Dave Mendoza, Master Cybersleuth, JobMachine, Inc.

First in a series of retrospective coverage on ATC 2008

“Get serious about metrics and proactive sourcing, recruiters told at industry conference”

Recently, Shally and I had the good fortune of meeting fellow peers at the AustralAsian Conference in Sydney (April 13th-16th, 2008) as both presenters and panelists.

Shally Steckerl wowed each audience and, as his protege, I will likewise state emphatically how impressed I was that he withstood 8 to 10 hour days on his feet giving workshops at various venues and presentations – all the while, never missing his stride giving cutting edge sourcing techniques with a rare combination of self reflection, humor, and desire to share. I sat in on one of them and have seen many given our relations, however I can honestly state I learn something new and laugh everytime … Shally my friends, is becoming a Guru with well honed comedic skills that only add to everyone’s attentiveness. Our good friend Martin Warren mentioned this per an event prior to my arrival, and with my own eyes I can attest Martin has an observant eye.

I had the pleasure of co-presenting with Kevin Wheeler on the various implications, methods, and future of “Blogging for Talent” in addition to contributing to a panel discussion on “Social Media: How is Technology Impacting Recruitment?”. The day to day ritual of meeting global leaders in their areas of expertise was humbling and it was an exceptional opportunity to ask questions and share answers to contribute to he ongoing dialog on issues which effect our industry today and into the future.

I was exceptionally impressed with the star power of speakers and the substance of the agenda. I can sincerely state, the program overall, was by far, the best of any staffing conference I have attended this year, or any to date. Interesting that an American went to Australia to make such an observation and yes, a bold statement to be sure, but in truth, rarely has a conference developed such relevance to prevailing issues in the War for Talent, both in the present and in terms of its collective outlook of the future as the AustralAsian Talent Conference. The event’s founders Trevor, Horace, and Kevin did a magnificent job. Special accolades are likewise reserved for Kate Bruener and Andrew for logistical endeavors employed throughout and leading up to the event, which was by any standard a huge undertaking from across the world.

The overriding theme of the conference, “Corporate recruiters must get serious about developing credible metrics, explore proactive sourcing methods and drive their company’s employer branding if they are to succeed in the future,” delegates were told by an assortment of global staffing experts with each sharing their own personal observations and challenges as stakeholders in the war for talent.

The event, held at the Hilton Sydney, brought together corporate and agency recruiters from Australia, New Zealand and the US, to discuss the trends and challenges for the industry as it faces an ever-tightening labor market.

One of the hot topics was the concept of proactive sourcing versus traditional recruitment.

The message was clear that they are intrinsically different, and in fact are separate roles in many US organizations. Asked about how to go about setting up such a function, Rob McIntosh, US Sourcing Lead for Deloitte Services said, “If you want your company to try proactive sourcing you need to get the leadership team on board, demonstrate the critical need for it (or the cost of not doing it), and also set and manage expectations about it, and how it differs from recruitment.”

Another key theme was the importance of metrics to prove the value of the recruitment function.

Several speakers talked about the need to do more with less, how to get the budget you need, and how to increase efficiency so you can take your sourcing methods to the next level.

Compelling data changes peoples’ behavior, according to Rob McIntosh; by demonstrating the savings to be made by having a robust talent pipeline, he has won the ear of senior management. Carol Mahoney, VP Talent Acquisition & Mobility at Yahoo! also focused on the importance of accountability, explaining that “providing clear, regular information builds trust in what you’re doing.”

Faye Luxton, Recruitment Manager, ASB Group of Companies, agrees that having built trust, her team is now invited to work on complex and senior roles that in the past would have gone to external agencies. Sylvia Vorhauser, General Manager of Client Portfolio Management at PageUp People, asked what organizations are actually doing with the data they collect, such as engagement surveys or performance reviews – “is it really being used strategically for talent management?” she wondered.

The use of technology in sourcing and connecting with talent pipelines was also a popular topic for discussion, especially the use of social networking sites such as Facebook.

Rob McIntosh pointed out that while such sites are currently the source of just 2 per cent of their hires, this will continue growing.

In a lively panel discussion, Peter Bray, Managing Director of digital agency Clear Blue Day, argued that technology was useful, but personal relationships and face to face contact couldn’t be replaced. Danielle Murdolo, Senior Account Executive, Buchan Consulting, pointed out that any digital recruitment strategy must be aligned with the organization’s existing branding and marketing strategies to be effective and enhance the employer brand proposition. My response within the panel took a more libertine approach with the broader context of “its not who you know, but who knows you” and what we can contribute in forming new rather than maintenance of a preexisting, digital ‘rolodex’ relationship to evolve into a more deliberative strategy of fostering new relationships with our passive talentpool. In addition I asked the panel how can we leverage our networks to “pass it forward” within our industry to make a difference in our profession?

