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Dan Beard Council Boy Scouts & Professional Leadership Network
May 10th, 2012Centennial, Inc. is excited to launch our social media “Return on Investment” initiative with this month’s Newsletter and blog post! We value our local community and seek to raise awareness about the positive impact that many local non-profits, community organizations, and ministry driven programs are making to benefit all of us who live, work, and play in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky region. Take a moment right now to learn about how The Dan Beard Boy Scout Council, a 100-year-old organization, is preparing today’s youth to be tomorrow’s leaders through its Professional Leadership Network (PLN). And don’t miss the details below about how these mentors and scouts are teaming up for a dynamic Double-Elimination Dodge Ball Tournament on Fountain Square on May 19th to impact the lives of over 400 Cincinnati Youth by sending them to summer Challenge Camp!
The Dan Beard Council is the administrative body of the Boy Scouts of America in the Greater Cincinnati area. With a geographic area of 12 counties in Southwestern Ohio and Northern Kentucky and an average annual membership of 33,000 youth, the Dan Beard Council is one of the larger metropolitan councils in the country and the largest youth organization in the Cincinnati area. Hundreds of Cub Scout Packs, Boy Scout Troops, Venturing Crews, Varsity Teams, Explorer Posts, and Learning for Life groups make up the membership of the council. The Dan Beard Council has a long history of providing life-changing programs to the young men of the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area.

There have been a lot changes since the founding of the Scouting movement way back in 1910, but the character values of the Scout Oath and Law remain the same. One-hundred plus years later, the Scouting movement is the largest organized movement in the world and the largest youth organization in the United States. We invite you to learn more about the development of the Scouting movement in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area – a history that begins even before the Boy Scouts of America itself was founded:
Service, Leadership, and Ethics
The Professional Leadership Network is an exclusive group of professionals that are engaged in the community and are dedicated to providing the next generation of leaders for the Dan Beard Council. The group strives to provide mentorship to the Boy Scouts and in turn benefit from top-down mentorship from the Dan Beard Council Board. Activities of the group include scout mentorship through programs with Scouts and business roundtable and networking events with local business leaders.

The Professional Leadership Network seeks actively engaged professionals to help develop and serve as the next generation of leaders for Dan Beard Council. If you want to nominate a rising star in your organization to become a member of the Professional Leadership Network, please download and submit the Nomination Form. Likewise, if you would like to learn more and seek membership in the Professional Leadership Network please visit – http://www.danbeard.org/PLN/
If you want to make an impact and serve with a group of highly engaged leaders from our region – PLN is something worth you learning more about!
This is your chance to duck, dip, dive, and dodge your way toward claiming the title Dodgeball Champion in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. On Saturday May 19th 2012 join us for the 2nd Annual Dodgeball Tournament Downtown on Fountain Square. Teams will gather the morning of May 19th downtown at Fountain Square to square off in a double elimination Cassidy Turley Dodgeball Challenge. At the end of the day, one team will remain standing. 36 teams with ~360 people will be playing in this tournament!
Proceeds benefit local youth. Our goal is to help send over 400 inner city and underprivileged youth to camp this summer- Challenge Camp. These youth may not typically have the chance to go to summer camp and participate fun, character building activities! Support a team or come watch the festivities. Every little bit will help! WCPO-TV is the television media sponsor for the event.
For more information visit the Professional Leadership Network Facebook Page
Give back to the youth in your community.
Through volunteering with the Professional Leadership Network and the Dan Beard Council Boy Scouts of America, you will work with youth to build a better future for our country. Scouting volunteers come to Scouting from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. People from just about every occupation imaginable are involved in leading youth to become responsible, caring, and competent citizens. You’ll also discover that Scout volunteering will enable you to learn new skills and build lifelong friendships while giving back to your community.
You can also contact me, Mike Sipple Jr., if you and/or your organization would like to learn more about supporting Dan Beard Council, scouting and the efforts of the Professional Leadership Network. Feel feel to call Mike and share, “I would like to learn more about the Professional Leadership Network” @ 513-366-3765.
