Lynn and Matt discussed strategies for talent acquisition professionals to consider during economic downturns. They explained why it's important to maintain an attractive employment brand to attract and retain talent. They provided suggestions on how to keep candidates engaged when jobs are on hold, convince candidates to change jobs during a recession, and reinforce the business case for recruiting. They also discussed retooling techniques and preparing for an economic rebound. Lynn and Matt emphasized focusing on quality hires and being ready to rapidly shift when the economy changes. They concluded by offering to answer any additional questions.

1. Managing a "Talent Acquisition"
Team In a Tough Economy
Why it Matters

2. Introduction
Lynn Arts
Lynn Arts, PHR has more than 20 years of staffing, recruiting, executive search, talent management
and corporate human resources experience, with expertise in an extensive range of fields, including
technology, marketing, financial, accounting, government, engineering, consulting, manufacturing,
facility management, and service industries. She has positively impacted the staffing and recruiting
functions of Fortune 500 and small companies alike, balancing the competing needs of various
leaders, while delivering effective solutions to complex, multifaceted organizations. Her passionate
commitment to diversity recruitment has manifested itself in the development of robust college
internship programs, executive- and mid-level diversity management social networking systems, and
community relationship outreach. Indeed, Lynn’s entire career has been focused on hiring key talent
and developing relationships with stakeholders.
Maximizing worker productivity and new-hire quality is increasingly vital to the success of government
agencies operating in today’s globally competitive market; Lynn has proven herself to be exceedingly
adept in this regard. She is, in short, an expert at improving the functional efficiency so necessary for
peak organizational achievement.
Lynn received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Human Resource Management from
the University Wisconsin-Whitewater. In addition, she is certified from the Society of Human Resource
Management. Lynn is serving on the Board of Directors for Milwaukee Metro SHRM and is past Board
of Director for Wisconsin SHRM –chairing the Wisconsin Diversity Program Committee.

3. Introduction
Matt Severt
Matthew Severt is a highly experienced Executive Search Professional with nearly 15 years
experience matching talented leadership with exceptional opportunities at leading companies.
His areas of expertise include all areas of Executive Search with special emphasis on target company
identification, prospect identification, recruiting marketing, prospect interest generation and evaluation
and client management. Industries that he has worked in and for include Manufacturing, Retail, IT
Consulting, Brewing/Consumer Packaged Goods. Legal and Financial Services. He has worked with
an equally broad range of professional verticals including Human Resources, Accounting & Audit, IT,
Operations, Sales & Marketing, and Engineering.
Key value adds for Mr. Severt focus around his target company and prospect identification abilities.
His business knowledge, intellectual curiosity, and research skills are key in allowing him to find and
attract prospects that might not normally be available to his clients.

4. Introductions

5. What Do You Want To Learn Today ?
Your Backgrounds?
• Corporate Or Third Party?
• Generalist Or Specialist?
Current Needs?
• Still Hiring?
• Managing Internal Redeployments?

6. Keeping your Employment Brand
attractive during a job freeze/layoffs.
WHY does this matter?
Keeping your Employment Brand attractive can serve two
purposes:
• Attract (the best) new talent (in the short and long
run).
• Retain the talent that has made your organization
successful.
A motivated and loyal corps of quality employees can be
the difference between an organization thriving or failing. In
addition a team of motivated and enthused employees can
be a magnet for outside top talent.

7. Keeping your Employment Brand
attractive during a necessary job freeze
and/or layoffs
HOW?
You need to:
Be Authentic (faking a brand always backfires)
Differentiate (be clear what gives you the advantage)
Be Compelling (motivate change for new hires and loyalty for existing employees)
Be Consistent (ensure all stakeholders stick to the brand and that it gets used)

8. Keeping your Employment Brand
attractive during a necessary job freeze
and/or layoffs
For More Information:
ERE has some great articles at
http://www.ere.net/tags/branding/
A standout article from ERE is at
http://www.ere.net/2009/02/10/4-ways-to-look-at-the-strength-of-you
Keeping the Best When Times Are Tough
http://www.ere.net/2009/01/22/i/

9. All of your jobs have been canceled or
put on hold....how do you keep your
purple squirrel engaged?
WHY does this matter?
•If you needed that hard-to-find skill set when times were
good, you’ll need it again.....
•Maintaining Your brand integrity in a niche marketplace.
•Keeping your organizations options open.
• When the market turns that niche candidate will know
quickly by the number of calls regarding open jobs. You
want him/or her to think of your company first.

