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Shally Steckerl, “Seven Days Without Sourcing Makes One Weak”
Posted on August 5, 2008
Filed Under Shally Steckerl, Sourcing Techniques | 1 Comment
By Shally Steckerl, Founder, Chief Cybersleuth at JobMachine.net
Originally featured on ERE.net
Borrowing from comedian Monty Walker of Beatle Bailey fame, the title reflects a bit of light humor in what is often a spirited debate surrounding the question of “How much is enough sourcing?”
This is perhaps the most commonly asked question I get when presenting workshops, seminars, and keynote addresses. Allow, via this humble blog post, my attempt to answer this question for recruiters by and large. Please note that I am writing this not with full-time, dedicated sourcers in mind, but for you, the full-desk recruiters who struggle to create time enough for completing your required tasks, much less for filling a pipeline with so-called passive candidates.
As my full-time sourcing brethren well know, there can never be enough research conducted as there will always be more we can do to find the right people for the right jobs, so please excuse me, but this is not written for you. For all the rest of you who carry large loads of requisitions, I hope this gives you peace of mind.
Not All Reqs Are Created Equal
Though it may feel like they are, not all of your requisitions are of the absolute “highest priority.” In fact, most of them don’t require much sourcing at all. Before you guffaw, let me define what I mean by sourcing — I mean research and identification of leads for hard-to-fill positions. Or another way to put it would be name generation for positions which cannot possibly be filled using traditional talent sources. Most reqs could benefit from some downloaded resumes, but that is a task simple to automate and one that creates little heartburn for experienced recruiters.
Meet Pat Cronin, Vice President of Volt Professional Search
Posted on August 4, 2008
Filed Under Interviews, Recruitingblogs.com | 6 Comments
By Dave Mendoza, “SixDegreesFromDave.com”
Partner, RecruitingBlogs.com
Master Cyberseluth, Affiliate Partner, JobMachine.net
Email
Linkedin Profile
RecruitingBlogs Profile
*This article was originally featured yesterday on RecruitingBlogs.com
Heather Gardner, friend and regular visitor to RBC was kind enough to introduce me to one of Volt’s senior executives, Pat Cronin. He has been in the Staffing Industry for 20 + years in various roles. His career began as a Recruiter. Pat was ranked 5th out of 300 + recruiters. After many successes was moved into management of a large group of Recruiters. He relocated and joined Volt Services Group as a Sales Representative where he was awarded “Rookie of the Year.” Very quickly Pat was promoted to Manager and then Area Manager. He relocated and took a position as Regional Director for another large staffing firm. Pat returned to Volt in the role of Professional Placement Program Manager. He supports offices throughout the United States in their Professional Placement endeavors. The areas of expertise in which his division recruits are Life Sciences, Information Technology, Engineering, Technical, Accounting/Finance and Administrative. His current title is Vice President Volt Professional Placement. Pat is also a Six Sigma Black Belt.
Six Degrees: Tell us of your home world.
PAT CRONIN: My domestic Partner, Brian Barnes, and I have been together for 7 years. Brian is a Deacon in the Episcopal Church and has his own bodywork therapy business focusing on Myofascial Release techniques. We met in San Francisco while I was on a business trip visiting from Seattle. After a year of commuting back and forth, we purchased a traditional San Francisco Victorian home in the heart of the city. Truth be told, Cooper, our dog, and Cecil, our cat run our home. They just allow us to reside with them.
While in college I became a PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) certified Scuba Diving Instructor and taught classes to many friends and Fraternity Brothers. Scuba Diving was a large part of my childhood as my father was President of U.S. Divers Corp and founded PADI. Rather than following in his very accomplished footsteps, I decided to make a name for my self on my own and stumbled into Recruiting. Years later, I did re-engage with PADI…I sit on the Board of Directors.
When I first moved to the Bay Area, I volunteered as a Chaplain at San Francisco General Hospital. It was incredibly rewarding yet emotionally draining at times. I would work all week and then on Friday nights would spend 4 – 6 hours in the emergency room helping the marginalized population of San Francisco. Nothing could have prepared me for the trauma victims I would encounter in this setting. Most people were grateful to have the company of a Chaplain during such a stressful time in their life. You get to see human nature at its “rawest” when people are in crises. I do remember one rather humorous situation….a woman came in for a minor treatment. I came into her room and said…”Hi my name is Pat. I am a Chaplain here at SFGH.” The poor woman immediately panicked and said…”A Chaplain, why do I need a Chaplain? I only cut my foot. Do you know something I don’t know? Am I going to die?” I laughed and reassured her that no, she would be just fine. People react very differently when they are scared and facing an emergency.
