Glennlist

Um, I am so going to see this when it comes out.

Selected, rejected and ejected. That’s the wash cycle Recruiters use on their candidates. But what I’m about to tell you is extremely important. So important, that it’s the very root cause why 99.99999% of all candidates despise Recruiters. It’s the very same reason you hate your Ex (all mine live in Texas), the same reason you hate the bank, the same reason you dislike nightclubs, tryouts, college applications, and why-even-frickin-bother-applying-online!

Rejection, dude! It’s a punch to the gut. A major pimp slap to your ego when you get rejected. But you know what dogs and poodles? Rejection is good for you. Yep-per, rejection does you some good.

Rejection makes you try harder. It’s the stuff that makes better athletes. It’s rejection that creates the successful entrepreneur. Even getting denied a bank loan makes people want to save money.

Rejection sucks royally, but you need it. Trust me. We all do. And, it hurts.

And you know what else hurts, verbally rejecting candidates (notice I said verbally). When you screen or interview candidates and they are not a fit, you need to tell them why. Your rejection goes a long way. It helps them improve and stay hungry in the job search.

When Recruiters fail to give solid rejection or even feedback, it’s an open puss filled wound that never heals. Candidates despise rejection, but nothing is worse than zero feedback, follow up, or unreturned calls. Unfortunately that is why candidates are a little sour to recruiter calls. And, I don’t blame them.

I’ve never met a Recruiter that likes giving rejection, but the good ones do it. They know it’s good for the applicant. It’s also good for the company. It shows you care enough to call them back and let them know why they weren’t a fit.

In fact, Recruiters are fairly used to rejection. We get it all the time from uninterested candidates. We really appreciate when passive candidates tell us why they are not interested in our opportunities.

Simple. Pick up the phone today and do some good rejection candidate calls.

This is great clip for those that truly want to start up their own band. Time to rock on Geeklets!

Congratulations, you’ve managed to keep your job last year. While everyone else was laid off or fired, you worked harder to survive. You sacrificed health, social and family time. And, now you don’t have a life. In fact, you were so overly productive last year the company doesn’t see the need to hire someone now.

You’re stressed. We know. We see the bags under your eyes. So, put down that cup of calming herbal tea. My friend, you need to quit.

Yeah, we know you got bills, credit cards and a spouse that has the divorce attorney on speed dial but trust me on this. There are a lot of Recruiters looking for highly productive people.

What we need you to do is dust off that resume and, start the following: Post it on the popular resume sites, join our Facebook fan page, follow us on Twitter, and send us a Linkedin invitation.

The truth is you have a lot of knowledge around the entire business. Once you walk out the door, all that knowledge leaves the company. Gone! And if you quit for another job, you’re helping others find a job. Plus, you’re giving a chance for a starving recruiter to backfill your old spot.

It’s simple. Quit. Get another job and keep doing this until Recruiters and their HR minions blog about things like retention and sign on bonuses.

In the end, businesses will plan better and focus on realigning duties once the job market is up. In the meantime, reach out, or just answer that pesky recruiter that calls you daily. We have a job waiting for you, but we need your help.

Recruiters are finding work again that’s the good news. Bad news is there isn’t any room to put them. If office space is scarce, then consider using something like JoinCube. It’s the best way for everyone to work virtually.

JoinCube allows people to give Twitter-like updates, share messages, instant messaging, wikis and some other collaborative tools.

The cost of using JoinCube is $24 to $149 per month depending on the plan.

People want real time news, info and data these days and they are getting it from Twitter. Twitter gives real time data, not indexed data. Google search results are sometimes old and moldy info.

So, Google paid an estimated $15 million for the Twitter’s feed. As a result, Twitter saw a boost in its traffic.

Look at the Haiti earthquake. Google didn’t need to wait for the AP or Reuters to publish pictures and news. It simply had Twitter’s feed from folks that were able tweet real time events and pictures.

