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Gen Y'd

Gen Y'd is the always interesting, frequently random, often unfiltered, sometimes goofy, occasionally genius and never apologetic – random thoughts of my brain today on topics from recruiting to social media to whatever else I care about.


  • Kennedy's Coming to Chi-Town!!! (With OnRec)

    by on June 29, 2009

    It's official!  After some early afternoon tweeting about the subject this afternoon http://www.therecruitingconference.com OnRec & Kennedy Information has official posted the following PR:

    Onrec and Kennedy Information will join forces this fall to host a recruiting conference of unprecedented high-caliber.


    Each industry-acclaimed company will bring to this combined event their distinctive areas of expertise, making it the richest, most high-value, recruiting conference experience possible. World-famous Onrec will bring strong recruiting technological acumen and analytical savvy. Kennedy Information will deliver the tactical recruiting expertise and industry insight that has been trusted by the industry's foremost practitioners for ...

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    chicago conference florida kennedy onrec orlando sarah white
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  • Do you tell the end to movies that others have not seen? (Recruiting Relevance, I swear)

    by on June 29, 2009

    When it comes to movies there tend to be 2 types of people in the world:

    1.  The type of people who are asked about a movie and the tell you about how great (or not so great) it is - giving you just enough detail to make them want to see it for themselves

    OR

    2. The type of people who are asked about a movie and tell every single detail down to giving away the ending of the 1 movie I am most excited to see and crushing a little part of my Shia Le Bouf loving heart (Grr ...

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    advertising branding job postings recruiter recruiting recruitment sarah white
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  • Video Whitepapers? It is time.

    by on June 22, 2009

    Not that I don't appreciate all of the thought that goes into a traditional whitepaper - but really?  If you think about our ever increasing recruiting world - there are more of us that have attention spans of a 3 year old than ever.  Why haven't we seen a push toward video whitepapers that have actual people really talking about whatever the whitepapers focus is.  

    At this point, I would be thrilled with a video preview - like a commercial to get the basics of the whole whitepaper before I read it.  I mean, it is something I can just listen ...

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  • Is your brand annoying?

    by on June 17, 2009

    I saw another installment of the Old Navy talking manniquins today - only this time it came directly to my email as they wanted to introduce me to 'Athleta'.  I understand the value of branding and the role it plays in making you be seen as an employer of choice and all of the other catch phrases we read about. 

    If you are trying too hard to make your brand stand out and be cool or trendy vs being who you are as an organization it could be totally backfiring on you.  

    The old navy ads are obviously targeting someone other ...

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    @sarahw79 branding genyd marketing old navy recruiting sarah white
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  • Are your hiring manager REALLY satisfied with the job you do?

    by on June 15, 2009

    Last night, I attended my 29th 311 concert.  While the anticipation (I love anticipating something, often more than the actual event), songs, band members and concert itself seemed so familiar after all these years, there was one thing that really stood out to me.  We are getting older.  

    The drive down was a mix of conversation about what our favorite venues/shows have been over the years (I am partial to the 1998 Grand Rapids show in a tiny venue when first got to meet them after a show),  where others were at that weren't able to make it ...

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    @sarahw79 genyd hiring manager process evaluations recruiting sarah white
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  • What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas...

    by on June 11, 2009

    Since leaving Vegas there has been something on my mind and I just can't stop thinking about it. It was new and exciting and different - it made my heart pound, my thoughts race and now, when I am in webinars or reading a newspaper or when I was on vacation last weekend - it doesn't go away. 

    (And before your mind goes racing - I was well behaved and spent most of my spare time at the Poker and Craps tables - leaving vegas with $500 of their money)

    The IT is Mobile Recruiting.  I know it isn't a totally ...

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  • Brand or Process - When it comes down to it - what really matters?

    by on June 9, 2009

    This weekend I did a whirlwind tour of California with my husband - we managed to make it through Monterey Bay, Yosemite & San Francisco all in 2 1/2 days.

    Here is a list of 10 things I learned on this trip:

    1.  Avis will not let you pick up your car 12 minutes early.  You have to sit and wait.

    2.  If you let a surfer on a bike in Santa Cruz pass, instead of waving you get the hang loose sign

    3.  There is a limit to how much clam chowder you can eat (Trust me, I am shocked ...

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    california employment brand recruiting process sarah vacation
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  • I am still alive

    by on June 5, 2009

    Wow - believe it or not - I am still alive - I just well, haven't done a blog in like a year or so.  I wish I could say that I had some good excuse like winning the lottery and traveling the world or that I had a baby and was sleep deprived but honestly, I was just busy.  I know, everyone is busy - so, like I said - no excuse....

     

    ANYWAY... So much has happened in the last year and I have all sorts of new stories and ideas so I will be back to blogging and posting on a regular ...

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  • Boomers - 2/3's of you won't like it so don't bother reading it :)

    by on April 9, 2008
    I love generational issues - in fact, I am getting ready to write a book on the subject - but everytime I start to think, we really are similiar I quickly realize I am wrong.  In fact, the concensus this weekend from Gen Y'ers I spoke with is that other than their own kids, 2/3 of boomers hate Gen Y in the workplace.
     
    Over the past week, I have listened to multiple people discuss issues that are going on in their own workplace.  Granted, I am a Gen Y and every one else that I was hearing from was Gen ...

