If you have been involved with recruiting for more than six months, then you have probably experienced a wide variety of “dumb” things those connected to the process do with regard to screening candidates. From hiring managers who insist upon basing their judgment of candidates’ abilities on the quality of …

We all acknowledge the fact that for the past few years we have been fighting a war for talent. While the war may have subsided as the economy retrenched, don’t let the calm before the storm catch you off guard. A major problem is about to descend upon U.S. corporations: …

I received a number of follow-up ideas from readers as a result of my article in January on how to improve offer acceptance. Here are some of the best: Eric Lane, Intuit From Eric Lane, Silicon Valley recruiting guru and director of executive staffing at Intuit: Find out about “family” needs. Find a …

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 …

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 …

Human resources functions have always undergone intense scrutiny by executives and financial officers. But lately, HR programs have come under siege by the “cost cutters” in particular. If human resources professionals are to survive and prosper, it is essential that they refocus their efforts on building the business case for …

If you need immediate help on a project, don’t hire a recent college grad. Instead, “poach” a college grad from two years ago that a competitor has trained and developed at their expense. “Two-years-out” grads are more focused, mature, and immediately productive! Most managers know that recent college hires almost …

The uncertainty caused by layoffs can impact both companies and employees in many ways, most of them negative. During large-scale layoffs, morale and productivity can plummet. Even more importantly, it’s common for firms to lose their focus on the customer. If a firm is to avoid the need for future …

Shifts in the economy are a fact of life. But managers and HR professionals are often forced into recommending layoffs during economic downturns because for months they have procrastinated and put off taking the appropriate preventative measures. As a layoff strategist, I recommend a forward-looking approach aimed at minimizing the …