With or without you!

OK maybe it's just a great excuse to play a U2 song. I had this idea about a post the other day, but let the idea fall from my head, with the amount of noise happening in my life at the moment. However, as fate would have it, I had to run (OK drive) up to the shops tonight for some milk, and guess what came on the radio? Tick! This song.

What does this have to do with what I normally blog about? Recruiting.

It speaks to me at the moment. I am in the middle of a search at the moment which is proving a little elusive. I'm getting closer I can feel it! I've found and met some great candidates, and some absolute shockers, I've used multiple mediums for my search, social media, print advertising, networking, job boards etc etc etc

The person is out there, do they know I will hire them yet? Nope. I heard once that a passive candidate is just someone who doesn't know they are looking yet, maybe that's my future employee, just haven't turned over the right rock? Maybe I've spoken to them already and haven't finished the process yet? But I'm waiting for you!

With or without you.....

WITH OR WITHOUT YOUUUUUUUU

The interesting thing about this role, is that it is an extremely important role for my company. However it is a function which normally has a love/hate relationship with Recruitment. I am actually hiring a rod for my own back.

I Can't live.... with or without you....

My entry into Bill Boorman's VLOG #HRCarnival

Not my finest work, LONG blinks which is a bit weird, but an interesting experience non the less...

2010: The year of the Recruiter

Am I too late to start planning of 2010?

Well, seeing I survived another NYE I thought it was prudent to think of 2010, and what it will bring, personally and professionally.

Personally will be very interesting, child numero 3 is coming around April, Zach (almost 6 as he always is telling me) is starting school full time (just plain scary) and Talia (almost 3) is starting Kindergarten at a place that will be her school until she is 18 or so. Home life will therefore be hectic for the Nuroo household. Good luck wifey :)

Professionally, wow, what a year this promises to be. HUGE Challenges, potentially the hardest working year we as a Recruiting industry has seen!

I see 2010 as the year of the Recruiter. The market has been a little draining over the last 18 months, but I see 2010 as the year that Recruiters will come into their own. Their level of importance will enhance up the organisational thought process this year. This is all types of Recruiters, third party, RPO and Internal types.

My crystal ball sees attrition really hitting its straps, with involuntary attrition lessening and voluntary attrition almost hitting records levels. People will be voting with their feet, after 18 hard months, those who were not well looked after will jump at any opportunity to leave with promises of greener grass. Recruiters will be flat out hiring to keep up with the exodus to keep businesses on an even keel. To grow businesses, now, that WILL be a challenge, as most places will enter this highly competitive phase with less resources as they had in the pre-GFC times.

Getting resources equally focused on Attraction, Talent Pooling and Retention will be an interesting challenge for the year. (Chicken, Egg, Frypan?) My thoughts, Retention focus must be NUMBER 1 focus for companies, so look out HR people... Game on for you.

Doing more with less, seems to be a trend that will increase. Working smarter will be the key. It will be interesting to see if people still find the time to blog, write and or communicate so openly or frequently on social media, when the work is knocking so hard you cannot ignore it. Unless you are a coach or branding expert that is. (sorry couldn't resist a little dig)

Time Management will increase in importance as will professional relationships. I have a picture of a juggler up in my office to illustrate all the balls you need in the air consistently to be successful, I fear this juggler may have to morph into an octopus to keep up.


Time to saddle up Recruiters, 2010 will make you!

My goal for 2010 is simple. To be better! I want to end 2010 in a better way that I have started it. Not that I am knocking where I am, but I want to improve. As a Father, as a Husband, as a Manager, as a Coach and as a Recruiter. I will be closer to my next career goal, if I haven't achieved it by then, I'll be close enough to touch it! Unless I change that goal of course.

Motivation - We ain't dead yet

It's not dead yet! Don't be de-motivated just because of the time of year.

What's your motivation? What gets you up in the morning? Why do you do what you do?
Are you self motivated? And if you are how do you do that? Can you motivate others consistently?

This time of year is an interesting study into the psyche of the world as I know it. Things are supposed to slow down, it's the way of the world. People are being merry, thankful and looking forward to a few days off in a row with family and friends.

"Nothing happens in December or January" Seriously, if I hear that excuse or poor synopsis of the market one more time I may need to poke myself in the eye with a fork. OK people are on leave, but business still happens everyday, whether we want to take part in it or not.

Honestly, I've had some of my biggest months in January.

So, how do we motivate ourselves, our teams, or even our clients to keep the world turning? How do you get up don the suit and get to the office, when all your friends are at the beach, or down the pub with each other?

I've seen the carrot and I've seen the stick style of motivators, and whilst both have been effective (when applied at the right time) it is hard to find one consistent method. I'm talking personally and for the teams around me.

Motivational skills are essential in our business, self motivation (be warned if you say this in an interview with me, I'll ask you to prove it!) and the ability to motivate others. Included in this list of others are, clients, candidates, hiring managers, colleagues, partners, teams, bosses, etc. You need to find a way to get everyone going in the same direction. (OK cliche alert! but yes it's true) As a mentor of mine once said - make your skills "situational". Deal with each experience as it comes and rely (TRUST) on past experience (and your brain) to get you through.

Fruit Loop inspiration

There's something said for tradition. I'm sitting here late Christmas day 2009 pondering the day that was, and honestly, it was pretty special. My kids, my wife, my parents and my sister really rocked for me. Seeing the day through my kids eye's is just amazing, the wonder, the joy and the excitement, just give me goose bumps, even now thinking back on it. Photo's will come... promise.

All this wonder aside, there were a few moments which caused me to pause and think.

Fruit Loops! That's right... Fruit Loops got me thinking.

When I was a boy (yes, anther of those) we didn't have the fancy smancy breakfast cereals at our house, apart from one day a year. Christmas day ensured that those fruit flavoured circles of sugar came out of the cupboard to make sure us kids had enough sugar in our systems to handle the full day. This has become the stuff of family legend. My sister and I still copycat this ritual with our own families (FYI, my kids and wife don't like them... more for me!) Even if we are out for breakfast with a great buffet, I will find a way to have my fix.

Tomorrow is another day of tradition for me. I will attend the boxing day test with my Dad and some friends, something I have been doing for the better part of 15 years. It's a cricket match for the uninitiated.

There's something to be said for tradition. That feeling of entitlement, the warm feeling met expectations, the memory sensory triggering feelings from childhood etc. I love it. It is all good! if it wasn't, well it wouldn't become a tradition, would it?

Funnily enough you can ring this through for Recruitment. Things have been done in a similar fashion for a long long time. It's comfortable, predictable and successful. You need to fall back on this when all else fails, try traditional things like actually talking to people, getting on the phone, getting the brief right, meeting the candidate, finding out the strengths and weakness' and presenting accordingly. You can use all the fancy smancy tools you like to enhance the experience and to increase the talent pools, but not don't forget the basics, the traditional stuff.

I hope you all have had a great Christmas and a sensational 2010.