Jason Blais: From the Recruiting Front Lines

In this week’s look back: social media in vacationland, the art and science of winning negotiation, eLearning for HR, and thoughts on the economy.  Read on for quick hits on these topics, or follow the links for more in-depth coverage.

On september 24th, the SocialMediaFTW conference erupted at the University of Southern Maine in Portland.  Yes, it’s true- my home state, Vacationland as it were, does indeed have access to the world wide web, an avid curiosity of social media, and actual universities.  More than anything else, the shear turnout (this event sold out in advance to over 225 attendees) and thirst for knowledge were undeniable indicators that even in the farthest reaching corners of the US, the impact of social media is being felt. CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL POST

The long term survival of employment websites, aka Job Boards, is dependant upon their ability to provide employers a larger and more effective suite of services targeted to help them make better hires.  It will no longer be enough to simply drive eyeballs to job advertisements, according to the thought leaders at IAEWS’s Annual Member Congress earlier this month.  JobsInTheUS saw the writing on the wall at the end of 2008, and launched a new department to focus on identifying and developing new programs to increase their value to employers who primarily utilize their services to advertise job openings.  The first of three major new initiatives was rolled out in September, with the announcement of six new webinars designed to assist employers in the hiring continuum.  Four of these programs have received HRCI accreditation for General Credits. CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL POST

More from NextStep Negotiating.  HRSentry and JobsInTheUS signed off on the framework and agreement of a new alliance, enthusiastically completing a successful negotiation. The force of like-minded individuals working together to reach a common goal can be dazzling.  From discovery to agreement, this process was completed in under 30 days, despite a cavernous gap between the desired terms from each side.  The theme of this negotiation?  Where there’s a will, there’s a way.  One aspect of this process worth consideration was the ability to re-frame the model in order to find a new solution. CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL POST
In an effort to share the data we collect as an industry leading employment website in our markets, we’ve launched a new series of monthly job reports with state specific job data.  These videos are available on JobsInME and JobsInNH currently, and can also be viewed on our new Channel on YouTube.  You can also see these two videos on the home page of this site: jasonblais.com.