Seven Strategic Dual Roles of Tomorrow’s Recruiters

The swift horse are usually found, but not the same as ‘Pak Lok" (the person who has good judgments to spot ‘Long Distance Running Horse’.
Oriental Proverb

Like the Pak Lok, every recruiter intent to hunt for the right talent, but with different approach: yesterday’s recruiters are busy searching for the keyword, evaluate the right horse with their outdated methodology, personal judgment, old channel and fitness on the surface, most often they spot the short distance running horse, bring in the candidate with the short-term perspective or similar mindset to many organizations, that might be the deep reason for the leadership failure in Great Recession and the root cause for How the Mighty Fall


Tomorrow’s recruiters will learn from Pak Lok, see through their clients’ character and courage, walk through their soul and heart, to become the superior talent master and visionary soul hunter.

Here are the seven strategic dual roles defined for the futuristic recruiters, to inspire more discussion:

1.The Visionary & the Change Agent

Most of today’s recruiters treat candidate like mechanical component with standard functionality, move them from company A to company B horizontally, then the organizations assemble them into the same old machine (framework) with the same old CPU (mindset).

The true change agent recruiters or entrepreneurial recruiters not only exploit the traditional talent pipeline, just like energy sector, it’s a strategic imperative to explore the renewable talent energy: no matter it’s solar panel (the sunshine type talent, with positive mindset, not too much shadows), clean tech (the water flow type talent, desire to move on & up, with transferrable strength), or biofuel (the nature made raw talent, their specialties to make impossible possible., etc).

Tomorrow’s recruiters are not only the change agent in their own industry, but also have the deep vision for their clients’ industries (anyway, we have so many troubled industries around), help build up the dream team with inspiring mind & culture, and shake up those traditional industries.

The progressive global talent is the best product in recruiting industry and the human society overall.

2.The Soul Hunter & Talent Master
That in the soul which is called the mind is, before it thinks…. Aristotle

Today’s recruiters are called headhunters: try to hunt for the right head based on the static keyword searching, through their limited talent pipeline and old-fashioned recruiting channels.

However, in this post recession era, change is the only thing won’t change in the future, globalization, diversity, and the culture thing will last forever.

Tomorrow’s recruiters are hunting for the GOOD HEART: the purpose & mission, the MEGA MIND: the whole-brain thinker,& the thought leadership; and the BIG GUT: the courage & character.

Tomorrow’s talent masters like gardener, treat the talent like viable plants, help the tree grow taller, stronger, also watering the grass to make them greener, fresher, the talent master work with the executives from top down, to build up the positive learning culture and talent landscape, full of sunshine and pleasant aura.


3.The Strategist & the Practitioner
When the winds of change blow, some people build walls and others build windmills. 
Oriental Proverb

In the last decade, many recruiters make the strategic move to transform the business model from offline to online, the pros is online platform bring up the convenient interface for technical job hunting activities such as searching position open (mainly mid-level or lower) or submitting resumes., etc. however, the cons is: it seems build up the new wall between the employer and candidate.

The future of recruiting approach should be more hybrid and tactical: keep online automation and convenience, also have more transparent offline process and face-to face interaction and activities, take more initiative to fill up the talent gap, grow, renew and expand the talent pool.

4.Organization Architect & Human Engineer
The future of recruiters are both “soul hunter” and “soul engineer”

Today’s recruiters are more like administrative function inside the organization or outsourced HR solution. Tomorrow’s recruiters are the best strategic partners to work with the executives or the clients shoulder by shoulder, head to head,, they take action as the enterprise HR architect, take advantage of the latest technology such as enterprise 2.0 and social network, to breakthrough the hierarchy & bureaucracy, frame up the learning organization, and share the unconventional success story.

The recruiters and talent coach can also be called the human “soul engineer”: using engineering perspective, pivotal talent segment, dealing with talent risk, building up HR governance, implementing talent diversification, digging into multiple talent channels and exploring the alternative talent pipeline.

5.The Artist & Scientist
“ Good artists copy, great artists steal” Picasso

Today’s recruiters may just try to “steal” the talent from the competitors. Tomorrow’s recruiters are brighter with more holistic nature: cycle the talent cross the industry, even cross the global.

The future of recruiters are the great artists, treat each talent as a piece of art, to appreciate the master piece, and to master the innovative talent via connecting the dots:

“I am not a physician and a storyteller, I regard the two things as linked..”
Oliver Sacks (Professor and Writer)

The future of recruiter is also the scientist, with the right technology such as advance analytics, HR metrics, Performance Management, the talent could be observed, experimented and explained in the respected and humanity way.

