The Recruiting Animal

George Bush, Manager

According to David Frum, George Bush was most interested in hiring people who were submissive personalities. Then he gave these timid souls huge amounts of personal responsibility. The result was a disaster.

What he really needed were people who did not break under pressure and the only way to recruit and retain them is to give them the opportunity to serve a cause not a person.

Bush demanded a very personal kind of loyalty.... he tested that loyalty with constant petty teasing, sometimes verging on the demeaning.

These little abuses... weed out strong personalities and... build an inner circle defined by a willingness to accept absolute subordination....

...weak personalities break under pressure. And since a White House is the world’s highest-pressure environment, a wise president will seek to staff it with strong personalities.

To recruit and hold strong personalities, a president must must offer a compelling vision and ideal — a cause that people can serve without feeling servile.

A Talent-On-Demand Program

1. Companies should use internal development programs to produce most of the talent they need.

2. Forecasts of talent needs may be inflated. So don't spend tons of money putting all candidates through a massive management training program. Use narrowly focused trainings for relevant groups of employees.

3. Get more return on your training by sharing the cost with employees.

4. Give the people you train a reason to stay with the firm.

Source: Harvard Business Online

Rudeness and Creativity

The mere thought of being on the receiving end of verbal abuse hurts people's ability to perform tasks requiring creativity, flexibility, and memory recall.
- Harvard Business Online

Animal Show Wed NOON New York Time

GUESTS: Harry Joiner Marketing Headhunter.com
Susanna Boyd, Candidate Research.com
Steve Burda, LinkedIn super networker

TIME: NOON Eastern Daylight Savings Time
TOPIC: Relations with other recruiters on LinkedIn
ALL CALL IN AND LISTEN INFO HERE

Women Aren't Demanding

Women are so naive. They think the world is fair so you're just going to give them what they deserve. They don't have to fight for it.

"men learn as boys that they can go out and change the world," and are thus more likely to change situations to their liking.

Gee, I don't remember learning that? Did I absorb it by seeing male heroes in action movies? Or is it possible that this is baloney?

Men expect big salaries. Women don't.
Men initiate negotiations four times more than women.
Women don't like to negotiate. It's too much like fighting so they give in.

Reference: Lisa Summers, Toronto Star

Canned Hackneyed Cover Letters

Don't send a letter like this:

It is with great interest and enthusiasm I submit my attached resume for your consideration.
Unnecessary, pompous declaration of interest. Crap.

As a seasoned and experienced Human Resources Manager I believe that I can offer Company XXX a set of skills and competencies and a passion which will be of value to your organization.
Hey, Pally, we know this you think this and we don't care. And aren't seasoned and experienced the same darned thing?

I have held the post of Human Resources Coordinator at Company XXY for several years and am exploring opportunities to further practice my Human Resources knowledge and skills in a setting that ignites passion for the ability to contribute to the community in such a way as Your Firm.
More poorly written crap.

My current Human Resources responsibilities include Staffing and Recruitment, Competency Based Assessment, Labour Relations, Occupational Health and Safety, Employee Life Cycle Management and Employee Learning and Development, Organizational Development, Design and Restructuring & Labour Force Reduction and Strategic Human Resources all within a not for profit organization.
Finally, some info. But all he did was throw in the kitchen sink.

I have outlined my skills and accomplishments in these sectors in greater detail in the attached resume.

Why didn't this bozo just turn that last paragraph into a list?

Tank Top Cops

From Dorothy Surrenders

I’ve noticed something about televised ladies of law enforcement. No, not their badges. No, not their airs of authority. No, not their really big guns. No, I’ve noticed they all wear tank tops to work. Like a lot. Like constantly. Not that I mind. Not at all. But, I’ve just never been pulled over by a cop while speeding who sauntered up to my car window in a ribbed white tank top asking for my license and registration.

Johanna Rothman on Interviewing

Johanna Rothman of Hiring Technical People was interviewed about interviewing techies. (Download it here). Here are some Highlights.

No flaky questions. "If you had three wishes what would they be?".

No whacky games. One interviewer had candidates engage in scavenger hunts around the office looking for paper clips and pens.

No Microsoft-style puzzles. They mean nothing in relation to the job and don't predict on-the-job behaviour.

Go for the jugular. Identify the things that would knock the candidate out of the running. Ask those questions first. (These are the key requirements of the job).

No Hypothetical Questions. "How would you do x?"

The Candidate talks, you listen. Interviewer talks 20% of the time.

If you ask a Closed Question like "What is the last technical book you read?", follow with an Open Ended Question like "Why did you choose that book?".

Techie Interviews should focus on questions about past behaviour and auditions which allow you to see the candidate in action.

Sample Questions:
What was challenging to you on your most recent project?
What were you happiest with in your career?
What's the most important lesson you learned on your last project?

How to outwit candidates who come with prefabricated answers? Ask a lot of Past Behavioural Questions about a number of their past jobs. No one comes with that many prepared answers.

Use the answer to one question as a jumping off point for a number of other questions.

Question: What was the most challenging thing you did on that project?
Answer: I learned about xyz.
Follow Up: Tell me how you learned about it.

You can't trust a non-technical interviewer. You have to be a technical specialist to ask in-depth questions. Hiring Managers should do their own 20-30 minute phone screen interviews to decide if the person is worth bringing in.

Johanna Rothman Interviews The Recruiting Animal

I've admired Johanna Rothman since I heard her fantastic interview with Roy Osherove in March 2005.

So I was very pleased when she recently interviewed me.

She made me look good like I knew that she would -- and she's agreed to appear on The Recruiting Animal Show in the near future.

Animal Show Wed NOON Eastern

GUEST: Rayanne Trumbo

TIME: NOON Eastern Daylight Savings Time

TOPIC: Recruiting for Start Ups

ALL CALL IN AND LISTEN INFO HERE

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