I get to work with quite a few senior HR people during the time they are proposing new HR or recruiting programs. Almost without exception, they seem totally surprised when their new “pet project” is massacred by a team of MBA financial analysts armed with a battery of what I …

One of the most common questions I get from directors of employment is, what is the appropriate requisition (or “req”) load for a recruiter? It’s a tough question to answer, but no tougher than determining how many employees a manager can supervise, how many customers a waiter or waitress can …

Almost every recruiter I have ever met says, when asked, that they are “the best recruiter in the world.” Salespeople also seem to have the same tendency to brag a little. But if you ever wanted to find out for sure how good you or your recruiters are, now there’s …

As a consultant, I have the opportunity to visit dozens of firms each year, and without a doubt the most frequently asked question is, “What are the best practices in recruiting?” Well, one best practice that always appears near the top of my list is developing a “most wanted” list. …

Few things set us off more than uninformed people making assumptions without facts. And our “peeve of the century” is the misconception that using employee referrals has a negative impact on diversity. Time and time again, recruiting is promoted as a leading-edge profession, yet it all too often is one …

For some VPs of HR and recruiters, Christmas comes in January, not December. It’s happy days for these lucky few in January, because that’s when Fortune Magazine’s “100 Best Companies To Work For” list is published. In my opinion, getting listed near the top of Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” …

The top reasons why candidates reject offers? If you do an in-depth study of rejections, you will find some interesting facts. It might surprise you that the number one reason why people reject job offers is not because of the content of the offer. Instead, it is because of the …

Managers and recruiters are too tolerant when a candidate rejects an offer. It’s typical for managers to blame the recruiter, the compensation department, the candidate, or to just be accepting of the fact that “things happen.” Rather than accepting the “inevitable,” it’s important to instead study each rejection scientifically in …

If you currently have a job as a recruiter, this is certainly not the time to rest on your laurels. With the downturn in the economy, every VP of HR is entertaining the thought, “Why do I need you?” So if you want to save your butt and be the …

It’s no secret that, with the downturn in the economy, almost every firm has reduced its hiring. As a result, there is a decreased need for recruiters. If you happen to be one of the many recruiters who are currently looking for a recruiting position, here are some admittedly aggressive …