The future of recruiter develop the right process and value system to “harden” the soft skill such as leadership, entrepreneurship., etc, and “soften” the hard skill such as the engineering and financing. They are framing the new HR discipline with the artistic perspective and scientific methodology.

6.The Philosopher & Philanthropist

“Just as there is a blueprint of a building or a circle, so to there exist blueprints of courage, of justice, of humankind, of all living things. Western Philosophy

From philosophical perspective, the recruiters may have one of the most meaningful careers in the world: to hunt for the very best blueprint: the courage, the justice, the humanity., etc., to architect the blueprint of the great organization, the city, the nation and whole human society.

From philanthropic point of view, the recruiter may also have one of the most valuable professions: help human reach the full potential to advance the humanity. Besides help human out of poverty and illness, talent management is truly the next level of philanthropy, if we connect the dot again, the advanced education and talent management system could naturally speed up the human’s advancement from the basic survival demand. The charity effort in many large organization may also need connect with their talent strategy, since the charity is truly beyond tax saving or public relationship, it’s the blueprint of organization’s purpose.

7.Enterprise Surgeon & Pharmacist


Great Recession left us with many struggling industries and troubled organizations, plus the large available talent pool. It’s the perfect timing for the recruiters and all HR professionals to make a difference with more bold initiative, aggressive roadmap and innovative approach:

The future of recruiters like surgeon to help fix those sick enterprises with new blood, open mind and fresh eyes; The visionary (who can see the others can not), the next generation of leadership and talent will be the right panacea (possibly made of the West Medicine & East Medicine magic combination).

In summary, Pearl are everywhere, but not the same as the eyes, Like the Pak Lok, to spot ‘Long Distance Running Horse with the insight, The future of recruiters will have audacious attitude, the sharp eyes, the open mind and the big heart, to fit in this seven strategic dual roles, to hunt for the right souls in the 21st century.

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Entrepreneur CIO

Being an entrepreneur is one of the most critical and inspiring experience and preparation to become the CIO in 21st century, to fit in Gartner well-defined 6 styles of "money-making" CIOs: entrepreneur CIO, revenue search CIO, business development CIO, cost-optimization CIO and Innovation CIO, and the last one: public-serving CIO (even you are not working in public service, every CIO could be the natural leader to serve the public and the world for better), why:

1. Being entrepreneur, you have to wear different hats, which teach you to think from different angles, from customer's perspective, take vendor's shoes, be thoughtful for the employees and many more;

2. Being entrepreneur to inspire you think without border: since you have to work cross the function, cross the organization, many of us may also need work cross-industry, and cross-culture, cross-nation, etc.

3. Being entrepreneur to make your skin thicker: "Thicker skin is God's gift", every entrepreneur may have the experience to approach the customer boldly, not necessarily shameless though, so either your pursuing Martin Luther Kings "I have the dream" or Steve Job's "Sell the dream", it truly provoke your courage;

4. Being entrepreneur, you have not only surviving but also try to thriving, so the revenue search, business development and innovation are your daily job, that's great preparation for becoming the unconventional CIO today, but it will be the new normal for tomorrow's CIO and many other senior executives in larger enterprise.

In summary, no matter what CIO stand for: chief information officer, chief innovation officer, chief integration officer, chief inspiration officer, chief implementation officer., etc, the shining spot is the entrepreneur's spirit, even it stand for: the career is over --it's also not so scary, since being an entrepreneur CIO could refresh your dream, rekindle your energy and rebuild your asset.

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Restudy “Good to Great”: Is Wal-Mart still a Great Company?

The More Organization Grows, The More Individuals Could Grow
Peter Drucker

Last week, Wal-Mart’s lawsuit (1.5 million female employees claim that female Wal-Mart employees receive fewer promotion and pay less) phenomena make us pondering again about the corporate culture and purpose, as the biggest company in the world, Wal-Mart is a success story in Mr. Jim Colin’s book :Build to Last.

However, in this post recession era, new decade of 21st century, is Wal-Mart still a great company to inspire the others? let’s restudy Mr. Jim Colin’s Good to Great and Build to Last to diagnose the symptom.


