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You are here: Home / Archives for Ben Gotkin

2014 Candidate Experience Awards – Celebrating 6 DC-Area Winners!

September 24, 2014 by recruitdc Leave a Comment

By Ben Gotkin
Last week I had the privilege of attending the first ever Candidate Experience Symposium in Chicago, where the 2014 Candidate Experience Award (CandE) Winners were announced and where we heard from many of the winners themselves and HR luminaries such as Libby Sartain on what it takes to deliver a world-class candidate experience.  I was particularly proud to see six local companies named as winners this year, including Capital One, Hilton Worldwide, Lockheed Martin, SNL Financial,The Bozzuto Group and Sodexo USA.

The 2014 CandE program was bigger and better than ever with 62 winners announced, a dozen ‘Winners With Distinction’ (including Capital One, Hilton and Bozzuto), and over 95,000 candidate survey responses.  The number of candidate survey responses in 2014 was double the 2013 number, providing us with some incredibly rich data.  Up until recently, we essentially had to assume what truly defined a world-class candidate experience, and the impact of that experience upon an organization’s brand and bottom line.  The data we have now is backing up the historically anecdotal evidence with hard numbers.

We are still learning a lot, and it will be very interesting to see how the data trends year-over-year.  The 2013 survey data pointed to the candidate experience having a direct impact on brand perception, net promoter score, willingness to reengage both as a candidate and as a customer and more.  The 2014 data is just beginning to be analyzed, so keep an ear open for the release of the 2014 CandE eBook where we will all see just how the data is trending and if in fact we can continue to draw that direct correlation between the candidate experience and an organization’s recruiting and financial results.

I also encourage you to consider participating in the 2015 CandE awards program.  The program is FREE to join, it will only cost you the time and effort to complete the employer survey and, and potentially distribute a candidate survey.  You will have access to not only your survey results, but how those results compare to the aggregate.  Year-over-year participation will allow you to benchmark yourself and track the impact of process improvement efforts.  Only the winners of the award are made public, so it is possible just to complete the employee survey for benchmarking purposes if you wish to remain anonymous.  So no excuses, right?

To learn more about this year’s award winners, to access the 2013 eBook and to express interest in the 2015 survey and awards program, please visit www.thecandidateexperienceawards.org.

Ben Gotkin is the Founder & President of recruitDC, and is a Principal Consultant with Recruiting Toolbox.  You can connect with Ben on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter at @bengotkin

 

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Ben Gotkin, Candidate Experience, employment branding, Gerry Crispin, recruiting

Job Postings Are Not Dead, Despite Zappos Claim

June 9, 2014 by recruitdc Leave a Comment

By Ben Gotkin

Every now and then, a high profile company does something so ground breaking, unique or radical in their talent management strategy that everyone takes notice, often resulting in the question, is this a new trend? Is ___ dead? For example, when Yahoo! announced the end of telecommuting for their employees, pundits questioned whether the practice as a whole was coming to an end. That was ridiculous of course, as it was a decision made by one company for valid reasons that applied to their own situation.

The latest company to do something dramatic at this level was Zappos, when they announced recently that they would no longer use job postings as a part of their recruiting process. This story captured national attention with articles in the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post. A big, bold move indeed, and one that was probably bound to happen at some point somewhere. But does this spell the beginning of the end for job postings? [Read more…]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Ben Gotkin, job board, job posting, Job Search, recruiting, sourcing

Introducing recruitDC's Spring 2014 Keynote, Laurie Ruettimann

April 14, 2014 by recruitdc Leave a Comment

recruitDC founder, Ben Gotkin takes a few minutes to talk with Laurie Ruettimann about her keynote speech on personal branding. You can catch Laurie at the Spring 2014 recruitDC event.
Need tickets for the event? Get them here

Filed Under: recruitDC Events Tagged With: Ben Gotkin, Facebook, Laurie Ruettimann, Personal Branding, recruiting, Social Media, Twitter

Don't Blame Your ATS – A Movement

April 10, 2014 by recruitdc 10 Comments

By Ben Gotkin
I’m starting a movement, will you please join me.  Far too much over the past several years, a certain inanimate technology has received a lot of grief, being blamed for everything from black-holes to being completely useless.

In the past 6 months, I have heard at major conferences that “We need to get rid of our ATSs and get back to paper” and in articles that “ATSs are where candidates go to die”.  The truth of the matter is that it’s not the ATS, it’s you.

 

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: ATS, Ben Gotkin, Candidate Experience, recruiting, sourcing, Systems, tools

20 Years Recruiting In DC – What I've Learned From Some Amazing People

February 21, 2014 by recruitdc 8 Comments

By Ben Gotkin
20 years. 2 decades.  It feels like a long time to be doing anything, and it forces you to reflect on some things.   As I enter my 20th year in the recruiting profession, I think back to a few of those who I learned from and influenced me early in my career.  It’s been quite a journey, a journey that I wanted to share with you. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Ben Gotkin, Career Path, LinkedIn, recruitDC, recruiting, washington

A Tribute To A "Famillion-aire"

January 7, 2014 by recruitdc 4 Comments

By Ben Gotkin
It was almost a decade ago that my colleagues and I sat at the downtown DC Ritz-CarltonGary Cluff to see our boss, Gary Cluff, receive the 2004 HRLF Award for Service.  He was being honored for his years of bringing the local HR and Recruiting community together through Project SAVE, MASH, and a number of other activities he had selflessly led and participated in.  When Gary went up to receive his award, he told the audience that he saw so many familiar faces in the room that evening that he felt that evening like he was a ‘famillion-aire’.  Classic Cluff, a master at dry wit, new words and acronyms, and a sense of humility rarely seen in someone who has accomplished so much.

