Part - I

In research for my upcoming book, I interviewed one of my wisest and most inspirational professors, Jim Collins, author of From Good to Great... Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't. The free-flowing discussion with him reminded me that the framework for transforming good results into great ones can be applied not only to enduring organizations and leaders but to activities like recruiting as well.

For those of us involved in recruiting, we can commiserate on the fact that it's been an especially challenging time. The aftermath of 9/11, a tumultuous market, global economic woes, the wave of corporate wrongdoing, and an uncertain hiring picture are the landscape upon which we must execute our own recruiting strategies and plans.

Still, forecasts are pointing to a slight upturn in the economy, which translates into a great opportunity to build for the future. Getting ready for when the recruiting cycle heats up again should be the main focus now. What we've currently got is a window of opportunity to start up or re-energize our college and MBA recruiting, all the while enjoying an abundance of talented candidates and the luxury of time to refine our efforts and build a program from good to great. Here's a top ten list that I hope will inspire you and provide some food for thought as the school year starts up again and you consider your recruiting efforts.

1. Know what's important. What's important to you and your organization? What's important to those you want to recruit?

For you, the recruiter: What are the ideal candidates in terms of qualities, experiences, and competencies? What kinds of schools/programs offer the backgrounds and customer-service experiences you want? Approximately how many do you need to hire and into which groups, and ideally when? What do you need to do internally to make your recruiting efforts effective? Who are your recruiting champions, who are your detractors, and how do you engage them? What resources do you need to be successful?

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* Sherrie Gong Taguchi was the VP of Univ. for Recruiting at Bank of America and director of Corp. HR responsible for staffing, exec. dev., and reorganizations at Dole Packaged Foods and Mervyn's Deptt Stores. She has also served as the asstt dean at the Stanford Graduate School of Business where she headed the Career Mgmt Center and Mgmt Communication Program. Her two popular books - Hiring the Best and Brightest & The Ultimate Guide to Getting the Career You Want and What to Do Once You Have - are helping thousands of job seekers and career changers worldwide - whether just out of school or at the executive level.