This year’s HOW Design Live was held in the Collaborative’s hometown, Boston, MA, and my teammate Eric Gendron and I had the pleasure of facilitating two roundtable discussions on recruiting and hiring talent, sponsored by our sister company, the In-House Agency Forum (IHAF).

We hosted a wide range of in-house agencies— from well-known national brands with over 100 employees to small, regional companies with less than 10 in-house agency employees.

Despite the diversity of company missions and sizes, we heard three common issues:

1) Great talent is hard to find.

2) Partnering with internal/external recruiters takes time and effort.

3) Hiring takes too long.

Let’s explore each.

Read More...

dis·clo·sure noun \dis-ˈklō-zhər\

: the act of making something known : the act of disclosing something

Why is this so hard?

In any sales relationship, establishing open, honest communication is hard. And in the staffing industry—with its less than stellar reputation for ethical business practices—it’s even harder.

The dance between hiring manager and staffing professional is littered with half-truths and omissions. “Money is not an issue for this position; we just want the best talent.” Or, “This candidate is not concerned with the commute, only finding the best opportunity.”

If hiring mangers want the best talent and staffing agencies want to close more deals, speaking the truth is the simplest way to get there.

Read More...

In today’s competitive marketplace, there is no better move a college student can make than to take on an internship (or two). Gone are the days when being a graduate from fill-in-the-blank-university is enough to get your foot in the door.

But the rise of internships as “must haves” rather than “nice to haves” isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it’s a great thing for any impending graduate, particularly if you secure an internship at a company or within an industry you want to work for.

Here are just a few of the reasons why:

Read More...

Congratulations! You survived college. You managed to juggle a heavy course load, master APA style, perfect your footnotes, make friendships, and attend a party (or two) along the way. And you’ve graduated!

So…NOW WHAT?

Arguably the biggest challenge upon graduation is figuring out how you are actually going to land "the job" that will lead you in the direction you want to go.

As a marketing communications student, I knew I wanted to build relationships, be client facing, and initiate marketing strategy in some way. That said, I wasn’t sure where I would end up or how I would get there. The one thing I did have was a passion for an industry and a drive to determine what I was set out to do.

One of the most important pieces of advice I ever received as a soon-to-be graduate was to implement a job search strategy. Here are a few ways to start. Read More...