NAS Talent Talk

View from the frontlines: 2010 SHRM Staffing Management Conference

May 6, 2010 at 1:09 pm mattkaisersd Leave a comment

I recently had the privilege of attending and speaking at the 2010 SHRM Staffing Management Conference in Orlando, FL. I’m happy to report that the mood was upbeat and positive (and hopefully it was more than just the “Walt Disney World” atmosphere). Attendees packed the sessions and exhibit halls looking for new tools, tips and techniques to attract talent. Could this be a sign of the economic and employment recovery? This would be welcome news for many people on the front lines of recruiting.

Throughout the week, I had a chance to interact and network with recruiting leaders from E&J Gallo, JC Penney, American Red Cross, Hilton Hotels, GE, Bridgepoint Education, Darden Restaurant Group and Racetrac Petroleum, all with different ideas of what they hoped to gain and accomplish from the show. With over 700 staffing professionals and vendors from around the country, there was something for everyone. Sessions covered both strategic and tactical solutions – from Jason Leonard looking at recruiting as the “art of war”, toChris Hoyt and Michael Marlatt sharing how mobile is changing the recruitment landscape.

At each conference, I try to capture at least 10 key points to integrate into my daily thoughts or reinforce my existing beliefs. Here are just a few of the key points I captured from SHRM Staffing Management 2010:

• Think mobile (develop SMS campaigns and a mobile career site)
• The talent landscape will soon shift to a candidate’s job market – are you ready?
• Network, network, network
• Develop a plan and strategy to fight the approaching “war for talent”
• Culture fit should be a significant factor in candidate selection
• Don’t be afraid to embrace social media – set goals and create a plan to ensure success
• Use video to convey your employment brand and job brand
• Implement metrics to assess the effectiveness of your strategy
• Use these metrics to determine where to focus your future recruitment efforts
• Identify how you can improve your recruiting process from the candidate’s perspective

On Tuesday, my session on Creating a Captivating Candidate Experience sparked a lot of good discussion around how to improve the recruitment process. With so many candidates looking for career opportunities, I believe this topic is more important now than ever. Candidates will remember a bad experience and will not be afraid to share that experience through social media, blogs and viral marketing. These candidates may also be customers, and companies must realize the impact this can have on their brand and the future of their recruitment efforts. The ones that grasp this will be one step ahead in capturing this talent when the economy rebounds.

If you’re interested in this topic, connect with me and I’ll be happy to send you a complimentary copy of my white paper on Improving the Candidate Experience.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on SHRM Staffing – what did you take away and how will you improve your recruitment process?

Matt Kaiser – Vice President, Pacific & Talent Strategist

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