Search Strings: "Some People Call 'Em Strings . . . I Call 'Em Monuments"

“Some people call ‘em strings, I call ‘em monuments . . . “

“The signature is about doing big things -- It means you’ve worked so hard . . . that someone wants your string as their string!”

“Are we gonna search with your string?”

As a member of the Talent Acquisition community (Recruitment, Sourcing, and all things Human Capital), I have reached my personal saturation limit with marketing messages, 'whitepapers', and webinars suggesting that I can make more placements and/or help clients make better hires through the latest and greatest search string. It makes me think of . . . . Air Jordan sneakers!

Now, I admit it - when the first Jordan's first came out in 1985, I wanted a pair. Then, when MJ won the slam dunk competition in 1986-87 (and Nike switched the logo to the familiar JumpMan logo of today), I REALLY wanted a pair! When I finally saved up enough cash through my paper route at 11 yrs old, I headed off and had my first experience with consumer irrationality - yes, it was good ole' 1987, and I was fully convinced that these Jordans would make me run faster and jump higher. Nike's marketing had worked . . . I believed their commercial that "It Was All In The Imagination."

It was probably here in life when I was introduced to what experts call the 'placebo effect'. Did the shoes make me run faster? Unfortunately not. Did they make me jump higher? Again, unfortunately not (yes, yes, I admit being quite upset when I wasn't able to dunk from the foul line like I thought I was going to be able to!)

So, when it comes to search strings, I have to let you know - Air Jordans don't make you jump higher, and search strings don't help you recruit better. Is there any impact on Quality-of-Hire? (meaning can I now dunk?) . . .

When you watch the commercial here, do me a favor and each time you hear "shoes", replace it in your mind with "strings" - you might get a laugh out of it ;)

- Josh Letourneau ("The Human Capitalist")