phelps and ledeskyIn the interviews of Olympic parents, they always talk about their children in the context of when they first noticed their dedication to the sport and all of the sacrifices made to get there. They know how much work it takes. Hell, they’ve been the ones sitting through early morning practices, driving carpools and flying across the country to cheer on their child. They know what it really takes to make it to the podium. It’s not just their support. It’s passion.

These parent interviews and watching the athletes compete in the Olympics is a reminder of what passion delivers. We tune in for two weeks as these people compete – crying tears of joy that their years of hard work are paying off in their dreams. We cheer for them, not necessarily because of their country affiliation, but because we admire their work.

Most of us don’t know what it takes to be an Olympian. The determination, the focus, even the diet – it impacts every element of their lives. I can’t imagine if all the work I’ve done for four years came to this one moment. With millions of eyes watching, no less.

But it’s not even the four years of work. It’s a lifetime of dreams. I saw a photo yesterday of a young Katie Ledecky getting an autograph from Michael Phelps. She was in that awkward phase, about nine years old. As a swimmer, she watched this mega-athlete take on the world and win. Now she sits besides him. Imagine what that feels like, especially now that she’s the one signing autographs.

RecruitingLive with Kerri Mills

Note: we’re at a new time this week – Thursday at 1 pm EDT

synchronized swimming funnyLet’s translate that to recruiting.

Wait. You can’t. You can’t just decide to be an Olympian. But how many of us just decided to be a recruiter or fell into the gig? In most cases on RecruitingLive, we hear the stories of people who stumbled upon recruiting and found their passion.

That’s what we do have in common. The love. The appreciation of dreams coming true. I get the same feeling when I see an Olympian cry tears of joy that I do when I see a recruiter tweet that they were really proud of a candidate or that they’ve dedicated extra time just to make sure the candidate had a successful interview. I’d have no shame in standing to cheer that moment, just like I would in a sports arena.

That’s what keeps us going after a “no” from a great candidate or a bad week – to improve more lives, to give people more opportunities they may not have had without our help. To translate passion into a dream come true. You might think that’s cheesy but if that’s not what keeps you inspired, I’m not sure what does. We have to remember why we love this and that’s the most significant reminder in a series of mundane tasks we have to do.

I’m so proud to stand among the passionate – the people who don’t give up on candidates or other recruiters in their time of need. The ones who make it their mission to help, to coach and to make a better name for our industry. That’s what RecruitingLive is all about – making it easier for all of us to talk, to cheer each other on and  – yes, I’m going for the pun – getting the gold.

Our guest this week, Kerri Mills, loves this work. If you ask people about Kerri, they’ll tell you she cares about people. She brings the human side to sourcing. We’re going to tell stories, relive the greatest moments and of course, answer your questions to try and discover the secret sourcing strategies of one of the best in our industry.

See you there?

 



By Katrina Kibben

RecruitingDaily contributing writer and editor.  I am a storyteller. A tactical problem solver. A curious mind. A data nerd. With that unique filter, I work to craft messages that strategically improve the perceptions and experiences of our clients, the people they employ and the candidates they wish to attract. I methodically review and collect research and insights to offer solution-based recommendations that meet the one-off, and not so one-off, recruiting and employer branding problems of today's global employers.


Discussion

Please log in to post comments.

Login