If you and/or your organization are already providing support – THANK YOU!!!
Six Examples of Leadership from Mom – Happy Mother’s Day
May 9th, 2012Blogs on leadership are so inspiring! I came across one this week titled “Leadership Lessons From Mom” By Rebecca Robinson. As a mom, whether it be a full-time mom or a working mom, for me, that is a lot of both worlds – it is easy to forget how important that your role as MOM is in your family and how that can spill over in to your community and company. Check out how Rebecca ties in leadership with being a Mom – so important to be a leader in our homes and teach our children these concepts and you can use these lessons in your companies as well!
Leadership Lessons from Mom
Yesterday, I asked the question: What is a mom’s most important work? And the answer is complex; often behind-the-scenes, moms are helping to shape the lives and character of their children. Their roles as leaders are obvious. These leadership lessons from moms can be good tools to put into practice for people who want to make a difference in their families, communities, or organizations.
Great moms (leaders) build a cohesive team. Teamwork is important in companies and families. To get things done, people need to work together well. Effective leaders faciliate teamwork by encouraging cooperation among people and departments. People who are proud of their company and their place in it work harder to achieve the company’s mission. Parents can promote a team mentality in their families by helping their children develop kind and caring relationships with each other and providing opportunities to work and play together.
Great moms (leaders) see and celebrate the best in their children (companies). A mom friend of mine whose son is struggling to adjust to preschool lamented to me recently “It is so hard for me that others can’t see my son the same way I can: his creativity, his uniqueness, his spark.” A mother’s love trumps everything. A mother is a child’s most spirited cheerleader, most persuasive advocate, and most unwavering supporter. In this same way, great CEOs champion their companies and employees.
Great moms (leaders) multi-task. In order to get things done, moms become experts at doing more than one thing at a time. On any given morning, I might be preparing breakfast, packing sack lunches, overseeing my daughter as she finishes homework: all while carrying around a cranky toddler.
Great moms (leaders) are present in the moment. While both motherhood and leadership require juggling multiple tasks and responsibilities, they also demand the ability to shut out distractions and stay focused on a single task or person. My kids can tell when I’m not really paying attention. And employees can tell when their employers are not listening.
Great moms (leaders) make sacrifices. People making significant contributions to society through their leadership in business, politics, or education commit their time and energy wholeheartedly, often at the expense of other pursuits. In the same way, motherhood requires a woman’s complete devotion. Moms may slow down or stop their careers for a time. A mom’s sleep may be interrupted frequently beginning with pregnancy and continuing through her children’s early years and beyond. Moms give up their time alone, their tidy homes, and their own hobbies and interests. A mother’s sense of her identity and self image is often consumed by her role as a mom.
Great moms (leaders) let their children (companies)shine. My friend Carol is a successful educator and musician. She balances family life and career in a way that inspires me. The most remarkable thing about her, though, is her deference to her childrens’ energy, conversations, and activities.
Moms may seem overshadowed or eclipsed by the presence or achievements of their children. Leaders may seem to disappear in the bright light of their organization’s accomplishments. The best ones fade to the background willingly, knowing that true success is found in the influence they make in the lives of others.
What a great comparison Rebecca has made here with being a mom and leading in an organization. Happy Mother’s Day!!
12 Attitudes of Successful Career Changers – Career Coaching
May 4th, 2012When business people first started to speak with me about the importance of a positive mental attitude in regards to a successful career change, I was pretty skeptical. That’s fine for Friday night pep rallies and things of that sort (Pump me up, Hans & Franz), but this is the real world. We need something long lasting, not “false enthusiasm that lasts about as long as taking a shower.” Well, as a friend pointed out, “Hopefully, Mike, that doesn’t keep you from taking a shower each day.”