Six Degrees: How many years have you been in the staffing industry
PAT CRONIN: I started in the recruiting business in 1985. (I hate saying that because it makes me sound so old. I was right out of college…..honest! )
Six Degrees: How did you get started as a recruiter?
PAT CRONIN: I got into this industry by chance as many of us do. I had a friend who worked for a staffing firm. She told me about her job and I thought it sounded interesting. I also had an ulterior motive. I thought it would be a great place to find a “real” job. My thought was to look at all the positions that came into the office and if and when I found something that sounded more interesting, I would pursue that career. I know it sounds a little corny, but even after 23 years nothing is more fascinating that the search industry. In my years in the staffing industry, I have worked both Contract Staffing/Temp side and Search.
The first 5 years of my career, I worked a desk in Southern California. In 1992, I moved to Portland OR and came to work for Volt. I was an outside sales rep for the temporary division. It was so different from the search side. I learned about account development and how to work in a fast transactional environment. I was “Rookie of the Year” and was promoted to Branch and then Area Manager. During my time in Portland, I was able to develop an on-site managed program for a large Bank. I left Volt for a short period and took a position as a Regional Director of another very large staffing firm. With in two weeks I knew I had made a gigantic mistake. While I was gone, two of the Senior Vice Presidents at Volt decided they wanted to develop a Professional Search strategy for the company. I returned to Volt in the role of Professional Placement Program Manager. I began collaborating with the incredibly talented people through out Volt to creating all the tools, infrastructure, policies and procedures, training and development, which helped Volt enter the Professional Search segment. In 2002, Volt was the first Staffing Firm to fully embrace Six Sigma and I entered the Black Belt training program. In 2005 I was certified as a Six Sigma Black Belt. Shortly after that I was promoted to Director of Professional Search. Using Six Sigma tools, we ran a Six Sigma project to determine how we could increase our market share in Professional Search. I am currently the Vice President of Volt Professional Search. The group of Professional Search Recruiters I work with each focus on niche specific positions nationally and are separated into distinct Search Groups
(We are looking for talented Professional Search Recruiters and Search Managers. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself….We are hiring! We have more client requests than we can handle!)
http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=1446058&trk=tab_pro
Six Degrees: What single event had the most impact on your sourcing/recruiting
PAT CRONIN: In the beginning, I was horrible. My idea of a telemarketing call was…”Hi, This is Pat Cronin from XXX Company. I am just calling to see if there are any positions I can help you with?” Or, “I just interviewed someone who would be perfect for your position!” I was so green! I honestly could not understand why I was not getting any business. Finally, after a few months, my boss said she did not think I was right for the business. She gave me a final warning. I had one month to produce twice as much as I had ever produced, or I was going to be let go! I remember saying to her….” I am not leaving here. You’ll see, I am going to pull this off.” That was when my career really began. I had nothing but sheer determination. I did not know how I was going to do it, but I was going to succeed. I asked everyone in my office for help. I listened to the best, mimicked them and did everything I could think of to produce the numbers I had to produce in order to keep my job. I loved this business and I would not accept any other result than success. That was the toughest month of my career. There were times where is looked impossible. However, I was determined. It is amazing what power there is in “commitment.” The last day of that month, I made a placement that pushed me right over the goal. I did it! That month taught me more about myself than anything I learned in college. Determination is what makes people succeed. Sounds so simple, but when you really, really “get” that, any thing is possible.
Do you have a mentor to whom you attribute your overall outlook on recruitment, capabilities, and/or model your career after?
PAT CRONIN: I have had many mentors. The first was Wendy Hall. She hired me and helped me personally grow into a business professional. The team of people I worked with back in 1985 all contributed to my success as well. Margie McKay and Christina Harris, both Senior Vice Presidents at Volt gave me the opportunity to create a phenomenal career in Professional Search at Volt.
Six Degrees: Tell us about your executive responsibilities at Volt, Pat:
PAT CRONIN: My role is Vice President of Volt Professional Search. I am responsible for Professional Search for Volt Technical Resources throughout the U.S. and Canada. It is an exciting time at Volt Professional Search. We are developing even more robust and comprehensive infrastructures, which will allow us to elevate our delivery model and break out of the industry norms. We want our attention to remain on the customer and candidate experience while producing respectful financial gains.
