recruitDC

You are here: Home / Archives for Conference

Welcome Back To recruitDC, Matt Charney!

by Leave a Comment

We’re excited to welcome Matt Charney back to recruitDC this May, and he has pulled together a great closing keynote, with some great information to share with attendees. Always one to look past what’s shiny on the surface, and well-known for calling things “as they are”, Matt will bring a fresh perspective to some important topics in the Talent Acquisition space. This presentation will take a look at some of the biggest trends and emerging technologies impacting recruiting and hiring today. It’s a must-attend whether you are running a desk, or managing a division of recruiters.

From NGOs to Fortune 500 companies to Mom and Pop shops, we will look across markets, industries and specialties to identify what talent leaders can do today to compete – and win – the top talent of tomorrow. Matt will discuss the real issues that really matter to real recruiters, and focus on identifying what’s really new and what’s really next. He’s going to encourage ditching the buzzwords and fluff for a data driven look into the changing world of work – and what that means for the work of HR and recruiting.

Here’s what you can expect to take away from Matt’s session:

  • How to follow the trail of venture capital and influx of cash to determine which startups are being built to last, which categories of technology and tools are the hottest segments of the talent business, and how recruiters can stay ahead by staying on top of the bigger business picture without a whole lot of work (or any special knowledge).

  • What the future of work looks like after on boarding, and how the blended workforce and gig economy models, coupled with a rise in knowledge work, globalization and remote workers, are already shaping the way companies hire, and what the upending of the traditional social contract means for traditional recruiting and Human Relations. 

  • How to build a business case for talent acquisition to get the resources required to recruit the talent you need, and how to work with internal stakeholders and employees to tie talent acquisition efforts directly to bottom line results. We’ll talk about how to make friends, influence hiring managers and finally make your people the greatest asset in the business – only with the P/L to prove it.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Still need tickets?

Buy them here before they sell out!

Thank You, recruitDC

by Leave a Comment

By Pete Radloff

I’ve been very lucky in my career. Luck played a part in how I even got into recruiting. It played a part in my having some of the best mentors and teachers that you could ask for over the course of a career. Because of my appreciation for all of this luck, I’ve always wanted to pay it forward, to use a phrase. Turns out, I wouldn’t have to wait long.

In 2010, I attended the first ever recruitDC, at Wooly Mammoth Theatre in D.C.. I lucky enough be asked to be on a panel about sourcing tools and techniques with some people that I greatly admired. And while I knew a good number of the attendees, I met so many people there, that it was hard to keep track of everyone. I would later find out through various conversations with people, some years later, that they had also been in attendance. It was a whirlwind event, but one that I took away a great deal from.

I walked out of the first recruitDC conference feeling as though I had just been handed the keys to the kingdom. I had innumerable new tricks to apply to my sourcing and recruiting, and new (to me) tools to test out. I was in a bit of recruiting-geek heaven, and to borrow a phrase from my friend Stacy, “I knew I had found my people”. I knew that for as long as there were more of these, I’d be one of the first to buy tickets. After all, as much as I wanted to attend national conferences, there was never a budget for that. And up until now, I hadn’t seen anything with that depth of content at an event at a local level. Hooked.

I was invited to join the Board of Directors for recruitDC in 2011. I immediately jumped at the opportunity to help shape and grow an organization I was very fond of. Heck, I’d get to work with Bob Corlett again. That in and of itself was enough to make me say yes. It turns out, that I got so much more out of it than I had ever expected. To be honest, I’ve been on the Board for longer than I’ve been at any job. and in that time, we’ve accomplished a lot.  

Fast forward to now, my last event as a Board member of recruitDC. I’m not one for sappy good-byes, but I cannot stress enough how thankful I am for the opportunity to have been on this great ride. I’m proud to call each of the board members – past, present & newly elected – a good friend. I’m emboldened by the mix of new and familiar faces at each and every conference. I’ve always believed that a connected community is a strong community, and the recruiting & sourcing community in DC is one of the strongest that I know of. 

May 25th is just around the corner. And, in a bittersweet way, I’m really looking forward to this event. The sessions are filled with great information and we’ve pulled together a strong mix of talent from the D.C. area and the country.