The point he was making, and the one I want to convey to you, is that there are Keys to Success – first and foremost among them is attitude. Nowhere is this truer than during a career change. Whether we are proactively pursuing a change, or one has been forced upon, our attitude is key. What follows are 12 attitudes that all my successful clients have shared.
1. Well Defined, Exciting Goals
As Steven Covey would say, “Begin with the end in mind.” The first task is to establish focus and direction for your campaign; not merely what you want to do, but where you want to do it, in terms of industry and/or geography. If you don’t know what and where, it’s going to be pretty hard to land in the right place.
2. Plan of Action
You can have a great goal, but if you don’t have a specific, concrete plan for accomplishing it, nothing positive is likely to happen. A good Plan of Action will begin with some key questions:
- Why are you making this move?
- What are your Job Search Goals?
- What is most important to you in your next position?
- What are the key skills you want to “sell” your new employer?
- What strategies are you going to employ to accomplish this?
- What are your weaknesses?
- How are you going to minimize those weaknesses?
Regarding your executive career search:
- What specific tactics are you going to utilize to generate interviews?
- How often are you going to utilize each technique?
- How are you going to track and judge the quality of your efforts?
- How will you prepare for interviews? Will you role-play? With whom?
- How will you follow-up on interviews?
- How will you approach offer negotiations when they come?
The answers to these and other questions help form your Plan of Action.
3. A Sense of Immediacy – Don’t Wait
In seminars, I ask new clients how quickly they want to be in their next position. They never fail to respond with, “Yesterday” or “Tomorrow”. My response is consistent as well, “Then act like it.” As one of my mentors was fond of saying, the job doesn’t always go to the most qualified candidate, but to the person who conducts the most aggressive campaign.
4. Strive for Excellence
Go for the job you want, not the one you think you deserve. Too often I see clients selling themselves short, settling for jobs that are beneath there abilities. Continue to strive for what is just beyond your reach.
5. Continue to Learn
Continue to improve your skills in your areas of expertise. Become a better salesperson, manager, technician, or whatever it is you do. If you don’t better yourself, keep in mind that there is someone else out there who is, and they will probably get the job…not you.
Learn the modern methods of how to make a career move. Too much has changed to continue using the job search techniques your father used. Yet, research tells us most people are using antiquated techniques.
Most importantly, continue to learn about yourself. How can you become more relatable? Do you know how to draw people to yourself? Can you get people on board with your ideas?
6. Be Determined to Serve Other People First
I believe it is true that you can get whatever you want if you first help others get what they want. In the job campaign, this means focusing on what you can do for the employer, rather than focusing on how many weeks of vacation you’ll get. One follows the other.
7. Dogged Persistence
Be persistent in everything you do. Follow up in an appropriate, professional manner. Know what the next steps are; if you don’t know, ask. Too many clients loose out on opportunities because they take the first “no” as the final answer. If you can’t get through on the first call, keep trying. If they don’t return your first voice mail message, keep trying. I once had a client who finally met face-to-face with a Vice-president of a Fortune 500 company after 28 phone calls. Keep it professional, but keep trying.
8. No Blaming – Blaming is for Losers
One of my clients, with 20 years experience in the steel wire industry, missed a $90,000 a year opportunity because somebody else had 22 years experience in the steel wire industry. The employer felt they were equally qualified, but had to use some criteria to choose between them. Obviously, we were both disappointed that he didn’t get the position, but whom should we blame? Don’t waste valuable time crying over spilled milk; move on.
9. Accept Full and Unconditional Responsibility for Overcoming the Situation
This goes hand-in-hand with the previous point. I love working with former military personnel. They know how to set an objective, put together a plan of attack, and implement it aggressively, knowing that the plan never works exactly the way it’s supposed to. Rather than looking for excuses, spend your energy looking for ways to get over, under, around or through the obstacles that pop up. If the Action Plan needs to be revised, do it. “Goals are in concrete; Plans are in sand.”