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We have done extensive market research, analyzed business trends and emerging markets and utilized Six Sigma statistical business models to identify the best combination of process and talent. All over North America, we are expanding our investment in the most critical aspect of our business….our people. We are re-branding, re-evaluating and re-inventing every aspect of our current model. Our goal is to emerge as a World Class Executive Search organization.
We have our Professional Search Recruiters focused on the following “Niche” business segments.
o IT – Professional, Managers, PMs
o IT – Programmers/Developers
o IT – Networking/Systems/IT Support
o Engineering – Mechanical
o Engineering – Electronic
o Engineering – “Other”
o Life Sciences
o ERP
o Technical Sales/Consulting
View my profile on RecruitingBlogs.com
Steve Rothberg, Free Webinar: “How to Use Facebook for Recruiting”
Posted on August 3, 2008
Filed Under Steven Rothberg | 8 Comments
WHO: My friend and colleague, Steven Rothberg
WHAT: Free Webinar: How to Use Facebook for Recruiting
REGISTER TODAY: CLICK HERE
WHEN: Thursday, August 14, 2008 from 2-3pm EDT/ 1-2pm CDT / 12-1pm MDT / 11am-12pm PDT
Facebook and MySpace are two of the most popular sites amongst U.S. college students and recent graduates and dwarf the traffic from any job board, including sites such as Monster, Careerbuilder, and HotJobs. Yet very few employers are using the social networking sites for recruiting and very few of those are using them well.
My friend and colleague, Steven Rothberg, regularly speaks at recruiting conferences and is quoted by national print and broadcast media about how employers can and should use social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace to help them recruit college students and recent graduates. Steven is the President and Founder of CollegeRecruiter.com, the leading job board for college students hunting for internships and recent grads looking for entry level jobs. If you haven’t been able to attend the conferences or want more information than what the media sound bites deliver, then join Steven for an interactive, humorous, free webinar on Thursday, August 14, 2008 from 2-3pm EDT/ 1-2pm CDT / 12-1pm MDT / 11am-12pm PDT.
During the “How to Use Facebook for Recruiting” webinar, Steven will discuss how employers can and should use these sites. He’ll examine the risks and potential rewards. And he’ll look create a best practices check list that will help all employers create or improve their web 2.0 recruiting strategies and tactics.
Space is limited so register today.
Happy Holiday Weekend: “Our House”
Posted on August 2, 2008
Filed Under WebVideo | Leave a Comment
Happy Weekend: “Kiss Them for Me”
Posted on August 1, 2008
Filed Under WebVideo | Leave a Comment
By Dave Mendoza
For anyone who thinks travel is glamorous: After ten days on a four city European speaking tour I came home and within 36 hours my family flew to Finland to see Grandpa while I stayed home by myself walking three dogs daily and staring at the ceiling.
My family is returning from Finland Saturday evening after a three week holiday. I cannot wait to embrace my kids. One day is too long. Home is coming to me.
Find more videos like this on RecruitingBlogs.com
Ron Burgundy Interviews Jim Caviezel
Posted on July 31, 2008
Filed Under WebVideo | Leave a Comment
RecruitingBlogs.com Interviews George LaRocque - Bullhorn
Posted on July 30, 2008
Filed Under Recruiting Roadshow, Recruitingblogs.com | Leave a Comment
Jason Davis interviews George LaRocque at the RecruitingRoadshow
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Meet Dennis Smith, Blogging for Talent Pioneer, Part 2: How Does He Do It?
Posted on July 29, 2008
Filed Under Dennis Smith | 1 Comment
By Dave Mendoza
Email
Linkedin Profile:
Blog: WirelessJobs.com
We continue our conversation with our “Fisherman of attracting Top Talent,” Dennis Smith:
Six Degrees: How many applicants at your present employer do you estimate are hired from your corporate website as compared to how many are hired through referrals?
DENNIS: We are a small company so this isn’t a large number for us. We certainly make 5-10% of our hires each year via our website, but the largest percentage of our hires will come through direct networking activity and employee referrals (90-95%).
Six Degrees: What is the source of the “Most Hires” collected from at your present employer? (In terms of Quantity #)
DENNIS: Without question, the majority of our hires are secured through our direct networking/sourcing efforts, which includes employee referrals, and strong networking activity within our individual networks (LinkedIn – Jigsaw), and personal social networks (WirelessJobs.com).
Six Degrees: What is the source of your “LOWEST COST OF HIRES” - (least amount of invested resources for the easiest hires, regardless of quality) at your present employer?
