Completed in conjunction with WorkplaceDynamics, “The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News Top Workplaces 2011″ will be published in March 2011. Employers will be evaluated solely on the basis of their employee survey responses.

Deadline to register is September 15th, so don’t delay! You can learn more about participating and the survey by clicking here.

• How will they ever learn to have a one-on one conversation with another person?
• How will they interview for a job?
• What’s so important that they need to text right now?
• Would they notice if I stole a french fry?

I find it so ironic that as a new world of communication tools have developed, we seem to be getting really, really bad at communicating with one another. That day at Jake’s also got me thinking about human resources and communications. The advances I’ve seen in just the last few years are incredible: robust Talent Acquisition Systems, mobile apps, social networking tools like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, LinkedIn, etc., virtual events, recruiting blogs and so much more.

But maybe we all need to relax, take a breath and step back so we can see the whole canvas.

When it comes to employer marketing and communications, my advice to recruiters is to maybe focus more on WHAT you want to communicate, and less on HOW you’ll communicate that message.

Start here: What is it that you want to say, both to your employees and candidates? I know it sound head-smackingly obvious, but so many organizations blow over this process with little thought, or simply insert glib clichés (“employer of choice,” “best practices,” “Six Sigma,” “dedicated to premier quality and service,” “industry leader,” etc.)–and it always comes back to haunt them.

Don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t mean there has to be nine months of navel-gazing, 40 different employee surveys, and hundreds of meetings with management. It does mean however, that before you embrace the next great HR trend or recruitment application, you spend some time thinking about what makes you desirable (or not) as an employer, what type of people you want working for you, and what your organization’s culture is truly like. Note: You need to be honest here. For example, some companies like to proclaim that they’re “family-friendly,” which sounds nice, but if EVERYONE, from management to employees to customers knows you’re not (unless by a family you mean a dysfunctional unit with lots of animosity and hostility), you’re doomed. Try to push this false image on your audience and you’ll waste time, money, and energy while losing credibility.

Another example: many HR Departments today say their goal is to deliver a great candidate experience. Okay. But can you clearly explain what that means?  How will you show it to the next candidate who applies? How will you measure it? To do it right, you’ll have to get into thornier questions like: How can we possibly deliver a great candidate experience when we’re understaffed now and we get 5000 applications a month?

It’s the same with recruitment communications. Who cares if with two taps on your mighty iPhone you can post a job in 16 different places if all that appears is a boilerplated, outdated job description? What’s the point of a creating a Facebook careers page if after the first month no one in your organization cares about updating it or communicating with candidates?

The truth is that there aren’t easy answers to these questions. In fact, they probably get right to the heart of your company’s culture, operations and focus. Still, it’s the message that really matters, so start with that. The tools to deliver that message will be ready when you are.

Recently, the fine folks at Jake’s issued their Philly challenge, and it’s not for the faint of heart—or stomach. Here it is:

Think you have what it takes? Write to me at trosato@alstin.com. We’ll select one “winner” and we’ll pick up the $35 tab for the challenge. Win or lose, you’ll be forever immortalized on Jake’s wall of fame/shame and your story will be featured in one of my upcoming blog posts.

What makes for a good ombudsman like Ohlmeyer? The definition of an ombudsman is one “who investigates complaints and mediates fair settlements,” but I think it of more as a “tell it like it is person,” someone who is immune from—or above—any influence or corruption from the organization he comments on. No killing the messenger here, this person is expected to speak the truth without corporate-speak, prejudice or fear of retribution. When it works, when the person is truly impartial, and truly free to say what he or she wants, it’s great. I actually think more highly of ESPN as an organization for having someone like Ohlmeyer as an ombudsman—though do I think his piece deserved more prominent placement on the ESPN website.

How about in the corporate world? In my opinion, a good ombudsman is something a CEO would covet, as a strong leader wants honest feedback but very often doesn’t receive it, hearing mostly from yes-men or having to work with watered-down, distorted information. A report in SHRM states that a corporate ombudsman is still a rather rare commodity. I think that’s unfortunate, especially with large corporations, as a good ombudsman can give voice to employees or a community that wouldn’t normally have access to top management. Some companies set up an ombudsman program as a result of a legal ruling but SHRM claims most organizations create them voluntarily. If you’re thinking what I’m thinking, the answer if yes, BP does have an ombudsman.

The danger of a corporate ombudsman program? If the person in that role is simply there for show, serves as a mouthpiece for top management, can’t speak freely or faces retribution, that’s worse than having no program at all. Many media and news outlets have had an ombudsman for decades, and it’s always been considered a very important position in a one-newspaper city, or a place where a single media outlet dominates the news dissemination for a region.

Does your company have an ombudsman, be it official or unofficial? Do your employees know about this person and how are his/her comments communicated? What would you say to your CEO if you were appointed the role of ombudsman?

1. Hellmann’s Mayonnaise

As parents, we all struggle with what’s most important in our home and what we want to teach our children: kindness, respect for others, responsibility, compassion, honor, morality, etc. I never knew I was missing the biggest ethic of all–mayonnaise. All might look sugar-sweet in this commercial, but I swear I’ve never seen a baby so scared of his grandma. I also love the huge, beautiful banquet on the table and right in the center of it all: a jar of mayonnaise. Still, “It wouldn’t be home without Hellmann’s.”

2. Skippy Peanut Butter

We’ve all heard of subliminal advertising; this one is outright hypnosis. I’m not sure how this idea didn’t get shot down at the agency; to my naive way of thinking, creepy mind control might not be the best way to sell a product. Oh well, it’s 10:19, I’d better get to my grocer and buy 2 jars of Skippy.

3. Schaefer Beer

Oh the joys of drinking alone! Herbie is positively giddy listening to his beer bottle serenading him. Of course, the wife has to ruin all the fun. Maybe once your beer starts talking to you, it’s time to head to a meeting.

4. Stripe Toothpaste

The commercial opens with a congressional report stating that tooth decay is caused by germs (your tax dollars at work). But the real reason to buy Stripe is that because of the cool stripe, your children will be more willing to brush their teeth. Okay…

5. Camel Cigarettes

When you use the tagline, “More Doctors Smoke Camel Than Any Other Cigarette,” there really isn’t anything else to say.

Be sure to come back to this blog regularly to see future installments of Old Commercials to Make You Smile…and Cringe!

The premise is that the scattered, multi-tasking and distracted lives we live have been proliferating for decades, and that now we have—with the Internet–the perfect medium for scattering our attention. Carr says to think of it as trying to read a book while doing a crossword puzzle.

The genesis of him writing the book, and the part that really resonated for me, can be found on Page 5:

“Over the last few years I’ve had an uncomfortable sense that someone, or something, has been tinkering with my brain. My mind isn’t going—so far as I can tell—but it’s changing. I’m not thinking the way I used to think. I feel it most strongly when I’m reading. I used to find it easy to immerse myself in a book or a lengthy article. My mind would get caught up in the twists of the narrative or the turns of the argument, and I’d spend hours strolling through long stretches of prose. That’s rarely the case anymore. Now my concentration starts to drift after a page or two. I get fidgety, lose the thread, begin looking for something else to do. I feel like I’m always dragging my wayward brain back to the text. The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle.”

Sound familiar? It sure did to me. What I really liked was the balance in the book–this isn’t a trash piece on the Net—in fact, Carr spends a lot of time talking about technological innovations through history as well as the great benefits of the Internet (obviously an invaluable tool for a reporter). He goes on:

“The boons are real. But they come at a price. Media aren’t just channels of information. They supply the stuff of thought, but they also shape the process of thought. And what the Net seems to be doing is chipping away my capacity for concentration and contemplation. Whether I’m online or not, my mind now expects to take information the way the Net distributes it: in a swiftly moving stream of particles. Once I was a scuba diver in a sea of words. Now I zip along the surface like a guy on a Jet Ski.”

Whether we want to admit it or not, the Internet and emerging information technology carries an ethos to it. With books, the focus is on deep, contemplative thought. With the Internet, it’s the rapid, hyper-distracted sampling of small bits of info from multiple sources.  Now that we’re all getting used to the Internet as part of our daily lives, we’re getting better at scanning and skimming, but at the risk of losing our capacity for concentration, contemplation and reflection.

Obviously, the implications are scary—as we become used to constant interruption (how many emails have popped up on your screen while you’ve read this? How many times has your iPhone buzzed? Your TweetDeck chirped?) we may even lose the ability to tune into more subtle forms of human emotion like empathy and compassion.

To hear a radio interview with Carr about The Shallows, click here.

My opinion? There’s really no going back, and it’s naïve to think the technology we use in our daily lives will regress. Still, I believe (as Carr states) that we can get better at both types of thinking, so I’m going to make more of an effort to have that quiet, unplugged, contemplative time. How about you? Have you felt your ability to concentrate slipping? What do you do about it? Please comment below!

There are a lot of other definitions and summaries, but the one that always stuck in my head is, “You can be fired for a good reason, a bad reason or no reason, just not an illegal reason.”

I remember when I first started working in the industry—I thought: Really? The law says it’s okay to be fired for a bad reason? Even NO reason? Like after 50 years of employment I could be fired because I have on a yellow shirt that day and my boss hates yellow? I could be fired because they can’t stand the sound of my voice anymore? Because if they have to look at my face one more time they’ll go crazy? I could be fired because…well, just because? What is this, a marriage? (just kidding, honey).

Of course, being fired for a shirt color or other ridiculous reason is rare, and often in these scenarios the employee will contend that these “at-will” reasons are used as a cover for an illegal dismissal. It’s not the fact that Joe has on a yellow shirt but because Joe is older and due a pension. Not because we hate the sound of Sally’s voice, but because Sally is pregnant.

Of course, under employment-at-will, the employee has the same rights. A worker is equally free to leave his job at any time, for a good reason, bad reason or no reason. In most cases, an employee can get up from his/her desk and walk out the door with no repercussions.

Obviously, so many people lost their jobs over the last few years—and yes, some because they were low performers, but I think in most cases business conditions were so awful their companies simply couldn’t afford to keep them any longer.

Now here’s a new wrinkle that’s a product of that lousy economy: I’ve read a few disturbing articles stating that because most companies are so desperate to show their customers, shareholders and vendors that their business is rebounding, some are using “creative” firings and terminations–since a round of layoffs would signal weakness when they need to project strength. If these people are not in a protected class or are not being dismissed for discriminatory/illegal reasons, they have little recourse.

My perspective? I think overall, employment-at-will makes a lot of sense, and is fair and just for both sides–but like everything involving laws or policies there are always a few groups that try to abuse the law—and we need to keep an eye on them. For now, just don’t wear your yellow shirt to work.

• Being ill-prepared for the interview

• Having your facts completely wrong

• Going off on wild tangents

• Asking questions but not listening to the answers

• Making snap judgments about one’s abilities and qualifications

• Being dismissive

• Letting your emotions get the best of you

• Asking inappropriate questions

• Talking more about yourself than listening to the candidate

To see an example of bad interviewing in action, watch Jiminy’s interview with Julia Louis-Dreyfus here:

You can also watch Jiminy as he takes over CNN and makes many of the same interviewing mistakes with Anderson Cooper:

Unfortunately, I bet many people reading this blog have worked with people who are almost as bad at interviewing as Jiminy.  Let’s join together, think about the above bullets, and resolve to never let it happen to us! Have a great weekend everyone!

Just kidding. Here’s the deal: The person behind the blog curtain, the one who edits, publishes and puts this fantastic blog together, is none other than our VP of Operations, Annette DeHaven. Annette is on vacation this week–I can’t believe we let her do that—but that means I am in charge, and this blog is mine (at least for a few more days).

Hmm, so how should I do my evil bidding? Run a seven page manifesto on how frustrating the Phillies have been to watch so far this year? Craft another embarrassing love letter to Honest Tea?

No, dear readers, it’s too hot here in Philly (approaching the record of 97 degrees today) for such drama or angst.

Come to think of it, just the thought of the long days of summer melts my evil heart. I know that before long I’ll be writing a blog complaining about the chill of fall, so let’s all join together and make a pact to seize the day. Here’s how:

In the next week, you MUST do at least five of the following:

• Catch a lightning bug.

• Drink water straight from the garden hose.

• Offer a drink from garden hose to a loved one and then splash him/her in the face.

• Play wiffle ball with the kids in your neighborhood (you’re allowed to peg them on their way to first base).

• Take a nap in a hammock (your neighbor won’t mind).

• Go for a long walk some evening and marvel how it’s still light at 8:30pm.

• Perform an embarrassing cannonball, can opener or belly flop at the next pool party you attend.

• Go camping. Sleep in a tent. Enjoy the fresh air and quiet while not complaining about the heat, bugs, lack of shower or appropriate bathroom  (if you can do this, please write to me and tell me how).

• Get a big, fat summer novel and knock it out in a few days (I’m going with the last in Stieg Larsson’s amazing Lisbeth Salander trilogy, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest).

• Hit the beach, any beach. Stare out at the ocean. Feel calm.

Finally: realize that the languid days of summer are fleeting, and do as much as you can with those you love to get the most out of them.

Peter says, “Everything seems to be in order. Now we just have to show you heaven and hell and then you can make your decision where you want to go.”

Martha replies, “I can save you the trouble on that one. I want to go to heaven, of course.”

Saint Peter nods. “I understand. But we’re doing this Six Sigma thing and we have to show you both. It’s part of our new engagement process.” Being an HR pro, Martha understands.

Peter takes her in an elevator down to hell. The door opens and reveals a beautiful scene of sloping green hills with flowers everywhere, a flowing brook and birds singing. The devil, who is incredibly handsome in a tailored Armani suit, warmly welcomes her and walks her to a huge gazebo set on a hill. There she has a wonderful meal, meets many interesting people, eats some amazing food and dances the night away with the devil. All in all, she has a lovely time.

