Hodes Voices

A New Relationship

Aug 27, 2009 | aschwartz | Hodes Happenings

Unless someone beat me to it, this should be the first post on the new Hodes Voices blog. As president and CEO, I’m excited to welcome you to what will be a great opportunity to share and explore the changes happening in our industry. Around the world, Hodes people are leading discussions on the changing talent landscape and how companies and organizations can better connect and communicate with their current and future workforce. Last month alone Shannon Seery Gude presented on Social Media at the ERE Social Recruiting Summit at Google headquarters, and Jeremy Shapiro spoke on finding HR metrics that matter at the 2009 SHRM Annual Conference. We are anxious to continue those conversations right here.

The driving force behind much of this change is technology. The internet and social media have changed the way companies recruit and candidates find jobs. The old model has been turned on its head and we at Hodes are passionate about making the most of the new one. The way companies communicate their (employer) brand is constantly evolving. The best brands will be at the forefront of this change.

But we must be mindful of our goals. As my colleague Rich Goidel says, “Don’t confuse the ‘thing’ with the ‘think’. ” Technology has provided us tools we’d never dreamed of and productivity gains never before seen, but it can’t ever substitute for what really matters: relationships.

I’m reminded of waiting on hold to talk to the cable company. Minute after minute of menus and options all designed to put me in touch with the right person who can address my needs. I know what they hope they will gain: eliminated wasted time, increased productivity, and better customer service. But is that really the result? I’m sure that there isn’t a person alive who wouldn’t rather speak immediately to a human being.

Relationships. That is what Hodes is all about. We’re always innovating and looking forward, but always in pursuit of fostering a better relationship, between ourselves and our clients and between our clients and their talent. That’s our goal for Hodes Voices. We want to start a dialogue, move the conversation forward. We want to create and grow that relationship. And we hope you’ll do the same by continuing the conversation in our comments section.

Welcome again. We’re so happy you’re here.

Tags: Employer Branding, HR analytics, social media, social recruitment strategy