DENNIS: Easy answer - Employee Referrals are the source of our “Lowest Cost of Hire” by far! Costs associated with our LinkedIn, Jigsaw and WirelessJobs.com are also pretty darn low relative to the investment.
Six Degrees: What talent niche groups do you target and are these particular talent areas specialized under your review?
DENNIS: I specialize in targeting talent groups in the wireless industry. Specifically, this includes technical talent such as RF Engineers (EE’s), and sales and marketing talent within the same industry.
Six Degrees: What types of training in sourcing/recruitment are available to you and have you taken advantage of?
DENNIS: I participated in my first training from Adler Concepts five years ago, but I still go through their training at least 2-3 times/year. Constant reinforcement of how to do the “smart stuff” and how to stop doing the “stupid stuff” (an Adler quote that I love) is critical in our business.
Six Degrees: 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?
DENNIS: Our team uses Bullhorn and it’s proven to be an excellent ATS and CRM. Other than that, we’ve yet to utilize any other recruitment software. I like what I’m seeing in InfoGist and Broadlook, and will most likely explore them even further in the near future.
Six Degrees: What tools (technology or old school file folder, for example) did you first encounter early in your recruitment career?
DENNIS: I started recruiting in 1996 and our company had a very practical/functional database that we used to track candidate activity and communicate with the hiring managers (can’t remember what it was called). In 1997 I joined AT&T Wireless and we had a very cool tool called Excel : ) that we used quite extensively. However, within a few months, we implemented Restrac and I thought it was the greatest thing since sliced bread (at least in hindsight).
Six Degrees: How did your expectations of being a recruiter compare to the actual, first time you got on the phone or in the cubicle? In your opinion, how do people’s assumptions about our vocation differ from reality?
DENNIS: I think many people pursue recruiting because they are “people-oriented.” Early in my career, I was convinced that all successful recruiters would have an exact personality-match with me: out-going extrovert, with an affinity toward conversation, and a passion for connecting with and helping people. Hello, earth to Dennis….
I learned quickly that this business is not for the faint-hearted, and that one’s ability to survive in this business often rests more on their persistence and drive than their talent and personality (reference to Dan Pink: Persistence Trumps Talent).
Six Degrees: Worst mistake, biggest goof, lousiest practice you thought would fly but didn’t…and how that was a learning experience?
DENNIS: Well, this isn’t something I thought would fly, but it’s one of my biggest goofs so I might as well show a bit of vulnerability.
While at Samsung, I was working on a VP search and was asked by our President to escort him to lunch where he would be interviewing one of our top candidates. At the table, the candidate was sitting to my right and our President to my left. At some point during lunch, while the President was making a rather poignant observation, I reached for my glass of iced tea (using only my peripheral vision as I didn’t want to appear disinterested in the current point at hand). As the glass reached my lips, I realized (to my horror) that the glass isn’t mine. Yep, it belonged, instead, to our unsuspecting candidate.
It was all I could do to keep from choking – spewing – gagging, as in one painful moment, my recruiting career seemed to sink to new depths. However, since neither candidate nor President were aware of my faux pas, my career was soon revived.
Lesson learned: Don’t allow yourself to get too comfortable at the lunch/dinner interview.
Six Degrees: How do you personally expect to facilitate change within our industry, and/or at your place of work? If you started that process, outline the problem, your solutions, and the vision.
DENNIS: I want to continue capitalizing on the personal change that started in my career back in 2004, when I began making myself available to the general job-seeking public (at least within the wireless industry). I’d spent the previous eight years hiding behind the comfort of the firewall, pumping out job descriptions and pushing my job-postings on every unsuspecting job seeker. However, I had no personal interaction with that community. I was too busy and didn’t feel the need to “connect” with anybody.
In the words of Scott Ginsberg, my blog makes me “approachable” to potential candidates and clients and allows me to take the first step in relationship-building. I want to continue being an advocate for recruiting processes that facilitate the improvement of recruiter/candidate relationships, banning all processes that lead job-seekers (and their resumes) to the “great black hole” located near the milky-way.
Six Degrees: “Best practice” you are most proud of developing (now or in the past) in your recruiting career?
DENNIS: I am thankful that I jumped on the web 2.0 band-wagon early in the game and was simple-minded enough to think that a blog could effectively help me target and connect with an audience of job-seekers in the wireless industry. It took few renditions (and four years) before I finally landed on the current theme (WirelessJobs.com), but the people in this community supported me and helped me during that time in a way that was extremely meaningful to me.
As a result, I gained a platform (blog) whose impact on my business has been incalculable, and I witnessed first-hand the terrific impact a community can have on its members when the focus turns to “we” instead of “me.”
