As it turns out, it’s quite difficult to compile a “best-of” list when it comes to the advice and wisdom our resident talent advisor crew — Laurie Ruettimann, Tim Sackett, Jennifer McClure, Matthew Stollak, Steve Browne and Neil Morrison — have dished out over the last year, because they have shared so many quotes that I just want to etch into memory, or, in a pinch, write out with lipstick onto the nearest mirror before it’s forgotten (I’ve never done this, but I have deep admiration for everyone in an ’80s movie montage who has). We heard awesome ideas around transparency, candidate experience, work-life balance, recruitment tech, diversity, managing your talent, leadership, and so much more.
Laurie Ruettimann:
On not phoning in your yawn-worthy job descriptions anymore, being transparent and simplifying your recruiting once and for all:
Great Candidates Read Job Descriptions
Transparency is the great differentiator for many job seekers. Job descriptions that show the intricacies of culture — and quite possibly just how hard it is to get a job at that company — beat your boring, compliance-driven job descriptions any day of the week.
4 Ways to Streamline Your Recruiting Process
Block off times on your hiring manager’s calendar today. Don’t wait for the perfect candidate to arrive before ensuring the hiring manager is available for interviews. Act like Oprah and embrace the laws of attraction. See it. Feel it. Close that requisition.
Tim Sackett:
On whether talent acquisition is like marketing or sales (spoiler: it’s sales), employee recognition, and getting your hands dirty where it counts:
The Only Metrics that Matter in Talent Acquisition
Almost any vendor selling you talent acquisition tools wants you to believe that it is just like marketing. It’s not. Talent acquisition is sales, and talent acquisition leaders really don’t want to hear that.
5 Fun Ways Supervisors Can Recognize Employees
Empathy and motivation. That’s the job of the front-line supervisor. You might not be a hugger, but you better find a way to show you understand the struggle.
Jennifer McClure:
On connecting employees to their work and the bigger picture, and why some leaders are the biggest hypocrites when it comes to work-life balance:
3 Ways to Engage Employees Without Spending a Dime
To capture the hearts and minds of your employees, you must help them understand how their specific job affects the end product or service – and how their work matters.
The Leader’s Challenge: Modeling Good Work-Life Behaviors
Too often as leaders, we say that we value work-life balance for both ourselves and our employees, but then we’re the ones who stay late at the office to catch up on projects, send emails after hours, or call employees on the weekend to get a head start on the workweek. If we expect our employees to achieve a healthy work-life balance, it’s got to start with us.
Matthew Stollak
On why Tommy Boy’s dad was right about saying “yes” and HR needs to stop being a strict parent, and why fear-driven leadership is a dead end:
5 Ways to Become a Better HR Professional
Too often, human resource professionals are seen as an administrative obstacle that seemingly says “no” to anything that might make work more constructive and fun. Would it kill HR to say “yes” to some things from time to time?
Forget Hiring: Why It’s Time to Reskill Your Own Employees
Many organizations fear that employees will leave, and with them will go the investment made in them. As the adage goes, though, ‘What if you don’t train those employees, and they stay?’
Steve Browne
On why vacations (or staycations) aren’t just fun and games, and why your corporate jargon makes everyone roll their eyes:
Why You should Consider Unlimited PTO for Your Company
Time off is essential. It gives our colleagues a chance to relax, re-energize and refocus. And as much as is written about work-life balance, that balance doesn’t occur until people can fully detach from their day-to-day roles.
5 Ways to Connect the Dots Between Recruiting and HR
Outside of our organization, nobody cares about HR and recruiting lingo. When you throw out phrases to non-HR related functions to justify your existence or vice versa, you operate as an obstacle.
Neil Morrison
On how easy it would be for Neil to poach your best employees, and what it means to be the CEO’s BFF:
Technology and the Naked Organization
I can figure out how much you pay your staff, what they think of you, how long they stay with you and where they go afterwards without ever setting foot in your company. Which is pretty neat if I’m looking to hire your people.
How to Be the CEO’s Best Friend
I once said that the HR director was the only person who could metaphorically say to the CEO, ‘Don’t wear that, it makes your bum look big.’
Advice from the whole team:
Do these things now.
There’s so much more great advice from our talent advisors (there is unfortunately only one post about peeing in the talent pool, however). Do yourself a favor and check out the posts for yourself. Here’s to a smart and successful 2016!
This month, our team is sharing ideas on how to make the most of your remaining days in 2015 and set yourself up for success in 2016. Sign up for our newsletter to get the best recruiting insights delivered right to your inbox.