And now that tweets are made public, searching for candidates on Google will be even better. This means when someone is looking for a job, they can get an immediate response by using Twitter.

This is a recent comment from a friend of mine over at ERE. He makes a good point about the Recruitment Process Outsourcing business.

Do any of the larger RPO companies really make money? So many of them seem to have very thin margins, lose money on every deal, and then seem to think they can make it up on volume (which just causes larger losses). This commoditizes the business in spite of the fact the end product (people) is NOT a commodity. The larger public RPO organizations I’ve personally looked at seem to loose money even on growing revenue. My own personal opinion is that it is a flawed business model that is ultimately very bad for the recruitment business as a whole. On the other hand, you can’t stop a tidal wave.

Saturday mornings in the 70’s I’d watch the Superfriends. As soon as American Bandstand came on, I sprang outside and fled away on my Huffy bike. Back then the air was crisp, sky was blue, streets were safe, rock music was played and you didn’t have to wear bike helmets. Life was good.

Then a recession hit. Bam! Gas prices were high. Iran was the enemy. Jobs were lost, and the Carter administration was taking all the heat.

Things went from bad to worse. So bad, they canceled Superfriends! In a time of uncertainty, they canceled the one show that was “dedicated to truth, justice, and peace for all mankind”. “How! Why! Why!” I had shouted out to my uncaring parents.

The Superfriends just ended abruptly. I never got closure. I was a tortured soul.

Fortunately, I was able to nab the last script for Superfriends that NEVER aired. Finally I got closure. I’d like to share the story that was never told…

Meanwhile at the Justice League of America Superman meets with HR….

HR: Thanks for taking the time to meet with me Superman.

Superman: Sure what’s on your mind?

HR: We need to layoff someone from the team and…

Superman: Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! You can’t lay me off! I just bought a freakin’ condo in Midtown! Oh God, Oh God, Oh God (Hyperventilates).

HR: Get a grip! We’re not letting you go, but somebody on the team has to go.

Superman: Right. That’s easy. Wonder woman.

HR: What?! She is the only woman on this team.

Superman: She can be a real (catching himself)….tough to work with sometimes.

HR: Look, I’ve had numerous investigations from the EEOC and we’re already noncompliant with OFCCP. She is here to stay. Get over it.

Superman: …

HR: How about Batman? He has some anger management issues and hard to locate at times.

Superman: The Joker has broken out of prison 642 times. I’d have some anger management issues too. Prison security is a joke, no pun intended. Besides, Batman plays short stop on the company softball team. We are in the middle of playoffs. He stays.

HR: What about Robin?

Superman: (crossing his arms) What about him?

HR: He’s a sidekick, a liability at times and doesn’t have any real superhero powers.

Superman: He answers the phones, does the mail, and he is really good with computers.

HR: That leaves Green Lantern and Aquaman.

Superman: Well, I’ve tried to get Aquaman to fight more villains on land.

HR: Are you saying he is a poor performer?

Superman: Well…he is very talented in the water.

HR: But, a poor performer on land?

Superman: I guess you can say that.

HR: I’ll let him know today.

HR OFFICE

Aquaman: Did you want to see me?

HR: Have a seat. Look, it’s a tough year. The economy is the worst in decades and we are going to have let some folks go.

Aquaman: Are you laying me off?

HR: This was a tough decision on our part. You are great asset in the water, but…

Aquaman: This place has never appreciated my work!! I do most of the dirty work too! You ever tried to recruit a giant squid?

HR: No.

Aquaman: Ever conduct a behavioral interview with a shark!

HR: Can’t say that I have…

Aquaman: I’ve put all these programs together to make the Ocean a safer place! And, this is how you treat me?

HR: I understand your frustration, but most of the crimes are on dry land.

Aquaman:. Just give me my severance and I’ll pack my stuff and get out of here.

HR: Well, that’s going to be tough. See, you were never paid. So we can’t give you a severance package.

THE END….

