Am back to my blog activity now that I have joined a new company. My association has started off with Planman Consulting as an AVP for IT recruitments managing South and West region.
More to come
Friday, October 10, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Catching up on reading
I am in transition phase to a new opportunity and in this time, I am catching up on my reading. I read the Monk who sold his Ferrari again and am currently reading 'Go Kiss the world' by Bagchi.
I should say that I have been influenced by Robin's thoughts and for the last couple of months, have been following some of his thoughts from the book. I also happened to chance upon a CD which my earlier boss gave me, where he talks about Leadership. Amazing....
These thoughts change the way you look at the world and yourself, in a completely new way. More to come once I implement these thoughts and see a change in myself.
I should say that I have been influenced by Robin's thoughts and for the last couple of months, have been following some of his thoughts from the book. I also happened to chance upon a CD which my earlier boss gave me, where he talks about Leadership. Amazing....
These thoughts change the way you look at the world and yourself, in a completely new way. More to come once I implement these thoughts and see a change in myself.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
DQ Top 20 IT Employers
An interesting trend in the Top IT Employers for 2008, we see most of them are mid sized / small companies. These companies have scored in both employee votes as well as Revenue grossings.
Let's think on the HR front, which has made these companies, Top companies to work for. Employees are loving to be associated with these companies and its a good trend to see, when there is so much of turmoil in the market, uncertainity and pink slips. I feel the importance and hardwork by the HR team is shown in the results. The out of the box initiatives, better employee engagement models have worked for these companies. Is being BIG the main reason, where the biggies have failed to make the list?
Let's think on the HR front, which has made these companies, Top companies to work for. Employees are loving to be associated with these companies and its a good trend to see, when there is so much of turmoil in the market, uncertainity and pink slips. I feel the importance and hardwork by the HR team is shown in the results. The out of the box initiatives, better employee engagement models have worked for these companies. Is being BIG the main reason, where the biggies have failed to make the list?
Friday, September 19, 2008
Employer Reference Check
I came across a question on LinkedIn, asking details on the Reference Check, which gets done for the candidate community. This actually got me thinking, the different thinker that I am :), to see if there could be something different which could be done, in this line, which is getting crowded now.
Generally, the reference check is done on the candidate who wants to join the organization. Is there a way, wherein the candidate can get the reference check done on the company that he / she aspires to join and the reporting manager. We all have been told that people stick on / leave their managers, so doesn't it make sense to have the ref check on the reporting manager done?
This is basically an employer check, which right now might happen, thru some known circle or some ex employees, or hear say or some reports which get publised. But the actual financials, kind of environment the company offers, the way people are treated, the HR policies, appraisal / increment feedback, kind of work the employees are offered, etc. All these would be hyped / projected big, during recruiting and most of the times the truth would not come out, until the candidate spends some time in the company. Is there a way that we can get a first hand information on these aspects, which could be of great help to middle management to senior management professionals.
The candidates can be better prepared / would be able to take a call, whether they would want to work with that company / manager. This could help candidates in the mid to senior level.
Would this make a good business proposition? Would the current ref check companies be interested in looking at running this service?
Generally, the reference check is done on the candidate who wants to join the organization. Is there a way, wherein the candidate can get the reference check done on the company that he / she aspires to join and the reporting manager. We all have been told that people stick on / leave their managers, so doesn't it make sense to have the ref check on the reporting manager done?
This is basically an employer check, which right now might happen, thru some known circle or some ex employees, or hear say or some reports which get publised. But the actual financials, kind of environment the company offers, the way people are treated, the HR policies, appraisal / increment feedback, kind of work the employees are offered, etc. All these would be hyped / projected big, during recruiting and most of the times the truth would not come out, until the candidate spends some time in the company. Is there a way that we can get a first hand information on these aspects, which could be of great help to middle management to senior management professionals.
The candidates can be better prepared / would be able to take a call, whether they would want to work with that company / manager. This could help candidates in the mid to senior level.
Would this make a good business proposition? Would the current ref check companies be interested in looking at running this service?
Friday, September 12, 2008
Passion or Profession
Is it Passion or Profession? Am I happy with what I am doing to earn my daily bread and do I want to do it all my life or is it only to get my salary at the end of the month or do I have any other aspirations which I need to pursue later in my life? Is what I am doing today leading me to that aspiration which not only satisfies my inner side but also pays me to live and enjoy my life? Is what I am doing today, helping in giving something back to the society that I am part of?
Career and aspirations, most of the time, do not go hand in hand. They could be 2 parallel tracks, which never meet, leaving many with unmet and un fulfilled wishes. Indians, at large, look at career only as a means of livelihood and not an integral part which we would love to do. Majority of the times, most of us are pushed into jobs which become a must do only to earn money. I feel its like a sex worker, who goes thru the motions only for money and does not get engaged emotionally with the job. In this case it should not be, but majority of the people who work are very similar in approach. A mention on the same lines has been published in The New Indian Express, quoted by Sampath Shetty of Teamlease Services. He expresses that Job Sculpting (I liked the word..) is the art of matching people to jobs that allow their deeply embedded life interests to be expressed. He is of the opinion that HR Managers or Bosses who hire the employees, should help bring out these deeply embedded life interests from its dormant state to a more active one. But how many have the time or the inclination to do it? Would their employees innate talent be of any use to the company's business? Would there be any connection to the talent / aspiration that an employee has to the business that the company is into? Can there be a match at all or is it just wishful thinking?
I feel there is a huge potential in identifying talents which match the requirement of the business and not just match the cv to the job description. Not many have the time, money or patience to go this way for want of short term deliverables and neglect the long term association. Then there is the crib of attrition at all levels. According to me, there are 3 phases in anyone's career - first phase, second phase and third phase.
First Phase - is where we are entering into the work life. Do not have much options, the only goal is to land a job and start earning.
Second phase - where we are a little sure about what we want (atleast in terms of money and role). We would be looking at growth opportunities internally or externally to reach the top position. We would aspire for money, comforts, prestige, status, etc in this phase.
Third phase - is the phase where you have done it all, seen it all and would like to pursue what interests you, rather than what you have in hand. Pursue your life interests, become a little spirutial, get into the consultative mode, etc.
Is there a possibility of identifying the talent in the second phase and match with the company's requirements. Dont know as of now, but I foresee a huge opportunity and potential.
Until next time, purse your passion...
