure of reporting directly to Alex. He is a strong leader that is constantly working to move his team forward. He takes a genuine interest in the professional growth of the individuals on his team. He was very open and listened to what his team had to say at all times and valued our expertise. Alex is a top-notch recruiting executive that has the ability to create, restructure and improve recruiting functions in any type of organization. It was truly a delight to work for Alex.” December 8, 2010

Annellie Holmes, HR/Recruiting, Rockwell Collins

“A wonderful person with an exceptional attitude. He is very professional and easy to work with.” January 10, 2011

Diane Hosch, Senior Documentation Specialist, Panasonic

“When Alex served in the Reruiting Manager role at Synergis he hired me right out of school to be an Associate Recruiter. Alex was instrumental in providing me with the training and knowledge I needed to be successful as a new recruiter. Within five months I accomplished the necessary milestones to move into a Technical Recruiter role and I attribute much of that success to Alex and his ability to be a servant leader and take a vested interest in my recruiting goals. I’ve now known Alex for almost four years and I can truly say that he has all the values that you would want in a manager/leader. He knows how to hold others accountable, how to encourage and motivate, how to lead by example, and how to be solution focused. He’s also an excellent writer and is very creative and innovative!! I have a huge amount of respect for Alex and can’t say enough good things about him!!” May 13, 2011

Janna Tucker, Technical Recruiter, Synergis

“I worked directly for Alex when he functioned as Recruiting Manager at Synergis. Alex is forward thinking, detail oriented and really cares about the growth and development of his employees. Alex excels at building teams and he grew and built an fantastic team of recruiters here at Synergis.” August 16, 2011

Christy Cifreo, Sr. IT Recruiter, Synergis

“I have worked with Alex at Panasonic as well as at Danger and found him to be a great recruiter. He is one of the best out there when it comes to finding the right talent for you. On his most recent assignment at Danger, Alex was able to produce outstanding results in extremely challenging circumstances. I have no hesitation in recommending Alex’s services to anyone looking to recruit top talent!” January 2, 2007

Top qualities: Great Results, Personable, High Integrity
Joseph Mathew

“The most valuable relationships in business are built on trust. Alex places a high priority on the success of those he works with. His combination of knowledge and personal character provides a refreshingly positive business atmosphere. Truly, he is a great guy to work with.” November 22, 2007

Tim T., Financial Advisor, Strategic Financial Management, LLC

“If you ever need someone to speak to your group about integrating social media in you marketing plan, Alex is your man.
I learned more in 30 minutes by listening to Alex than from all the articles and “how-to’s” I reviewed.
He clearly lives and breathes social media – let him show you how to use it in your organization.

Chris Harlow, Sr Executive Advisor, Career Concepts Inc

“Alex delivered relevant information in a format that was fun and easy to understand and implement. I see Alex as an expert in social media and will look to him for help again in the future.” August 9, 2011

Rebecca Bowen, Employer Relations Specialist in Career Services

“I had the opportunity to meet Alex through Birmingham Recruiter’s Network. As a referral from one of our members, we invited Alex to speak on Social Media at one of our monthly luncheons. His presentation and knowledge of the topic was spot on! Since then, I have had the opportunity to network with him on another front, using social media to assist me in a personal job search. Through his guidance, I was able to market myself and open other doors of opportunity that would have otherwise been closed. Not to mention, Alex is down to earth and easy to talk with and always willing to lend a guiding hand. I would recommend Alex Putman for any opportunity he is challenged with.” August 16, 2011

Wade Roley, 2011 President, Birmingham Recruiter’s Network

“A rustle in the leaves, a water cup stirs circled waves – it is a prelude to what mighty force is fast approaching …. and with force it did and with impact – for I am describing the arrival of teh Social_T-Rex that is Alex Putman.

I was fortunate enough to have Alex as one of my featured interviewees on my blog, sixdegreesfromdave.com and it is still one of the most read of interviews to date. I was flattered to know my blog inspired his goal to be the most networked in Atlanta but that was nearly three years ago and his outreach far exceeds those boundaries.

When I asked Alex what was the most impactful memory in his staffing career, on your sourcing/recruiting career – he answered in a manner much like my own sentiments: “going through a company closure (Panasonic) and a layoff from the very next job. I incorporated myself, built a home office and began my journey of becoming highly networked”

Alex has done it in his own style, with his own witty and thoughtful approach to what he writes and how he engages others. That featured article is the reason this series exists – it allows the unsung heroes to have the light shine on them for their own individual contributions. Alex’s ambitions match his successes. Once decided he proceeds and never fails. I admire Alex and I strongly recommend someone who has done so much to fuel blogging and best practice sharing., I salute him!” September 28, 2011

YOU Dave Mendoza, Talent Acquisition Strategies | Social Media Architect | Blogger | Consultant | Sourcer | Recruiter, Six Degrees from Dave

Blogs were selected based on popularity as well as content / updates. 7 of the 50 blogs selected were in recruiting, and SixDegreesfromDave.com is pleased to have join such a list of accomplished blogs. Thank you for the recognition!

* They are listed alphabetically within each category*

Last year we were listed as Top 50 HR Blogs to Watch in 2009

Follow our updates on Twitter!

