Last year was the first time I attended LinkedIn’s Talent Connect event and, I quickly realized I was at the SXSW of recruiting and candidate experience.
I’ve been in HR for a long time, so it’s rare for me to get excited about going to an industry event. That’s why I wanted to share why I can’t wait to go this year.
Recruiting is the hardest job in HR right now
It’s well-documented the war for talent is on. It’s not the lack of applicants, but the lack of qualified talent to present to hiring managers that's burning us out. We’re all chasing ‘purple squirrels’ right now – and it’s exhausting.
That’s why I need Talent Connect. It will provide a much-needed opportunity to step out of the day-to-day so I can build up my strength and resolve to keep fighting the talent fight.
There are six ways Talent Connect helps me revive my mojo:
1. Breaks my tunnel vision.
As a seasoned recruiter, it’s easy for me to get into a routine and only do certain search activities. I get tunnel vision about how to approach the process. That’s not good. I need to have my thought process disrupted regularly in order to improve my ability to recruit. The keynotes at Talent Connect do that for me and I leave with a whole new perspective on how I might approach the process.
2. Let’s me network and learn from peers.
There’s a saying today that “Your network is your net worth.” In my experience, it’s true. The harder I work to connect and have meaningful conversations with people in my industry, the more opportunities for growth and success I discover.
Since I currently live on the East Coast, going to an event like this lets me connect face-to-face with people from all over the country. This is the single most efficient way I have to build deeper relationships in my field.
3. Sparks my creativity.
Every time I get out of the office, my brain starts firing with ideas. The change of scenery frees my mind to look at my work differently. I’ve never been to Anaheim before, but the venue looks incredible and I have no doubt it will get my creative juices flowing.
4. Shows me new tools to leverage.
The break out sessions give me a chance to see how to use some of the new and existing features on LinkedIn. Just because I use the platform daily, doesn’t mean I know how to make the best use of all it has to offer. Letting someone else show me how it’s done makes it easier to learn how to leverage the platform better.
5. Motivates me to be better.
Like many recruiters, I’m the only one doing my job at the office. I work in a silo. When I’m suddenly surrounded by hundreds of people who do the same kind of work, I get motivated. Especially, when I listen to presentations by successful peers and what they’ve done in their organization to overcome challenges. It reminds me I always have room to grow and can never stop improving. Most importantly, it inspires me to want to be better. Which leads to the last reason…
6. Gives me opportunity to work on my career.
This particular Talent Connect is about helping talent professionals feel more confident and successful in our careers. It’s going to be three days of career coaching! You’ll hear a lot of talk about “recruiter branding” (This article explains why recruiters need rockstar status to get top talent today).
You’ll also hear about the importance of not only building our skills and leveraging our strengths, but also dealing with rejection and enhancing our relationships and reputation with management.
Talent Connect is my opportunity to invest time in my professional development. We are all businesses-of-one, responsible for our own careers. Taking the time to go to Talent Connect is a way for all of us to become more valuable to our employers and the candidates.
Can I give you one more reason to come to Talent Connect 2015?
This year, I have the honor of co-emceeing the event! It’s the first time LinkedIn has invited someone outside the company to do this and I couldn’t be more excited.
If you're looking for more info about this year's Talent Connect, join me and live stream host Lars Schmidt for an exclusive preview of this year's content in a Google Hangout on September 17th.
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Topics: Talent Connect
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