Hiring Manager: “I like the last three candidates you sent me, but I would like to see a few more.” Recruiter: (To themselves) You have to be kidding me! It took me 3 weeks to find those 3! (Out loud) “Sure, we’ll get right on it!” This happens every single day in every single industry across the world. The reality …
No Fa-Fa-Fa Foolin’ (Rapp Out)
Almost 12 years ago, I wrote my first blog post for FOT. It was about Joe Elliott of Def Leppard and when he mistakenly placed the Stanley Cup upside down during an NHL event. I wrote: Why the blunder? Because no one coached him. No one took the time to pull him aside and whisper, “Hey Joe, this is the …
Hebert Out
I started my own blog in 2006. Kris Dunn somehow found it and liked some of the things I wrote. About a year later, he called me and introduced himself, gave me the 411 on a new blog he was building with Jessica Lee, and asked if I was interested in providing content. He described it as an HR-focused …
Time to Stick a Fork in Cover Letters? Only If You Want to Miss the Best Candidates
A couple of years ago, Fistful of Talent published a blog post of mine that not only created a huge reaction but was easily the most well-read article I’ve ever had here. The title should tell you why: Looking Back at What May Be the “Balliest” Cover Letter of All Time.’ It was about a classic cover letter that the …
Candidates Who Over-Talk May Need To Work Elsewhere
“You talk too much. You never shut up.” – Run DMC To shut a candidate up or not to shut a candidate up? That is the question. A question, as an interviewer, I’ve contemplated for many years. A question I admittedly flip-flop on. But here is where I am with this now. Candidates, you need to control your explanations. You …
Every Recruiting Process is in Disorder until you Organize it
What is disorder? Disorder is a messy desk, dirty house, a body that needs to be showered, work that is not in order. When you woke up today was everything in order? Were the dishes done, work happening and no dogs barking? Did I mention kids? If you have kids, was everything in order with their lives this morning? Beyond …
Efficiency Recruiting Is Like An Impossible Burger; It’s Got No Meat
Here is the scene: This week, my hubs and I were on a travel jaunt and after 3 hours in the car I was desperate for a latte’ (unsweetened almond milk with lots of cinnamon and Splenda on top). Since we were somewhere in the middle of “where the hell?” and “did we almost run over a possum carrying a …
Amazon’s New Hiring Commercial Gets One Thing Really Right!
It seems like the world has a love/hate relationship with Amazon. We LOVE Amazon Prime and get all of our stupid stuff next-day, but we tend to want to grind them on their employee experience and hiring practice. It’s quickly becoming holiday season and Amazon probably needs to hire three hundred million people, so they have a new commercial out …
Are You Brave Enough To Teach Leaders To Not Treat Everyone Equally?
Leadership slang time, people. Let’s give you a term you can text your fellow HR/Talent pros in response to hearing that they’re stuck in a time-suck they shouldn’t be in. The term/acronym? NINA. “No Influence, No Authority.” NINA refers to people who really can’t get things done in an organization, and it’s position/situation specific. Consider the following: – Authority is downward sloping. People with …
Your 5-Point “My Careers Site is Ok” Audit
“Did you see our careers site?” I mumble, “yes,” knowing what they are going to say next. I get the question every time. “Well, what do you think of it?” I use the same answer every time, too: “Do you want the explicit truth or the polished answer?” I usually laugh when I say this to break the awkward silence …