What follows is almost a clearing out of my pending articles. Over the last month or two I’ve accumulated several posts and topics that have sat unfinished in the drafts folder – each close to being finished but not given the time or attention needed to craft my message as I’d ideally like because of my current schedule and workload.
So in looking through my archive this morning I noticed that some of these seemed to be related to many offline conversations I’ve had with people I respect – where in those discussions we sang the same tune. On more than one occasion I’ve had dialogue that addressed some of the “funny” things that go on in our industry and that have started to become commonplace or that continue to frustrate those that contribute actively to the recruiting & blogging industry.
As a result I thought I’d take a slightly different tone in post – because while not angry, I’m certainly frustrated. So Managers, Bloggers, Vendors, Recruiters, Staffing personnel, and Social Recruiting Naysayers: listen up – because this post is for you. If any of this strikes a chord I encourage you to respond so that we can either get another side of the story or all sing together in unison. Don’t be shy… I’ve got nothin’ but love for ya’.
Managers: Stop telling people to fail.
Just stop it. For crying out loud we’re adults and we get it. You can use as many different versions of Edison as you like and we’ve heard them all – but it’s not likely that the other 99% of people will stumble on “the light bulb” or “the phonograph” – Was “failing” the flavor of the month or did we see a blog we thought we’d rinse out and call our own? (see below)
Why not focus on coaching to take calculated risks and empowering teams to be smart about choices and evolve in their direction – learning from both what doesn’t work… and what DOES.
Bloggers: Stop regurgitating content.
Don’t have any original ideas? That’s fine – but don’t pretend you came up with something on your own. If you found something great that was written by another author it’s perfectly fine to quote them, provide a link and simply post why you agree or disagree with them. That’s still blogging, I swear. You’re still contributing when you provide your opinion on another article. Otherwise you’re killing original content creators when you re-craft their work and take credit for an opinion you couldn’t (or didn’t have the time to) form on your own.
Vendors: Stop SPAMMING social networks
Jumping into an established social network to make a single post that says “Hello, try our new product it’s great” is just dumb (and insulting.) Get a clue – grab your marketing person and decide how to advertise rather than spamming your target demo. If you’re the entrepenuer then take a hike to a local bookstore or hit up Amazon for some great materials to help educate you on the difference between marketing and spam (and grab some stuff on social networks while you’re there.)
And yes, I know some of you do it because you get a hit here and there – but wouldn’t it be great if you won over a network of people rather than simply landed the interest of a single member of the community for a trial?
Recruiters: Do your own homework.
With so many resources out there and bloggers that are willing to speak with you, invest some time in a search engine and creating relationships with your peers in the industry. Stop posting “HELP!!” or “I’m trying to fill this job” in a forum or newsgroup or community.
That’s not recruiting, that’s begging and keeping your fingers crossed. (or as I like to call it, “Post & Pray”)
Try a few of these resources that vary in topic & delivery to get you going:
http://www.recruitingblogs.com
http://www.booleanblackbelt.com
http://www.fistfuloftalent.com
http://www.brownbagrecruiter.com
http://www.toprecruitingblogs.com
http://www.google.com (crazy, huh?)
Social Recruiting Naysayers: Shut up. (Yeah… “shut up”)
If you’re going to continue to say that social recruiting tools like Twitter and Facebook can’t be used as a recruiting solution then pay attention – no one is saying they are! Smart Recruiters and Sourcers know they’re just one tool in a large toolbox of options. Stop making noise just to be heard. You’re only impressing those that are as lost as you are.
If you’d spend some time educating as to which tool works (or doesn’t) for which types of jobs or branding options a recruiter might pursue, everyone would be far more impressed with your “voice” and more than likely pay more attention. I’m assuming it’s attention you’re after as loud as some of you are screaming “Hooey!” on evolving recruiting tactics and strategies.
Staffing Personnel: Stop asking people how they heard about your job.
Invest a little time and dollars in metrics/analytics tools to find this out on your own. Asking someone how they heard about you should have been something you were talking about getting off of your plate in the 90′s but that should have been a mission imperative over the last 3 years.
Hard data using vanity urls, phone numbers or web analytics are just a few cheap and easy ways to validate traffic to your jobs. The turning point for me years ago was when someone said they saw the ad in a magazine I didn’t run it, in a state I hadn’t done any marketing in for years.
Ahhhhh, much better. I’ve managed to clean out a few of my pending articles and conduct some therapeutic writing at the same time.
What? You don’t agree? Let’s talk.