The next day Peter takes Martha in the elevator up to heaven–and it’s very nice. She floats on a cloud, sees a lot of her old friends and family members, and experiences an inner feeling of contentment and peace she’s never felt before.

When it’s all over, Peter asks for her decision.

“I know this sounds crazy,” she says. “They were both wonderful. Really. And I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think I’m going to choose hell.”

“No problem,” replies Peter.

They take the elevator down and it opens upon a scorched, arid landscape. The sky is blood red, it’s unbearably hot, there’s no water and people are screaming and writhing in pain. The devil is waiting there with a cape, horns and a maniacal laugh.

“What happened?” Martha exclaims. “I was here just two days ago. Where’s the green hills, the gazebo, the nice people, and why are you dressed like that?”

“Well,” the devil replies, “two days ago you were a candidate. Today you’re an employee.”

The point of my awful joke? In recruiting, we often spend a lot of time and money trying to communicate and engage top candidates. We think a lot about our recruitment process and our employer brand, we make sure the career portion of our website ensures a good experience and has lots of info, we travel to colleges, industry events and open houses to spread the word, we rigorously interview, test, compare candidates…and so much more.

But what happens once they’re hired? Do you make them feel as important as you did when you were wooing them? Do you communicate with them about things like company news, areas of growth, what top management is focused on, career advancement, etc.?

Your employees truly are the engine that makes your company runs. Internal branding is not just about retention, but also about the success and engagement of your employees. If it’s something you need to learn more about, drop me a line at trosato@alstin.com

Don’t let what happened to Martha happen to you. Let us help you with your internal employee brand–before it’s too late.

As VP of Client Development for Alstin, I (happily) find myself on the road a lot, talking to clients, prospects, people in the media, etc.–and I attend numerous industry functions each month. On Alstin’s blog, I’ll let you know where I am and what I’m hearing in the wonderful world of recruiting.

 “In summer, the song sings itself.”  – William Carlos Williams

Ahhhhh! After one of the worst winters ever, summertime is here! Seems like we went right from the deep freeze to a ninety degree hotbox! Me? I’ve been happily doing the suburban dad thing: staining the deck, planting our vegetable garden, plus coaching and chauffeuring my two softball stars. With softball winding down, I’m looking forward to longer sunlit days, eating dinner as a family again, trips to quiet, beautiful Brigantine, and doing some local 5K races without collapsing. Enough intro, let’s get back on the road!              

Voorhees, NJ
Spent the day at The Mansion for the Tri-State HRMA’s 24th Annual Conference. A great day! Very well attended, with lots of Alstin clients and friends there networking and enjoying the wonderful lectures and seminars.

Philadelphia, PA
The 10^th Annual Delaware Valley HR Person of the Year. While I always look forward to catching up with the many clients and industry colleagues that attend, I really like that it’s a chance for a normally underappreciated bunch–HR professionals– to be recognized for all their hard work. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners, especially our good friend Greg Gast of Proxus, HR.Way to go Greg!

Philadelphia, PA
COO Mike Tedesco and I met with a long time newspaper friend who is embarking on a new career. She’s one of my favorite people in our industry, and I finally got to Jones, Stephen Starr’s comfort food restaurant. With decor that looks like the Brady Bunch’s den and yummy dishes like fried chicken and waffles, Thanksgiving dinner, meatloaf and more, this was a great day.

Baltimore, MD
Beautiful day, beautiful view! The annual MACHR luncheon this year was held at the Rusty Scupper, right on Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. The event, hosted by Nurse.com featured wonderful Maryland recruiters and breathtaking views of the Inner Harbor. Had time permitted, I would have loved to have toured and sailed on some of the historic ships there. Visiting the area? You can find out about the majestic seacrafts, tour information and more at www.historicships.org/

Bala Cynwyd, PA
PAACHR Luncheon graciously hosted (again) by Nurse.com. Very casual and informal; a fun afternoon with really good food. So nice seeing so many clients and friends in such a great venue.

Until next time, see you on the road!

1. Folgers Coffee

Harvey is mad–and with good reason–his wife can’t make a decent cup of coffee! He can barely hold back his disgust as he tells her (the wife doesn’t have a name of course, she’s just “Honey”) that the girls at the office (hint hint) make better coffee with their hot plates. Can this marriage be saved.? Yes, thanks to a girlfriend telling her about Folgers. Whew!

2. Buick Riviera

This one starts off innocently enough. A man and a woman flirt by driving their cars along the road together to some very mod sixties music. Car looks nice and fun to drive too. Then at the very end, when all seems safe, a voice over tells you–no, I don’t want to spoil it, just be sure to watch it until the end.

3. Pepsi

The video and sound quality on this one are absolutely terrible (probably because Pepsi doesn’t want the original out there). Ladies, grab your notebook–this commercial will tell you everything you need to know about how to be happy in life.

4. Geritol

You know the old story: Man come homes from work, the house is a mess, so what else can he do but pull a gun on his wife?

5. Goodyear Tire

I never realized why good tires are so important–it’s because you never know when a woman is going to be driving. Apparently, you ladies have a thing for lots of confusing signs and off-road maneuvering while horror movie music plays in the background. The tagline: “When a woman is at the wheel, [these tires] mean more than mileage.”

A little disclosure here: While I am the person who tweets for Alstin (yes, that’s me behind the curtain), I make no claims on being a Twitter expert (I get a lot of help from my co-workers). My opinions should be viewed as someone who is learning, stumbling and improving along with the rest of us.

First and most importantly, here’s what hasn’t changed: TWITTER IS A TOOL. A tool with great possibilities if used correctly, but still a tool. It’s not a strategy, it’s not a process, and it’s not a social media plan; it’s a tool. If you think a Twitter account is going to fix your woeful recruiting function or somehow make you seem instantly hip to a new generation of candidates, you’re in for a big disappointment.

Okay, on with the update! Here’s what I’ve seen over the last few months:

What’s good:

• I continue to “meet” business colleagues and interesting people I want to hear more from, plus I’ve reconnected with some old clients, industry pros and friends.
• Just by regularly following good people and their tweets, I’ve been directed to so many resources, great articles and valuable information I know I would have never seen otherwise.
• TweetDeck–oh, thank you, TweetDeck! I’m not sure I would’ve made it without you. I love your multiple columns of different accounts, direct messages, mentions and searches. Thanks for helping me make sense of it all.
• I’m getting better at using Twitter every day–there really is an art to looking at tweets. It’s a hybrid of reading/scanning, picking out the good info, ignoring the bad–I certainly cannot explain it well enough, but everyone who tweets knows what I’m talking about.
• Breaking up on Twitter is easy to do. You’re stuck with the crazies in your family, it’s awkward to de-friend on Facebook, but Twitter? Just cut ‘em loose. Chances are they won’t even notice.
• I continue to shun the limelight–most people outside of the twittersphere think it’s just a place for dopey celebrities to publish the minutiae of their lives. I steer clear from reality tv twits, movie stars, athletes, politicians, etc.–and the swirling vortex they generate for fear of getting sucked in.

What’s not so good:

• I’m reading more and more that while Twitter has awesome capabilities, it’s really not as “social” as Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. While I do reply and direct message frequently, the vast majority of tweets involve the “pushing” out of info as opposed to a stream of back and forth engagement. For more detail, read John Zappe’s ERE article: “Twitter: Media or (Un)Social Network?”
• Goodbye to SocialOomph (formerly TweetLater). These tools allow you to bank your tweets and release them at set times during the day, or when you know you’ll be away, but want to keep tweeting. It’s probably a very useful tool for some, but I found I was using it more as a way to fabricate tweets (sometimes when I didn’t have much to say), and then I wouldn’t tweet something relevant because a pre-scheduled tweet had just gone out 5 minutes ago.
• Business-to-business? Twitter rocks! Finding and connecting with people you respect or want to learn from? Even better. But our industry is recruitment, and, with some wonderful exceptions and great case studies, I haven’t seen Twitter really take off as a recruiting tool. Long term, the question is whether Twitter has recruitment capabilities other than “posting” job announcements out to followers.
• The biggest bummer: a lot of our clients–the people Alstin is here for and happily serve–still aren’t on Twitter, or they’ve set up accounts but aren’t “active” users. Of course, I keep hoping that will change.

That’s my thoughts for now. Of course, in 6 months it will all change again!

Sometimes however, I think it’s good to step back and try to see how the outside world views our industry. When I came across an article from smartmoney.com titled, “10 Things HR Won’t Say,” I was intrigued by the idea of getting an outsider’s perspective–and when I read in the first paragraph an explanation of what SHRM is–I knew I came to the right place.

I don’t believe there’s anything earth-shattering in the essay, but I was pleasantly surprised that the article, instead of being a diatribe about how evil HR people stop you from getting the job you deserve, spoke to some of the challenges HR people face in their daily work. Still, I did bristle at some of the blanket generalizations (ex. “We love tests.” Really? In almost 20 years of working in the industry, I’ve yet to hear an HR pro utter anything like that about employee testing.)

What I WOULD love is for our readers, especially those in HR, to comment on the article. Is an article like this good PR for the profession or does it continue to perpetuate stereotypes? Let me know your thoughts!

Last week I sat down to chat with AfterCollege CEO Roberto Angulo about entry level job creation (read Part I of my interview here). This week, Roberto and I talk more about the forum they hosted in San Francisco, obstacles to meaningful entry level job growth, and more.

Tony Rosato: During the forum, were there any unexpected ideas or suggestions; something you hadn’t thought you would hear?

Roberto Angulo: Yes. The most surprising finding is that there’s a gap between the skills that people are acquiring in school and the skills required for tomorrow’s jobs. Everything I’ve read and heard up to now talked about specific industries and sectors that will be the first to create jobs. During the forum discussion we figured out that no key sector would lead in job creation but instead, it’s a matter of having the right skill sets and not necessarily education. These skills carry across all disciplines and they include having an entrepreneurial spirit, being flexible and adaptable, having good communication skills and being able to work in teams. Skills are more important than industry focus, and those who have these skills will be better able to find jobs once the economy starts improving. Dr. Phil Gardner, Director of the Collegiate Employment Research Institute at Michigan State University, was one of our forum participants and the main proponent of this idea.

TR: I can’t imagine too many people out there against entry level job creation. Still, in the current economic climate, this isn’t going to be easy. What do you view as the biggest obstacles to meaningful entry level job growth?

RA: A lot of the obstacles have to do with priorities and the lack of understanding about how neglecting Gen Y may have negative long-term effects. It’s more dramatic to see a manager with a spouse and 3 kids lose their $150k/year job vs. seeing a college student come out of school and struggle to find work. One can say that they can always go live with their parents. We are ignoring the long-term effects of neglecting today’s grads. We run the risk of creating a lost generation that will be at a disadvantage when the economy picks up and they haven’t been able to show a good use of their skills on their resume. We may also end up with a large number of over-educated individuals who went to school to get their MBA or Masters’ degrees while in reality the need may be for more practical skills that can be obtained through vocational programs or trade schools. Two of the resulting consequences could be a widening skill gap and the loss of potential income for millions of individuals.

TR: One of your recommendations is paying for internships. Unfortunately, I imagine a lot of business leaders and local government officials will say that’s simply not feasible, especially since so many organizations recently downsized and have seen their recruiting budgets slashed. What is your plan for paying for these internships and why is that such an important issue?

RA: Students who have relevant internship experience are more likely to find full-time work. The issue of unpaid internships creates an economic disadvantage for those who cannot afford to work for school credit because they require an income. Fortunately, this is a high-impact item that can take care of itself through the private sector. Last time I checked, we had over 1,100 internships posted on AfterCollege and only 5% of them were listed as unpaid. Interns are a cheap source of short-term talent for employers and they usually don’t get counted as headcount, so employers do benefit from hiring interns. Internships also provide employers with a low-risk and inexpensive way to “try before they buy”. That is, it allows employers to evaluate candidates during limited engagements and if they like their work, it’s up to them to offer full-time employment. Large employers have diversity and inclusion initiatives and they must be made aware that by offering paid internships, they are increasing the diversity of their intern pool.

Case studies and basic ROI numbers may be enough to convince employers that paid internships are the way to go as a low-risk way to get fresh talent in the door while also meeting their diversity and inclusion goals.

TR: Finally, the forum took place in February. What developments have there been since then and what are your hopes for the future?

RA: The debate about paid vs. unpaid internships is ongoing, and I know our report has been referenced in various discussions around HR circles. We’ve also shared a summary of our discussion and findings with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office in San Francisco. Our forum co-host, 80 Million Strong, which is the voice of Gen Y in D.C., also shared our report with the White House. I think it’ll take time to see any real policy come out of this but we are hopeful that our recommendations are sparking more thought around this issue.

TR: Thank you Roberto! For more information on AfterCollege, visit www.aftercollege.com

They hosted a forum in San Francisco on February 26th and the participants included experts in both the employment industry and academia. Roberto Angulo, CEO of AfterCollege, sat down with us to talk about entry level jobs, the recommendations that resulted from the forum, and more.

Tony Rosato: Thanks for joining us, Roberto. What was it specifically that that motivated you to host this forum?

Roberto Angulo: Well, we thought the forum hosted by the White House was a good idea, but we also saw the need to focus more on the needs of entry-level job seekers and recent grads who represent tomorrow’s talent. The majority of students who graduated last year are still unemployed and the prospects for this year’s graduates are not looking any better. As a result, we are seeing a lot of hopeful individuals whose talent and energy are going to waste. We are also seeing people go back to graduate school. Over-education is not the answer.

The youth unemployment problem is an economic one and it’s global, with many factors contributing to it. There are no silver bullets that will solve the issue, but at a minimum, we wanted to gather a good group of bright individuals who could have an open discussion and help generate recommendations that we could then give to policy makers. At the same time, we wanted to call attention to this demographic.

