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Internet-Less Recruiting! Who is with me? follow this blog post

posted by on Sept. 4, 2007

Internet-Less Recruiting September 10th, 2007

 

I know - some out there probably thinking I am crazy for even thinking it.. but... If you ask yourself - honestly - how much time do you really spend online... do you like the answer?

I feel like this poor pooch most of the time...

So today while looking for Simon's LI question to see more user stats - I noticed that there are a lot of people that seem to answer a ton of questions.  People are also asking a lot of questions.  I'm part of two LI yahoogroups than get dozens of the same messages per day (If I see another person complaining about "open networking" I might lose my mind).

I love ERE - don't misunderstand this next comment... but some people.. must spend hours upon hours each day responding to some posts.  I've seen some 10+ paragraph responses from the same person multiple times in the day (sometimes in the same hour if its a hot topic).

How much time are we spending online in forums, on networking sites, on discussion groups, boolean searching playing Wii sports (so addicting.. stay away!) etc...  Probably way to much!

Knowing that I can't live without the internet.. I am gonna take the easy way out and say for just 1 day that I will not use the internet. 

Okay - I'll still use the internet... but I am going to limit myself to the following website:

http://www.whitepages.com/

Since I no longer own an actual white or yellow pages.. this website will be the only website I'll be on.

No forums, no crazy boolean searches to find a random resume hidden 15 pages back in an archive of a website from 2001.  Just me and my phone.

Who is up for the challenge with me?  Lets see what we can accomplish without all the distractions.  Participation is simple - respond to this post with a pledge to put down the mouse and pick up the phone for an entire day.  Feel free to post your results after the day is over (I'll be posting as well).

Sounds like fun!  :)

  

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9 comments

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  • 1 point 2 years ago

    "The question I think Scott wants to answer is if we would do more if we used the Internet less."

    Do I think we should use it less? For some yes - for others no. I think the key, as you pointed out, is using it effectively.

    While I know 'nobody' on this website will call into this category - but I would guess over 80% of recruiters don't use it effectively. I work out of my home now, so I can't do this test myself but I am hoping someone in a large office can do it for me. Can someone walk around their office of recruiters and look how many are talking to candidates.

    I am always amazed when my phone bill arrives and I see how little time I actually spent talking to candidates. It felt like so much more! If I could increase my ability to find an online lead and pick up the phone 2 more times a day - how many more interviews will I have each month? (hey - isn't this what you teach Shally??) What if 10 recruiters in my company increased their phone calls by 2 each day - how many more hires would we have? etc....

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    I've spent as much as 32 hours without Internet... but that's when I fly to Australia or Singapore to conduct a workshop and they don't allow me to bring my cable modem on the airplane. What I do in those cases is pre-record my online activity the day prior so I can play it back in flight and look like I'm working... LOL!!

    Really though - going without Internet for a day is like going without phone for a day. We can still get by for a while but it means either we have to do the work later, or its just stuff that doesn't get done. And maybe it just never needed to get done.

    I remember just a few short years ago (before they plugged in the Internet) when the fax machine ran out of paper it was a disaster! "Oh my goodness, we are missing out on those important resumes being faxed in to us in response to the classified ad!" Quick - who's job was it to come in on Sunday to load the fax? We had to load the paper so the memory on the fax machine wouldn't be over-run Monday morning when the resumes cascaded in.

    Then along came sweet, obtrussive, additive email and saved our day. Now instead of resumes piling up in a basket for us to get a round to reading them (sometimes never) they pile up in our inbox until we get around to reading them (often never).

    We can all make do without our favorite tools, we've just grown to depend on a few like our mobile phones, our email, our browsers, our ipods, our cars. I remember walking to work. It took a little while longer but I still did it. Then I got a bike and all of a sudden I could do more in my day. But then I got a car and my job moved away so I had less time in my day. Until I was able to telecommute - and here we are full circle. I'm now back to walking to work unless I have no Internet because then I have to either drive somewhere or take the day off :)

    I think we could do more if we drove less (unless we're outside salespeople or delivery drivers). The question I think Scott wants to answer is if we would do more if we used the Internet less.

    My vote is with Sheila - why not use every tool we have? The trick in using any tool is to do it efficiently. I know recruiters who can waste hours a day chatting on the phone and not getting any more done than the ones who spend the day on Instant Messenger, forums or email. Unless of course they are doing both at the same time while they drive, smoke a ciggarette, chew gum, listen to their iPod and play sudoku.

    Cheers, Shally

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    "The Internet should be used as a research tool, not a recruiting tool."

    Great comment! Personally - I find myself quickly getting into a rut when I have a massive number of open requisitions on my desk to just pop onto the internet and find candidates. It's a hard rut to get out of - but well worth the effort! During times in which I spend more time networking on the phone than trying to find candidates online - I notice a much higher quality candidate.

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    I started in this industry with a phone, a legal pad of paper, and a stack of resumes that my mentor flung on my desk. For 3 years I recruited without a computer, Internet, or anything closely related to the Internet.

    It's only my opinion, so please be nice, but recruiting doesn't involve the Internet or a computer for that matter. The best recruiters pick up the phone and are on it all day getting referrals and cold calling, if they are not sitting in front of the person they called and scheduled an interview with.

    Internet recruiting is for HR people that have no idea where to find talent. They get to post their jobs in hopes that someone will respond. That is not recruiting and it never will be.

    Real recruiters know exactly what I am talking about... those veterans out there that have been recruiting for over 10 years, like myself.

    On the flip side, I'll admit, if I'm hunting down a contractor and my client is in dire straights, I'll take a gander at Dice.com, ONLY if I don't have a back up.

    The Internet should be used as a research tool, not a recruiting tool. People want to know who they are working with. They want to put a face with a name, and certainly want to speak over the phone, if they are serious about using you as a recruiter.

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    I had a great day. Had 9 awesome conversations - good referrals and leads for more candidates. I scheduled 3 interviews for later this week.

    "No, Scott, not many people are "up" to talking on the phone. Period."

    Make me wonder how so many people recruit at all!

    I'll throw down my challenge again next week - if anyone is up to a little recruiting! I know Maureen is game - anyone else not afraid to step out from underneath their cable modem please post here!

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Phone isn't the drug of choice around here. No, Scott, not many people are "up" to talking on the phone. Period.

    ;)

    I spent 3 1/2 hours today phone sourcing - garnered fourteen names in the extremely challenging area of antennae design... will do more tomorrow - I need 100 if anyone can help! It will take a few days.

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    .. with a last name like Axel I get called Alex quite often.

    I must say - I am a little surprised that nobody is willing to step up to the plate and spend time just talking on the phone. People must have been too busy emailing to notice :)

    Well - I was planning on doing it tomorrow - but it seems that nobody is up to the challenge...

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    And I got my p's and q's mixed up.

    ;)

    Maureen

  • 1 point 2 years ago

    Interesting concept, Alex. I notice there are, as yet, no volunteers. Me and my phone? That's a snap, but I need the Internet for my job set-up. When do you want to do this?

    Maureen