This sentiment was echoed in a presentation by conference founder and President of Global Learning Services, Kevin Wheeler, where he emphasized the importance of authenticity. “Your career website must be interactive, immediate and intelligent. Don’t try and pretend your organization is something that it’s not – it’s better to admit ‘yes, we are this way, but here’s what we are doing about it’, rather than deny it,” he said.

The challenge of attracting and high performers was also a key theme, as well as the impact of employer branding and marketing.
Jeremy Tipper, Director Business Development at Alexander Mann, revealed the results of a new study conducted by his organization which found that productivity, proactivity, engagement and cultural fit were all seen by corporate leaders as high performer qualities. But in attracting these people, the organizational brand was seen as the most important element. However, Mr Tipper believes this could be a misconception: “the employer brand and the employee value proposition are the most compelling factors for attracting talent,” he said.

Jane Davis, Head of the Talent Team at The Warehouse, supported this and demonstrated how centralizing recruitment, using technology and creating an employer brand campaign, has yielded fantastic results for the retailer. Not only has their approach created a talent pool of 21,000 people, it has reduced new hire failure rate by 80 per cent, ad spend by 68 per cent, agency spend by 69 per cent and cost per hire by 78 per cent.

Conference Co-founder and Co-ordinator, Trevor Vas, said the ATC, now in its second year, was a great success.

“Delegates demonstrated a real thirst for knowledge and ideas on innovative talent attraction and retention strategies, particularly on the topic of using new technology. It was pleasing to see the room buzzing with interest, questions and a high level of engagement,” Mr Vas commented.

“We’re already thinking about how to make next year an even greater learning experience and plan to maintain the same high calibre of both national and international speakers, which makes all the difference,” he said.

My own personal observation of the Australian staffing market was genuine heartfelt passion in driving their corporate and third party strategies and technologies to align with movements in the United States and beyond, however, that said, I found more similarities than differences in culture as compared to colleagues in the United Kingdom, Czech Republic, and Netherlands. The entrepreneurial individualism we take for granted in the United States is a passionate reality among those I was fortunate enough to befriend. The shared curiosity of each other’s driving force for change and workforce development was genuine, the shortage in skilled labor is as disconcerting to both sides of the world, and the demographic data suggests a challenge yet to be overcome.

The excellent and broad audience participation and questions posed were equal to, if not exceeding those I have personally witnessed in the American Staffing conference circuit.

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Few people have as magnetic a personality and that news anchor way of bringing attention to people and events in the recruitment industry as Dennis Smith. I have a profound admiration for Dennis, and by way of his video blogging, you will clearly see why and what you missed at last week’s conference.

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I’ll be replying to emails a bit late. Getting on a plan shortly and heading on a 25 hour flight. Forgive me but I’ll be doing a lot of video posts for the next few days

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

Diversity.com, a national leader in diversity focused recruitment, announced today that it is bringing the first ever diversity focused electronic job fair to the Los Angeles market.

Attendance at the event is free for interested job seekers.

For employers – Diversity.com is offering a huge discount for this first fair to celebrate this milestone. Most job fairs, the type requiring participants to travel long distances and then compete for attention can cost employers a minimum of $3,000 just to get in the door. The best of diverse talent, passive job seekers, are more inclined to participate when they can interact with recruiters in real-time without incurring expenses for gasoline, parking fees and in the privacy and casual environment of an office or home.

Thank you HR World, I hope to forward this honor in the form of new ways to help fellow recruiters and staffing leaders gain their own prominence. My blog is about passing it forward and there will be plenty more where that came from in 2008!

The Top 25 HR Blogs

By David Hakala on December 19, 2007

Surveying the HR blogosphere can be like searching for a rose in a desert. The landscape is littered with abandoned efforts, but there is a close-knit family.

