It’s hard to argue against the fact that 2009 has been a rough year for corporate recruiters. Budgets have been slashed, training has been all but eliminated, and even with reduced recruiting activity, requisition loads are still onerous. Not everyone celebrates Christmas, but as it falls at the end of …

It’s hard to argue against the concept of strategic integration. Having related business units working closely together, rather than operating as independent silos, almost always increases efficiency, reduces errors, and improves overall results. There’s no better example of what integration can accomplish than the modern-day supply-chain organization, which used to …

Being strategic always requires some degree of unconventional thinking. If you are a corporate recruiting manager and you are looking for an opportunity to have a strategic impact, you need to understand why today is literally the best time to be actively recruiting in at least the last 25 years. …

Most corporate recruiting functions inexplicably restrict the effectiveness of their employee referral program by limiting senior management participation. Instead, recruiting directors should design a unique “executive referral program” that encourages executives to make referrals for your high-level openings. You might think a separate program is unnecessary because high-quality referrals should …

When many organizations are faced with the need to cut labor costs, the approaches taken are generally unscientific and poorly researched. Many simply do what other organizations acting before them have already done. The decision-making seems almost whimsical, with the final option selection process akin to throwing darts. The end …

Now is the perfect time for organizations to bring executive search capability in-house. While the business case for this strategic shift has been clear for some time, ongoing cost-containment efforts combined with increasing demand for strategic staffing make now the perfect time to execute the shift and build out the …

When it comes to video-conference interviews, organizations still have two options: high quality fixed facility interviews, and lower quality flexible location interviews. The latter requires only that the candidate have access to a decent broadband Internet connection and a low-cost webcam. When purchased in bulk, a number of webcams are …

(Editor’s note: This is the sixth installment in Dr. Sullivan’s series. Here are Part 1, Part II, Part III, Part IV, and Part V.) No matter how enthusiastic your employees are about participating in an internal movement program, they are bound to be somewhat frustrated if there aren’t a wide variety of assignments available for …

(Editor’s note: This is the fourth installment in Dr. Sullivan’s series. Here are Part 1, Part II, andPart III. Next week, installment five of this series will address tools and tips you can use to improve your job rotation program.) This series of articles started out listing the pain points that many organizations …

(Editor’s note: This is Part III in Dr. Sullivan’s series. Here are Part 1 and Part II; next week in the conclusion to the series, look for best practices and program metrics.) When corporate revenues are down or stagnant, talent managers typically shift their focus away from volume hiring to developing and improving …