10. All of your jobs have been canceled or
put on hold....how do you keep your
purple squirrel engaged?
HOW ?
•Over-communicate
•Keep in touch
• (Use a variety of tools, but always use the phone...
other tools to use include Blogs, Twitter, Newsletters,
emails, and social functions. Your choice of tools
should be determined by your target audience and
corporate culture.)
•Tell the truth (as much as you can..... )

11. All of your jobs have been canceled or
put on hold....how do you keep your
purple squirrel engaged?
For more information:
Good General Article with tips on recruiting during
tough times:
http://www.ere.net/2009/03/04/how-difficult-times-provi

12. Convincing Candidates to change jobs
during a recession....
"It is better to dance with the devil I know than the one I don't"
WHY does this matter?
•Most organizations still have some hiring needs.
•Keeping your talent pipeline going.
•Outsiders’ uncertainty as to organizational stability.
• (Employees already feel they can not trust their current employer, why
should they trust one they don't know.)
• Last Hired First Fired -- is it reality?
•Brand reinforcement.

13. Convincing Candidates to change jobs
during a recession....
"It is better to dance with the devil I know than the one I don't"
HOW?
•Speak to new technology or products in the pipeline.
•Sell your corporate culture if your brand is still strong.
•Offer-Get prepared to be creative if relocation is needed.
•Over-communicate ! (Financials, Prospects, Goals, Narrative)
•Commitment Through Baby Steps (get small commitments along
the way to build ‘yes momentum’)
•Leverage your employment brand through repetition
throughout the process.

14. Convincing Candidates to change jobs
during a recession....
"It is better to dance with the devil I know than the one I don't"
For more information:
Lynn’s Narrative: Part of your Value Add is expediting
the process Client Side (Internal or External) and Candidate
Side. Don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions.
•http://www.ere.net/2006/06/22/12-key-negotiating-
techniques-for-success-inside-and-outside-of-recruiting/
•DUTCHMAN (Decision Criteria, Unique Situations, Time
Frame, Competition, How To, Money, Authority, Need)

15. Reinforcing the Business Case for
Recruiting.
WHY does this matter?
•If you and your team are not adding value to the
organization you’ll be out of a job.
•Successful growing organizations need talent.
(someday...)
•Keep the talent pipeline in place.
•Keep turnover from crippling the organization.

16. Reinforcing the Business Case for
Recruiting.
HOW?
•Metrics
•Show how you and your team can deliver the talent your
organization needs or will need. Not only to HR VP but
focus on you executive leadership. E.g. Sales or Finance
•Use your teams talents in related verticals (Outplacement)
•Show the impact of best practices that you are
implementing (Improve Your TEAM’S Performance).

17. HOW?
•Begin to rack and stack your top performers.
•Make the case to hire because of the wealth of talent that
is available.
•Improve your recruitment tools and conduct lots of
research on best practices.
•Begin to develop workforce plans which show the
upcoming needs for new hiring.
Reinforcing the Business Case for
Recruiting.

18. Reinforcing the Business Case for
Recruiting.
For more information:
•Recruiting Costs
http://www.ere.net/2008/08/12/recruiting-costs-a-managers-
opportunity/
•Advise for individual recruiters
http://www.ere.net/2008/07/14/how-individual-recruiters-
can-avoid-being-laid-off/

19. Renew Focus on Quality Hires.
WHY does this matter?
•Quality Talent makes the difference between failure and
success.
•Opportunistic Talent Acquisition (Get the talent that will differentiate
your organization when it is ‘easy’ competition is distracted.)
•Position your organization to ‘run with the rebound’.

20. Renew Focus on Quality Hires.
HOW?
•Use the ‘slow times’ to train managers assessment skills.
• Build your interview guides the one’s that you never
had time to create.
•Assess to determine the attributes that ‘make the
difference’.
•Use your business case to show the difference Quality
makes.