The Top 25 HR Influencers of 2007

10 Questions to Ask When Choosing an ITM Solution

Harness the HR Potential of Blogs and Wikis

Fill Job Openings Faster

1. Career Hub: This blog focuses on career and job-search strategies and tactics. No fewer than 24 career-counseling and employment professionals contribute to its content. Career Hub contains a wealth of information.
2. Cheezhead: Author Joel Cheesman is one of the most widely read bloggers on emerging recruitment issues and has won several “best of” awards in the category. The tiniest new development doesn't get past Cheesman, and he’s guaranteed to blog about it.
3. SixDegrees from Dave: Dave Mendoza is recognized for his expertise in the integration of sourcing methodologies, employment branding and recruitment techniques. SixDegrees from Dave spotlights HR industry leaders, sourcing gurus, global staffing practices and social networking.
4. Gautam Ghosh: A prolific blogger, HR management consultant Gautam Ghosh writes from India, though most of his posts on every conceivable HR topic have a global tone to them.
5. Insourced's Employment and Jobs Blog: It’s hard to say which is more attractive, the blog or the job-search engine. The blog touches on issues ranging from job hunting to work/life balance, while the search engine covers the entire United States.
6. Evil HR Lady: Written anonymously by “an HR professional in a Fortune 500 company,” this blog reeks of “been there.” The Evil HR Lady has seen it all, done it all and blogs about it all.
7. good to know: Martin Burns, recruiting manager for ZoomInfo Inc., writes this blog about career-search and recruitment practices. Tips on interviewing from either side of the desk, how to source candidates online, what to wear (never sandals) and how to write a cover letter are all covered.
8. GoodRecruits: Robert Merrell, a technical recruiter and talent manager for executives, hiring managers and job seekers, writes the GoodRecruits blog. His main theme is how to use blogs as marketing and communications tools in job searches or recruiting.
9. HR Tests: Written by Bryan Baldwin, an HR consultant in Olympia, Wash., this blog has timely news of laws, regulations, products and conferences concerning testing and assessment instruments. Baldwin also writes the HR Coal blog, which deals primarily with the management of technical talent.
10. HR Thoughts: A good all-around HR blog covering everything from recruitment to EAPs (Employee Assistance Programs) to performance evaluations to professional book reviews and more. It's written by Lisa Rosendahl, an HR manager in a medical facility.
11. Beyond HR: Written by an anonymous HR professional, this blog covers the leading edge of employment branding, search-engine sourcing and other modern HR innovations.
12. Dr. John Sullivan & Associates: Sullivan is a consultant to management on everything related to HR. His blog is full of articles on college recruiting, employee-screening and -assessment tests, training, and new-hire orientation.
13. HR and Strategies: This graduate student combines HR philosophies and news in a blog that is at once thoughtful and informative.
14. HR Daily Advisor: Published by BLR Business & Legal Reports, a vendor of training aids and resources for HR professionals, HR Daily Advisor offers a deep and broad archive of tips on ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), compensation, FLSA (Fair Labor Standards Act)/wages, harassment, hiring and recruiting, general HR management, and more.
15. HRMetrics.org: HRMetrics.org is all about things that can be measured and how to measure them — from retention effectiveness to home worker productivity.

… READ THE REST HERE

By now you noticed gone are the grays and blues of the old look of the site. Notice the compass points across chrome://foxytunes-public/content/signatures/signature-button.pngfrom North America towards the far reaches of the globe? It’s no coincidence. I decided the site theme should reflect the global flavor of my articles and travel expeditions of my research. I have people to thank for their valuable talents and insights that made the new look possible.

I want to thank my new friends, Elise and Bert.

Just before the holidays, I was having a significant issue with the site’s compatibility with Internet Explorer. Carl Chapman at Confessions of A Restaurant Executive Recruiter was kind enough to refer Bert Hileman, a talented web developer at LH Web Design in Utah to review and correct the issue. We noticed there were so many errors in the coding that I considered a new design and retooling was long overdue. Carl who lives in Atlanta referred to Bert’s sister-in-law – the ever so talented Elise Elswood, to do the web design layout, and oddly enough she turned out to live two or three blocks from me here in Castle Rock. Talk about 6 Degrees!

Elise and Bert were exceptional in seeking customer input and addressing my concerns at every stage. Considering the holiday season, they made the time during their busy schedules to go through each phase of the process. They tweeked, they recoded, they added a button after the the concept was approved …. and in all, I was grateful to Carl for the referral of great professionals and new friendships.

I am passing forward Carl’s example and strongly encouraging fellow bloggers and Bloggers-to-be to seek out the services of Elise Elsewood and Bert Hileman. You will not be disappointed.

Call LH Designs at 877-753-4345. You can reach Bert Hileman by email at bhileman@hotman.com and Elise Elsewood at elise@elsewood.com

Bert and Elise thank you for developing a beautiful new look for SixDegreesfromDave.com and thank you for your friendships.

