From my Dennis Smith, the talent acquisition brain behind the company whose cell phone powers my business, comes the following:

13%

?the percentage of big-company top executives who think “having strong ethical values” is the most important leadership trait” needed by CEO’s.

That’s down from 20% in 2003.

Meanwhile, 37% cited the ability to inspire others, up from 22%.

Reminds me of the line in one of favorite b-books of all time, Jack Stack?s The Great Game of Business, in which he describes one of his Higher Laws of Business? ?As they say in Missouri: Sh*t rolls downhill.?

Data: Christian & Timbers survey of 180 executives on July 11-18, 2005 (BusinessWeek, 9/12/05,  p. 16).

Want more good stuff? Read his blog.

“You see, I haven’t really thought very much. I was always afraid of what I might think – so it seemed safer not to think at all. But now I know. A thought is like a child inside our body. It has to be born? Bad or good, it doesn’t make any difference. The ideas have to come out – like children.”

In yesterday’s New York Times, columnist Bob Herbert writes a compelling thought piece that takes the United States military recruiting policies and practices to task by asking “Should people who are being recruited into the armed forces be told the truth about the risks they are likely to face if they agree to sign up and put on a uniform?”

Although I believe that Herbert’s words can be juxtaposed onto any recruiting scenario – military, executive, high-volume, etc. – as a “professional” recruiter (meaning, yes, there are many amateurs out there) and as someone who supports the allied troops (notice that I did not say the President), Mr. Herbert proffers some strong words in defense of his premise one that sadly can be extended to the professional side of recruiting.

To his point, the glorification of life in the armed forces during the recruiting process is quite different than life on the battlefield; we’ve all heard the joke of the Devil and the deceased Executive ending with ?Well, before we were recruiting you; now you?re staff.? (if you haven?t, email me and I?ll post it as a new thread). Imagine the response rate if bloody pictures of battle were part of armed forces ad campaigns?

Along with $30,000 for college – upon an honorable discharge after your six year tour is over – we?ll it may not really be over then because we reserve the right to auto-enlist you for as many two year tours as we see fit – you?ll also receive a coupon for a free prosthetic limb (or two) of your choice! And if you?re really unfortunate, there?s a flag-draped casket with your name on it.

Then again, when we look for hard-to-find candidates with specific skill sets, we don?t exactly tell them that their boss is a raging psychopath with a turnover rate of 137% or that the company is under SEC investigation. Oh, did I also bother to mention that we relocated this candidate from Oshkosh, WI to New York City upon which they sold all their worldly possessions to afford a 500 SF studio?

Fact is all recruiters stretch the truth of the assignment to some extent. We all perfume-the-pig at some point during the process. Herbert believes that ?potential recruits should be told the truth about what is expected of them, and what the risks are. And they should be told why it’s a good idea for them to take those risks.? Unless you?ve been living on the most remote island in the Pacific, you know that if you join the military during war time there?s a good chance you?ll end up on the battlefield. If you end up on the battlefield in Iraq or Afghanistan, there?s a lesser albeit real chance you?ll be wounded or killed. There?s no escaping the fact here in the States that over 2,000 soldiers have been killed; every morning I awake hoping that today?s a day when the number doesn?t rise. But no one joins up without knowing that a battlefield assignment might end in death.

What about our side? Some of us try to do this and lay out the benefits and risks of taking a new job – sometimes more effectively than others. Yet there are countless unknowns built into the process that recruiters are not privy to. Recruiters are often too low on the corporate totem pole to be aware of short and long term business decisions that affect employees (perhaps you?ve heard of the phrase ?mass layoff??). Yet we break out the perfume bottle and go to work. Moreover, candidates “know” that business decisions can result in job changes yet they too elect to move to a new city for a new job, new place, new risks.

In the end, whether right or wrong, all recruiters – professional and military – tell candidates what they want to hear unless the candidates demand more information. Herbert suggests that ?the military and its harried recruiters are preying more and more on youngsters who are especially vulnerable and impressionable, and they’re doing it by creating a patently false impression of what life in the wartime military is like.? Are we as non-military recruiters really any different?

Some people just take more risks than others. I?m one of those people. I prefer start-ups and turnarounds to more mature organizations with established employment brands, impeccable goodwill, and large recruiting budgets. These are my professional endorphins. As far as military service, I?d sign up for the Navy?s SEAL program in a heartbeat yet I?m told that at 46, I?m too old. About all I can do unless someone finds a way around the stupid age limit is to help train local SEALs and work with military recruiters to develop new ways of recruiting.

In the end, war is a short and ugly word and there’s no way to make it pretty; there’s no way to perfume-the-pig; and no Leo Burnett led ad campaign is going to reattach blown off limbs, fill a family void, or truly convince parents that their child will be better off in uniform. For some, change is always about risks and for most a simple chance is often the only thing to count on.