“I would love to interview you for my blog. I’ve been following you on twitter, and am your friend and fan on facebook. I’ve been doing what you are recommending here for the past six months. I’ve been bored with #FollowFriday for quite some time. I thank the people who give me a nod, but I knew there had to be a more innovative way to recognize people we respect. So, I changed it up a little. On Friday’s I give out what I affectionately refer to as “the coveted @HRMargo awards including what that person does best, with hash tags,and recognition etc. 3 weeks ago, I asked my friends to embrace something I call #HireFriday. Instead of #FollowFriday, tweet the name of someone you know in transition, their title, industry, location, & a few descriptive key words to help that person get connected. Instead of giving an unemployed friend a hug, give them a leg up, I’d say, and introduce them to your contact network. On my blog http://HRMargo.com I wrote two posts about it. I registered the name on whatTheHashTag.com and a few of my connections at monster.com embraced the concept. They posted interesting articles for people in transition. The purpose of #HireFriday isn’t for recruiters to tweet or spam job…it’s for candidates, it puts the spot light, where the spot light belongs. Recruiters benefit, the candidates benefit, hiring managers benefit, and most importantly, the families of those unemployed people benefit.
Recognition is important. But when it isn’t sincere, or have meaning and merit, it is of little value.

#FollowFriday, with it’s stacks and rows of names isn’t of value…but connecting a person in transition with a job is.

Dave, I applaud your efforts here. I do believe in what you are doing. There’s obscure folks like me who are trying to fight the good fight and help the little guy. It’s why I started my blog. It’s why I launched my blogtalkradio show Compassionate HR. I want to make a difference in my own little way. I believe in featuring people in our industry who go above and beyond the call of duty to be stewards of their community. That is the true meaning of leadership. Giving is its own reward.”

NOTE: I want to extend my condolences to Margo. Her beloved Shih Tzu, Carmen, passed away. He died while she was at The ERE conference. I am confident Carmen is frolicking in greener pastures with limitless squirrels to chase under big rainbows.

By Dave Mendoza, Master Cybersleuth, an Affiliate Partner, JobMachine Inc. (720) 733-2022

Kevin Wheeler is an Open Networker who welcomes your Linkedin Invites: View his Linkedin Profile and recommendations,
*Simply add his email, kwheeler@glresources.com to your Linkedin invitation

As a globally renown speaker, author, and conference organizer – Any industry observer understands that Kevin Wheeler is among the first of those recognized within Thought Leadership circles. His capability to provoke and direct discussions on architecture of human capital strategies, while guiding them through talent acquisition processes and procedures – is matched only by his capacity to listen and willingness to learn from his students, clients and audiences. On a personal level, Kevin, is candid, data driven, and above all, charming to a fault and generous with his feedback with a sense of humor which disarms the timid and empowers the conception of every idea yet spoken aloud. Kevin’s stature is not simply due to knowledge and expertise, but likewise to boundless enthusiasm and the ability to befriend, to mentor and to build community. I have watched afar this well traveled gentleman and industry soothsayer. Today I am fortunate to count Kevin as both a valued friend and colleague, and in each instance, a wiser, better practitioner and person shall I be.

Kevin Wheeler is the author of hundreds of articles on talent management, career development, recruiting, human capital, leadership and on corporate universities and learning strategies. He has contributed chapters to several books including, recently, a chapter on leadership and recruiting in On Staffing: Advice and Perspectives for HR Leaders published by Wiley in 2004. His latest book is entitled The Corporate University Workbook: Launching the 21st Century Learning Organization which is published by Pfeiffer, Inc.

Kevin works with organizations to establish learning strategies, corporate universities, succession plans, strategic staffing programs, and human capital architectures. His company, Global Learning Resources, helps organizations create leading edge recruiting, development, and retention strategies and implement cost-effective processes to win the competition for top talent. Kevin has been a research affiliate at SRI International and a research affiliate at the Institute for the Future in Menlo Park, CA.

He has headed talent acquisition function globally and is the founder of two corporate universities. He has an extensive national and international consulting practice with such organizations as Yahoo, Eli Lilly, Corning, Inc., Starbucks Coffee Company, Edwards Lifesciences, and Federated Department Stores, and BP, as well as with organizations in China, New Zealand, Australia and El Salvador.

He has served as adjunct faculty at the University of San Francisco and on the business faculty at San Francisco State University.

Kevin spent 7 years in Thailand as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer and has a Masters Degree in Human Resources and Organizational Development. Most recently he was the Senior Vice President for Staffing and Workforce Development at the Charles Schwab Corporation.

Previously, Kevin worked in Thailand as the Vice President of Human Resources for Alphatec Electronics, Inc. and spent 16 years at National Semiconductor Corporation in a variety of human resource roles, including founding and acting as the director of National Semiconductor University.

He sits on a number of boards, served as a member of the National Board of Directors for the American Society of Training and Development from 1995-1997, was an advisory board member for the College Board in the early 1990′s as they architected the new SAT I and II exams, and was a member of the ACT Advisory Board. He speaks at international conferences on a regular basis and hosts an exclusive, invitation-only forum called the Future of Talent (www.futureoftalent.org) for human capital practitioners that explore emerging technologies and practices for talent acquisition and development.

ERE GLOBAL AMSTERDAM: Kevin Wheeler Co-Presents
“Strategic Talent Planning Workshop – Developing Synergies Across Six Integrated Elements”

Kevin Wheeler is an Open Networker who welcomes your Linkedin Invites: View his Linkedin Profile and recommendations,
*Simply add his email, kwheeler@glresources.com to your Linkedin invitation.

