Say hello to the new Destination Talent.

Our aim is twofold.

Firstly, we want to make it easy for buyers and sellers of recruitment products and services to find each other. Our particular focus is to connect and educate organisations, mainly SMEs, on the role and relevance of third-party recruitment service providers. Secondly, we want to contribute to the improvement of recruitment processes and thinking in Australia, mainly through quality research. Our new site is a small first step. We hope you will join us.

Here’s a brief primer on how to get around the site:

If you are a recruitment service provider or have recruitment related products, chances are you are already listed in our directory. If not, do sign up and add you details; it’s free. We are committed to building the most comprehensive database of vendors in Australia. Here’s a brief presentation explaining what we are planning to do.

If you are an employer, we want to help you find recruitment services and products easily. Our free report section is a good place to start. Alternatively, sign up for free and start tracking vendors.

We are in BETA mode, so some of the sections are works in progress. Feedback of any kind is welcomed.

• Friendship at work: A fascinating look at Zappos’ work culture. Here’s an excerpt:

“ we’ve begun tracking employee relationships. When employees log in to their computers, we ask them to look at a picture of a random employee and then ask them how well they know that person — the options include “say hi in the halls,” “hang out outside of work,” and “we’re going to be long time friends.” We’re starting to keep track of the number and strength of cross-departmental relationships — and we’re planning a class on the topic. My hope is that we can have more employees who plan to be close friends”.

• Hiring to alleviate pain: Jason Fried’s views on talent management are often refreshing. Here’s a few more:

“ we hire late. We hire after it hurts. We hire to alleviate pain, not for pleasure. Who hires for pleasure? Any company that hires people before it needs them is hiring for pleasure. It’s an indulgence we’ve never allowed ourselves.”

Cover letters say it all. They immediately tell you if someone wants this job or just any job. And cover letters make something else very clear: They tell you who can and who can’t write. …… Another rule of thumb: When in doubt, always hire the better writer.

• Social Media Siesta: John Sumer is experimenting – he’s cutting his social media activities; here’s his adventure so far.
• World Cup Flexibility: Every time a major sporting event comes around, talks/advice on the importance of having flexible workplaces comes up. Good, but why only every four years, why not more frequently? Anyway, good luck to the Socceroos!
• VIDEO: A delightful visual rehash of Dan Pink’s excellent talk on motivation.

It pays to be #1.

Seth Godin, in his books (first in the Ideas Virus and in The Dip), often referred to Zipf’s Law which basically asserts that the most widely used word in English is used ten times more than the tenth most popular word. In other words, the #1 player in any field get significantly more returns (revenue, web hits, exposure …whatever you are measuring) than those ranked below.

Does the #1 IT recruitment firm have ten times more revenue than the third ranked firm? How significantly does the top job board in the country  have more traffic than the rest? Is a highly recognised employer brand getting significantly more applications (Google receives 20,000 resumes a week) than those with lesser profiles? Isn’t it enough if you are #2 or even #5 in your field?

Let’s explore further. The chart below is Hitwise’s March 2010 data on the most popular employment sites in Australia.  SEEK, perched at the top of the ladder, thumps everyone else by wide margins. The top ranked SEEK isn’t just a little better than the second ranked CareerOne; the gap is wide. Zipf’s point is – it’s significantly better to be at the top than anywhere else.

There are two lessons here:
There is immense value in being the best;  the payoff is significantly greater than being #9 or even #2. So, no efforts and resources ought to be spared to reach the top. Why not eliminate all other distractions and try to be the #1 in your space?

If you can’t be #1 in a particular area, would you settle for #3 or find another niche where you can be  #1. The payoff from being the best PHP recruiter is probably larger than being the #23 ranked IT recruitment firm. Why settle?

Is Zipf’s law relevant/applicable in your field?

(PS: Hitwise’s rating is used merely to illustrate Zipf’s law)

Thought for the week

Social media is the fancy awning that hangs from a building; human interaction is the bricks and mortar. – Karyn Polewaczyk, Free Agent Nation

Face-to-face meetings
With social networks almost ubiquitous, Karyn Polewaczyk asked ‘is old fashioned ‘meeting up the new black?

Linkedin in Australia
Linkedin is popular in Australia. Close to a million Linkedin profiles exists. Q&A with Cliff Rosenberg, the newly appointed GM of Linkedin Australia

Genuine Personality on social Networks
Research found a person’s Facebook personality is genuine and reflective of the personality in the real-world. Another reason why they will play an important role in recruitment?

Social Recruiting Strategy
Do you have a social recruitment strategy? Check this presentation by Michael Specht & Trevor Vas at the recent Recruitment Revolution conference.

Nothing endures but change – Heraclitus (540 BC – 480 BC)

Here’s a reminder that our world is changing rapidly. Version 4.0 of the popular ‘Did You Know’ series.