IT'S ALL ABOUT ME!

Those that know me, know I live by this. I'd like to think I'm not selfish, but it is an attitude/awareness which has really has helped since I started believing in it.

I even have some friends, that will recite... "it's all about Dan!" and I love it.

Let's go back a little. Many years ago I went to a sales training seminar. They say, that if you get one good thing out of these things then it is money well spent. So there I was, in this huge auditorium with 1500 of my soon to be close friends, vehemently resisting buying the cassette tape (explanation of what term is for those Gen Y's reading this from wikipedia) selling which was 90% of the seminar. You know the "90% of your time is dead time, traveling in your car, walking to the office etc. Why waste that time? Buy my pack of 192 cassette tapes and you'll always be learning and making MORE MONEY!" My resistance was strong, in fact I had on my "this is crap why am I wasting my time on this" hat when the presenter said something which changed my professional outlook on life.

Please note these are not direct quotes, even though they are marked out that way, a little license must be allowed, as the seminar was around 15 years ago.

"Get out your business card" he said. "Cross out your company name, and your title consultant, salesman, business development manager, what ever it is" he said. I dutifully obeyed. "now give yourself a new title, call yourself "CEO, Managing Director, Head Honcho, President! whatever." Now you can see you name and your new title. You are that. You are the CEO of your name, the CEO of you. Everything you do has impact on that person."

Now that had an impact on me. I started seeing how everything had an impact on me. It gave me a huge amount of confidence, and continues to do so. I began to take my role personally, I began to take my business personally. It made me more professional!

When I look at situations, opportunities, people, I am a consumer. I think "what's in it for me?" I look at things like it is my decision, and how it will affect me. I view things like if the business is doing well, then I am successful, and if the company isn't doing well, then I need to lift my game.

I've taken this a little further of late. I have been working with the IT people of my company looking at all this web2.0 technology and how we can implement it in our organisation. There are lots of choices, lots of tools, free stuff, stuff that'll cost, sexy looking, awesome to have stuff. But hold on... "what's in it for me?" Will I (and thus my company) benefit from it?

Does having a Plaxo account help? A corporate Facebook page? A corporate Twitter account? A Yammer account? A wiki? A Youtube channel? Video advertising? A MySpace page? A blog? Do I target passive candidates? Do I use job boards or rely on social media? Applicant Tracking Systems in Beta version? Email vs phone calls? Agencies v inhouse? Is old school better?

I've tried them all! Some I got nothing out of, and after initial hype and excitement, found no real value to my company (or me) and had to walk away. Admit to mistakes, learn and move on!

Bill Boorman asked recently what advice I'd give people new to the Recruiting industry. My best advice, don't get seduced by the technology, don't get swayed by all the "experts" online, and everywhere else, don't believe Hiring Managers and HR people who tell you how to do your job. Try things, but don't commit too hard. Find what works for you and stick to it. Make it all about YOU! (or me of course). Respect the profession and thus yourself, you'll find your groove, but be prepared to step outside it, to expand your horizons.

Trust me, if you are looking for the silver bullet, to fix your Recruiting issues, the only one thing guaranteed to do that, is what is staring back at you from the mirror. Now recite after me. "IT'S.... ALL.... ABOUT.... ME!"