To those who haven’t yet come to recruitDC, or are on the fence:

Find a reason to come to the conference. It is worth the investment of time to grow and expand your network – just ask anyone who has come to a recruitDC event before. Don’t expect one day to solve all your recruiting & problems, but rather let it add to the body of knowledge that goes with you wherever you go. And no matter what happens professionally, your community is still there. And the reqs on your desk? They will still be there tomorrow too, but maybe you’ll have some better tools and tactics to fill them with. 

I hope to see you there on May 25th, and hope that your experience with recruitDC is as meaningful to you as it is to me.  And that is due to the community. 

So…thanks recruitDC. 

P.S.  – Click to buy tickets

 

 

 

Keep it Simple: How to Get More Done

by Leave a Comment

Ed. Note: We’re in the final month before recruitDC’s Spring Event on May 26th (Tickets? Click Here). We’re continuing our preview of the speakers who’ll be joining us for the event. Conor Nicholson, Founder of NSS RPO is on deck today with a sample of what he’ll discuss in his session “I’m a Recruiter, Now What?”

Seriously. There are only about 50 tickets left, so if you haven’t gotten yours, grab a latte and a laptop and we’ll see you there! 

 

By: Conor Nicholson

Want to accomplish more during your work day? Start focusing on less tasks. Sounds counterintuitive, doesn’t it? How am I going to get more done if I cut my to-do list in half? The answer is by focusing on one task at a time and doing it until completion. Easier said than done as these days, recruiters are pulled into all sorts of meetings and their focus can be shifted, sometimes multiple times a day.

But if you let external forces pull you away from what you want to accomplish, you’re never going to feel whole. You’re never going to feel like you’re giving your job and your co-workers the very best of you. Far too often, we start our days with the best intentions to make a real dent into major projects or lingering deadlines. But by the time 5:30/6PM rolls around, you look at what you’ve accomplished and want to kick yourself. Not only did you not achieve what you wanted to, your to-do list just got bigger! So the next morning, you feel even more overwhelmed and helpless. This can turn into an endless cycle that has major impacts on your personal life, well-being and health. Life is too short. It’s not worth it.

Earlier in my career, I was a legitimate hot mess. I had no direction and focus was a major challenge. I would start something, get distracted, see another email, take a phone call and an hour later, realize I hadn’t accomplished a damn thing. Think that felt good?

It wasn’t until I was 25 that I really started to take my recruiting career seriously. Instead of trying to solve every problem and make every placement in a single day, I simplified my days and saw my productivity skyrocket. If my candidate pipeline was light, I might spend 4-6 hours resume sourcing. That’s right, 4-6 of my 8 hours focused on a single task. Unlike the old me, I wouldn’t spend 10 minutes sourcing, get distracted and then see 5:30PM pop up. I turned off all notifications and checked email a max of 4 times. We’ll have a blog post about that soon.

I’d throw on headphones, close my office door and put “conference call” on the whiteboard outside my door. People got the drift that I was not to be interrupted. I had a laser focus and could really see who was the best candidate for the job. My goal was always on quality over quantity. Much better to court 3 superstar candidates versus 10 so-so candidates. The results were enormous. Instead of averaging 3 hires a month, now I was hiring 5. As I was reaching out to less candidates, I had less email interactions to manage.

Other days might be focused on making phone calls while other days might be focused on a ton of face to face interviews. My compass was always focused on pushing candidates that much closer to the deal and by simplifying my day, I left work with a clear conscious, energized for the what the evening might bring. It changed the way I viewed work and made me a better recruiter. If the guy who was voted most disorganized in his high school class can do this, trust me, so can you.

Conor Nicholson is the founder, President and CEO of NSS RPO, a DC based firm that specializes in placing recruiters. He learns something new every day and loves helping fellow recruiters meet their potential. Follow him on Twitter at @NSSRPO

What’s new for recruitDC Spring 2016?

by Leave a Comment

As we continue down this journey that is recruitDC, we strive to continuously improve and evolve the conference. Whether it’s technology, a tweak in registration, or even how the event is laid out, we like to keep pace with the way the conference experience changes across our industry.  As we march toward our next event on May 26 at the Marvin Center on the campus of George Washington University, I’d like to take this opportunity to share with you some of the changes in store for your recruitDC experience.

First Ever Event Chairperson

Recently, we introduced Teresa Green of CEB as recruitDC’s first Spring Event Chairperson. The role of the Event Chair is to help connect our content with the community and ensure we’re offering relevant material to you, our attendees and customers.  Teresa will kick off our event with some significant remarks about the day’s activities, but also her insights into the recruitment community in general. We’re excited to have her participate in such an important role for the conference.