10. Get Comfortable with Disappointment
One of the first people I worked with in this industry used to say that if my clients weren’t being rejected at least 10 times each week, they weren’t really doing much in their campaign. Develop the confidence that comes from knowing that each “no” gets you that much closer to a “yes.”
11. If You Want to Fly With the Eagles, Don’t Hang Around With the Turkeys
Who are the turkeys in your life? Who’s saying you can’t achieve what you want? Have you ever noticed that whenever you step out of your comfort zone, whenever you dare to do great things, there’s always someone who doesn’t have the courage to improve himself, who wants to keep you from striving for your goals? Stay the course. Stay focused on what you want for yourself.
12. Daily Feeding of the Mind
To a great degree, we are where we are and who we are because of what we have placed in our minds – the books we’ve read, the people we’ve met, the decisions we’ve made. What are you putting into your mind? We can change ourselves significantly by adjusting the input. I encourage my clients to read for at least 15 minutes each day. There are great books on career search techniques and personal self-development that can add to the success of your campaign in tremendous ways.
Mike Lynch, CECC, CJST
Vice President of Career Coaching
Centennial, Inc.
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How Return on Involvement Influences Career Options
April 22nd, 2012Come learn from a multi-faceted, seasoned leader who has made an impact in multiple arenas and invested in the lives of many on their journey through career transition, by weaving a successful portfolio of both corporate leadership and non-profit engagement. This event is hosted on Wednesday, May 2nd 2012
Mr. Schwab serves as President/CEO of two philanthropic organizations: The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, a 501 (c)(4), independent foundation whose mission is to improve the health of the people of the Cincinnati region; and InterAct for Change, a 501 (c) (3) public charity whose mission is to inspire, lead and support active philanthropy.
Jim and his wife are two of the most engaged philanthropists in our region serving on many boards, while volunteering their time, talent and treasure to better our community.
Prior to joining The Health Foundation, he served as the President of Cincinnati Market at U.S. Bank (Cincinnati, OH). A lifelong Cincinnati resident and UC graduate, Jim’s 41-year career spans a broad range of markets, from being Chairman & CEO of Xtek Inc. (a metals technology and manufacturing firm in Cincinnati) to holding high level management and finance positions with Penn Central Corp., General Cable Corp., and Corporex Cos. Inc.
More about our speaker, Mr. Jim Schwab and The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati
Click here for more information
Centennial hosts and sponsors events to educate, encourage and inspire leaders and client companies. The way we accomplish this is through ExecuNet, Financial Executive Networking Group (FENG), and a variety of other sponsorship’s & co-sponsorship’s.
ExecuNet networking meetings focus solely on topics related to career development, management, search, leadership, growth and the opportunities in entrepreneurism or corporate business.
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The Hiring Process 101: The Legwork of Recruiting 2 of 3
April 18th, 2012The Hiring Process 101: The Legwork of Recruiting: Job Details, Selection Team and Planning
PART 2 of a three-part series
Want to find out how and where to begin your hiring and recruitment process to achieve better results?
We’ve summarized some key points on planning here. Watch for additional tactics to come in Part 3.
At Centennial, Inc., we align ourselves with good business partners to round out our expertise. Here, Centennial’s Mike Sipple, Jr. and Stratum U.S.A.’s Jerry Howard have co-authored a three-part series on the ins and outs of hiring, from the planning stage to the start date.
Read Part 2 below.
The Legwork of Recruiting: Job Details, Selection Team and Planning
Following the right process is essential to helping you make the best hiring decisions possible.
First comes a little legwork. This crucial planning phase involves preparing the necessary background information pertaining to the job and how it fits into your organization.
At the outset, you will need to:
1. Create a clear and compelling job description.
- Make the job description attractive and give it some personality — one that aligns with your company’s culture.
- Define the reporting relationships and the nature of the business, as well as how the job fits into achieving your organization’s mission and vision.
