Posts Tagged ‘recruitment’

Margo Rose, Founder of HireFriday, HR Pro & Social Media Community Manager

By popular demand here are the four questions we will discuss during #HFChat Friday, November 19, 2010:

Co-Moderators @AvidCareerist and @TomBolt will join me in facilitating the chat.

There will be lots of bouncy banter.  There will be back channel conversation.  Count on lots of interesting analogies, tips, advice, tools, and skills being shared.  What I love most about twitter chats is what I refer to as knowledge brokerage, and super learning.  If we take what we learn, apply it in our lives, think critically about what we hear, and take action, we can improve, and grow.  I want everyone to get HiredFriday, and I want everyone to find a job.  That’s my passion, my quest, my mission.  But, it is all fruitless unless you are building meaningful, helpful, compassionate relationships.  Help others, the dividends will be tremendous.  Now, on to a more serious matter.

Is it pointless to have a stream of meaningless, faceless, nameless relationships?  How many of your facebook friends have you actually met?  How many of your twitter followers do you know? How many linkedin contacts have you had a networking relationship that lead to a job offer, a contract, or a new client engagement?  These questions are rhetorical.  I want you to think, really think about why you are a consumer of digital media, this thing we call new media.  Are you leveraging your social media contacts, and picking up your droid, your IPhone, your blackberry to make contact.  The future of networking isn’t in gaming, or the next cool twitter/facebook/IPhone/ITune App.  No, it’s in making contact, having friends with skin, not just avatars.  I want to shake hands, hear voices, make friends, win new clients, find new jobs, learn new things, communicate with people around the world.

All of these things are possible, and much, much more.  I want to get you out of your comfort zone for a moment.  Let’s pretend that 90% of your friends were online.  What would you do if you had an emergency?  Would you tweet them, call them, or update your status?  Would you show up on their door step?  Maybe none of the above.  Maybe all of the above, but one thing is for sure, if you don’t have a phone number, a contact address, or a way to email them, all the followers, linkedin contacts, and facebook friends are really just phantoms.  Is that an extreme example?  Perhaps.

You tell me.  If you have  100,000 followers, and you don’t know any of them, does it matter?  Does it mean they are reading your tweets?  Are you crowd sourcing for jobs, candidates? clients? contracts?  Are you getting a return on the investment of your time spent?

If all you are doing is retweeting other people’s posts without adding something meaningful to the conversation, you might as well be playing by yourself in the corner.  The point is you have to add value, somewhere, somehow.  It’s up to each person to figure out how.  Ask yourself-If I were in that person’s industry, what would I want to know, learn, read, and then give it to them.  You will build a bridge that will forge a bond, a bond that could last a lifetime.

That lasting bond will not happen unless you are working toward your end goal which is to make live-real time contact.  You might be wondering, oh Margo, I don’t have time for that.  Really?  You don’t have time to make real life contact?  You just spend a few hours playing farmville on facebook, and tweeting about macaroni and cheese, but you can’t find time to pick up the phone to ask @ILoveMacCheese how she’s doing?

Ok, now I’m being flip.  The point is this: don’t just sit on the side lines, get moving.  Move those social media contacts you love to collect, take them off your charm bracelet, and pick up the phone.  I predict the next trend in social media will be the Droid, not because “The Woz,” says it will be.  Rather, it is because the phone is the most social tool in your arsenal.  Find people on twitter, facebook, linkedin, or hundreds of social networks, and then find a way to convert them into friends, clients, managers, supervisors, colleagues, and any other type of meaningful professional relationship you can imagine.

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Emily Birchfield, PHR HireFriday Community Member

Emily Birchfield is one of the most positive, upbeat job seekers I know.  She made the transition from California to Virginia, and has conducted an effective job search.  Her journey is sure to inspire you.  I am very fond of Emily.  I now give you– Emily Birchfield.

Staying Positive during Your Job Search by Emily Birchfield

First let me take this opportunity to define who I am, at this point in time. Though many would call me a “Job Seeker,” I see myself more as a Job Adventurer. One who, for the first time ever, is making a conscience effort to align myself to the Life I want to lead, including landing a job that will be an outlet for the passion I have to contribute towards superior results and be a part of building something greater as a result of my efforts in the equation.  HireFriday has been a critical part of my job search.  HireFriday helps me stay positive, and connects me to others who can help!