Career and aspirations, most of the time, do not go hand in hand. They could be 2 parallel tracks, which never meet, leaving many with unmet and un fulfilled wishes. Indians, at large, look at career only as a means of livelihood and not an integral part which we would love to do. Majority of the times, most of us are pushed into jobs which become a must do only to earn money. I feel its like a sex worker, who goes thru the motions only for money and does not get engaged emotionally with the job. In this case it should not be, but majority of the people who work are very similar in approach. A mention on the same lines has been published in The New Indian Express, quoted by Sampath Shetty of Teamlease Services. He expresses that Job Sculpting (I liked the word..) is the art of matching people to jobs that allow their deeply embedded life interests to be expressed. He is of the opinion that HR Managers or Bosses who hire the employees, should help bring out these deeply embedded life interests from its dormant state to a more active one. But how many have the time or the inclination to do it? Would their employees innate talent be of any use to the company's business? Would there be any connection to the talent / aspiration that an employee has to the business that the company is into? Can there be a match at all or is it just wishful thinking?
I feel there is a huge potential in identifying talents which match the requirement of the business and not just match the cv to the job description. Not many have the time, money or patience to go this way for want of short term deliverables and neglect the long term association. Then there is the crib of attrition at all levels. According to me, there are 3 phases in anyone's career - first phase, second phase and third phase.
First Phase - is where we are entering into the work life. Do not have much options, the only goal is to land a job and start earning.
Second phase - where we are a little sure about what we want (atleast in terms of money and role). We would be looking at growth opportunities internally or externally to reach the top position. We would aspire for money, comforts, prestige, status, etc in this phase.
Third phase - is the phase where you have done it all, seen it all and would like to pursue what interests you, rather than what you have in hand. Pursue your life interests, become a little spirutial, get into the consultative mode, etc.
Is there a possibility of identifying the talent in the second phase and match with the company's requirements. Dont know as of now, but I foresee a huge opportunity and potential.
Until next time, purse your passion...
Name of my blog
The way my thougths are flowing and the writings that I am sharing, is making me think of changing the name of my blog.
Any thoughts..
Any thoughts..
Questions, not to seek answers but to make us think
You don't actually have to take the quiz. Just read straight through, and you'll get the point, an awesome one. .....
Take this quiz:
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss India contest.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers, they are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel, appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.
Easier?
These are the people whom we relate with, who touch our hearts, who make us smile, motivate us, make us feel special, these are our real heroes. Like myself, many of us might have read this earlier, but each time I read the questions, I come up with one new name, which means that someone has made a difference to me positively. Let’s all try and figure in other’s list.
The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.
Take this quiz:
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss India contest.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers, they are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten.
Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel, appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.
Easier?
These are the people whom we relate with, who touch our hearts, who make us smile, motivate us, make us feel special, these are our real heroes. Like myself, many of us might have read this earlier, but each time I read the questions, I come up with one new name, which means that someone has made a difference to me positively. Let’s all try and figure in other’s list.
The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Fruits of hardwork and efforts
I read a small story which appeared in a yahoo group - HRCommunity today, and 2 mails sent from my SBU head on the performers and award winners, which I wanted to share with all. Incidently, both these make so much of sense to me today, that I shared it with my entire team. This tells us about the we need to keep working and putting in our efforts and the results would be reaped one day, but the best part is to visaulize that success / results today, while we are putting our efforts. In my line of profession, that is recruitment, we need to be able to visualize revenue from the efforts that we put in today with respect to the pipeline that we build in terms of open positions, candidates, interviews, offers and joiners. Here it goes....
Clark and Mason were sitting in the break room talking about business strategies for their small company. Mason, ever the worrier, was expressing his frustrations over how "quick success" seemed to be eluding them. Mason said to Clark, "I can't see any evidence of our hard work. It seems like everything that we have done has been to no avail."
Clark, a more seasoned businessperson, sat listening to his business partner, while peeling a big red apple. He understood Mason's frustration. Early in his business career, Clark had similar feelings and often gave up on his goals prematurely because he did not believe in himself. Fortunately, Clark gained understanding of the need for belief and patience.
Holding up the apple he was peeling, Clark said to Mason, "See this apple, Mason. When I cut it in half, we can count the number of seeds in it." Clark cut the apple in half and noted the number of seeds in the core of the apple. He held up one seed for Mason to see. "However," Clark continued, "we cannot count the number of apples in one seed." Mason looked at Clark as he momentarily struggled to understand how Clark's example related to his concerns.
Clark continued, "We cannot know how many “trees” will grow and bear fruit from our efforts thus far. Now is the time to assume that our seed will bear fruit, to see the orchard filled with trees loaded with apples, which have been fertilized with belief and confidence, and watered with enthusiasm. We must be careful not to allow the weeds of negativity and doubt strangle the new plants as they struggle to grow into fruit-bearing trees."
Our ability to see thousands of apples in one apple seed may separate the truly successful people from those who experience only a modicum of success.
Affirmation:
“I will maintain a vision of what I want, need or desire, confident in my abilities to achieve success even when I cannot yet see the results of my efforts.”
Have a clear vision week!
Clark and Mason were sitting in the break room talking about business strategies for their small company. Mason, ever the worrier, was expressing his frustrations over how "quick success" seemed to be eluding them. Mason said to Clark, "I can't see any evidence of our hard work. It seems like everything that we have done has been to no avail."
Clark, a more seasoned businessperson, sat listening to his business partner, while peeling a big red apple. He understood Mason's frustration. Early in his business career, Clark had similar feelings and often gave up on his goals prematurely because he did not believe in himself. Fortunately, Clark gained understanding of the need for belief and patience.
Holding up the apple he was peeling, Clark said to Mason, "See this apple, Mason. When I cut it in half, we can count the number of seeds in it." Clark cut the apple in half and noted the number of seeds in the core of the apple. He held up one seed for Mason to see. "However," Clark continued, "we cannot count the number of apples in one seed." Mason looked at Clark as he momentarily struggled to understand how Clark's example related to his concerns.
Clark continued, "We cannot know how many “trees” will grow and bear fruit from our efforts thus far. Now is the time to assume that our seed will bear fruit, to see the orchard filled with trees loaded with apples, which have been fertilized with belief and confidence, and watered with enthusiasm. We must be careful not to allow the weeds of negativity and doubt strangle the new plants as they struggle to grow into fruit-bearing trees."
Our ability to see thousands of apples in one apple seed may separate the truly successful people from those who experience only a modicum of success.
