Candidates and clients are attracted to recruiters who are experts in both the recruiting industry and their niche.  Blogging is an excellent platform for recruiters to generate thought leadership, and demonstrate their expertise .  However, it can be intimidating to come up with a monthly, weekly, or even daily post.

Are you a recruiter who wants to start blogging, but is afraid of running out of ideas?  Don’t be.  Writing blog posts does not have to be a lot of work.  There are very few genuinely new ideas floating around on the web.  What counts is your unique opinion and perspective. There are several easy strategies you can use to create great posts without generating a lot of new content.

Presenting 10 creative ways to craft enticing content for your recruiting blog:

1. Take a Poll. Poll your Facebook fans, LinkedIn connections, online community, or in-person network.  Polls are quick, and easy. Write about the poll results and what they mean for recruiters, candidates, or clients in your industry.

2. Start a Discussion. You know the hot buttons in your industry. Recruiters vs. HR, social media, and the LinkedIn IPO are all trending topics in recruiting right now. Post a discussion to Facebook, LinkedIn, a forum or online community. Compile the responses into a post, drawing your own conclusion from what others have said.

3.  Be the Devil’s Advocate. Everyone loves a good debate, and chances are that the popular opinion has been done to death.  You already know the issues, so stir up a great conversation by taking the non-conventional side of an argument.

4. Be a Connoisseur. Create your own “Top Ten” list.  The best of the best, or even the worst of the worst.  Compile a list of links to blog posts, articles, videos, websites, or any other type of content you’ve come across that resonated with you.

5. Vlog. Yes, vlog.  As in v(ideo) (b)log.  Step back from the keyboard and try your hand at a video post.  You can create a video post out of fresh content, or even use it to extrapolate on one of your most popular blog posts.  It’s a great way to flesh out the writer behind the words, add dimension to your blog, and put a face to your personal brand.

6. Use Pop Culture. Relate your ideas to something in pop culture or the media.  Try a post like ” How would you fill Michael Scott’s Job?”, “How to Recruit Like Donald Trump,”  or “What Beyonce Can Teach You About Creating a Global Network.”

7.  Tell a Story from Your Life. How you placed a difficult candidate, how you landed your best client, what your 7-year-old has taught you about being a good recruiter, or the valuable lesson you learned from your biggest failure – share your story.  The content is already there, you just have to write it down.

8.  Be a Reporter. Interview a client, colleague, relative, or the guy you buy your breakfast sandwich from every morning.  It is easy to come up with a handful of questions, and it’s likely they’ll lead to a goldmine of information you can relate to sales, marketing, recruiting, employment, and other unique facets of the industry you work in.

9.  Feature a Guest Blogger. Invite someone you admire or an up-and-coming blogger to write a post for your blog.  You’ll both benefit from cross-exposure.  Plus, you don’t have to come up with any content at all.

10.  A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words. When words are failing you, find a compelling image.  Then, pair it with a great headline.  Use an image to make a point without writing a long post.

Missed Connections…Are You Checking In?

Imagine that you are sitting at the local bistro, chowing down on a café sandwich between appointments.  Thirty feet away at the burger joint next door, an old colleague is munching on some fries before heading back to the office.  You used to work together in retail, but now you source top buyers and she has her own chain of orthopedic footwear outlets.  She has been looking for a new buyer, without any luck, and is ready to source the job out to a third party recruiter.  If she thought long and hard about it, she would remember that you were a on the talent –procuring side of retail these days, but she’s busy and will probably turn to Google when she gets desperate.  You dump your tray in the trash can, and walk back out to Central Ave., headed to the next appointment.  She walks her bill up to the register and heads back to the office.

We come so close to rubbing shoulders with our social and business networks every day.  We come from the same social circles, went to similar schools, received comparable education.  We live in the same types of places, and like to frequent the same sorts of shops and eateries.  So it’s no surprise that you could be in close proximity to a number of great networking opportunities at any given time.

