I bet you’re wondering “Why Come Recommended?” and “Why now?”

Well, it all started when I set out to fill my very first job as a hiring manager—an entry-level position for a small public relations firm. We received nearly 100 applications after posting the position to both Craigslist and WashingtonPost.com. I scoured the stack looking for ways to “weed out” candidates and identify ones with potential.

Finally, I narrowed the list down to five and started making calls. My “phone screens” have always been fairly in-depth because of the position I held with this company. If I brought someone in, he or she would meet with the principal of the firm, and I certainly didn’t want to waste any of her valuable time. I vividly remember loving one candidate for this position in particular on paper and during the phone interview—at least until I asked if she had any questions. Her question? “So, what do you alls do over there?” No, that isn’t a typo.

I remember feeling so frustrated that I had just spent 45 minutes of time on this candidate—not to mention the time sifting through all the applications—that I could have been billing to clients. There had to be a better way.

I think I knew then I would found Come Recommended, although I didn’t have the name picked out or all the details firmly outlined. That moment came much later—after interviewing countless candidates and hundreds of young professionals and hiring managers in my role as the entry-level careers columnist for Examiner.com. Even though I recognize there will never be a “perfect” solution or a “one-stop shop” for candidates and employers, Come Recommended is certainly a step in the right direction.

Many experts now claim traditional online job boards are dead. They have become behemoths, bogged down by fake or misleading job ads and résumés of unqualified candidates. And although I encourage candidates not to leave combing the job boards out of their search plan, that action alone simply isn’t enough anymore.

The way hiring managers seek out and employ individuals is changing—rapidly. With the slumping economy, they are experiencing cuts in their staffs, resources and overall budgets. Now, networking, referrals and references reign supreme. And on the flip side, it is taking candidates longer and longer to find internships and entry-level jobs, again because of the economy. But, the problem is, even when the economy recovers—and it will, with time—the days of only posting your position on a traditional online job board or blasting out your résumé to potential employers is over. Both sides deserve more. Welcome to what I call “recruiting 2.0.”

I hope my passion for this subject inspires both candidates and employers to be “the best”—and Come Recommended provides the tools necessary to achieve that status.

I encourage you to explore the site and provide plenty of feedback. Keep an eye out for upcoming posts about Come Recommended news, career and hiring advice, and success stories from candidates and employers.

Best,

Heather R. Huhman, Founder & President
Come Recommended

This entry was posted on Monday, May 18th, 2009 at 12:01 am and is filed under Come Recommended News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.