- Describe the challenges and opportunities of the position — and make sure it meets your business needs (especially if you feel missteps have been made before).
- Ask yourself “What are the must-haves?” and “What are the nice-to-haves?” for the ideal candidate’s experience and skill sets.
- Know you’ll need to give and take on the must-haves due to market conditions. Be prepared and stay realistic. You are seeking real talent with real experiences.
- Set out to find someone who has most, if not all of the key attributes to be successful. Find a mix of the right skill set, behaviors and abilities. Look for the unique behaviors that can drive the success.
- Bear in mind that behaviors can be staged to match what the clever recruit thinks you are looking for at that time.
- Talent, passion and energy should never be underestimated.
Remember, hiring is not always perfect. It’s not an exact science.
2. Assemble an experienced and informed selection team.
We recommend limiting the selection team to as few people as possible to streamline the process. Include only the key decision makers for the hiring process, and those who will influence the hiring — call it the “true selection team.”
When working with a recruiting firm, make sure they have direct access to the entire selection team including the chief decision maker. Include them early and often.
Why use a search firm?
A search firm can help the selection team align on goals and establish priorities for candidates and their experience. This is an imperative part of the search process. Experts who specialize in hiring help you determine the right blend of your desired criteria. We are experts at aligning leadership and talent with your current culture, or your desired culture.
3. Define and align on clear goals for determining the ideal hire.
The selection team should think through and agree upon ahead of time what is acceptable for the desired skill set and ability areas.
For example, is 7 out of 10, or 8 out of 10 skills enough to hire? In many cases, the answer is “absolutely.” But all too often, these conversations or debates take place late in the game, while the best candidate sits and awaits your feedback.
A candidate’s talent, experience, leadership and culture fit might align so well that you might decide that you can teach the technical. However, for technical, project-specific or industry-specific functional positions, you may also have to identify two or three key focus areas where you have to bring that key person up to speed.
What’s most critical in a candidate is to find a track record of successful behaviors and skills that can accomplish your goals and objectives.
4. Planning and timing
The more upfront planning you can do, the better.
When it comes to identifying people, timing for your business is critical — but know that the timetable for identifying the right person might not align with your business timing. Selecting and hiring the best candidate is not as simple as purchasing a new piece of software or hiring a new service provider, for instance.
Consider hiring a recruitment firm to act as an expert resource and “buffer” to follow up and report back across the team. We understand that everyone is always busy with other priorities, so having an expert on board can bring alignment and keep your process moving.
Key points on timing:
- Think through when you need the person to start — and always start the process and communications several months before you need the talent on-board.
- Work with your team to set the timetable and determine availability — because everyone has professional and personal agendas to manage.
- Give yourself an extra two to four weeks to compensate for the unexpected, if at all possible.
- Keep in mind that the more adjustments or changes you make along the way, the more time the process could take. However, using the process to help you align and make adjustments is critical to getting the right hire.
- Try not to get frustrated during the first few weeks of the process. Trust that your clarity and upfront planning will pay off.
- Make timely decisions so the “A” candidate is still available.
In short, the more clearly defined planning and priorities you establish up front, the more streamlined the process is likely to be. Clarity counts!
COMING UP NEXT IN PART 3:
Connect with Jerry and Stratum, Inc. on LinkedIn / Website
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The Hiring Process 101: How Do Recruiting and Hiring Mistakes Happen? 1 of 3
April 4th, 2012The Hiring Process 101: How Do Recruiting and Hiring Mistakes Happen?
PART 1 of a three-part series
At Centennial, Inc., we align ourselves with great partners to round out our expertise. Here, Centennial’s Mike Sipple, Jr. and Stratum Inc.’s Jerry Howard have co-authored a three-part series on the ins and outs of hiring, from the planning stage to the start date. Read on as they reveal key insights and learnings — and how to avoid missteps.
Part 1
How do recruiting and hiring mistakes happen?
…and ways to avoid them.
Here are four of the most common reasons:
1. LACK OF PLANNING
Simply stated.