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  • ATS Expo was a great success!!!

    by on March 28, 2008
    This quarter, I switched my focus almost entirely to software evaluation and selection with companies and have been just amazed with the response that I was getting from small to mid sized businesses (50-2500 ee's) who never thought they could even afford something or just didn't know where to start! In fact, the backlog became so much I had to figure out something that would make more companies be able to get the same hands on service, with a MUCH lower pricetag all at the same time - and thus, the ATS Training/Mini-Expo was born. 
     
    Last week we ...

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  • Working Woman of the Week?

    by on Jan. 3, 2008
    I just won the Working Woman of the Week for the state of Wisconsin!  I am trying to figure out if that is because of all of my hard work or if it is because it is a holiday week and no one else was working|???
     
    Either way, I can't wait for the weekend get away I won!!
     
    Happy new year!
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  • The importance of 2008 in the world of Recruiting/Retention

    by on Jan. 2, 2008
    Last month, I capped off my year as a guest expert at a CEO roundtable. The discussion quickly evolved from online social networks and their value (or not) in business to talk about the various generations (specifically the Gen Y and Boomers). 
     
    As the sole Gen Y'er in the room, I really changes some perceptions of what people think "we" are.  A lot of the misconceptions about our Generation are based on a few random companies that allow parents ot come on job interviews and crazy parents that negotiate salarys.  Honestly, that is not the norm for our generation ...

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  • Hope to see you at Kennedy - I am speaking at 2:00...

    by on Nov. 11, 2007
    Hi!  I hope to see you all at Kennedy Recruiting 2007 show tomorrow.  I had the pleasure of getting into sunny Orlando this morning and spent my day relaxing at Universal Studios - without Kids!!  It is amazing how quickly you can get through a theme part by your self....
     
    Anyway, now that I am all Hulked up, I am excited and honored to be a Featured Speaker in the main hall tomorrow at 2:00 - I will be talking about Recrutiing with a Retention Mindset!  I can wait to meet so many of you that I have "talked" with online ...

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  • This new thing called "Job Shopping" -- I didn't know it was new???

    by on Aug. 20, 2007
    Just this week, I was called by a local reporter wanting my take on candidates "job shopping" or waiting until they got multiple offers to take any of them and leveraging one offer against the other to get the best offer for themselves.  Said journalist, had been contacted by a RPO firm to run a story on this "new fad" and the impact it has on an organization.
     
    Now, I am not someone with 20 years of experience behind me, but even I know that this has always been in the marketplace.  Obviously, when the economy is bad, candidates aren ...

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  • Only 48% Gen Y kids have summer jobs? Add on the Mr. Rogers effect and the retiring boomers and we may have a problem....

    by on July 9, 2007
    According to a survey released this weekend, only 48% of all Gen Y'er that were of school age were going to be getting (or already had) a job for the summer.  That means for more than HALF of the kids - they are taking it easy and hanging out by the pool for the summer while their parents give them cash.
     
    I need to clarify a few things - Depending on what you are looking at or where you read it, Gen Y is people born from 1977-1995.  I am a Gen Y'er, but am on the "old" end of ...

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  • I'm Back....and swimming in a sea of ATS vendors!

    by on July 2, 2007
    Over the past 2 months I have been launching the new Recruting Strategies Consulting Division for MRA - a non-profit association.  It has been crazy to say the least - it is like what starting my own company was back in 2005 - multiplied by 100!
     
    Anyway, as many of you that know me know, I am a HUGE proponent of the importance of an applicant tracking system in organizations of all sizes (even little ones).  So, it only makes since that my first initiative was to compile a list of vendors in the market place that are both on and off the ...

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  • The big annoucement and exciting changes to follow...

    by on April 30, 2007
    I have officially accepted a position as Director, Talent Acquisition at MRA and am so excited for all of the new opportunities this will afford me, their member companies, and my current/previous/future clients!   As many of you are aware, I had been approached by a few companies about bringing the Strategic Recruiting Solutions that I was doing on my own into a bigger organization to reach more people.  After talking seriously with a few organizations, I knew that going back to the corporate world just wasn't the right decision for me.  I decided, instead, to join the ...

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  • Why my generation is hard to reach...the impact of this week in history

    by on April 20, 2007
    Today is the 8th anniversary of the Columbine School Shootings, what was the deadliest school shooting in US history. 
    Yesterday was the 14th anniversary of the Waco Massacre.
    Yesterday was also the 12th anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing.
    Monday was the mass execution or injury of more than 50+ Gen Y students and their professors.
     
     And that is just the horrific activities that my generation has grown up watching on tv that happened THIS WEEK.  We can't forget the 9/11 attacks, 2 Gulf wars, watching a space shuttle explode in our classroom, Rodney King Riots (Much more ...

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  • I think I am going back to corporate/firm world....now to figure out who I want to work for....

    by on April 5, 2007
    Well, I am not exactly sure of with who, because the calls that are coming in since I first hinted at this last month have been great!! I am not convinced I have found exactly the right thing, so I am still talking with folks, but I know I need to decide what I am going to do so I am going to give it until next week to decide (if anyone else wants in - Call quick!) but the more I think about it, the more it seems like the right time to take me and my business to a ...

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  • Where has the ethics and pride gone???

    by on March 16, 2007
    Maybe I am too much of a glass half full person to see the really ugly side of this industry and how it makes people (who I assume are good at heart) do really awful things.   There has been a string running on sourcing ethics, but here is my weekly loss of values story....
     
    After seeing a requst for sourcers on this site, I contacted the poster and offered the name of a friend who was looking for a position.  The money was right where she was looking and she enjoys sourcing so it seemed like a great fit.   After ...

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