Today on HCtv we featured a panel discussion from the Employee Referral Networks learning track and I was joined in a lively and thought-provoking discussion by Matt Grove, KPMG, Ben Gotkin, RSM McGladrey, and Scott Kahle, Dundridge Consulting.  Our main focus today was on the technology currently being used to manage, administer and enhance employee referral programs.  I’ll paraphrase their advice below.  (By the way, both Matt and Ben are speaking at SourceCon 2008 next week.)

Scott:  Be proactive!  Don’t just start an employee referral program and then never talk about it again with your workforce.  Make sure to have an active strategy for keeping it forefront in your talent acquisition strategy.

Ben:  The most critical component for recruiting efficiency is to ensure that any dealings with candidates are memoralized and managed through your applicant tracking system.

Matt:  Technology is great!  But don’t forget the fundamentals:  recruiting is about relationships.  You won’t hire anyone if you don’t TALK with people!

What is new in employee referral programs?  How is your organization actively working to keep your program verdant and valuable?

In today’s webcast, Ed Newman, President of the Newman Group, unveiled his new vision of affecting employee quality and creating a talent mindset.  It’s a doozie- what a great idea.  I’ll encourage you to check out the whole webcast here when you get a chance.

A new role for talent acquisition? 

Ed suggests that for organizations to take their recruiting abilities to the next level, they shift focus from recruiters as administrators to network collaborators.  How?

• Become a Talent Coach - Leading, nurturing and sustaining networking practices amongst the hiring team.  (And don’t charge them with administrative tasks like entering a req in the system.)
• Assist the Hiring Manager in developing and maintaining a network of enough people to hire from (20 – 35)
• Identify prospects to be introduced to the Manager’s network (avoid the old boy network)
• Provide the tools for managing the Network (e.g. LinkedIn, Salesforce.com, etc.)
• Attend industry events with the Manager and organize social events
• Assist the manager maintain periodic, systematic communication with network members
• Create a Talent minded culture.  This synergy happens when everyone at a company- regardless of position- has the same thought when they meet someone new at a restaurant, at a party or on a plane:  Could this person work for us?

Network Theory

Additionally, he presented the radical idea of using network theory as a way to measure success.  Network theory is essentially a science that measures, through graphs, the strength of said network.  Its application here is through a relatively new concept of social media analysis, and there are some amazing tools out there assisting in this… Ed mentioned www.touchgraph.com- so I quickly made my way over there.  Using my name and HCI, this is a pictorial representation of the power of my network.  Pretty cool, huh?