Tracks

As we reviewed past event survey feedback, it was agreed that we needed to break our events into educational tracks. That way, our attendees know what to expect as they consider what concurrent session to attend.  This Spring, you’ll see our agenda is broken into three tracks.

·        Back to Basic: whether you’re a rookie recruiter, or a seasoned pro who wants to get a refresher on some of the new expectations for recruiters.

·        Advanced Recruiting Techniques: This track is for the recruiter or branding pro who wants to step up their game, or focus on something very specific related to your efforts.

·        Management and Strategy: This track is for the recruiting leaders in our community. You’ll discover new methods for managing and leading recruiters so that you can provide more value to the talent acquisition function in your organization.

Whova Event App

On the technology side, we’re incorporating a new mobile event app on the Whova platform. This will be a one-stop shop for all your recruitDC conference needs. You’ll be able to access the agenda, plan out your day by choosing in advance what sessions you want to attend, communicate before or during the event with your fellow conference goers, take photos of your day, or even tweet out your takeaways from the excellent speakers we have lined up. You can download the Whova app from your app store of choice. Once you’ve created your account, find our recruitDC event and join us. If prompted to enter an event code, use rdc16spring. We’re excited to see how the Whova platform improves your conference experience!

So there you have it. As if you didn’t have enough to be excited about with the excellent agenda for the day, you have 3 more reasons that will make recruitDC Spring 2016 the best recruiting event you’ll attend this year! Make sure you get your tickets today!

Spring 2016 Conference Agenda Announced!

by Leave a Comment

We are very excited to announce the agenda for recruitDC’s Spring 2016 Conference. This Spring, we have a spectacular lineup of recruiting industry veterans from literally all over the world prepared to bring you some great information at George Washington University on May 26th! 

You can purchase tickets to the event and after-party on our Eventbrite page

We heard your feedback! We’re always looking for ways to make recruitDC relevant to our community, and bring speakers who can talk to all experience levels. One change we have implemented for this Spring’s conference is to have breakout sessions in a track format, so you can choose what content best suits your needs. 

Back to Basics Track – For newer recruiters or those who feel they want a refresher. 

Advanced Recruiting Track – For more advanced recruiters and sourcers, who want to advance their tactical day-to-day skills. 

Management and Strategy Track – Designed for managers and recruiting leaders who want to get their teams to the next level. 

 

Event Agenda

7:00 – 8:30   Registration and Networking Breakfast

8:30 – 8:45 Welcome Remarks

8:45 – 9:45 Keynote Presentation

Finding new recruits online is easy but getting their response in this noisy world is an art! Katrina Collier | The Searchologist Limited | Social Recruiting Specialist – Trainer & Speaker

The explosion of social media has enabled companies direct access to people like never before and in 2016 using social media for recruiting is not a new concept. But with the explosion came the noise and recruiters must work smarter if they want to engage & attract candidates to their roles.  

  • Discover tools that you can use to map across social networks to improve candidate engagement.
  • See real examples of companies who are getting it wrong (and why) and learn from those who are getting it right.
  • Simple steps that you can implement immediately to maximise your return on social recruiting

9:45 – 10:15 Welcoming Our Sponsors

10:15 – 11:00 Break

11:00 – 12:00 Breakout Sessions

Back to Basics Track

How to Source Like a Boss Marie Burns | TalentAmp | Founder |

This WILL NOT be one of those presentations where you want to get up and run out the door as soon as you realize you’ve heard the content time and time again. No, we’re actually going to learn cool stuff that will change how you get from A-Z in recruiting every_single_day. And ALREADY a smart-tip: don’t forget to eat your Wheaties for breakfast – brain power is required.

We’ll discuss how to overcome today’s biggest recruiting challenges, implement new strategies and prioritize where you should spend the majority of time so you can keep up with the best in our quickly evolving recruiting industry.

We’ll cover:

  • The latest and greatest sourcing tools you need in your back pocket. Many just coming on the market!
  • Partnerships, untapped social communities and key areas to focus where we typically don’t as an industry.
  • Branding and messaging above and beyond basic recruitment marketing.
  •  How to use all the above to create a highly productive recruiting strategy to keep you #winning.
  • Real world challenges. We’ll get down and dirty, solving things in session.  
  • An up-to-date Recruiting Playbook designed specifically so you gain the competitive edge.
  • How to execute all of the above, meaningfully and successfully.