21. Renew Focus on Quality Hires.
For More Information:
•Good Talent Management Primer:
http://www.drjohnsullivan.com/content/view/114/27/
•Primer on Going after the Best Talent:
http://www.ere.net/2006/04/26/what-is-talent-and-how-do-
we-measure-it/
•Intro On Selection Process Improvements:
http://www.drjohnsullivan.com/content/view/139/27/

22. Retooling with New Search and
Recruiting Marketing Techniques.
WHY does this matter?
•Demographic trends mean that talent acquisition is going
to be even more competitive when things rebound.
•Learn low cost techniques to improve metrics to reinforce
your business case.
•We never have enough time to learn anything when times
are good.

23. Retooling with New Search and
Recruiting Marketing Techniques.
HOW?
• Do it in a way that works with your target audience and
you corporate culture.
• Blogs (People Visit or RSS for Updates)
• Twitter (Broadcast short ‘updates’ using Phone Texting)
• Key Word Marketing (make your career site more
visible)
• Enhanced Email Marketing (multiple pieces for multiple
audiences)
• LinkedIN (Networking and Prospect Sourcing)

24. Retooling with New Search and
Recruiting Marketing Techniques.
HOW?
ZoomInfo
Branding
CRM tools
Microsites
Newsletters
Mobile Marketing Strategy
Contests
Games
Voting/ Polling
Wallpaper
Proximity Marketing

25. Retooling with New Search and
Recruiting Marketing Techniques.
For more information:
Applying to a Corporate Environment
http://www.ere.net/2009/03/20/how-to-do-twice-
as-much-with-half-the-recruiting-team/#more-7027
Applying to Passive Candidates:
http://www.ere.net/2005/04/29/are-passive-candidates-
becoming-more-passive/
Using Blogs: http://www.ere.net/2009/02/12/engaging-
your-candidates-with-blogs/
Info On Tools Like PeopleToucher, StartUpHire,
Twitter Job Search http://www.ere.net/2009/03/19/three-
tools-you-should-know-about/

26. My (recruiting or HR) job has just been
eliminated now what do I do next?
WHY does this matter?
•It can happen to the best of us.
•You’ll panic if does happen to you (for at least 30 seconds)
•Bouncing back can be hard in this economy and job
market.

27. My (recruiting or HR) job has just been
eliminated now what do I do next?
HOW (or actually... WHAT)?
•Network-Use your expert skills.
•Be open to contract opportunities.
•E-mail your resume to lynn@triohrsolutions.com
•Leverage the tools available to you (outplacement,
LinkedIn, Etc).
•Prepare (just in case). Get to know your CFO well.

28. My (recruiting or HR) job has just been
eliminated now what do I do next?
HOW (or actually... WHAT)?
•Start to research firms or companies that will be growing…eg stimulus money.
Start reaching out to senior leaders in the organizations that excite you for the
future.
•Begin to blog and write articles.
•Become a metrics expert. Performance management is what companies will be
targeting in the next phase.
•Retrain your skills.
•Join groups (informal and formal).
•Take a Vacation you deserve it!

29. My (recruiting or HR) job has just been
eliminated now what do I do next?
For more information:
Rethink and Refocus your Career
http://www.ere.net/2009/02/26/a-time-for-rebirth-rethink-
and-refocus-your-career/

30. Forecast and be ready for a fast shift
when the economy changes.
WHY does this matter?
•Cuts have been so extreme in many organizations that
when hiring returns the need for talent will be ferocious.
Being one step ahead of the pack will get you the talent you
need for the long run for less.
•Talent Makes the Difference.

31. Forecast and be ready for a fast shift
when the economy changes.
HOW?
•Keep in touch with managers at all level to get a sense of
where in the organization the pent-up need for talent is
greatest.
•Have contingency plans, personnel and/or vendors lined
up to allow a fast response to meet those needs when you
get the opportunity.
•Build your corporate alumni program now.

32. Forecast and be ready for a fast shift
when the economy changes.
For more information:
General “Big Picture” Comments
http://www.therecruiterslounge.com/2008/09/03/recruiting-
in-down-times/

33. Conclusion and Questions
If you have questions feel free to ask them now, or to
contact us at Lynn@TRIOHRSOLUTIONS.com or
mjsevert@yahoo.com.
(414-870-9896) Lynn’s Cell
(414-559-9687) Matt’s Cell
www.triohrsolutions.com www.triogovernmentsolutions.com