Recruiting.com

Thu, 12/22/2005 - 9:16pm

Thanks Dave. How is business over at SimplyHired?

Thu, 12/22/2005 - 9:19pm

Congratulations to everyone on their nominations and to the category winners.

Jason, Jim and the rest of the guys we all owe you, big time.

To the sponsors, we appreciate your support.

This is a good way to start the new year.

http://online.wsj.com/article_print/SB113459260842822579.html

Thu, 12/22/2005 - 9:21pm

There were certainly some suprises here for me. Some of the winners I knew well but others, to me, were almost unknown. I'll have to check them out.

DaveMc500Hats

Thu, 12/22/2005 - 9:49pm

jason: biz at SimplyHired is going great -- even with the holidays, December is looking like our best month yet :)

we were also psyched to get an early xmas present this week... we were featured in Monday's Wall Street Journal lead article on Technology "Beyond Google" (along with Indeed & HotJobs, and Jobster in a different article; congrats to them as well):

overall it's been a pretty amazing year for job search engines & employment websites, and for SimplyHired.com. here's hoping for more of the same in 2006!

(ps - we've got some cool new features to show off in the next few months... keep watching the Simply Blog for earth-shattering news & knock-knock jokes. ok, well at least the jokes anyway.)

- dave mcclure

http://www.simplyhired.com

Patrick

Thu, 12/22/2005 - 11:54pm

considering i didn't tell anyone to vote for me, or advertise it on my site...i am beyond happy 20+ people voted for me.

Pat

Thu, 12/22/2005 - 11:56pm

How did heather not win? that's crazy. However, I have to admit I always root against Microsoft. How could you not?

Greg Roth

Fri, 12/23/2005 - 12:32am

It is a travesty the Heather did not win and to lose to Google? Are you kidding me???

I want to thank you for putting this contest together and giving all of our Blogs more exposure. I did not expect to win and the fact that 84 people voted for me warms the cackles of my heart! : ) Congratulations te Gtetchen! Her Blog and Blog Staff Totally Rock! Have a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year Everyone! Thank you again Recruiting.com for all of your great work! : )

Fri, 12/23/2005 - 12:45am

Hey Greg.

If it makes the recruiting blog community feel any better, I know first hand that Heather does not consider her blog a recruiting blog. Having said this, I know she is read by lots of recruiters and lots of bloggers and nearly every single recruiter who blogs. she also is very active in communicating on many of the recruiting blogs.

It got funny with some of the nominees because some of them are not recruiting blogs. On the other hand a smart candidate who is considering a change will check to see if the company they are considering has a blog and if that blog is used somehow within the recruitment process of the candidate, well, I guess it is a recruiting blog. Maybe.

I can tell you that there would be little possibility of a corporate blog being voted the overall best recruiting blog by our panel of judges.

Gretchen

Fri, 12/23/2005 - 1:35am

I am totally peeved (and perplexed) that Heather didn't win either. I do think Heather's blog is a recruiting blog, but I don't think it's a corporate recruiting blog. In many ways, the Google blog isn't even a blog (i.e. you can't leave comments; they just throw their press releases out there), but if you want to talk "corporate," I guess it is. While she works for a corporation and writes about a corporation at times, Heather's blog definitely isn't corporate. Heck, if anything, it's the antithesis of corporate. Still a shame she didn't take that category though. I thought she was a shoe-in for sure. We still love you, Microsoft Ma'am!

Jason and all the sponsors - thanks so much for putting on the awards this year. Like Canadian Headhunter said, there were lots of surprises, and the awards introduced us to great blogs we didn't know were out there. Well-done!

Fri, 12/23/2005 - 1:47am

I also think Heather's blog is a recruting blog. Lets talk Google "recruiting" blog

I have sent them 4 messages to the email they have listed about the awards. Every time I get back the standard thank you email for submitting a request and that they cannot get back to everyone.

Fri, 12/23/2005 - 3:01am

I make a motion that because:

-they are unable to respond

-do not have a contact person

-do not have a link to recruiting.com

-do not have any links to other recruiters blogs (At lease none I recognize)

-they talk little if any about getting a job at Google

-they talk little about hiring, firing, recruiting, or anything the rest of us recruiters talk about

That Google's nomination be withdrawn.

Fri, 12/23/2005 - 3:09am

I move that because Heather:

-has a blog

-is a recruiter

-has a bio

-can be contacted

-contacts others

-talks about companies other than her own

-allows comments

-leaves comments on other blogs

-has links to other recruiting blogs

-received the second most votes in the category

That Heather be awarded The Best Corporate Recruiting Blog

Jeff Hunter

Fri, 12/23/2005 - 3:32am

Here here to MN Headhunter! Google's blog does nothing to add to the transparency and authenticity of their recruiting efforts. Heather has helped remake Microsoft from a faceless corporate giant into a fun place where cool people work. I'd say they have 24 hours to get back to you and if they don't - screw 'em!