Six Degrees: What are some of the frustrating aspects/obstacles to your day to day as a staffing professional and in general?
DENNIS: The company/hiring manager that is quick to talk and slow to act.
Six Degrees: What are the most common themes of strategic and/or tactical mishaps involving past or present HR/Staffing org?
DENNIS: The inability to sufficiently forecast workforce demands and the corresponding budgets (although I must admit, T-Mobile’s getting better and better at this). Also, I believe that we oftentimes fail to look out far enough (future) too
Six Degrees: Considering all of the frustrations you have experienced in your career as a recruiter, — what inspires you as you continue in your career?
DENNIS: Lesson Number 6 in Dan Pink’s latest book: Leave An Imprint.
Six Degrees: What one thing do you ideally hope to accomplish in 2008?
DENNIS: My goal is in 2008 is to have WirelessJobs.com become the go-to site for professionals in the wireless industry. I want to see it become a real community where wireless people hang-out and connect with people all over the world. Whether they are a Web Strategist for Vodaphone in Romania, or a Field Tech for T-Mobile in Phoenix, Arizona - whether they are unemployed, or happily employed. I just want to see WirelessJobs.com adding value to people’s lives.
Six Degrees: Anything you want to plug?
DENNIS: Have I mentioned my site, WirelessJobs.com? 
Six Degrees: How Are You Going To Change The Recruitment Industry?
DENNIS: One recruiter at a time. My career has been positively impacted by a few people who personally mentored me (whether they knew it or not): Bill Reeves (EDS), Craig Klein (EDS), Valerie Freeman (Imprimis Group) and Ken Jehling (AT&T Wireless).
I don’t have giant, lofty goals for changing this great profession of ours. But, if I can help make a difference in the life/career of a recruiter, it will be a step in the right direction. That’s one way to leave an imprint.
What will I tell them? I’ll probably just borrow a few lines from Dan Pink and Johnny Bunko:
1. There is no plan.
2. Think strengths, not weaknesses.
3. It’s not about you.
4. Persistence trumps talent.
5. Make excellent mistakes.
6. Leave an imprint.
View my profile on RecruitingBlogs.com
Paris Q & A: “How Do You Use Social Media to Leverage Business Relationships?”
Posted on July 28, 2008
Filed Under Europe, Global Staffing Perspectives, Otys, Speaking Engagements | Leave a Comment
Footage from Paris Presentation: “Talent Branding & Community Pipelines through Social Media”
Answering Audience questions during the event in Paris where Dave Mendoza spoke on social networking, LinkedIn and Internet Search for recruiters.
Jorrit Blok, CEO, Otys closing Remarks
Interviewing Jorrit Blok
View my profile on RecruitingBlogs.com
Meet Dennis Smith, Blogger for Talent, Talk Show Host of the Recruitosphere
Posted on July 27, 2008
Filed Under Dennis Smith, Recruitingblogs.com | 1 Comment
Email
Linkedin Profile:
Blog: WirelessJobs.com
1st of 2 Parts (Originally featured on RecruitingBlogs.com)
This article is a long time coming, I get to write about a personal hero of mine and one of my closest friends in the industry, and absolutely one of the influences which led me to the world of blogging. He will deny the role of influencer in modesty - but it is all too true and I am here today to take account of a man known by many blogging nicknames so generously provided by his admirers, “Blogging Teddy Bear,” “The Regis Philben of the Blogosphere,” “Silver Fox,” “Stud Muffin” (I heard this from one of his employees who heard women talking in the ladies room at ERE San Diego and also from my wife)
Few in this industry smile as much as Dennis Smith, and few instigate them from those they come in contact as much as our friend Dennis. He is the fellow you have a drink with and can relate to every stress, to every aspiration you have and shares back bullet point by bullet point, making you glad you spoke up. He is modest in all things, sincere in his heart, jovial in his story tellings. His welcoming to any room once you walk in makes you feel like a millionaire - all too, and all telling of what makes Dennis so popular. All of these qualities makes me think he was the inspiration for the character in Sixteen Candles that Molly Ringwald fell head over heals for, remember him? The all-star that was actually kind hearted with little self reflection of his standing among those who wanted to be just like him. If I speak in grandiose terms, it is only fitting to do so, because that is how much everyone seems to like ‘thee’ Dennis Smith. He is not only admired, he is also esteemed and attempts are made to copy this winning formula, - and everyone knows that it is the ultimate form of flattery. Unfortunately what Dennis offers to the community and industry-at-large, cannot be put in a bottle and replicated; there is only one Dennis Smith.