Affirmation:
“I will maintain a vision of what I want, need or desire, confident in my abilities to achieve success even when I cannot yet see the results of my efforts.”
Have a clear vision week!
Leader or Mentor
There is a lot of hue and cry about Leadership - trait identification, facilitation (if possible), orientation, training, et all. We also have a lot of Leaders within our circles - whether personal or professional.
I have always wondered, whether people (read common man) require more leaders or mentors. I know that all leaders are mentors but all mentors are not leaders, mentoring is an integral part of leadership, etc etc. But a Leader is a Generalist and Mentor is a specialist.
Leader a Generalist? how, well a leader is great manager, mentor, guide, high and calculated risk takers, personality, etc. But a Mentor is a mentor and concentrates on mentoring only. Whom would it take to get the common / average person to perform consistently - leader or mentor? Should the leaders concentrate more on mentoring? Now mentoring is an integral part of leadership, but can it be the most important trait in leadership for the future, as we are having a knowledgable generation going forward. Access to information, developing of personality / traits, getting oriented, etc help most average performers to come close to a leader.
Hmmmm some thougths to ponder
I have always wondered, whether people (read common man) require more leaders or mentors. I know that all leaders are mentors but all mentors are not leaders, mentoring is an integral part of leadership, etc etc. But a Leader is a Generalist and Mentor is a specialist.
Leader a Generalist? how, well a leader is great manager, mentor, guide, high and calculated risk takers, personality, etc. But a Mentor is a mentor and concentrates on mentoring only. Whom would it take to get the common / average person to perform consistently - leader or mentor? Should the leaders concentrate more on mentoring? Now mentoring is an integral part of leadership, but can it be the most important trait in leadership for the future, as we are having a knowledgable generation going forward. Access to information, developing of personality / traits, getting oriented, etc help most average performers to come close to a leader.
Hmmmm some thougths to ponder
Friday, September 5, 2008
Determination: Key for impossible dreams
A forward which was shared by Varsha Mishra, a Technical Manager in an IT Company, told me about the importance of having a dream and how that even the most distant dreams can be achieved by determination and persistence.
In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However bridge building experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea. It just could not be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before.
Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.
Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration, and the headiness of a wild challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge. The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.
"We told them so."
"Crazy men and their crazy dreams."
"It`s foolish to chase wild visions."
Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as sharp as ever.
He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but they were too daunted by the task. As he lay on his bed in his hospital room, with the sunlight streaming through the windows, a gentle breeze blew the flimsy white curtains apart and he was able to see the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment.
It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By moving this, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.
He touched his wife's arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.
For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph of one man's indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man who was considered mad by half the world. It stands too as a tangible monument to the love and devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told the engineers what to do.
Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a never-say-die attitude that overcomes a terrible physical handicap and achieves an impossible goal.
Often when we face obstacles in our day-to-day life, our hurdles seem very small in comparison to what many others have to face. The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that dreams that seem impossible can be realised with determination and persistence, no matter what the odds are.
Even the most distant dream can be realized with determination and persistence.
In 1883, a creative engineer named John Roebling was inspired by an idea to build a spectacular bridge connecting New York with the Long Island. However bridge building experts throughout the world thought that this was an impossible feat and told Roebling to forget the idea. It just could not be done. It was not practical. It had never been done before.
Roebling could not ignore the vision he had in his mind of this bridge. He thought about it all the time and he knew deep in his heart that it could be done. He just had to share the dream with someone else. After much discussion and persuasion he managed to convince his son Washington, an up and coming engineer, that the bridge in fact could be built.
Working together for the first time, the father and son developed concepts of how it could be accomplished and how the obstacles could be overcome. With great excitement and inspiration, and the headiness of a wild challenge before them, they hired their crew and began to build their dream bridge. The project started well, but when it was only a few months underway a tragic accident on the site took the life of John Roebling. Washington was injured and left with a certain amount of brain damage, which resulted in him not being able to walk or talk or even move.
"We told them so."
"Crazy men and their crazy dreams."
"It`s foolish to chase wild visions."
Everyone had a negative comment to make and felt that the project should be scrapped since the Roeblings were the only ones who knew how the bridge could be built. In spite of his handicap Washington was never discouraged and still had a burning desire to complete the bridge and his mind was still as sharp as ever.
He tried to inspire and pass on his enthusiasm to some of his friends, but they were too daunted by the task. As he lay on his bed in his hospital room, with the sunlight streaming through the windows, a gentle breeze blew the flimsy white curtains apart and he was able to see the sky and the tops of the trees outside for just a moment.
It seemed that there was a message for him not to give up. Suddenly an idea hit him. All he could do was move one finger and he decided to make the best use of it. By moving this, he slowly developed a code of communication with his wife.
He touched his wife's arm with that finger, indicating to her that he wanted her to call the engineers again. Then he used the same method of tapping her arm to tell the engineers what to do. It seemed foolish but the project was under way again.
For 13 years Washington tapped out his instructions with his finger on his wife's arm, until the bridge was finally completed. Today the spectacular Brooklyn Bridge stands in all its glory as a tribute to the triumph of one man's indomitable spirit and his determination not to be defeated by circumstances. It is also a tribute to the engineers and their team work, and to their faith in a man who was considered mad by half the world. It stands too as a tangible monument to the love and devotion of his wife who for 13 long years patiently decoded the messages of her husband and told the engineers what to do.
Perhaps this is one of the best examples of a never-say-die attitude that overcomes a terrible physical handicap and achieves an impossible goal.
Often when we face obstacles in our day-to-day life, our hurdles seem very small in comparison to what many others have to face. The Brooklyn Bridge shows us that dreams that seem impossible can be realised with determination and persistence, no matter what the odds are.
Even the most distant dream can be realized with determination and persistence.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Desire for excellence
A great message to start the day !!
A gentleman was once visiting a temple under construction. In the temple premises, he saw a sculptor making an idol of God. Suddenly he saw, just a few meters away, another identical idol was lying. Surprised he asked the sculptor, do you need two statutes of the same idol. No said the sculptor. We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage. The gentleman examined the sculptor. No apparent damage was visible. Where is the damage asked the gentleman. There is a scratch on the nose of the idol. Where are you going to keep the idol? The sculptor replied that it will be installed on a pillar 20 feet high.
When the idol will be 20 feet away from the eyes of the beholder, who is going to know that there is scratch on the nose? The gentleman asked. The sculptor looked at the gentleman, smiled and said, "The God knows it and I know it ".
