Comedy show at SourceCon? Highly interactive keynote session with almost 650 attendees? Multiple actionable takeaways? How is that possible? Katrina Collier also known as The Searchologist nailed all of that!
Imagine a room filled with almost everyone feeling the post-lunch slump (which is a challenge for any speaker- especially when the food is as good as it is at every SourceCon conference!).
Collier steps on the stage and is asking us if we can automate being human? This is a thought provoking question since we are in the age of so much hype about AI and the robots.
Collier infused humor with education throughout her entire presentation.
Here are the top three takeaways:
Be Peculiar
One of the things that stood out to me was how she said that as humans we should be peculiar. She challenged us to find something about ourselves that a robot could not find out about us. So, take a moment and find that one thing about yourself. What is that? There is a catch, though; you can’t include what is already out there on social media. Not so easy, right? However, the point is that it still can be done. Each of us has something that makes us peculiar. Whether it’s a quirky habit or some silly obsession. These are the things that a robot could not identify nor duplicate.
Don’t Be Rude
Katrina stressed the importance of not being rude when connecting with candidates or even fellow colleagues on social media. Don’t be that person that sends a LinkedIn connection request without a personalized message. And don’t be that recruiter who sends an email to a candidate without personalizing it. Be sure to connect with the person in some way. Is there something that you found out about them online that is worth mentioning? Do you have anything in common with them? Regardless, it’s about being human and doing what a robot cannot do.
Use The Right Channel
The key takeaway about the using the right channel was to make sure that you reach out to candidates using the best method. She shared an example of how a person was contacted by a potential employer; however, the candidate did not even get to read the InMail until almost ten months later – ouch! Lesson learned here is to use your sourcing skills and consider multiple avenues to reach the candidate. You may even just want to pick up the phone. After all, that’s the human thing to do, right? ?
Overall, the hardest part of writing this article was picking only three takeaways. Collier’s presentation was filled with a wealth of information from beginning to end. If you have not had a chance to review her website; I encourage you to do so. Check it out here and be sure to subscribe to the blog. You won’t regret it.
Hope to see at the Fall SourceCon Conference!