HR & Recruiting Community
Time to get beyond Linkedin
There is a lot of information out there about how to develop your candidate & contact database using Linkedin, Facebook, mySpace, and dare I say it, the 6,559,123 other social networks that sprang from the ether in 2007.
There are also sophisticated tools outside of these sites to search these networks, scour the Internet, run complex keyword algorithms, pull down email addresses, etc... There are contact information resources like JigSaw and Zoominfo with millions of names.
Do you get the feeling that there is plenty of contact information out there?
If you are now in the recruiting business, you should be a real expert at these tools by now. But this kind of knowledge should now be a given. It is time to move beyond these tools (by first mastering them.)
One way to think about this unprecedented availability of contact information is the evaporation of one part of our jobs! Twenty years ago, you had to build contact information databases the old fashioned way: a ton of cold-calling. But this aspect of our business is going the way of $2 gasoline.
We have to move beyond this initial shock of so much contact data. Master the tools, but then move on - because the value of that simple data is declining every day. Remember, executive recruiters and their clients often know the five obvious potential candidates. So why do they use a recruiter?
The answer is the key to differentiating yourself in this industry - an intense knowledge of business. It's time to get hungry for the expansion of your knowledge of business operations, not just for names of candidates and contacts. Read everything you can about your chosen industry and be a real resource to your clients. You probably make more money than your clients - it's time to know as much about their business as they do.
There are also sophisticated tools outside of these sites to search these networks, scour the Internet, run complex keyword algorithms, pull down email addresses, etc... There are contact information resources like JigSaw and Zoominfo with millions of names.
Do you get the feeling that there is plenty of contact information out there?
If you are now in the recruiting business, you should be a real expert at these tools by now. But this kind of knowledge should now be a given. It is time to move beyond these tools (by first mastering them.)
One way to think about this unprecedented availability of contact information is the evaporation of one part of our jobs! Twenty years ago, you had to build contact information databases the old fashioned way: a ton of cold-calling. But this aspect of our business is going the way of $2 gasoline.
We have to move beyond this initial shock of so much contact data. Master the tools, but then move on - because the value of that simple data is declining every day. Remember, executive recruiters and their clients often know the five obvious potential candidates. So why do they use a recruiter?
The answer is the key to differentiating yourself in this industry - an intense knowledge of business. It's time to get hungry for the expansion of your knowledge of business operations, not just for names of candidates and contacts. Read everything you can about your chosen industry and be a real resource to your clients. You probably make more money than your clients - it's time to know as much about their business as they do.
Tags: business, candidates, industry, linkedin, recruiting
7 Comments
-
Comment by Stuart Zweighaft on August 25, 2008 at 8:10am
- I agree with Miles and David. The pendulum is swinging the other way and we have to go back to the basics. Mining job boards or social networks is no longer the definition of a recruite. We have to go back to actually finding people through hard work - ie. talking to people.
-
Comment by Tim Schieffelin on August 25, 2008 at 10:34am - Ditto to all thus far. This is a great summation of the state of recruiting today - thanks, Miles!
-
Comment by Jami Lieberman on August 25, 2008 at 1:15pm
- As a corporate recruiter, I find that I am looking to create more than just a DB of potential candidates, but to establish a network that I can tap into when I have a need. The difference is the relationships I develop with the professionals in a particular sector, that I will one day need someone in. I already know them before I need them, and they know me before they need me. That is recruiting. Database mining is a means, not the end. The relationships are the key to success.
-
Comment by Devin Blanks on August 25, 2008 at 6:41pm - These are all good comments in regard to Miles' post. I own a staffing firm and it is a very refreshing thing to hear those in this industry that still hold true to what an actual Recruiter really is. This impersonal, indirect approach to recruiting will never be as effective or efficient as the personal and thoughtful consultative approach. Companies these days are figuring out that consistently running a guantlet of resume mills and turn-and-burn firms will never get them the true top-tier professionals. Thank you for this excellent post and great comments everyone.
-
Comment by Athena Navarro on September 3, 2008 at 2:45pm - Yes, I agree. The knowledge of the industry, marketplace, and direction of business models are now essential tools. I've also noticed a real shift in people wanting to verbally connect on a personal level. The internets efficiency has removed some of the human element of "meetings." We have found other ways to make "eye contact" and "notice photos on each others desk".
-
Comment by Robert on September 10, 2008 at 11:54pm -
It is truly great to hear that Corporate recruiters are still looking for that personal touch. I am quickly approaching my first year in the business as a Full life cycle recruiter. My companies primary focus is demonstrate to corporations the value of hiring former Military Officers and Enlisted Soldiers. I am always searching for creative ways to be more efficient in the way I do business. I have always perfered the personal touch and look forward to building many more relationships.
Miles and crew I appreciate what you have done with this website and Sheree thank you for directing me here.
Add a Comment
You need to be a member of TalentBar to add comments!
Events
-
Career Communiqué Radio: Pitch for a payrise
July 6, 2009 from 9am to 10am – Global
-
Boolean Strings for the Web - Level II (Intermediate)
July 7, 2009 from 11am to 12pm – your computer (PDT)
-
Attend a Workshop – How to build Successful HR career using competency modeling. By one of India’s top HR practitioners
July 12, 2009 from 10am to 1pm – Hyderabad
-
Pan European HR Network - HRevolution 2009
-
ERE Expo 2009 Fall
September 9, 2009 at 10am to September 11, 2009 at 5pm – Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa
-
The Talent Management Forum
September 13, 2009 at 4pm to September 15, 2009 at 1pm – The Phoenician, Scottsdale, AZ
Photos
Groups
-
Post Resume - Career S...
358 members
-
TALENT BAR ON LINKED IN
329 members
-
TalentBar India
225 members
-
Corporate Recruiting L...
215 members
-
The Sourcery of Sourcing
193 members
-
Independent Recruiters
143 members
-
TalentBar California
131 members
-
TalentBar Twitter Network
127 members
-
DFW Recruiters
114 members
-
CTO / CFO / CIO / CEO ...
106 members
Birthdays
Birthdays Today
Birthdays Tomorrow
The opinions expressed on this site through all forms of communication including videos, forums, blogs, and member communication do not necessarily reflect the views of the site and of course should not be taken as financial advisement, investment advice, commentary on individuals, or advice on any serious matter. Also, we do not make any claims as to the accuracy of the data presented on the site. We hope readers of the site will enjoy the content presented here in the context of an informal (and changing) medium of a blog. This website may inadvertently link to content that is obscene, slanderous, offensive, and/or otherwise useless. This website in no way condones, endorses or takes responsibility for such content. TalentBar.com and Electronic Syndication LLC take copyright matters very seriously. Please see our Terms of Service below and contact us immediately with any issues.
Electronic Syndication LLC manages TalentBar, Project Manager Social Network, CMO Network, CIO Network. Partnerships include Splits.org, a method for recruiters to partner on split placements, Recruiter Jobs, and Hashjobs.com, a way to get your jobs on twitter. Advertising is available.
Electronic Syndication LLC manages TalentBar, Project Manager Social Network, CMO Network, CIO Network. Partnerships include Splits.org, a method for recruiters to partner on split placements, Recruiter Jobs, and Hashjobs.com, a way to get your jobs on twitter. Advertising is available.
© 2009 Created by Miles
In addition to knowing our clients' businesses, I'd suggest that recruiters need to be experts in the broader art of "recruiting". Almost a contridiction in terms, eh? It's not. Too many who call themselves recruiters are really quite narrow in their skills. To make more money than your clients (that's not the goal, it's just a benchmark) you need to be an expert in your business first and then theirs.