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Doctrine of Discipline

While updating my MySpace profile and debating the merits of whether Facebook was better, I was reminded to download my buddy list to my PDA. I then realized that I had multiple LinkedIn invitations that still needed a response.4sBL"{V%n
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Since I don't have an abundance of free time to research what my friends are doing, it dawned on me. Do I really need to manage a Second Life when I am completely overwhelmed keeping up with my first?
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(dq_E}Pj0]P Many of us who aspire to stay current on what's new specific to talent acquisition struggle to find the right balance. How do we incorporate new ideas into our recruitment strategy platform and still find time to do the work it takes to demonstrate immediate results?,NOO#g(xz2{4k
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I understand that technology is the preferred medium for connecting candidates to careers, and innovation is paramount to succeed in a competitive recruiting environment. But it's becoming increasingly necessary to adopt a doctrine of discipline relative to researching and determining the right introduction of technology to support an effective and efficient corporate staffing function.
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VB Py9k9C While Web 2.0 offers the savvy recruiter a competitive advantage and exciting new tools for making meaningful and multiple connections via the Web, it also offers anyone and everyone an increasing abundance of opportunity to waste time, money, and sacrifice real results. [ ZH5nlR.d


H@ft]-ol)w`9g How fast you need to change, technologically, depends on a variety of factors unique to every staffing organization. This includes your budget, resources, staff, target audience, open requisitions, industry, growth, competency, competition, and so on.
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Av1e4V `-@] You've got to channel your effort, activity, and investment allocation toward what's most relevant to the desired business outcome. In professional sales we develop competencies consistent with the needs of the marketplace, and spend time understanding what's most important to the clients we serve.
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O(xZ/`+Yjpj Recruiting is no different. We develop solid relationships and business insights to partner effectively with our hiring managers. We determine what's most important to the candidates we covet, helping us improve our chances of converting A players at other companies into our new employees. ;ZnK,g/|`f7?:j]

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O4M The issues of professionalism, privacy, and the right associations on the Web will be ongoing topics of debate. It's abundantly clear that quite often, candidates didn't connect the concept of "social" networking with career management, and more are learning to remove those pictures of the last few indiscretions during senior year off of their profile page.
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Nobody can argue with the increasing growth, popularity, and preference among the Gen Y crowd, and in increasing numbers across all demographics, in extending relationships and spending time connecting online.
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But it's important to approach corporate positioning and relationship recruiting (where to have a corporate presence externally and then connect with candidates to begin to develop a dialogue/relationship about career opportunities) carefully.
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While profiling the user experience and virtual community by taking a test run through Second Life, writing correspondent Marshall Sella concluded that:d]c~w)C$I

(I%d)_P1Ce5J"H&Q "Most of what people first notice in Second Life is the sex and gambling. This is the Electronic Amsterdam. And for novices, that's really the heart of Second Life, no matter how much talk there is of SL's technology as the way of the future. That's what it's all about."bw9R!`6_f
Every organization will ultimately have to determine the if/what/when/where with respect to having a corporate presence for the purpose of attracting new talent, understanding that what may fit or appear as leading-edge strategy for a few large employers may not work for everyone.
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PNOW)}~&F Evaluating the opportunity cost of investing in emerging technology for talent acquisition is no easy task. The doctrine of discipline necessitates a healthy amount of research and willingness to take some managed risk while closely monitoring ROI. 3Yme2K }+qJ7\
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Assign team members the task of due diligence and devote the time necessary to evaluate and analyze trends and new technology. This will help the staffing organization stay current and competitive.
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Minimize risk by piloting a new initiative with a "test" job family or trial-period agreement to evaluate effectiveness before going all-out. Incorporate employee and candidate feedback regarding usage trends, behavior, and preferences to help understand how to most effectively integrate new tools and technology specific to your organization's unique staffing needs and objectives. Z'S4W#hh0r'lG)?
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Finally, have good competitive recruiting intelligence to rely upon, so you can ensure that you're moving at a pace consistent with, or a step ahead of, your direct competitors.
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No doubt the competitive advantage goes to the early adopter set. Well-informed, closely inspected, and carefully managed adoption is the way to go.