Talent Tips: Organizational Success
Talent Tip #65: Roll Tide: What We Can Learn About Recruiting Talent from Nick Saban
February 17, 2015
Roll Tide.
I can’t believe I just typed that. I might break out into hives. As an Ohio native (Go Bucks!) and a Notre Dame grad (Go Irish!), it pains me to support Alabama. But I’ve got to give credit where credit is due: Nick Satan, er…Nick Saban knows how to recruit talent.
Saban’s recruiting prowess has long been a topic of conversation, and a recent article about it got me thinking about what we can learn from his…
Read MoreTalent Tip #63: Stand Out from the Crowd with an Eye-Catching Job Description
February 3, 2015
Talent Tip #63: Stand Out from the Crowd with an Eye-Catching Job Description
Standing out from the crowd can be a very good thing.
Now, I’m not referring to Miley Cyrus twerking like a fool, Bjork dressed as a swan, or Lady Gaga in a meat dress. I mean standing out in a positive way.
Take, for instance, the job posting my friend Steve Sheldon recently sent me. It was perhaps the boldest job description on which I’ve laid eyes.
… Read MoreTalent Tip #62 Take a Chance on Me: Nontraditional Candidates and Fundraising Roles
February 3, 2015
Talent Tip #62 Take a Chance on Me: Nontraditional Candidates and Fundraising Roles
You know what I have a boatload of?
Complaints about the government, yes. But do you know what else I have oodles of?
Fundraising roles.
As it turns out, I also have a Mayflower truck full of candidates who would love to break into fundraising for the free-market nonprofit sector.
So, what’s the disconnect? It’s that most nonprofits want to hire fundraisers with development experience (for roles…
Read MoreTalent Tip #54: Is Virtual Hiring Right for Us?
March 15, 2014
After last month’s e-newsletter about virtual hiring, readers responded with the enthusiasm of teenage girls at a One Direction concert. There wasn’t as much screaming, but the energy level was high.
Most of the people I heard from were very supportive of virtual hiring, though there were a few skeptics in the bunch. The skeptics noted that remote work isn’t always feasible and it’s not without a price. In short, virtual hiring isn’t for everyone; and it isn’t…
Read MoreTalent Tip #53: Want to Expand Your Talent Pool? Hire Virtually!
February 15, 2014
When an outside-the-Beltway client calls me about an opening as of late, several thoughts run through my mind:
I wonder if the client is willing to consider a virtual office scenario… I hope I remembered to turn off the coffee maker this morning… What in the dickens happened to Bob Costas’ eye?All are important thoughts, but let’s focus on the first one. Allowing a role to be carried out in a virtual office scenario means greatly expanding your…
Read MoreTalent Tip #50: Your Advice on Pre-Employment Assessments
October 15, 2013
Last month I asked you, my gentle readers, for your thoughts and advice about pre-employment assessments. Well, y’all responded like apple addicts to an iphone release! And by that, I mean you responded in droves – not that you lost your cool for a little piece of plastic (see image above).
First, here are some nuggets of advice you offered about assessments in general:
Let the assessments inform your decision; but don’t let them make the decision for you. From one reader: “While… Read More
Talent Tip #48: Hiring Advice – Three Hours in a Canoe and the Most Interesting Man in the World
August 15, 2013
Three hours in a canoe. Sounds like a bad first date, a sub-par reality show, or a game risqué teenagers play, right? In fact, it’s none of the above. It is actually a bit of hiring advice a client recently shared with me.
Here’s the very simple counsel: don’t hire anyone you wouldn’t want to spend three hours alone with in a canoe.
It’s pretty solid advice if you think about it. Work is full of difficulties: deadlines, miscommunications, competing…
Read MoreTalent Tip #47: Avoid Alka Seltzer with Writing Samples, Tests
July 15, 2013
A while back, a client of mine developed a raging case of heartburn after learning a new hire didn’t have the writing skills the client thought he did. The employee excelled in other areas, but no Billy Shakespeare was he.
Despite having requested writing samples during the interview process, the organization realized it misjudged the person’s ability to write – a core function of the position. For a while my client downed Alka Seltzer like Pez – until he…
Read MoreTalent Tip #44: Liar Liar, Pantalones en Fuego!
April 18, 2013
I love a good story — especially if there is a good lesson we can draw from it. That’s why I wanted to share this tale I just heard from a friend.
A gentleman recently applied for a job with my friend’s organization. During the application process, the candidate was asked to provide his current and desired salaries.
He provided the following figures:
Current: 85k*
Desired: 97k*
Fair enough, right? Of course, we can debate the 14% desired increase, but…
Read MoreTalent Tip #42: Recommendation Investigations, Your Reputation, Kiss Cams, and My Dream World
February 19, 2013
I know what you’re thinking. How in the Sam Hill is she going to tie all these things together? Well, stay with me.
In the last few weeks, I’ve seen some interesting things transpire related to recommendations, referrals, and references. It occurs to me that there are three issues we should discuss. Here goes.
1. Recommendation Investigation: Is a Referral Necessarily a Recommendation? Hiring managers often receive applications that start with lines like this, “My friend John Doe suggested I apply for this role.”…
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