AfterCollege’s business consists of delivering relevant employment content to entry-level job seekers and to universities and at the same time, helping employers get access to talented pools of individuals. While our role is mainly to connect users and to deliver data from point A to point B, as a leader in our space, we felt compelled to go beyond our calling and to organize this initiative.

TR: The statistics you cite are pretty alarming: the unemployment rate for those under 25 is 19%, almost double the national rate of employment. Even with all the bad news we’ve heard about jobs in the last few years, I think that statistic would surprise most people. Any thoughts as to why we’re not talking about jobs for young people as much?

RA: Yes, a lot is going on that is overshadowing this problem. We have many unemployed people across all generations. While Gen Y is the most affected in terms of the numbers, we also have Baby Boomers and Gen Xers who have been laid off and as a result, they are losing their homes, spending less, and having more of a negative economic impact in the short term. There’s more of a sense of urgency in addressing the problem of general unemployment and helping people stay in their homes and maintain their purchasing power.

TR: How would you summarize the forum’s recommendations for entry level job growth?

RA: We covered a lot of topics and we were able to come away with four solid ideas that deserve further consideration. At a high level, our recommendations boiled down to:

1. Promoting skill-building across various disciplines and encouraging cultural competencies. One way to do this is through research grants that encourage collaboration among students from various majors.

2. Supporting funding for services that help students better present themselves to employers. These include career services at universities and tapping alumni as a resource for current students.

3. Encouraging paid internships so that economically disadvantaged individuals may participate. Internships increase the likelihood of full-time employment after graduation.

4. Supporting local training programs that help students maintain and sharpen their skills. Cities have problems to solve and local college students are more than capable of tackling these.

(Click here to download the full report.)

Tune in next week for Part II of my interview with Robert Angulo where we talk about some of the unexpected ideas that came out of the forum, obstacles to real entry level job growth and more!

1. Kool-Aid

This is a good example of the sugary (ha!) innocence in commercials that you just don’t see anymore. Best of all, Mom says priceless things like: 

“You know it’s pure and good.” An artificially-flavored drink mix? Of course it’s pure and good.

“You can give your youngsters a lot of pleasure with Kool-Aid.” Ok, I’m not touching that one.

“And it’s thrifty.” Really, tell me the last time you heard the word “thrifty!”

2. Bobbi Hair Care

No one knows less about women’s fashion or beauty than me, but it seems like the hair on this “smart girl” has been varnished and shellacked to a tornado-proof state. I think this is the first time I’ve seen a hairstyle that I could honestly say looks painful.

2. Fred Flinstone and Barney Rubble Light Up.

Some clips need no introduction. Oh, I could talk about the irony of cartoon characters selling cigarettes, the commercial’s overt misogyny and more, but it would only be filler. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Fred Flintstone selling cigarettes:

As VP of Client Development for Alstin, I (happily) find myself on the road a lot, talking to clients, prospects, people in the media, etc.–and I attend numerous industry functions each month. On Alstin’s blog, I’ll let you know where I am and what I’m hearing in the wonderful world of recruiting.

Eighty degree weather. Birds singing. Our beloved Phillies back in action. What could be better? How about this: the nice weather seems to coincide with more (cautious, of course) optimism about the recovery of jobs. I’ve been a busy fella–lots of time over the last few weeks on the road, and home time has been almost entirely devoted to softball. I coach my daughter’s team–it’s funny how even at 9 years old, women have an innate biological predisposition not to listen to me. Oh well, let’s roll with it and get back on the road!

Conshohocken, PA – Great meeting of the Philadelphia Area Association of Healthcare Recruiters (PAAHCR) at the Philadelphia Inquirer plant in Conshy. Speaker was Doug Hardy of monster.com. Very informative presentation from Doug and he hammered home a point I agree with–despite the woes of the job market recently (especially for new nursing grads) the numbers simply don’t add up, and we will be facing a serious shortage of healthcare workers in a few years. The average age of a nurse is 46, but a bigger, less talked about problem is that the average age of a Nurse Educator (those that teach Nurses) is 54.

Delaware, Delaware, Delaware! – I’ve happily been spending a lot of time in the First State as two separate, complex branding projects are coming to fruition. Great seeing these very targeted initial ideas being developed and refined into working concepts, thanks to our top-notch creative team and great input and feedback from our client.

Elk Ridge, MD – If you read my blog regularly you know how welcome the folks at MAHCR–Maryland Association for Healthcare Recruitment–have made me feel. This month was Institutional Member Day, and it was a chance for those that support MAHCR to talk a little bit about ourselves. I want to thank all the MAHCR members who attended that day and who continue to support us.

New York, NY – In the Big Apple with our Senior VP for the 8th annual HR Week Conference at the Hilton. Mike T. and I were able to make the rounds and see some of our most trusted allies in recruiting. Plus, we were just a five minute walk to Norma’s at Le Parker Meridien. Norma’s often wins best breakfast kudos from Zagat. Lunch is delicious too! Get hungry and check out the menu here.

Until next time, see you on the road!

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog about how many feel that HR is losing the battle of delivering a positive candidate experience. When I read in Peter’s newsletter his thoughts on candidate-centered recruiting  just a few days later…well, that was too much of a coincidence for me, so I contacted Peter to learn more. Mr. Weddle was kind enough to give us some time and share his thoughts.

 Tony Rosato: Okay, Peter: So here we are in 2010. Over the last 10 years there have been huge technological advances in recruiting, including a whole slate of automated CRM tools, ATS’s, social networking and so many other ways to engage and interact with candidates–not to mention a much more methodical approach to recruiting strategies, best practices, processes and efficiency. And yet, many say the candidate experience is as bad as it’s ever been. In your opinion, what’s the real problem?

Peter Weddle: The real problem is what’s between the ears of today’s senior corporate executives. Most of them are still living in the 1950’s when there was a surplus of skilled (for the times) workers. And the recession has only exacerbated that view. CEOs and CFOs watch the evening news each night, hear about all those people in transition and assume they can “do more with less” in recruiting. It’s like fishing in a barrel, right?

Well, I’ve got news for them. We haven’t entered an era of surplus talent—it’s harder than ever to find skilled (for today’s times) and motivated workers. And you can’t recruit top talent with technology. The solution isn’t automated recruiting; it’s technology-assisted recruiting. The key to success in that paradigm is a well trained and dedicated recruiter. There’s more than enough of them to go around, but companies aren’t hiring (or retaining) them.

TR: What would you recommend to a Recruiting Department as the first step to improving the candidate experience?

PW: Invite the CEO to secret shop the recruiting process. Set up your own version of that new TV show Undercover Boss. And when he or she comes back sputtering about how bad the process is, remind them that there’s no free lunch. In other words, the first step in improving the candidate experience is to get buy-in and commitment to do so at the top of the corporate heap.

TR: You wrote in your article that for a positive candidate experience to take place, there really needs to be a shift in philosophy from just filling a job req to an organizational commitment to the individual working person. A recruiter reading this might say, “That all sounds great, but I have a Director of Recruiting and seven hiring managers on my back all day, and all they care about are the 12 open job reqs.” How can an overloaded recruiting department deliver on quality hires while ensuring a better candidate experience?

PW: See answers 1 and 2 above. You cannot recruit more talent with less recruiting resources. It defies the laws of human nature. If you want to hire talent, you have to use the talent of the recruiting team, and that means giving them the time and support they need to do their best work.

TR: When you can read articles and blogs by job seekers you can really feel the frustration they have with the automated parts of the recruiting process, particularly Applicant Tracking Systems. They’ll tell you they spend 15-20 minutes creating an account, filling in all the fields, attaching their resume…then they hit “submit,” and their resume seems to travel into a black hole. Ironically, on the recruiter’s side we often hear that their ATS is unwieldy, can’t nail down the source of hire and doesn’t really deliver on reports. Is this another part of the negative candidate experience and how can we fix it?

PW: Frankly, I don’t get it. Companies spend hundreds of thousands, even millions of dollars on their ATS and then let the vendor off the hook. Not only are the vast majority of these systems abusive to candidates, they’re abusive to recruiters, as well. In addition, they’re costing employers a fortune by giving them inaccurate data on the source of candidates (causing them to misspend both their recruitment advertising dollars and the time of their recruiters). These vendors need recruiting departments a lot more than those departments need any one vendor. If an organization’s ATS doesn’t measure up, give the vendor one chance and one chance only to fix it, and then if they don’t, outplace them.

 TR: On a more general note, what are your predictions on the job market for 2010?

PW: I think this job market will be unlike any other in the history of the country. After the 1991 and 2001 recessions, we had “jobless” recoveries. After this Great Recession, we will have the first ever “less jobs” recovery. The economy will expand, but companies will continue to shed employees. (Announced layoffs for 2010 already exceed 200,000 workers.) These aren’t your grandmother’s layoffs, however. They are permanent reductions in structure. And that reality will cramp the job market for the next five years or more.

TR: Finally, what area(s) of focus do you believe are the most critical for recruiters looking to build their skills and maximize their value and contribution to an organization?

PW: I spend a lot of time on this topic in my book, Work Strong: Your Personal Career Fitness System. Basically, I think recruiters (and all professionals, for that matter) have to focus on two areas: maintaining their core expertise and developing ancillary skills. The latter enable a person to expand the range of situations in which they can contribute value to the organization. What are some of the most important? Fluency in a second language (think Spanish or Chinese), competency in the latest technology and leadership.

TR: Thank you Peter!

Click here for more information on Work Strong and other titles in the Weddle catalog.

With the start of the new season, it might be time to look at how you communicate with candidates and employees–and do some tidying up. Here’s a few places that might need a good cleaning:

Career Pages of your Website
Most organizations spend so much time, energy and money driving people to the career part of their website. So what happens when they get there? Is there engaging content that reinforces your employment brand? Can they easily find the information they need? Do you have videos and podcasts? ‘Day in the life” pages for key positions? How’s that application process? Little improvements to your website can net big returns in visits and applications.

Employee Referral Program
Readers of our blog know what a huge believer I am in ERPs – see my previous articles on ERPs here: Part One and Part Two. Nearly every recruiting study will tell you that ERPs are simply the best way to get the highest quality candidate. But be careful: the manner in which your ERP is promoted, administered, rewarded and communicated says volumes about your recruiting department and your entire organization.

Social Media
Perhaps you’re getting tired of all the buzz about social media for recruiting–or maybe you’re apprehensive because there’s so much to learn, and you’re not sure what’s hype and what’s real. Whatever your feelings, there are undeniable benefits–and undeniable pitfalls–to recruiting using Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and other social media tools.

Metrics metrics metrics
Maybe the arrival of spring is happening at the same time your organization is ramping up its recruiting efforts. One thing is for sure: you’re going to be held accountable for every dollar you spend, so make sure that your recruiting initiatives come with detailed tracking of results.

Employer Branding
The big question: what is the value proposition you are offering candidates, and how are you communicating that offer? In 2009 I think too many companies put branding and employee communication on hold when hiring needs slowed down. If the previous sentence describes your organization, the time to get back on track is now, not when you have 50 open positions and hiring managers breathing down your back. The recruiting landscape has changed dramatically since 2008. What do you want candidates to think about when they hear your organization’s name?

Spring is here, and it’s time to clean up the cobwebs and get moving! If you need more information on any of the above topics or if I can answer any questions, just drop me a line at trosato@alstin.com

Traditionally a rise in temporary workers is a very positive indicator of an improving economy. Here’s the idea: An increase in temp hiring means businesses are recovering, but, for obvious reasons, they are gun-shy about hiring permanent staff, especially if they recently had layoffs. So instead they add temporary staff, and if things continue to improve, these employers become even more confident and begin to add permanent workers. In early March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that employment in temporary help services continued to increase in February–and an AP report states that this report is “a sign that the economy is soon likely to generate consistent job gains” and that this is “evidence that employers are slowly ramping up hiring as the economy improves.”

Of course, as with everything related to this dismal economy, there’s a less sunny view as well. There are those who believe an increase in part time hires is no longer an indication of future employment growth. “I think temporary hiring is less useful a signal than it used to be,” said John Silvia, chief economist at Wells Fargo in an AP report. “Companies aren’t testing the waters by turning to temporary firms. They just want part-time workers.” The reason for this new thinking? I’ve heard that some attribute it to companies’ fear of the rising healthcare costs associated with full time employees, but the overall consensus seems to be that employers just aren’t sure that the recovery we’ve seen so far has real staying power.

Whatever side you’re on, there’s little doubt that a jobs recovery will be predicated not on statistics, trends, or even revenue and profits, but on employer confidence. In many ways, it’s a high-stakes, self-fulfilling prophecy.

My thought? Certainly, this recession cut so deep and affected so many, employers are going to have long memories when it comes to adding staff. But businesses are recovering, and they could do even better if they had top-notch workers. My hope is that the poet Alexander Pope is right, hope will spring eternal and we’ll see sustained job growth for the majority of 2010.

The Yellow Pages used to be THE place to advertise your message in a local area. If you wanted your driveway resealed, an exterminator, your fence repaired, a new roof (yes, these are all things I need to do this spring), you flipped to that section in the Yellow Pages and could find several companies vying for your business.

Of course, the way we communicate and advertise has changed so much–and it looks like it might change some more. Google is now beta-testing a Yellow Pages like product in Texas and northern California . The rumored price is $300/year for “display-like advertising.” If that’s true, it would represent a huge savings over what people are paying now for Yellow Page advertising in some markets.

Of course, Yellow Pages  has a very robust Internet site – they’re touting that they get 125 million searches each month. Also, yp is very easy to use and offers mobile apps, toolbar add-ons and more. This will be a very interesting battle to watch over the next year or so.

Listen to what Clark Howard of the HLN network has to say about all of this:

 Readers, let us know what you think? Do you still use your phone book? Do you visit the Yellow Pages website? Please comment below!