Few contribute as much as Dennis. He was among the first to give the blogosphere a personality. He had the first innovative assortment of widgets within his site. But technology aside, it is the fact that Dennis writes in a folksy style which easily reflects his mannerisms off-line that makes his blog successful. When I first visited Dennis’ site, I knew that I had to develop my own blog. Sure there were many influences, from Shally to Jay Dee, but Dennis gave me the ‘how to” and the regular request for an update on the status of where I was on blog development. Dennis was the kick in the ass. Dennis helped me transfer my social networking persona into a blogging brand.
That is the Dennis I knew and the one I am honored to call my friend. Today, the tables turn, and I have the chance in a lifetime to share the Dennis Smith we see daily on RecruitingBlogs.com up close, and center.
Dennis Smith has over 12 years of experience in agency and corporate recruiting, focused exclusively on the wireless / telecom industry. He is the recent founder of WirelessJobs.com, Inc., and since 2004, has actively used his blog/social network WirelessJobs.com, to build relationships with wireless candidates around the world.
Dennis is currently serving in a contract role at Microsoft supporting the Global Foundation Services team from his home office in north Texas. Previously, Dennis held recruiting leadership roles at WorldLink, T-Mobile, Samsung, and AT&T Wireless. He holds a BS from the University of Texas at Dallas, and an MBA in Organization Development from the University of Dallas.
An avid LinkedIn evangelist, Dennis caught the bug after inviting Dave Mendoza to speak with the recruiting team at T-Mobile. LinkedIn is now one of the most effective recruiting tools in his belt, and the 10k+ members in his “Wireless Jobs” Group serve as an excellent platform for connecting with wireless professionals. Interested in connecting with Dennis? Send an invitation to: wirelessheadhunter@gmail.com. View his profile @: http://www.linkedin.com/in/wirelessjobs.
Dennis enjoys speaking at recruiting conferences, where he brings focus to his passion for social networking and Web 2.0 technology, and its impact on recruiting and personal brand.
Six Degrees: Tell us of your home world.
DENNIS:I married ‘up’ 23 years ago after meeting the intelligent and beautiful Katherine Rasmussen - together they have five children: Abby – 14 (the resident drama-queen, actress, and singer who packs a mean volleyball serve); Ford – 13 (the family’s personal attorney who loves a good debate and is a natural on lead guitar); Hannah – 10 (remember the name…this whiz-kid is not only the best 1st baseman in the league, she just might also rule the world); Rachel – 6 (like her Dad, this princess loves the spot-light and will most likely fill in for Conan one day); Olivia – 3 (the only girl in the family that looks just like her mom and has the awesome personality to match). Finally, Jack, the 10 year old farm-cat, and Cowboy, the 3 year old Schnoodle, bring the total Smith-family head-count to nine. NOTE: Dennis has personally approved this headcount, but will not be securing additional headcount either today or in the future.
I am Passionate about competitive sports, and I have been coaching girls’ softball for the past five years (2 out of 5 championships isn’t too shabby). I also like a good race and will be spending my next vacation in NASCAR’s Fantasy League Detox Center, located in Talladega, AL.
Six Degrees: How many years as a recruiter?
DENNIS: I have been in the recruiting profession for 12 years, with my first year in the agency environment and the following 11 years in corporate.
Six Degrees: How did you get started as a recruiter?
DENNIS: Pre-recruiting, I was managing a team of account managers at EDS in Dallas. EDS required that all managers take a Behavioral Interviewing class (as if we didn’t know how to interview!). Well, that’s precisely what I discovered (even though it comes slowly to those of us who talk far too much). I took the class and was hooked! I discovered that I really liked the dynamics of the structured interview process and wanted to find a way to incorporate those principles in to my daily job. I decided that week to change careers and pursue recruiting.
In my first recruiting role, I was placed on-site with a big account and given my marching orders: “Fill every job. Get more jobs.” That was also the extent of my “recruiting training.” One year later I joined AT&T Wireless as a technical recruiter, not realizing how much that decision would impact my future in recruiting, as well as my focus on “wireless” (thank you Sue Baker for giving me my first corporate recruiting gig…I still love you!). Six years later, and months prior to Cingular’s acquisition of AT&T Wireless, I joined Samsung Telecommunications in Dallas, TX as the Sr. Manager of Recruiting. It was during my time at Samsung that I met Jason Davis (of Recruiting.com fame), and launched the site that would ultimately morph in to my current blog: WirelessJobs.com.