That is, unless someone is willing to be completely honest from the get-go…

Don?t worry ? I?ll be back?

Steven ? Re:money, can I have some? Perhaps when the technical issues are resolved (DB, did I ever tell you how much I enjoyed sending you code?) I?m sure I?ll be back. BTW, I love your blog. Folks, read it here.

Sherry ? There?s no sighing in recruiting.

Meg ? I?m not leaving ERE ? especially if I know there are people like you out there. Thank you!

Homula ? Number one, the only difference between us is that I can rhyme just a bit better than you (we won?t even talk about singing?). Two, you?re right about reaching people ? as I learned in grad school when I was teaching undergraduate courses in the exciting topic of statistics (yes, some of you are thinking, that would explain lots of things about Levy), I realized after a few weeks that in a class of 25, the best I could hope for was to ?reach? perhaps 3-4 students. Then I became a better teacher and a far happier one to boot.

But I don?t care that recruiters in general are an apathetic bunch. In martial arts, in particularly aikido, there is an uke (ookey) and a nage (nah-gay): The nage offers the technique and the uke accepts it; it really is like a dance where no one leads or follows but everything flows. I never expect to be listened to in this forum ? I?m merely offering insights to anyone who will accept them. But as you and I have spoken about how many recruiters and many in HR think people like me are off their rocker for suggesting that folks try things that would clearly not fly, there are times when even the strongest need a little pick-me-up.

Michael, can I have a hug?

Jennifer ? My hands are scarred from touching the hot flame on the stove, my eyesight damaged from playing with the pencil until I almost poked my eyes out, and my knees perpetually sore from jumping off the tree because my friend Peter jumped from the very same tree (BTW, thanks Mom). And I wouldn?t have it any other way. Jennifer, please post. Jennifer, please let the world know what you?re thinking. Jennifer, please continue to be a liberal. Jennifer, thank you!

Viva ? Don?t worry, since you demanded ? and I?m truly scared of what would happen if I didn?t consent ? I won?t be a stranger to ethics or diversity?nothing controversial about these areas.

Debbie ? Me give up? You kidding me? I?ll give up when President Bush can correctly pronounce ?nuclear?. I really don?t think I?m in the clouds ? the ONLY thing I may have as an advantage is that I?ve been in far more functions than most recruiter, I?m an engineer (there are no former engineers) and thus, probably have one or two more tricks in my bag to draw upon. Be careful though of looking up in the clouds ? if you?re not prepared, (a) the sun can come out without warning (as is known to happen in the Pacific Northwest) and if you?re not wearing a good pair of glasses, you can hurt your eyes and possibly prevent yourself from seeing well ever again; or (b) you can be pelted by a variety of moisture-based projectiles (some of which may even not be rain). Sure – opportunity favors the prepared mind ? but not all organizations (or bosses) like change (even though they say they do).

Marty ? I knew it wouldn?t take you too long to pick up the slack. But to clarify, it?s not at all ?boring and discouraging to speak into a void? ? as those who really know me, I am often found having engaging conversations with myself?or to my cats (yes, they do answer back). As far as the names have NOT been changed to protect the innocent, fear is demotivational. I?ve always tried to offer points of view that were empowering ? whether I?ve succeeded at times?or not, may be evident in these wonderful sentiments. Technologically, ERE needs a real blogging app (and I know DB is working on it) as well as RSS feeds. As far as my experience with Google, I was so annoyed with how call-ins were treated that I didn?t notice the statistical characteristics of the receptionist?

Dennis ? No, thank you. You?re right, my blogging ain?t dead ? it?s just in need of a larger screen (but don?t think I?m abandoning the ERE ? ERE is THE place for recruiters). If you?re going to buy a cell phone, it might as well be a Samsung…

Maureen ? What I appreciate is how often you send me private notes of thanks when all I really did was listen to what you had to say. And I know Marty IS a hoot.

It’s been fun blogging here but…

…it gets old when the same people respond over and over and the comments look like a conversation with yourself. Don’t know if people actually read these things or if they think I’m too much of a liberal that no one in their right mind would think as I do about recruiting or if many in our profession just aren’t open to new ideas (FYI, John Sullivan posts a great article on helping military recruiters with their numbers problem but I blogged about doing just this months ago. I’m sure his article will be emailed around but read my thoughts visiting the recruiting station before you go? Nothing liberal here, just outside-the-box thinking).

Recruiting is so much more than a search string, a certification, and an ATS. How do I know this? Imagine as I did a few months back, sitting in the lobby of Google’s NY office, filling out a paper form and listening to their receptionist field several calls from folks looking to work for the company. The receptionist’s response after each call was – and I’m paraphrasing (but not too much – this really has stayed with me) here – “What a loser – we’ll never hire this person. Do they really think they’ll work at Google?” Hmmm – I wonder what special techniques the Google recruiting team is teaching its frontline people?

