Focused on Recruiting and Talent
Newsletters like this one provide succinct perspectives, opinions, and data about our profession and the trends we should be aware of and have prepared for. But books provide a deeper view and have the space to explore trends, provide case studies, and give examples that are useful if you are trying to make changes in your organization or understand the broad issues we face and how they might play out.
There are so many forces and trends changing the recruiting landscape that it is perhaps more important than ever to read and learn about these issues. The books I recommend are all slightly different, but together give you a broad and actionable perspective on the future of our profession. They are not hard to read, and most of them offer excellent case studies and examples to illustrate their points. While these may not be ideal for beach reading, they would be great companions while you sip a cool drink on the patio.
Here’s to a good summer!
Talent intelligence is one of the terms that has been used for the past two or three years without a lot of clarity about what it actually means. This is why I am a fan of Toby Culshaw’s book, Talent Intelligence: Use Business and People Data to Drive Organizational Performance, which was published last year provides an in-depth discussion about what intelligence means, how analytics are key to developing a talent intelligence model and why it is critical for any recruiting function to develop TI capability. He digs into how to set up a TI function and provides several case studies. I highly recommend grabbing a copy.
Matt Alder, a respected podcaster and blogger, along with Mervyn Dinnen, have made a significant contribution to our profession with the publication of their book, Digital Talent: Find, Recruit and Retain the People Your Business Needs in a World of Digital Transformation. Matt and Merv discuss HR, employee development, as well as the impact of technology on everything we do. Also highly recommended.
Another book, a bit different from the usual, is Talent: How to Identify Energizers, Creatives, and Winners Around the World by Tyler Cowen and Daniel Gross. They focus on how to find and engage the creative, entrepreneurial candidates often sought after by startups. They discuss such topics are whether personality really matters, why intelligence is important, and how to engage with creative people online. But read this with a critical eye – they are a bit naïve or impractical in many areas, as I don’t believe either of them has recruited many people. But there are good ideas and gems hidden in the book. Many of their ideas are refreshing and provide a different perspective than we usually get from HR or recruiting pros. Tyler is a Professor at George Mason University, and Daniel is an entrepreneur and investor. They bring both an academic and a practical viewpoint to each topic and explain how looking for creative candidates is unique.
And a third book and very different book is Ross Dawson’s Thriving on Overload: The 5 Powers for Success in a World of Exponential Information. Ross is a futurist based in Australia with a world-spanning reputation and reach. He shows us how to cope with an overwhelming amount of data and information that is thrown at us every day. Never before in history has so much information been available to so many at such a rapid pace. He talks about the power of purpose, how to frame and filter information, and how to synthesize it. Highly useful to all of us stumbling our way through so much stuff and trying to understand what is worth paying attention to and what isn’t. Each chapter ends with a worksheet or reference guide. Practical, enlightening, and very useful.
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Could You Use A Trusted Advisor?
If you are looking for guidance or help in becoming a more strategic leader, we may be able to help. For the past twenty-five years, I have been helping recruitment leaders in major corporations, non-profits, and NGOs to redesign, improve, or transform their talent acquisition functions. I work with you as a partner to assess and improve your processes, find and remove constraints, create more engaging career sites, and choose the most useful and relevant technology. I will work with you as a coach, mentor, or consultant – whichever meets your needs. I have only one goal – to make recruiting strategic and pertinent to your organization. Let me know if I can help. Please send me an email at kwheeler@futureoftalent.org.
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