I think that some very interesting things are happening right now in the recruiting world. The most interesting thing I have seen is that fee pressure from clients has all but disappeared. I can't remember the last time a client or a prospective client expected us to work a search for sub standard fees. Now, I know that most retained firms will say that most contingent firms to begin with work at sub standard fees but my opinion is that they can say whatever they want.

Companies are realizing that they need people now and that they need to stop wasting time going through the hundreds and hundreds of unqualified candidates they are receiving from internet postings. I see this as a step in the right direction but there still needs to be some changes in how internal recruiters are working with third party recruiters if they want to install a sense of urgency for the search.

1. Do not view recruiters as internet job posting sites with the view that the more visibility, the better my chances. No recruiter who views their business as a business is going to drop what they are doing to compete with 6 other firms.

2. Understand that recruiters are in business to make money and therefore will work those searches that a) Can realistically be filled and b) pay the most

3. Allow us recruiters access to the hiring manager for the position. There are a million reasons why this is so and not one good reason not to. If the hiring manager does not want to communicate with a recruiter who is going to work to find the right candidate, well...... the search is a waste of time. Sometimes you come across an internal recruiter who gets the big picture and this is very helpful.

4. Tell us that if we can submit the right candidate within a specific time frame, there will be a bonus attached to the regular fee such as an additional 5-10 percent of the candidates yearly salary. It makes sense to do this.


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My recruiting firm hired two new recruiters who started this week. I was talking to one of them and I asked if he had recruited any new candidates today. He said yes and in fact, we are presenting the candidate to a client. I said great, did you ask all of the important questions. The recruiter said yes. I asked why does the candidate want to change jobs. The recruiter let me know that the candidate did not mention why. I then asked the recruiter did you ask him why he is looking to change jobs. The recruiter said no. I said the candidate did not tell you because you did not ask. If you ask, I am sure you will get the answer.

Always ask questions!


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I have built some software to run an external job referral system. I am looking for some experts in this field to evaluate it. I think it is unique and I need some verification on this.

Just for the record, when idea lab and webhire got together to run a business called refer.com, I had called the acting CEO and let him know that there was a fundamental flaw in how their system worked and, well, he said that they had done the research and it was correct. They were close to being correct.

Please email me at Recruitingblog@hotmail.com if you would be interested in seeing it work in return for some input. Thanks.

There is a great blog out there called Senior Success There is a recent article there about how ineffective resume blasting services are. I get so many resumes sent to me from services like resumezapper and allagencies and couple of other ones. People.....Save your Money. These are scams. Maybe one in a million will find a job through this type of service. they prey on your fears and dwindling bank accounts.

Please send comments to Recruitingblog@hotmail.com

I have started a new blog called Semiconductor Jobs using blogger software. I think blogger is great. Instant website Instantly. I am utilizing the new version of Sharepoint from Microsoft to manage the back end collaboration. Sharepoint allows you to develop web parts which are applications you build through customization. These Web Parts can then be saved and stored for use in other areas of you site. I am also using a piece of software called Resumefiler which is a very simple job posting application.

One of the first things that Semiconductor Jobs will do is communicate the needs of professional recruiting firms in the Semiconductor Industry to candidates with those skills.

There are going to be many interesting functions to this site that will be launched over the next little while.

HCM Blogspot wrote a very important article yesterday about companies getting their act in order about the need attract talent. There is an immense opportunity for recruiting firms and independents to add value in this area. I believe that this function should be outsourced to those who are aware of the talent and where that talent is. If there are any recruiters out there who have an interest in discussing this, email me at recruitingblog@hotmail.com

I have been checking out and communicating with a company called Resumefiler which has a very simple and easy to use application for setting up a career section on your website in less than 10 minutes. The cost is less than 10 bucks a month and they seem to be very willing to modify aspects of the program depending on your commitment of use. You can speak to someone named Carole Marshall.

The Talent Management Blog Has just reviewed and given a report card on Recruitmax. They almost got a D+

Interesting Article from Business Week Online about the coming war for Talent - BW Online | October 1, 2003 | Coming Next: A War for Talent

Here is the suggestion that the article gives for managers to deal and ultimately fix the problem"

"To avoid that fate, businesses need to get moving -- now. Managers need to do a better job of differentiating stars from underachievers. Well-structured incentive pay, such as stock or options tied to specific performance goals, can help. But even that will do little to motivate employees if the job feels like a dead end. Managers should be looking for ways to give star players more responsibility, greater autonomy, and a clear shot at advancement."

Being a recruiter, I might say, the damage is done. How do I on a proactive basis deal with what is about to happen. The first thing I would do is to find a recruiter who is an expert in the kinds of people who get hired at the company and get them to start building a talent pool for me so I can market on an ongoing basis the current and future needs of the company.

One of the things that companies will need to wrap their heads around is that this service will cost money. No contingency model here!

John Sumser from Interbiznet said that all companies by the year 2005 who want to succeed will need to have an effective marketing component to their Human resources department. He is right. He may have said it a little differently but the idea is the same.

If you have not checked out The Talent Management Blog today, then you should. He is evaluating different ATS Vendors. RecruitSoft is the first on his list and, well, They did not do so well. Check it out!