Networking must be done for recruiting purposes

July 28, 2006 · Filed Under For the love of HR 

Ragan at recruiting.com gets a really surprising reaction from some of the commenters to a post about networking and the rude responses received. To be honest, I can’t in a million years think of a better way to connect with other professionals in my area than by networking.

Networking as a job or candidate searching tool is crap. Not only is it ineffective, it is dishonest. But I thought that Ragan had made it pretty clear that she wasn’t doing it for that. I do cold e-mails and cold calls all the time with professionals in my area or in my industry. Here’s a hint though, I am usually doing networking during times when we have lulls in hiring. If we are doing a bunch of hiring, I don’t have time to network because networking takes a ton of time. It is building a relationship. I rarely use my networks to poach from (like some seem to assume).  In fact, I’ve only hired a couple from my cold called/e-mailed/introduced network of people.  But guess what, those network of people know other people and I get a ton of referrals from them.  And whenever I have a candidate that doesn’t fit with what our company does but does fit with another company, I hook them up.  I also give advice to these networked contacts and have developed friendships from it.

I use e-mail because I am on the phone all day and the people that I want to talk to are busy as well. I feel that e-mail is a courtesy and as long as it isn’t spam, I haven’t had any ill reaction to using it. Calling can interupt a person’s day and if they are busy, they might be more turned off by the fact that you called and interupted them.

The rude response is never okay though and it is irritating to me that some would justify such rudeness. Even if it was a straight recruiting e-mail, wouldn’t a simple “I’m not interested” work? Why be a jerk about it?

I’ll never get how people can be such jagoffs on the internet or over the phone yet be so normal if you ever meet them in person.

Comments

7 Responses to “Networking must be done for recruiting purposes”

  1. Career Hub on July 29th, 2006 2:33 pm

    Huh?

    Like HR Guy, I’m surprised at the comments made on Ragan’s recent recruiting.com post about networking. Ragan contacted a current Google employee looking to make contact and add him to her network. His reponse was TAKE MY NAME OFF YOUR

  2. Blue Sky Resumes Blog on July 29th, 2006 2:38 pm

    Biting the Hand That Feeds

    Like HR Guy, I’m surprised at the comments made on Ragan’s recent recruiting.com post about networking. Ragan contacted a current Google employee looking to make contact and add him to her network. His reponse was “TAKE MY NAME OFF YOUR…

  3. Tiffany on July 29th, 2006 6:43 pm

    I’d point out that while networking is probably not that great a way to find candidates for an in-house recruiter, it’s GREAT for third-party recruiters. Since I’ve been a recruiter, I’ve become the girl everyone wants to know, because everyone knows a techie who hates his or her job.

    Also, “jagoff?” Are you originally from Pittsburgh?

  4. Your HR Guy on July 30th, 2006 12:17 am

    Pittsburgh?

    I can’t speak well for just recruiters. I am a generalist and I do network with a ton of different people.

  5. Ragan Jones on August 1st, 2006 6:03 pm

    Thanks for your support! I was a bit surprised by the reaction and comments I received, but everyone has a right to their opinion, just as I have a right to mine! Thanks again!

  6. Tiffany on August 6th, 2006 6:53 pm

    I’ve never heard anyone who wasn’t from Pittsburgh use the term “jagoff.” :D
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pittsburgh_English

  7. Networking - General on September 15th, 2007 11:12 pm

    Updates?. Your topic about ing must be done for recruiting purposes | YourHRGuy.com needs more comments. I\’d like to spend me Sunday nights reading about networking - general

Leave a Reply




  • About

    Your HR Guy is a Human Resources Generalist practicing in the field. But don't let that fool you, this isn't a boring blog. I seek relevance and humor in a place we will spend much of our lives. Everything from workplace issues, job seeking and terrible bosses. Read more...

    View Lance Haun [lancehaun@gmail.com]'s profile on LinkedIn



    Featured on:




    Rate this Blog at Blogged

  • Meta

  • RSS HRM Today

    • 3 Keys to Reducing Defensive Reactions to Feedback
      When it comes to developing talent providing quality feedback is the most underutilized "tool" in any manager's toolkit. Most managers are able to intuitively assess and describe employee performance issues, but what is difficult is communicating this information to the employee. Nearly all managers dread initiating these conversations and often avoid them, particularly if they have a congenial relationship with the employee otherwise. Frequently, the area for development relates to difficult to quantify behaviors. Discussing these issues with an employee can seem out of the question—after all, what if the relationship between the manager and employee is somehow damaged? The underlying problem is the inability to translate what is “known” into effective words that are both comfortable to say and will have the right effect on the employee.
    • Boomer Brain Drain: Not Gonna Happen
      Maren Hogan sent me a link to a website called Boomer Advisor. Specifically, she wanted her Twitter network to read an article called Companies Must Work to Avoid Boomer Brain Drain. Ugh. The article is disturbing for a variety of reasons — the least of which is because it’s about Baby Boomers. I’m disturbed because the [...]
    • Call Center Recruiting
      My HR blogging friend HR Minion and I have been talking about call center recruiting lately. Back in the day, at my first HR job, we hired anywhere from 10 to 30 people per month to work as sales/customer service reps for a very popular infomercial product. The job was hard to fill as it was only [...]
    • Qualities of Good Presidents and Good Employees
      I love this post from Michael McKinney at Leading Blog. It’s based on a new book from Alvin Felzenberg, The Leaders We Deserved (and a Few We Didn’t): Rethinking the Presidential Rating Game. Felzenberg devised six criteria to best describe various U.S. presidents’ contribution to history. Based on this exercise, he presents a list of what [...]
    • If Sales Ran Your Company…
      If you’re like me, you have heard many references over the years to a “revenue driven organization” or “client facing firm”, all code words for those cultures where sales rules the roost.  So what would happen if they ran your entire company?  For one, if revenues were down in a given quarter, it would likely [...]
    • HR Controversy in the Blogosphere
      If you think HR is boring, you’re right; however, we do have a few of our own controversies circling around the blogosphere. No, there isn’t a conflict between those who want to use red personnel folders and those who prefer blue. (Although I’m not saying that the specific color of folders hasn’t been an issue in [...]
    • Personnel vs Human Resources: Is There a Difference?
      A senior human resources executive emailed me to ask whether I still see the term “personnel” floating about in today’s market.  She found the term to be a bit demeaning and old school, feeling it reflected an era of lesser value than today’s current HR function.  Which begs the question - is there really a [...]
    • Flip Flops at Work? Not in this House!
      That’s it. I’m done. I’m soooo done. The last nerve has been fried and the camels back is officially broken. If you want me I’ll be in a corner pounding my head against the wall. I know I’ve joked about it in the past, but, 1. Is it that hard to tell someone their outfit is [...]
    • Paranormal Infestation as Affirmative NLRB Defense?
      ABS Heating and Cooling was found to be in violation of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) when they stopped paying their employees in accordance with the union contract...however, about that same time, they were being investigated for paranormal activity. Was there any connection?
    • Illegal Hiring Practices?
      Is it “legal” for a public agency to fill a position without advertising it (internally or externally)? My hubby works as an Engineering Technician for a special district in California. To fill a new position of Junior Engineer, the district’s Engineering department head and supervisor went to the college and specific academic department from which the [...]