2. LACK OF CLEAR VISION FOR NEW HIRE
Companies often have too many priorities and goals that are not prioritized – instead, focus on ‘fit’
3. MAKING TOO QUICK A DECISION
Resumes can be misleading. A great resume does not always indicate the “Right” candidate, and a poorly written resume just might belong to the best candidate.
How do you know?
Consider the individual candidate’s:
- Culture and chemistry fit
- Energy, passion, attributes and motivations
- Experiences, accomplishments and expertise
- Desire to learn, grow and change
In short, do not base your decisions on the paper. Although resumes can be an important tool for initial review, you should base your decisions on the experience and conversations with the candidate pool.
4. NOT HAVING A SYSTEM IN PLACE – OR NOT FOLLOWING IT
Whether or not the system is working, chances are, it could benefit from an outside expert’s perspective. In today’s talent market, relying solely on internal systems and hiring managers’ perspectives without getting an outside perspective can be costly.
Internal perspectives need to be reviewed and challenged to ensure they align with reality.
COMING UP NEXT IN PART 2:
The Legwork of Hiring: Job Details, Selection Team and Planning
Connect with Jerry and Stratum, Inc. on LinkedIn / Website / Twitter / Facebook
Connect with Mike and Centennial, Inc. on LinkedIn / Website
Subscribe to Centennial, Inc.’s Leadership & Talent Blog by Email
Benefits of Having an Executive Search and Recruiting Partner
March 29th, 2012The Benefits of Having an Executive Search and Recruiting Partner
How many times over the last 12 months have you either said or heard one of the following statements voiced during a hiring process?
- Everyone is underemployed or unemployed; so we should be able to hire talent quickly at all levels of the organization and within any function.
- Candidates are ready to jump for any new opportunity presented to them, according to recent polls, articles and news feeds.
- In this economy, we should be able to hire whomever we want.
- People should want to jump at the opportunity to work for us.
You can quote me on this: The comments above are all outdated and uninformed perspectives.
We maintain that our clients must be better prepared—now more than ever—to attract, sell and engage the right talent in the recruiting pipeline to fulfill the needs of the organization.
Having a recruiting & search expert on your team will help you:
- Get started
- Build a plan and process
- Create a clear strategy
- Foster alignment among the team
- Ensure you are not over-screening or screening out the best suited talent
- Enable you to tap into the “Right” candidate pool versus those who apply for your opportunity.
A talent and recruitment expert will ask the tough questions, not only of your leadership team and hiring authorities, but also of the selected candidates. We take down the proverbial elephants in the room.
Recruiting and Executive Search experts will also take the appropriate steps to ensure your team understands where your hiring successes and missteps are, or have been.
In short, an expert can help you align your overall business objectives with your talent strategies and plans.
We understand that your time, efforts and strengths need to stay focused on where you can make the greatest impact for your business. Our time, efforts and strengths will be focused on where we can make the greatest impact for your business: helping you find and hire the “Right” talent for your needs.
Connect with me / Twitter / LinkedIn
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Chick-Fil-A Leadercast 2012 | The Choices You Make Define The Leader You Become
March 21st, 2012
Centennial, Inc. has had the honor of being a part of this can’t miss simulcast for many years. It will be a day for leaders to be encouraged and inspired. Join Us for the 2012 Chick-Fil-A Leadercast – Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati, OH
May 4th. One day. Choose to be there. And bring your friends and colleagues.
It’s one of the best choices you will ever make.