Advanced Recruiting Track

Taking the drama out of salary negotiations Amy Miller |Microsoft | Recruiter

Real world war stories, questions to ask, and how to be your business and candidate’s advocate in the salary discussion.

Yes, it CAN be done, and I’ll show you how – by effectively navigating challenging salary discussions with both sides of the deal.

I’ll also bust some of the most common myths and refute crap salary advice our candidates are bombarded with daily.               

Understanding how to gather data and what the offer package should look like.  Being a trusted advisor  and influencer. 

Management & Strategy Track

The Road Ahead: Talent Acquisition Technology Elaine Orler Talent Function | CEO & Founder

Where is your organization on the road to talent acquisition technology? In today’s modern world, technology and innovation are constantly evolving – improving upon the latest innovations. Talent acquisition technology is no different. With new innovations promising to ease challenges and improve processes, and a constant stream of solutions flooding the market, how does one view the road ahead to identify which technologies align with their organizational needs?

While working to engage, recruit and hire great talent, keeping up with all of these constantly evolving technologies can be overwhelming. Moreover, as the competition for talent increases and the skills gaps continue to widen, the ability to attrt qualified candidates, and retain them once hired, has become a game-changer. For companies to stake out a competitive edge in talent acquisition, a firm understanding of the latest market trends and solutions available is integral to a successful talent acquisition process – identifying, engaging and hiring the talent they need.

Join industry expert Elaine Orler for an interactive discussion on the road ahead in talent acquisition technology – engagement, intelligence and responsiveness – putting the candidate center stage. Orler will share insights and offer real-world examples of organizations leveraging innovative methods and solutions to change the way they engage top talent, market their employment brand and attract individuals through a positive candidate experience. Attendees will take away a deep understanding of current talent acquisition trends and learn how the latest technology can be used to meet candidate and employer expectations and support recruiting efforts. 

12:00– 1:15 Lunch

1:15 – 2:15 Breakout Sessions

Back to Basics Track

I’m a Recruiter. Now What? Conor Nicholson |NSS RPO |President and CEO

This session is intended for recruiters who enjoy the field but want to improve. They feel overwhelmed while being pulled in a thousand directions. While they work hard, they often feel they haven’t accomplished half of what they wanted to.

Early in their careers, recruiters can feel lost as there is no clear path to get better. This is a deeply personal presentation as this was me 12 years ago. I was coasting and knew it was time to pick up my game. With a few years of experience, all I really had to show was potential. The desire was there, but I lacked the proper systems and processes.

A recruiter has to simplify their workday and focus on their single most important goal: to make quality hires. For the first time in my life, I wrote down concrete goals with hard deadlines. I was keeping score. Next, I had to figure out how to attain these goals. I had to hit a certain # of submittals per week. Ditto for interviews, offers and hires. I was determined to become a quality recruiter.

A good recruiter is always pushing, always trying to move the ball into the end zone. We’ll talk about a singular focus on making hired. We’ll also talk about finding your unique, true voice and how to prioritize your daily tasks, so they align with your goals. Last but not least, we’ll have a discussion about how to truly partner with your Hiring Manager.

Advanced Recruiting Track

Practical Tips to Identify and Engage Talent
| Shannon Pritchett | Editor, SourceCon

Innovative sourcing is an application of human creative skill and imagination. This is also how we define art; yet with sourcing, there is an appeal of technology and experimentation that as much scientific as artistic. Using both sides of our brain to accomplish a successful sourcing strategy is a gift that we can deliver to our most important clients: our candidates. This presentation will paint a clear picture of the variables needed to deliver an effective and inventive sourcing strategy.

Expect to learn about:

  •  New websites to find talent
  • Valuable techniques used by industry leaders
  • Best practices in candidate identification and engagement
  • A streamlined sourcing approach to reducing your sourcing time

Strategy & Management Track

Employee Generated Content (Think Glassdoor) – HR’s Swiss Army Knife Christopher Kurtz | PeerThru Consulting | Founder & Principal  

Employee sentiment, engagement and branding are all being packaged and sold as Big Data for HR.  Guess, what?  It’s also being shared on social media and you may not need all that.

