"Live" KITList event September 29th 6pm

Sue Connelly, founder of the KITList, is hosting a live friendworking event in Palo Alto this coming week. Check the KITList blog for details and invitation. If you're a KITList member or supporter, come to this marvelous event. And, as an added bonus, you'll get to meet me, since I'm participating in a short panel discussion with several other KITList supporters. Be there, or be square...

A new spin on Best Practices

As consultants and business owners, many of us subscribe to the idea that Best Practices are just that - the time-honored success methods of various companies to solve common problems and construct new business methods to ensure ongoing success.

Tim Berry, a very smart guy and serial entrepreneur, has another spin on the whole
Jim Collins "Good to Great" idea. Really thought-provoking for me as a systems and process-oriented person. Think about using Best Practices as just the idea generator.

http://timberry.bplans.com/2010/07/the-sad-truth-about-best-practices.html

Thanks, Tim for bringing these ideas into focus so well. This article has implications great and small for all of us in the recruiting business. We so often look at best practices in both HR and recruiting that maybe we need to re-think our allegiance to the concept.

Good News - at last - on Hiring

Yeah!
Finally, we can say we are coming out of the Great Recession.
More companies are hiring new employees than are laying off.
This is a critical indicator, like the various Purchasing Manager Surveys, which indicate business sentiment.

If you're looking for a job, redouble your efforts. Make sure you are not ignoring smaller organizations in your search. If you've given up looking because the prospects were so slim, get our there and start your search again.

http://www.portfolio.com/business-news/2010/07/19/national-association-of-business-economics-issues-hiring-survey

Optimism for Recovery

Steve Forbes had optimist comments at his SHRM Keynote address.


http://www.brandfortalent.com/blog/whos-talking/an-optimistic-steve-forbes-at-2010-shrm-conference/

And now for the good news

For a change, there is finally some good news out of an executive survey on hiring.
For the full detail, check out
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37870110/ns/business-us_business/

This means more recruiter calls for those of you who are working, and hopefully opportunities opening up for those of you who are looking for new jobs.

As a Head Hunter, it is good news to know that the mood on hiring is brightening.
No wonder I can't wait for this summer.

All the more reason to use a Real Search Firm!

This article, detailing a suit on non-compete clauses and recruiting by company alumni gives a clear indication of why a 3rd party recruiter may often be worth their weight in gold. Companies can protect themselves by using an outside recruiter.

http://www.webguild.org/site.php?url=http://news.idg.no/cw/art.cfm?id=3E4521DD-1A64-67EA-E4E72980E5530596

Tips when thinking about joining "free agent nation"

You may think you want to join the Free Agent Nation.
Here are some great questions to ask yourself when thinking about becoming a consultant. Seth Grodin, as usual, has some great ideas.
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2010/06/16-questions-for-free-agents-.html

Another kindred soul HeadHunter

With some ideas so spot on I thought I'd just copy and re-post.
Wonderful article Richard - you just read my mind.

http://www.recruitingblogs.com/profiles/blogs/jobseeker-tips-when-working

Business Creation should be the goal of jobs bills

I want to refer people to this fascinating article filled with conflicting stats which are finally explained. New business formation should be the real goal of all of us, and of any government action - this is the real deal.

This article also shows how job loss and age of the business correlate.
And that's the problem we have right now - so few new businesses were formed over the last 5 years that it will take years to catch up. And that's where Silicon Valley needs to kick it into gear again.

http://smallbiztrends.com/2010/03/entrepreneurial-job-creation-statistics-are-an-economic-rorschach-test.html

First : Fire all the unhappy people!

This is such a good article, would that every manager could do this - what a wonderful world corporate america would become. How many times have we felt our enthusiasm wane because of the negativity of co-workers?

First, fire all the unhappy people

A worker who is unhappy in his or her job can drag down morale and take a serious hit on a manager's time and energy. Some employees just aren't a good fit with your company, and as a business owner you have a right to surround yourself with people who want to be there and who will contribute positively to the company, Jay Goltz says. New York Times, The/You're the Boss blog (03/09) http://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/09/the-secret-to-having-happy-employees/

I haven't blogged because I've been depressed!

A recessionary environment is a depressing time for a recruiter. When the phone doesn't ring with new search assignments and existing clients don't return calls, it gets lonely to be a recruiter.

But enough about me - you knew all of that if you thought about it. You also knew that many recruiters took up other pursuits while the economy was so far down. So last week's unemployment numbers were a particularly nice surprise.

Temporary positions hit a big uptick, and that's good news for those looking for work -
there actually are some of those "temp to perm" opportunities to get your foot in the door. For more detail, check out Perrin Peacock's blog:

http://www.recruiter-talk.com/profiles/blogs/more-temp-jobs-added-in-feb?xg_source=activity

Here's hoping the next report shows what I'm seeing in the willingness to hire measure for employers - they are actually opening new positions! Hurray!

New Year's Thoughts from a Silicon Valley HeadHunter

New Year’s Thoughts from a Silicon Valley HeadHunter

Josh Helman of Fistful of Talent (one of my favorites blogs I don’t write)

posted an interesting look back at the workplace over our working lives:

http://www.fistfuloftalent.com/2010/01/were-not-in-kansas-anymore---what-recruiting-will-look-like-in-25-years.html#comments

Think about how much has changed in your workplace –

Some of the things I come up with:

• WiFi, Broadband, and other tools of ubiquity – we are expected to be “always on”- that's a big change. Weekends used to be that – the end of the week, and two full days off. That’s the exception today, not the rule.
• Printed daily newspaper – most of us get our news through email or internet search of some kind, and it’s delivered to us in the form we want instead of the way the media wants it.
• Multiline phones, headsets, Skype, 3G and 4G phones – there is a tremendous change in the phones we use, aside from the tools of ubiquity above. The fact that many people no longer have a landline is shocking, although many of us did away with them just to get rid of the telemarketing calls at dinnertime :^)

What are the big changes you see in your workplace over the big look back?