As a Job Hunter, exuding a positive attitude is extremely important. So, how do I stay positive? Here are a few things that keep me in check:

• First and Foremost! Make a Choice to Be Positive.
  • Even if you have to force yourself to be at times, be Positive. Everyone has problems and a bad attitude will not improve a situation. It’s important to self reflect and figure out things that truly uplift you, motivate you, and focus on those things to get you in a positive state of mind. Just like Yoda tells Luke during his training in Empires Strikes back, you really do need to search your Feelings. Do this to hone in on what makes you happy and then put into actions ways to achieve it. You have to WANT to be happy. If you want to be happy, you will find ways to do it effortlessly. Use the Force!
  • Surround yourself with Positive People and those who Inspire you to be a Better You!
    • Family, Friends, Pets ~ you name it! Be around people that are going to help promote and inspire positive behavior.
    • I have been using Social Media tools like LinkedIn and Twitter at a new and improved level, with exciting results! I have great success stories from making key connections through both LinkedIn and Twitter.  Not only have my connections generated leads, but more importantly I am cultivating new, impactful relationships by effectively utilizing Social Media tools. I find the communities and people I am actively involved with on LinkedIn and Twitter are the Professional Support Network I really needed at this time in my Life. It is also serving as a Gold Mine of information that is helping me to grow/develop and playing a solid role in assisting me in my current job hunt!
      • If you are in a job search and using Social Media tools, like myself, for your job hunt then I highly recommend you participate in the HireFriday community, created and lead by Margo Rose, Founder of #HireFriday. #HireFriday has a group set up on LinkedIn and Twitter. The members in this community have energized my job hunt, provided me with insights that increase my knowledge in a variety of areas and, most importantly, they have continued to be a significant source of Professional support and encouragement that helps me keep focused on pushing forward!
      • If you are not interested or comfortable using Social Media sites, then I highly recommend finding Local Job Search resources and clubs.
        • Here are two examples of excellent local resources I have tapped into here in Richmond, VA that have proven to provide me with significant positive impact in my networking and been a fantastic local support system:
          • RichmondJobNet : http://www.richmondjobnet.com/
          • Richmond Career Prospectors: http://career-prospectors.com/
    • Find local groups in the areas you live. If you are not sure how to locate Groups, I would recommend you join a local professional organization in your Field of Expertise (in my case, I joined my local SHRM Chapter) and you can ask for referrals from members. That is how I learned about one of the Groups above and don’t we all like referrals!
• Keep your Body, Mind and Spirit Healthy.  Nourish Your Passions in Life!
  • Body: «QUOTE: Take care of yourself. Good health is everyone’s major source of wealth. Without it, happiness is almost impossible. @succezstwittey (Twitter).
    • Maintain a healthy lifestyle to keep you at your best!
  • Mind: Read new books, take webinars to further your personal and/or career development, follow your favorite sports Team (for me that is the Chicago Cubs ~ Go Cubs GO!), do things that are going to fuel your mind , help you keep motivated and serve to support your development.
  • Spirit: Enjoy Music, Art, Volunteer, Read Inspirational Quotes (I get a daily dose through Positive Inspiration Quotes I follow on Twitter, a few examples are @motivatquotes @PositivelyZen @succezstwittey @TheDailyLove), Religion, Meditation, be involved in things that are going to help you feel best.
  • I feel strongly that it’s important to indulge in the things you Love as that will help lead you to a natural path of Happiness.
• Super-size your order on Daily Laughs!!
  • I laugh at myself often. To be honest, those are some of the best ones when I laugh at myself over something silly I’ve done.
  • Make Friends with people with Top Notch Humor Skills (that match your sense of Humor.) To me, the funnier the better! I have two off the hook, hilarious friends. Any exchange with them is going to mean I will laugh HARD with a lingering Cheshire Cat smile, the best! A great laugh can change your attitude instantly!
  • Sometimes it’s as simple as me catching some hilarious comments from a funny local radio show. This is an example of finding something that amuses you on some level and tapping into it to get some good laughs in.
• Pay It Forward
  • Make connections and while doing so go out of your way to help others get connected that will benefit the bigger picture. Every connection could lead a person to the perfect job or an Employer to the perfect candidate. This kind of dynamic will ideally help improve the City you live in and you can take an active part in impacting that change by every well thought referral/match you can identify. Yes, it might not be you getting that particular job and that’s ok because there is a job that is a great fit for you. Be confident knowing that the job you may not have gotten wasn’t The Perfect one. Re-group and focus on identifying the next possibilities. I know I personally want to be aligned to the right position that’s going to be a Win for me AND the Company I work for in the future. I am genuinely happy to refer Talent to a Company or Staffing Contact and vice versa, because I am interested in contributing positively to the bigger picture.
  • Teach someone new skills. I have recently been asked to design and facilitate a few LinkedIn Training sessions for Local Job Seekers. Not only have these sessions been a hit, I have been asked to design more! Being given the opportunity to share my insights, seeing people learn new skills and also picking up new ones in the process is a Great Feeling! My computer skills are advanced and I am grateful for all the training I received in my career that helped me build those skills. I am even more pleased to have the opportunity to positive impact others by sharing some of those skills with them. I encourage you to contribute your time where you can to helping others increase their skills as this will not only reward them with newly acquired experience, it will reward YOU knowing you’ve made a positive impact in helping another grow.
• Last, but most important, is to Love Yourself
  • Personal Development
    • Take this “interim” break in your Life to be honest about things you can improve to grow into the Best Version of You – both professionally and personally.
    • By being honest about areas in your Life that could use enhancements and redirection, you help yourself in paving the way towards a better Future.
    • Recognize it’s ok to be frustrated from time to time. The Job Search, especially an extended one, is extremely trying! You’re going to have off days. Acknowledge those feelings, but move on from them as quickly as you can because attitude can be the deciding factor in how many connections and opportunities come your way.

