The problem: "A computer shortage of computer-skilled people... The shortage has reached near-crisis proportions... A seller's market for tech workers." — The Washington Post

Your choices: Raid your competitors. Curtail new business development. Pay outlandish salaries or premium fees to temp agencies, or signing bonuses. Resign yourself to these choices and pull your hair out or learn how to recruit strategically and creatively!

To learn how to effectively and successfully recruit more qualified candidates for technical positions at lower recruitment costs and in a more timely manner. The competition among technical companies is intense. You never have enough qualified technically competent employees. No matter how good your technical recruitment and retention efforts are, they could always be better! Your attendance and participation in this seminar will significantly improve your recruitment strategies and marketing efforts immediately.

After completing this course you will understand these concepts:

The technical recruiter as a marketeer
Few companies actually have a formal marketing plan for their recruitment efforts. Recruitment and marketing are among the many hats technical managers must wearffollow a "recruitment is marketing" training model.

Recruitment audit
Analyze what your company has been doing up to now; using your three top strengths to overcome your six weaknesses, ones you're probably not even aware of, and how to make the best use of available resources and create new ones. Use this competitive analysis to research the marketplace and determine what your competitors are doing and how successful they are at it, thus avoiding the "salary wars."

Motivation
Know the psychology of technical recruitment and the seven "real" forces that motivate a candidate -both those of Generation X and the more experienced - to accept one position or company over another. Through simulation you will learn: how to better handle the interview so the candidate wants to work for your organization; a proven psychologically-based method of strengthening the interaction between recruiter and candidate; surefire turn-offs and turn-ons; and why most gimmicks don't work.

Marketing strategies
Develop a strategic recruitment and marketing plan to sell your organization and yourself. (Fact: if the candidate doesn't like you, he or she won't even consider your company.) Create your position in the marketplace, develop effective marketing techniques that can be applied to strengthen your position, and attract more qualified candidates who say "yes" to your job offers.

Budgeting your advertising
Using your recruitment dollars more effectively. Are your ads and job descriptions effective? Learn 10 things you're doing wrong in your ads. Analyze and critique your ads and the competition. Write a winning ad to attract the type of candidates you want to interview.

Mailing, telemarketing strategies, the Internet, and follow-up
When to mail and call, how often, and what. Create a variety of mailing lists and make them work for you - know what to say and what not to say, and when and when not to use them. Make your Web site stand out and work better for you.

Your brochure and public relations materials (and even your application form)
Most of your printed materials aren't read. Learn why. Just think how a small increase in readership could result in increased applicants...and double or triple your hires. Using your printed materials as a screening device during the personal interview. (Fact: Most application forms are a major turn-off. Learn why and how to remedy the problem.) Extra: You are invited to bring your printed materials (brochures, ad copy, etc.) and learn if they communicate the real substance of what you have to offer.

Job fairs, in-house programs, and internal recruitment
Learn the 12 things you're doing wrong at job fairs. Get your message to potential candidates free of charge. Learn how to use non-recruiting public relations and in-house events to identify qualified candidates. Learn the dynamics of working with educational institutions and professional organizations to help recruit for you.

The Technical Recruiter as a Marketeer
• Identify the many hats today's recruiter (corporate recruiter, human resources personnel, project manager, technical director) must wear to succeed
• Explain the "recruitment is marketing" training model
• Describe the old recruitment techniques "recruiters" must unlearn and the new skills which replace them

The Recruitment Audit
• Identify what you're doing right, what needs improvement, and what you're not doing at all
• Describe how to shop the competition
• Describe how to step back to take a good, hard, objective look at yourself (your company)

Applicant Motivation
• Explain the psychology of recruiting and hopefully retaining today's applicant
• Identify what the applicant is really looking for
• Describe how to get the applicant to like you and your company

Marketing Strategies
• Describe how to develop a customized recruitment and marketing plan
• Explain a variety of creative recruitment and marketing techniques that retain employees
• Describe how to successfully involve everyone in your company as a recruiter

Aggressive and Creative Recruitment to Get "More Bang for Your Buck"
• Describe how to make your advertising, public relations, and marketing materials more effective
• Describe how to produce results from job fairs, captive audience seminars, and your web site
• Explain how to develop a network of recruiting reps who aren't on your company's payroll

Corporate recruiters, human resources personnel, and project and hiring managers

Too busy to attend?
Well, that's probably possible but highly unlikely. Successful companies and people invest their time and educational dollars in learning, but if you are truly too busy to attend, Dr. Jaffa suggests one of the following:

• Send a competent representative.
• Rearrange your schedule. It's not very often a technical recruitment seminar such as this comes across your desk.
• Put off your attendance and keep spending your company's money that has not been producing the desired recruitment results.

Still unsure? Compare the cost of your last classified ad, your last recruiting trip, or your last recruitment fair booth with your company's return on that investment. In one day, you'll come away with a "mini" MBA in strategic technical recruitment.