The desire to excel should be exclusive of the fact whether someone appreciates it or not.
Excellence is a drive from Inside not Outside. Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but rather we have those because we have acted rightly.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.
-- Aristotle
"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor."
A gentleman was once visiting a temple under construction. In the temple premises, he saw a sculptor making an idol of God. Suddenly he saw, just a few meters away, another identical idol was lying. Surprised he asked the sculptor, do you need two statutes of the same idol. No said the sculptor. We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage. The gentleman examined the sculptor. No apparent damage was visible. Where is the damage asked the gentleman. There is a scratch on the nose of the idol. Where are you going to keep the idol? The sculptor replied that it will be installed on a pillar 20 feet high.
When the idol will be 20 feet away from the eyes of the beholder, who is going to know that there is scratch on the nose? The gentleman asked. The sculptor looked at the gentleman, smiled and said, "The God knows it and I know it ".
The desire to excel should be exclusive of the fact whether someone appreciates it or not.
Excellence is a drive from Inside not Outside. Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We do not act rightly because we have virtue or excellence, but rather we have those because we have acted rightly.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.
-- Aristotle
"The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor."
Monday, September 1, 2008
Talent Branding
A topic which I have been toying around for sometime now, is Employment Branding, a term most of the times neglected or under valued, and often confused or made good with Organization Branding activities. Most of the organizations use the same funda for pitch which is used to get clients. The message you give or use to pitch in for a client is different from the message you give to acquire an employee.
Employment branding includes but not limited to talent identification, talent acquisition, talent management and talent retention. so why not call it "Talent Branding", as everything we do in Employment branding is relevant to "Talent" for and in the organization. A study by CareerBuilder India comes out with some interesting results;
When looking for a new job, workers cited the following factors as the most important in evaluating a potential employer:
· Good work culture (62 percent)
· Stability and longevity in the market (61 percent)
· Reputation for being a great place to work (60 percent)
· Good career advancement opportunities (53 percent)
· Ability to offer flexible schedules (49 percent)
When asked what would most likely get them to respond to a job listing besides competitive pay and benefits, workers ranked different factors as follows:
· Company’s stability and growth potential (50 percent)
· Clear sense of what the job entails (49 percent)
· Good career advancement opportunities (47 percent)
· Training and learning opportunities (42 percent)
· Programs for healthy work/life balance (37 percent)
· Sense of ownership in one’s position (34 percent)
· Camaraderie, family-like work environment (33 percent)
· Employee recognition programs (28 percent)
All these are the "Pull" factors for candidates to look at prospective employers. Are these messages communicated to prospective candidates and employees on a regular basis? But how do you convey all this as message to the talent community at large and consistently? That's where the specialized "Talent Marketeers" come into picture - utilizing the print media, online media, blogs, community forums, job / education fairs, etc, to convey this message. If these "Pull" factors are used effectively internally, within organizations, it would result in retaining talent and keeping it motivated.
Are we as consultants, doing justice in communicating all this about our clients to prospective candidates? Do we consciously discuss on these lines when they are scouting for talent? I feel if we are able to do this effectively, the backout / offer declines could be reduced by a large margin, as we and the client, together would have sold what the candidate wants. On the other side, have we as consultants, been able to educate our clients on the importance of realising this and continuously talk to the candidate community?
Employment branding includes but not limited to talent identification, talent acquisition, talent management and talent retention. so why not call it "Talent Branding", as everything we do in Employment branding is relevant to "Talent" for and in the organization. A study by CareerBuilder India comes out with some interesting results;
When looking for a new job, workers cited the following factors as the most important in evaluating a potential employer:
· Good work culture (62 percent)
· Stability and longevity in the market (61 percent)
· Reputation for being a great place to work (60 percent)
· Good career advancement opportunities (53 percent)
· Ability to offer flexible schedules (49 percent)
When asked what would most likely get them to respond to a job listing besides competitive pay and benefits, workers ranked different factors as follows:
· Company’s stability and growth potential (50 percent)
· Clear sense of what the job entails (49 percent)
· Good career advancement opportunities (47 percent)
· Training and learning opportunities (42 percent)
· Programs for healthy work/life balance (37 percent)
· Sense of ownership in one’s position (34 percent)
· Camaraderie, family-like work environment (33 percent)
· Employee recognition programs (28 percent)
All these are the "Pull" factors for candidates to look at prospective employers. Are these messages communicated to prospective candidates and employees on a regular basis? But how do you convey all this as message to the talent community at large and consistently? That's where the specialized "Talent Marketeers" come into picture - utilizing the print media, online media, blogs, community forums, job / education fairs, etc, to convey this message. If these "Pull" factors are used effectively internally, within organizations, it would result in retaining talent and keeping it motivated.
Are we as consultants, doing justice in communicating all this about our clients to prospective candidates? Do we consciously discuss on these lines when they are scouting for talent? I feel if we are able to do this effectively, the backout / offer declines could be reduced by a large margin, as we and the client, together would have sold what the candidate wants. On the other side, have we as consultants, been able to educate our clients on the importance of realising this and continuously talk to the candidate community?
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Internet Recruiting and Job Portals
I happened to learn about the extreme recruiting techniques submitted for a competition to AIRS, which was done last year 2007 (I know I am late, but came across this only yesterday).I was pleasently surprised and happy to know the different sourcing techniques, apart from the regular Job Portals and headhunting ways. Headhunting is still a good way to source wherein the candidates could be unique to you and not found floating on any job portals. I need to try these techniques out, which I am confident would work really well, as they might have been tried and researched for a long time.
This makes me think on the usage of job portals vis-a-vis these internet search techniques. Could this be the way forward like the professional networks (LinkedIn) and Web 2.0? Generally these techniques would show up the passive candidates, but how many of the candidates would have an internet presence - like our own site / page / blog, etc. Does this mean that these searches are only good for mid to senior level candidates? Can the junior candidates be educated on the advantages of having their own web presence, apart from being listed for recruiters? Would people from outside the IT industry have interest in having their web presence? Would they find it more easier / helpful to approach a job portal?
But in my knowledge the job portals cannot be completely ignored, as this is would be the best bet for junior / vanilla skills. But the job portals would loose out in the mid to senior level hires race, but anyways, they were not used much for the senior level hires. Generally all recruiters can use this knowledge but atleast in India, I see the usage more from niche skill recruiters / executive search recruiters.
