Remember 8-Tracks? Better yet, remember record albums? Think back, if you can, at how the music industry has evolved: albums, reel-to-reels, 8-tracks, cassettes, CDs. It wasn’t really until the advent of digital music that you could finally and clearly see the music industry’s stripes. How did they react to this newest, latest technology? They dug in their heels and sued. Sued artists, sued people downloading music files, sued websites. And the result? Today, more people listen to more music than ever before in the history of the world. They couldn’t stop it.
As recruiters, we can learn from the music industry. Ultimately, digging your heels in isn’t a winning proposition. Defending the status quo is a dead end. Finding the best talent is always a challenge. And the way to do it is always changing. The things that worked for us even two years ago are not the best strategies today.
And for those leading a recruiting team? Balancing the tools, technology, systems, process, metrics, and a team of recruiters can be overwhelming. Sometimes the best thing you can do is get out of the office and immerse yourself in an environment where you can meet new people, hear innovative ideas, and think strategically about where you want to lead the function.
If you’re ready to hear new ideas, learn from your peers and engage in the largest gathering of recruitment professionals, I encourage you to attend ERE’s Fall Expo in Hollywood, Florida, September 7-9.
This event (that I’m chairing) will feature a unique blend of talent acquisition practitioners and thought leaders speaking about the most timely and important issues addressing talent acquisition. In a few days, you can hear best practices and tips about candidate management, talent acquisition process improvement, mobile apps for recruiting, building a talent pipeline, and becoming an employer of choice.
So do what it takes to adapt, grow, and embrace what’s coming. See you in Florida!
(Hat tip to Seth Godin.)