Gerry's Blog
We've No Bench Strength (6.12.08)
Yesterday, during the last few minutes of my video interview with Bill Vick for his XtremeRecruitingTV show, I went on a rant (an enjoyable and constructive one) about the need for improving our “bench strength” in the US in Technology and Science...and how recruiters can make a difference in this critical goal.
My contention is basically that The US “starting team” in most areas of technology and science is as good as any other in the world...if not better than everyone else but, when we look over at the “bench” where the support should be, it won’t match up to our industrialized competitor nations...or even emerging countries. And this spells disaster long term.
The source of my angst is a recent research report from SHRM (Workplace Visions on workforce Readiness No. 2 2008). The data they developed as well as sourced from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), an international body made up of the world’s wealthiest and most developed countries offers the clearest indication yet that the US has fallen behind global competition in preparing young people for jobs for the future.
It’s worse than that. Of 30 industrialized and developing countries we score dead last. We’re behind Croatia and Latvia! Give me a break!
We tend to overlook or play down the problem however because the data seems so counterintuitive. After all, when it comes to our country’s productivity, innovation, etc. we still look like we are on top.
It’s a veneer which the OECD data helps to peel back. When we look at the scores of the top 15% in each country, the US matches the best- Finland, Hong Kong, Canada, Taipei, Japan and Australia. Its the next quartile and the one after that where the scores drop precipitously that we can see why they war for talent is fought over so few bodies...in the US.
At this rate, it appears clear to me that the Fortune 500 firms that are global (MNCs), along with other countries MNCs will undoubtedly drawing their next staffing leaders from somewehre other than the US
What can recruiters do? Lots, but it won’t be just a short term commitment. As consultants we need to collect and assess the real gap between that quality candidate that we need on the first team and the pool of talent we have on the bench that may never get off the bench.
We need to inspire the “first team” to go back into the communities they came from and mentor others to reach a higher standard earlier in their education...and firms need to encourage and support that initiative. That means applying weight to volunteerism as a core value.
As experts in observing and sourcing people in specific scientific and technical niches at all experience levels, recruiters have a unique career management perspective about what it takes to be successful over time. They can look for opportuinites to share that with students ( who they may not be seeking for years).
Our companies need to lobby for workforce readiness initiatives, company-funded tuition reimbursement programs, company support for career education in local school systems and much more. Knowledgable recruiters can lead by exploring the gaps in their communities, target colleges and nationally and lobbying internally to have staffing drive some of these initiatives.
Originally posted on the ERE Blog Network
Job Board Advertising: Limited and Limiting (5.19.08)
Last week’s momentary hiccup over CareerBuilder’s new ad campaign had both defenders and detractors going over the edge.
Irreverent, silly and risque as they are, the ads not only appealed to young millennials as intended but, folks who grew up in the 60’s (and haven’t yet forgotten their early indescretions) also chuckled and chortled a bit.
The underlying problem is that this genre of advertising panders to the negative stereotype of the cohort now entering the workforce and, just like ads produced by other sites over the last few years, offers one self-serving solution to the ills of the workplace: “put your resume on my site and quit your crappy job at the first opportunity.”
How strange it would be if CareerBuilder offered an irreverent approach to solving a dispute between a coworker that made their team stronger or, if Monster suggested a humorous way to get a supervisor to back off and become a better manager.
Yes, it might produce one less resume and, for that matter fewer posted positions, but it would support the notion that there are CAREER portals out there rather than simply JOB boards. Hmmmm. What a concept.
And, as an employer, if I conclude that your ad campaign is geared to targeting disaffected workers to sign up for their next job (as their primary method of solving workplace problems) well, at least I know where they all are.
And, finally, now that CareerBuilder is selling (or reselling) consulting services to employers on everything from recruitment process redesign to branding, their main concern should be that they’ve just offered an example of their best work.
Then again maybe I’m just thinking too hard.
Originally posted on the ERE Blog Network.
Linking volunteer activities to quality candidates (5.2.08)
A link in a today’s Interbiznet Daily led me to download and read the 2008 Deloitte Volunteer IMPACT Survey
The survey’s core quote is “91 percent of survey respondents agree that skills-based volunteering would add value to (leadership) training and development programs, but only 16 percent of companies intentionally offer skills-based volunteer opportunities for employee development, on a regular basis.”
Let’s assume for a moment that there is truth here (I do believe it although I am lacking validated data).