As an early leader at Glassdoor, I helped a variety of clients across all industries cross the line from fear to engagement and find tremendous insight and value in their Employee Generated Content.  What I share are the pitfalls and amazing nuggets found in wholeheartedly embracing and engaging with EGC after moving past the fear.

Pitfalls:

  1. Pretend It Doesn’t Exist – What you don’t know can hurt you
  2. If you Build it, they will come – Only True in Movies
  3. Listen to the What-if’s

Truths:

  1. Employee Generated Content Is Gold
  2. Small Steps can be Giant Leaps
  3. When it becomes part of your culture – magic happens

 

2:15 – 2:45 Break

2:45 – 3:45Panel

Oh yea? Now Try It In A Startup

Matt Charney, Executive Editor, Recruiting Daily – PanelistsSam Cicotello, VP People Operations, Social Tables; Yair Flick, Founder, SmartLogic and Chris Stone, President, EMoxie

Washington DC is known for many industries including tech startups. But how do recruiting professionals work in this very different environment? After learning about great practices and skills this day, we are going to end the day with turning things inside out, upside down and maybe completely out the window with a panel of local startups and hear about how they ramp up and keep their great teams together.  

3:45 – 4:00 Closing Remarks

 

Please also join us in thanking our sponsors who make this great event possible!

HR Tech Fest Coming to DC!

by Leave a Comment

Conferences are flocking to DC, it seems! We’ve got a special offer for our recruitDC community, courtesy of The Eventful Group. HR Tech Fest is coming to DC April 20 through the 22nd. As a member of the recruitDC community, they are offering a Buy One Get One ticket price with an additional $100 off the registration for our community. 

For Tickets: Visit the HR Tech Fest Registration Page, and enter code RecruitDC to claim the discount. 

They have a stellar lineup with Talent Acquisition leaders from all over the country, including:

Ambrosia Vertesi – VP, Talent, Hootsuite

William Tincup – Principal Analyst, KeyInterval Research

Bill Boorman – Managing Director Innovation & Technology, RecruitingDaily & #tru

 

Event and Ticket Information:

Technology continues to disrupt the way HR functions. No longer the cost center or the poor cousin; new disruptive technology, easy to adopt in bite size and cloud based chunks, has thrust HR into a leadership role demanding it to be a strategic partner within the organization. So the emphasis for HR to enhance performance, cut costs and find value adding tools has never been greater.

Enter HR Tech Fest. This global conference is expanding into North America this spring at The Renaissance Washington, D.C. Downtown Hotel, April 20-22. Join the best and brightest in HR and technology to discuss this exciting convergence of people, process and tech.

An event built by HR professionals and presented by that same community of practitioners, HR Tech Fest features presentations from leading companies including Twitter, Google, Hulu, Amazon, GoDaddy and more. Learn best practices on how they successfully moved HR into a strategic role and proven cost benefits to their C-level.

Get a sneak peek into the conference content by attending this complimentary webinar with renowned HR Tech guru and conference speaker, William Tincup. Learn some of the most critical trends in HR technology today, and hear how to better position yourself to make technology purchases, optimize your own technology and impact your business.

Register for HR Tech Fest by March 18 with promo code RecruitDC and save $100 off your BOGO.   

With HR Tech Fest in April and the recruitDC Conference in May, you’re spring learning is set to hyperdrive!

Manage a Talent Acquisition Program? Come to TalentBlend This April!

by Leave a Comment

By Moe Hutt

Last year, my business partner Kara Yarnot and I organized our first conference called TalentBlend. We knew there was a market for this, because nobody else was doing it. And we sure could have used it ourselves when we were starting out in our careers. We got such great feedback on the conference that we’ve decided to do it again this April, and we’d love you to come.

TalentBlend is a conference for those who manage critical talent acquisition programs, operations and projects, like tools and technology, employee referrals, recruiter training, college and intern, military and veteran recruiting, and contingent labor. 

Whether you run a single program in addition to your other responsibilities or you focus on talent acquisition programs as your primary responsibility, this conference is designed for you.

 In case you don’t know about Kara and me, we are Meritage Talent Solutions, and we have over 30 years of experience in talent acquisition project and program management. We’ve been in your shoes, and we went through a lot of trial and error before becoming successful at operations and programs in corporate America.

With TalentBlend, we set out to create an ideal environment for others to learn and network, so that at the end of the day, you’ll have the skills you need to apply to your own programs. And you’ll have new friends to lean on when the going gets tough.

How is TalentBlend different?

