As many of you know, I'm in the research phase of my second book, Talent Rules! - Playing the Hiring Game to Win. The theme of the book is an examination of the global, economic, and cultural forces shaping the workforce of tomorrow, and what must be done today to address the massive changes ahead.

When you really think about it, there are only two major hiring mistakes that companies make on an ongoing basis.

In this week's article, I interview Doug Berg, CEO and Founder of HotGigs. He and his team have recently developed a new product called Jobs2Web which addresses a growing issue for many companies. This interview is not intended to be an endorsement for the Jobs2Web product, but rather an exploration of the issues that make such a product necessary for companies that want to fully leverage the internet for recruiting.

First some background. When the Internet was first invented (not by Al Gore) it was touted as the great disintermediary. No longer would we have to go through middle men to get to products and services. The Internet would flatten the world, allowing buyers to purchase directly from the manufacturer at lower prices, with greater service and more communication. Unfortunately, with only a few exceptions such as Ebay, the first wave of successful Internet companies has really just been another vehicle for middle men to tap their target markets. Job seekers still generally go through middle men like Monster or CareerBuilder.com or any number of other niche sites. With the cost of ads rising (over $400 an ad) and the reach declining, these middle men are getting top dollar, delivering less and providing a market place which does not differentiate job offerings. Doug Berg describes why companies should start driving traffic to their own websites and not rely solely on the job boards. So sit back and enjoy a different world view:

[Note: The following is an excerpt from the 3^rd Edition of Lou Adler's Hire With Your Head (John Wiley & Sons) to be published in June, 2007. Email us if you'd like to find out how you can implement a multi-channel sourcing channel.]

The Internet has dramatically increased workforce mobility. Job satisfaction appears to be at an all-time low. Turnover is rising. People change jobs on a whim. Counteroffers are more prevalent and more are being accepted. No wonder. To find another job nowadays, all a top person needs to do is Google a few keywords, a job title, and a city. When combined with a huge reduction in "barriers" to leaving a company (i.e., portable pension plans, reductions in health-care insurance, and fewer fringe benefits), employees are capable and willing to leave for minor infractions or slightly better offers. Turnover is no longer considered a character flaw. In this environment, a well-positioned ad or a timely phone call is sometimes all it takes to find a top performer. To take advantage of this trend, companies need to move away from a classified ad mentality of boring hard-to-find jobs and, instead, adopt a consumer marketing approach to advertising.

First, the vision. As I finished up my presentation for the September 13-15, 2004, ER Expo 2004 Fall in Boston, the overwhelming idea came to mind that hiring top talent can some day be a systematic business process. By this I mean that companies and their hiring managers can assume that when a hiring need arises, it will be quickly filled by a strong person. When this day arrives, the systems will be in place to automatically ferret out the best people available, using a variety of effective sourcing techniques.

Candidates can be divided into four broad categories, depending on how active or passive they are:

The Magic Number

Three is a magic number,
Yes it is, it's a magic number.
Somewhere in the ancient, mystic trinity
You get three as a magic number.

The past and the present and the future.
Faith and Hope and Charity,
The heart and the brain and the body
Give you three as a magic number

From Schoolhouse Rock.
http://www.schoolhouserock.tv/Three.html

Prior to the advent of Internet job boards, savvy job hunters who wanted to tap into the hidden job market would start by identifying recruiters who had an industry specialty. Job seekers would network directly with the recruiter to get a pulse on who was hiring and what positions were open. Recruiters would keep these candidates' names on file for a rainy day; and, when they were ready to make a move they would start dialing for dollars. The Internet has changed this landscape considerably. The job boards have indeed created a fluid marketplace for talent. However, the best talent still does not look actively; nor, do they want to be found in the resume banks on the Internet.