 Here’s hoping you find this video funny, but not in any way an accurate portrayal of your career!

For much of the Mid-Atlantic, this has been a historic winter. We’ve already crushed the snowfall record for one year and we still have a bit more of February and all of March to go. While I am definitely a warm weather person, (I promise I will never again complain about the heat) I actually do like snow days: the kids off from school, sledding, a roaring fire all day, meals in the crockpot, etc. But enough already with this winter! That one two punch in early February (in my area we got 27″ one day and 17″ just a few days later) really knocked the wind out of my sails. My snow shovel is still leaning against my front door and I give it a dirty look each time I pass by.

Of course, this has led to many wisely postponed meetings (I think I’m up to 6 that have been delayed or canceled) so this edition will be a bit shorter!

Mt. Holly, NJ: At the February meeting of Tri-State HRMA, the speaker was none other than Gerry Crispin, one of the most respected names in the recruitment industry. Gerry’s topic? “Engage Them or Enrage Them: You Have A Choice: Designing Corporate Staffing Pages to Enhance Your Candidates’ Experience…or Not.” So great to see that our agency’s philosophy matched so well with Gerry’s. As recruiters, we spend so much time, money and energy driving people to the career portion of our website, but what happens once they get there? Can they find the information they need? Are they engaged? Are you selling yourself positively as an employer? How is the application process? At Alstin, we have designed several services around optimizing and measuring the candidate experience on your career site, including one of our most popular and affordable products, webglass.

Elk Ridge, MD: A potential heavy snowfall held off so the monthly MAHCR (Maryland Area Healthcare Recruiters) could go on. As I’ve said before, this is a really great group and this meeting featured a wonderful presentation by past president Nick Piazza on certain portions of the recruiter’s handbook. I certainly learned a lot, and I think even seasoned recruiters received a lot of great info from Nick’s presentation.

Philadelphia, PA: Back after a winter break with PAAHCR, the Philadelphia Area Association of Healthcare Recruiters. We met in the beautiful JeffStat training room at Jefferson University Hospital. Our speaker was Joe Stubblebine, founder of JobCircle and longtime friend of Alstin. Joe spoke on Social Networking for healthcare recruiting, and his presentation was full of good information and tips for using social media to recruit healthcare workers. Of special interest was the surveys that JobCircle had done on how (and if) recruiters are using social media to recruit.

Until next time, see you on the road!

Is this the breakthrough newspapers have been waiting for? Are we about to usher in a new phase of digital journalism? Remarkably, the answer to both questions might be yes!

I’ve always thought that the survival of newspapers would come not from new technology, but from an industry-wide movement toward charging for content. My premise is that newspapers offer undeniable value, value that (before 10 years ago) we never thought twice about paying for.

Well, it looks like technology in the form of the iPad might usher in that switch to charging for online content. Because of its design, the iPad may revive the type of reading we know from print–multiple articles on one “page,” a better ability to “skim” the newspaper, different size fonts, layouts, etc. Of course, we’ll have to see wait and see what The New York Times and other newspapers’ apps look like and how they function, but the buzz is definitely there.

Of course, that potential change from charging for content, not charging and then asking readers to go back and pay again won’t be easy. The newspapers will have to weigh the possibility of losing readers and advertisers vs. the potential increased revenue. The stakes for this one are high, and I’ll certainly be watching to see what the introduction of the iPad means to the newspaper industry.

Of course, two of the biggest players in our industry are Monster and CareerBuilder, and both ran new spots during the Super Bowl.

The ads are below. Judge for yourself who you think took home the trophy. Or better yet, let us know your thoughts in the comments section below. Were they worth the money? Which one did you find funnier? More memorable? Does either ad change your opinion about the advertiser?

As readers of my blogs know, I’m a big fan of great fiction (click here to read my link to my favorite novels of 2009). Certainly, one of the seminal novels of this century has been J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, first published in 1951. While popularity and critical acclaim of the novel seem to rise and fall with each generation, it’s generally regarded as a true masterwork and an American original. J.D. Salinger died last week at the age of 91.

Like many young readers, I first came across The Catcher in the Rye in high school. On the surface, I didn’t have a lot in common with Holden Caulfield, but at the time I, like many of the novel’s teenage readers, felt it was the first book that was truly about us. I know the novel’s theme is sometimes reduced to as “teen angst”–but I think there’s much more there, from Holden’s sardonic view of the world and adults, his desire to protect innocence, and his feelings of despair and detachment.

As famous as he was for The Catcher in the Rye and other works (including Nine Stories, Franny and Zooey, Raise High the Roofbeam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction), Salinger was even more renown for his desire to hide from the world.

Salinger said that he loved everything about writing but hated everything about publishing. He retreated to his home outside Cornish, NH where he was barely seen for half a century, shunning the attention so many people today would kill for.

While I can be as nosy and voyeuristic as the next guy, I always found this obsession with Salinger’s private life distasteful. Through the years, so many people in the media, as well as his fans, have found it necessary to question or ignore his simple, basic request to be left alone. It must seem even stranger to us today, as we live in an age where people will do literally anything (including humiliating themselves) to get noticed and “famous.” Reality TV, Facebook, YouTube: what would Salinger have made of all this? My feeling is that our obsession with penetrating Salinger’s privacy says more about us than it does about him.

In 1988 Ian Hamilton tried to write a biography of Salinger that would include previously unpublished letters. Salinger sued, and the quasi-book that remained after the whole mess is In Search of J.D.Salinger. It’s really a book about failing to write a book, and I think that overall, it’s a disappointment. I can’t imagine anyone reading it without thinking, “Just let the poor guy alone already.” Not much is revealed about Salinger we didn’t already know, including the old salacious rumors that had been circulating for decades, many of which don’t seem credible. Ironically, I read an interview in Time with Hamilton (who seems like a nice enough guy), and even he seemed strongly reluctant about exposing someone who just wanted to be left in peace.

So now Salinger is gone, but the obvious questions remain: Did he leave us scores of unpublished work stashed away somewhere? Did he write multiple novels, edit them to perfection and then burn them? Will we see in an upcoming New Yorker (where Salinger published nearly all his stories–including the classics “A Perfect Day for Bananafish” and “For Esme–with Love and Squalor”) a new work by Salinger?

Maybe we will, but I doubt it, and I think once the tributes, rumors and remembrances die down, we won’t hear much more about J.D. Salinger, except through the short but remarkable body of work he left us–which is probably the way he would have wanted it.

As VP of Client Development for Alstin, I (happily) find myself on the road a lot, talking to clients, prospects, people in the media, etc.–and I attend numerous industry functions each month. On Alstin’s blog, I’ll let you know where I am and what I’m hearing in the wonderful world of recruiting.

So we’ve said goodbye to 2009–actually most of us have said, “Good riddance!” While exciting tools and technology continued to emerge and we did some of our best work ever, 2009 was, for the most part, a lousy year for recruitment departments as well as those that serve the human resources industry. Many great workers lost their jobs, highly qualified and motivated people couldn’t find jobs, economic uncertainty hovered like a black cloud–things were tough all over. I for one was happy to turn the calendar over, and while I don’t think anyone is calling for a return to a robust job market anytime soon, we really are starting to see some signs of life–and growth. In the meantime, hang in there and please let me know if there’s any way the Alstin team can help you with your recruitment communications challenges in 2010.

Ok, back on the road!

Princeton, NJ: As always, so many good friends and clients at the New Jersey Association of HealthCare Recruiters. Jessica Cohen from the New Jersey Hospital Association was the speaker and the topic couldn’t have been more relevant: healthcare reform. Jessica really helped me make sense of some of the more complex (and contentious) issues; her handout included several key policy points, and then for each point she included the House Reform Bill position, the Senate Reform Bill position and finally, the position of the American Hospital Association.

West Chester, PA: Visiting a wonderful, long-time client to update them on all things Alstin. Certainly one of the most important services we provide is educating clients on trends, new tools and the best practices happening in recruiting today. Still, the best moments for me in client and prospects meetings happen when I’m simply listening and learning about an organization’s goals and challenges, and how I can help. All in all, great client, great meeting and hopefully more great work to come.

My Desk, Philadelphia, PA: While I love getting on the road and meeting people, there are times when the distance is too great or the time frame too short. Talking with a prospect based in New York via conference call, I was joined by Mike Tedesco and Jen Hitchens-Greenfield, and we had a great opportunity to get more information on the project so we could deliver a strong proposal.

Newark, Delaware: Into the great state of Delaware for an exciting strategy meeting with one of our most forward-thinking clients. Such a pleasure to work with such an intelligent group that’s so passionate and enthusiastic about trying to provide the best experience for their employees. We have a lot of work to do, but this type of employment branding and client collaboration will be a labor of love.

Until next time, see you on the road!

The article is, as usual, insightful and filled with great ideas. However, the news when it comes to recruiting and candidates isn’t good. This is what really caught my attention:

How did recruiting fare over the decade? Did things get better for recruiters and candidates?

The decade began with the hope, maybe even the expectation among most recruiters, that the Internet would change things profoundly. Many of the writers and experts on recruiting predicted that candidates would be better served, that workloads would be more manageable, and that costs would go down.

As it turned out, neither the average cost per hire nor the average time to present a qualified candidate has changed much despite the introduction of all the tools that the Internet made possible. Applicant tracking systems were supposed to make it easier to keep track of candidates, present better candidates, as well as for a recruiter to qualify them. Yet, good candidates are rare and hiring managers complain regularly about seeing candidates who do not measure up to their expectations. Recruiters still can’t find good candidates, even when they have stored resumes or contact data in the multitude of systems that have been created to make this easy. Communication — now so easy with email and CRM — is as bad as always. Candidates are complaining more than ever of being neglected, and most remain in the dark about their status.

While these findings are indeed disappointing, I bet not many people in HR are surprised by the results. Certainly we have wonderful tools that never existed before–tools that were supposed to not just make recruiters more efficient and effective, but improve the candidate experience, lower cost per hire and allow HR people more time to focus on their employees. Nearly all HR people I work with are intelligent, savvy, motivated and very, very good at what they do. Of course, there are many noted success stories but, for the most part, these expected improvements just did not happen. Where did we go wrong?

As I’ve said before, I do think we make the mistake of overestimating the power of technology and new tools, especially if we think it can fix systemic problems in already flawed processes. While a totally overloaded recruiter will certainly benefit in some ways from a great sourcing or tracking tool, he/she probably still won’t have the time to get full utilization out of the tool, not to mention fix outdated job reqs, analyze how to make their onboarding process better, develop stronger relationships with hiring managers, etc.

Kevin Wheeler says the best recruiters share three characteristics: (1)a deep knowledge of the industry they are recruiting for; (2)ability to build relationships with the right people; and (3)ability to practice the skills of good salesmanship. If you believe that to be true (and I do), you see that while technology can certainly help with those three traits, they can never be the real solution.

I think we’re also experiencing some of the consequences of the flip side of technology–or that old adage, “With new solutions come new problems.” For example, it’s so easy for an applicant to apply now vs. twenty years ago–when you had to print out a resume and cover letter and mail it to the HR Dept. Sure the candidate isn’t remotely qualified for that position, but if it only takes him two clicks to apply and he’s desperate for employment, why not? Combine that with the huge job losses at the end of this decade, and we see an absolute flooding of resumes into ATSs, job boards and other sourcing tools. This inundation not only increases the burden on recruiters, it also raises the likelihood that a great applicant’s resume will never see the light of day.

What do you think? How can we get better?

Most of us industry vets (myself included) looked at the rise of social media with an interested, cautious and sometimes skeptical eye. However, it didn’t take much brain power to realize that no matter what your preconceived ideas were (not to mention how some people misuse it in staggeringly annoying ways), social media is an undeniably robust, immediate and effective tool for delivering your message and interacting with your target audience. If you stop and think what sites like Facebook and LinkedIn have done and how they have connected people in just the last few years, it’s no wonder they’ve soared in popularity.

The downside? From a business perspective, I think some people got carried away in thinking that social media–or any communication tool or technology for that matter–could be a panacea for business processes or relationships that are already broken. Certainly, no web 2.0 tool is going to replace face-to-face communication or real interpersonal skills. Furthermore, if your recruiting function fails miserably when it comes to delivering a positive candidate experience, a nice Facebook page won’t fix that. If you work in an organization that doesn’t recognize its employees as the company’s most valuable asset, clever Tweets won’t magically make everything all right.

Speaking of Twitter, I must admit that while I was excited by LinkedIn and Facebook, I really thought I would hit the wall at Twitter. My first exposure of Twitter was from dopey celebrities giving us near constant updates on the minutiae of their lives. Then regular people began tweeting in the same way, and it was as if your most annoying Facebook friends–the ones notorious for their nonsensical, stream-of-consciousness updates–had found a way to take that annoyance level up a notch–and hammer you constantly about how sleepy they are or important proclamations like: Today is laundry day!

Then I started using Twitter as a business application and I saw things in a whole new light. Not only do I tweet myself and follow many of my co-workers (Jen Hitchens-Greenfield and Annette DeHaven) and industry gurus, I am also the person who tweets for Alstin. Like many Twitterers, I’m still learning–thankfully I have some real pros at Alstin to help me–but my experience so far has been overwhelmingly positive. In just the last year, we’ve cultivated great leads using Twitter, reconnected with former customers we’ve lost touch with and found new prospects. I’ve seen clients tweet out new openings at their organizations and, at Alstin, we also use Twitter as an effective way to get our message out–whether it’s updates on our services, information about our blogs and newsletters, etc.

Finally, by using Twitter to follow people in HR, recruiting, advertising and other industries (twellow is a great resource to find people to follow), I’ve read a ton of articles and discovered resources I simply wouldn’t have found otherwise.