Most of us landed in these roles by accident. Maybe you are a data geek and found your way into a recruiting analytics position or you showed great passion for recruiting transitioning military and ended up running the program for your company. 

You wanted to design a conference focused on your needs — not just best practices but actually how to get things done.  We created TalentBlend, because many of the existing conferences may occasionally have a session for talent operations and programs, but most of those conferences are not relevant to what we do in your job.

It was important to us that TalentBlend have a relaxed, casual vibe that encourages conversation so you feel comfortable learning new things and building relationships with your peers. We’ve also selected smart, approachable speakers who are happy to share what they know, whether on the stage or during a coffee break.

What you can expect to get out of TalentBlend

Kara and I designed the agenda for a collaborative learning environment. If you attend (and I hope you will), you’ll take an active part in the program. And you’ll leave armed with practical skills you need –the ability to manage change, data analysis, and pilot projects– to make a difference in your organization.

When you come to TalentBlend, you should be able to ask these questions and get the answers you need:

•             How do I balance the wishes of recruiters, candidates, and hiring managers?

•             What is a project pilot and why should I use one?

•             How do I build a program from the ground up?

•             How do I keep everyone informed about ALL my projects?

•             How do I measure program success in the absence of data?

•             How do I recruit diverse talent when my company is not diverse?

•             What worked for my company, what didn’t and why?

After TalentBlend, you’ll go back to your office bursting with ideas and well-prepared to make your program successful. So you can improve the experience of every recruiter, every hiring manager and every candidate within your company.

Don’t take my word for it….

Our attendees had some great things to say from our last conference. Here are a few of their comments:

“The Talent Blend conference was well planned, and well executed. There was a diverse range of topics that were covered – from strategy to tactical. If you are in a Talent Acquisition role that handles strategy, planning, programs or operations – this is a must-attend event!”

“I was very impressed by this conference. Kara and Moe did an excellent job on everything – no complaints. It was high energy, interactive, collaborative, balanced. The speakers delivered helpful, thought-provoking content that I look forward to taking back to my team. I very much enjoyed getting to know everyone and feel more connected and confident now that I have colleagues I can tap with questions or offer to help others. I look forward to attending the next TalentBlend!”

“TalentBlend 2015 is a truly remarkable TA conference that provided a multitude of resources to take back to my organization as well as practical tools that will allow me to become a strategic partner to the various business lines.”

When is TalentBlend?

TalentBlend is coming up fast! It takes place on April 27 & 28 2016 in Washington, D.C., so register soon.  We promise you’ll experience two awesome days of learning and networking with your peers from a variety of companies, and you’ll leave with great ideas and tools to be more effective at your job. We hope to see you there!

We are giving away one free pass to TalentBlend. If you enter to win, you not only stand a chance to attend our conference at no cost, but you also get some other TalentBlend goodies as well. The whole package means you’ll have a terrific time at TalentBlend 2016! 

Click here to enter the giveaway >>>

Tickets >>>

Moe Hutt has been part of the Washington DC talent community for over 15 years. She started her career at SAIC building talent acquisition strategies, marketing programs, and employee referral programs. After a successful career in government contracting, she joined Meritage Talent where she helps talent acquisition teams solve complex problems by customizing best practices to fit the unique needs of your company.  She has designed and implemented enterprise intern, employee referral, contingent workforce and recruiter training programs. From drafting recruiter service level agreements to managing the launch of a new employer brand,  she specializes in striking a balance between creativity and efficiency. Moe started her recruitDC involvement participating in the Program Content Committee and volunteering at events. She joined the recruitDC board in 2015 and now directs the organization’s Programs. She also loves opera and her family. Connect with Moe on LinkedIn or Twitter

 

 

 

Thank you – from recruitDC

by Leave a Comment

Our Thanks!

As we reflect on all that we are thankful for – health, good food, and family members who are safe – we want to thank our community for their outstanding support of recruitDC.

Our most recent fall event was our most successful half day event with close to 300 tickets sold (299 to be exact) to date! Our event survey results provided great feedback on how much the community loved the event along with some great insights as to programs we can work on for the future.

What made the fall event so spectacular was that all of our speakers were from our local community. One of the basic tenets of recruitDC is to provide an opportunity for our local talent acquisition professionals to share their best practices with the community.