12/31/2007, 6:24 a.m. by Steven Levy

Here’s another “unrelated” post in ASK to blacken your Inbox…it’s a belated Happy Birthday to this group’s creator and sourcing doyenne, Maureen “I never really sleep which is why I have so much time to post 1,432 times each day” Sharib. Yes, yesterday Maureen was 29 years old – again.

Rather than threaten to Unsubscribe to this group or blame Maureen’s birthday on Penelope Trunk, why not just practice the principles of social networking and end the year on a “love” note by joining me and wishing Maureen a happy and healthy 29th year – again.

Happy Birthday Mo!

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

Tis The Season: You may be confused about the fact which contest is which, but at the end of the year, Jason Davis, Visionary King of the Recruitment Blogosphere – puts on a “Best Blog of the Year” Contest.

Last year there was controversy in that yours truly won twice as many votes as the site awarded. How? Well there was a “popular” vote, and a “Vote By Committee.” Joel Cheesman is a good friend and I love his site and he won the vote by committee. it’s all bygones. I’m a fan of Cheezhead and especially Recruitingblogs.com and its founder.

That was the old chapter with Recruiting.com, this year as Jason Davis heads up an 800 member vibrant community at RecruitingBlogs.com – the rules have not only changed to popular vote, but has diversified into a splendid listing of categories.

Of Course, one key aspect to note: BEST OVERALL BLOG – wins the big prize. That means Vegas baby!

But wait, what about the other contest you already voted for? Yes, true, there is the OTHER great contest held by Craig Silverman’s HIREABILTY. The prize has yet to be announced – I HEAR IT’s HUGE! Hmm is it a 60 inch flat screen tv maybe? Or is it a trip to Hawaii? jk

Maybe Craig will announce it at SixDegrees?

You can Vote Today tinyurl.com/ywhkgf for “SixDegreesFromDave.com as Best Overall Blog if you are so inclined – for the Hireability Contest …. next week it will be a whole new and final contest with the RecruitingBlogs.com event

So to reiterate, two cool contests. But to that end, “Jay Dee” has challenged Craig on “Coolness” with a song. (Mind you I have heard Jay Dee sing, and it is much much better than this example:

Find more videos like this on RecruitingBlogs.com

Prizes:>

Best Overall Blog:
A trip to Vegas from ZoomInfo

Category Winners:
Starbucks cards

Nominations:
Now until Dec 12, 2007 midnight

How To Nominate:
Email Jason Davis Your Nominations – Please include a category for each nomination

The Process:
1. A continually updated list of nominees will be posted on RecruitingBlogs.com
2. All nominees will go into a survey system for the vote.

Decision-Making:
Winners will be decided by popular vote alone.There will be no panel making any sort of decisions as to who is really the best recruiting blog out there. He or she or it who gets the most votes in “The Best Over All Recruiting Blog” category starting Dec 14/2007 wins. Period.

Voting:
Dec 14 to Dec 21/2007 midnight. Will provide the link to a survey with all blogs that were nominated.
Please email me your nominations

Best Recruiting Blog Categories:

1. Best Over All Recruiting Blog
2. Best Job Hunting Blog
3. Best Corporate Recruiting Blog
4. Best Third Party Recruiting Blog
5. Best Sourcing/Research Blog
6. Best Group Blog
7. Best Recruiting Technology Blog
8. Best Recruiting Industry Blog
9. Best HR Blog
10. Best Recruiting Blogosphere Personality
11. Best RecruitingBlogs.com Page

- If you feel there should be another category, please let Jason Davis know fast.- ZoomInfo.com will be sending the winner of the Best Over All Recruiting Blog To Las Vegas.

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

Listen to Recruiting Animal whine (jk) about getting dissed on Linkedin, Interviews Dave Mendoza on Recruiting in Europe plus the Telephone Sourcing Show with Maureen Sharib and Pam Simon.
PS: I come in 10 minutes late – because Animal forgot to give me the call-in info (of course he admitted this AFTER the show) …. I thought he was calling me. BUT – the show is hilarious, entertaining and informative.

To Listen, Click HERE: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/animal

BONUS: Shally “Elvis” Steckerl makes surprise visit the week prior! Click HERE: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/animal/2007/11/28/To-Be-Announced

Listen to my favorite lunch hour contrarion – he makes them cry or grasp straws while you laugh and think, Click HERE

Host Channel: The Recruiting Animal
Host Name: Recruiting Animal
Country: Canada
language: English
IM Program: MSN
IM Name: Recruiting Animal

I never cease to be informed and entertained by Recruiting Animal – the most original personality in the blogosphere. Here is a glimpse of what he looks like:

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