Attend in Northern Kentucky (Thomas More College)
Attend in Greater Cincinnati (University of Cincinnati)
Search for Nationwide Locations
SPEAKERS:
Soledad O’Brien
Anchor & Special Correspondent for CNN
NFL quarterback, Heisman Trophy winner & best-selling author
Best-selling author & president of The Table Group
Marcus Buckingham
Strength strategist, best-selling author and researcher
John Maxwell
Leadership expert & best-selling author of “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership”
Angela Ahrendts
Chief Executive Officer, Burberry
Roland Fryer
Professor of economics at Harvard & CEO of the Education Innovation Laboratory
Urban Meyer
Head football coach for Ohio State University Buckeyes
Andy Stanley
Best-selling leadership author & communicator
Sheena Iyengar
Author of “The Art of Choosing” & world-renowned expert on choice
Where else can you attend an event with such a world-class lineup of speakers to inspire you and your leadership team?
What to expect
You can expect to be challenged. Inspired. Encouraged. You will learn how to improve your own leadership skills and also have the opportunity to network with other leaders in your area. You will see just how far your own choices could take you.
What to do now
Plan now to attend, host, sponsor, and/or volunteer for Chick-fil-A Leadercast in your local area. Now in it’s 12th year, Chick-fil-A Leadercast has become the can’t-miss leader development event for everyday leaders like you.
May 4th. One day. Choose to be there. And bring your friends and colleagues. It’s one of the best choices you will ever make.
You can also follow the day on Twitter
@ChickFilA
#CFALeadercast
#NKYLeadercast - @NKYLeadercast
#CincyLeadercast
Also, search Leadercast on Twitter…people are talking!
We look forward to seeing you there!
Sincerely,
Attend in Northern Kentucky (Thomas More College)
Attend in Greater Cincinnati (University of Cincinnati)
Search for Nationwide Locations
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Questions for Your Recruiting & Talent Acquisition Strategies
December 20th, 2011It’s that time of year! Organizations are involved and engaging executive search & talent strategy firms in conversations on how to make ‘Next Year’ the best year ever as it relates to attracting and hiring the right people! How do we take our key learning’s and challenges of this year and substantially enhance our recruiting and talent acquisition efforts? While this is a great time of the year to plan…let’s TRULY strive to make next year long-lasting by hiring the right people in the right seats who will be encouraged and engaged to utilize their strengths each and every day.
This is the year where your employment brand and recruiting efforts will mean more than ever as the talent war continues to intensify. [Check out Part 1 and Part 2 of The Talent War Has Begun!] Finding the “A” talent will never be more difficult and more rewarding – together let’s make sure we are victorious!
Many of our clients are experiencing the impact of thinking outside the box once again…it is not a matter of having a great post on CareerBuilder or Monster and the hundreds of resumes that come with it. It is about finding the right talent who will be the top performers your organization deserves.
I have been sharing all year that we are in an employee’s market vs. an employer’s market. “A” talent is simply more difficult today to attract, recruit and retain than ever before. This year will be a year where this is amplified as talent becomes more scarce and companies do more to engage their talent. What would you expect if you were being recruited to a new opportunity?
- You would expect to be attracted to an organization and culture where your values and their values align.
- You would seek an opportunity where your goals, personally and professionally, align with the organizations goals.
- You would most likely seek an organization who truly values and lives out community engagement. Why? Because this is what employees value…and this has been proven to improve employee moral & employee engagement.
It’s up to you so let’s think through some questions to ask ourselves to ensure we are recruiting and attracting the best talent for our companies! If your hiring managers and people leaders have the answers to the questions below you are FAR AHEAD of the Competition. If you don’t have answers let’s start working on them!
- What is your strategy to find great people that your competitors can’t and don’t find?
- What does the marketplace think of when they think of your employment brand?
- Are the people you find the best people you can find, or the first people you could find, or the easiest people for you to find?
- Did last years strategies attract many eagles or too many turkeys?

What are your responses to this initial list of questions….share it with us and let’s create conversation to assist each other in our efforts!
Mike Sipple Jr. is Vice President of Centennial, Inc., an executive recruiting, talent strategy and career coaching firm. Mike is passionate about attracting, recruiting, developing, engaging and retaining top talent for changing and growing organizations.
Learn more about Mike and his organization by visiting visit www.centennialinc.com.
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