How to Put Yourself in the Right Place, at the Right Time

Many opportunities are to be had just by being at the right place at the right time.  Enter Facebook Places.  While some are convinced it’s just another way for marketers to exploit social media as a means of targeting potential customers, Facebook Places has great potential as a networking tool.  Places allows you to use your mobile device to post your physical whereabouts on your FB wall by “checking-in” and alerting your network of FB friends.  Places shows you who else is at your location or nearby.  You can also see where your Facebook friends have checked in recently.

Places already seems to have woven itself into the fabric of the social media tapestry, trumping similar mobile applications like Foursquare.  The majority of check ins occur at restaurants, cafes, and bars/clubs.  This is great news from a networking stand-point, as those are the types of establishments where real discussion and socializing take place – over, say a retailer or grocery store.

Networking, Not Marketing

For recruiters, Facebook Places is not relevant in terms of marketing.  You don’t have a brick and mortar storefront, and don’t need incentives for people to visit your physical location.  However, on the networking front, Facebook’s check in feature potentially allows you to make connections instead of missing opportunities.

Meet Up

If you’re out for the evening or out for lunch, see who’s in your area.  Check out your FB friends’ recent whereabouts. Perhaps you just missed a client at the golf course – maybe you can schedule a round with him next week.  Plus, you never know who could surprise you by seeking you out when they see you are nearby.

Who could you be missing?  Do you use Facebook Places to check in?  Do you see its potential as a networking tool?

I was inspired by the – let’s call it compelling – visual Valentino Martinez gave in his “Mother of All Speed Bumps” blog post to pose a question to the members of RecruitingBlogs:

As a recruiter, what are the main challenges you face when working with HR?  Have you ever turned an HR roadblock into an opportunity?

Several recruiters & recruiters-turned-HR-professionals chimed in to share their experiences.  I thought it would be awesome to compile their responses into a  list of tips for working with HR.

Nothing gets recruiters going more than the big recruiters vs. HR debate.  While these two groups have a relationship that is mutually beneficial and has a common objective, they give pretty harsh reviews to one another and their roles in the job placement process.

The bad news is, you can’t control HR’s preconceived notions of third party recruiters.  The good news is, you can take ownership of how you respond to the obstacles you face when working with HR.  Evolve the way you work with HR and you can achieve a symbiotic partnership, rather than a tumultuous rivalry.

8 Tips for Working with HR

1.  Woo the Gatekeepers

Frustrated that you can’t get through to the hiring manager?  Map out a different route.  Gatekeepers and facilitators – HR professionals in the traditional sense – can be your best advocates.  While they may not have the final say, they can be very influential, as they are in-tune with the overall company culture, know how to navigate every company procedure, and have direct access to hiring managers.  Don’t think of gatekeepers as an obstacle to overcome, treat them as partners and let them block the competition instead of you.

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Day 1 Interning at Sendouts

The day began with a grand tour of the office from Brian Hopcraft. I made sure to make special note of the snack areas, stocked with a healthy selection of potato chips, pop tarts, and fun sized candy bars. I then met with Eric Kruger who presented me with the Sendouts fundamentals. We covered everything from the how recruiters receive commissions to configuring those pesky columns. After a little confusion on how to spell my last name, Epskamp, I was granted a user ID and enrolled into Sendouts University. Midway through my first video I was interrupted by a delivery of SWAG from Travis. The best item?  A clear plastic light up yoyo.

I only was able to watch the first four video lectures, before Eric reappeared to extend a lunch invitation to the Ginger Bistro. At the restaurant, I took the recommendation of the Eric (the Ginger guru) and ordered the Beef Bugoki lunch special, which was indeed delicious.

After lunch I continued my education at Sendouts U and finished the lecture series. I realized after attempting to navigate the software that I had been doing more watching than learning. So I started back again at the beginning, this time going more slowly and following along with the videos. Now it’s 4:30 and I’m thinking about sneaking off to the snack closet for some dark chocolate Hershey nuggets.

More About Me…

If you’re reading this during normal waking hours I’m probably either working here at Sendouts, enjoying a game of FIFA with my bros, watching the latest episode of 30 Rock, or writing my history thesis. Despite the fact that I like listening to classic rock, I could just as easily teach you how to dougie.

