This episode of RecTech is sponsored by WorkHere.com and Emissary.ai - please support our sponsors. Welcome to the first episode of RecTech for 2019, todays show is just a solo episode to kick off the year and get you ready for what lies ahead. It is the first monday in january and so I am proud to announce that the 2019 recruiting season is officially open for business! For many of you 2018 was a daunting year to recruit and this year is shaping up to be just as challenging. So i will give you some thoughts on how to handle the new recruiting season and also how me and my RecTech Media team can help. Show notes: In the coming weeks you’ll hear interviews with Aley Brown from outplacement firm CareerMinds on SEO for HR as well as an interview with The Mom Project, a job site for moms returning to the workforce. One thing I want listeners to know is that when it comes to sponsors I only seek to promote companies that I know and trust. When i look at a sponsor i only take on ones that are useful to my audience and also have a track record of success and people that I know. That’s important to me to have trusted vetted HR tech companies---I would never promote something just because they paid me ...my reputation is important.   Alright, as you start your recruiting plans this year here are some things to keep in mind; Candidate experience...speed of apply...speed on interviewing...automation....communications even rejection process are all important. From the Recruitee blog...“I just wish more companies would make the experience less painful for candidates. I am sure there will be software that comes out to do that. But the more companies can be real and human and upfront the better. I hear from friends searching that companies still interview them 5 times, lead them on and then send a templated email rejecting them. Brand is everything these days. The minute your company gets a bad rep the best talent leaves. Facebook is going through this right now. These bad experiences while talented leaders are trying to join leaves a bad taste, and talented people hang out with other really talented people. Word of mouth travels [quickly], and soon you’ve turned an entire community sour to your opportunities. Next thing you know the best in the industry [are] joining your competitor and helping them scale. Just be real and honest and human as much as possible. You can’t hire everyone but work on scaling the unscalable as much as possible.” – Kameron Kales Recruitment marketing...fb and google, geofencing, billboards, open houses….“I believe video will become an even more important component of recruitment marketing.  Telling your company’s story through your employees is incredibly powerful and can be very compelling. Video content must be a part of your strategy in 2019”----see JobStories.com Your messaging and content...EVP, job descriptions... Talent to manage it all...HRIT----“There has never been more technology than today. So 2019 will be another year of struggle for HR departments especially when it comes to implementing HR technology to recruit or engage. The smart companies would be wise to hire more technologists to help implement new software. The profession now requires a digitally savvy worker, so be prepared for what’s to come.” HR technology continues at a frenetic pace...expect to see a lot of mergers, acquisitions…and some companies going into the deadpool too. Things I’m looking forward to: Facebook job board changes, Uber staffing, more gig economy news, will indeed get back to innovating or just acquiring? Less hr tech, So how can RecTech Media help you with all this?  As we enter our fourth year of operations I want to first tell you about all the no cost ways you can leverage our tools and information...the following are all free ways that we can make you and your team better at recruiting. RecTechLive.com - get your webinar learning on! Recruitingheadlines.com - stay up to date on all the recruiting news. Jobfairing.com - promote your hiring open house. Rejobify.com - improve your rejection process. HRpodcasters.com - learn the latest podcasts making waves. When it companies to our paid services and tools I’ll just mention a few of those that I am excited about for the coming year. Jobstories.com - webinars for jobs, $895 per event EVP consulting, starting at $5k - https://www.rectechmedia.com/employer-value-propositions/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices