Choose Your Recruitment Idols Wisely
A combination of events has lead me to write this blog post that has been brewing in me for years. First, was the tweets from the recent ERE conference (which I did not attend.) Second, was a call I had with another Maverick, who has been in recruiting longer than the internet.
Let me first start of by saying that there are a lot of people in the industry I respect and admire and it’s not just for what they have done for the industry, but it’s also the type of people they are. Some of these people include Gerry Crispin, Steve Levy, and Hans Gieskes just to name a few. Whenever I have questions, want to get an opinion or idea they have always been there for me to lend support and help, and I thank them for that. These three people have been there and done that, and are still doing that. They have products, ideas, and methodology to contribute. However, there are a lot of people in the space who offer none of these and this is the crux of my article.
If you look at either recent or upcoming conferences you will see speakers who fall within this category. Why these people are have been selected and are presenting really blows my mind. Some of these people haven’t been in recruiting, some people don’t have a product, and or company and some people just have blogs and don’t really add value at all. It reminds me a lot of Paris Hilton. I just want to go up to her and say “What do you do” It also seems to me that new people to the industry are put in this category, as they are charging for material me and others have offered in years past for free. The industry seems rifled with people and companies that are either taking other’s ideas and calling them their own, or creating products and or webinars that others have done (ie see my Hotjobs post) and also calling it their own. Some people in the space are considered experts, because all they do is read the news and then report on it.
Have we sunken so low that we are calling Marketers Recruitment Leaders? Here is my advice prior to reading, attending, following, or engaging people that think are leaders.
1. Do research…Google them find out who they are and what their background is
2. Question them on their blogs in-person whenever you can. What..Who..Where..Why?
3. Don’t believe what’s written or spoken. I take everything with a grain of salt…and I encourage you to do the same.
4. Don’t bet your career on it. Just because someone tells you it works, or they recommend it, don’t be quick to go to your boss and put your job on the line for it.
I hope this will at least inspire you to do a little digging and keep an open mind. Happy recruiting.