Pretty Cool - Joshua Letourneau of LG & Assoc To Present a Human Capital Institute Webcast on Strategic Talent Sourcing Innovation (4/18/08 at 1 p.m. EST)

Wow, this is not only quite an honor, but pretty cool as well - since our SSF (Strategic Sourcing Framework) has in many ways been met with raised eyebrows on the Talent Acquisition side of the fence . . . and fierce resistance on the Executive Search / Third Party Recruitment side of the fence.  Therefore, I admit I'm quite surprised, however humbly flattered, that HCI reached out for this.  Here's why:

     a. Talent Acquisition has raised some eyebrows because SSF stands to disrupt the normal order of things . . . in more progressive recruiting organizations, this is met with open eyes and ears . . . while in less progressive recruitment organizations, change is a little more painful.  And let's be honest: The majority of recruiting organizations do not fall into the 'more progressive' category. Having Talent Acquisition broken out from HR is a distinct first step in the right direction . . . (albeit only the first step in the shift from a cost-center focus to an investment mindset).

     b. Executive Search / Third Party Search isn't real happy as SSF stands to jeopardize their revenue streams that are built more on Internal Recruitment inefficiencies than on actually providing passive A-players for pivotal roles.  My timing for this statement is quite relevant as just last week, I tuned into a BountyJobs.com webcast featuring Lou Adler, in which he presented on Passive Candidate Recruitment to the Headhunter/Exec Search community. So many questions on passive candidates came pouring in that I asked myself, "If a Headhunter or Exec Search Consultant isn't providing A-level passive or semi-passive talent, then who are they providing???"

The details and title of the webcast are being ironed out, so more will come soon.  This is what I have at this point -- Date: Friday, April 18th at 1 p.m. EST. Please tune in and share your thoughts and opinions!

Quick Plug for Lou Adler: This was my first time listening to him present, and I tuned in to gauge his presentation style, energy, and content. I admit that I was very surprised - from my perspective, Lou offered very strong delivery, his content was relevant & focused, and his usage of graphics to convey complex concepts was superb. Although I have no personal experience with his programs, I believe that his Performance-Based Hiring program may be just-what-the-doctor-ordered for recruiting organizations to right the ship. Is it right for all recruiting organizations? No, probably not . . . but there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution when we're talking about talent acquisition.  My point is that there is a large market that needs his solution . . . badly. I say that because I see them every day.  As a matter of fact, as a third-party, I often feel like half my sales calls are scenes from the Sixth Sense: "I See Dead Recruiting."

And here's the real deal: Anybody who knows me will attest that I don't condone or recommend a solution, product, or service unless I believe it stands to offer increasing value. I have no relationship with Lou, personal or professional (in fact, we've never even physically spoken), so I'm recommending his program from a standpoint of non-bias and respect for its propensity to deliver results.