We were thrilled to provide not one but two great keynote presentations from members of our own community. Susan LaMotte, exaqueo, brought us data from our own community that showed us that we need to know more about our candidate pools than just their skill sets – what is going to make a candidate jump ship in this community. Celinda Appleby, Oracle, reminded us to stay real in our social media conversations with our communities; this tactic being crucial to Celinda’s success.  

Our events can only grow with leadership of our board and support of our sponsors.

It is a privilege to work with amazing professionals in our community who bring their talent and energy to creating and producing these events. My thanks to Moe Hutt, Pete Radloff, Kerry Noone, Matt Duren, Jay Perreault and Mike Bruni for helping us expand the programs and activities that we brought to this past event. Thank you rock stars!

We are honored to have so many great companies in our space that support recruitDC. Our sponsors Indeed, Hiring Solved, Monster, ClearedJobs.Net, TEGNA, HireClix and WashingtonPostJobs.  Special thanks to Indeed, a longtime recruitDC sponsor, for sponsoring our networking lunch which was such a success!

We cannot do all the logistics these events require without the dedicated efforts of our volunteers. We would like to thank: Regine Lewis, Prerna Chauhan, Laruen Irizarry, John Stauffer, Elizabeth Guevara, Brenden Wright, Jim Dittbrenner, Julius Russell, and Kat Staargaard. Special thanks to Suzie Grieco for working on the Marketing Committee and helping out with our events! If you would like to help out with recruitDC on a committee or at an event, just fill out the form on the recruitDC.org site.

Finally we had some great fun this year with our Photo Booth from Pixilated. Check out these photos!

recruitDC is about community and we are so thankful to have a great community to serve. We look forward to seeing you all at a future event! 

recruitDC Spring 2015 Event – May 21, 2015

by Leave a Comment

Join us for the next full day recruitDC conference at the Artisphere in Arlington on Thursday May 21st. This action and content filled day will sharpen your skills and reengerize your career along with expanding your network of recruiting professionals in the Washington DC area. This is a “not to be missed” event!
Tickets: http://bit.ly/1NOhJk9

Opening Keynote Presentation – How the Pursuit of the Sophisticated Job Seeker Can Re-enegerize Your Recruiting Career, JT O’Donnell, Founder & CEO of CAREEREALISM and CareerHMO.

In this session, J.T. O’Donnell will share how the emerging “sophisticated job seeker” can actually help recruiters feel more inspired in their jobs. Today’s top talent is approaching their careers differently – and that’s good news for recruiters who are feeling burnt out by the current process. Learn tips for engaging these candidates in ways that will excite you and remind you just how important (and fun!) your job can be. Good chats among defense recruiters

Morning Break Out Sessions: Choose from one of three sessions.

Employee Referral Programs: What Pays Off?  

Most companies rely on employee referrals as a primary source of quality hires.  Innovative and progressive companies are changing the referral game by adopting two top trends in referral programs. These trends were uncovered in the 2014 Meritage Talent Solutions’ Referral Trends Report.  In this session, you will learn about these top trends, the technologies available in the marketplace that can help you implement these trends, and the future of referral programs.   You will also receive valuable program benchmarking data.

Presenter: Kara Yarnot, President and Founder, Meritage Talent Solutions

OR

Wax On, Wax Off – Finding Balance as a Recruiter and a Real Person

Daniel LaRusso didn’t become the 1984 All Valley Karate Champion without learning a few lessons from Mr. Miyagi along the way.  The most important of those lessons was finding balance – in his training, school and with his relationships.   Sourcing, interviewing, scheduling, dealing with hiring managers, compliance reporting, spin class, book club, soccer practice and piano lessons for the kids…maybe even some sanity time for yourself.  Fitting it all into a week and finding balance as a recruiter can be a challenge.  This interactive panel will include tips, tricks and daily hacks to  increase efficiency in your work day, leaving more time to find balance in your relationships, for yourself, and outside interests.  Bonzai!

Moderator: Ian Jones, President and Senior Recruiter, Fluidhire

OR

How To Develop a Sourcing Playbook (and Execute It Effectively)

In this interactive session, you will learn the following: Step-by-step instructions for building your own custom sourcing playbook; key lessons, best practices and fundamentals for sourcing the open web; uncover market research and competitive intelligence utilizing a variety of sources; find hidden passive talent scouring search engines, blogs and online groups; drive more traffic to your job postings; build a search library to reuse over and over again; see a long list of emerging sites and niche communities to add to your sourcing arsenal and find anyone online in minutes.