(That mixing it up enough for you Dave?)

Fri, 12/23/2005 - 5:06am

I think you complainers have a good point.

However, according to Jason, Heather claims that she is not writing a recruiting blog.

And I don't know if Google considers itself a recruiting blog, but it didn't turn down the nomination either.

So, you guys are saying that even though the bloggers in question see no problem with the contest as it stands, the outcome should be overturned.

Does that make sense?

MY OWN OPINION

Have you ever heard the saying: if it walks like a duck and talks like duck, it probably is one?

Well, everyone who reads Heather's blog says it's a career and recruiting blog. And I agree.

And no one says the Google blog is a recruiting blog. And I agree with that too.

But, I also think you should have said something earlier. Because it seems too late to change the rules now.

So, if you want to gain some ground for your cause, you'll have to come up with a more creative solution that you have so far.

Rob McIntosh

Fri, 12/23/2005 - 5:09am

Jeff - I second the 'screw em!' motion :-). Heather is up there as one of the luminaries in recruiting blogging and that is not MS biased but fact~!

Fri, 12/23/2005 - 5:55am

For the record I am not hating on Google or a Microsoft groupie. I respect both companies.

CH, how many times should Jason contact them before he gives up? Or how much time is reasonable for them to claim their prize?

Let me try it a different way. Do we know if Google is aware of the nomination and victory? Could someone else have nominated them? Maybe they have not seen the email Jason sent to all the nominees and that "they cannot get back to everyone."

Jason are you aware if they were nominated by themselves or someone outside of Google?

Frankly, I thought Heather would kick their butt so I did not say anything. It was on my mind.

Much like I tried to start the "Free Jim Durbin" fan club so he too could be considered.

I should have said something sooner.

This is reminding me of my favorite season, college football.

Maybe we need a playoff...

Michael Specht

Fri, 12/23/2005 - 7:07am

Congratulations to all the winners and what's a blog competition without controversy!!

The thing I like most the whole process is the new blogs that I have found by reading the nominated blogs.

Thanks to everyone involved in the awards.

Fri, 12/23/2005 - 8:13am

OK, you guys are hilarious and I am totally flattered. Just to clarify (to Michael, again), I said I wasn't a "recruiting blog" when we were defining it as a blog written for an audience that was primarily recruiters (which is why I don't blog here or on ERE...different audience). Although I suspect some recruiters read my blog (well, at least 174), I target it to a larger audience. The intent of the blog is to recruit directly ("feel free to send me a resume") and indirectly ("aren't I normal...maybe even cool...want to work with me?").

I have to agree that if there was a problem with the Google blog being included, it's a moot point after the voting is done...assuming that each person was only able to cast one vote. Look, I know you'll find this hard to believe, but I didn't start blogging for the glory. So I totally mean this in the most non-annoying way possible: the support of all you guys is more than enough for me. I know that my blog is better than the Google blog (hey,I didn't start blogging because I was afraid to tell the truth either)...

The tribe has spoken. Thanks for all the nice words!

Fri, 12/23/2005 - 8:24am

Oh, dang it....I also meant to say congrats to Gretchen and all the other category winners.

Greg Roth

Fri, 12/23/2005 - 10:51pm

Yes, the tribe has spoken and we say that your Blog Rocks! I know you don't Blog for recognition. You do it because you have a lot of great info to share and you are passionate about what you do. It shows. With that said, your Blog definitley deserves a prize.

You and Gretchen are pioneers in this arena and in my humble opinion, set the standard in what an effective Blog should be. Heck, if it wasn't for you and Gretchen, I would not even know what a Blog is!: ) What you and Gretchen have done inspired me to create my own little Blog for the niche business that I support. For more on this, please check out my a posting on this subject in my Blog that I did on November 20th.

I say Heather deserves her own award and recognition regardless of the voting. I just looked at at the Google Blog again and I stand by my original comment. Google the winner?? Are you kidding me??? How much did they pay to stuff the ballot box? I demand a recount! ; )

Thank you again for the great work and putting this contest together. Love this site! Happy Holidays everyone!! : )

Wed, 12/28/2005 - 9:34am

Did you ever hear from Google or are they still too busy?

Vin

Wed, 12/28/2005 - 4:10pm

Listen - blogs are about opinions, votes are about opinions. Here's my opinion...Rothberg rigged the whole thing. And I've been writing my opinions for him for some time now.

What's so utterly fantastic about this contest and the burgeoning blogosphere in our profession, is how it has enabled contests like these to appear. When Manaster had his blog writers together before this years ERE Boston, some incredible dialogue resulted. Those who were there know what I'm talking about - Gretchen, Joel, Shally, Gerry Crispin, Homula, Glenn G., me - not a weak opinon in the bunch but the level of discussion was incredible respectful and high caliber - and worthy of a podcast. For what it's worth, I receive the feeds from all the nominees' blogs - to learn is not to grow. Period.