«  QUOTE: When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.
- Victor Frankl

There are times I think to myself, “Boy, it sure would be a lot easier if Life came with an accurate User Manual.” However, that wouldn’t lend itself to the Journey of Discovery and Growth that comes from experiencing Life.  A big part of Life is experiencing things for yourself, being tested through challenges, each of us will handle situations in our own ways and ideally grow from it.

There is no Cookie Cutter Perfect Life.  Deciding to Lead Your Life (not just go through the motions) in the direction you will feel most Fulfilled will guide you toward peace and happiness.  Just like a Computer gets systems upgrades, gadgets get better over the years, WE also need upgrades in Life to push and challenge ourselves to come through the situation wiser and improved as a result of overcoming the challenges.

Life is Full of Changes. The sooner you realize you can come out of the bumps an even Better You if you take away the learning from the experience, the better off you will be in setting yourself to Rise to the Top!

QUOTE:  Never give up in anything you do, it’s only an inch away. @dougleschan (Twitter)
Keep Pushing Forward until you Land your Next Job Adventure! You CAN do it! Best Wishes to Us All!

CLOSING QUOTE: It is often Life’s detours that put us back on the right path. (Sometimes YOU-turns are necessary!) @theSingleWoman (Twitter)

SONG DEDICATION: Journey, Don’t Stop Believin’ – FEEL IT!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NQIPVqLMUg&ob=av3n

* Emily Birchfield, PHR Bio: Dynamic HR Professional. Analytic with Strong People Skills. Presenting/Metrics Reporting/LinkedIn expertise. Ready to Rock a Company with contributions to support Superior Results in Richmond, VA, NoVA, or Downtown Chicago! Grew up overseas. Army brat. HUGE Chicago Cubs Fan! Moved from SoCal to Richmond, VA and loves the Adventures that are unfolding!

LinkedIn: http:www.linkedin.com/in/ebirchfield
Twitter: EmilyB_PHR

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Strategy. Where would we be without one? Rowing rudderless down a rapid river without a paddle. If we don’t have an object, strategy, and plan our efforts are fruitless. The low rate of return is a waste of time. More importantly, if you are a recruiter, and your recruitment techniques are bad, you risk your reputation, and good standing in the recruitment community. Furthermore, you risk alienating job seekers, and clients which is just a faulty business practice. The the gold-standard recruiters, and recruitment firms this is not news. However; to job seekers it is a validation of how damaging poor recruitment practices can be.