Will Twitter still be around in 2 years? Maybe not. LinkedIn has already incorporated tweets into their interface–maybe soon tweets will be a function of a larger social media tool that will be more of a one-stop shop. If you’re an HR pro and want more information on recruiting in the Twittersphere, don’t miss Jen’s blog on Recruiting in the Twittersphere. Got some more questions? Let us know here on the blog, or send an email to blog@alstin.com.

By the looks of this blog, you might think we over here at Alstin eat, breathe and sleep all that is recruitment and retention. Every so often we’ll stray from the HR talk and bring you more on some of our favorite things, places and activities that also populate our daily lives.

I love great fiction. My tastes fall more on the literary, non-commercial (my wife would say snobby) side; or what is normally called trade fiction. As we start the New Year, I thought I’d share with you some of my favorite novels of 2009.

Obviously, there were a lot of great novels published this year I just couldn’t get to (that pesky combination of work and family really get in the way). My apologies to Anne Tyler, Philip Roth, Paul Auster, Lorrie Moore, Dave Eggers and other great writers who wrote widely-praised novels in 2009–I’ll get to you in 2010. By the way, I’m no pseudo-literary critic; I judge novels not by deep themes, pretty prose, socio-economic impact or any other lofty criteria, but by how well the author tells a good story. Looking over this list, I noticed that all of these works are very accessible and entertaining. I’ll aspire to get back to my pretentious ways in 2010! Here were some of my favorites from 2009:

Once a Runner, John Parker

A cult classic from 1978 that was republished in 2009, and universally considered to be the best book ever written about running. The novel once had the (not entirely desirable) distinction of being the most requested out-of-print book. The descriptions of the life of a competitive runner have never been matched. Intense, well-written and serious inspiration to those looking to get their sneakers laced up for 2010.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson

So much has been written about this novel, I’m not sure I can add anything original except a glowing endorsement from a guy who doesn’t normally read mystery novels. Originally published in the late Larsson’s native Sweden in 2005, this book deserved all the attention it received. Once you get the myriad of characters sorted out in your head (this is the opposite of a 1-2-3 whodunnit) you’ll fly through this novel as the disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist and punky researcher Lisbeth Salander negotiate twists and turns to get to the bottom of an old Vanger family mystery.

That Old Cape Feeling, Richard Russo

Richard Russo is one of my favorite authors, and even a mediocre effort from him is still better than reading just about anyone else. This is certainly not his best work–that title probably goes to the Pulitzer-Prize winning Empire Falls, Nobody’s Fool (which was made into a great film with Paul Newman) or in my opinion, one of the funniest, wisest and most underrated novels ever written, Straight Man (if you haven’t read Straight Man, stop what you’re doing now and go buy it). Still, reading That Old Cape Magic you’ll find yourself in the hands of an American master. I know some people had issues with the large amounts of exposition and flashback-style narrative, but the sadness and tenderness of Jack Griffin’s story and Russo’s incredible writing makes it more than worth the trip.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, Jeff Kinney

Laugh if you want, but the fourth book in Kinney’s Wimpy Kid Series is a big home run. Without 2 daughters nearly the same age as the hilarious protagonist Greg Heffley, I would never have picked this book up–and that would have been my loss. So many children’s books are written as if children aren’t just younger, but some type of stupid sub-species, and books aimed toward them are usually filled with groaningly predictable plot twists, cloying dialogue and a contrived, patronizing ending. Kinney gets it right. This is a very fast, very funny (even for adults) story with laugh-out-loud simple drawings that capture tween angst and awkwardness perfectly.

The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis, Lydia Davis

Known as a “writer’s writer,” Lydia Davis creates very powerful, very brief short stories. Many in this collection are less than a page long, and some are just a paragraph. This collection includes her stories from her noted debut Break It Down in 1986 to the 2007 National Book Award nominee Varieties of Disturbance.

When Love Was Clean Underwear, Susan Barr-Toman

Full disclosure: Susan is a friend, but trust me, that doesn’t make her debut novel any less of a winner. Pick up Susan’s book, and you’ll meet a great character, Lucy Pescitelli, a South Philly virgin and part-time funeral worker saddled with a mother so overbearing she forces Lucy to help her commit suicide. What Barr-Toman does so well here is bring a lot of heart to Lucy’s story, and she captures the flavors of her South Philly neighborhood without resorting to the usual cliches and stereotypes. A solid, really strong first novel.

Juliet, Naked, Nick Hornby

Probably the most entertaining novel I read this year and a must for anyone who’s a “serious” music fan. I’m always envious of people who have never read Nick Hornby, because his writing is so wonderful and accessible. Hornby has no writerly pretensions; he’s just a great storyteller and his novels are funny, quick and (I think) surprisingly reflective about modern society. Hornby is also a very tactile writer; he creates vivid scenes in such simple language–which may be why so many of his novels have translated well to film (High Fidelity with John Cusack, About a Boy with Hugh Grant, Fever Pitch and he wrote the screenplay for this year’s super well-reviewed An Education). He is also a noted music critic.

In Juliet, Naked, we learn about Tucker Crowe, a Dylanesque rock star who disappears suddenly from public life after releasing his eighties masterpiece, Juliet. His fans, unabashed music snobs, refuse to let him go, and so Tucker remains vibrant on the Internet where his devotees exchange old pictures, swap bootleg tapes, trade “Tucker is working on a new album” rumors and endlessly analyze his song lyrics. Like many of Hornby’s novels Juliet, Naked exists on two levels: there is a great story, comedy and romance, but I think there’s a lot going on underneath here–like how the Internet has connected (and disconnected) us, the trappings of celebrity and what happens when we can’t separate an artist from his/her art.

Coraline, Neil Gaiman

I’ve been a fan of Gaiman for a long time. He can do anything–great adult novels (Anansi Boys, Neverwhere, Stardust) children’s books (The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish) and comics (The Sandman series, one of the most critically acclaimed comics of the last 40 years). You may be familiar with the movie (which was also great), but this quasi-kids’ graphic novel illustrated by P. Craig Russell pulls no punches. I read this to my nine-year-old in one day–and she had some problems sleeping that night, so note to parents: The graphic novel is much darker and creepier than the film version.

Generosity: An Enchantment, Richard Powers

Probably the most literary novel on my list, but a pleasure to read. Richard Powers is known for combining science and humanism into his novels. Here he asks the question: Does the happiness gene exist? What would the pharmaceutical and science community do with it should they be able to isolate and market it? Is this the logical next step for our medicated society and does this path of “genetic enhancement” we’re all going down signal the end to what it really means to be human? Russell Stone is a creative non-fiction teacher with a student who seems to have hyperthymia, a very rare trait that manifests itself in a near-constant state of euphoria. I won’t spoil any more of the plot, but in addition to being an exceptional novel that really makes you think, I believe this is the first novel I’ve read that successfully incorporates the effect of the Internet, TV and social media on our daily lives.

Okay, where did I get it wrong. Which novels did you read that didn’t make it on my list?

It’s just a two-word phase, but when these simple words are put together shock waves and fear are sent over the Internet, TV and radio. You saw the phrase in big-letter graphics on the news (usually in the scariest font and typeface they could find), and anchors on news stations would lower their voices an octave when they said the words for added drama.

The phrase? Jobless Recovery.

Personally, from what I’ve read and seen over the last year, I think the phrase is way more bark than bite. It’s important to remember that in any economic downturn, jobs are often very late in getting back on the recovery bandwagon. In fact, the modest recovery signs we’re seeing now have been almost textbook: the stock market gets back on track rather quickly, then businesses begin to stabilize and modestly improve–but, for obvious reasons, employers (especially those who let people go in 2008 and 2009) stay extremely gun-shy about hiring again.

A few people say the recessions of 1993 and 2001 featured jobless recoveries, but I’ve read that most economic experts dispute that; their contention is that these were relatively minor recessions, so a large influx of jobs after recovery should never have been expected.

I do think jobs will come back, although it will be slowly and (as with the repercussions of any economic shift) the jobs gained may not be the same as the ones lost. Of course, all this is small consolation to those poor individuals who were downsized over the past two years.

Though the job market is starting to show some signs of life, it’s still weaker than it’s been in decades, and to those out of work it I’m sure it feels very much like the start of a jobless recovery.

While we’re on the rain cloud side of things, I do think there will be some long-term, if not permanent, changes to recruiting. In this recession, so many organizations that took pride in never having layoffs had multiple rounds of cuts in just 2009. Vibrant companies that consistently posted double-digit growth each year saw the bottom drop out and had to close.

Even supposedly “recession-proof” industries like healthcare took it on the chin.

I think the effect of this deep decline could be an end to what I call “reflexive hiring.” Here’s an example: Joe in the Plastics Division of ABC Company finds a new job. Normally, human resources would spring into action, checking both internally and via their ATS for viable candidates, and then contact their favorite recruitment communications firm (I hear Alstin Communications in Philly is the best) to get a plan in place for finding Joe’s replacement. While I think they may still end up replacing Joe, CEOs, Managers and HR Departments will first step back and spend a lot of time asking questions like “Do we really need to hire a full time replacement for Joe?” “Could Sally and Frank handle it together?” “Should we absorb Joe’s Dept into XYZ?”etc.

Of course, other recruiting experts say the paragraph above is totally wrong–and I hope they’re right. Many feel that, while it certainly doesn’t seem like it now, once the recruiting tide turns things will get humming very quickly, and HR depts will be under the gun to find the best people for their organizations.

Any way you look at it, 2010 will be a very interesting year. I hope your organization sees robust growth and, if you’re on the job market, I hope you find an engaging career that truly rewards your talents and skills.

Thank you and best wishes for 2010.

As VP of Client Development for Alstin, I (happily) find myself on the road a lot, talking to clients, prospects, people in the media, etc.–and I attend numerous industry functions each month. On Alstin’s blog, I’ll let you know where I am and what I’m hearing in the wonderful world of recruiting.

Recently there have been some (thankfully) real economic indicators showing that the recession might finally be abating–and hopefully in 2010 we’ll see a solid recovery in the job market and recruiting activity, especially for those unfortunate people who were downsized in 2009. I know that I’ve personally been a lot busier in November and December than in previous years–hopefully, it’s a sign of better things to come. Okay, let’s get on the road!

My Desk, Philadelphia, PA: Web seminar with a long time client, myself and our Director of Interactive Services, Jen Hitchens-Greenfield. The topic? You guessed it–recruiting using social media tools. What Jen does so well is customize these presentations for each client, explain the options in clear, real terms, talk about best practices and our recommendations. If you want to learn more about how social media can help you recruit, retain and engage your employees, drop me a line at trosato@alstin.com.

3 Blocks Away, Philadelphia, PA: The always nice Sofitel Hotel for the annual PAAHCR Holiday Luncheon. Beautiful venue, really good food and, with our impressive experience in healthcare, lots of Alstin clients and friends there. Thanks to the folks at Merion Publications (Advance) for sponsoring.

Hunt Valley, MD: Is this Groundhog Day? It’s another holiday luncheon for healthcare recruiters, and again Merion Pubs sponsored–this time for the folks at MAHCR! A disturbing pattern of holiday luncheons with me eating too much is developing.

Philadelphia, PA: I had heard great things about Jack’s Firehouse in the Art Museum area, but never was able to get there until now. The occasion was the Philadelphia Inquirer/philly.com/Monster Customer Appreciation Party. So many great people and friends we’ve known for so long–and absolutely some of the best appetizers I’ve tasted in years.

There’s more I could add, but since they all involve me overeating, I’m cutting this one a little short. Time to (literally) roll on.

Until next time, see you on the road!

Make it easy for them–A good ERP is clear and precise about the rules (who is eligible, who isn’t, the terms of the program, bonus payouts for different positions, minimum qualifications needed for a referral to be considered “qualified,” etc). Remember that simplicity and clarity encourage more qualified referrals.

Set expectations for them—Ideally, these expectations come from the leaders of your organization, as a great ERP is a company-wide initiative, not just an HR project. For example, you might want to have a kick-off event day for your ERP that’s shared company-wide and led by senior team members (consider a video message from the CEO, an eBlast/eCard from the VP of HR, etc.). At many organizations, there is an expectation (implicit or explicit) that when employees come into contact with top candidates–at industry events, online, talking to friends, etc.–they will recognize the need to refer them. Some companies even “deputize” all employees to play a key role in building a great team.

Get them excited– Create a buzz – some of the more memorable programs we’ve done that really got people excited/talking/participating included leaving “mysterious” items on employees desks or around the office prior to fully releasing details about the program (We left paper green glasses for a campaign with the theme “See Green” on employees desks; fixings for s’mores positioned in all break rooms/cafeterias for a campaign with the theme “We need s’more people like you.”) Engagement and enthusiasm for your ERP is critical to its success.

Give them tools—This could be an ERP-specific email they can send to friends, a landing page/microsite where they can learn more about the ERP, business cards they can hand out that contain an ERP message, etc.

Teach them–Educate your employees on “best practice” ways to find and identify top talent. Also, make your ERP an ingrained part of your onboarding and exit interview processes.

Thank them—Reward your ERP’s early participants and champions right away. If you are unable to deliver the referral bonus in a relatively short window, you should think about including simple/fun rewards at the time of submission. Remember, ERP bonuses to referring employees are standard, so you need to go a step further. We’ve helped many companies with promotions like special prizes, raffles, giveaways, time off, etc. Try to focus on what would appeal to your employees (spa day, baseball tickets, weekend trip, etc.) We’ve also developed customized scratch-off lottery cards that are given each time an employee makes a qualified referral. You’d be amazed how something as simple as a pair of movie tickets or $5 gift cards can energize a referral program.

Respond to them–If your employees are working hard to give solid referrals, those referrals should be processed in a timely manner. While a guaranteed response time may not be realistic (though many companies do have such a system in place), responding to referrals quickly speaks volumes to employees about how serious you are about your ERP.