What happens if the job portals integrate this facility, within their searches which could have 2 options - internal database and internet. Would this serve the recruiting community better? Even better, if RMS (Recruitment Management Systerms) providers incorporate this search facility in their packages?
Options could be endless and every one needs to keep innovating everyday. Signing off now.....
This makes me think on the usage of job portals vis-a-vis these internet search techniques. Could this be the way forward like the professional networks (LinkedIn) and Web 2.0? Generally these techniques would show up the passive candidates, but how many of the candidates would have an internet presence - like our own site / page / blog, etc. Does this mean that these searches are only good for mid to senior level candidates? Can the junior candidates be educated on the advantages of having their own web presence, apart from being listed for recruiters? Would people from outside the IT industry have interest in having their web presence? Would they find it more easier / helpful to approach a job portal?
But in my knowledge the job portals cannot be completely ignored, as this is would be the best bet for junior / vanilla skills. But the job portals would loose out in the mid to senior level hires race, but anyways, they were not used much for the senior level hires. Generally all recruiters can use this knowledge but atleast in India, I see the usage more from niche skill recruiters / executive search recruiters.
What happens if the job portals integrate this facility, within their searches which could have 2 options - internal database and internet. Would this serve the recruiting community better? Even better, if RMS (Recruitment Management Systerms) providers incorporate this search facility in their packages?
Options could be endless and every one needs to keep innovating everyday. Signing off now.....
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Mentoring
Recently I had an opportunity to discuss with Meena, Senior Consultant with Mindtree, who was earlier the Associate Director – People Function heading HR for R&D Services at Mindtree, on the subject of Mentoring. During this interesting discussion, one important aspect which came out glaring was that most of the managers neglect / miss out “mentoring” their people and do not put conscious efforts to do this activity and monitor the same. The common reason that we get to hear is that we are pressed for time, we need to concentrate more on deliverables or we have hired talented / skilled people.
A lot of people issues like Employee engagement, identifying latent potential in employees, leadership development, experiential knowledge transfer, developing niche competencies in employees, creating a focussed platform for focussed learnings and many more, can be managed through structured mentoring programs.
So then, what is Mentoring? Mentoring is an experiential learning process where employees can learn from senior, more experienced employees. The learning process can be one on one or one to many. In rapidly evolving organizations, mentoring is a platform that can build “knowledge – connect” among employees at varied levels and create niche competencies in employees over time. It is a powerful concept that can foster holistic individual employee development. Mentoring can address the key business challenges every organization faces which are building a leadership pool, employee engagement and creating a knowledge base in specific competencies.
Most aspiring managers / new managers, need to be told the importance of mentoring and move away from only reviewing and directing our teams / people. This also applies to some existing managers across organizations. I feel mentoring leads to a couple of advantages like higher employee engagement, groom individual latent talent across all levels, groom future leaders, targeted knowledge transfer which would be transfer of BKM’s (best known methods), etc. It is required at all levels and a conscious efforts to build this as a culture internally within organizations.
A lot of people issues like Employee engagement, identifying latent potential in employees, leadership development, experiential knowledge transfer, developing niche competencies in employees, creating a focussed platform for focussed learnings and many more, can be managed through structured mentoring programs.
So then, what is Mentoring? Mentoring is an experiential learning process where employees can learn from senior, more experienced employees. The learning process can be one on one or one to many. In rapidly evolving organizations, mentoring is a platform that can build “knowledge – connect” among employees at varied levels and create niche competencies in employees over time. It is a powerful concept that can foster holistic individual employee development. Mentoring can address the key business challenges every organization faces which are building a leadership pool, employee engagement and creating a knowledge base in specific competencies.
Most aspiring managers / new managers, need to be told the importance of mentoring and move away from only reviewing and directing our teams / people. This also applies to some existing managers across organizations. I feel mentoring leads to a couple of advantages like higher employee engagement, groom individual latent talent across all levels, groom future leaders, targeted knowledge transfer which would be transfer of BKM’s (best known methods), etc. It is required at all levels and a conscious efforts to build this as a culture internally within organizations.
Monday, August 25, 2008
Source of Happiness
A small story on the different sources of happiness & motivation to different people. After reading this I realised how we try and impose / influence things on people around us, with our thoughts or actions, which we feel is right or motivational. This could also be the main reason for conflict at workplace or personal life. We need to understand others needs and respect their feelings and do not assume that one thing motivates all. Well, here goes....
An interviewer was talking to a female production-line worker in a biscuit factory. The dialog went like this:
Interviewer: How long have you worked here?
Production Lady: Since I left school (probably about 15 years).
Interviewer: What do you do?
Production Lady: I take packets of biscuits off the conveyor belt and put them into cardboard boxes.
Interviewer: Have you always done the same job?
Production Lady: Yes.
Interviewer: Do you enjoy it?
Production Lady: Oooh Yes, it's great, everyone is so nice and friendly, and we have a good laugh.
Interviewer (with a hint of disbelief): Really? Don't you find it a bit boring?
Production Lady: Oh no, sometimes they change the biscuits……
This also leads us to my next question, have we forgotten to find happiness in small things around us, do we do those small things which can keep us motivated, instead of expecting people around / above us to, do we consciously and continuously innovate to keep our work from becoming routine? A good food for thought which could make us happy and creative....I am working to find a different biscuit packet today
An interviewer was talking to a female production-line worker in a biscuit factory. The dialog went like this:
Interviewer: How long have you worked here?
Production Lady: Since I left school (probably about 15 years).
Interviewer: What do you do?
Production Lady: I take packets of biscuits off the conveyor belt and put them into cardboard boxes.
Interviewer: Have you always done the same job?
Production Lady: Yes.
Interviewer: Do you enjoy it?
Production Lady: Oooh Yes, it's great, everyone is so nice and friendly, and we have a good laugh.
Interviewer (with a hint of disbelief): Really? Don't you find it a bit boring?
Production Lady: Oh no, sometimes they change the biscuits……
This also leads us to my next question, have we forgotten to find happiness in small things around us, do we do those small things which can keep us motivated, instead of expecting people around / above us to, do we consciously and continuously innovate to keep our work from becoming routine? A good food for thought which could make us happy and creative....I am working to find a different biscuit packet today
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Best Manager
I came across this question in LinkedIn and was pondering over it for sometime.
I actually consider all my managers as good and actually learnt things that they were good at. Now each one had one or couple of good qualities in them and they also had some negatives or attributes that I did not find good, probably I didnt find them exhibit those qualities prominently.
