100 Places to Find Talent

Where the Talent Is: 100 Sites to Find the Elite in Any-Given-Field by Heather Johnson is plain good. In this down economy, finding great talent is essential. (I have a hunch that there’s going to be a lot of talent movement. Big talent who toil at companies that are not paying out AIP and LTI will have a roving eye.)

HR Rule of Thumb - Hiring Superstars

Here’s an HR Rule of Thumb: It’s better to have a superstar in your company for a year than it is to have an average employee for five years. This rule is also known as Retention Ain’t All It’s Cracked Up to Be.

What’s Your GPA?

Overheard on 18th Street in Philadelphia last night: “I don’t think that success in law school is any predictor of how a person will do in the firm.”

That was from a group of attorneys walking toward me in custom suits. Partners and managing partners. That type. Which got me thinking.

Do you still ask candidates about their GPA (grade point average)? I mean, seriously. John McCain graduated almost at the bottom of his class at the Naval Academy; now he’s the Republican candidate for POTUS. Edison. Einstein. Etc. All bad students. But I wouldn’t mind having their type in my company.

What’s GPA got to do with it? Smart people have great GPAs. But so do people who are expert at giving teachers what they want. What do you want when you ask about GPA? Compliance or innovation?

Punctuality

The trouble with being punctual is that nobody’s there to appreciate it.
–Franklin P. Jones

I’m on time. Always have been. In fact, I’m early. Being late just isn’t something that I can do.

Which leads me to a question: Would you hire someone if you knew they were always late? I’m not talking about being an hour late. I’m talking about just a few minutes each day. And that number of minutes wasn’t predictable?

I’ve told you this before, but my dad ran on Lombardi Time. When the Green Bay Packers coach told his players that a meeting started at 8am, he meant that players would be in their seats 10 minutes before that. My dad used to say, “We’re leaving at 8. Lombardi time.” We didn’t make any mistakes. We didn’t make him wait. I value that.

My take: I value people I can count on. Being on time is a big part of that. Is being on time part of your HR orientation? I’ll bet it matters to others, too.

Looking for Some Obnoxious Hipster Scum

Pitchfork MediaNow here’s how to really look for talent. This job posting for an administrative intern at Pitchfork Media is the way real people communicate:

Pitchfork Media is looking for some obnoxious hipster scum to beat up in the back alley of our New York City office. But more importantly, we’re seeking an administrative intern. (Seriously, no mustaches.) The ideal candidate will be available 10-15 hours a week and have prior administrative experience. It’d be pretty great if you also have some general office experience and familiarity with business applications (you know, like Microsoft Office). A good presence on the phone and strong writing skills are mandatory. Tasks include, but are not limited to, coordinating schedules, shredding watermarked promos, and assisting all departments with daily operations as needed. Qualified applicants must submit a resume and cover letter to jobs@pitchforkmedia.com. Deadline is Friday, February 1 at 6:00 p.m. EST.

That’s just brilliant writing of a job posting. And how do your job postings compare?

[Via yvynyl]

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