Recommendations for Kevin Wheeler (*Partial)

“Kevin Wheeler has an unusual gift: he combines tremendous experience with an ever-present awareness of what is cutting-edge, current, and timely. He can convey sophisticated concepts in layman’s language. His presentations are gripping and engaging, but not showmanship. They are substantive and illuminating. Kevin is a pleasure to work with and I highly recommend him.” November 7, 2007
Top qualities: Great Results, Expert, High Integrity

Kate Bruener, Conference Director at ERE Media, Inc. (hired Kevin as a Subject Matter Expert/Presenter more than once)

“There are few professional relationships over the years that I’ve enjoyed as much as Kevin. An intelligence that is broad and inclusive but always to the point. Kevin’s got a “wit” that won’t quit and a global view that is always growing larger. Most important, Kevin is accessible and always willing to share his knowledge and insights. It is no wonder that his clients are always singing his praises.” June 16, 2007

Gerry Crispin, SPHR, Principal, CareerXroads

“Kevin is one of the few practical practioners I’ve met in this industry. He’s a true professional and someone I seek for advice. I’ve asked Kevin to help my firm on a few recruiting projects and he always deliver great results. If you’re looking for someone to help you overcome your hiring challenges you should seek out Kevin’s insight and industrial knowledge.” June 11, 2007

Lou Adler, CEO, Adler Group

“When I started Hire.com I first sought out the best people I could find in the HR/Recruitment space and Kevin was one of my first contacts. And I have been thankful for his firendship and professional guidance since. Kevin is a wonderful speaker and strategist on all things Talent. His professional experience, professorial approach and gentle demeanor make fhim a world-class consultant iand teacher n the field. I highly recommend Kevin. Hank Stringer Founder Hire.com Co-Author: Talent Force: A Manifesto for the Human Side of Business Founding Team Member: ItzBig” (October 18, 2007)

Hank Stringer, Founder, Hire.com

“When preparing to deploy the Arbita brand (in late 2005) I sought out trustworthy and capable advisors. I needed experts who knew more than I did about the global recruiting market to provide strategic guidance. Kevin has been generous with his time and expertise and his recommendations have proven to be invaluable. Kevin tells it like it is. His scope is astonishing. I am grateful to him for his wise cousel and his support in helping us to build a great company.” (October 7, 2007)
Top qualities: Great Results, Expert, High Integrity

Don Ramer, CEO & Founder of Arbita (Global E-Recruiting Solutions)

“There is only one Kevin Wheeler and I don’t know if words can accurately describe the joy and learning from working with him! I’ve worked with Kevin for a number of years on a multitude of projects and in each case have been delighted with both the outcome and the process. Kevin’s depth of knowledge coupled with his warmth and authentic enjoyment for his clients and work is unprecedented. The knowledge Kevin brings to each engagement spans industries, geographies, social trends and much more to deliver an engaging and thought provoking experience. Kevin’s contributions have helped further results in a manner consistent with the unique need, culture and audience of each engagement. This is in part due to his business approach, which begins and ends with understanding the clients business, cultural environment and current state of change tolerance. I’ve known Kevin for almost a decade…hard to believe…and trust his strategic guidance explicitly.” (July 11, 2007) Top qualities: Expert, High Integrity, Creative

Susan Burns, Principal, Talent Synchronicity (hired Kevin more than once)

“Kevin is a talent acquisition expert and has been a valuable consultant to my organization.” (June 11, 2007)
Top qualities: Expert, High Integrity, Creative

Carol Mahoney, VP, Yahoo Staffing (hired Kevin as a Consultant – Talent Organizational Effectiveness in 2000, and hired Kevin more than once)

“Kevin has deep knowledge of the employment process and an early adopter of Web 2.0 recruiting approaches. Richard Katz, CEO, www.seasonedpro.com” (November 11, 2007)

Richard Katz, Founder and CEO, SeasonedPro.com

“Kevin was introduced to me as an expert in the field of Talent & Recruitment in 2004 during one of his visits to New Zealand. Before that I was an avid reader of his on-line publications and articles on the subject. In the time following our introduction, I have attended several conference events where Kevin has been a keynote speaker and have gleaned invaluable learning from him on global trends in talent, work design of the future, recruitment analytics and related topics. I have also engaged Kevin to deliver presentations on talent issues to senior level management and hiring decision makers within my previous organisation and found this to be an excellent training and education opportunity to highlight key messages to this stakeholder group. This has in turn enabled me to drive talent initiatives within my organisation to a higher level. Kevin is both professional and knowledgeable, but in spite of his vast experience, he is also both personable and an all round “nice guy”. It has been my privelege to be associated with him, and my sincere wish is that our association will continue long into the future.”

Carol Brown, Group Recruitment Manager, Beca NZ (June 11, 2007)

By Dave Mendoza, Master Cybersleuth, JobMachine Inc.

To Connect directly with An De Jonghe on LinkedIn, simply click here
and insert his email: adj@ulysses-consulting.com
She can be Reached at at (011) +32 2 583 99 32

“Six Degrees From Dave” has been developing a series of discussions to engage global perspectives among fellow colleagues in the staffing industry from each corner of the Earth, in the spirit of fostering best practices and understanding. As part of my continuing effort to research perspectives and identify fundamental patterns among recruiters, newspapers and other mediums, and the role of demographics, I have reached out to global staffing leaders and recruiters to inquire on their methods of recruitment, to examine their personal efforts to develop social networking relationships to foster talent pools, and to identify the types of job boards, blogs, user forums, Listservs, etc. particular and useful to their countries, regions and continents. Today another small step forward to initiate a series of inquiries in the hopes that together we can learn from each other.