Now how would you define "Best" Manager? A manager is supposed to manage the resources in the "best" manner. That's the reason they are called as Managers otherwise they would simply be "Supervisors". A quality one team member may like may not be liked by others, and its impossible to please all. If you try to do that, then you are not a good manager.
I learnt a lot from all my managers, except one, whom I wish I never crossed paths and consider all of them as good managers, as each one thought me one or couple of qualities to lead and manage well. I learnt about empathisizing, driving, leading, being firm, visionary, etc from different people whom I reported to.
Actually its a good exercise to note down positives and negatives of all the managers that we reported to and make a list of attributes that we need to and should not follow to being good and effective managers, atleast in our beliefs. This list could actually be appended as and when we remember any good or not so good qualities of these managers. I think I should start doing something like this.
Someone once told me, the best way to manage people is to understand how you would like to be managed and who else could be a better person to tell the good and bad qualities that we feel, we should have to be good managers.
Well, good morning world, a new manager is born today......
I actually consider all my managers as good and actually learnt things that they were good at. Now each one had one or couple of good qualities in them and they also had some negatives or attributes that I did not find good, probably I didnt find them exhibit those qualities prominently.
Now how would you define "Best" Manager? A manager is supposed to manage the resources in the "best" manner. That's the reason they are called as Managers otherwise they would simply be "Supervisors". A quality one team member may like may not be liked by others, and its impossible to please all. If you try to do that, then you are not a good manager.
I learnt a lot from all my managers, except one, whom I wish I never crossed paths and consider all of them as good managers, as each one thought me one or couple of qualities to lead and manage well. I learnt about empathisizing, driving, leading, being firm, visionary, etc from different people whom I reported to.
Actually its a good exercise to note down positives and negatives of all the managers that we reported to and make a list of attributes that we need to and should not follow to being good and effective managers, atleast in our beliefs. This list could actually be appended as and when we remember any good or not so good qualities of these managers. I think I should start doing something like this.
Someone once told me, the best way to manage people is to understand how you would like to be managed and who else could be a better person to tell the good and bad qualities that we feel, we should have to be good managers.
Well, good morning world, a new manager is born today......
Monday, August 18, 2008
Winner of "TeamLease Blogger of the Fortnight"
I have been awarded as the "TeamLease Blogger of the Fortnight" and received a gift voucher of 1000/- from Landmark.
Happy to start my day and week on this note :)
Happy to start my day and week on this note :)
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Something new
Have been thinking on doing something new pertaining to my line of career. Doing the same number game and reviewed on numbers/revenue is not exiciting me anymore. But it doesnt mean that I would not be doing it going forward, but its not challenging and not giving me satisfaction anymore.
Well the industry today is talking about "collaboration" in a big way and I am thinking if I need to leverage my strengths in this dimension. I feel I am good at Client acquisition, relationship management, Account Management and networking. Can I promote myself as an independent consultant, who could support a group of agencies/consultants, who have/can come together as a group, to beat the biggies. The big ones would not look at this concept and I feel this could be a great way to compete and beat the biggies in this game.
We can all draw from our strengths and partner with a customer, which could be a win-win for both the customer(s) and the alliance of agencies. We would need to have agencies who have strengths in volume hiring, senior hiring, niche/hard to find requirement hiring and domain experts. All these with my customer facing skills, I feel we are on our way to success.
So I would start working on this and start talking to agencies in these lines...
Well the industry today is talking about "collaboration" in a big way and I am thinking if I need to leverage my strengths in this dimension. I feel I am good at Client acquisition, relationship management, Account Management and networking. Can I promote myself as an independent consultant, who could support a group of agencies/consultants, who have/can come together as a group, to beat the biggies. The big ones would not look at this concept and I feel this could be a great way to compete and beat the biggies in this game.
We can all draw from our strengths and partner with a customer, which could be a win-win for both the customer(s) and the alliance of agencies. We would need to have agencies who have strengths in volume hiring, senior hiring, niche/hard to find requirement hiring and domain experts. All these with my customer facing skills, I feel we are on our way to success.
So I would start working on this and start talking to agencies in these lines...
Monday, August 11, 2008
Your Value
A mail that I received from Shraddha, Leader - People & System Integration, Oscar Murphy International, through HRInnovators, cheered me up and gave me a fresh breath and a new lease of encouragement. I have captured it below,
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A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a 500 Rupees. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like to take these 500 rupees?"
Hands started going up.
He said, "I am going to give 500 rupees to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the 500 rupees up.
He then asked, "Who still wants it?"
Still the hands were up in the air.
"Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.
He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.
"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth rupees 500. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.
We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. You are special - Don't ever forget it!
Moral of the story- Try to understand your value. Try to find out your strengths. If you are not going to respect yourself no one is going to respect you.
Just like famous quote “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.”
Oprah Winfrey
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A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a 500 Rupees. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like to take these 500 rupees?"
Hands started going up.
He said, "I am going to give 500 rupees to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the 500 rupees up.
He then asked, "Who still wants it?"
Still the hands were up in the air.
"Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.
He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.
"My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth rupees 500. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way.
We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value. You are special - Don't ever forget it!
Moral of the story- Try to understand your value. Try to find out your strengths. If you are not going to respect yourself no one is going to respect you.
Just like famous quote “The more you praise and celebrate your life, the more there is in life to celebrate.”
Oprah Winfrey
Guest Lectures
Want to post links to my guest lectures,
‘Now, career opportunities galore all over the world’
Mantra of corporates: ‘Hire for attitude, train for skills’
‘Now, career opportunities galore all over the world’
Mantra of corporates: ‘Hire for attitude, train for skills’
Alliance Omega
Another collaborative effort from the agencies in Bangalore..
In the Executive Recruiter Association (ERA) which is been formed for ethical and standardized practices for the recruitment fraternity, agencies collaborate very closely. In fact they have formed a group called Alliance Omega under the umbrella of ERA to take delivery commitment with the clients. They are 7 Consultants, who have come together to form a legal entity. It has three objectives. 1) Single Agreement & billing for all the 7 of them 2) Agency SPOC on site 3) committed, predictable closures (for consultants and the client).
The best thing about this model is collaboration. I feel strongly that the next big thing in the recruitment space = Consultants Collaboration!!
Thanks to Jaya, JK Management consultants, for her inputs on this.
