Another conversation regarding  Passive Versus Active candidates caught my eye;  it was suggested that some comments made were generalizations. Especially comments based upon a recent research document that showed that pas Save sive Candidates were "better than active"

If we think about it though - Well isn't recruiting all about Generalization? Unfortunately/Fortunately? Generalization does play a big role in this industry; everyday that we do this job.

Sometimes we see a resume of a job hopper and think, why should we take the risk? Yet, this one job may finally be the place that the job hopper may finally say, Yes, this is home, I have found my home ...

A vast majority of recruiters and clients will tend to stereotype the Job hopper - too many jobs, not interested..

We generalize with the ways that resumes are written, the places a candidate may have worked, if or where they had gone to school, GPA's, how a candidate interviews, what they wore. We generalize about where they live, how close they are to the job; we even generalize by appearance, how things may have been said, and what wasn't said; We generalize when we create Subjective job qualifications based upon personal desires versus what is really objectively needed to get the job done (ie college degree)

And We Especially generalize with those wonderful assessment and personality tests..

So, today, as the thoughts had turned to making generalized statements about the Passive Candidate, Versus the Active Candidate; but maybe we can ask, are these generalizations True? Especially say with regards to active versus non active candidates?

Why did the generalizations come about? where does the statistics come from in regards to the generalizations?

Why for example has the Passive Candidate been so sought after by our clients for as long as Adam knew Eve (pun intended) - there must be some truth here, for them to be so appreciated?

Did we create these generalizations in recruiting because it is easier to deal with rather than taking risks? Or do we continue to generalize because the risk is indeed to great?

Generalization is indeed a great Power in Recruiting..

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ABOUT KAREN MATTONEN, CAC, CSP

Karen is an experienced, successful recruiter who operates her own business and is actively involved in many industry organizations and activities. Her recruiting career began with Snelling Corporation. In 1998, after a successful tenure as a recruiter with Snelling, Karen struck out on her own, founding Advanced Career Solutions (ACS). ACS focuses on recruiting for the HVAC Industry. Karen has achieved accreditation as a California Accredited Consultant (CAC) through California Staffing Professionals. She has also gained her Certified Staffing Professional Certificate (CSP) through American Staffing Professionals. (http://www.americanstaffing.net/)

She has a new and future-oriented vision of what recruiting can and should become: a profession we can be proud of for its ethical standing, professional conduct and ability to build great organizations. Her doing-well-by-doing-right philosophy is shaking up the status quo in an industry that needs to be shaken. She does this with conviction, leadership, and a distinctive voice that cries out for change.

Karen was a co-creator of the landmark webinar event – "EEOC Discrimination Debate." This event featured senior members of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and staffing industry experts discussing and debating difficult issues about discrimination in today’s workplace environment. Company executives, hiring managers, recruiters, and human resource professionals from across the United States were invited to participate in the free Webinar and live panel discussion. Karen also served as one of the panelists on the discussion team in the March, 2006 event.

As co-host of the popular podcast "The Recruiters Lounge ,"Karen discusses her frank opinions on the recruitment industry with her co-host, Jim Stroud.