Nothing wrong with the Basics

You just need to do it. Nike has a point!

Switch off your tweetdeck, log out of facebook, put those Recruiting blinkers on and just go for it. In football parlance... get your head down, put your bum up and just do.

Read the cv's, get on the phone, organise interviews, meet people, get activity happening. Do the reference checks, get the appropriate sign off, give the offer, close the deal! Shhhhh don't tell anyone, but that's your job Mr Recruiter.

Social Media, blogging, twitter, facebook, linkedIn, unless you are actively hiring people from here, be careful as to where you are spending your time. Do the things which have made you successful, and get things done. Yeah it's cool to play with all these other toys, to feel like you are cutting edge, just remember what you are paid to do.

I've potentially been guilty of this in the past, however I just need to remember the fun bit of thia job... the signing, the hiring. Let's get back to the basics and make things happen

6 year olds, Footy Fixtures and Follow Up!

I've been lucky in my career at times. I've had some good people around me who have been generous and truthful with their advice. Some good, some bad, always thought provoking though.

Some of that advice has been reinforced to be recently. The last 5 weeks or so, I have been helping out around the house, trying to stay out of the way of my lovely wife and our new baby. Wrangling the elder two kids away, and doing jobs around the house that, well, let's face it, I'm not well renowned for doing. I got to spend some precious time with the elder two children and was lucky enough to be able to view these two in a different light. I was able to watch them in their own element, without Mum and Dad, watch with own personalities shine on their own. And then of course be the white knight on the white horse, piking them up from school and Kinder. (That was my favourite job, closely follewed by dropping them off)

The advice that came to mind over these weeks, was the importance of follow up, ie holding people (and yourself) accountable. My kids are stars at this. (and I have to say it got more paletable when I started viewing it as follow up and not just nagging)

If you say something do it! If someone else says something, expect them to do it, but be prepared to ask the questions and ensure it gets done. In my early days I would just expect things to get done and would be disappointed when they weren't. I hadn't chased them up, because, well, they were grown ups, professionals, and they'd committed to doing it. It actually became an issue for me with my managers at times. I was actually stunned that I had to do this, thought I'd be seen as a nag, untrusting and just a general pain in the bum. But you know what... it got results. I stopped being afraid of asking the questions, and started to explain my expectations more and voice my disappointments if not met, or updated. It really helped. This helped not only in managing a team, but managing up, internally and externally, and with candidates and employees. If you're job hunting don't be afraid to call the recruiter, hiring manager or whoever owns the process if they aren't living up to their part of the bargain, they've committed to it, why not hold them to the expectations. It shows strength, interest (and gives a little guilt too)

My son reignighted this ideal within me recently. The football fixture came out and he was super excited, he studied as only a almost 6 year old can, and then proceeded to try to corner me at bed time to talk about what games we were going to go to this year. I explained to him that whilst it was great that he was excited, this was not the time to go into this. And promised we would sit down the following day and go through it. Low and behold the first thing he said to me when he woke up the next day was "Dad, can we discuss this now?" Well, that also wasn't the time, I had meetings to go to an errands to run, which I had to explain to a disappointed little boy. Now, as soon as I got back in the door, many hours later, there was no "Hi Dad", just the question "Can we discuss it NOW please Daddy?" Now how could I resist that? I had promised after all, but if not for the follow up, it may have slipped down a priority list as we were always going to go to some games. I am so gla he did follow me up, we got a win/win out of it. He got to get involved in some decision making and got SUPER excited at the outcome, and well, I got to watch that.

Men of HR (oh deary no..... Dan!!!!!!!!!!) sorry Mum.

Sounded harmless enough at the beginning. A little calendar, to raise money for some amazing causes. Haiti Relief and Orchid Cancer Appeal (Testicular Cancer).

Brave souls in the HR/Recruitment world have bared all in an attempt to raise money. The flab and the fab are on display here all year around for your viewing pleasure right here.... They have bared so you will buy!

Hats off (and everything else) to these brave gents, but to ensure you have a good year... you should potentially skip June all together!

They might not smile; they might be gruff
Their skin's like leather; they act real tough.
They'd like you to think they're media stars
But they're just a bunch of softies...
They're the Men of HR

The Men of HR from Geoff Webb on Vimeo.

Dan on Social Sofa

Thanks to Justin Hillier.

Check out his website www.socialrecruiting360.com.au

Social Sofa - Dan Nuroo DWS Advanced Business Systems from Justin Hillier on Vimeo.

Burpman! and other views from here

Wow, it feels liks a long time since I've done this... blog... seems like forever, but it's probably only a few weeks. Honestly it's been hard to find the time, when I've been immersed with my recently expanded family. I gotta tell you, it's been a blast. Seeing the strength of my wife, the growth of my elder 2 children, and watching our recent addition carve out her early place on this planet. Whilst this time has been absolutely precious, there are of course learnings which I think we can bring to our work life.

The first one I need to write about, is something I had a little facebook joke with Geoff Webb and Paul Jacobs about my ability to make other humans burp. Geoff mentioned that it was a great Super Power to have.... and BURPMAN was born!

This has been my calling for the last (almost month), called upon to make our new little human burp or just generally pass wind. It is more technical than a mere pull of the finger my friends, it is a genuine power, which I promise to use for good and not evil. I may have inherited it from my Dad, but he only uses it personally :) (sorry Dad) If you are not a parent, or don't know the joys of doing this, let me just say the pain of these poor babies if they cannot release wind after a feed is heartbreaking.

What did this teach me in relation to the real world? INFLUENCING Skills.

Lexie doesn't know she wants to burp, my actions and influence make this reaction inevitable. Is this not a key skill in Sales, Recruitment or Management in general?

How does what you do get YOU the result you desire? Are you watching and listening in your environment to learn what will work and what won't? Are you sensitive to your clients and candidates, what they want, what they need? and can you find a path to make that happen for them and you? Can you influence the hiring manager to hire the best person for the role, that they just don't see? Can you continuously find the win/win situation, and navigate a course to find it? Can you get decisions made by others, which you manufactured, yet made it their idea to ensure it flies?

No? ring the Belch Bell, Burpman can help....

These are skills you need in the workplace, any workplace.