In the Executive Recruiter Association (ERA) which is been formed for ethical and standardized practices for the recruitment fraternity, agencies collaborate very closely. In fact they have formed a group called Alliance Omega under the umbrella of ERA to take delivery commitment with the clients. They are 7 Consultants, who have come together to form a legal entity. It has three objectives. 1) Single Agreement & billing for all the 7 of them 2) Agency SPOC on site 3) committed, predictable closures (for consultants and the client).
The best thing about this model is collaboration. I feel strongly that the next big thing in the recruitment space = Consultants Collaboration!!
Thanks to Jaya, JK Management consultants, for her inputs on this.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Retro-recruiting
I had an interesting response on LinkedIn, from Marc LeVine, President of Integrity Consulting Associates, for my previous posting which asked about the next big thing in recruitment. He talks about leaving the recruiting basics alone.
I agree, has the good old ways of recruitment, which involved researching, "working" extensively with a candidate (irrespective of experience levels), positioning profiles instead of sourcing for requirements, value hiring instead of only volume hiring, are a thing of the past?
Marc also introduces us with 2 words - Retro-Recruiting and prides himself as a "Recruitsmith"
Marc writes - Recruiting is a "contact sport" and today's recruiters are too busy trying to build better mousetraps than focus on what works best, fundamentally. Too much time is spent playing on the Internet and chasing a pool of folks, who are already picked over and remain available for obvious reasons.
Any thoughts?
I agree, has the good old ways of recruitment, which involved researching, "working" extensively with a candidate (irrespective of experience levels), positioning profiles instead of sourcing for requirements, value hiring instead of only volume hiring, are a thing of the past?
Marc also introduces us with 2 words - Retro-Recruiting and prides himself as a "Recruitsmith"
Marc writes - Recruiting is a "contact sport" and today's recruiters are too busy trying to build better mousetraps than focus on what works best, fundamentally. Too much time is spent playing on the Internet and chasing a pool of folks, who are already picked over and remain available for obvious reasons.
Any thoughts?
Thursday, August 7, 2008
What's the next big thing in recruitment?
Next big thing in Recruitment
What could be the next big thing in recruitments? As the industry is going slow, it's time to reflect on the strengths and look to value add for opportunities that might come up. I know many would differ, saying that this is the time to work harder / more, as the industry is slow. But these are my thoughts..
Could the enabler for "the big thing" be RPO or technology or collaboration or consolidation or look at recruitment service in a different perspective? Would Executive Search be the next big thing as volime hiring was sometime back? Would organizations look at a thin recruitment team and outsource the process? Would consultants consolidate or collaborate with each other instead of compete? Would there be an increase in niche freelancers or "Consultants" who would operate with specific domain expertise?
Please do share your thougts and did I put any thoughts in anyone's mind on going forward :)
What could be the next big thing in recruitments? As the industry is going slow, it's time to reflect on the strengths and look to value add for opportunities that might come up. I know many would differ, saying that this is the time to work harder / more, as the industry is slow. But these are my thoughts..
Could the enabler for "the big thing" be RPO or technology or collaboration or consolidation or look at recruitment service in a different perspective? Would Executive Search be the next big thing as volime hiring was sometime back? Would organizations look at a thin recruitment team and outsource the process? Would consultants consolidate or collaborate with each other instead of compete? Would there be an increase in niche freelancers or "Consultants" who would operate with specific domain expertise?
Please do share your thougts and did I put any thoughts in anyone's mind on going forward :)
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Recruitment consultancy is a good career option
A small writing that I posted on our office blog - teamlease.blogspot.com
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A forward which I received about “Recruitment Consultancy being a good career option” from a colleague got me thinking about how many of us, really appreciate the industry that we are in, are proud to be putting people to work and partnering with clients to identify the right people. We, as Recruitment consultants make a difference – the difference to a candidate’s career and the difference to the client organization.Most of us take this opportunity as just a “Job” and treat it as a launch pad to get into “HR Generalist” or “HR Operations” positions, but fail to see that Recruitment position with a Consultancy could be a long term, successful and satisfying career option. The challenge of assisting and managing diverse people, meeting varied customer’s expectations consistently, counselling and helping freshers who are just out of college to professionals who are in between jobs to senior executives who are looking for the next big thing, keeps the ambitious and the driven, going. The adrenaline rush it gives to identify, convince and make a person join the client in time, cannot be experienced in other HR functions. Recruitment requires a consultative approach and has an essence of sales, contrary to the belief that it is only a HR function.The creative of the lot try out their hands in different ways of identifying the right fit, the one which impressed me the most, is a methodology using Google extensively. One person who comes to my mind is Jim Stroud, a “Searchologist” with an expertise in the full life-cycle placement of Executive and Technical personnel, in his blog “The Recruiter’s Lounge”, talks about “Resume Forensics” – How to find resumes on the Internet. Man, that’s one creative and a very efficient method of using Google. You can actually get a copy of the same on his blog.To make a great career in recruitment, the key competencies required are being Competitive, Motivated, extensive relationship management (candidates and clients) and persistence.So you are in the right track ...Good luck.
TO ADD:
There are newer ways emerging in e-recruitment today, apart from the job portals, the networking and Google ways. I thought of sharing 2 such ideas with all, and in no means trying to promote them :)1. V3Jobs – http://www.v3jobs.com/, an online portal brought to you by HireCraft Software Pvt Ltd. A job seeker collaboration portal having managed profiles that can be used for internal use and share the profiles to other staffing companies on a revenue sharing basis. In simpler words, a job seeker can have an advisor for life in choosing the right career options, not only from their clients but also from other agency’s clients, without having to contact / interact with multiple recruiters.
2. The Hiring Tool – http://www.thehiringtool.com/, is an innovative online Recruiting Marketplace that connects employers with a nationwide network of professional consultants in order to fill jobs faster and more efficiently than ever. The recruitment space is becoming more interesting and creative, with newer ideas coming out very often. People are daring to think different and dream big.
Let’s get our creative juices flowing and come up with newer ideas, and share the same on this blog.