Remind them–Make sure the program stays fresh and in front of your employees. Frequent reminders like company emails and status alerts are great. If the terms of the program change, update your employees. Some organizations even measure employee awareness of their ERP.

Open it up–If you have “hot jobs” or those that are incredibly hard to fill, consider opening the referrals up to people outside of the company. When done correctly, this strategy almost always generates a whole new and (more importantly) qualified pool of candidates. We’ve done this for clients too. You can spread the word out in various ways including SlideShare presentations that can be sent to your network via LinkedIn and more.

Celebrate them–Give big picture and little picture feedback on how the program is working—how much money the company has saved, how many people have been hired in a quarter, etc. Make a special mention of employees who repeatedly give great referrals in your newsletter or via a company-wide email. A great benefit of a well-thought out and promoted ERP includes increased retention, morale and employee engagement, so don’t miss the opportunity!

The good news for you is that with just a little effort and re-tooling, you can awake the most powerful weapon in your recruiting arsenal, and soon your Employee Referral Program will be your most effective source of great hires.

As VP of Client Development for Alstin, I (happily) find myself on the road a lot, talking to clients, prospects, people in the media, etc.–and I attend numerous industry functions each month. On Alstin’s blog, I’ll let you know where I am and what I’m hearing in the wonderful world of recruiting.

This blog will probably hit right around Thanksgiving, so I’ll make it quick: I’m thankful for the wonderful family and friends I’ve been blessed with, the uber-talented, hardworking co-workers who continue to give it their all during these (still) less-than-ideal economic times and all the clients, colleagues and friends that continue to support us and cheer us on at Alstin Communications. Okay, let’s get back on the road!

Brooklyn, MD: No, that’s not a typo, there’s a Brooklyn in Maryland as well! The November MAHCR (Maryland Area Health Care Recruiters) meeting was held at Harbor Hospital. It’s been too long since I’ve given a shout-out to the great people at the Maryland Area Healthcare Recruiter Association as they’ve made this Philly boy feel so welcome into their great group.

Philadelphia, PA: We co-sponsored the November PAAHCR with our friends at Fox Chase Cancer Center. The topic couldn’t be more relevant: Taking Care of Your Career and Yourself During these Tough Economic Times. The speaker was the wonderful Ford Myers, career expert and author. Ford is the author of Get The Job You Want, Even When No One’s Hiring and The Ultimate Career Guide. His articles and interviews have been featured in such publications as Inc. Magazine, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune, The New York Times, CNN-Money, and he has appeared on NBC-TV, Fox-TV, ABC-TV, CBS-TV, just to name a few.

Conshohocken, PA: A great lunch meeting with our own Mike T. and a very close industry colleague. Again, we’re so fortunate to have built such a strong network of industry allies. These relationships allow us to bounce ideas off of one another, commiserate when things are tough, and share ideas and solutions. Plus, if you haven’t been to the Great American Pub in Conshy, you don’t know what you’re missing!  

Pit Stop: Twitter: You may still be skeptical about Twitter (I know I was at first), but the truth is Twitter is a fantastic tool with undeniable benefits for those in recruiting. Of course, we Twitter at Alstin–and we’re getting great feedback on our fun, informative and timely tweets. Click here to follow Alstin on Twitter.

Princeton, NJ: A beautiful day to see our friends at NJAHR (New Jersey Association of HealthCare Recruiters). The topic was Emotional Intelligence, and the ability to understand and use our emotions, and the emotions of others, wisely. Many think that EI is a dominant predictor of success and happiness in life, much more so than IQ or other traditional indicators.

Philadelphia, PA: A five minute walk up Broad to Street to the Crystal Tea Room at the Wanamaker Building for the HR Department of the Year Awards. Again, the last few years have been a tough stretch for anyone who works for, in, or with HR, but it was great to see these wonderful companies honored.  Special congratulations go out to Alstin clients Agusta Aerospace Corporation; Advertising Speciality Institute; Aqua America; Movers Specialty Service Inc; and Robert Wood Johnson University!

Until next time, see you on the road!

This Sunday the lead story on the NYT Sports Page was entitled, “In Philadelphia, Heroes with a Lunch Pail.”

Ugh, I groaned. Here we go, another trash piece reducing Philly sports fans to the stereotype of knuckle-dragging louts. I imagined I would be reading about the booing of Santa Claus (which many say never really happened and, even if it did, it was over 40 years ago, so perhaps the statute of limitations has run out), snowball throwing, celebrating injured athletes and more. It’s similar to watching Monday Night Football or any nationally televised sporting event held in Philly–you know that sooner or later the obligatory cheeseteak or soft pretzel shot is coming up–because after all, those are the only two things we ever eat–and we like to eat those while running up the Art Museum steps. Sometimes it seems as if the national media thinks everyone in the Delaware Valley lives in South Philly, wears undershirts, eats scrapple and has ties to the mafia.

This article however, was a bit different. First of all, the author grew up three miles from Veterans Stadium and “punched a hole in his bedroom wall when the Eagles lost Super Bowl XV.” I can relate.

The gist of the article is that unlike New York where a sports team is crowned a champion as regularly as your dentist appointments, Philadelphia is not so lucky, and there’s this weird image “audition” where our athletes are judged and embraced not by their talent, performance and ability to win, but by their demeanor and attitude.

The thing is, and this is tough to admit, the article got it right.

I think a lot of it has to do with the scarcity of championships in this town. If the Phillies had fourteen World Series titles instead of two, or if the Eagles had EVER won a Super Bowl, maybe we wouldn’t be so hung up on the demeanor of our players. I guess if you know the parade isn’t coming down Broad Street, you need to latch on to something else.

How else to explain why we seem to focus so much on the personality of our athletes? Is that why a pudgy, defensive nightmare like Greg Luzinski was more popular in his playing days than Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt, who is hands-down one of the best players ever? I was only twelve in 1980, but I remember, and the Times is right: The gold glove star who put up incredible offensive numbers was derided as not hitting in the clutch (somehow those 548 homers never won a game for the Phils) and for being too sensitive and aloof.

Why do we care so much about demeanor? Do we want to cheer on our athletes or date them? Also, while Schmidt was certainly quiet and a bit of an enigma, he was no prima donna; by all accounts he worked incredibly hard on his game–something that “our lunch pail” mentality should have celebrated.

Scott Rolen is another example. I’ll admit he seemed joyless whenever you saw him interviewed, but I don’t think anyone who knows baseball would say that during his time here there was a more hard-nosed guy between the lines. Was it that he didn’t love us back enough?

Playing devil’s advocate, here’s more examples: Curt Schilling? Arrogant jerk! Dave Hollins with his one good year and then out of baseball soon after? Love him! Donovan McNabb? Forget him and the way he gets us to the playoffs every year! Give us Randall Cunningham and his never winning anything despite having one of the best defenses of all time.

What’s funny is how some players seem to magically get a pass–almost as if we were a town of forgiving creampuffs. Pat Burrell was absolutely terrible for two years in what should have been the prime of his career and was heartily supported by fans. If that had been the ultra-nonchalant Bobby Abreau, well, I’m not sure Bobby would be alive today. If you watched the Phillies in the early 90′s (and if you did you should get a medal) you know that Mickey Morandini put up an incredible string of mediocre stats and was adored. Actually, I’m still shaking my head on that one.

I think even before last year’s victory, Charlie Manuel was clearly the better manager than his predecessor, the volatile Larry Bowa (who was my favorite Phillie growing up), but for some reason most fans prefer the fiery, unstable guy who goes apoplectic and into a 2 week spiral if they lose a close game rather than the steady manager the players embrace–and whose calm leadership allowed for the amazing runs the Phillies made at the end of the season in 2007 and 2008.

So what do you think? Is the article tough love for us or another Philly hatchet job?

As VP of Client Development for Alstin, I (happily) find myself on the road a lot, talking to clients, prospects, people in the media, etc.–and I attend numerous industry functions each month. On Alstin’s blog, I’ll let you know where I am and what I’m hearing in the wonderful world of recruiting.

Okay folks, our regular “Where’s Tony” segment is pulling off to the side of the road for an important rest stop.

Kanye West, Serena Williams, Joe Wilson, talk show hosts, and many, many others. Okay, so no one says we should take cues on civility and decorum from politicians and celebrities, but recent events do raise some interesting questions about how we conduct ourselves today. I for one am so grateful that I’m part of an organization where passion, creativity and an informal environment are valued, but we treat each other, our customers and our vendors with respect (at least I think so; I don’t remember anyone yelling out, “You lie!” at our last manager’s meeting).

I know people in recruitment are often not so lucky–and we want to hear about it!

Ever have a candidate send a text message during an interview? Been in a meeting where someone said something so inappropriate you still can’t believe it? If you’re reading this, chances are you’re in some way connected with human resources, so I know you have some real doozies when it comes to stories about lack of civility in the workplace.

Share some of your best stories on boorish or unprofessional behavior that may still make you cringe right here on the blog, or send an email to: blog@alstin.com. We’ll share the best of the bunch in a future post while keeping your identity 100% confidential. 

Until next time, see you on the road!

My plan was to oh-so stylishly deliver a variety of solutions to you dear reader, and my suave, brilliant insights would change the way clients select agencies forever. I wanted to include both my own fascinating ideas as well as those from leaders in the ad industry–and in doing that research I came upon many great concepts that I feel deserve serious consideration. They include face-to-face interviews instead of RFPs, a client-created sample project sent out to a small number of agencies, a “one and done” where an agency chooses one previous project they believe best represents their talent and experience, and many more.

But the more I worked on this post the more I felt that polished paragraphs of pretty prose just wouldn’t do. Perhaps this is how we got ourselves into trouble in the first place. Both the questions and responses of RFPs are full of brushed-up, layered language of corporate speak that really don’t get either side anywhere.

What did get my attention was how almost every idea I liked had two common themes: honesty in the selection process and a healthy respect for both the agency and the client. With that in mind, I’ve decided instead to list some simple Do’s and Don’ts when shopping for an ad agency:

DO be honest about why you’re searching for an agency.

Are you doing a search because it’s been three years and the Purchasing Department says you have to? Because your Marketing Department is stretched too thin? Because you want an agency with more experience in social networking? Trust me, if you’re up-front about the reasons for your search, you’ll get a higher level of response, and a better shot at finding an agency that will closely match what you’re looking for.

DON’T invite 75 agencies to participate.

I know everyone wants to do their due diligence and show what a thoughtful, colossal process they’ve created (the ol’ CYA methodology), but let’s face it: the last thing in the world you want to do is read 75 RFPs, interview 12 agencies, have a selection committee narrow it down to 4, etc.–and the last thing an agency participating wants is to be one of those 75.

DO tell the agency what you want.

If your employment brand for the last 15 years has been dictated by marketing and you really need an agency just for media strategy and planning, say so. Want someone to deliver a series of microsites and then go away? That’s fine too. Just tell us. Really, it’s okay.

DO be honest and specific on what your organization considers important–even if you don’t agree with it.

If you’re a Silicon Valley software company, and you know that your company strongly prefers its ad agency to be local, just say so. Certainly that bias will eliminate some wonderful agencies (including us!) but I guarantee you that any agency would rather know the “lay of the land” from the outset than pour time, money and more effort than you can imagine into a scenario that has no chance of coming to fruition. Also, if handling one of your top three competitors instantly disqualifies an agency, common business courtesy also says you should let them know right away.

DON’T believe the standard “bigger is better” hype–or believe it at your own risk.

Some of the best work being done today is in the smaller shops where you’re treated like a king, they turn around projects quickly, things don’t get lost in the shuffle and they have the right client service philosophy. Of course, there are terrific national agencies as well, but the fact that an agency has a three person office in Chicago, D.C., Chattanooga and Houston doesn’t really mean much, especially if the research, planning, creative and strategy are all coming out of Boston–and your organization is in Tampa.

 DO your research.

So much of the herculean effort that organizations put into creating, distributing, reading and scoring RFPs could be better used researching agencies. Who’s known for great branding? What do people in the media say about Agency X’s customer service record? Who does the ads for Company ABC that you like so much? etc.

DO work really, really hard to get past the B.S. in any RFP or presentation.

A standard RFP question is: “What makes your agency unique?” It’s a great question, but if you don’t watch out you’ll get seven pages of flowery language from their best copywriter. Be sure to ask for concrete examples of work and results. And those smiling, super-experienced, ultra-bright people sitting across from you doing their polished pitch? Find out if they will be directly involved in your account or if they are just part of a traveling sales show–which means that once they win your account they’ll jettison all the work to someone with one year of experience, and you may never see those smiling faces again.

DON’T ask for confidential or sensitive information from the agency if it isn’t relevant to your search and really don’t ask if you aren’t prepared to tell the agency anything about your organization.

Many RFPs ask for a staggering amount of financial and other proprietary information, but refuse to divulge the most basic facts about their marketing function, recruiting budget, etc. No fair.

DON’T ask for speculative creative, research or media plans.

Demanding detailed, even exhaustive, examples of an agency’s capabilities and experience is okay; asking for free work is not.

DO be respectful of the agencies’ efforts and keep them informed.

Any agency that takes the time and effort to participate in your selection process deserves to be treated professionally and with respect. That includes regular status updates (especially if the process gets stalled, as it often does) as well as a personalized email or phone call thanking them at the end of the process. If that would take too much time or “we’re not allowed to do that,” then your search methodology is seriously flawed and needs to be changed.

The best part of our blog is when our readers write back with their feedback and questions, so please comment. We want to hear what you think!

As VP of Client Development for Alstin, I (happily) find myself on the road a lot, talking to clients, prospects, people in the media, etc.–and I attend numerous industry functions each month. On Alstin’s blog, I’ll let you know where I am and what I’m hearing in the wonderful world of recruiting.