My fellow Recruiters we’re like the Superfriends. Yes, when times are good we are heroes! But, when times are tough, we are the unrecognized talent. Some recruiters are the Aquaman types - laid off, cast away, and tossed out like bad shag carpet. Don’t get caught, always be willing to learn and update your skills to be more marketable.

Here is a prediction. By this summer you will have to load the Flash plugin for all phones using Android.  IF that happens. I’m defecting to CrApple.

I don’t want Flash. I already have to use it for the web on my home computer and you know what, I tried to remove Adobeware off my computer.

Now why the H E double hockey sticks is Adobe so interested in getting Flash on to your phone? Huh? Why!

Because it’s not open source and if you develop an app using Flash or make movie using Flash - you have to pay Adobe a royalty. Yes, you. You will pay. If you mass produce a FLASH based game like you see on the web (i.e. Bejeweled games) and you use Flash as the source code -  you Adobe some money.

And that is why Apple refuses to have Flash on their iPhone - it will hurt the business which offers mostly free games.

Please, do not load Adobe Flash on to your Android OS. Just wait. HTML 5 should be the answer. I know it’s a few years, but trust me if we all refuse to load it, it will go away.

You wouldn’t know this because the sites and the developer pay for the license to use Flash and it’s not passed on to you.

So let’s send Adobe Flash packing this summer Android users!!!

By the way HTML 5 is free and it’s better. Here is a great article about YouTube going away from Flash to HTML5

Here is a video clip showing the Adobe Flash on the Nexus phone. Of course it’s a game.

What exactly is the Jobs Bill? Here is the link to the Jobs Bill or as they call it now: Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act.

I see a lot of stuff in the Jobs Bill like a payroll tax credit for businesses to hire and retain employees. But I also see  more spending too.

You know what? Recruiters suck at finding themselves work. We give out great job hunting advice to complete strangers but the ugly truth is that we struggle finding a job too.

Every time I tell somebody I’m a Recruiter, they want help finding a job. And there I am with arms crossed listening attentively while they prattle about job prospecting hardships.

Yet, the sick sad reality if I lost my job, I’d do the same thing every unemployed Tom, Dick and Harry has done. I’d be at prayer breakfasts, praying to God, “Why me?” “Why me!” Then I’d be on the prowl at networking events, ferociously emailing resumes, and stalking anyone that had a job. A complete utter nuisance to anyone gainfully employed.

Why can’t we take our own advice on networking, writing resumes and interviewing? It’s the same reason why Doctors are unhealthy, Divorce Attorneys are divorced, Financial Planners are penniless and Accountants owe taxes.

We may be experts in our field but were not immune to the chaotic pitfalls of society, relationships and our economy. And, Recruiters are not bulletproof when it comes to finding a job.

The fact is Recruiters find people for jobs. So if you are still looking for a recruiting gig, then keep working. Keep talking to people and helping them find a job. In the end, that is all that matters because that is what you’re good at doing.

Forgot your password? No problem. Just follow the steps and answer the questions:

A temporary password will be emailed to you along with an incredibly long link. However, you will not receive the email until 1 hour has elapsed for each attempted login.

Once you have logged in with the temporary password you will need to answer the security questions below to ensure your identity and account protection.

1.    What is the name of your first dog?
2.    What is the name of your mother’s maiden name
3.    Who is the first person you had sex with?
4.    Where did you do it?
5.    Are they a ‘friend’ on Facebook?

When your account is available again you will be asked to provide a new password.

Your password must be 12 characters long but no longer than longer than 22 and it must have 3 capital letters. It must contain at least one symbol such as !.# but it can’t contain @ or ? or / or \. It must contain at least two numerals. It must spell something in Farsi and contain a politically sensitive message.

Remember, passwords must be changed every 30 days and we will remind you to change it 3 weeks before the due date.

Thank you valued customer. We hope you have wasted precious hours trying to login.