Strategy. If you are a job seeker, and you are not both disciplined, and strategic in your job search planning, you will stall your re-employment, and sabotage your morale. In this economy, the unemployment rates can be depressing, and attitude deflating. If you subscribe to this blog, I consistently challenge job seekers to “think like a recruiter.” Likewise, I challenge recruiters to put themselves in the mindset of a candidate, and cultivate empathy for the job seeker, as well as the client. A recruiter must keep ever present in their minds that your candidate may one day be the hiring manager who will retain your services. Furthermore, the candidate you place, and even those you don’t place will be a treasure trove of referrals.

Strategy. I am a fierce candidate advocate. In addition, Compassionate HR isn’t just the name of my radio show, it is a way of life. I straddle the worlds of career development, recruitment, training and development, and organization effectiveness. First, let me define compassion. The dictionary defines compassion as follows:

“A feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.”

In 2007, I was struck my deep sympathy, and grief in the loss of 2 family members, and in the loss of the family members of dear friends. Compassion, however; does not mean a measly groveling of emotionalism. Rather, it reflects the mindset of equanimity. It acknowledges the suffering all around us, and a willingness to serve to alleviate the suffering that we are able. Compassionate HR, Recruitment, and Social Media is a way of being. It is a method of outreach to my professional community. There are those who would argue too much compassion can get in the way of working with our clients. I beg to differ. Compassion is a sound business practice so long as it is matched with sound pragmatic methods.

Recently, I have noticed an over abundance of pre-scheduled job spamming in the HireFriday, Job Angels, Jobs, and Careers twitter streams. This spray and pray recruitment approach is a joke. It is a fallacy that must be exposed. It is a bad business practice that alienates job seekers, and the average business person in your twitter/facebook network. News Flash recruiters. Nobody cares about your indiscrimanent job postings. Be strategic. Find the right venues for your job postings. Search the new media venues industry relevant candidates, and engage them in a dialogue about the jobs opportunities you have to offer. If I am not a java developer do you think I care to see your java developer job posts? I don’t, neither do most job seekers.

People may wonder: why am I so adamant about keeping the HireFriday twitter stream for candidates only? It is because I was once a job seeker who was turned off by streams that did not post relevant job postings. I’d unfollow companies that posted nothing but jobs. If I want to see job opportunities, I’d follow TweetMyJobs and request industry relevant jobs only. I’d go to a job board, see who’s hiring, then leverage my linkedin contacts to make inroads into the company. I’d tweet to the executives of companies where I wanted to work, and build those relationships. I’d tweet to the recruiters who were credible, ethical, and dignified, and build those relationships. I’d network with colleagues, and take those relationship from online to a face to face meeting, if local, and a teleconference if not.

There are ways to do things. There are ways to not do things. The reason why HireFriday is a success is precisely because it features, supports, and encourages job seekers. Most job seekers might watch the #jobs stream, and run a twitter search for key words that match their job title, but will they follow and watch a stream of just plain spammy, irrelevant jobs? I argue no!. HireFriday connects people to people who can offer contacts, opportunities, and jobs. If it were to become a mixed media of jobs, and people it would lose readers, members, and the job seekers would soon scatter, and disappear. I’ve seen this countless times with other online communities.

Strategy: in order for job seekers and recruiters to be successful in the use of HireFriday, they must connect with one another offline, and find one another online. People ask: can anyone control a twitter stream? I’d argue yes. I do it all time. I do not own the HireFriday stream, our community does. I manage the stream. I watch the stream like a hawk. I consistently post guidelines for job seekers, recruiters, and companies to follow. If I see someone behaving contrary to our community values, thus destroying the integrity of our group, I redirect them, and stop with if necessary.