I got to know Gary very early in my career, and I was instantly drawn to his openness, his wisdom and the value that he saw in recruiter education and community.  In 2002, I had the opportunity to work with Gary on the DC EMA Planning Committee, and shortly after on WTPF’s Board of Directors.  But it was a day in the fall of 2003 that would change my career forever.  I received a call one day from Gary letting me know that he had approval for two new Lead Recruiter openings on his team and if I ‘knew’ (wink-wink) of anyone who might be interested.  I jumped at the chance, and it was one of the best career moves I ever made.  Gary’s been a mentor for me ever since.  When I left his team in 2006 for a leadership role at McGladrey, he endorsed the move completely.  I made a couple of moves after that, and one of my first calls for advice was always to Gary, and his advice has never led me astray.

When the opportunity to launch recruitDC presented itself in late 2009, there were several people that I approached to join my Board of Directors, but I knew that having Gary on the team was critical to our success.   Nobody else would bring the breadth and depth of experience and leadership that he would.

In a distinguished career spanning over 3 decades, Gary has been responsible for:

  • Creating the Cost-Per-Hire Survey for EMA,
  • Founding Project SAVE, which has helped countless HR/Recruiting Professionals, and others to connect and find their next career success,
  • Facilitating additional small groups with transitioning HR leaders, and top local recruiting leaders,
  • Sharing his knowledge and wisdom at local and national conference events and publications,
  • Serving our country in the Air Force,
  • Leading top performing recruiting teams at MITRE, the CIA, Contel, and Owens Corning,
  • Organizing numerous charity golf events,
  • And serving on the Boards of EMA, WTPF and recruitDC.

Gary’s been a role model to me because he showed me the importance of sharing knowledge, giving back to the community, and bringing the community together for the greater good…lessons that we all can benefit from.  He told me once that he didn’t mind having his Manager title even though he was doing the job of a Director or VP because he was provided the opportunity at MITRE to do the things in the local community that he felt were important.  Here was a man that had truly found balance in his life, between work, family, career and country.  A life to be envied indeed.

After a long, distinguished career, including a dozen years at the helm at MITRE, and 4 years on the Board of Directors at recruitDC, Gary is finally ready to retire and enjoy more time with his wife, children, grandchildren, and hopefully plenty of time on the golf course and at his oasis on the Outer Banks.  MITRE will miss Gary, as will the recruitDC Board, Project SAVE, and the recruiter community at large.  His accomplishments, career, and life have been legendary, and greatly worthy of tribute.  So thank you Gary for your time, your effort, your openness, your enthusiasm, wit and wisdom.  We hope to see you again from time-to-time, and wish you nothing but the best as you move on your next success in life!

Ben Gotkin is the Founder & President of recruitDC, and is a Principal Consultant with Recruiting Toolbox.  You can connect with Ben on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter at @bengotkin

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Ben Gotkin, DC, Gary Cluff, Hiring, networking, recruitDC, recruiting, WTPF

Devoted To Educating Our Own

October 30, 2013 by recruitdc Leave a Comment

By Ben Gotkin
ben gotkin2As we close in on completing our 4th year at recruitDC, I look back with tremendous pride with what we’ve accomplished.  Myself and several others sensed a significant void in recruiter education and networking in the DC market and in the Fall of 2009, we decided to do something about it.  Fast forward to Fall of 2013, and we’ve held 7 sold out conference events averaging 200-250 attendees.  This year, we added to the opportunities to connect be producing 5 smaller Meetup events.  Our website (www.recruitdc.org) was also launched, offering a steady stream of blog posts and information of interest to the local recruiter community.

recruitDC is a not-for-profit, grassroots organization staffed by volunteers, on the Board, supporting the Board, and supporting our events.  What we do is a labor-of-love, as we all share the belief that the more the recruiters in our community get up and away from their desk, and out to learn, connect and grow, the better off the entire recruiting community will be.   Better educated recruiters mean that companies are able to make better hires and deliver a better candidate experience, both of which have a significant impact on those company’s bottom lines, which ultimately has a positive impact on the local economy.  Think I’m exaggerating?  I don’t think so.  Our local economy is primarily a knowledge and service economy, in the end, it’s all about the people, and companies need to make the right hires to optimize their success.

But we are not alone.  For the past several months, I have been engaging in a conversation with my peers from local recruiter groups in other markets around the country.  Each of these groups is independent and unique in their own ways, but ultimately we all share the same devotion to educating and connecting our communities.  Our dialogue has been focused on what we can all learn from each other to enable all of us to continue to deliver great learning and networking events and opportunities. Last week in Las Vegas at the Recruiting Trends Conference, I met in person for the first time with my peers from groups in Minneapolis, Atlanta and Denver.  It was a great experience, and started to lay the groundwork for the future.  I am always energized by being around other recruiters.  To be around others like myself who are energized and devoted to growing their local communities was pretty amazing.

We have one more event this Fall, which should be another great one.  For the first time, we are hosting a conference event in Maryland, this time at the historic AFI Silver Theater.  If you haven’t registered yet, seats are still available to connect with your peers and learn from local and national experts about recruiting analytics, mobile recruiting, effective influencing and social media.  Please click the link below to learn more and register.  Hope to see you there and we look forward to even bigger and better things for recruitDC in 2014!

https://recruitdcfall2013.eventbrite.com/

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Ben Gotkin, Conference, Meetup, networking, recruitDC, Recruiters, recruiting

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