Presenter: Geoff Peterson, Chief Sourcer, Sourcing SupplyRecruitDC_Web (29 of 60)

 Lunch Keynote Personal Branding: Connecting the Dots Between Your Brand and Theirs, Nando Rodriguez, Head of Employment Branding & Candidate Experience, Horizon Media

Nando Rodriguez will dive into keeping the authentic voice of the recruiter while in alignment with their company’s message in a fun and dynamic session.  He will explore how you can have fun and make your brand pop while still aligning yourself with your company’s brand.

Nando was formally at Ogilvy & Mather infusing his creative work style into their talent brand but just recently made the move over to Horizon Media the largest privately held media agency with $4.7 billion in client investments – where he’ll rock his style amplifying their employer brand through the use of digital and social platforms making Horizon Media “pop” among competitors

Afternoon Break Out Sessions : Choose from one of three sessions

Bring Your Employer Brand to Life — Globally, Locally & Individually -The spotlight on employer brand is getting brighter and brighter. But would it surprise you to hear that 60% of CEOs feel they are accountable for their company’s employer brand? Whereas 60% of HR leaders feel they are accountable? Now is the time to position yourself for driving and supporting your organization’s employer brand efforts.
In this session, Jessica and Shannon will share with you the employer brand big picture–what it is and why it’s important. Based on their extensive work at CEB, GEICO, and Marriott International, these experienced EB pros will provide you with guidance on how to develop your employment value proposition and start your employer brand journey. They will share with you strategies and tactics for bringing your employer brand to life, through global and local campaigns, as well as the actions of your leaders, recruiters, and brand ambassadors. Whether you have dedicated employer brand resources or are just starting to figure things out, this informative and engaging session will provide you with mindful strategies and actionable ideas.

Presenters: Jessica Lee, Senior Director, Global Employer Brand and Communications, Marriott International and Shannon Smedstad, Employment Brand Director, CEB. 

OR

Hardball! Recruiter and Hiring Manager Partnering Lessons

Ever find yourself in a new relationship with a difficult hiring manager? What can you do to transform this into a successful relationship? Let’s open up this topic and hear from seasoned recruiters and how they transformed the relationship from challenging into a true partnership. We will bring behind the scene insight from the hiring manager’s prospective and lessons learned so you can learn to avoid some of the common mistakes and implement a few tricks immediately to help reduce tension to your hiring process. This point- counterpoint discussion will address the situation through shared best practices from seasoned professionals who have hired 100’s of employees into various environments.

Moderator: Dina Flynn, CEO 10Fold Solutions

OR

Making Yourself Indispensable

Everyone wants to work hard and be valuable to their employer.  But with today’s job security uncertainty, working hard just isn’t enough – you need to be so valuable that you are invaluable.  This is especially true in Human Resources and Recruiting where you can sometimes be viewed as ‘as good as your last placement’.  In this session, Chris Scalia and his guest, Tonia Patt will share their evolution into a trusted advisor and executive, communicate strategies that can assist you in your career growth, and answer questions about becoming invaluable. Regardless of your tenure in the field or tenure at your company, this session will give you excellent insight to help you move the needle and turn ideas into action.

Moderator: Chris Scalia, Vice President, Sector Talent Acquisition Director at Leidos

Closing Keynote You Got This! Tools and Inspiration for the Modern Recruiter Carmen Hudson, Co-Founder, Talent42 and Principal Consultant, Recruiting Toolbox

Google the words “recruiters are”.  Go ahead. Did the autofill results shock you?  Probably not.  We’re not in the most celebrated profession. Ever the optimist, Carmen is convinced that recruiters can turn this around. We have an important job, and for many, our work is the difference between a thriving, successful company and a company in the grips of a deathly downward spiral.  Carmen will spend some time to convince you, cajole you, challenge you, celebrate you and catapult you toward recruiting excellence.  She’ll show you some tools that will help you be more productive, and some best practices and strategies that might make you reconsider how you recruit.

And of course, you will want to make time for the After Party at the Continental Lounge!

Thanks to our Sponsors for making recruitDC possible!

2015 Logo Image Tickets: http://bit.ly/1NOhJk9

 

Devoted To Educating Our Own

by 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/

NEVER MISS A RECRUITDC UPDATE!

Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates on recruitDC events, blog posts, conferences and more!

Get Social