You see, I am a fierce advocate. I’ve been a fighter of the good fight all my life. I am part sweetheart, and part scrappy terrier nipping at the heels of the big dogs. One thing I have learned is this: if you want to run with the big dogs, you have the aim for the high bushes. I encourage recruiters, and job seekers alike to aim for the high bushes, take a quality strategic approach that will yield fruitful results, and when necessary, take the high road. I also advocate fighting for your rights, your beliefs, and your integrity. In the final analysis, no one can strip us of our dignity, our integrity, and our self respect unless we let them.

Now it’s time for today’s theme song: The Beastie Boys Anthem: “You Gotta Fight For Your Right To Party.” I selected this song for four reasons. 1) It’s fun. 2) You gotta fight for your rights. 3) I’m a rebel at heart. 4) If you want to play hard, delay gratification, be strategic, work hard, then party.

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*Editor’s note: I asked Chris Havrilla to write a guest post that would simplify your use of #HireFriday, and maximize your enjoyment. Chris is a nationally recognized speaker, world renown recruiter, and perhaps one of the most loved recruitment professionals in our Industry. She exemplifies servant leadership, and demonstrates corporate responsibility not just through her work at Hitachi Consulting, but as a mentor, trainer, and role model for recruiters around the world. I am not exaggerating when I say that Chris Havrilla is one of the most talented recruiters in The United States. I am proud to shout it from the roof tops. If you are not following Chris, I invite you to do so now. Your world will be forever enriched for having done so. And now, I give you, my dear friend: Chris Havrilla

#HireFriday Tips for Recruiters and Candidates…and (GASP!) for those who aren’t interested!

I was just putting the finishing touches on this guest post, when I saw that Chris Brogan tweeted a call to action to his friends and followers regarding #HireFriday.  How cool is that??  I am in awe of all those who have helped Margo’s movement grow and hopefully inspire someone, maybe many,  to help others.

I love this new twist to the #FollowFriday brainchild!  What a great idea to use our tweets to not only help grow someone’s twitter presence, but also to find their next job.  No small feat in today’s world and a great way to pay it forward!  Like any great idea though, the masses will flock and the usefulness/value could wane or vary, so I wanted to pass on a few tips.

For Recruiters and Job Seekers, the value of #HireFriday could and should be very high.  I also recognize that not everyone follows you for the same reason.   Some may not have time or interest to weed through these tweets anymore than they may for name-clogged #FollowFriday or FourSquare Check-in tweets.  I have a tip for you as well!

Filter Baby, Filter

Like many, I follow an extensive network of friends, colleagues, and people who interest me.   I like to work smart, not hard to manage and nurture this network – and what I have time, need, or want to see.  As such I use TweetDeck as my desktop client –using the column functionality to track my social networks (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, FourSquare, etc) as well as important groups and searches.   For max efficiency, I use the filter icon frequently –entering keywords of interest (or not). If you use a different desktop client or one of the web-based alternatives check to see if they have these same capabilities – I know Seesmic Web does as well.

Recruiter Tip

Set up a search column for the #HireFriday hashtag.  Using the filter option, add keyword(s) to quickly find candidates of interest.  In column 3 of the example screenshot below, I used the term market to capture any candidate tweets with the term market, marketing, marketer, etc.  Very easy way to find the candidates you can help!

Candidate Tip

Using the #HireFriday guidelines, design your tweet with the Recruiter Tip above in mind.  Put yourself in the Recruiter’s or Hiring Manager’s shoes – what keyword(s) do you think they will look for when seeking someone like you?

Not Interested Tip

Of course if you aren’t interested, no need to unfollow these folks you otherwise find engaging.  The filter work both ways, so you can also exclude (-) keywords you don’t find useful.  The references containing them will no longer be included in your stream until the filter is removed.  In column 2 of the example screenshot below, I excluded ‘4sq’ – you can do the same for ‘hirefriday’, ‘followfriday’, or whatever you would like to exclude (no quotes needed).

Uh, Twitter, I’m Just Not That Into You

Alternatively, if you do not use Twitter to this degree and just want to use search to take advantage of special events, chats or hashtags like #HireFriday you can use a search dashboard like TweetGrid.  See below for an example to structure a few searches – with TweetGrid you can do up to nine searches on one screen.   As #HireFriday continues to grow, this can come in very handy to search for active and motivated candidates that you may need or be able to help:

You don’t have to be a recruiter.  Anyone can help.  I’ll end by echoing the same words Chris Brogan shared with his network, “Get into it. Help others.”