I am a rising senior at Wash U, where I major in history and minor in Spanish. I grew up in a Evanston Illinois but like everyone from the land of Lincoln, I say that I am from Chicago. My favorite junk food is flaming hot cheetos because if you like hot food these cheetos make you sweat and eventually they turn your tongue bright red.

My dream vacation would be in Buenos Aires, where I  could improve my Spanish, consume spicy food all day every day, and dance at the discotecas until dawn. Some of my favorite experiences include attending the Lollapalooza music festival every summer, studying abroad in Spain for two months, and scuba diving in Missouri.

I look forward to getting to know everyone at Sendouts over the course of the summer. See you around.

Your Summer Intern,

Taylor

Insights from John Born

Do you need a data cleanse? Don’t worry.  A data cleanse isn’t the latest fad diet. It’s tips and tricks for keeping your data maintained. The result? A lean, mean database that will save your firm time and money.

Who is John Born?  John Born is a data conversion specialist at Sendouts. He helps our clients convert their old database to their shiny new Sendouts database.

Below, John shares a few insider strategies he has learned as a data conversion specialist that recruiters should keep in mind when organizing their candidate and client data.

1. Keep it clean

Tip: Use fields as intended, even if you can type in any value.

Ex) Use numbers in the compensation fields. 80k is readable, but 80,000 is better for maintaining the integrity of your data.

Ex) Type in the full date, and be consistent with date formats. Use 02-03-2008 as the hire date instead of typing ’08.

Ex) Put ranges in comment sections, or create multiple fields. If you have a salary range, create a “from” and “to” field instead of one “salary” field.

2.  Keep it separate

Tip: DTR – Define The Relationship. If you use ACT, Goldmine, or even Outlook to maintain your contacts, you can run into issues when you want your contacts to be categorized.

Ex) You have a contact named Joe Smith. Joe Smith has a phone number and email address. But who is he? Is he your plumber? A client? A candidate? You probably know who he is off the top of your head. Unfortunately, your data conversion specialist doesn’t. Creating a system for designating your contacts’ relationship to you will make upgrading to Applicant Tracking System a lot less painful.

3.  Keep it simple

Tip: Use the simplest method available.

Ex) You have an “Education” field. You can either type in the field, or select an education level from a drop-down box. Select “bachelors degree” from the menu instead of writing one of its many variations, (B.A., B.S., bachelor of art, etc.) or misspelling it completely.  When possible, always select a value from the drop-down menu instead of writing in the field. This way, you maintain consistency across your data.

Tip: Keep fields simple. Use the least amount of information for any given field.

Ex) If you have a salary range, create a “from” and “to” field instead of one “salary” field.

Ex) Include a date field in front of a comment field for easy reference.

4.  Give it a good name

Tip: Name your files and folders descriptively in a consistent manner.

Ex) Use simple naming conventions. Say what the document is in the file name. If it’s a resume, use “resume.” If you’re using candidates names in the file name, be consistent. Decide if its “Last,FirstResume.doc,” “FirstInitial,LastResume.doc,” etc.

Ex) Don’t use “/ \ : * ? ” < > [ ] & $ in your file name. Your operating system could read these characters as code, causing the document to be misread or deleted.

Ex) Use meaningful folder names such as industry or skill, like “EmergencyPhysicianResumes.”

(For more tips on naming files and folders, visit: http://researchdata.wisc.edu/manage-your-data/file-naming-and-versioning/)

Tip: Store your files in a central location

Ex) Have a shared drive where all resumes are saved instead of each person saving resumes and cover letters in “My Documents” on their C:// drive. Then, everything is in one place and you can easily process your files en masse.

Bonus:  Implement Your Rules

1.  Agree upon a standard for entering data.

2.  Stress the importance of adhering to your data standards to your employees. Make it part of your on boarding process so both old and new hires are on the same page.

3.  Hire low cost help. Grab an intern, you know, your nephew or your neighbor’s kid who’s home from college for the summer. They’ll be happy to work for $10.00/hour to comb through your data and bring it up to your agreed upon standards.

Thanks again to John Born for these awesome tips! We’re lucky to have you at Sendouts