Again, I thank each of my colleagues in advance for their willingness to confront the questions posed. Your contributions will assist in identifying patterns we can sort together as part of an ongoing discussion. I invite the staffing organizations of Corporate America and Multi-National companies to share in the dialogue.

(*** INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING? If you are an overseas staffing professional, and wish to be interviewed as part of this series to share your perspective, please email me at ldavemendoza @ gmail.com)

An co-founded Ulysses Consulting in 1999 and has helped grow the business to a $1.6 million USD enterprise, increasing her organization from 2 consultants to as many as 16. She has served as CEO since 2003. Ulysses Consulting is a Belgian executive search agency for the ICT industry. The company has quickly gained stature as a full service provider on the IT recruitment market, with services such as headhunting, outsourcing of IT recruiters, outsourcing of specialized IT consultants (through its sister company Titans) and M&A for the IT industry (through Optimerge). It was nominated for the Hermes award (dynamic Subject Matter Expertise) in 2004. The company primarily serves the Benelux region (Belgium-the Netherlands-Luxembourg) with An’s headquarters is located in Dilbeek (near Brussels), and additional offices in Antwerp and Ghent (soon to be opened, and a subsidiary in Luxembourg.

An started her career in the IT market as a contingency recruiter in 1997 at “Dart Resourcing” an English recruitment & selection agency specialized in technical ICT profiles providing permanent recruitment and outsourcing consultant to clients. After two years she left to found Ulysses together with a former colleague, Ian Morsomme. Starting with technical positions, they quickly moved into sales and middle management as well. Today, Ulysses Consulting equally fills C-level missions. With the expansion of the company, An is responsible for business development (new client acquisition) in Belgium and abroad, recruitment and people management of new employees, public relations & networking and general administration of the company. Above all, An’s focus is in expansion of the company by planning the future growth through the opening of new subsidiaries, new product or service offerings etc.

An was kind enough to share her perspectives as a Belgian national in the Benelux region (Belgium-the Netherlands-Luxembourg):

How is culture a factor in the hiring practice different from other countries you recruit from?

“Belgium has two subcultures since it has a Flemish (Dutch speaking) and a Walloon (French speaking) community. In general, Flemish speakers are pragmatic but somewhat reserved making it harder to convince them on the phone, while Walloon people are easier approachable by phone but sometimes tend to oversell their language skills on their CV.”

Where is Europe ahead of the USA in certain recruitment tactics?

“Europe has certainly understood the need to individualize the recruitment process in terms of cultural and linguistic qualities, e.g. offer multiple languages for job forms. Also, since the laws are less strict in Europe concerning privacy and political correctness, head hunters can more easily check the references of a candidate, thus in my view improving the quality of the search.”

What networking groups are available and influential within Europe as a whole and within your country in particular?

“Too many to list here, but let’s say that networking groups in Western-Europe and also in Belgium are well-developed and still the number one way to a new job. Most of them are off-line, but recently we see a surge in online networks as well, e.g. Linkedin (US origin but probably the number one professional network for Belgium), Ecademy (UK origin but widespread in Belgium as well, especially in the Dutch speaking part), Xing (German origin but probably the most European of them all) and Viadeo (French origin but also used in Belgium, especially the French speaking region). If you’re looking to contact young people (15-25) on a social (not professional) network in the Netherlands, then Hyves is probably a good bet.

Furthermore you have some vertical networks in Belgium such as CIOnet, MITclub and CIOforum for Belgian IT managers (membership only) and HRMinfo and Nehra for Belgian HR people and recruiters.”

What types of training in sourcing/recruitment are available to you and have you taken advantage of?

“I tend to follow quite a few recruitment and sourcing blogs and Internet sites on the topic and still learn a lot from clients and candidates and their experience with other headhunters. One of the sites I like is ERE for example.”

How do government laws affect your ability to recruit?

“Obviously there are laws forbidding totally ‘draining’ a company of its key personnel but as stated before, they are not that easy to enforce. I believe that headhunters in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg still have a lot of room to operate. However (!) in Belgium you need to be accredited by the government in order to operate your license, and this 3 times with each time different papers to fill out (one for Flanders, one for Brussels and one for Wallonia). In the Netherlands you do not need to be licensed in anything to open up an agency.”

How are US and European recruitment culture different? How are they similar?”

“Political correctness and minority hiring are two topics which are hot in the States but almost non-existent in Europe. In both market places it is difficult to find the right, qualified candidate so in that respect I don’t think there is a major difference.”

What recruitment software tools do you use in your day to day recruitment activities & do they translate effectively within all of the different countries where you recruit?

“We use Otys as a database and CRM system. It is a Dutch ASP which works very well. On top of that we use all kinds of social networks to contact new candidates and obviously it depends on the popularity of certain networks whether they can be used in all countries or not.”

How many applicants do you estimate are hired from your corporate website as compared to how many are hired through referrals?

“I’m taking a wild guess here but one out of ten”

Where are the “most hires” collected from? (In terms of Quantity #)

“Referrals.”

What is the source of your “Lowest Cost of Hires” – (least amount of invested resources for the easiest hires, regardless of quality)

“Online Social networking platforms.”

Whether you are hiring IT engineers, accounting, etc. – is your country’s culture a factor in the response rate when sending an email requesting a CV versus calling the candidate directly at their work? Are they open/eager to sending their CV, are they more shy/cautious or even suspicious depending on the method you use to contact them?

