Category Archives: John Sumser

Cleveland Stories and Materials

By johnsumser | Published: May 2, 2008

Tuesday the 29th, the Roadshow rolled into Cleveland. Over 100 Recruiters had the opportunity to network and learn. Everyone walked away excited and refreshed.

The event was made possible by the investment of several sponsors:

  • Arbita, the Minneapolis based Internet Recruiting Powerhouse, is a staunch supporter who underwrites the Roadshows with cash, development and logistics support. There would be no Roadshow without them.
  • The event was held on the wonderful campus of Main Sequence Technologies who produce the amazing PCRecruiter. They are sponsoring the next several Roadshows as well.
  • Zoom Info is our partner in marketing as well as a committed sponsor of the Roadshows. Their tool gives Recruiters access to millions of passive candidates.
  • Recruitingblogs.com is the official online community of the Recruiting Roadshow. Jason Davis’ sprawling community is a place for Recruiters to help each other.

Please take a moment to visit them and thank them for supporting these fre events.

 Content at the Cleveland Roadshow consisted of five modules. These links will take you to a pdf copy of the presentation materials,:

  • The Introductions and Networking Exercise John Sumser Introduced the day. Marty Snyder welcomed the audience, delivering an eloquent presntation on the importance of community in Recruiting. Sumser ran a networking exercise that encouraged all the participants to interact with each other.
  • Joel Cheesman opened the morning of presentations with marketing in a web 2.0 world. As you’d expect, Joel’s self-deprecating style was the gateway to a broad introduction to web 2.0 tools. The audience was delighted and energized as the consequence of Joel’s talk.
  • Arbita’s CEO, Don Ramer, offered a talk on Internet Recruiting: Past, Present and Future. A mesmerizing speaker, Ramer worked the audience through  the implications of a proactive future where collaboration and interdependence define Recruiting.
  • Trends in Background Checking was the subject of Jason Morris’ presentation. The world is changing and, according to JAson, background checking is ever more important.
  • After Lunch, John Sumser closed the day with Multigenerational Recruiting, a discussion of demographic dynamics that are driving cultural change.

I’ll tell you more about Cleveland in the coming days.

Also posted in All, Cleveland, Don Ramer, Joel Cheesman, Roadshow Content | Comments closed

I Love This Video

By johnsumser | Published: January 15, 2008

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oG08i9hUwo&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0]

Special Thanks to Matt Martone, the team at Yahoo and Ami Givertz

Also posted in All, Amitai Givertz, Dallas, Networking, Recruiting, Roadshow Content, Sponsors and Supporters | Comments closed

Too Much, Too Many, Too Few III

By johnsumser | Published: January 15, 2008

(January 15, 2008) Isn’t it weird that the labor shortage is happening in an explosion of data. It’s easier and easier to find information about people while it’s harder and harder to find them. The number of needles is declining while the size of the haystack is growing.

Isn’t that how it seems?

There are some pretty odd trends that amplify the problem.

  • The percentage of jobs that require advanced education is going up. The percentage of North Americans who get advanced education is going down.
  • In the face of a shortage, much recruiting focuses on the way a candidate looks rather than on performance. This is particularly true in intergenerational and interethnic recruiting.
  • The education system continues to prepare students for jobs in factories. The video game companies do a better job of preparing them for work.
  • Hiring based on credentials continues to vex both sides of the equation. Do you want someone with an accounting degree or someone who can do accounting? Credentials, which should be the last resort of a competent recruiter, are poor substitutes for a quality guarantee.
  • Inflationary pressures are driving turnover. It’s being reported as an increase in the unemployment rate.
  • The recession we are in is localized to housing and retail. Yet, companies with clear paths to increased growth and profitability are behaving like the recession is universal.

Now, more than ever, the most important piece of technology in your arsenal is between your ears.

Also posted in All, Community, Issues, Press & Media | Comments closed