Next time you want a lower fee watch this!

I'm running Sainsburys (badly)

I'm not sure what Justin King is hoping to achieve by this latest Apprentice style TV programme; maybe at the end he will tell all TV stars they are actually fired.  He states that colleagues will have the best ideas for how to improve their business which I would agree with but, based on what they have shown maybe this is not the case.  Or was it deliberate? Hide the best ideas, show the sad ideas, let your competitors think you are weak?  Bit of Sun Tzu; appear weak when strong?!

Even the Google ad goes to an error page - how ironic is that. (click the image to experience it)

So, would the TV programme make you want to work there or would it now put you off?  Last night was however very funny as Joseph was thrown in at the deep end as was pretty much ripped apart by some very competent and committed staff.  In the end he survived and is probably back in Derby reliving the adventure.

Hire Strategies Discovery System Breakfast Seminar - July 7th London

We are running a free employer only breakfast seminar on July 7th at One Aldwych in London for employers who are either:

• Still recruiting and want to do it more cost effectively.
• Planning ahead and are looking at their future direct resourcing strategy.

Very few people need convincing on the merits of direct resourcing but actually putting the right things in place at the right time and for the right cost is not as easy as people would hope.  Having done this now on a number of occasions we have now systemised our process which allows us to quickly identify where an individual employer will get the quickest return but also have a 3 year plan to work towards.

If this sounds of interest more details are on our website at www.hirestrategies.co.uk/discover.

Well done Woolworthsreunited

Another ex-Woolies man has moved into the world of recruitment. Ex-Systems Manager Paul Seaton has set up a website called Woolworthsreunited to help ex-employees find work and stay in touch.

A great idea and some nice features within the site.  Well done Paul.  Mypeoplebiz may be offering you some consultancy work very soon!

The Social Employer Brand

Large employers will no doubt be finding budget for their employer brand and the snake oil salesmen agencies will be rubbing their hands in glee.  But what about the social employer brand.  Although many employers are still scared of social networks, and admit to not really knowing where to start, like it or not they need to make the most of social networks.

The likes of Facebook and Twitter may not have really proved themselves yet as hardcore recruiting channels but they do have a place in the recruitment process.  Smart employers will find a way of getting the most out of these channels without using all of their time or money.  Recruitment agencies will need to get smarter to survive; ad agencies will need to re-think how they can provide value when so many social networking services are free!

Employers have the desire; they just don't know where to start.

How will the Kindle DX change job advertising?

I remember when Peoplebank positioned their ability to display online job adverts that looked like a print advert as a real USP (which it was at the time).  Was if of any value?  Some liked it but as online has moved on fewer (but not all) people expect an online job advert to look/behave like a print advert.

But if the Kindle DX is going to change this then maybe the advertising agencies need to beef up their creative skills once again.

This must be REALLY hurting the job boards!

And it's only the tip of the iceberg.

Recruitment ghettos

I started recruiting before the mobile phone which my children find hard to believe i.e. there was life before the mobile!

Back then recruiting was relatively simple. 

Very few employers did that much direct recruitment, the economy was better than it is today (there were a few blips of course) and although we had to sell, the vacancies came in and press adverts were the only option.

And then the Internet came along and it all got that little bit harder.

Candidate is (still) king.

I think this cartoon is so apt at the moment.

I have recently sold my cars and my house so am in the market to buy a replacement car and a new house (no buyers for my wife).  But, based on my experience some of the car dealers and estate agents do not have the view that buyers with cash are in short supply.  My experience as a buyer has been nothing short of very disappointing so it makes me wonder how hard it must be for anyone looking for a job.

I can imagine that many of the very short sighted recruiters out there will be treating candidates badly as it is an 'employers (buyers) market'.  Well, maybe they should think again. 

Good quality people are still hard to find and if anything, they need a lot more convincing to get them to move.  Far from it being 'easier' for recruiters to find good candidates at the moment, I'd say it is as tough as it gets.  And, any recruiter who thinks they can treat candidates shoddily right now will get their come-uppance in due course. 

Twitterless or Twitter less | Recruiters go forth

How did we survive without the bird?  But more importantly how do we survive with it?  Does it make us less or more efficient/effective?