“I don’t think so; it all depends on the way you approach people: polite, friendly, and professional and with a touch of humor. Obviously a well placed call will always remain more personal and therefore more successful than an email, but it also takes more time. Something I have noticed though is that candidates in the Benelux are wary of (mostly) English recruiters from agencies who tend to be too aggressive on the phone.”

What methods produce the fastest amount of time in producing hires?

“Simply calling the candidates in your database with whom you’ve previously established contact. The basics still work ”

What specific technology tools do you use that produce FASTEST amount of time in producing hires?

“Online Social networking platforms.”

Is it acceptable, or common, in your country’s culture to offer a referral fee for a successful hire to someone who recommended the candidate?

“No this is not really ingrained in Belgium’s culture. There are some initiatives of course such as the Bluechip Experts (USA) or Expertise (Belgium) or Freep (the Netherlands), but I don’t believe they will gain much traction. It is a different story for end-user companies (mostly multi-nationals) who sometimes offer an Introduce-a-Friend fee to their employees.”

What are the best job boards specific to each of the countries you recruit for, both overall and specific each industry”

“Monster and Megajobs for IT profiles, both in the Netherlands and Belgium. Datanews for IT in Belgium only. But in truth, I hardly ever use job boards.”

What major Belgian media services, associations & conferences and industry-specific website portals would you recommend?

“I don’t advertise so I’m not a good source on newspapers but I would recommend BJIT (a once a year cocktail social event for the IT industry in Belgium) and Hrminfo.net for HR professionals in Belgium and HRone in Luxembourg.”

What single event had the most impact on your sourcing/recruiting career? What inspires You as a Recruiter?

“I think my first placement did. I was barely out of school and about to lose a candidate because the client wasn’t offering enough and I got so mad I would lose this first placement I called them both to our office and said they couldn’t leave before they came to an agreement. They did. That’s how I learned that even at 21 a headhunter could leverage a lot of power.”

Sept 07 : Universidad de Paraná, Entre Ríos (Argentina)
3/29/2007 : Dream Day in the Technical Institute of Aalst (Belgium)
3/21/2007 : HRM Info/iRamblas , Gent (Belgium)
2/20/2007 : Ecademy Belgium , Mechelen (Belgium)

An De Jonghe is A Member of the following Online Networks:

http://www.ecademy.com/user/ande%20jonghe
https://www.xing.com/profile/An_DeJonghe
http://worldwidenetworking.ning.com/profile/adejon?viewAsOther=1

Linkedin, Ecademy, Xing, FastPitch, TEN, Viadeo, 6nergies, Hyves, Babbello, Bebo, Biznik, Zoominfo, Crickem, Doostang, Sisterwoman, MySpace, Network2Connect, Orkut, Rezonance, Ryze, Soflow, Startupnation, YSN, iRamblas, 60SecondsNetworking, Agloco, Join2Grow, Vshake, GoingOn, Apura, Vostu, Ted, MyBlogLog, Bizzies,…

By Dave Mendoza, Master Cybersleuth, JobMachine Inc.

I Strongly recommend taking a moment to Connect directly with my friend, AmyBeth Hale on LinkedIn, simply click here
and insert her email: ahale @searchpath.com

Today is “Linkedin Day” at “Six Degrees from Dave” whereupon we encourage fellow staffing leaders, recruiters, and onlookers to connect with quality individuals who have made an impact on their craft, the recruitment industry at-large, or just people I really think are groovy. Today is such a day and I would consider it a personal favor if you reach out to AmyBeth Hale, aka “Research Goddess” and also take a moment to visit her recruitment blog at AmyBeth, Research Goddess (Still-In-Training)

Amybeth Hale serves as Manager of Internet Research for SearchPath International’s Centralized Research Department. Using her research skills, Amybeth networks throughout various industries to uncover talented individuals and marketing opportunities for our franchise offices. Her duties include but are not limited to offering research support, assisting in research support to our franchises, assisting in database and sourcing training, and finding and training new research talent to assist with the growth of the company.

Amybeth has been working as a researcher since the summer of 2002 when she began her career as the sole researcher for an award-winning MRI-affiliated executive search firm in Cincinnati, OH. There she was responsible not only for conducting research but also for maintaining company databases, troubleshooting computer issues, and managing the internal network. She has implemented, customized, and conducted user training classes for contact management databases in addition to developing her skills as a passive researcher.

Amybeth was an instrumental part in the development and moderation of an extensive interactive network of researchers throughout MRI’s franchise system. She helped establish recognition of and assistance for the researchers affiliated with MRI at its regional conferences and was asked to assist with training sessions for 2005 and 2006. She willingly offered training and support to new researchers who were referred to her by other MRI franchise offices. One of her favorite sayings is, “Never forget where you came from – and always reach back.”

Amybeth also maintains a research blog, www.amybethhale.com. She has been a guest author for other well-known internet recruiting resource blogs such as www.recruiting.com, www.recruitingbloggers.com, and www.jimstroud.com. Amybeth was recently asked to speak along with a fellow research colleague at the Cincinnati chapter of the Ohio Association of Executive Search Professionals (OAESP) on the topic of research techniques and secrets. She is a proponent of responsible professional networking and believes that there is something to be learned from every person you encounter in life.

Amybeth graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of Florida in 2000 with a Bachelors degree in Exercise and Sports Science. She currently resides in Cincinnati, OH.

