What are We Going to Do Without the Telephone?
Bob,
Respectfully, this is the year 2010!
I know that you probably did not expect to get a reply to your recent email blast, but I read your article.
article.pdf
Actually I read it for a second time and I was compelled to make a comment. I am more accustom to commenting directly on a blog post, but a reply via email is just as good. Here goes:
This certainly is an inspiring well written story where your passion for the art of headhunting resonate well with the readers; specifically those who are also very passionate about traditional recruiting as a profession. Otherwise, known as old school recruiters!
I have been an independent recruiter for over 20 years and I couldn’t agree with you more on your assessment of the Industry; especially in its present form. An Industry where technology is more of a disruptor and a distraction to the fundamental process of successful headhunting! More importantly as you implied, it is now producing mediocre recruiters.
Recruiters today are no longer focused on doing the 20% of the recruitment process that will generate 80% return for them. Instead, they are spending valuable time on the 80% of the process: resumes searching, social networking, blogging and tweeting, which only account for 20% of their results. The old 80/20 rule as you stated.
The only issue in your assessment that misses the mark was the reliance on the telephone as the tool for recruiting success. I am not saying that the telephone is not an effective recruitment tool, what I am really saying is that the use of the telephone, as you implied is no longer the most effective tool in recruiting.
Here’s why:
A telephone today is no longer that static devise that sits on your desk; it is now a portable handheld interactive device that you can transport wherever you go. With that said, I am getting more voice mail recording today than ever before. Whenever you do leave a voicemail message, you get a reply with a text or email requesting that you connect via text or email. The very few that answers their phone when it rings or return your call are talking to you while they are actively engaged in another activity like walking, driving or waiting in a noisy check-out line. Having quality telephone dialogs today are becoming a rarity.
Bob, Let me know if you have a solution for quality telephone dialogs given technological advancement in communications.
Ken Forrester
(954) 722-7554