Well, my favorite time of year has ended. I’m not an emoticon type of guy, but … ):

The days are getting shorter, my kids are back at school and I’ve said goodbye to the beach for quite a while. Even as I type this, a single tear falls from my cheek as I mourn the end of summer. Still, I can’t dwell in my despair because I’ve been kept so busy recently with meetings–so let’s get back on the road!

Salisbury, MD: A 2 ½ hour drive (each way) is nothing to fret about if you’re off to see a beloved client we’ve handled for many years. And the topic couldn’t be more relevant: Social Networking. Led by our Director of Interactive Services, Jennifer Hitchens-Greenfield and Account Executive, Angela Havrilla, we discussed basic set-up, protocols, best practices and pitfalls when recruiting with LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. What was so great about that day was that the presentation was held in a training room with each person on his or her own PC, so we could do real-time surfing, exercises and updates. If your organization wants to be in the know about Alstin’s sociability (and trust me you do) drop me a line at trosato@alstin.com. Whatever your recruiting department’s level of knowledge or sophistication with social networking, we can tailor a presentation or workshop to fit your needs.

Philadelphia, PA: Our fearless leader Mike Tedesco and I were taken to lunch by a media representative (and an unbelievably nice person) who we’ve worked with for well over ten years. It’s one of the things I love most about this business: the long lasting relationships and friendships we make with clients, media people and others. And what a venue for lunch: Parc. The cuisine is delicious, authentic French Bistro and while I didn’t see Bruce Willis, Owen Wilson or Reese Witherspoon (all 3 had dined there recently) I did have a great meal and a wonderful time.

Mt. Laurel, NJ: First meeting since the summer break for Tristate HRMA. Do you know about Tri-State and what a great organization they are? We’re extremely active members of Tri-State and our owner, Mike Schluth has personally been very involved in this fun, engaging association for many years. Learn more about Tri-State, their new president Laraine Knauss and more at www.tristatehr.org.

Princeton, NJ: The September meeting of NJAHR and on the agenda was review of this year’s NAHCR conference in Seattle (next year is Vegas, baby!). We also talked about the future nursing shortage, today’s struggles finding good Physical Therapists and more. If you are involved in recruiting allied health or nursing professionals in NJ, this is an organization you need to be part of! To learn more, visit their fantastic new site at www.njahr.org.

Vineland, NJ: Headed down to the southern part of the Garden State with Senior VP Mike Tedesco to see a great friend of the agency who is settling in with a new organization. One of things I think makes us different from our competitors is that we didn’t go down there to give a big presentation or hard-sell our services, but instead to really try and learn more about the organization, their unique recruitment and retention goals and challenges, and how we might be able to help.

Off the road for a brief pitstop for civility (if you would be so kind).

Kanye West, Serena Williams, Joe Wilson–Okay, so no one says we should take cues on civility and decorum from politicians and celebrities, but the events in recent weeks do raise some interesting questions about how we conduct ourselves today. I for one am so grateful that I’m part of an organization where passion, creativity and an informal environment are valued, but we treat each other, our customers and our vendors with respect (at least I think so; I don’t remember anyone yelling out, “You lie!” at our last manager’s meeting).

Until next time, see you on the road!

When you think about it, it’s not surprising that over the last few years more agencies have been “pushing back” against the RFP process, either by not engaging or participating on their own terms. There has also been a big increase in articles like these calling for the end of RFPs for ad agencies or, at minimum, a complete overhaul of the traditional RFP process.

Now before you think that this blog is nothing but a rant by a grumpy, bitter, rain cloud of a man, I want to say that I am always truly, legitimately excited when any company wants to learn more about us–no matter what method they choose. Furthermore, we have won many of our finest clients through the RFP process, and I take pride in the fact that we’re constantly being applauded for the level of quality, style and creativity we bring to RFPs.

Obviously, I think we have a very special, unique agency at Alstin and I want the world to know about it! That’s a big reason why I (unfortunately) agree that RFPs are usually a poor way to select an ad agency.

As anyone who works with RFPs knows, many RFPs are boilerplated templates that come out of the Purchasing Department with a few relevant ad agency questions thrown in–meaning the RFP issued for an ad agency is essentially the same as one issued for HVAC, building materials, window cleaning and copier service. That’s a big part of the problem–and no disrespect to the HVAC and copier service people–but when you choose an ad agency, you’re selecting qualitative things like the capability of the account staff, creative talent, relevant experience in your industry, knowledge of emerging technologies, organizational philosophy, etc.–things that are so crucial to a successful agency-client partnership–and things that RFPs rarely do an adequate job of capturing.

Of course, the most common complaint about RFPs from salespeople is that, too often, they aren’t “real.” This is probably one of the worst kept secrets about RFPs, and many studies suggest that a good bit of the time (I’ve read depressing estimates putting it at 75%) the RFP process is a more an exercise than a valid process. The organization already knows who the selected vendor is going to be, but they put out an RFP because:

• They need to make the process look legitimate and strategic

• All vendor services have to be evaluated every certain # of years regardless of the level of client satisfaction

• The organization likes their current agency, but issues an RFP as a way of both “keeping them on their toes” and as a leverage tool to negotiate lower fees

• A new person comes in, wants to switch agencies and they need to do an RFP so it looks like it’s a fair process for the agency getting the boot

Sounds cynical I know, but it does seem that the # of times an organization does an RFP because they truly want to see what type of ad agencies are out there and the quality of work they do is pretty small.

Of course, that raises a big issue for us at Alstin. As an agency that takes so much pride in detailed, targeted solutions, we extend our “no cookie cutter” philosophy to our RFPs and put a tremendous amount of time and effort into them–which in many ways is great and “real” because that’s the same approach we take to working with our clients–but again, if the RFP process is not valid; well, it’s easy to see why it can be frustrating to put so much work into something that never has a chance of coming to fruition.

Okay, Mr. Smartypants you say–do you have a better way? As a matter of fact I do, and in the next few weeks, I’ll be writing a Part II to this article with some thoughts on how to choose an ad agency. In the meantime, please respond to the comments section below. I want to hear your RFP horror stories, and learn what you think is the best way of choosing an ad agency or any vendor.

As VP of Client Development for Alstin, I (happily) find myself on the road a lot, talking to clients, prospects, people in the media, etc.–and I attend numerous industry functions each month. On Alstin’s blog, I’ll let you know where I am and what I’m hearing in the wonderful world of recruiting.

This is my favorite time of year: the long, languid days of summer. I hope you’ve been spending time catching fireflies, drinking from your garden hose, eating ice cream, dodging mosquitos, watching baseball, gazing at the ocean and all those things that make summer so great. I’ve been doing all of the above myself as well as getting lots of beach time–plus I just finished my 2nd triathlon. I’ll fill you in on the whole triathlon story in a future post, but if you can’t wait and want to hear a great story about a first triathlon experience click on over to this post from our very own Jennifer Hitchens-Greenfield, you’ll feel like you’re right there. Enough intro, let’s get back on the road!

Cape May Courthouse, NJ (sort of): I may gripe about it, but for the most part I have pretty good luck with traffic and avoiding jams. I guess sooner or later the law of averages was going to catch up with me–and brother, did it ever. The July PAAHCR meeting was being held in Cape May Courthouse, NJ by our good friends (and client), Cape Regional Medical Center. Perfect, I thought. I’ll drop my kids off at my parent’s house in Brigantine, zip 30 minutes down the NJ Parkway to the meeting and be back in Brigantine sitting on the beach by 4pm.

Nope. A very serious accident about a mile in front of me had me stuck on the Parkway for almost 3 hours, 2 of which were spent…not…moving…one…inch! I’m a pretty mild-mannered guy, but I was beginning to lose it–also there was nowhere to turn around (I love my friends at PAAHCR but by the second hour I was ready to bail). I must admit however, that when I finally arrived, I felt very loved as I saw the relief on the PAACHR members faces–they had been worried about all the people like myself who RSVP’d but hadn’t showed. The presentation was a good one on SEO and SEM marketing–a incredibly targeted, powerful tool that I feel is SO underutilized in recruiting.

Philadelphia, PA: Heather Gwin and I were lucky enough to be invited to a Customer Appreciation lunch held by our friends at the Legal Intelligencer (we’re proud to count several law firms as clients). The setting was The Prime Rib in the Warwick Hotel at 17th and Locust. Yummy food and great people–a nice treat by the folks at the Legal. The location is of interest to long time clients of Alstin as back in the 80′s and early 90′s our Holiday Party was held there–at what was then called Polo Bay. I started at Alstin in 1990 so I was there for the tail end of those days–and yes, the parties back then were complete madness.

Philadelphia, PA: Down on the waterfront at the Hyatt for a presentation by our friends at philly.com Any HR person in the Philadelphia area would be interested in this topic: Top Workplaces for 2010. This is your chance to get your organization noticed. Deadline to register is August 28th.You can learn more and nominate your company here.

Montgomeryville, PA: I delivered a presentation to long time client and friend I’ve worked with for close to 20 years. The topic? Social Networking and Recruiting. Obviously, social networking is a topic on everyone’s mind these days, and we are playing a key role in consulting, advising and implementing social network programs for our clients.

For more on what we are doing for our clients – and what we might be able to do for you – in regard to social networking and recruiting and SEO/SEM campaigns, drop me a line at blog@alstin.com.

Until next time, see you on the road!

“It’s coming whether we like it or not.” (In fact, here’s an article that predicts it will be here in less than a year.)

“No, that information is free now and should remain so. They can make money on advertising instead.”

“Newspapers should have been charging for it all along–not sure why we’re getting it online for free.”

“If they do start charging, there is a huge risk of a potential backlash resulting in even steeper circulation loss. It could be the final straw that sinks newspapers.”

“I don’t like when the Alstin team write serious blogs. I want to hear more about Tony’s ice tea addiction, Annette’s winery finds and Christy’s running trails.

Okay, no one really says that last one. Still, this issue is going to be talked about a lot in the next year, and you’ll be a much bigger hit at parties if you have an informed opinion.

So, should newspapers charge for online content? Of course they should.

Let’s put aside for now some of the thornier legal issues and the fact that newspapers are in desperate need for more revenue to survive (we’ll get to both those issues later).

For me, the free vs. not free argument comes down to a simple question: Is there true value in the news and other content newspapers publish, both in print and online?

I say yes, absolutely, and for over 200 hundred years most people have agreed with me, recognized that value and paid for it.

Of course, that leads directly to one of the newspaper’s biggest problems–and some would say one of their own creation–for the last 15 years newspapers have willingly given away nearly all online content for free. Some say that newspapers should be able to sustain online revenue with advertising (just as many free print newspapers like Metro, Pennysavers and other community newspapers have for years). However, it seems that will not be enough for most newspapers to survive–so I think we may need to pay for the valuable content we get, even if we were used to getting it for free. Not surprisingly, many disagree.

Still, when I think of my cell phone bill (connect fees anyone?) cable bill (monthly rental fee of the digital box?), electric bill, and so many other examples in our daily life where we get charged for every little thing, I find it hard to believe that something as important as responsible, relevant journalism isn’t worth paying for. It’s ironic that we live in an information age, but we don’t want to pay for some of the highest quality information.

Of course, that doesn’t mean that we should all start shelling out $30 a week per newspaper for online content. I imagine we might start seeing some models where we pay $5 a month for a newspaper’s exclusive online content–and perhaps they throw in the Sunday paper delivered to your home. Even if a newspaper loses 25% of its circulation in the transition, that’s still a minimum of hundreds of thousands a dollars a month in added revenue for most papers.

Plus, if newspapers start charging for content there will be a more definite line drawn between “real” journalism and what sometimes passes for journalism on the Internet–something I would argue is sorely needed.

Finally, and I know this sounds petty, I believe there is a fairness issue at stake. For example, I pay my $5 every Sunday for the New York Times. However, my neighbor Joe can read nearly all the same content for free. Either Joe shouldn’t get the information for free or I am a dope and should start reading it for free online as well, which would mean further loss in revenue for the newspaper. I think now is the time for newspapers to make that decision, even if it means possibly losing Joe as a reader. Either way, Joe should definitely stop the hammering he does in his garage after midnight.

I realize this is a bird’s-eye view of the issue, and there are many snafus that need to be worked out if newspapers do charge for content. The first is somehow protecting that content from appearing elsewhere on the web. Another big issue is “news” itself and the public interest it serves. As Peter Scheer said in his blog for Huffington Post:

“Suppose the New York Times moves all its content behind password protection and initiates a monthly subscription plan. Does the Times, which owns the copyrights and whose editors and reporters created the articles, have the right to stop these unauthorized uses, which we’ll assume are undercutting its effort to charge for its content? The answer depends on the application of “fair use,” a doctrine of copyright law that basically blesses (what otherwise would be infringing) uses of a copyrighted work when the ises are both insubstantial and deemed to be in the public interest.”

There’s so much more to come on this issue from both sides. We want to hear what you think so please weigh in with your comments below!

“Where’s Tony?”

Summer is here! My vegetable garden is exploding, the mini-triathlon I’m doing is only (gulp) one month away and this episode of “Where’s Tony” is going to be a bit different…

Where wasn’t Tony? I wasn’t in Princeton, NJ for the end-of-the-year luncheon at NJAHR. An RFP emergency caused me to miss this one. Still, it gives me a chance to plug The New Jersey Association of Healthcare Recruiters, a wonderful organization–and we are proud to count many of its members as Alstin clients. If you recruit for healthcare professionals in NJ, you should definitely check out their new, redesigned website at www.njahr.org.

Why is Tony stuck in Conshohocken, PA? I guess I can’t expect to drive all the time and not put aside some time for service to my car, but 2 ½ hours was more than I counted on. Thank goodness for WiFi. Also, I got a chance to see Nissan’s new funky, retro offering: The Cube.

