As a society, we are very focused on the future and how we want to shape and change things. We tweet, we blog, we discuss, we meet all about how things 'should' be. Yet rarely do we (Gen Y) actually take the time to really understand how we got to this point in the first place. We are a generation of thinkers. We are a generation of now. We are a now generation that see's it isn't right and just wants to jump in and fix it. We are a generation who (in many respects) doesn't take ...

keep reading this post...

(Originally posted on ImSoCorporate.com)

When I was a little kid, I dreamed of climbing the corporate ladder in my pinstripe suit and stiletto heels. I wanted nothing more than to be toughest, no nonsense attorney in a top law firm and live in a high rise apartment in Manhattan with my CEO husband and our glamorous life of jet setting weekends to Europe and dinner parties with the other fabulous people.

Well, at least that is who I wanted to play on TV. You see, I started studying theater and performance arts when I was 4 and auditioned for ...

keep reading this post...

This morning I made a stop at Starbucks on the way to dropping my son of at school.  He casually started talking about why people would work at Starbucks and compared it to why people would work at McDonalds.  At 8 years old, he was evaluating the worth of their Employment Branding campaigns and was making decisions about where he would prefer to work when he is in high school.  (I will preface this now by saying that he is a lot like me and we are kinda planners...)

Let me share with you the insight of an 8 year ...

keep reading this post...

I had an interesting conversation with someone following ERE about the lack of innovation in our industry in terms of Candidate Experience.  He suggested that if a vendor really cared - they would have someone on staff solely focused on making the technology easier for candidates.  After just 1 solid rebuttel's, he stopped the conversation.  Cold.  Seriously people - you should know by know that I enjoy a good Debate - I learn, you learn, we all win.  Anyway...It got me thinking about the conference and the space and asking the question if we really do care about candidate experience.

If ...

keep reading this post...

In what could be described as an "interesting" move at best in the hr technology world,Recruithire today announced that it had acquired Dayak (OnRec's 2008 Game Changing Recruiting Technology).

It wasn't long ago where there were a number of these recruiter matching with company matching with job websites on the market like dayak.com, talentmaze.com andbountyjobs.com.  The biggest and most well known being Bountyjobs.    I remember hearing the bountyjobs.com pitch before they went public with marketing it and it seemed, well, like it would go over huge or fizzle out - much like jobster ...

keep reading this post...

Admittedly, I am a fan of social media.  I like to see what the mean girls from high school ended up like.  From a business perspective - I love that I have developed some great relationships with people online.  It is quick and easy to "meet" someone - often it is something as simple as a RT or @ reply on twitter.  But, as much as I enjoy learning about people through social media - there is nothing like actually meeting someone in person and creating a *true* connection with them.  In fact - one of the main reasons I go to conferences is because ...

keep reading this post...

Their eyes met across the room - he was everything she had been looking for: Organized, Responsive to Candidate Needs, Interactive with Her Hiring Managers, Great at managing the recruiting process - even tracked her metrics. She was everything he had been looking for: Someone to give his product a chance.

The time was 2001 - the location was any company in America that was evaluating software. You see, at that time - the "who are your other clients" question was paramount to getting your foot in the door. It didn't matter what your product looked like - just how popular you are. Because ...

keep reading this post...

I am about to expose you to my inner geek/mensa nerd side - I love palindromes - words like tattarrattat, Anna, Racecar, Madam, Wow - well, they just intrigue me. No matter how you read it - you get the same result - same outcome - same word. (ERE is another example of a palindrome which is why this is relevant). Poker on the other hand is the complete opposite - while it is all about reading someone - the reading is not so easy - it's a challenge to know when someone you just met is bluffing or not...its more like the sister of a ...

keep reading this post...

"You want to play house you got to have a job. You want to play nice house, very sweet house, you got to have a job you don't like." (John Givings - Revolutionary Road)

I agree, on the surface it is not the most likely of movies that one could relate to Recruiting but I loved the movie Revolutionary Road - I found it to be an insightful and intriguing look at the human psyche. I saw it last night for the first time and will likely watch it again tonight. If you happen to be someone who knows me well ...

keep reading this post...

"Thanks for taking the time to talk" He started. 

 "I am really interested in learning more about your background and what exactly it is you do at HRMDirect." 

 As I paused for a moment to think about how I was going to respond it hit me that "this" was the new normal. 

Before I had a chance to type my response he continued "Let me tell you a little more about us and what we are looking to do here...."

And there it was.  The start to my 3rd meeting of the week that would take place entirely without speaking ...

keep reading this post...

Were Jack Welch's comments out of line and super old school - yes.  But the responses that I got back from white males over 40 were equally as disturbing and brings to the forefront the real discrimination going on in American workplaces.

Now, I am not going to sit here and tell you that there aren't cases where 'main stream' discrimination doesn't happen - but regardless of the who or why - discrimination is ugly and we should all be better recruiters (and people, frankly) to do everything we can to not let it happen at our organizations.

"The true ...

keep reading this post...

Yes, this is about you - Jack Walch.  And, maybe it isn't all of Gen Y 'chicks' - some of us are tolerant of being talked down to and demeaned for chosing to have a family.  Being told that we (women) can still have "a nice life, but the chances of going to the top on that path" is slim may be OK for you, but I'm not buying it.  The rest of us are really tired of a guy who got to the top because of an amazing woman behind him telling us that we can only get to ...

keep reading this post...

Well, it will be as a sponsor - but I am still really excited! (Read the full posting my HR Technology Blog)

Ok, you are like - What is Recruitfest?

Recruitfest is a "Unconference type of Conference - Only 100 of you will even be able to get a ticket to attend. "That's Dumb" you are thinking - but it really isn't. Recruitfest wants everyone to learn in an interactive, dynamic fashion. No boring powerpoints, no 10 minutes at the end of the session to try to squeeze in a few questions, no wishing you really understood how this could relate to ...

keep reading this post...

With a pretty big birthday rearing its head on Saturday I (like others before me) am having a mid-mid life crisis and decided it was time to get in shape.  One of the things that is helping me do that is knocking Butterburgers out of my diet.  If you aren't from the midwest, you are likely clueless as to what I am talking about, but soon - you too - will have a Culver's near by pushing this yummy goodness of a butterburger towards you.  Don't get me wrong - I really don't eat fast food.  When I take ...

keep reading this post...

and I have the first posting!?! (Are you recruiter enough to handle a MILH?)   If you haven't heard about cruitertalk.com - check it out - Starting today they are hosting a Recruiting & HR Blog Carnival with a New Featured Blogger each day for the rest of the month.  

See the full list of blogger's here  Some of the postings I am most excited to see are:

• Michael Goldberg - Really interesting guy that I met at Kennedy's Recruiting Conference in Vegas
• Steve Levy - Always an interesting read!
• Jim Stroud - Random, Funny Guy - video blogger on recruiting
• Dan Harris - One ...

keep reading this post...

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 ...

keep reading this post...

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 ...

keep reading this post...

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 ...

keep reading this post...

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 ...

keep reading this post...

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 ...

keep reading this post...