I'm waiting - no, I'm in it to help develop - a national conference on recruiting blogging that is segmented along the same lines as the voting categories. Something along the lines - or even in partnership - with the Strategic Research Institute's Beyond Blogs and Social Networks Conference.

Jason?

Wed, 12/28/2005 - 5:43pm

It's a great idea and I have been thinking about it as well. I missed the ere show last year and I know it would have been great to have been able to meet those you mention personally. This year will be different

Wed, 12/28/2005 - 5:51pm

MN - I guess they are still too busy.

Wed, 12/28/2005 - 10:30pm

Jason-maybe next year differentiate between blogs about recruiting written for recruiters and blog written for prospects/candidates/industry professionals in order to recruit them. Not that I am trying to increase my chances for a little coffee love, but you know. ; )

Wed, 12/28/2005 - 11:12pm

Jay-Dee, yesterday I saw that Starbucks has a sale on those little packets of coffee they sell as stocking stuffers.

If we don't bump Google (I don't know how we'd explain it to the voters), maybe we could give Heathers, who actually writes a recruiting blog, a consolation prize.

(And what about a Runner's Up icon).

Thu, 12/29/2005 - 12:25am

Ah, no, that's OK, Michaels. Consolation prizes are for sissies and little kids....I don't need to be consoled ; ) Trust me, I actually get plenty of free Starbucks, though not "little packets of coffee". I was really just joking about the coffee love but the category issue did occur to me as it related to the "recruiting blog" or not discussion. I think you guys nailed some of the categories (third party, tech, etc.). But I would see a difference between people blogging about recruiting and blogging to recruit. There's also a subtler difference between whether the audience is more active from a job search perspective or passive, but probably not worth separate categories for that.

Anyway, I don't want google's left-overs; coffee, candidates or otherwise.

Vin

Thu, 12/29/2005 - 12:26am

A sign that the Apocalypse is near: CH is sucking up to Heather. Whodathunkit?

Thu, 12/29/2005 - 12:31am

with "little packets of coffee" no less. You have to actually read the sarcasm into his post. It probably isn't what you think it is ; )

Gretchen

Thu, 12/29/2005 - 12:58am

"coffee, candidates or otherwise." Nice. :) Well-played, Miss Hamilton. :)

Thu, 12/29/2005 - 1:43am

Vin, fair is fair. The Google is not a recruiting blog.

The problem is that this category has been made FUBAR by a fateful error and now we're caught in an electoral cul de sac in which you're damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Poor Jay-Dee. He's suffered through the cut-Gautam scandal, the re-voting scandal and now this: L'affaire Google-Hamilton. I haven't received any panicked calls lately though so maybe he's getting used to it.

I'm starting to think that there are two ways we can go. One: we parlay it into headline news like "Fury fills blogosphere as Microsoft trumped by Google".

But, since we now know that the Google has not even replied to the notice of entry into the contest let alone the notice of the award, I think it would be fair to say that they have, in all practical terms, declined to participate.

And we should cut them. On Monday. Or even Friday.

That's right. In the course of writing this comment, my opinion has changed.

And if they come back later and say that they were all at an internet-free retreat in a monastery in Tahiti for a month, well, we can deal with that problem when it occurs. (And it might).

Note that this (revolutonary) option has serious problems. We would be discounting 199 votes. Where they would have gone if Google had not been a contestant is anyone's guess.

Thu, 12/29/2005 - 2:49am

Jason actually asked me what I wanted him to do and I said nothing. Seriously, I'm more interested in helping you guys set it up for next year than anything else.

Gretchen-you like that line? ; )

Vin

Thu, 12/29/2005 - 6:36pm

Sorry CH, Microsoft Headhunter just doesn't have the same ring to it... but if you somehow disappear from the blogosphere for four weeks and magically return as Canadiaaaaaaaaan HeaaaaaaaaadHunter, we'll know what happened.

Andrew

Fri, 12/30/2005 - 4:43pm

I delude myself in the belief that if Google wasn't up then there would have been a mass-defection of their votes in my direction. However, this would have needed a strong-play to an anti-Microsoft sentiment.

Problem with that logic is that Heather & Gretchen et al have seriously reduced that sentiment this year - so maybe I'd have got an extra 2 votes and the difference between Heather & I would have moved into the too-much-to-mention category.

Many, many thanks to everyone for making this award happen. Jason, if you decide on a special logo for the runners-up to runners-ups please let me know.

Fri, 12/30/2005 - 5:08pm

Andrew, give me a week and I will ask Jim's lovely wife Franki if she will design a logo in your honor.