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A forward which I received about “Recruitment Consultancy being a good career option” from a colleague got me thinking about how many of us, really appreciate the industry that we are in, are proud to be putting people to work and partnering with clients to identify the right people. We, as Recruitment consultants make a difference – the difference to a candidate’s career and the difference to the client organization.Most of us take this opportunity as just a “Job” and treat it as a launch pad to get into “HR Generalist” or “HR Operations” positions, but fail to see that Recruitment position with a Consultancy could be a long term, successful and satisfying career option. The challenge of assisting and managing diverse people, meeting varied customer’s expectations consistently, counselling and helping freshers who are just out of college to professionals who are in between jobs to senior executives who are looking for the next big thing, keeps the ambitious and the driven, going. The adrenaline rush it gives to identify, convince and make a person join the client in time, cannot be experienced in other HR functions. Recruitment requires a consultative approach and has an essence of sales, contrary to the belief that it is only a HR function.The creative of the lot try out their hands in different ways of identifying the right fit, the one which impressed me the most, is a methodology using Google extensively. One person who comes to my mind is Jim Stroud, a “Searchologist” with an expertise in the full life-cycle placement of Executive and Technical personnel, in his blog “The Recruiter’s Lounge”, talks about “Resume Forensics” – How to find resumes on the Internet. Man, that’s one creative and a very efficient method of using Google. You can actually get a copy of the same on his blog.To make a great career in recruitment, the key competencies required are being Competitive, Motivated, extensive relationship management (candidates and clients) and persistence.So you are in the right track ...Good luck.
TO ADD:
There are newer ways emerging in e-recruitment today, apart from the job portals, the networking and Google ways. I thought of sharing 2 such ideas with all, and in no means trying to promote them :)1. V3Jobs – http://www.v3jobs.com/, an online portal brought to you by HireCraft Software Pvt Ltd. A job seeker collaboration portal having managed profiles that can be used for internal use and share the profiles to other staffing companies on a revenue sharing basis. In simpler words, a job seeker can have an advisor for life in choosing the right career options, not only from their clients but also from other agency’s clients, without having to contact / interact with multiple recruiters.
2. The Hiring Tool – http://www.thehiringtool.com/, is an innovative online Recruiting Marketplace that connects employers with a nationwide network of professional consultants in order to fill jobs faster and more efficiently than ever. The recruitment space is becoming more interesting and creative, with newer ideas coming out very often. People are daring to think different and dream big.
Let’s get our creative juices flowing and come up with newer ideas, and share the same on this blog.
Near Death Experience
I want to share a mail which I received a couple of days ago from HRinIndia yahoo group, sent by Lt Col (retd) RVS Mani, titled Near Death Experience.
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Last night my mom and I were sitting in the living room, talking about life... In-between, we talked about the idea of living or dying.
I said to her: ' Mom, never let me live in a vegetative state, totally dependent on machines and liquids from a bottle. If you see me in that state I want you to disconnect all the contraptions that are keeping me alive, I'd much rather die'.
Then my mom got up from the sofa with this real look of admiration towards me...and proceeded to disconnect the TV, the Cable, the Dish, the DVD, the Computer, the Cell Phone, the IPod, and the Xbox, and then went to the fridge and threw away all my beer!!
...I ALMOST DIED!!!
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What a thought!
The onslaught of technology has made us so dependent on these items that they indeed can be termed as our “life support systems”. oh! But don’t most of us want to surround ourselves with these wonderful machines and feel proud when people address us as Gadget freaks? Let’s step back and think, what have we lost in the process – socializing (family and friends), reading, enjoying quite moments with our loved ones, getting some exercise / activity and health. Even though we are at home, we are engrossed in watching TV or working on our laptops or plug in the earphones of our IPods. Yes, physically we are present but are we listening to our loved ones or giving them enough time. I don’t want to answer that... OK, I know, we have heard this a lot of times earlier and I would not want to talk about this again.
But, can we plug ourselves out from these to enjoy the small joys of life? Can we enjoy the surroundings (oh! Not the busy neighbourhood roads or the honking and smoking vehicles or the door next to our apartment, but the beautifully made parks) and spend some quite time with our friends and family, actually spend time listening and talking about our day, laugh loud for some PJ’s or have dinner together. I can go on but I want to leave you all with this thought until next time and am going to shut down my system and off to watch what’s in store for Tom today? :)
I am trying..
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Last night my mom and I were sitting in the living room, talking about life... In-between, we talked about the idea of living or dying.
I said to her: ' Mom, never let me live in a vegetative state, totally dependent on machines and liquids from a bottle. If you see me in that state I want you to disconnect all the contraptions that are keeping me alive, I'd much rather die'.
Then my mom got up from the sofa with this real look of admiration towards me...and proceeded to disconnect the TV, the Cable, the Dish, the DVD, the Computer, the Cell Phone, the IPod, and the Xbox, and then went to the fridge and threw away all my beer!!
...I ALMOST DIED!!!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What a thought!
The onslaught of technology has made us so dependent on these items that they indeed can be termed as our “life support systems”. oh! But don’t most of us want to surround ourselves with these wonderful machines and feel proud when people address us as Gadget freaks? Let’s step back and think, what have we lost in the process – socializing (family and friends), reading, enjoying quite moments with our loved ones, getting some exercise / activity and health. Even though we are at home, we are engrossed in watching TV or working on our laptops or plug in the earphones of our IPods. Yes, physically we are present but are we listening to our loved ones or giving them enough time. I don’t want to answer that... OK, I know, we have heard this a lot of times earlier and I would not want to talk about this again.
But, can we plug ourselves out from these to enjoy the small joys of life? Can we enjoy the surroundings (oh! Not the busy neighbourhood roads or the honking and smoking vehicles or the door next to our apartment, but the beautifully made parks) and spend some quite time with our friends and family, actually spend time listening and talking about our day, laugh loud for some PJ’s or have dinner together. I can go on but I want to leave you all with this thought until next time and am going to shut down my system and off to watch what’s in store for Tom today? :)
I am trying..
Returned
Back to blogging :)
Had a blog earlier, which was primarily aimed at HR and Recruitment thoughts for a couple of my friends. But this time, I wanted to make it a little more personal, about myself, too, apart from the other things.
Anusragi - Anu's Ragi - Anu is my wife and Ragi is what my close friends call me. So that's how the name :)
I will try and pour my thoughts and interesting (atleast for me, cant assure for others) articles, etc, in this space
Well, until the next posting, which would figure immediately
Had a blog earlier, which was primarily aimed at HR and Recruitment thoughts for a couple of my friends. But this time, I wanted to make it a little more personal, about myself, too, apart from the other things.
Anusragi - Anu's Ragi - Anu is my wife and Ragi is what my close friends call me. So that's how the name :)
I will try and pour my thoughts and interesting (atleast for me, cant assure for others) articles, etc, in this space
Well, until the next posting, which would figure immediately
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