After two years at Samsung, a former AT&T boss, Paul Kemp, asked me to join his team at T-Mobile. For the next two years I had the privilege of managing their engineering recruiting team, working with the smartest, coolest, and craziest recruiters in the world!
I have since put more resources/energy toward my blog, and to continue using it as a tool to reach passive candidates. I’m enjoying my new roles and the super-fast (wow, is it ever fast!) pace of this profession.
Six Degrees: What single event had the most impact on your sourcing/recruiting career?
DENNIS: “Without a doubt, it was my first corporate recruiting gig at AT&T Wireless, because it gave me the opportunity to work with people like Sue Baker, Paul Kemp, and Ginny Eagle who challenged me and introduced me to the world of wireless at a time when the wireless industry was exploding (1996-97). I do remember one specific event that impacted me more than any other. Ginny Eagle invited this crazy man named Michael McNeal to speak at one of our internal recruiting conferences (at the time, McNeal was reinventing recruiting as the Director of Recruiting at Cisco). He was the first person who told me that I was investing too little time on the front-end with my managers (in the early stages of my recruiting process), and too much time on the back-end trying to get people hired. I know it’s not rocket science, but he basically turned my recruiting paradigm on its ear. I never looked back.”
Do you have a mentor to whom you attribute your overall outlook on recruitment, capabilities, and/or model your career after?
DENNIS:
1) Recruiting Process/Strategy: Ditto my last Dennis: Michael McNeal.
2) Networking – Dave Mendoza has influenced more than any other person in the “networking” space. I have tremendous respect for his willingness to give back to the recruiting community. He makes us better. (No folks I didn’t pay him to say that!!)
3) Community - Jason Davis, David Manaster, and John Sumser have significantly impacted my thinking with regard to “community,” and specifically, the value of our (recruiting) community. It’s been an honor to learn from them over the last few years and to watch as their efforts to build our community have reaped tremendous dividends (I’m not talking $$). When I started recruiting in 1996, I felt like it was “me against the world.” I now feel (and know) that I’m a part of something much larger than myself.
Six Degrees: Tell us about your current gig:
DENNIS: “I currently serve in a contract role at Microsoft supporting the Global Foundation Services team from my home office in north Texas. Prior, I served as the Chief Seeker of Wireless Executives at WorldLink, Inc. (it’s great when you get to make up your own job title!). While our team had a breadth of focus that spans several industries, my primary concentration was recruiting wireless executives for several large domestic and international telecom / wireless-related companies.”
Six Degrees: Tell us about your experience on the speaking circuit :
DENNIS: “I have been a panel speaker at both ERE and Kennedy Conferences, and a speaker at the Jacob Fleming Recruiting Excellence Conferences. In 2008, I look forward to serving as a Recruiting Technology (Web 2.0) Expert Panel Advisory Member for the Human Capital Institute.”
“In the years I have known Dennis he has always been kind, thoughtful and proactive. He sees the potential in people and lives up to a high standard of commitment in helping them achieve it.” July 13, 2008. Shally Steckerl, Chief CyberSleuth & Founder (Talent Acquisition Consultant), JobMachine, Inc,
“Dennis Smith is by far one of the best recruiting partners I’ve had the pleasure to work with. He collaborates on solutions that create win-win solutions and is the consummate team player. Dennis hires and leads people to success allowing them to achieve their full potential. He is accountable to company, team and customer. Whatever team Dennis is on, he takes it up a notch!” April 18, 2008
Paul Kemp, Sr. Recruiting Manager, T-Mobile USA
“Dennis Smith was guest lecturer for my Career Management & Life Transitions graduate class. Dennis’ presentation was on recruiting, social networking and interviewing. I highly recommend Dennis as a speaker. He presents his material in a very natural, relaxed manner, sprinkled with humor and intense passion for his work. My class and I thoroughly enjoyed Dennis’ presentation and more importantly learned a lot and laughed a lot – a powerful dyad in the classroom. I am confidant that Dennis’ presentation will be the highlight of the entire semester and will no doubt boost my teaching evaluation. Thanks to Dennis for delivering everything I expected and more! Candace Hinkle, SPHR Manager, Human Resources Adjunct Professor, DBU” October 21, 2007
Candy Hinkle
“Dennis is the best boss ever and just an all around great guy! He inducted me into the recruiting blogosphere and really taught me how to creatively source for candidates. He always encouraged me to push the envelope and have fun no matter what I was working on. I would recommend Dennis 100%!” May 2, 2007