1.A Cult Like Culture
“Now I want you to raise your right hand, and remember what we say at Wal-Mart,
that promise we made is a promise we keep –and I want you to repeat after me, From this day forward, I solemnly promise and declare that every time a customer comes within ten feet of me, I will smile, look him in the eyes and greet him. So help me!" Sam

The visionary entrepreneur Mr. Sam Walton founded Wal-Mart in early 20th century, it became a legendary story in American history, it’s also a symbol of corporate of America, the great fit for the “the Bigger is Better” American culture.

However, if Wal-Mart even can not hear their own employees voice, not just a few, it’s 1.5 million female employees, their majority of workforce, a few diagnostic questions:

--how can they expect their employees to mange a smile at their face, but cry in their heart?

--How do they expect their employees to carry Sam’s legacy, since their female employees are also their most influential customers, can they smile when they shop in their own stores, can they feel happy even they could purchase a few cheaper items, in this case, cheaper is not necessary better.

No matter customer first or employee first culture, the truly great company should gain both their employees and customers heart, beyond the smile on the surface, shape the future with women’s voice, that’s essential of great company in the 21st century.


2.Core Value and Purpose
Wal-Mart’s core ideology:
--We exist to provide value to our customers
--Be in partnership with employees
--Work with passion, commitment and enthusiasm

Definitely the lawsuit would expedite the change process to review their core value and purpose, to remember “the voice of people is the voice of God”, to rebuild female employees’ heart and trust, and to reshape itself as a great company beyond a big company again.


3.Technology Accelerators
Technically Wal-Mart is still a great company with cost-efficient business model, advanced technology infrastructure, lean supply chain and fair web portal, however, as “Good to Great” clarified, technology is a subservient to core value, not the other way around.

The action point for Wal-Mart is to take advantage of Web 2.0 and Enterprise 2.0 technology to get their female employee voice heard, and nurture the new generation of female leadership to represent the modern consumers in the new decade of 21st century, make them smile from bottom of their heart.


4.From Good to Great to Build to Last

Enduring great companies don’t exist merely to deliver returns to shareholders, indeed, in a truly great company, profit and cash flow become like blood and water to a health body, they are absolutely essential for life, but they are not the very point of life.
----From Good to Great

So what’s the very point of life: it’s the spirit, the purpose and the value, and those very point of life stimulate the progress to adapt to the changing world. And the fundamental progress for every company in the post recession era is to empower the female workforce and leadership, since they are the mainstream diver in the worldwide economy in the 21st century.

The great companies will still deliver the same core democratic values: Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, justice, equality, diversity, truth., etc. , they are delivering and inspiring the American dreams!!!

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Overlooked Factors To Success In Attaining Excellence

One of the most important factors to success is discipline. Having set your goals you ought to perform your obligations thoroughly and in your own sweet way. To be self-controlled is to follow your principles no matter the circumstances. The knowledgeable will tell you that factors to success are normally controversial.

You do not have to follow the grain or prove anything to anyone. Just being yourself and doing the right thing regardless of public opinion is enough to make you a champion. You need to forego your reputation in order to save it later because what seems like a sacrifice today will eventually prove to be your greatest investment.

If you even consider lending your ears to people you will start failing even before you attempt. W. Shakespeare wrote: Cowards die so many times before their death. How can you go to battle when you are sure of losing? How can you think crooked and expect to walk straight. This may appear simple but it is a sure factor to success.

Even a beggar could become king if he stopped being a beggar. It is so hurting to see that many people allow the opinion of others to shape them. How can an external party turn you against yourself without your permission? This then means choosing your friends wisely is one of the most important factors to success.

You must change your attitude and self-image so as to conquer the prejudicial views of society. Let what you see remain a secret to yourself and focus on what is best for you, because factors to success are esoteric to they that seek for them.
Being prejudiced is inconsequential compared to the benefits of achieving your dream. Challenges make your dream worthwhile. Of what use would be victory without glory? Do not wish life were easier, wish you were tougher.

You hold the key to your success therefore guard it jealously. Follow the links below to harness more rich content on valuable factors to success.

1. How To Be An Expert Persuader... In 20 Days or Less: "If You Can Easily and Quickly Persuade Anyone to Eagerly Do Anything You Want, How Will You Use This Power?" Discover the Most Powerful Secrets To Put Anyone Under Your Control... Without Them Knowing It! Self Improvement Tips

2. Mind Secrets Exposed: Best Success Package: “Success Has Nothing To Do With Being Lucky.” Don’t blame yourself for not knowing this to begin with. “Everyone Has The Potential For Success, But It Has Been Hidden From You All Along.” A Perfect Lifestyle.

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