Compliments to JimStroud (Visit JimStroud.com)

“I was new to the research arena when I realized I needed a little guidance. Her expertise and her perpetual willingness to help have enlightened me to the internet research field. From recruiters to researchers, if the first step in a project is elusive, a good place to start is Ms. Hale’s blog. The information therein is accurate, valuable, and well supported by many others in her field.” May 24, 2007
Top qualities: Personable, Expert, High Integrity
Bryan Marek (bryan@hireunow.com), hired Amybeth Hale as a Research Goddess (still in training) in 2007

“As a person, friend, and peer, Amybeth is a truly remarkable person. She’s highly motivational, incredibly observant, and has a true passion for her work. Her insight to the industry has made her stand out amongst her peers as she embodies the true definition of researcher. I highly recommend her work and I’m certain that she will only continue to produce and develop many more great things in the future.” April 26, 2007
Michael Notaro, Associate Director, The Horizon Group
worked with Amybeth Hale at SearchPath International

“Rare are the times when you meet someone who actually exceeds your expectations. Amybeth Hale is that individual. She is not satisfied with merely “doing the job” but she strives to deliver more than she promises and very frequently, accomplishes that. She also is very open, shares information freely and I have to admit, she has taught me many things that has made my life and business easier, better and more satisfying. I know that she will do the same for you, too.” October 29, 2006
Alex Gonzalez (2215+), Director of Marketing & Managing Partner, SearchPath International

“It is on a rare occasion that one meets such a bright individual with a strong dedication to integrity in her professional and personal life. I feel so compelled to mention that in my opinion, Amybeth Hale possesses these fine qualities which set her apart from the competition. Should you choose to do business with her, or befriend her, you will surely find her warm and true character to be self-evident.” October 26, 2006
Travis Spaulding [travis@cfpcompany.com], Owner, Commercial Finance Placement, LLC and Equity Root Investments, LLC

“Amybeth is a fantastic researcher and trainer for SearchPath International. She takes the time to make sure you understand what she is teaching you as a trainer, and does a very thorough job as a researcher. You could not ask for anything more, she’s a true professional in every sense of the word.” October 23, 2006
Mark Gillispie, President, SearchPath International of Arlington Hts

VISIT AmyBeth Hale’s recruitment blog at AmyBeth, Research Goddess (Still-In-Training)

LinkedIn | Bio | MSN | Skype

By James Durbin
Durbin Media

Recently, Glenn Gutmacher, Microsoft Guru answered Recruiting Animal critique on Recruitment Blog Influence:

“I think the recruiting blogosphere is an important influencer, but it’s indirect: They influence the thought leaders who get disproportionate mindshare, and in turn, influence change.”

That actually is the function of the blogs in other parts of the blogosphere. The top 10% of a community is known as the influentials, and in politics, media, and marketing, the top 10% read blogs.

The question is whether this is true in the recruiting business. I don’t think the top billers read blogs, but the top corporate recruiters do.

We are small potatoes in terms of other markets, but as John points out, it is the bloggers that make a difference, not the blogs.

Blogs as a group break down hierarchies – which means their first effect will be in national conversations tracked by search engines.

In our industry, the real value is at the local level, as employers and employees begin to share information that actually leads to hiring.

But that’s not nearly as interesting to report on as viral marketing campaigns.

John Sumser hits it right on the head. The key is the bloggers themselves, not the different blogs. Blogs help people focus their creativity on their jobs, asking the questions about what can be done better. This is the function of all employees, but bloggers have the advantage because they are forced to think about their jobs to write about it.

Blog community influence Upon Products Vendors Develop & Market:

Southwest Airlines took to their blog to discuss their policy of open seating on flights – this was on the nutz for southwest blog, and the CEO asked the question on who should they move to assigned seats or whether to continue open seating. Blogs have also played a major role in software like feedburner, technorati, and a couple of hundred of web 2.0 technologies.

Other ways to measure blog ROI – http://www.micropersuasion.com/2007/01/forrester_creat.html

Blog Ads worked for Audi to drive traffic – http://www.adrants.com/2005/09/weblog-advertising-yields-audi-dramatic.php

The power of viral marketing where recruitment blogs have played a major role:

I don’t know where recruitment blogs have played a role that big – certainly for Hirevue, WetJello, Jobster, The Ladders, Joel Cheesman, Harry Joiner the Marketing Headhunter, Microsoft’s change in recruiting and retention, the success of Recruiting.com and my own metamorphisis into a blog consultant are all examples.

Bad examples are Sony’s fake blogging – and Walmart’s PR mistakes – but at least Walmart is trying

Blogs – The transition from journal to industry partner:

I think the best example of this is that blogs are taken seriously at all. Tech Crunch went from a review blog to a monster presence for website reviews, and pulls in a couple hundred thousand in ad revenue a month. The Wall Street Journal, NY Times, and Washington Post, as well as every local newspaper and trade magazine cites blogs and often has blogs. The fact that you are even having this conversation shows that blogs are in the social conscience.

• Blogs helped Howard Dean gain notoriety, and now he’s the DNC chair – they helped break the CBS Fake Memo Story, a huge accomplishment that brought down Dan Rather and affected the presidential election. That’s no small feat.
• In marketing – these types of events are smaller, but business blogging has only been around a year.
• Marriott, GM, Boeing, Microsoft, Sun, McDonald’s, IBM, and a host of other companies are trying to figure out how to use blogs, while small businesses from BBQ restaurants to handmade jewelry e-commerce stores are using blogs to boost their sales.

