Talent Tips: Hiring Managers/Organizations

Talent Tip #162: Dating Advice from My Parents…for Hiring Managers

May 21, 2024

Claire Kittle Dixon

Back in the day, my parents gave me a ton of dating advice.

And trust me when I tell you that I needed it. (Next time you see me at a social function, preferably one that serves copious amounts of alcohol, ask me to tell you about “Mean Dean” or “Mr. Insaneholtz”.)

We were just reminiscing the other day about all of the gems of relationship wisdom they shared. And as we talked…

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Talent Market Turns 15!

January 14, 2024

This year Talent Market turns 15!

We’re still not legal to drive, but that hasn’t stopped us from getting a lot done over the last 5,475 days!

Since 2009, Talent Market has:

Helped 240+ liberty-oriented nonprofits find the talent they need to be successful – Our clients include national policy and research organizations, state-based think tanks, education and talent development institutions, litigation centers, capacity building organizations, media organizations, and university centers. Placed more than 1,170 talented individuals in critical roles in…

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Talent Tip #155: What Promposals Can Teach Us About Hiring

July 18, 2023

Picture the scene. It’s prom season at Brookdale High School. Emotions, hormones, Taylor Swift, and the faint scent of benzoyl peroxide permeate the air.

Brandy is a popular and pretty senior who is perceptively aware that she is both popular and pretty. She makes it clear to all of her friends, enemies, frenemies, and the entire social media universe that she is excited about prom…but does not yet have a date.

After sending out her social SOS, she…

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Congratulations to Talent Market’s 2023 Award Winners!

June 20, 2023

Talent Market was proud to sponsor the 2023 AF Annual Gala and Awards Showcase and we were thrilled to have presented two new awards during the event in May: The Secret Weapon Award and the Program of the Year Award.

We were incredibly impressed by the quality and quantity of nominees for both awards. Choosing the…

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Talent Tip #152: You’re Not the Snoop to My Dogg: 4 Common Reasons for Rejection

February 21, 2023

Claire Dixon

“I just want to know why it didn’t work out between us.”

That’s how he started the phone call. No greeting. No small talk. Just straight for the jugular.

I knew I shouldn’t have picked up. After all, rule #1 of dating is never take a call from an ex unless you want to attempt to jump-start that ol’ jalopy. Because the moment you pick up, you’ll find yourself right in the middle of your very own rom-com…

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1,000 Placements! Talent Market Celebrates a Milestone!

January 24, 2023

Talent Market is thrilled to announce our 1,000th placement!

You read that correctly. We’ve helped one thousand amazingly talented individuals land critical roles in the free-market movement.
We are both excited and humbled to hit this milestone. And to appreciate where we are now, you have to rewind 13 1/2 years.
In 2009, Tracie Sharp (President and CEO of State Policy Network) and the late Whitney Ball (then President and CEO of DonorsTrust) had an idea for…

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Talent Tip #149: Hiring Horror Stories: (Just in Time for Halloween!)

October 25, 2022

Katelynn Barbosa, Stephanie Keaveney, Lydia Ocampo, Katy Gambella, Claire Kittle Dixon

In the spirit of Halloween, our team wanted to share our best hiring horror stories with you. Names and identities have been altered to protect the innocent (and the ghoulishly guilty!).

When a Stranger Calls
Years ago I arranged a phone interview with a candidate for a search I was managing. I called at the time our interview was scheduled, but my call went directly to voicemail. I…

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Talent Tip #148: Six Things The Movie Castaway Taught Me About Hiring

August 24, 2022

Katelynn Barbosa

I don’t know about you but for some reason, the dog days of summer make me nostalgic and I start re-watching old movie favorites. This past weekend, on the docket was the 2000 film Castaway starring Tom Hanks.

If you haven’t seen the film, let me give you a brief summary. Tom Hanks plays an extremely busy FedEx systems analyst executive (don’t ask me because I don’t understand either) who runs all around the world…

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Talent Tip #146: 5 Reasons Candidates Decline Job Offers

June 27, 2022

I know a thing or two about rejection.

I once went on a blind date with a guy who, from the moment the date started, clearly did not want to be there. He had this disapproving look on his face the entire evening, almost like he was a member of the Royal Family or maybe had just gotten a whiff of woefully expired cottage cheese. Alas, this was just his natural reaction to me!  His eyes kept darting…

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Talent Tip #144: The F Word

April 19, 2022

I love the F word.

I use it frequently, in fact. I say it in front of my clients and candidates…in front of mature audiences and young professionals….even kids. Heck, I say it in front of my mother-in-law. I’m shameless about it.

No matter when or where I use it, it never fails to raise eyebrows.

I don’t think people are offended by it; they just don’t think about it that often.  But they should.  Because it’s absolutely…

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