Kristi Young, Contract Jr. Recruiter, T-Mobile
“Working with Dennis was a pleasure and I would be very happy to recommend him as a Recruiting Manager.” October 10, 2006
Vicki Bell, Senior Recruiter-Sales, FedEx Kinko’s
“Dennis is an exemplary manager. His skills at building relationships is key to his success. His knowledge and abilities not only help him to develop his direct reports but, others that don’t necessarily report directly to him. I’ve found that I always reach out to Dennis when I need advice on how to handle challenging issues or developing strategies related to business needs.” June 22, 2006
Susan Newman, Talent Acquisition Manager, T-Mobile
“Dennis Smith is part of the upper echelon in recruiting, the placed where the rarified air requires a hands-on leader to be both a knowledgeable business person and an insightful, creative, and persistent recruiting guru. Dennis gets “it” (I’m not talking about Verizon) and his ability to productivity connect with people, hiring managers and his fellow recruiters reflects this “it”.” May 21, 2006
Steve Levy, Principal, outside-the-box Consulting
“I have known Dennis for a long time, we first met at AT&T. Dennis is a dedicated business professional that is incredibly personable and a leader in the recruiting field. Dennis is extremely conscientious and dedicated to his work. he is a great family man and has a unique passion for people!” April 27, 2006
Kurt VandeMotter, SVP of Sales and Marketing, Bluestreak Technology
“2nd time is a charm! I’ve had the pleasure of working for Dennis twice at different companies. He encourages and makes you want to put your best foot forward. He brings a consultative approach to his clients and a fresh perspective.” February 2, 2006
Michelle Balatico-Hayes, Sr. Technical Recruiter, T-Mobile
“Dennis is one of the best managers/co-workers that I have ever worked with. Anyone who is lucky enough to work with him will know exactly what I am talking about.” January 10, 2006
Tammy Cho
“Dennis was a great asset to our Company and HR Department. Although Dennis frequently dealt with numerous challenges, he was always very professional and very easy to work with. He is very hard working and dedicated to his job and company. He also brought a much needed fun loving personality to our office. I hope I get the opportunity to work with Dennis again in the future.” December 6, 2005
Jennifer Kirby, Sr Compensation Analyst, Samsung Telecom
“I applaud Dennis management skills and his ability to challenge your thinking as a recruiter. Having been a recruiter himself gives him an edge as a manager. He listens and takes into consideration the teams’ feedback and or concerns. Dedicated describes Dennis is every aspect of his life.” December 6, 2005
Diane Pipkin, Recruiter I, T-Mobile
“I know Dennis as a recruiter for me at Samsung. He not only recruited me but also helped my team to grow from 1 to about 30. I only have to evaluate the candidate’s technical strength and adaptability to my team environment. Dennis will ensure about everything else. It was great fun to work with Dennis and see my team at Samsung grow.” December 3, 2005
Nachiket Acharya
“Dennis has busted his hump since he came in the door of this organization. I would work for Dennis again in a heart beat; he has done more for me in 30 days than any previous supervisor has done in years but I need more than 400 characters to do him justice.” December 2, 2005
Jason Hahn, Executive Recruiter, FedEx Kinko’s
“I worked with Dennis Smith at Samsung Telecommunications America and he was the Sr. Mgr, Recruiting/Staffing. He is very smart and a driven person. He is professional, humorous, and a well liked person. He tried to match great people with great jobs!” December 2, 2005
Jeanette Hotze
“I have known Dennis for some time now. We worked together in a prior assignment where I came to know his competencies; management style and follow through. We clicked immediately since our philosophies on recruiting were very similar. I was very happy we were able to maintain our network together when he moved to FedEx-Kinkos. His integrity and commitment is outstanding.” December 2, 2005.
Cal Henline
“I worked with Dennis when he was at Samsung. He is a focused and energetic individual. I would welcome the opportunity to work with him again. Should I have the appropriate opening in my organization, I would not hesitate to bring Dennis in.” December 1, 2005
Steve Gobeli
“I have 15+ years of Recruitment experience. * As Staffing Manager Dennis was very settling and positive, ALWAYS informative, supportive, available as a sounding-board, and gives direction when needed. * He would present ideas in consultative ways that would be easy digestion for our clients and upper management. * I’ve worked for only a few good Manager’s, and he is one of them…” December 1, 2005.
Antonio Young, Sr. Recruiter (Sales), FedEx Kinko’s, Sr. Manager, Recruiting
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