For recruitment, this progress has been slow, but the number of recruitment blogs has doubled in the last year, and they are panels at the ERE, ONREC and Kennedy conferences – and they will be at SHRM, soon, if they are not already. It’s just not there yet for corporate recruitment blogging – with the exception of Heather Hamilton at Microsoft, Dennis Smith at T-Mobile, and Adam at Honeywell. It doesn’t seem to be catching on, because there isn’t enough experience on how to use blogs to recruit (right now it’s Durbin Media, Job Syntax, and Exceler8ion – everyone else is still suspect).

Recruiting Animal’s contrarian views on this topic are right in that recruiting blogs are not hitting their potential, but to the extent he’s magnified them, he’s being unfair.

• Recruiting blogs are supposed to help hire people and provide valuable information to recruiters, HR, and candidates.
• Marketing Blogs are supposed to have an effect on branding, marketing, advertising
• PR Blogs are supposed to have an effect on message.

He’s judging recruiting blogs by the wrong standards. Do we have an effect on our target industry? Ask the Bloggers and their audiences themselves.

“SIX DEGREES” NOTE: Want to network and connect with this Staffing Industry Thought Leader? It’s simple. CLICK HERE and simply fill in his email, jdurbin @ durbinmedia.com

To read additional perspectives from our guest author, visit any of the following quality blog sites for informative perspectives:

http://Stlrecruiting.com
http://Kcrecruiting.com
http://Seattlerecruiting.com
http://Charlotterecruiting.com
http://Durbinmedia.com
http://Brandstorming.com
http://Lifeinaventicup.com
http://Storkcalling.typepad.com
http://Recruiter.ducttapemarketing.com

By Carl Chapman, Principle, CEC Search, Author, “Confessions of a Restaurant Recruiter”

Funny thing happened this morning; it’s a long an involved story so it may take some time for me to weave the tale and have it make sense for you;. but here goes.

There is an ongoing buzz in the recruiting blogopshere which I think was started by Dave Mendoza with his series of articles on the Influence of Bloggers on the Recruitment Industry;. Quite a few folks have commented on the premise both on their own blogs and on recruiting.com:  Harry Joiner, who write Marketing Headhunter.com, says that no blog equals no sale. Matt Martone of Job | Searchmarketing writes The night the lights went out; an experiment in blogger influence, Martin Snyder of Main Sequence dukes it out with Animal, Jim Durbin of Stlrecruiting.com has give and take on a number of blogs on this topic, Recruiting Animal who has blogs Recruiting Animal and Recruiting Bloggers, seems to make the claim that our community is too small to have much influence. Seems like there is an argument about how our 300 (plus or minus) recruiting focused blogs don’t have much influence in the industry. Heck, there is some question about whether or not my blog even counts as a blog in the recruiting industry, as Recruiting Animal and I have had some tongue-in-cheek dialogue about that in comments on recruiting.com.

Now here is where it gets somewhat interesting. I got an email from one of my readers, we’ll call him "Mike." Mike sent me a note complimenting me on my blog and asking if I knew of any restaurant chains for sale. Mike just happens to be a big wheel at a group that invests in and buys restaurants and restaurant chains [among other things.] In fact their main office is in New York near Wall St. and they have hundreds of restaurant properties world wide.

After sending him an initial email response and getting a note back from him detailing sort of what his group is looking for, I had an idea. In between my first note and his return email I had read an article on Jason Alba’s (no relation to Jessica) JibberJobber Blog about "Chicken Lists" and it got me to thinking. See I don’t really have a chicken list. After starting in my very first recruiting role with MRI, I had spoken to and recruited about 20 CEO’s of various sized companies. In fact when we added up potential fees for their placement, my boss got the idea that restaurant recruiting might just be lucrative; but I digress. Anyway, I decided that since I wasn’t afraid to call Mike that I might just as well do it; now! So I did just that. Mike and I had a great conversation and I gave him an idea for investment into a chain of restaurant properties not far from his office. Both Mike and I were happy to make the other’s acquaintance and I’m sure that we will be doing business in the future.

Now, if that isn’t influence, then I’m not sure what is. How would I measure it? Well that’s a different matter altogether. But It would say it is significant just from a relationship standpoint.

Today’s Guest …
Dave Lefkow
CEO, TalentSpark Consulting

Dave Lefkow recently left his position as Vice President, Professional Services at Jobster to initiate his own consulting practice, “TalentSpark.” His firm will reflect the vibrant message Dave has been evangelizing throughout his “A” player career, “Do you have the right employment value proposition to attract and retain the radical innovators who can take your business to the next level?” He has been a leading voice throughout the recruitment industry, as evidenced in his series of articles at ERE, and as a source of reference within the blogosphere for his expertise in the use of technology and creativity to help companies gain a competitive advantage for talent.

Today, Dave shares his perspectives on the Influence of the recruitment blogosphere as a platform for innovation.

1) What substantive **examples** exist where blogs have influenced the products vendors develop, or the way products are marketed, etc?

I would argue that John Sumser’s Electronic Recruiting News is, in a way, the first example in the recruiting industry of a blog – which is ironic because the term blog didn’t exist when he started writing it. There’s one author (not a requirement for a blog, but usually the case), his writings are often stream of consciousness and he uses his site to create a two-way dialogue in the industry by highlighting and discussing some of the responses he receives (although I wish he’d allow comments and let the fireworks fly). For anyone that doesn’t know John’s work, he’s had an enormous influence on everything from products that have been developed and innovations in the online recruiting space to emerging forms of communication and how new technologies could apply to the recruiting industry.