The App store would be the Suck-ness Monster if it weren’t for the games. Everyone that has an iPhone will at some point download and play a game.

According to Business Insider, of the 2 billion apps downloaded on Apple’s app store, 65% are games. We are talking over a bill-yun games that have been downloaded.

Unlike Apple’s app store, every company career website is a big ball of suckness. It’s true. Company career web pages are bah-bah-boring. It’s time to level up. Offer up downloadable games on your career website.

All the hype around employment branding and attracting top talent, this is a no-brainer.  It’s so simple. An applicant applies on-line, and afterwards he/she can play some games or have it emailed as a link for a download to their iPhone, or Google Phone.

Yeah, like, you can have your dog or puppy tweet his daily activity. Seriously. Don’t believe it? Check out Puppy Tweets. It’s to be officially launched at next month’s Toy Fair in New York.

How it works is simple. It’s a device that is a small sound and motion sensor worn on a dog’s collar and translates their barks or activities into Twitter posts. It communicates with a receiver that connects to your PC  and only posts ‘pre-recorded’ tweets based on what the dog is doing.

This is great when your Puppy is getting in the garbage can. Read more here.

Good recruiting intuition takes time to build up. But once you develop your recruiting sixth sense you will know the job hoppers, the excuse makers, the troublemakers and the bullspitters (yeah, I said spitters, trying to keep it pg-13 folks).

Remarkably, some Recruiters can simply read a resume and know instantly if the candidate is full of it. Some Recruiters need to have a phone screen and then make a determination. The rest of us need to meet face to face and then know why the candidate job hopped, were “let go”, and to gauge their work commitment.

Trust me. You have the Recruiting sixth sense. It’s inside of you, waiting to be developed. The key is to listen and know when and how to use probing questions.

Patience young grasshopper. In due time your recruiting intuition will come.

In the meantime, here is an interesting little news clip from the Telegraph. It is a top ten list of those most likely to call in sick.

1.Andy 2.Steve 3.Paul 4.John 5.Dave 6.Christopher 7.Adam 8.David 9.Mark 10.Richard

For Women:
1.Sarah 2.Becky 3.Anne 4.Emma 5.Debbie 6.Katie 7.Amy 8.Catherine 9.Jane 10.Nicola

Recruiters need certain things to survive like food, water, commissions and resumes.  Take a look at Shareflow, you might not be able to survive without it. This is a great tool for Recruiters that need to work on staffing projects.

Shareflow has been around before Google Wave and it uses technology in a way that allows the users to create and share documents on the web. Instead of using messy emails that get lost in your inbox, Recruiters can use Shareflow to create events, add links, videos and chat about it all in real time.

While your inbox is collecting tons of emails, I foresee Recruiters moving towards tools like Shareflow or Googlewave to keep organized and meet dead lines.

Read more on the product here.

How would you like to be a McVolunteer at 2012 Olympic games? You won’t get paid and you won’t get any free Olympic tickets, but you will get food vouchers. Mmmm Burgers!  McDonalds needs to recruit 70,000 volunteers and train them using their customer service training programs. I would really like to see how they are going to do this. Recruiting 70,000 volunteers is going to take a lot of Recruiters.

Here is more of the story.

If you are a Recruiter who uses Twitter then you have a lot to be excited these days. Companies are turning towards Social Media  to help cut costs. TwitJobSearch, a Twitter-based real-time job search engine, has partnered with TweetDeck to launch JobDeck.

JobDeck application indexes recruitment related tweets from across the Twittersphere, much like TwitJobSearch.

Recruiters can follow a few simple steps to ensure their tweets are indexed by the service, helping connect them with potential candidates more effectively.  JobDeck will help job seekers identify opportunities more successfully, while extending visibility and reach for recruiters using social media to advertise vacancies.

For now JobDeck is for free. For those that are pioneers in the social media recruiting, then this is something you will need to be a part of.

This video is awesome. I can’t tell you how many people that I work with that are NOT handwashers.