Comments on: gerry crispin sounds-off on onrec conference http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/09/20/gerry-crispin-onrec/ Insight and opinion from the world of employment. Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:01:22 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Gerry Crispin http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/09/20/gerry-crispin-onrec/comment-page-1/#comment-50778 Gerry Crispin Fri, 21 Sep 2007 15:57:27 +0000 http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/09/20/gerry-crispin-onrec/#comment-50778 If you are as old as dirt, put a larger part of your meager "wealth" in "cash" at least til January when the winds might get to blowing in one direction. If you're not (old as dirt that is) make sure you've got 6 months as severence or 6 months in the bank. If you are a corporate recruiter remember you are the front lines and likely viewed as cannon fodder by everyone above your immediate boss. You are the corporation's bellwether. The moment the leaders get antsy they will "freeze" new positions then "insert" onerous approval processes for replacements and then look for people who have nothing to do...which by this time is you. Look for opportunities to get into industries less impacted by a recession, smaller regional firms that have the best reputation. They will be able to upgrade their capabilities and use this time to dominate if not roll up their sweet spot. If you are a team leader start thinking how your people can be trained to guide and counsel the folks who will inevitably be laid foff for a fraction of the cost of outsourcing to all the outplacement firms. If you are a recruiting leader, start working on contingency plans, joining your HR partners on revising, consolidating and assessing all internal talent, identifying gaps that must be filled etc. Shoulda been doing that anyway. Get visible about connecting 6-12 month forecasts as probability events business and staffing scenarios. Get your team leaders woirking on identifying the best counselors/consultants among the buttd in seats crowd. If you are one of the 90,000 third party firms, put your head between your legs....(just kidding) You all have a great opportunity to reinvent RPO for real. If you are as old as dirt, put a larger part of your meager “wealth” in “cash” at least til January when the winds might get to blowing in one direction.

If you’re not (old as dirt that is) make sure you’ve got 6 months as severence or 6 months in the bank.

If you are a corporate recruiter remember you are the front lines and likely viewed as cannon fodder by everyone above your immediate boss. You are the corporation’s bellwether. The moment the leaders get antsy they will “freeze” new positions then “insert” onerous approval processes for replacements and then look for people who have nothing to do…which by this time is you. Look for opportunities to get into industries less impacted by a recession, smaller regional firms that have the best reputation. They will be able to upgrade their capabilities and use this time to dominate if not roll up their sweet spot.

If you are a team leader start thinking how your people can be trained to guide and counsel the folks who will inevitably be laid foff for a fraction of the cost of outsourcing to all the outplacement firms.

If you are a recruiting leader, start working on contingency plans, joining your HR partners on revising, consolidating and assessing all internal talent, identifying gaps that must be filled etc. Shoulda been doing that anyway. Get visible about connecting 6-12 month forecasts as probability events business and staffing scenarios. Get your team leaders woirking on identifying the best counselors/consultants among the buttd in seats crowd.

If you are one of the 90,000 third party firms, put your head between your legs….(just kidding) You all have a great opportunity to reinvent RPO for real.

]]> By: Jason Bruns http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/09/20/gerry-crispin-onrec/comment-page-1/#comment-50751 Jason Bruns Fri, 21 Sep 2007 12:19:47 +0000 http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/09/20/gerry-crispin-onrec/#comment-50751 Interesting interview... I'm in the same boat when it comes to having contrarian views on the economy over the next 6 months. Joel- was there any indication on how Mr. Crispin intends to hedge himself, or for that matter, any indication on how recruiters in general, will hedge themselves against a downturn in the market? Interesting interview… I’m in the same boat when it comes to having contrarian views on the economy over the next 6 months. Joel- was there any indication on how Mr. Crispin intends to hedge himself, or for that matter, any indication on how recruiters in general, will hedge themselves against a downturn in the market?

]]> By: Shannon Seery http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/09/20/gerry-crispin-onrec/comment-page-1/#comment-50568 Shannon Seery Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:25:56 +0000 http://www.cheezhead.com/2007/09/20/gerry-crispin-onrec/#comment-50568 Thanks for posting this Joel. Meeting Gerry in person was one of the OnRec.com highlights for me. The economy question is a good one. While we can't be sure what is doing to happen, having deeper discussions about what a downturn in the US would mean for staffing would be great - maybe we can do a virtual round table focusing on this issue and podcast it? Thanks for posting this Joel. Meeting Gerry in person was one of the OnRec.com highlights for me. The economy question is a good one. While we can’t be sure what is doing to happen, having deeper discussions about what a downturn in the US would mean for staffing would be great – maybe we can do a virtual round table focusing on this issue and podcast it?

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