If you thought Day 1 was packed of extraordinary content, Day 2 of the ERE Recruiting Conference did not disappoint in the least. Although many have packed up their bags, hopped on a plane, and most likely sitting at work today, I wanted to let you know about Day 2 and the content that blew me away.
World-class professionals in the college recruiting space took the stage to start off Day 2 of the conference. Marie Artim from Enterprise, Daniel Black from Ernst & Young, Dawn Carter from Intuit, Lisa Downs from Disney, and to top off the entire panel, Gerry Crispin, who is the grandfather of all HR, moderated and shared insights into one of the most brutal sects of college recruiting. The world of college recruiting has its fair share of obstacles to overcome, from buy in at the senior level, funding, to advancements in technology that have not yet been developed enough to reach one of the largest and most influential generations.
One of the biggest takeaways from this panel session was the quote, “Don’t let the perfect get in the way of better.” Inside the college recruiting space are companies who are starting from ground zero with very little support or help. Those who are working with limited resources should start first by dotting their i’s and crossing their t’s. Get a system in place that works, and continuously improve it while showing success to upper leadership. Another highlight is where they talked about your employer brand and how your culture needs to reflect an attitude of change and quick movement as new ideas and ways of thinking are introduced. Overall, it was one of the best sessions at the ERE Recruiting Conference. This panel is as high caliber as you can get when it comes to college recruiting.
Jason Hopkins and John Ricciardi took the stage next and talked a lot about using data and resetting your customer relationships to think more like consultants. They highlighted that in order to do this, talk to all stakeholders involved to build out a comprehensive talent acquisition strategy. Everyone involved in the talent acquisition process is busy, so collect the tools and pertinent information before meeting to be as effective as possible.
Using internal data and researching third-party data are crucial for building out a strategy plan. Using LinkedIn’s Talent Intelligence Reports are a good way and can be useful when you’re looking to find specific data around supply and demand, especially by region. As a former TA leader and now a consultant, I kind of loved everything about this session. Becoming a consultant made me realize that I should have looked at being a TA leader the same way.
Kevin Wheeler’s design-thinking workshop taught professionals a different way to think when it came to solving issues within their company and the industry as a whole. The main principle behind design thinking is coming up with practical and creative ways to resolving problems with the intent of improved future results. As the talent acquisition industry evolves rapidly, think of creative solutions to problems that everyday practitioners face. This workshop helped solve some of these issues in a format that most weren’t used to.
Overall, the ERE Recruiting Conference was a major hit. We heard from leaders across many different verticals in the talent acquisition space that deal with issues like diversity, college recruiting, strategy, sourcing, and many others! If you weren’t able to join us this year, we hope that you’ll join us next year (April 18-20, San Diego) as we have another packed three days of great content, networking, and fun.