Why in the world is Tony is Lima, OH? Good question. A mere 9+ hours from Philadelphia and close to absolutely nothing, Lima sits in the northwest corner of the great state of Ohio. We went to visit family and while my brother-in-law jokes that Lima is an acronym for Lost In Middle America, we actually had a great time. The kids were champs during the long drive and I found (as I almost always do) the stereotype of people being friendlier in rural areas to be true.

Is the news still fit to print? As a guy who came up in advertising when newspapers were king, I worry what will happen if newspapers across the country start going under–and not just the big guys, but the suburban and community papers as well. I thought about that a lot while reading the Lima News last week. It’s a small paper to be sure, but it had the right mix of local and national news, strong writing, a good editorial flavor and it really seemed to serve the community well. There’s no doubt that there’s much to be gained in the mobile, “immediate” online world we live in, but there is definitely something lost if papers like the Lima News don’t make it.

Just want to close with two personal observations. On the way back we stopped at Ohiopyle State Park in southwest Pennsylvania, one of the most beautiful parks I’d ever been in. There’s camping, gorgeous bike trails, natural waterslides, whitewater boating and more.

Finally, if you’ve never been to Frank Lloyd Wright’s masterpiece home, Falling Water (also in southwest PA) you MUST see it. I have absolutely no interest in architecture and found the home, the tour and the story behind it all, fascinating.

Until next time, see you on the road!

By the looks of this blog, you might think we over here at Alstin eat, breathe and sleep all that is recruitment and retention. Every so often we’ll stray from the HR talk and bring you more on some of our favorite things, places and activities that also populate our daily lives.

My passion for Iced Tea (specifically Honest Tea) is well known throughout our office and even by some of our clients. I’m happy to blog about it, but in many ways it’s your typical boy-meets-tea, boy-falls-in-love-with-certain-flavors, boy-rearranges-his-life-around-consumption-of- tea type of love story.

First, a note about myself. I think by anyone’s measure, I am a man of few vices. I don’t smoke, never did drugs, I have a beer or glass of wine now and then, but I don’t really drink much. I also uphold nearly every stereotype of the forty-year-old suburban dad. I drive a minivan, I cater to my daughters’ every whim, I take my cholesterol medicine every day, my hair is disappearing at an alarming rate, I fight the losing battle to stay fit, etc.––you get the picture.

But underneath this mild-mannered exterior, I have a passion. A secret. An insatiable thirst that can’t be quenched.

Actually, I like to think that as far as crippling addictions go, this is a pretty good one to have. The benefits of tea are well documented–of course, if the medical community ever reverses its position and proclaims that tea is bad for you–well, by the time you read this I will already be dead.

So why Honest Tea? Well, when it came to ice tea, I had been around the block. I did the crazy sweet teas like Arizona, Lipton and Snapple, and they all felt like drinking powdered sugar. I even had a slew of one night stands with diet iced teas loaded with chemicals and horrible aftertastes.

Then I was in Whole Foods one day and I tried my first Honest Tea. It was Moroccan Mint (you never forget your first time) and it was delicious; just a little sweet and you could actually taste the tea and mint. Plus, most Honest Teas are only around 75 calories for the whole bottle, which is great when you suck down 3-5 a day.

So how far does my love of Honest Tea go? Here’s some evidence I may have a problem:

• I know which Wawas in the area carry Honest Tea and which don’t.
• I not only receive, but read every word of the Honest Tea newsletter. In fact, I just learned they are discontinuing one of my favorite flavors (Cinnamon Spice Decaf), so if you see me with a black armband on, you’ll know why.
• When vacationing in Siesta Key, Florida, I found a health food store back on the mainland of Sarasota that carried Honest Tea–so yes, I crossed a body of water to get Honest Tea.
• When Men’s Health and other fitness magazines proclaim Honest Tea the best tea in its surveys (which they often do), my chest swells with pride.
• I can tell you the different caffeine contents of the different Honest Tea flavors.
• I drive to Maryland for business at least once a month. On the way, I pass 4 rest stops . I always stop at the 3rd one because I’ve learned from trial and error they carry Honest Tea.

My top three flavors? Jasmine Energy, Morcoon Mint and Honey Green.

I could go on, but you’re probably getting a little weirded out already. Trust me, if you’re looking for a healthy, refreshing beverage, you can’t beat Honest Tea. They have a great variety at any Whole Foods and if you happen to be in Center City Philadelphia, DiBruno’s Brothers at 18th and Chestnut has a nice selection. Enjoy!

“Where’s Tony?”
As VP of Client Development for Alstin, I (happily) find myself on the road a lot, talking to clients, prospects, people in the media, etc.–and I attend numerous industry functions each month. On Alstin’s blog, I’ll let you know where I am and what I’m hearing in the wonderful world of recruiting.

Annapolis, MD: Long drive for this meeting but a beautiful venue and great people. The Kent Manor Inn in Stevensville, MD (just across the Bay Bridge from Annapolis), The occasion? The Maryland Association of Healthcare Recruiters (MAHCR) June luncheon. Beautiful waterfront views, flowers in full bloom and so close to the Chesapeake Bay you can’t help but get hungry for delicious Maryland crabs! Also, it’s not far to one of my favorite getaway places: Saint Michaels, MD

Okay, I have to be honest, this one was more fun than work; a nice luncheon, just a bit of association business, some scholarships awarded to deserving students and more. I really need to give a shout-out to the fine people at the MAHCR, because while we do business with a number of MD hospitals and related healthcare organizations, this is our first year as part of MAHCR. Amy, Nick, Bonnie and the entire group there have been so friendly, encouraging and made me feel very welcome. Click here to learn more about this fine organization.

Marlton, NJ: Out in the Garden State updating a wonderful, long time client on our services. As you might imagine, this is a key component of my job right now. Lousy economy aside, this is absolutely one of the most exciting times to be in our industry – there are so many options and tools for recruiters, and they’re increasing and evolving so quickly. It’s safe to say that in my 20 years at Alstin, our business–and the business of recruiting–has changed more in the last 3 years than in the 17 prior. Even for the most savvy recruiter it can be overwhelming, so what we try to do is help navigate our clients toward the right solutions that meets their specific recruiting and retention goals. To put it more simply, we want our clients focused on their jobs; it’s our job to make proactive, solid and strategy-backed communication recommendations that will deliver results.

Philadelphia, PA: Finally, a presentation in the same city where I work! This was for a potentially large prospect. I’m always pleased that we get so many compliments, not only on our presentation, but our approach to working with clients and prospects. We’re recognized for being extremely proactive, diligent and truly becoming an integral part of an organization’s recruiting function, but we’re not stalkers or sharks – I promise.

The other part I always hope to convey is Alstin’s “no cookie cutter” philosophy. Every organization has their own unique recruiting challenges, budget restrictions, selling points, etc. Sounds ridiculously obvious I know, but we’re fiercely proud of our customized solutions and I often hear how other agencies give out recycled creative, canned research, and the same tired recommendations. We think there’s a much better way, and our 300+ clients agree.

Bala Cynwyd, PA: Just outside Philly for another end of year luncheon-this time for an old favorite of ours: PAAHCR, the Philadelphia Area Association of Healthcare Recruiters. As you might imagine (especially with our strong experience in healthcare), this is an organization we’ve been part of for many years, and many of the hospitals and healthcare institutions that make up PAAHCR have been clients of Alstin for 10, 15, even 20 years. Learn more about all the great work they do as well as special projects like their Adopt-a School Program by clicking here.

Okay, back to work and more training for my triathlon in early August. The weight sure comes off a lot easier in your 20s and 30s than it does in your 40s!

See you on the road!

My car trunk is packed with laptops, projectors, portfolios, and of course, my kids’ softball gloves, bats and about a dozen balls that roll around and make a racket whenever I hit a bump. Up front I have KYW on the radio – Philly’s most trusted news, weather and traffic radio station – to try to avoid traffic mishaps, my embarrassing slate of songs on my iPod (I’m beginning to realize my love of 80′s pop – like Hall and Oates - isn’t really ironic after all) and of course, lots of HonestTea. Keep reading our blog regularly and you will soon learn of my deep, semi-disturbing addiction to HonestTea.

So where have my travels taken me since last checking in? Here’s a few highlights:

• Princeton, NJ, NJAHR (NJ Area Healthcare Recruiters): The May meeting is one of the most important and well attended as George Hebert, Executive Director of  the New Jersey Board of Nursing, spoke and fielded questions about licensure, changing laws, continuing education, re-certification and so much more. While in past years the dialogue between different states’ boards and local recruiters can get heated (this one was pretty calm, drama-wise), I’m always struck by the passion and dedication both the recruiters and the boards show to the highest level of nursing care – and both groups have to achieve these goals with limited time, money and resources.

• Southern New Jersey: Alstin’s in the process of creating an employment brand for a new client just over the river. Strategic employment branding by Alstin is an amazing process – just check out the branding section of our website to view a selection of our award-winning work – and there is no shame in this plug, see for yourself! Our team presented the initial round of concepts and with some excellent feedback from the client, I can’t wait to see the final brand in action – it’s going to make a huge impact on their recruiting and retention initiatives.

• NJ State Aquarium – Camden, NJ: My first meeting in the month of June was at this awesome venue. Sponsored by our good friends at philly.com/monster.com and lead by Doug Hardy,GM/Editor of Monster Careers, the topic was Trends Driving Recruiting. While it was very hard not to stare at the sharks that were swimming in a tank ten feet from me, this was a very engaging and informative presentation. Doug talked about how smart recruiters are using the economic downturn as an opportunity to create loyalty, engagement and retention. Positive news included Monster seeing an uptick in their employment index in April, which hopefully points to a future recruiting rebound. I also learned an amazing stat about our advertising-driven culture: The average person sees a whopping 1,500 trademarks per day – unless, of course, they choose that day to go to the grocery store-then it jumps to over 35,000!

That’s all for now. I hope in a few weeks when my next blog appears, the summer-like weather will have continued (I just committed to doing a mini-triathlon in the beginning of August, so I need all the training time I can get) the economy continues to improve and I have more recruiting stories from the road for you.

“Where’s Tony?”
As VP of Client Development for Alstin, I (happily) find myself on the road a lot, talking to clients, prospects, people in the media, etc.–and I attend numerous industry functions each month. On Alstin’s blog, I’ll let you know where I am and what I’m hearing in the wonderful world of recruiting.

Obviously, the last 6-12 months haven’t been fun for anyone in the recruiting industry. I know too many talented, extremely hardworking clients, industry colleagues and friends who have been downsized. This past fall was particularly bad, as it seemed that every time I attended a monthly association meeting, I would learn about another person who had lost their job.

Overall, I find HR people to be an optimistic bunch, but this sure has been a tough stretch. There was a lot of fear and uncertainty, and each day over the fall and winter the media reported (gleefully for some strange, unsavory reason) about a key financial being the worst it had been in decades. (Note to all readers of this blog: My future posts will be much cheerier! I promise!)

So what am I hearing recently? Are things getting any better?

Actually, the answer is yes. A slow, shaky, unsure, it-better-be yes, but a yes.

The stock market is continuing to come back, certain industries are seeing modest rebounds and many of the woeful economic financial indicators are improving. Most importantly however, optimism and confidence seem to be on a cautious rise. Don’t get me wrong, things are nowhere near where they should or need to be, but a lot of the recruiters, search firms, etc, that I’ve talked to over the last two months are definitely starting to see some breaks in the clouds.  Recently, I even saw this headline on abcnews.com: “Recession Is Over According to Financial Experts: Leading Economic Indicators, Improving Housing Market Makes Experts Optimistic.”

While I don’t think anyone would say we’re out of the dark, scary woods yet, I think nearly everyone I’ve talked to thinks we’ve hit the bottom, and are beginning to see signs of slow improvement. I just returned from a local SHRM conference and many people told me they believe that because companies are being so overly cautious and fearful to make that first recruiting move, when the recruiting rebound does occur, we’re all going to get really busy in a hurry. I think/hope they’re right.

That’s all for now. Any questions or comments, please respond. We want to hear from you!

Twenty years later the mighty Employee Referral Program is still at the top-and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a booming economy or a deep recession; a burning need for high volume openings or trying to find that needle in a haystack, nothing beats ERPs-and nearly every recruiting study will tell you the same thing. I’ve found time and again that ERPs are good for employee engagement, morale, retention and can turn your whole team into recruiters. Plus, when you think of all the different ways you spend money to recruit (outside recruiters, tuition reimbursement, sign-on bonuses, even your favorite ad agency!), what better way is there than giving those dollars to your own employees?

Of course, that doesn’t mean ERPs haven’t evolved. Here’s just a few ways I’ve watched them change:

Proactive – 15 years ago many companies would set up a referral program, put their posters in the lunchroom, and cross their fingers. Not anymore. Knowing the power and effectiveness of ERPs, the push for referrals often comes from CEOs and top leadership. At many companies, specific managers, divisions and departments are expected to deliver a certain number of referrals per quarter.

Serious – Some companies used to treat an ERP like a casual, supplemental offshoot of recruiting, a way to reach candidates they weren’t hitting through newspaper ads and job fairs. No more. In this lean, mean, metrics-driven economy, organizations are putting their energy into only what works, and because they have a great ROI, referrals are often at the top of the list.

Smarter – One of the things we focus on at Alstin is helping companies encourage solid, qualified referrals and discouraging the unqualified referrals that waste everyone’s time. It all starts with being very precise about the terms of the ERP (who is eligible, who isn’t, the terms of the program, what qualifications must the person have to be considered a qualified referral, etc.)

Easier – The use of email, emarketing and Talent Acquisition Systems that handle referrals has drastically cut down (and in some cases eliminated) the paper administrative burden that was once tied to ERPs.

I’m always pleased when I hear that one of our clients is moving forward with an ERP project because I know that they’re going to see a good return, reach a different, higher-qualified audience and get measurable results.