Assume further that corporations that support and nurture volunteerism are likely to increase their leadership bench strength and that employees engaged in volunteer activities (like those engaged in health related activities) generally perform at a higher level. If so, I’ve several questions worth posing:
1. Do we as recruiters automatically add value/weight to resumes that include significant volunteerism without regard to whether it is relevant to the specific job?
2. Is that (above) taught or written anywhere? Is it discussed as a means to complement the selection process and differentiate between essentially equal prospects?
3. Does the algorithm in your ATS cause qualified applicants with significant volunteer activities to rise above those who do not - all other things being equal of course?
4. And do you even know what that algorithm is?
5. Does your online or paper application or profile even capture volunteer activities in a formal way?
6. Are recruiters who aspire to be team leaders, staffing managers, directors, global staffing vps encouraged and supported in your firm to get involved with volunteer activities?
I could go on but suspect that the first step is to confirm that some research has been done to even support such notions...or get it done. Here’s an anecdotal approach anyone could examine: Take the profiles of the top 3 leaders in each function of your firm. Are they deeply involved in volunteer activities or hardly at all? And, if so, were they involved after rising to the leadership position or had they devoted time, talent and treasure to them before the climb?
Any other questions...or answers?
Originally posted on the ERE Blog Network
I Love it When They Walk The Talk (4.30.08)
Angela Guidrozski, a Recruiting Manager at Sodexho, wrote an excellent article today for ERE: "Getting Good at Military Skills Translation - The extra effort is worth the challenge."
I encourage recruiters to read the article and pass it on. It raises some great ideas and answers questions about how recruiters can make a difference in their chosen profession. I was especially pleased to see that Angela gently reminded readers to ignore their “inner voices"- the ones that whisper you shouldn’t have to make the (MOS) translation and that the job seekers should be the ones to make the effort to write their profiles so a civilian could understand them.
I have been less gentle in holding up that mirror in times past as I’m convinced that when it comes to military...and other under-served groups, especially the disabled… too many of our colleagues have little energy for reaching out and “considering” them unless of course they are specifically told to target them by the hiring manager (and often ignore potentially great applicants who never, surprise, actually make it to the applicant pool) .
I’m also sure these recruiters don’t ignore good candidates out of spite - essentially they are simply burning out over heavy req loads, worried about their job - especially if they spend too much time evaluating low probability hires that might require high touch. In the end, there are few professionals in any function that willingly go down the tougher path. (I’ve several stories on the subject which I’ll save for another day.)
The point is I wanted to thank Angela for writing about the military on ERE. And since I am compelled to privately thank folks who write interesting articles several times a month I did what I usually do when I don’t know someone, I used the Internet tools at hand to track down a phone number and call directly (I’ve been doing this since well before the Internet).
The reason I’m outing Angela is that while it took me only a moment, I found her contact information on a job posting to a job board devoted to the hiring of disabled military, Warriors to Work. Her posting on this job board included her email address as well as her phone number. She could have simply linked those interested back to her ATS. She didn’t. Kudos.
I love people who walk the talk.
Recently I started a group, "Recruiters - Lending A Hand" on Recruitingblogs.com where I’m looking for more stories to share about how recruiters and industry staffing professionals are making difference. Charities, initiatives, education, etc. Feel free to join in.
Originally posted on the ERE Blog Network.
"Hay on the Needle" and other cool images (4.22.08)
When you are told to grip your club like you would a tube of toothpaste, you just know that golf is a sport filled with imagery. The rich visual phrases designed to help everyone from the novice to the expert “see” how to perform is a great learning technique. (Unfortunately I’m just really slow applying the knowledge and not only is my handicap far from acceptable but my toothpaste tubes are looking a little squashed lately).
I’m beginning to think Staffing is moving in the same direction...and it’s probably good thing.
Mike Kannisto’s "Bait and Switch" story as well as Maureen Sharib’s "Catch and Release" article were both great colorful phrases expanded into ERE articles recently that I thoroughly enjoyed. Both put practices into perspective in a very visual way.
And then last Thursday in the midst of a “future trends” panel while sitting between Madeline Tarquino from ERE and Elaine Orler from Knowledge Fusion at Peopleclick’s conference (Bill Kutik was a great moderator managing several potential loose cannons on stage with his usual aplomb) one more phrase caught my ear: Hay on the Needle.
Elaine came up with it responding to a question about staffing metrics and the extent to which we often overmeasure process rather than results with the former clouding the reading of the latter. I loved reversing the needle-in-a-haystack cliche.
Originally posted on the ERE Blog Network.