From my own perspective, having a bloghas introduced me to dozens of new people around he world, some of which have been very useful in my business dealings, especially now that I have a technology and strategy consulting practice (talentspark). The number of people in random locations that say “I read your blog all the time!” really surprises me. It’s not only flattering, but it also helps you connect with people on a deeper level than you could in a passing conversation.

2) What instances would you suggest are instructive in terms of the power of viral marketing where recruitment blogs have played a major role?

Viral marketing sounds like some kind of disease you’d get in business school, but it’s really a great way to get the word out about a product or service in almost any industry. Books like The Tipping Point, Crossing the Chasm and Creating Customer Evangelists demonstrate the power of developing relationships with and support from influencers, and bloggers are increasingly influential in the recruiting space, particularly among early adopters. Any new company entering the recruiting space would be wise to engage with this audience, as each blog is not just one connection point, but a series of them.

3) How do you perceive transition of recruitment blogs from its origins as a personalized journal to that of industry influential?

I fear that blogs are at times a bit too isolationist or even elitist in some ways. It’s great to have a small, loyal following of readers, but there’s also nothing wrong with providing a set of information or having a dialogue that thousands of others can follow, comprehend and participate in. You can still be one of the cool kids without making other people who don’t have your level of experience or share your viewpoint feel small – check your ego at the door, please.

Your thoughts?

NOTE: If you are interested in building an innovation culture within your staffing organization, and developing domain expertise to to invest in the talent management industry, Dave Leftkow’s consulting firm, TalentSpark, should be on your speed dial to seek guidance on how best to creatively use technology to gain a competitive advantage for top talent.

Technically speaking, the ERE groups are in fact blogs and blogs are in fact groups – if you can envision a mobius strip you know what I’m talking about. About one year ago (maybe more), Maureen Sharib began more aggressively pushing her sourcing services (which coincided to her ongoing posts on The Recruiting Edge). Well guess what happened? More work from employers, more comments on our blog, more complaints from group members who weren’t using the groups as a personal marketing device (PMD).But what happened next was more group members subtly selling their services.

Ultimately, the community self-regulated what was acceptable and people stopped complaining. Yet more people became aware of other products and services.

The ERE Feedback groups has also consistently help modify the ERE community…

A few deftly placed blog posts on BountyJobs by yours truly increased recruiter sign up by roughly 50% – and I was being low key because I’m sensitive to sales overload. It’s like trying to find the path of greatest return – you have to poke here, prod there – eventually you find the best way to get the highest rate of blog return. It’s not always necessary to hit the community hard with the first punch.

What instances would you suggest are instructive in terms of the power of viral marketing where recruitment blogs have played a major role?

I remember when Jason Alba emailed me about Heather and his thread on personal branding; it quickly led to mention in other blogs, articles in major newspapers and as Jason can attest, lots of notoriety and interest. The issue is finding a path that taps into the hidden river of need and desire:

Viralness is still very fickle and what is hot one day is cold the next. I once read an interview with Gregg Spiridellis of JibJab who noted that the message needs the right content, it needs the right vehicle for penetration, the technology needs to be able to send out the message faster, and it needs to be seen by a larger and larger audience. Recruiting is still behind the times and needs to associate itself more with marketing to be more effective.

3) What we are looking to highlight is the transition from journal to industry partner, and any perspectives you can share would be helpful.

Bloggers need to be physically seen by their audience. It’s just like recruiting – sure, the Internet can produce names but just like elections are won by shaking hands and kissing babies, bloggers need to be able to touch their audience. I may be a cynic over the Internet but in person I’m really just a sweetheart who cares about our profession and am willing to stick my neck out with my opinions. For instance, I don’t believe anyone in recruiting has been sufficiently vocal about how the government – under the guise of the EEOC and OFCCP – is working against the mission of the profession; rather than rally against inane federal statutes we’ve cowered and have become accepting and excited about “new technology” that “more effectively” accounts for Internet applicants. HR has blindly added layer upon layer of processes in response to these statutes in a way that reminds me of holistic education: “Little Suzie/Bobby, although your grammar is horrible, since you made a good effort at writing, I’m still going to give you an A on your paper.” You can’t be a strategic business partner if you’re going to roll over in a heartbeat. An industry partner needs to stand for the needs of the industry that stands for excellence, not for an industry standing for mediocrity.

Jim’s point about what influence recruiting blogs should have is well taken except for one thing: The categorization of recruiting blogs as those that must have specific qualities different than marketing and PR blogs.

Most recruiting blogs are inherently marketing and PR blogs that reflect orientation of the person or persons doing the writing. In some cases the charisma and other personality characteristics of the writer come through to further brand the blog and in others they’re just bland words on the screen. Dennis “Boo-Boo” Smith has a great marketing and PR blog that just happens to help him recruit people to t-Mobile. He often includes posts from people he finds interesting (uh, like me); in doing so, the reader gains a feel for what Boo-Boo is like and hopefully extends these feelings to t-Mobile. How is this different from marketing and PR where a message is shaped for the audience?

The big issue IMO is attempting to measure the impact on recruiting of a blog like Recruiting.com which is a compendium of posts from companies, vendors, suppliers, and candidates and not just a sole source. In this case I’m wondering if the different posts “cancel” each other out or is there a potentiating effect of the varied opinions and trains of thought that somehow shape the way readers view recruiting?