They lost me right there – the rest of the morning was just courtesy. Often in recruiting it’s easy to get lost not being able to see the forest through the trees. Recruiting is not as simple as “If you build it, he will come.” In Google’s case, the recruiters were also unaware of what I would consider some of the best sources (trust me I’m not THAT outside-the-box) in the NY Metro area – I gave them universities, companies, diversity sources, etc. that weren’t on their radar. The shirt I walked away with was nice but I would have preferred a clearer receptivity to some of the things I spoke about that day with the recruiters (yes, and I was warned).

I don’t mean to pick on Google but if you’re out there at $282.75 per share and everyone thinks you’re the nest best thing since Starbucks coffee and Samsung phones (except for the possible exception of Andy Newman at Motorola), every move of yours will be scrutinized. But I think the problem is deeper than Google and its receptionist. Over the past few months as I moved on my quest to leave consulting and go back inside in some type of leadership recruiting (or recruiting/OD) role, I’ve spoken to recruiters who went from hot ‘n’ heavy to not returning my phone calls – or exhibiting similar bad behavior not related to the telephone. What is going on here?!?! I know I’m not an ogre (well, perhaps my ex-wife might believe otherwise) and I’ve done some pretty neat things in my time and influenced a few dozen (or so) people or so but jeez after courting you, can’t recruiters answer their calls or reply to their emails? Do you really want those who care about this profession to name names and treat you the same way municipalities treat deadbeat dads by posting your name and company on the Internet (“Danger Will Robinson, danger – alien forces ahead!)”

How about a recent interview with a software company that was as warm and fuzzy a slate as I’ve ever been party to (yes, the receptionists were great, the hospitality was second to none, and there was a spot of sun in the sky). But not a single specific question was asked; sure we spoke of hypotheticals such as “What is the best way to measure quality of hire?” or “What strategy would you use to improve the relationship between recruiters and their internal customers?” Ask general questions, receive general answers; ask detailed questions, receive detailed answers. Now it really wasn’t the best fit for me but I know I left it all out on the field. But the feedback was that I didn’t give enough detail in my answers. Hello! Sometimes even some fine recruiters can fall into manholes…

Been a member of the ERE since 1998 and so much has changed but far too much has stayed the same. I appreciate the very fine folks at ERE for giving me a mouthpiece but like the deadbeat recruiters I spoke about earlier, if so few are going to engage in meaningful conversation, then it’s time to move on. So while you’re experiencing withdrawal from not being able to read my blog, why not read Marty Snyder’s ERE blog – he’s a hoot and a great thinker to boot.

On my way back from Seattle yesterday, I read an article in the Seattle Times about vultures coming back to roost in southern Maryland – or as the author of the article so aptly wrote, “Like some squadron of death, the flesh eating birds circled down from the sky one day in April and no one in Breton Bay knew quite what to do.”

Naturally, I thought of recruiters. Of course, if I read a story about hummingbirds hovering around a sweet spot I would have also thought of recruiters. Back to vultures…

So the protagonist of this story said that she “had seen nothing like it: dozens of black vultures perched on rooftops and decks, all hunched shoulders and bald skulls.” I was flattered reading this. “Like a dive bombing sequence they strafed her house with droppings. For weeks their hooked beaks  tore caulking off her roof; their stomping could be heard through the ceiling.” Sounds like a pretty good sourcing group to me.

When Elaine pulled out of her garage, “they were right there on the ledge, beady eyes boring through her windshield.” And after throwing tennis balls at them” No, they didn’t fly away – they just stared back unfazed. “It was incredible. When you look up and see 26 vultures lined up on the peak of your roof and some of them are sort of strutting around, it’s pretty disconcerting. Hopefully it’s not some seasonal migration pattern we?re going to have to get used to.” Reminds me of what happens when a company posts unexpectedly bad earnings, is acquired, or is threatening to move to another state. Recruiters line up like customers at a deli counter waiting for the their number to be called. Next!

Does it bother you that some many make disparaging comments about those in our profession? Actually, it does rankle me – in the same way, for instance, that here in New York, folks think all FDNY firefighters are beer-swigging, women-chasing, authority-hating boneheads. If it weren’t for the bad vultures who demean our profession, more would be singing our praises rather than looking up on roof ridges wondering if Fluffy the cat is outside playing with leaf.

LOL – the fact is, I guess I am a good vulture…one who is impeccably well-mannered, groomed, and above all, understands the intimate details of the migratory patterns of vultures and their quarries. Yes, I am bald but I have broad not hunched shoulders (except for those Internet sourcing periods). Like a vulture, there’s nothing quite like the rush I get when I see a potential meal appear; I’m thinking lunch all the way…

To:      Sergey and Larry

From: Steve

Subj:  Strategic Thinking