Amybeth Hale
on Dec. 23, 2011
From us here at The Fordyce Letter to all of you, we want to wish you the happiest of holidays. Enjoy this time with your friends, families, and loved ones. Next week we will be counting down the top articles from 2011 in anticipation of a productive, profitable, and all-around awesome 2012 for all of our friends in the Fordyce community. Have a wonderful weekend!
Amybeth Hale
on Nov. 24, 2011
From your friends at The Fordyce Letter, we would like to wish each and every one of you a very Happy Thanksgiving. We sincerely hope you enjoy your holiday with friends and loved ones as we do the same. Thank you for reading, commenting, and contributing to this community of recruiting professionals — you are what makes it great and we appreciate you!
Amybeth Hale
on Nov. 21, 2011
I’ve been a fan of Tim Tebow since he was at the University of Florida. I cheered for him then, and I take great pleasure in cheering for him still — and not just because he is a Gator (like me), a Heisman trophy winner, and an all-around awesome guy. I cheer for him because while he was a winner in college, he’s a guy who isn’t “supposed” to win in the NFL — and yet he does. He’s the proverbial underdog that we all claim to want to see win. (Though popular opinion sure doesn’t seem to indicate that… but that’s a completely different article.)
So after the Denver Broncos’ record improved to 5-5 (4-1 with Tebow starting) with a win over the Jets this last Thursday, I was so pleased to read this fantastic article by my colleague, John Hollon about how Tebow is breaking the mold of what success and leadership is supposed to look like in the NFL.
Leadership, no matter what line of work you are currently in, doesn’t have to come in a certain package, a certain style, a certain look, or from a certain background. Hollon says,
“If you get locked into believing that a leader must look and act a certain way, or have a certain kind of demeanor and experience, you’ll miss out on the unconventional person (or style) who can be equally (if not more) successful for you.”
In order for this to happen, sometimes you have to change what you may not even realize is broken. Because it’s not. It’s just not as good as it could be.
John Zappe
on Sep. 5, 2011
Welcome to Labor Day and the last day of summer.
Yes, I know. Astronomically, summer won’t end for another 18 days. But, I’m talking symbolically, not scientifically. And in that context, the U.S. Labor Day marks a transition from summer white to fall brown. It’s when kids go back to school, and the pace of the office quickens as workers return from vacation.
Once a day of parades and political speeches praising American workers, which still occur here and there across the country, Labor Day is now a time to head for the beach or the park, fire up the barbecue, and kick back.
In the spirit of years past, however, I present you some inspirational words on life and work in the 21st century, from two of the most widely seen commencement addresses ever delivered.
Amybeth Hale
on Jul. 20, 2011
It’s a never-ending battle. We are at opposite ends of the table from our corporate recruiting counterparts when it comes to what we want:
Us: Biggest fee for least amount of time investment (particularly for those who are strictly contingent)
Them: Most amount of effort invested by third-party recruiters for the smallest fee (hence the frequent “cattle calls” for searches)
…don’t forget the Candidates: Damn — they just want a job!
Supply and demand often dictate who is at the helm in these relationships. Everyone involved takes turns. being “in charge.” That’s why we’re all so interdependent on one another and why good relationships are so important to maintain.
Amybeth Hale
on Jun. 29, 2011
Dear Fordyce readers:
As we approach a holiday weekend, I know many of you are scrambling to finish your work weeks — whether to wrap up deals so that you can enjoy the weekend with friends and family, to plan in advance for your return to the office next Tuesday, or some combination of the two. I would like to remind you of one more thing that you cannot forget to do:
Take time to recharge yourself.
I recently learned this lesson the hard way, and from my own personal experiences, I hope to help you avoid some of the same pitfalls I encountered.
And I promise: this has EVERYTHING to do with recruiting, placing candidates, and collecting fees.
Amybeth Hale
on Jun. 22, 2011
Whether or not you want to admit it, we all use some paid resources for our recruiting efforts. This could include any of the following products: job boards, resume databases, information gathering resources (like Jigsaw or ZoomInfo), ATSs, the list goes on and on. Yes – I am talking to you! I know you post jobs on Monster, CareerBuilder, or at least some niche sites from time to time. I know you have purchased an applicant tracking system (that most likely is simply used as a repository for resumes with very little, if any, data organization). If we are spending money on these resources, why, then, do we so adamantly preach and train against using them when conducting candidate searches? If we’re paying for them, then why not justify the cost of using them by actually using them? And if we are not using them, then why continue to pay for them???
Amybeth Hale
on Jun. 10, 2011
I received the following email recently, forwarded from Jeff Allen (Jeff’s On Call!) by an upset recruiter:
Hi Jeff,
I’m a fan of yours and a subscriber to Fordyce. Like most…subscribers, I also spend a small fortune on LinkedIn every year. (Probably $3k-$50K depending on the size of the group). It appears that the sales folks at LinkedIn are aggressively going after our customers and trying to dis-intermediate us. I believe this is infuriating and unethical. Is there anything we can do as a group?
Please see the letter that one of their sales people sent to one of my clients.
Amybeth Hale
on May 13, 2011
Happy Friday, Fordyce readers – earlier this morning, we quietly did an overhaul to the website and we proudly present to you the new FordyceLetter.com!
Let me walk you through some of the new and improved features on the site:
Ron Jordan
on May 6, 2011
It was two years ago in New Orleans during the Bayou Classic – Grambling University vs. Southern University, two historically black colleges. For years, my parents had attended this game and the festivities that go along with it. It gave them an opportunity to visit their home state of Louisiana, which they both left separately right after World War II. Both my parents settled in the San Francisco Bay area where they met, married, and raised my brother, my sister, and me. As one might imagine, coming to San Francisco during that time was far better than living and working under the conditions of Jim Crow. To a great extent, San Francisco was not much better, though on the surface and to the outside observer, California was a thousand times better than living in Louisiana.
I received an invitation to sponsor a cocktail kick-off party in New Orleans during the Bayou Classic. It had been a couple of years since my mom had attended, and my father had passed away about five years prior, so for her, it wasn’t the same going without him. I invited her out from California to visit with me, have Thanksgiving dinner, and attend the Classic. I travel considerably for work, and with that comes some perks within the Marriott Hotel chain. With my wife’s blessing, Mom and I met in New Orleans and, with my frequent traveler points, stayed at the Ritz-Carleton in a very nice suite. At the hotel, there was a constant and steady amount of food and beverage selections, which for my 86-year-old mother was a delight. Each night I would accompany her and we would get a bit to eat and mingle and talk with other guests. She would hold court and I would sit back and quietly observe, something that is a real joy in my life.
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