When was the last time you really challenged conventional thinking when it comes to finding awesome new talent for your organization? Richard Florida recently wrote about a new book he encountered, The Power of Pull by John Hagel , John Seely Brown and Lang Davison. In the words of the authors, “Pull helps us to find and access people and resources when we need them-think of search engines as an example .But in a world characterized by unpredictable change, a second level of pull becomes increasingly valuable: the ability to attract people and resources to you that you were not even aware existed, but once you encounter them, you realize that they in fact are extremely relevant and valuable …”
Conventional wisdom dictates that the sourcing process begins with a portrait of the ‘ideal’ candidate- the job description. But consider this new framework. The authors go on to say, “In more stable times, we could sit back and relax once we had learned something valuable, secure that we could generate value from that knowledge for an indefinite period. Not anymore. To succeed now, we have to continually refresh our stocks of knowledge by participating in relevant flows of new knowledge.” Applied to recruiting, this says, ok, once that sourcing approach would have worked. But now we need new knowledge, new thinking, to find and attract the best. What does that new knowledge look like? How do we acquire it?
One new way of thinking about sourcing moves beyond the ‘one-at-a-time’ model into mass sourcing using web 2.0 technology. In an upcoming webcast, Annette Foght, Director of National Recruiting for HCR ManorCare, shares how they literally put aside old-school recruiting concepts to embrace a new way of thinking and doing… and reduced spend while increasing quality. New knowledge, indeed.
Talent Management professionals in government: are you attending the HCI 2010 Government Talent Management Summit? We’ll share anticipated highlights from Talent Acquisition over the next few weeks. First up: Angela Bailey, Deputy Director at OPM will speak about Hiring Reform: Increasing the Speed at which The Right Talent Is Located, Recruited and Hired. If you haven’t ever seen Ms. Bailey speak before, you won’t want to miss her in September.
A slew of new eBriefings are now available for webcasts you loved or webcasts you missed! Kirk Imhof asks, “Does Cold-Calling Work for Hiring Top Talent?”, Jennifer Poage, Jeff Facteau and Janovics share “How Valvoline and Other Companies Make Every Hire Count,” and Sandy Soto describes “The Intersection of Talent Pipelines and Workforce Plans.”
While challenging, now really is an ideal time to woo the best and brightest experienced and fresh leaders to your organization. Kevin Fitzgerald, from highly-ranked executive recruitment firm Michael Page International, says we have to be prepared to confront these real challenges while instilling commitment and energy in finalists. More than just a great elevator pitch, executive recruiters will need a strategic plan to assure talent and get them onboard.
HCI’s own Amanda Lewis writes about her experience Leading a Double Facebook Life. What about you? Do you mix personal and professional profiles on social sites? If you are recruiting using social, how do you manage the differentiation?
Image: Stewart