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*editors note, so now you know how to use HireFriday, and how to filter information in and out without unfollowing your friends. See how simple it is. Now we can keep the abundant love flowing as we serve humanity. And remember, HireFriday is about everybody helping everybody else. Take this opportunity to jump into our HireFriday community feet first. Our page on facebook, and group on linkedin are more interactive than twitter because we are not limited by 140 characters.

Ok, HireFriday fans…what would Friday, July 9th be without a theme song? Today’s selection is inspired by Oprah Winfrey’s theme song, yes she has one. So now, I give you my gurl Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan…put on your happy feet and start dancing my friends. It’s HireFriday

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Shally Steckerl

Compassionate HR on blogtalkradio, tonight at 7:30 p.m. eastern standard time, 4:30 p.m. pacific time.  Ok, that much you already know, particularly if you follow this blog.  What you may not already know is that industry leader, Shally Steckerl is one of the most compassionate men in the recruiting, and candidate sourcing industry.  I’ve been following Shally for the past year, I read his posts, and follow his feed on facebook, linkedin, and twitter.  You don’t have to be a cyber sleuth find information about the vast contribution Shally has made to our industry.  All you have to do is google him, and you’ll find 42,400 results, all of which are about him, and his company.

I happen to like Shally personally, even before he knew who I was.  Why?  I saw in him a spirit of generosity, and stewardship that one sees in very few people.  My readers know I host a show, and listen to as many blogtalkradio shows as I can fit into my busy schedule.  It was through blogtalkradio, and twitter that Shally wound up on my radar screen.  I was impressed by his keen intelligence, his mastery of Internet sourcing, and his commitment to maintaining the integrity of our industry.

Shally does this by educating our community about best practices.  He posts information that helps us stay up to date on the latest trends, and while it is his business to do so, very few people care as much about maintaining high standards of quality.  Let’s face it recruiters, sourcers and HR pros, there’s a lot of hacks out there.  Some recruiters are downright shoddy.  Those are the very people that require training, but rarely care enough to get it.  The ego is a high and mighty thing.  A humble person recognizes what they do not know, and respectfully reach out to learn.

First let me say, I am not Shally’s publicist.  He is not paying me to extoll his virtues.  I do this because I too share a passion for keeping the recruiting space the great space that it is.  Most of my readers do not know that I spent 5 years in the recruiting world in the late 70′s and early 80′s.  I worked at a 3rd party agency in Cincinnati, OH, and I was a recruiter for Pizza Hut in Dayton OH.  No, this is not on my resume for two reasons.  1) I hated it, and 2) I didn’t want to continue in that field.  Instead, I went back to graduate school, and got my master’s in Human Resource Development from Xavier University.  The focus of my studies was organizational leadership, and development.

I had a short career detour, and owned a pet boutique and spa. Then, In 2009, I decided it was time to throw my hat back into the HR/Recruiting ring, but quickly realized I did not have the skills to do so.  A lot changes in 25 years.  That is how I learned about Shally.  While I did not take his training courses, I admired his work from afar.   I strongly considered going back into recruiting, but decided that perhaps that isn’t my calling.  Why? because I care too much about job seekers.  Wait, you might be thinking…you just lost me there Margo.

Here’s a chunk of truth the job seekers who read this blog must know: recruiters are paid by, and work for the client who is paying their retainer, and their fees.  You have to be the square peg in the square hole to get and hold their attention.  With that said, there are ethical, compassionate, and kind human beings in the recruiting industry that will give you the time of day.  Shally is one of those people.

Job seekers, please listen to tonight’s show.  You will be inspired by the amazing stories that Shally has to share.  Recruiters, you already know that Shally is the G-d Father of candidate sourcing.   He put the career of sourcing on the map. He was one of the leading experts who made candidate sourcing the credible and valid career it is today.

Most of you know I’m a big fan of them songs…so here is the one I picked in honor of tonight’s guest, Shally Steckerl.

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